Complaints about the 2018 Ford F-350 SD peaked in 2019, with 59 filed
Owner complaints about this model year, by the year they were filed with NHTSA.
Pickup, diesel, 4WD/4-Wheel Drive/4x4, built in United States. Owner complaints on file from Apr 12, 2018 to Aug 31, 2026.
Owner complaints about this model year, by the year they were filed with NHTSA.
Owner complaints by component. Hover or focus a bar for the crash, fire, injury or death count.
Check a specific vehicle by VIN on NHTSA's site: a campaign may cover only part of a model year's production.
| Campaign | Filed | Subject | Component | Vehicles | Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25V-572 | Sep 3, 2025 | Rearview camera may display a distorted, inverted, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse | Back-over prevention | 1,456,417 | Part replacement |
| 22V-880 | Nov 29, 2022 | Radial damper inside the driveshaft may move out of position over time, which can cause a driveshaft imbalance and result in a fracture | Powertrain | 18,808 | Part replacement |
| 22V-644 | Aug 26, 2022 | Degradation of the camera's anit-reflective lens coating can lead to a foggy or cloudy rearview camera image | Back-over prevention | 277,040 | Part replacement |
| 22V-087 | Feb 16, 2022 | Underbody heat and noise insulators may loosen and contact the aluminum driveshaft, which could damage the driveshaft and cause it to fracture | Powertrain | 247,445 | Repair or modification |
| 21V-155 | Mar 10, 2021 | On the affected vehicles, it is possible that one or more tires were cured for too long during tire production | Tires | 15,769 | Part replacement |
| 20E-090 | Dec 9, 2020 | Kits were sold as an accessory for certain 2005-2021 Ford F-250 4X4 and F-350 4X4 pickup trucks | Equipment | 102 | Repair or modification |
| 19V-880 | Dec 11, 2019 | If a front seat belt pretensioner deploys as the result of a crash, the sparks may ignite materials such as carpeting or insulation within the… | Seat belts | 490,574 | Repair or modification |
| 19V-864 | Dec 4, 2019 | Water may enter the electrical wiring system and cause a short circuit, activating the switch and releasing the tailgate latches | Latches and locks | 231,664 | Repair or modification |
| 19V-808 | Nov 12, 2019 | Daytime Running Lights (DRL) may not dim when the headlight switch is moved into the "On" position | Lighting | 86,296 | Software update |
| 19V-278 | Apr 8, 2019 | During the previous repair, the block heater cable's splice connector may have been damaged | Engine and cooling | 131,068 | Part replacement |
The full text of every complaint filed with NHTSA about this model year, newest first. Complaints are filed by owners and are not verified by NHTSA; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.
201 complaints on file, page 1 of 11.
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 under the hood. The fire department responded and extinguished the fire. The cause of the fire was not determined. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.
NHTSA complaint 11760855Ford 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 the corrupted software deployment. I do not and never have had a second key and they are now saying I must purchase this and pay for my truck to be reset.
NHTSA complaint 11757550Our 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 Pump Issue. The Defect: The Bosch CP4 pump is designed for European diesel fuel, which has more lubrication than American diesel. When it lacks sufficient lubrication, it can score itself and self-destruct. The Damage: Metal debris floods the fuel rails, lines, and injectors, requiring a complete replacement of the fuel system components.
NHTSA complaint 11755489My wife reported a strong smell fuel in the passenger compartment of my 2018 F350 6.7L Diesel vehicle while returning home from work. Upon inspection under the hood when power was turned on I discovered a strong stream of fuel from the filter cap.
NHTSA complaint 11724348My truck's tailgate has started opening on its own while driving, again. Previous recalls on this issue were performed when parts were available. This is a safety hazard to anyone behind me if anything falls out of the truck bed while driving. Today, 2/3/2026, it opened again. A bucket fell out of the truck bed. Fortunately no one was behind me. My truck is available for inspection. I have not contacted the dealer yet for their inspection/diagnosis. There are no warnings when this happens. It has forced me to strap the tailgate so it can't open unexpectedly.
NHTSA complaint 11715342Steering Effort Control Module failed. This is a known concern with these vehicles. Many Super Duty's have this happen. It is a very expensive repair. The steering effort changes, the vehicle becomes out of alignment and other things like cruise control, wipers, etc may fail as part of this issue.
NHTSA complaint 11710914The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH and hauling a boat, the vehicle made abnormal banging sounds and stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was restarted but was undrivable. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, but the diesel mechanic was unavailable to service the vehicle. The vehicle was then towed to a certified mechanic and was diagnosed with a blown engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The contact stated that the failure had occurred in Vancouver Island, Canada, where the vehicle remained for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
NHTSA complaint 11680411The car had not been driven and was only in use for about 20 minutes. Then, the check engine light came on. I was planning to take the next exit to investigate. About a minute after the check engine light came on, several other lights came on. They stopped about 20 seconds later. The car began to smoke and as I was pulling over, smoke began to enter the cab. When I pulled over, the car began was on fire. Highway patrol and Cal Fire arrived. Cal Fire put the fire out. It was a total loss. Highway 101 was shut down for a bit while the truck was on fire.
