2018 Ford F-250 SD problems & reliability
397 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Ford F-250 SD, alongside 9 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (4 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 252 | 63% |
| Suspension | 198 | 50% |
| Unknown OR Other | 46 | 12% |
| Wheels | 29 | 7% |
| Engine | 15 | 4% |
| Power Train | 15 | 4% |
| Structure | 15 | 4% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 13 | 3% |
| Back Over Prevention | 10 | 3% |
| Electrical System | 9 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 28,000 miles (middle 50% between 17,375 and 40,500 miles), based on 292 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Low fuel pressure alert came on the truck. It went away and then came on again a few days later. We took the truck to Joe Meyers Ford in Houston, TX. They verified the code/alert and replaced the fuel filter, then re-tested. The alert returned and once they continued their diagnosis, it was determined that the fuel…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Mar 3, 2026
“My backup camera went black. There is a recall on this product 25V572 or Ford 25S89. My vin number is not on the list. How do i get my vin number on this list since the problem is identical to the recall prolem?”
Unknown OR Other · filed Dec 15, 2025
“100k miles and the high pressure fuel pump is failed. Created small metal particles that got into fuel lines. Everything needs to be replaced. There’s a recall on over 80k trucks with the same issue. Local ford said this is the same issue as all the recalls but because we don’t have the recall on our VIN, we have to…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Aug 19, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Sogefi Secondary Diesel Fuel Filter Leak
Preliminary Evaluation PE24014 · opened May 9, 2024 · open
- Power Tailgate Release Systems
Recall Query RQ21001 · opened Jan 15, 2021 · closed Jan 10, 2024
- Power tailgate opens unintended
Preliminary Evaluation PE18011 · opened Oct 12, 2018 · closed Dec 12, 2019 · led to recall 19V864000
Technical service bulletins
251 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2018 Ford F-250 SD. The 10 most recent:
Harvest Program 25H05 – Supplement #1 Certain 2011-2021 Model Year Vehicles Software Verification Harvest Program
25H05 S1 · Other · issued Apr 29, 2026
Customer Satisfaction Program 25N15 - Supplement #1 Certain 2015-2019 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Rear View Camera Inspection For One-Time Replacement
25N15 S1 · Other · issued Apr 20, 2026
Advance Notice – Customer Satisfaction Program 25N17 Certain 2015-2025 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Rear View Camera Replacement If Required After Dealer Evaluation
25N17 · Other · issued Mar 25, 2026
Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated…
SSM 54601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 2026
Certain 2015-2019 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Rear View Camera Inspection For One-Time Replacemen
25N15 · Other · issued Jan 5, 2026
Certain 2015-2019 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Rear View Camera Inspection For One-Time Replacement
25N15 · Other · issued Dec 22, 2025
Some 2017-2026 F-Super Duty vehicles may exhibit a pull/drift condition during braking. This may be due to the brake pads needing to be broken in. Repeated, heavy brake applications may assist to resolve the pull/drift…
SSM 54448 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 16, 2025
Special Field Action 25L02 Certain 2017-2024 Model Year California Emissions-Certified Vehicles Transmission Control Assembly Reimbursement
25L02 · Other · issued Dec 2, 2025
This article supersedes TSB 24-2165 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit various SYNC performance related concerns including but not limited to: Display…
TSB 25-2570 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 26, 2025
This is a proactive investigation program by Ford Motor Company to inspect a limited number of affected vehicles that are customer-owned. Ford is voluntarily conducting this program to evaluate the software currently…
25H05 · Other · issued Nov 19, 2025
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2018 Ford F-250 SD has 9 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2018 Ford F-250 SD?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 28,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.