2018 Ford F-150 engine problems
503 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine on the 2018 Ford F-150 — 22% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Direct failure of Cam phasers and confirmation. This led to erratic engine runtime leading to transmission shifting learned behaviors based on the bogus engine information. This causes erratic hardshifting into drive and most importantly dropping gears on the highway resulting in unsafe driving…”
filed Sep 1, 2026
“I own a 2018 Ford F-150 3.5L EcoBoost with approximately 93,000 miles. I am experiencing a repeated cold start cam phaser rattle. This is a known issue addressed by Ford in several TSBs, including 19-2365, yet no recall has been issued. It has been "repaired" once at approximately 40,000 miles only…”
filed Aug 31, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related recalls
- During the previous repair, the block heater cable's splice connector may have been…Campaign 19V278000 · Apr 8, 2019
- Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causing…Campaign 18V894000 · Dec 18, 2018
- Cylinder heads may have been machined without lubrication supply holes for the camshaft…Campaign 17V672000 · Oct 23, 2017
Engine problems in other F-150 years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 F-150 | 4 | 4% |
| 2024 F-150 | 11 | 6% |
| 2023 F-150 | 27 | 7% |
| 2022 F-150 | 38 | 6% |
| 2021 F-150 | 82 | 8% |
| 2020 F-150 | 127 | 18% |
| 2019 F-150 | 319 | 24% |
| 2017 F-150 | 311 | 22% |
| 2016 F-150 | 317 | 16% |
| 2015 F-150 | 264 | 15% |
| 2014 F-150 | 178 | 12% |
| 2013 F-150 | 547 | 18% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2018 Ford F-150
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.