2018 Ford F-350 SD problems & reliability
201 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Ford F-350 SD, alongside 9 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 21, 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 components.
4 complaints report injuries (5 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering → | 101 | 50% |
| Suspension → | 77 | 38% |
| Wheels → | 25 | 12% |
| Structure → | 24 | 12% |
| Unknown / Other | 21 | 10% |
| Electrical System → | 12 | 6% |
| Back Over Prevention → | 10 | 5% |
| Engine | 7 | 3% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 5 | 2% |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 4 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 22 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 140 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 25,000 miles (middle 50% between 14,613 and 40,063 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350 SD. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle in the driveway of their residence, the DPF regeneration process activated and completed, and the vehicle was turned off. The contact exited the vehicle. Approximately 15 minutes later, the contact discovered flames coming from…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Aug 31, 2026
“Ford Motor Company deployed an over-the-air software update to my 2018 Ford F350 that corrupted the Body Control Module. The software error permanently locked the vehicle into a speed-restricted 'MyKey' safety mode, leaving me with an altered vehicle and no admin access to bypass it. Ford Corporate is refusing to fix…”
Unknown / Other · filed Aug 17, 2026
“Our 2018 Ford F-350 Super Duty diesel with the 6.7L Power Stroke engine has a well-known, massive fuel system concern involving the Bosch CP4 high-pressure fuel pump. This pump failed and it sheds metal shavings throughout the entire fuel system. Repair cost $13k. Per other consumer and google results: The CP4 Fuel…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Aug 7, 2026
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
255 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2018 Ford F-350 SD. The 10 most recent:
NEW VEHICLE DELIVERY HOLD Emissions Recall 26E02 Certain 2016-2019 F-650 - 750 and 2017-2019 F-350 - 550 Vehicles Equipped With 6.7L Diesel Engines Crankcase Ventilation (CCV) Inspection And Replacement
26E02 · Other · issued Aug 26, 2026
Customer Satisfaction Program 26N03 Certain 2017-2019 Model Year Super Duty Vehicles w/ 6.7L Diesel Engines Diesel Particulate Filter Replacement, If Required After Dealer Evaluation
26N03 · Other · issued Aug 26, 2026
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
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-350 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-350 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.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 25,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.