What 1,835 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Ford F-150 Supercab Diesel

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission shifted to neutral(N) unintendedly, and the vehicle lost motive power. The power train warning light was illuminated. No further information was available. Additionally, the contact stated that electronic system and lights failed to turn off. The contact confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall and that the warranty had expired. The contact stated that there were complaints and lawsuits related to the failure. The contact stated that the body control module (BCM) was previously repaired. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 84,019.

NHTSA ODI 11677447

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while depressing the accelerator pedal, the gear shifter shifted independently, and the message "Vehicle Heisted Gear Ten Error" was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA to file a vehicle safety complaint. The approximate failure mileage was 52,742.

NHTSA ODI 11677236

When backing up, my camera will either not work or be extremely slow. Then once it works the backup image or blank screen will show up when not in reverse. My screen will be blank, be extremely slow, or freeze when I turn the vehicle on or when driving. Unable to get CarPlay to work at all. When pushing buttons the lag time is so bad that it will take minutes for it to catch up. Unable to update the software.

NHTSA ODI 11672147

I had a rear view camera problem where the screen went blue on my f150. No picture or beeps. I paid over $800 for software and hardware repairs and now there is a recall. Conveniently my vin is not included even though I have the same repairs I had to pay for. Reciepts from Ford Dealership available.

NHTSA ODI 11671451

SYNC seems to return to factory setting at every start and I need to answer the same series of initial questions to access it. It dumps all of my saved preferences when I turn the truck off. It freezes, particularly when I try a manual soft reboot. Back up camera comes on while I'm driving. I don't have access to audio, navigation, or hands free support.

NHTSA ODI 11667773

The radio goes black giving no indication to why and no way to adjust the heated steering wheel or the climate controls.

NHTSA ODI 11660336

The button on the steering wheel get hot then fail to work this has happened several times i have complained to ford. The cruise control quits working and all the buttons for the dash menu quit working. I will be driving down the road with the cruise control on and all of a sudden it will quit working. Then it will just come back on like you never shut it off and when you least expect it. when this happens you can not shut the thing off its gonna cause an accident.

NHTSA ODI 11658075

My back up camera barely works now. Most of the times that I back up the screen is blue or black. Very rarely it will work. I brought it into my local for dealer and they said moisture somehow got into the sealed connector and started corroding the metal in there making it a bad connection. They told me I needed a new wire harness for over $500 and I don’t have the money to fix it. So now my back up camera is just broke.

NHTSA ODI 11656808

The engine system on this vehicle experienced multiple failures, including severe knocking, power loss, and potential oil-related malfunctions. Despite repeated service visits to the authorized Ford dealership, the problem persisted. The dealership performed multiple repairs, but the issue was never fully resolved. The vehicle has been undrivable for over a year, during which I have had to rely on rental cars, borrowed vehicles, and eventually purchased cash vehicles to commute — all while continuing to pay for the truck. This is a severe financial and safety burden for a vehicle sold as reliable. To this day, no clear resolution has been offered, and Ford’s internal support has repeatedly deflected responsibility or referred me to scripted call center processes. The vehicle remains parked, unable to be driven due to fear of catastrophic failure or causing harm to myself or others on the road. The engine should be fully inspected, and the failure reported as part of a broader pattern I believe exists across other vehicles with this powertrain. There were early warning lights, knocking, and oil issues documented during dealer visits. The dealer acknowledged repeated service cases but failed to offer a true fix or replacement. This is more than mechanical failure — it’s a consumer safety and engineering accountability issue. I urge NHTSA to investigate the root cause and assess whether a broader recall or investigation is warranted.

NHTSA ODI 11656507

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the radio and the rearview camera was inoperative. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The diagnostic result was unavailable. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

NHTSA ODI 11656641

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ODI 11656105

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while attempting to research the vehicle online, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 93,600; it was discovered that the mileage was 200,000.

NHTSA ODI 11655181

I had repeated issues with sudden downshifts while driving starting around 80,000 miles. By 83,000 miles it was doing it weekly or more frequently. It would shift down to first gear no matter what gear it was in. I would have trouble getting it to shift back even if I stopped and turned it off or tried the manual’s “fix” of pressing the brake and accelerator pedals at the same time for at least 30 seconds. I paid $2300 to fix a transmission barely past 80,000 miles. Besides the safety issue, the impact on daily life in general is a mess. Ford should have to recall all recent years and fix or repay the customers like me who had to pay Ford to fix their defects.

NHTSA ODI 11653032

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after stopping the vehicle, the vehicle would not immediately restart. Also, while at a stoplight with the Auto START/STOP feature activated, the vehicle did not immediately restart after depressing the brake pedal, and the vehicle had to be jump-started. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who indicated that there was no issue with the battery and was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 102,602.

