2018 Ford F-150 Engine Problems
Owners have filed 508 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2018 Ford F-150, 22% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 59,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “cam phasers” (19% of reports).
- 508engine complaints
- 59,500median miles at failure
- 6mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 3related recalls
- $4,450typical repair cost reported by owners
- 41%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Cam phasers: mentioned in 99 of 508 complaints (19%)
- Rattling sound: mentioned in 48 of 508 complaints (9%)
- Satisfaction program: mentioned in 35 of 508 complaints (7%)
- Oil consumption: mentioned in 34 of 508 complaints (7%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine repair on the 2018 Ford F-150 at $4,450, and half of them between $3,550 and $6,900.
Based on 20 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2020–2026), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 248 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 508 complaints, 6 mention a crash, 6 a fire, 2 an injury.
Ford F-150 engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 F-150 | 2 | 17% | — |
| 2025 F-150 | 4 | 4% | — |
| 2024 F-150 | 12 | 6% | 14,000 |
| 2023 F-150 | 27 | 7% | 8,000 |
| 2022 F-150 | 38 | 6% | 11,300 |
| 2021 F-150 | 83 | 8% | 19,448 |
| 2020 F-150 | 129 | 18% | 46,341 |
| 2019 F-150 | 321 | 24% | 60,500 |
| 2018 F-150 | 508 | 22% | 59,500 |
| 2017 F-150 | 313 | 22% | 61,000 |
| 2016 F-150 | 317 | 15% | 51,000 |
| 2015 F-150 | 264 | 15% | 62,450 |
| 2014 F-150 | 179 | 12% | 73,000 |
| 2013 F-150 | 548 | 18% | 55,500 |
| 2012 F-150 | 483 | 27% | 24,000 |
| 2011 F-150 | 482 | 22% | 53,000 |
| 2010 F-150 | 107 | 13% | 80,000 |
| 2009 F-150 | 42 | 13% | 100,000 |
| 2008 F-150 | 53 | 14% | 105,000 |
| 2007 F-150 | 105 | 22% | 99,616 |
| 2006 F-150 | 74 | 13% | 99,495 |
| 2005 F-150 | 117 | 11% | 116,500 |
| 2004 F-150 | 92 | 5% | 108,588 |
| 2003 F-150 | 28 | 7% | 138,183 |
| 2002 F-150 | 66 | 8% | 138,000 |
| 2001 F-150 | 44 | 4% | 154,500 |
| 2000 F-150 | 23 | 2% | 137,500 |
| 1999 F-150 | 27 | 3% | 160,000 |
| 1998 F-150 | 14 | 1% | 122,778 |
| 1997 F-150 | 15 | 1% | 132,000 |
| 1996 F-150 | 3 | 1% | 131,000 |
| 1995 F-150 | 2 | 0% | 160,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (3)
Engine; equipment:electrical
Problem: 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 and previously remedied under recall 18V894. During the previous repair, the block heater cable's splice connector may have been damaged.
Risk: A damaged cable could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the engine block heater from being used. When replacement cables become available, a second notice will be mailed and dealers will replace the engine block heater cord, free of charge. The recall began May 31, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S11.
Engine
Problem: 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.
Risk: When the heater is plugged in, prolonged corrosion could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring which can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the block heater cable, free of charge. Once parts are available, Dealers will replace the engine block heater cable, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S45.
Engine
Problem: 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.
Risk: Without a proper supply of lubrication, the engine will fail, causing a stall and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford is not aware of any affected vehicles outside of dealer control. Should owner contact subsequently be required, arrangements will be made to transport their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the engine replaced.The recall began October 24, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S37.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The VVT Cam Phasers had a " consumer satisfaction program" that didnt include my VIN but included the year which was 2017-2021 3.5 ECOBOOST engine that mine has. The program has now expired and my truck has this exact issue. Not fixing the issue can cause engine failure. My truck has 47k miles on…
My truck has the 3.5 ecoBoost twin turbo engine with the known cam phaser problem. Ford dealership replaced cam phasers 4 years ago and told they were putting in new designed cam phasers to prevent this from happening again. Last week, I changed the v v t cylinder because of a p0018 code, and found…
The vehicle is stalling/jerking and long idling. I was told that the transmission needs to be replaced. Less than 80,000 miles. 2018 Ford 150
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2018 Ford F-150s have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 508 owner complaints about engine for the 2018 Ford F-150 (22% of the 2,318 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Ford F-150 engine?
Yes: 3 safety recalls list engine. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 59,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine problems on the 2018 Ford F-150?
Owners report a typical cost of $4,450 (half paid between $3,550 and $6,900), from 20 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2018 Ford F-150?
The most frequent phrase is “cam phasers”, in 99 of 508 complaints, followed by “rattling sound” (48).
Other 2018 Ford F-150 problems
See all 2018 Ford F-150 problems or engine problems across all F-150 years.