general problems of the 2018 Ford F-150 - part 1

Spray on liners of cylinder walls absorbing oil and allowing it to pass through.

Direct failure of cam phasers and confirmation. This led to erratic engine runtime leading to transmission shifting learned behaviors based on the bogus engine information. This causes erratic hardshifting into drive and most importantly dropping gears on the highway resulting in unsafe driving conditions at random. This includes both random downshifts at highway speed and a similar situation when accelerating the wrong gear is engaged both causing unsafe conditions for the driver and those surrounding. Upon phaser replacement the engine then ran correctly and transmission was reset both kam tables and learned behavior to rectify the transmission safety challenges. This should at least be a TSB not just a mystery to owners and dealers alike.

Truck starting missing gears when pulling onto highway. Rpms jumped high and truck wouldnt shift. Thankfully we made it across before the oncoming traffic or we would have been hit. Finally got it to go but it was missing gears causing it to drive sluggish. No prior engine lights warning me. When the incident happed I got a notification of a power train malfunction/ reduced power.

I own a 2018 Ford F-150 3. 5l ecoboost with approximately 93,000 miles. I am experiencing a repeated cold start cam phaser rattle. This is a known issue addressed by Ford in several tsbs, including 19-2365, yet no recall has been issued. It has been "repaired" once at approximately 40,000 miles only to have the same issue reoccur at which time I was told that rattling at startup is "normal" and "since it doesn't persist it is not an issue". No ic gasoline engine should rattle on startup, and I believe this defect poses long-term reliability concerns and will lead to engine damage and failure during operation. Ford should be held responsible for a widespread design flaw affecting thousands of vehicles. I urge the NHTSA to investigate this recurring issue and hold Ford accountable for consumer safety and financial impact.

This vehicle has been into the Ford dealer multiple times for transmission slipping type issues. From before the 60,000 mile powertrain warranty ended and after. The dealer said the only thing needed was an update and reset. Today a different Ford dealer has informed me that during the transmission flush, there are tiny specks and slivers of metal. The engine issue in regard to cam phaser repair recall/customer service bulletin has been leaking due to issues with proper sealant. The rear camera goes out and screen turns white at times.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph on the highway, the vehicle lost motive power, and the brakes became inoperable. The drivetrain and wrench symbol were displayed. The abs warning light was illuminated and dtc: u100 (failure of communication for engine and transmission) was displayed. The codes were cleared after restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a communication error with the engine and transmission computer. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The transmission upshifted from first gear to seventh. After a while, the vehicle resumed normal operations, but then the vehicle drove abnormally. The rpm increased to high, and the temperature gauge was at hot. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and was diagnosed with complete transmission failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 62,513.

I purchased my 2017 Ford F-150 raptor in October 2017. On December 27, 2019, at 27,775 miles, the cam phasers were replaced under warranty using Ford part numbers beginning with hl3z. In June 2026, at 74,665 miles — fewer than 47,000 miles after that repair — I began experiencing the same cam phaser symptoms (rattle/knock at cold start and idle) that led to the original repair. At no point was I notified by Ford or my dealer that the hl3z parts used in my 2019 repair were known to have the same defect as the original phasers, despite Ford having since transitioned to an updated part (ml3z) referenced in its own customer satisfaction program documentation (csp 21n03 and supplements #1–4). I contacted Ford customer service in July 2026 requesting assistance with the recurrence and was told no help would be provided. I am concerned this failure can progress to loss of engine power or a more serious failure while driving, based on the known failure pattern of this component. The repair is labor- and parts-intensive, creating a significant cost burden for a defect Ford appears to have known was unresolved by the original repair parts. Reference documentation: ssm 48272, TSB 20-2191, TSB 20-2315, csp 21b10, csp 21n03 (and supplements #1–4), TSB 23-2143.