NHTSA ODI 11651243

While driving in manual mode on the road vehicle seemingly came out of gear and then slammed into a lower gear causing me to be slammed forward in my seat and nearly wrecked my vehicle, it then unprotected went to 1st then to 9the gear all while still in manual shift mode. Vehicle also dose not always fully engage park when P is illuminated.

NHTSA ODI 11650574

The same problem that is highlighted with the 1.3 million Ford F-150 truck investigation for the 2015 - 2017 models has happened to me. In 2024 my Ford F-150 would switch from 10th to 3rd gear without warning. This has lead to the transmission completely failing. I had to personally replace the transmission myself. I had just went over the warranty mileage. The incident was reported to Ford but nothing was done about it. At the machenic repair shop there were 2 other Ford F-150 that had the same problem.

NHTSA ODI 11650620

When I tow my boat the starter overheats and when I stop to get gas I have trouble starting the engine or it won't start at all until the engine cools completely.

NHTSA ODI 11650248

Radio went out not long after I bought it. Nothing on that end works. No back up camera, nothing. Bad apim module. 1400 to replace. It’s such a common issue and should be a recall.

NHTSA ODI 11644840

Powertrain control module software is faulty, causing improper diagnosis of catalytic converters efficiency. Prompting a check engine light and P0430/P0420 code. I could not pass emissions testing with this code. The Ford dealer made me pay out of pocket to replace catalytic converters ~6 months ago, total cost of $2975.12. The have now addressed that it is unlikely the catalytic converters were faulty, and are offering no reimbursement.

NHTSA ODI 11642766

THE PASSENGER BACK DOOR LATCH, SOMETIMES WHEN THE DOOR CLOSES IT SAYS REAR RIGHT DOOR AJAR. IT TAKES A FEW TIMES TO OPEN AND CLOSE IT FOR THE LIGHT TO GO OFF.. NOONE'S SAFETY HAS BEEN PUT AT RISK YET DOOR STILL LOCKS BUT COULD BECOME UNSAFE OVER TIME. THE VEHICLES HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY MANUFACTURER OR INSURANCE OR OTHERS YET. THE DOOR LIGHT COMES ON IF DOOR IS NOT CLOSED PROPERLY AND WILL STAY ON SOMETIMES.

NHTSA ODI 11628056

Accessory protocol image module (APIM) failed, resulting in frequent loss of power to radio, display, and climate controls.

NHTSA ODI 11624484

The Starter on my 2018 Ford F150 XTR (XLT trim to be sold new in Canada) with the 5.0L Coyote V8 engine failed @ only 46,000 miles. I have done my own auto repair for years, and have replaced a few failed or failing starters, none of which were @ less than 100,000 miles. After a little research, I found out that Ford "created" their Coyote engine with the Auto Stop/Start feature as a fuel economy measure to satisfy USEPA. However, this resulted in a several orders of magnitude increase in the number of starts within any given time frame (say, over the course of a year) and, since Ford did not re-design the starter to account for this radical increase in the sheer number of starts, starters are failing early. Mine failed @ 46,000 miles, and I've read multiple online posts from owners of this engine that had to replace the starter, one as early as 27,000. Check out owner comments @: [XXX] I should NOT have been required to pay for Ford Motor Company's design FAILURE. Respectfully, [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11617786

I was driving, I looked down because my truck was unresponsive, my truck had died, a warning light had come on stating the following: "Auto Start/Stop Shift to P, then Restart Engine". I was on the interstate, in a two lane construction zone, I had to pull over into the construction area, stop my truck, and try and restart. After a minute or two, I was able to restart my truck and re-enter the road way. A very dangerous situation, luckily I did not have my children in the vehicle at the time. I scheduled a service appointment after this and was told it was the fuel pump control module. Unfortunately, it has happened twice since my service appointment... something needs to me done!

NHTSA ODI 11616100

The contact owns 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while cold starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the starter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but offered no assistance with the repair. The failure mileage was 87,895.

NHTSA ODI 11612424

The vehicle was stopped, preparing to make a left-hand turn at a four-way intersection, in Drive with my foot on the brake. I had manually pressed the button to disable the "Auto Start-Stop" feature earlier in this trip, and the light was on indicating that feature was still disabled. While stopped, the vehicle's engine suddenly shut off. On the dashboard, the informational cluster indicated "Auto StartStop Shift to P, then Restart Engine" with the logo for that feature (An "A" in a looped arrow icon) showing below. I shifted to Neutral and restarted the vehicle with no issue - at which time the warning messages went away - and continued the drive without further incident. I have not been able to reproduce the issue, yet. I was in the vehicle with my 1-year-old son in his car seat, preparing to make a left turn across oncoming traffic when the vehicle shut itself off, placing us at considerable potential risk. The vehicle has not been inspected by police, a dealer, etc. as of yet but I will be bringing it to a Ford dealership as soon as I can. I have included an example photo of the same error I saw, taken from an internet forum. This is not my truck, but is the identical warning message to the one I saw.

NHTSA ODI 11607817