2018 Ford F-150 problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls
64% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2018 Ford F-150 are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. Well over half of everything owners reported is the drivetrain. That is a severe model-level pattern; every model year we track at this level has a documented failure behind it.
Worse than 86% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 62 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 62%).
Does the 2018 Ford F-150 have transmission problems?
Owner complaints say yes, heavily, as a model-year pattern. 1,187 of 1,852 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Ford F-150 concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (64%), and the largest group is filed under power train (755). For comparison, the 2017 scores 56% and the 2019 scores 76%. On a test drive, check for shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.
Complaints by component
The years either side
Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.
The rest of the picture on the 2018 Ford F-150
- The mileage where it happens. When owners of the 2018 Ford F-150 said the problem showed up, and the range most of them fell in.
- What the repair costs. Typical transmission repair ranges, to price into your offer.
- Cleaner alternatives. Similar cars and nearby years with a better record.
- Every owner quote, with the ones about your car's own engine first.
- What to ask the seller and what to check on the test drive, for this car.
- Two cars side by side, if you are deciding between them.
What one owner reported
One of 1,187 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2018 Ford F-150?
Yes. NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns on the 2018 Ford F-150 involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 19 in total. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-150 vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 17V669. Quickly moving the shift lever from Park to Drive may cause a loss of gear indication on the instrument cluster display and a momentary selection of an unintended gear, such as Reverse or Neutral.
Risk: Unintended gear selection may cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction, increasing the risk of crash or injury.
Fix: Dealers will update the powertrain control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 9, 2026. Owners may contact customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater and previously remedied under recall 18V894. During the previous repair, the block heater cable's splice connector may have been damaged.
Risk: A damaged cable could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the engine block heater from being used. When replacement cables become available, a second notice will be mailed and dealers will replace the engine block heater cord,…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater. Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causing corrosion and damage.
Risk: When the heater is plugged in, prolonged corrosion could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring which can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the block heater cable, free of charge. Once parts are available, Dealers will replace the engine block heater cable, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2019.…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Expedition, F-150, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI V6 engines. These vehicles have high pressure fuel pump assemblies with welds that can fracture, which may cause an oil or fuel leak.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump and associated components, free of charge. The recall began July 17, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Ford F-150 and 2018 Ford Expedition and Mustang and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions. A roll pin may not have been installed in the transmission, potentially causing a loss of the "Park" function.
Risk: Despite the transmission shift lever being placed in 'Park' and the instrument panel display indicating 'Park,' the vehicle may roll away after it has been exited if the parking brake has not been applied, increasing…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmission to make sure it has the roll pin, installing one if it is missing, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2018. Owners may contact Ford…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-650 and F-750 vehicles equipped with 6-speed automatic transmissions and 2018 Ford F-150 and Expedition vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions (excluding Expedition vehicles with a Rotary Gear Shift Dial on the console). The gear shift cable clip may not be properly seated, allowing the transmission to be in a different gear than indicated by…
Risk: If the gear shift cable clip becomes unseated or dislodged, the gear shift lever position may indicate that the transmission is in 'Park' when it may be in a different gear. Additionally, despite selecting 'Park', if…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the shift cable locking clip and properly seat it, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-150 vehicles equipped with 3.5L engines. The cylinder heads may have been machined without lubrication supply holes for the camshaft bearing journals.
Risk: Without a proper supply of lubrication, the engine will fail, causing a stall and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford is not aware of any affected vehicles outside of dealer control. Should owner contact subsequently be required, arrangements will be made to transport their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the engine…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.3L engine, a 6-speed transmission and a column mounted shift lever. Quickly moving the shift lever from Park to Drive may cause a loss of gear indication on the instrument cluster display and a momentary selection of an unintended gear, such as Reverse or Neutral before the vehicle achieves Drive function.
Risk: Unidentified or unintended gear selection may cause the vehicle to move in a way that was not intended by the driver, increasing the risk of crash or injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module, free of charge. Owners may contact Ford Customer Service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S35.
11 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model; one of NHTSA's listings did not answer when this page was built, so the list may be incomplete. Checked October 17, 2026.
Checking one particular 2018 Ford F-150? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.
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Does the 2018 Ford F-150 have transmission problems?
Owner complaints say yes, heavily, as a model-year pattern. 1,187 of 1,852 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Ford F-150 concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (64%). Before buying one, have an independent mechanic check the transmission and ask the seller whether it has been repaired or replaced.
Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2018 Ford F-150?
Yes. NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns on the 2018 Ford F-150 involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 19 in total: 26V375000 (power train: automatic transmission: control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)), 19V278000 (engine), 18V894000 (engine), and more. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.
Which Ford F-150 years are better?
Among the Ford F-150 years we track, the 2010 (34%), the 2015 (34%) and the 2014 (39%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2018 (64%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.
Should I buy a 2018 Ford F-150?
That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2018 Ford F-150 has an elevated transmission complaint pattern, so treat it as a car that needs proof: service records showing transmission work, a cold-start test drive, and an independent pre-purchase inspection focused on the transmission. A well-kept or already-repaired example can be a fine car; an unknown one is a gamble.
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Check a VINExperimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle. Combined across 4 body styles NHTSA files separately.