Component; likely the transmission safety revs went to almost zero on highway. Transmission seemed to stop the truck. Then intermittent on and off transmission. Seriously struggled to get the truck off the highway momentarily no ability to control speed: then on and off with the acceleration. Very scary! sudden drop in speed on the highway could have caused an accident with no brake lights on problem been reproduced: not to my knowledge. Its at a dealer now. Not safe to drive been inspected: at dealer now prior warning - lamps etc: none whatsoever oil lamp came on, then the check engine light came on well after the initial scare.

Engine has cut off while driving on several occasions. An accident nearly occurred as a result on at least 2 occasions.

The variable camshaft timing (vct) phasers on my 2018 Ford F-150 3. 5l ecoboost have failed, resulting in violent, un-commanded camshaft movement within the engine. The vehicle is currently in my possession, and the failed components are available for inspection upon request. This failure puts my safety and the safety of surrounding motorists at extreme risk. The internal locking pins inside the cam phasers have degraded, which introduces excessive slack and erratic force against the engine's timing chain. If the timing chain jumps a gear or breaks due to this violent movement,a known consequence of ignored phaser rattle. The engine will suffer catastrophic internal damage. This will result in an immediate, sudden loss of motive power at highway speeds, leaving the vehicle completely stalled and un-drivable in moving traffic without warning. The problem is actively reproducible on every cold engine start, characterized by a harsh, metallic rattling noise lasting several seconds until oil pressure builds. Approximately two weeks ago, I contacted Ford corporate customer relations to escalate this issue. During that call, Ford informed me that these exact cam phasers were already replaced in 2021 at liberty Ford of fayetteville, nc. The fact that a critical engine timing component has failed twice on the same vehicle indicates a deeply flawed, inherently dangerous design. Ford's prior attempts to remedy this through customer satisfaction programs 21b10 and 21n03 clearly did not provide a permanent or safe resolution. Aside from Ford corporate reviewing the VIN service history, the vehicle has not been inspected by police, insurance representatives, or an independent investigator. The primary and immediate symptom warning of this mechanical failure is the severe metallic clicking and rattling noise upon engine ignition. I am urging the NHTSA to investigate this recurring defect, as it poses a severe and unpredictable sudden-stall hazard for thousands of drivers.

The contact owns a Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving, there was an audible noise was heard and observed smoke coming from beneath the hood on the driver's side near the alternator. The contact pulled over and discovered flames coming from the engine compartment. The fire department responded and extinguished the fire. No injuries were sustained and no additional property damages were reported. The vehicle was not destroyed and was later towed to an independent mechanic; however, the vehicle was ot diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was contacted but did not diagnosed or repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 151,798.

There was a consumer satisfaction program # 21n03 listed for 2018 f150 2018 3. 5l ecoboost engines and for some reason my VIN wasnt included. I am currently having this issue. My truck has 40k miles on it. Please make them issue a new consumer satisfaction program to include all 2018 F-150 models.

The cam phasers failed somewhere between 60,000 - 70,000 miles. It is a defective part that was subject to a customer satisfaction program in 2020 or 2021 but we purchased the vehicle after this. Now, Ford is saying that we need to pay to replace the cam phasers and the timing belt. It was quoted at $5777. 62, which is a significant repair cost. Also, this shouldn't happen with this part and I am seeing everywhere that other consumers are having the same problem, including some at the current dealer we are working with. Any help is appreciated.

Loss of engine oil pressure. Just had engine replaced with used 6 months ago for the same issue. This new to me motor had 40k miles on it. So two motors under 121k miles oil pressure failure. Causing total engine replacement.

Failed cam phaser. Brought truck to dealership regarding loud rattling noise on cold starts. Prior to inspection, service technician mentioned it could be the cam phaser because they have had reported problems. Ford did not issue a formal recall but issued a customer satisfaction program 21b10 to extend warranty coverage due to the known issue but only extended through 2022. I did not have a rattling noise at that time and did not qualify. The noise started recently and there were no warning lights or messages. Only a rattling noise. After the dealership inspected the truck they deamed it unsafe to drive.