NHTSA complaint 11676364Truck went into limp mode wile driving on highway had to have trailer towed 980 miles egr cooler rubbing on wire harness on firewall staffing wires ro short out fuel injection this is a manufacturer defect.why would egr cooler and electrical wire harness be placed so close is a big safety and fire hazard ....cost of repairs at ford dealer in Columbia Tennessee $800 for repairs
NHTSA complaint 11673394The panoramic vista sunroof began allowing air while driving. Then the mechanism began not working properly. This all resulted in the track breaking and caused the entire system to stop working. While driving on highway or freeways, the glass would open and could not be secured properly. Could have caused the glass to become a projectile object. Upon researching this issue, I found several complaints for the panoramic vista sunroof for Ford/Lincoln's from 2017 to 2019. TSB # 18-2374. We have a 2018. To be clear; this was a progressive issue that started in 2021 and simply thought it to be the windy conditions outside the vehicle. Then the issue became worse even after being regularly serviced and repaired. By 2024, the track broke completely. Resulting in a complete replacement.
NHTSA complaint 11670982The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH and coming to a stop, the vehicle stalled in the middle to the road. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart and was pushed to side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the high-pressure fuel pump had exploded, causing metal shavings intrusion in the fuel system. The dealer determined that the entire fuel system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.
NHTSA complaint 11668566The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the transmission shifted hard into gear, and the vehicle was shaking erratically. Additionally, the engine overheated. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA complaint 11646440Unknown component that failed. Suspicion, the fuel system located at the back of the fire wall on drivers side. The fire started in that location and was extremely hot and fast moving. The truck was fully engulfed within 1.5 minutes then burnt the attached 5th wheel trailer and contents. It was a total loss of 3 vehicles 2018 Ford F350, 2021 Dutchman Voltage 5th wheel trailer, and a 2013 Polaris RZR side by side UTV. All was reduced to rubble within 15 Min. Our safety and lives were at risk, we had 30-45 seconds from smelling and seeing smoke to flames. We were traveling on Interstate 15 at highway speeds and had to stop as safe as possible on the shoulder of the road. The vehicle has not been inspected as far as I know, the frame is all what is left. There were no warning lights and all gauges read normal,
NHTSA complaint 11642894The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH and driving over a bump on the road, the steering wheel started vibrating and shaking abnormally. The contact stated that the failure had occurred approximately twelve times. The contact stated that an independent mechanic and a dealer were contacted. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the steering dampener needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering dampener, the pitman arm, and the inner and outer drag links needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to the death wobble. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the inner and outer drag link and pitman's arm were worn and that only the steering dampener replacement would be covered. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 76,000.
NHTSA complaint 11638271The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Engine Power reduced" message was displayed on the instrument panel before the vehicle lost automotive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously towed on several occasions for the failure and the fuel system was replaced. The vehicle was recently towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V957000 (Fuel System, Diesel). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
NHTSA complaint 11635623The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced a "death wobble". The contact then received notification for Customer Satisfaction Program: 20N04 (Steering Linkage Damper Extended Coverage). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the repair was performed; however, the failure recurred approximately 5,000 miles after the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was also referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a safety complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 38,320.
NHTSA complaint 11611247Sync screen has gone black on radio causing all blind spots to be invisible while parking a large vehicle. I was told by ford tech support this is a recall in certain year ford explorers but not in the F series trucks! I looked up the issue on many of ford forums and it is an unresolved issue. If the rear camera is a recall the image projecting device “SYNC Radio” which is a brain to truck should be as well I would imagine. The laborer and parts for the repair are costly to the company and I’m extremely concerned with how I was treated when this is a known issue with ford. I paid 62000 for a vehicle that now has a recall for a foggy camera but no recall for the device to visually see 360 degrees around vehicle. Suburban Ford of Waterford wants to charge me upwards around 1000.00 for parts and laborer to fix a KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE. All attempts to update have been completed and any ford provided reset and install options have been performed. Downloaded the 3.4 update onto thumb drive in the right format and just black screen of death it’s now been named in forums. They push it off as an update but the years being monitored have faulty APIM modules. Causing screens to have no image, sound, and HANDSFREE safety features. Please help me resolve this concern! Thank you, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint 11604376The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that it was due for a software update and the code was reset. The vehicle was repaired but the check engine warning light illuminated on the way back to the residence. The vehicle was taken back to the same local dealer where it was diagnosed that the exhaust system and catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 42,600.
NHTSA complaint 11585486Violent front end shimmy (death wobble) at highway speeds. Seems to be worsening. Happened in Interstate traffic near Atlanta Georgia. Extreme concern as I was among multiple vehicles with many behind me as well, all moving at highway speeds. I could not stop the problem until I had slowed to about 20 miles per hour.
NHTSA complaint 11583892The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver as well as it was no longer centered. The adaptive steering warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure was diagnosed as the steering effort control module (SECM) was not communicating and the steering wheel needed to be replaced. The steering wheel was not replaced however, the dealer attempted to reprogram the SECM and the failure continued. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 10222258 (Steering). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in the Manufacturer's Communication Number due to the plant assembly location. A case was not opened with the manufacturer. The approximate failure mileage was 148,000.
NHTSA complaint 11578543Technical service bulletins and other notices the manufacturer sent to dealers. A bulletin is not a recall; the 60 most recent are listed.