Ford F-150 Complaints (2018)

2,327 consumer complaints on file.

#11743544June 11, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Transmission began shifting very hard into 3rd gear. Later the transmission got stuck in 4th gear and would not shift out of it, even at a complete stop. Was able to manually shift down to 3rd gear after a few minutes, then it started to shift normal. Lately the transmission has shifted from 7th gear to 1st gear and back to 7th gear, from 8th gear to 1st gear back to 8th gear, and twice it has shifted from 10th gear to 1st gear back to 10th gear. This happen while on a major roadway going 30-50 mph. I lose all throttle response for a few seconds during this process. It is a frightening experience. Not being able to control the speed of the vehicle or being able to accelerate is not safe. Many times at stop signs/crosswalks the vehicle will lunge ahead abruptly while shifting up gears. The truck is currently at the Ford Dealer, they say that it needs a new transmission. They said the Ford 10 speed transmission is known to have issues and they are backed up with this type of work. No warning lights or messages ever appeared. The hard shifting into 3rd gear started in the late fall, but the other shifting issues began early spring.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11743552June 11, 2026
POWER TRAIN
10r80 transmission failure. Ford dealer told me that ford is aware of the defective components in the 10r80 pre 2022, issued guidance on what updated components they designed to replace defective ones, and never issued a recall. Said this is very common but company won’t take responsibility or assist with the $10K repair.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11743260June 10, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The transmission failed at 108,000 miles, no warning, no lights, nothing. It cost me $10,000 on a vehicle I paid $32,000 for, less than 14,000 miles earlier. Neither Ford directly or the dealership were any help. Ford customer service told me, if it was one mile less than 100,000 miles they would have replaced it at no cost. I also found many other things wrong with the vehicle that the dealership misrepresented to get their top dollar.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11742860June 9, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Shifting vary hard
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11742986June 9, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
Master cylinder leaked and got a low brake fluid level warning and within one mile lost brakes with pedal depression all the way to the floor. Ford has a current recall for other makes and models which appears to be a manufacturer defect. My truck is currently in the dealership getting repaired
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11743073June 9, 2026
POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
This vehicle was purchased from toothman and sowers Ford in west Virginia as certified pre owned. It has never run correctly. The transmission has a cdf drum failure which causes it to lurch forward randomly with several near miss accidents. It is completely unsafe to drive. It hangs up on gears and accelerates on its own with no press of the accelerator. Ford says it's $10000 to fix it but they know about it, created a tsb and never recalled. These trucks are a hazard and should not be driven until fixed. I don't drive the truck anymore and definitely won't put my toddler in the truck since it lurched and almost wrecked in an intersection. More near misses in that truck because of this failure than I care to keep track of. Now, it sits. It runs and looks pretty, but transmission is garbage and a hazard.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11742691June 8, 2026
POWER TRAIN
I previously had an issue with my 10 speed f150 transmission shifting into first gear at highway speeds and locking into first gear. It was taken to the dealer and had a tail shaft speed sensor replaced. It had been issue free for a few years now, but the issue happened again this weekend while towing a loaded trailer almost causing a loss of control and crash. It was completely unexpected and required the vehicle to be stopped and restarted to get the truck out of first gear
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11742248June 5, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH and hauling a trailer, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard. The vehicle failed to stop immediately. The contact drove the vehicle into a ditch to stop it. The message "Low Brake Fluid" was displayed, and the brake warning light was illuminated. The front driver's side tire was damaged from the ditch. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries sustained, and no police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V150000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11742045June 4, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Within the past three years of owning I have had an unfortunate circumstance where my transmission twice now; once at 90,000 and now at 110,000. My vehicle has decided to unexpectedly shift WITHOUT my input from 10th to 1st resulting in the transmission needing to be serviced due to the fact it will dump transmission fluid (a quart or two) and reach temperatures of 215 to 230 degrees Fahrenheit while driving at high speeds for example both instances have been on the interstate doing 75mph. I will loose all power of my vehicle but I still am in control of it. This to me is a huge safety concern due to the fact I am driving at a high rate of speed. Yes I understand it has been twice in three years but this is not a normal circumstance. I have had a local shop take a look at it and both times they have found nothing major except a loss of a quart of fluid. Due to the fact there is multiple information available out there on this similar event so it is not a fluke I believe it is more a coincidence with the 10r80 transmission by ford. I am reporting it because in my personal opinion this is NOT normal or typical behavior for a transmission, I only have 110,000 on my odometer so yes I can definitely see high mileage being a factor but if that is the case why has my transmission not finally given out yet? There is practically an impending doom feeling every time you sit down and put it in drive, you don’t know when or if this can happen again
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741531June 2, 2026
POWER TRAIN
My 2018 Ford F‑150 experiences harsh shifting, sudden downshifting, gear hunting, delayed engagement, and shuddering during normal operation. These issues occur regardless of weather, temperature, or driving conditions and present a serious safety concern when accelerating or maintaining speed. Detailed Description of the Problem: The transmission consistently behaves unpredictably, including: Abrupt and harsh upshifts Sudden, unexpected downshifts (including multi‑gear drops) Gear hunting at steady speeds Shuddering or vibration during light acceleration Delayed engagement when shifting from Park or Reverse These symptoms occur every time the vehicle is driven, whether accelerating from a stop or maintaining a constant speed. The behavior is unpredictable and creates a risk of loss of control, especially when merging, crossing intersections, or driving in traffic.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741572June 2, 2026