Multi-component engine failure while being operated under normal driving conditions. ?despite rigorous, routine, and fully documented preventive maintenance performed in accordance with manufacturer specifications, the vehicle suffered an instantaneous breakdown of its core mechanical systems. A diagnostic assessment confirmed that a sweeping array of vital engine components—including the cam phasers, turbocharger, lifters, timing chain, and associated valvetrain assemblies—all failed simultaneously. ?rather than a progressive wear-and-tear issue or a failure caused by neglect, this unprecedented, all-at-once collapse points to a massive, systemic mechanical breakdown. This has rendered the engine entirely non-functional and requires a complete overhaul or engine replacement.

The cam phasers have gotten so loud that it sounds like a diesel. Ford did some software "fix" that did nothing. I am concerned about trashing the motor if the timing jumps. These defective phasers are well know problems and extremely costly to repair. Ford has advised me to do the repair but they are quoting $5-6k for a fix of something they know was a defective design. My truck has 111k miles now but the rattle has been there almost from the start.

This vehicle received a pcm update performed in strict accordance with Ford service procedures, per TSB/ssmo no. 24e12, on 1/02/26. At the time of the update, no stored or pending diagnostic trouble codes related to catalyst efficiency were present, and the vehicle was operating as designed. Pre- and post-update scan data has been retained and is available upon request. Approximately 100 miles after the recalibration, the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was returned for service within 500 miles, at which point a dtc p0420 (catalyst system efficiency below threshold) was confirmed as a mature two-trip fault. This condition was not present — and had not been detected — during the vehicle's prior 134088 miles of operation, which includes no history of catalyst-related codes. The immediate onset of this fault following the pcm recalibration strongly indicates that the updated calibration altered system monitoring thresholds in a manner that directly triggered this code. This presentation is inconsistent with an ordinary mechanical failure. The most reasonable conclusion is that the fault is either calibration-induced or that the prior calibration's monitoring parameters were insufficient to detect a borderline condition that the updated calibration now flags. In either case, the root cause is directly traceable to a Ford-mandated software update — not to customer neglect, abuse, or normal wear.

I was not in an accident. I have a 2018 Ford f150 XLT and it has a 3. 5 eco boost. My truck is leaking some type of oil from the top and has very bad fuel injectors which is why my truck cant accelerate and shakes extremely bad. When I sit at a red light my truck dies and I think I have a leaking exhaust. I bought a new battery but it still dies. I know they used to do a recall for a new engine from what I’ve searched but they don’t do it anymore and I don't think its safe for me driving while I have all those problems. I have not been in an accident but with all these problems my truck could possibly die or go out while I’m on the highway and just makes me nervous driving something like that when the 3. 5 eco boost is already not a great engine. Thank you.

Engine is ticking and whistling. Drive train issues cam phasers was told beginning of the problem.

I believe there’s an ongoing lawsuit against Ford regarding these truck models, specifically their gearboxes, which are failing and slipping gears. After the initial recall for the new software gearbox mapping, my gearbox has started slipping, causing issues during downshifting, acceleration, and upshifting. There are frequent loud bangs.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that on two occasions while driving at various speeds, the transmission hesitated while shifting, and the message “service engine soon” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The independent mechanic determined that the vehicle needed to be taken to a transmission specialty shop. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to another independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred approximately four months later. A handheld diagnostic machine was used to retrieve dtc: p0022. The contact purchased four cam phaser solenoids to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed; however, the four cam phaser solenoids were replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to another independent mechanic, but the cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was 66,000.

The engine dies out then on then out during any speed. Will not accelerate, will not start. Dies out on the interstate and in town. Each repair by the dealer has not fixed my truck. I see Ford has recalled this model of f150’s but not mine. It needs to be.

I was driving along and the truck shifted out of gear. Throttled to high rpm’s and went back into gear causing me to temporarily loose control and it repeated itself 2 more times before I got it stopped and towed home.

