2018 Ford F-150 engine problems
594 of the 2,311 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Ford F-150 name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 128 manufacturer bulletins, 2 recalls. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the engine
Source: NHTSA complaint database6 of the 594 reports a crash · 6 a fire · 2 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2018: 19 · 2019: 37 · 2020: 29 · 2021: 27 · 2022: 37 · 2023: 96 · 2024: 155 · 2025: 156 · 2026: 38
Half of the 331 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 30,000 and 88,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
2,311 complaints in all about the 2018 Ford F-150, 38 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Engine” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Ford F-150 engine problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
My truck has had an engine stumbling, hesitation, and misfiring problem since day 1 of ownership. The dealership said it would resolve itself after 2000miles of normal driving but it has not. It has progressively gotten worse over 10 months of ownership. It is much worse during hot summer weather (ie temps above 90f).
The truck has acceleration problems.. Its known as the dead pedal.. I have taken it back to Ford twice. They tell me all the trucks have this problem. Im afraid that it going to cause a accident. My wife will not drive the truck because of this
Daughter drove the vehicle home, parked it, and turned off vehicle. While inside the residence, daughter heard dogs outside barking. Daughter went to check on dogs and saw that the vehicle was on fire. The vehicle was parked and engine was not on. The vehicle fully engulfed in flames.
With auto stop/start disabled using the dash control, the engine shut down while moving on a city street in traffic during a slow-speed 90 right-hand turn. The on-dash message referenced either the auto shutdown or auto start/stop function stopping the engine and instructed that the vehicle be placed in park to restart.
I have had two run away full accelerations in this new truck. I accelerated firmly and the accelerator refused to disengage. At over 90 mphm I put the car in neutral, the RPM increased and I shut off the key. Next time in the same drive it happened again and I immediately shut off the key. I will notify my dealer tomorrow.
What is on file about the engine
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsRecalls filed under this heading
- 18V894000 CriticalDec 18, 2018 · 410,289 vehicles
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater. Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causing corrosion and damage.
- 17V672000 HighOct 23, 2017 · 22 vehicles
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-150 vehicles equipped with 3.5L engines. The cylinder heads may have been machined without lubrication supply holes for the camshaft bearing journals.
128 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
The 0 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
P0369 P0365 P0011 P2201 P0012 P0016 P0018 P0021
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2018 Ford F-150 names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2018 Ford F-150
Source: the same files- transmission and drivetrain problems 1,016 complaints
- body and structure problems 193 complaints
- electrical problems 172 complaints
- brake problems 93 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre engine problems common on the 2018 Ford F-150?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 594 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (26% of everything owners filed about it), and 128 manufacturer bulletins, 2 recalls are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the engine on the 2018 Ford F-150?
Yes — 2 campaigns are filed under this heading: 18V894000, 17V672000. A recall is matched by VIN; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
When do engine problems show up on the 2018 Ford F-150?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 63,000 miles; half of them between 30,000 and 88,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?
The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.