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
The 2018 F150 I purchased started out a good vehicle like most vehicle do. The problems then began to come one after the other. Routine oil changes on the vehicle at the dealership with no hiccups turned into “Your motor is low on oil”. The tech tried to find a leak. The motor wasn’t leaking ANYTHING, so naturally the tech told me the motor was burning the missing oil. The tech told me “they all burn alittle oil” and topped it back off. I had another “incident” where I was driving on the highway a few weeks later and my engine light came on, and I lost oil pressure. The red “low oil pressure” message came on the dash and I promptly limped my truck to the dealership once again. The tech diagnosed the truck and found a plugged PCV valve. It was changed for a brand new one from the dealer, followed by another oil change well under the recommended interval naturally, due to the motor burning almost all of the oil. The truck still burns oil, and the issue seems to be impossible to remedy. The issue that followed the engine burning oil is the 10R80 Transmission installed from the ford manufacturer. Once again everything seemed fine when I purchased the truck. After driving it for 20-30k miles, the transmission has developed a flare shift between the 3rd-4th gears. The transmission is getting more and more hesitant to upshift and maintain and gain speed. This is considerably noticeable when attempting to get on the highway. This is unacceptable. It puts me in a very vulnerable spot because it doesn’t happen all the time. So I have to be EXTREMELY aware and prepared for the truck to become inoperable while merging into the flow of traffic. On two occasions now, while merging onto the highway with traffic, I have had to pull over to the shoulder of the road and put my hazards on to allow traffic to go around me due to my 2018 F150 with the 5.0/10R80 combination NOT increasing speed, and reving close to 5k RPMs. THESE ISSUES MUST BE ADDRESSED.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741603June 2, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Known transmission issue from Ford with 10-speed transmission. Transmission failed at 106,500 miles, and needing to be replaced. Ford has knowingly ignored issue, and is charging for repair.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740800May 29, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The transmission is absolutely flawed - it delays shifting in unpredictable ways when in traffic, and often slams into gear when downshifting, which is jarring on the driver. Transmission should absolutely be recalled for the bushing. It is unsafe and unethical that Ford knowingly continued to used this transmission knowing it was causing issues.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740895May 29, 2026
ENGINE
The contact owns a Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving, there was an audible noise was heard and observed smoke coming from beneath the hood on the driver's side near the alternator. The contact pulled over and discovered flames coming from the engine compartment. The fire department responded and extinguished the fire. No injuries were sustained and no additional property damages were reported. The vehicle was not destroyed and was later towed to an independent mechanic; however, the vehicle was ot diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was contacted but did not diagnosed or repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 151,798
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740697May 28, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Vehicle shifts hard and sometimes goes to high RPM before it finds a gear. It also slams into gear once it finally does go into gear. It also shudders when downshifting to pass and feels like the truck is about to fall apart while shaking
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740262May 26, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
While driving this vehicle, the brake line was cut after making contact with the A arm assembly, at the highest point on the line. I immediately lost my brakes as the brake pedal went to the floor. I am extremely lucky that I was able to stop within the parking lot that I had just entered and did not have to make an immediate stop.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739810May 24, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Body control module catastrophic failure resulting in electrical failure while driving. Horn would not turn off, hazards would not turn off, warning modules firing off messages, burning smell coming from engine compartment. Absolute safety hazard while driving.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739688May 23, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The transmission is the 10r80 model and shifts erratically. should be recalled and rebuilt. i only have 40k miles but it jerks when shifting from park to reverse or reverse to forward and when driving it struggles to go into the correct gear causing delayed acceleration. i have to drive carefully to prepare in case the shift delay and i also have to take a lot of extra time parking to avoid the harsh jerking so others can't get out of the road waiting on my truck to operate. Ive been to dealer and paid 500$ for adaptive learning reset as suggested as well as fluid and filter change but did not help whatsoever. The transmission also runs extremely hot. Ford dealer has aknowlged my concern but will not do anything unless ford issues a TSB or a recall but my model year hasn't had either. No warning lights have been present. There's also rattling when the truck shifts gears at lower speeds from transmission area and the truck also moves forward and back when defending down hills from whatever is going on in the transmission. FORD SHOULD REBUILD OR REPLACE TRANSMISSIONS IN 10R80 models!!!!!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739482May 22, 2026
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:COMPRESSOR
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle at an undisclosed speed, the AC was being used at 70% power when suddenly, the AC no longer gave cool air and the airflow was weak. The contact stated this happens when he drives the vehicle longer than a 4 hour period. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it could not be diagnosed due to no being able to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 21,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739322May 21, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
Brakes completely failed. Foot went to the floorboard and car did not stop. Drove until is was slowed down enough to throw it into park. Engine light stated low on brake fluid. Filled it up and it went about a mile before brakes failed again. Took to a mechanic who determined that brake cylinder and booster had failed. Called Ford who said my 2018 Ford F-150, built in Kansas City was not in the Ford April 14, 2025 recall (25S37) as the build date on my vehicle was a few months after the May 19, 2017 cut off. However it is clear that later built models also had the same problem with the defective brake cylinder as the earlier builds. I suspect they used the same part. Ford should expand the date of brake failure to cover repair of later models with failed brake booster and master cylinder.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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