The long block has failed this has caused the vehicle not to allow for accelleration and have significant power loss. Yes this has been confirmed by the dealer. It has not been inspected by the manufacturer at this time. Two days before I took my trunk into the dealer for service, the service engine light came on. I parked my truck and did not drive it til I called the dealership. They told me to drive the truck slowly to their service department. I drove my truck to them after confirming it was ok. They are 6 miles from my home.

-auto stop/start system failed and is available for inspection. I was driving down the road and braked for a vehicle about to pull in front of me, when I let off the brake and pushed the gas I noticed the vehicle had shut off there was an error message on the information center, error message: "auto startstop shift to p, then restart engine" -I could've been in an accident due to immobilized vehicle -vehicle taken to dealer. Was told the failure was unlikely to be duplicated. Was told to unplug(deactivate) auto stop/start system to hopefully avoid recurrence. -no -no messages or symptoms prior to failure.

V6 eco boost 10 speed transmission is failing with 135,000 miles. Need to be replaced.

Transmission has lots of issue, clunky shifting, surges, weird noises. Happens every time you drive. Dealer said it was normal but it's not. I've driven plenty of these 10r80s and they didn't have this issue. Engine makes noises that are not on other examples of this engine, my dad has the same truck and had similar issues and had to spend thousands of dollars to fix an engineering defect in the cam phasers. Dealer also said these noises were normal while under warranty - I see countless posts on forums saying the same thing then for others, after warranty suddenly its a problem because a retail job pays 30-40% more than a warranty job. Such a scam and you just keep allowing it. There is simply no reason that the 10r80 transmission and 3. 5 ecoboost gen 2 engines haven't been recalled yet. Ford has issued updated parts, admitted to engineering issues that caused these issues so why are customers forced to pay to fix engineered issues? they admited fault, they need to make it right for their customers instead of screwing us over.

There is a know design defect in the cam phaser on the 3. 5l eb motors. Ford knows this exists. They have since redesigned the phasor system to correct this defect. This isn't wear, or use related. It is completely a byproduct of a defective design. The issue is that the repair costs over $7,000, none of which Ford will cover. It is a known design problem. It is not due to wear, or accident, it is simply an engineering problem. Ford should be required to at least partially compensate owners for this known problem. My motor has less than 50,000 miles on it, and I just spent $7400 getting it repaired. That's about half the cost of a crate motor. It is simply not right for Ford to sell a motor with defective compmonents, and expect the owners to pay for their design problems.

Ford issued a service bulletin for a computer adjustment for a known cam phaser issue on the 3. 5 eco boost engine while under warranty. This didn’t fix the problem. Now the cam phasers need to be replaced at a cost of thousands of dollars and Ford refuses to do anything to assist even though this was initially reported and taken to the dealer while under warranty. The internet is full of people with this same issue. The vehicle is at the dealer for repairs and they have confirmed this is the problem. Without the repair the engine will fail.

Auto start stop. This has happened on several occasions where I will be traveling at highway speeds and my 2018 F-150 10 speed 10r80 transmisson with a 5. 0-liter motor has died while traveling. I have talked to Ford engineering reps, and they say they have never heard of this. I have done research into the subject and there have been hundreds of reports of the same issue. I have an appointment scheduled for Ford to look into the issue.

When cold starting the engine, a rattling sound occurs caused by the cam phasers not aligning properly. My research shows that Ford claims this is not an issue, and has never issued a recall for this, however, I am worried that continued use might damage the engine further.

Intermittent p0420 and p0430 catalytic converter efficiency code. The malfunction indicator lamp (mil) will turn on for a while and then turn off for a while.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate as intended while the accelerator pedal was depressed. In addition, the vehicle jerked abnormally and unintendedly upshifted. The “service transmission” warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with an internal transmission failure and a fractured valve cover. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,700.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. After the engine had reached normal operating temperatures, the rattling ceased, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the cam phasers. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to customer satisfaction program: 21n03. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 70,000.