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2018 Ford F-350 Crew Cab

Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.

Recalls, complaint breakdown & inspection checklist, all in a shareable PDF

194 owner complaints · 0 recalls · data verified July 17, 2026 · source: NHTSA

Buywillitcar.com

Why buy?

Steering problems dominate (52% of complaints, typically reported near 19k miles).

Zero recalls, rare for a car this age.

Complaint reports have faded. Early issues appear resolved or aged out.

The math, shown

Full methodology →
Complaint volume (40%)67
Severity (30%)71
Recall load (20%)100
Trend (10%)92

Complaints filed per year

Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.

20182026 YTD

How it crashes

NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.

NHTSA crash-tested this model year but didn’t publish an overall star rating for it.

3 open NHTSA defect investigations on file for this model year, separate from the recalls above.

Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.

The road ahead

What breaks on a 2018 Ford F-350 Crew Cab, plotted where owners report it happening.

030k mi60k mi90k mi120k miSteering~19k mi · 100 reportsSuspension~20k mi · 77 reportsWheels~17k mi · 25 reports

Also reported (mileage varies): Body & structure (24) · Electrical system (12) · Backup camera & sensors (10)

Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.

Steering

52%

100 complaints · typically near 19k mi · 3 in the last 2 years

Steering Effort Control Module failed. This is a known concern with these vehicles. Many Super Duty's have this happen. It is a very expensive repair. The steering eff…

Suspension

40%

77 complaints · typically near 20k mi · 1 in the last 2 years

Violent front end shimmy (death wobble) at highway speeds. Seems to be worsening. Happened in Interstate traffic near Atlanta Georgia. Extreme concern as I was among m…

Wheels

13%

25 complaints · typically near 17k mi

Lug Nuts "swell" up and are not easy to remove. I have not had a flat on the side of the road, yet, but I can forsee huge problems trying to remove these Swollen Lug N…

Body & structure

12%

24 complaints

The tailgate continues to open randomly while driving or backing up the truck. The recall for this was completed but the issue continues to occur. Most recently this c…

Recalls (0)

No recall campaigns on file for this model year.

Before you hand over money

Check the VIN for open recalls

NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.

Free NHTSA VIN check

Get a pre-purchase inspection

A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2018 Ford F-350 CREW CAB beats every score on the internet, including ours.

What to ask for

Not set on the 2018? See how every F-350 Crew Cab model year scores →

Cross-shopping? Compare the 2018 Ford F-350 Crew Cab against another car →

What owners say

Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.

The fine print: this verdict is computed from public NHTSA complaint and recall records for the 2018 Ford F-350 Crew Cab as a model, not for any individual car. A well-maintained example of an “Avoid” can outlast a neglected “Buy”. Informational only, so always get a professional pre-purchase inspection.