2018 Ford F-150 Recall: Unintended Gear Selection Risk
Ford Motor Company is recalling certain 2018 F-150 vehicles due to a software issue that could lead to unintended gear selection when quickly shifting from Park to Drive. This recall, identified as NHTSA 26V375000 and Ford's 26S42, addresses a safety risk of unexpected vehicle movement.
Why This Matters: Safety Risk
Ford Motor Company has issued a recall for certain 2018 F-150 trucks due to a software issue that could lead to unintended gear selection. This defect poses a significant safety risk, as it may cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
What's Being Recalled
This recall, identified by NHTSA ID 26V375000 and Ford's internal number 26S42, specifically targets certain 2018 F-150 vehicles that were previously repaired incorrectly under an earlier recall (17V669). The core issue involves the powertrain control module (PCM). If the shift lever is moved quickly from Park to Drive, owners may experience a "loss of gear indication on the instrument cluster display" and a "momentary selection of an unintended gear, such as Reverse or Neutral." The affected component is the POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM). This 2018 Ford F-150 recall ensures these vehicles receive the correct software update.
How to Check if Your Vehicle is Affected
Owners of 2018 Ford F-150 vehicles can determine if their truck is part of this recall by checking their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). VINs involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov starting July 6, 2026. You may also contact Ford customer service directly at 1-866-436-7332.
Manufacturer's Remedy
Ford dealers will update the powertrain control module software on affected vehicles. This repair will be performed free of charge to the owner. Owner notification letters are scheduled to be mailed on July 9, 2026. The 2018 Ford F-150 recall remedy involves a simple software update to prevent the unintended gear selection issue.
Source: NHTSA Recall ID 26V375000
What Ford F-150 owners report
Counted from the records in our database across 46 model years.
- 39,812
- Owner complaints
- 226
- Recalls
- 2,759
- Service bulletins
- 1,679
- Crashes reported
- 2,104
- Fires reported
- 1,496
- Injuries reported
The 2018 model year
2,327 complaints, the 3rd most of 46 model years on file. Owners reported 64 crashes, 33 fires and 52 injuries for this year, which also has 19 recalls on file.
Power Train, the system this article covers, accounts for 9,483 of 39,812 complaints (24%), including 1,019 for 2018.
Complaints by model year
| 1997 | 2,758 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 2,029 | |
| 2011 | 2,194 | |
| 2012 | 1,784 | |
| 2013 | 2,994 | |
| 2014 | 1,539 | |
| 2015 | 1,746 | |
| 2016 | 2,093 | |
| 2017 | 1,465 | |
| 2018 | 2,327 |
Most-reported systems
- Power Train — 9,483
- Engine — 4,618
- Electrical System — 4,362
- Service Brakes — 3,838
- Vehicle Speed Control — 2,924
Latest recalls for the 2018 model year
- 26V373000 — Exterior Lighting (Jun 2026)
- 26V375000 — Power Train (Jun 2026)
- 25V236000 — Service Brakes, Hydraulic (Apr 2025)
Recent owner reports about power train
The transmission has been replaced once covered under Fords extended warranty at 90,700 miles by the previous owner in 2022. Today the transmission has 82,000 miles on it and requires to be replace again.
Read owner complaints →3 separate things recently happened. First the cam phasers went out, $4600. Second, only months later, the transmission went out, $7100. Third, it is throwing a p0420 and p0421 codes and the catalytic converts need replaced, at least $2000.
Complaints are owner reports filed with NHTSA. They are unverified, and counts depend on how many vehicles were sold, so they are not a failure rate.
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