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

Truck suffers problem associated with NHTSA 22v-150 but is not included in the recall. This occurs on highway driving while on cruise control. This can occur within just a few minutes of driving or extended period. Vehicle brake warning on dash occurs and says "check brake system", the brake pedal becomes very stiff and reduces braking of the vehicle. The brake light remains on until vehicle is shut off and restarted. This occurred most recently on a 3,000 mile trip through the utah national parks and presents dangerous scenarios through mountain passes.

My truck has the same issue with the brake master cylinder bleeding back into the brake booster. Luckily I caught it before I left work. The reservoir was totally empty on the back half supplying the front brakes. At home pulled the vacuum hose and did the dip stick test and there was brake fluid in the brake booster . There is already a safety recall on the 2017-2018 f150 brake master cylinder but only with the 3. 5motor. The 2. 7 has the same brake master cylinder so I cannot see why only the 3. 5 motor would have a recall??? Ford will not do anything about it and they don’t even have a part until sometime in March.

Master brake cylinder leaked into brake booster making my brakes not work and almost causing an accident. There is a similar recall on 2018 Ford f150 with eco boost. This appears to be a known issue with these Ford f150 models. Due to the issue I almost got in a serious accident.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 25 mph, he was involved in a head-on collision with another vehicle. The contact stated the front end of his vehicle impacted the front driver-side wheel of the other vehicle. The contact stated that not a single air bag deployed during the impact, and no brake collision warning was activated. No warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel prior to the crash. The contact stated he received a pre-collision notification on his phone approximately 30 seconds after the accident occurred, but he was unable to avoid the collision. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The contact was the only occupant in the vehicle. The contact sustained neck pain, a herniated disc, and a bulging disk in the lower back. The contact was taking no pills and undergoing physical therapy. A police report was filed. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 167,000.

The brake system on my 2018 Ford F-150 2. 7l ecoboost began failing around early 2025 with a brake warning light illuminating and the pedal feeling soft, signaling a problem. The brake fluid reservoir dropped low repeatedly despite topping it off multiple times with dot 3 fluid, indicating a persistent leak. By 09:52 am cdt today, September 10, 2025, the brake pedal lost all pressure, making the vehicle completely undrivable and posing a severe safety risk due to significantly increased stopping distances and potential brake failure. At 10:37 am cdt, thick white smoke started billowing from the exhaust each time the vehicle was started, likely from brake fluid leaking into the engine via the brake booster, a symptom matching Ford recall 25s37 (NHTSA 25v236) for a defective brake master cylinder seal. This failure endangers the driver, passengers, and other road users, as the truck is a primary vehicle, with the smoke suggesting a fire hazard and possible engine damage like stalling or misfires. The issue is reproducible, with the warning light, fluid loss, and soft/no pedal persisting since early 2025, worsening today with the smoke appearing consistently on startup. It has not been confirmed by a dealer or service center yet, as the vehicle is undrivable, but I plan to tow it to a Ford dealership for inspection under the recall. No manufacturer, police, insurance, or other inspection has occurred, as the smoke issue escalated this morning; prior rear left electronic parking brake actuator replacements in 2025 due to fluid leaks were done at home. The brake master cylinder and possibly the brake booster are the failed components, with the actuator issue likely related, and the vehicle is available for inspection upon request or at a dealership. Symptoms first appeared with the warning light and soft pedal in early 2025, followed by fluid loss, complete pedal failure, and smoke today at 09:52 am cdt.

Had a sudden loss of braking ability. While starting to drive the truck home, the brake pad went flat. Checked the brake reservoir and it was empty. Refilled with brake fluid and drove 2 miles, brakes went out when arriving in the driveway. It went empty again within 15 minutes. No noticeable leak. No breaks on the truck to drive the vehicle. The vehicle had to be towed to the nearest dealer due to having no brakes. Turns out the brake fluid was leaking into the booster. Noticed many other 2018 Ford f150 trucks were recalled for the same issue.

My truck has been regularly serviced by Ford and yesterday out of the blue the brake pedal went soft and I got a check engine light saying low fluid. Upon inspection we noticed all brake fluid had leaked with no visible exit. We refilled the fluid and the next day, the fluid was completely drained again with no visible exit. Upon expert inspection it was noted the brake master cylinder is leaking into the booster.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving in reverse and backing out of a parking space, the brake pedal extended to the floor when pressed causing the braking distance to be extended. The contact discovered brake fluid had leaked from the vehicle and the warning message "low brake fluid" had also displayed. The vehicle was driven to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the front passenger side brake line had failed and needed to be preplaced. The brake line was replaced and the failure was remedied. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 140,000.

2018 Ford F-150 2. 7 liter. Master cylinder and power brake booster failure. Confirmed by independent service center. Prior to failure there was a warning light indicating low brake fluid. I then lost all braking ability within 3 brake pedal depressions. My brake pedal touched the floorboard afterwards. Given right conditions I could have sustained major injury. Components were replaced by mechanic and unavailable for inspection. There is a recall on these components for 3. 5 Ford truck but not 2. 7 Ford truck, even though the components are identical. Again, confirmed by mechanic.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the brake pedal depressed to the floorboard with the "brake fluid level low service now" message displayed. Upon inspection of the engine, the contact discovered that the brake fluid was low; brake fluid was added to the vehicle, and the contact drove to the nearest dealer. A mechanic inspected the vehicle and discovered that brake fluid had leaked into the brake booster due to a defective brake master cylinder. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA campaign number: 25v236000 (service brakes, hydraulic) and linked the failure to the recall. The dealer then informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 119,650.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed with the service brakes and low brake fluid warning lights illuminated. The contact engaged the parking brake to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the brake master cylinder had allowed brake fluid to leak into the brake booster, causing the brake booster and the brake master cylinder to fail. The contact was informed that the brake booster and brake master cylinder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

The electronic emergency break engages while on the highway crusing at normal highway speed. It has engaged randomly for a few months. Yesterday it engaged 15 times almost making me crash the 1st time. I had to pull over, shut off the truck to reset the brake to make it home.

Just got off the interstate on to a frontage road when I received a low brake fluid light warning. Instantly lost braking power. Was traveling approximately 40mph downhill toward a traffic light where cross traffic was going full speed. I had to activate my emergency brake to stop from running into the cross traffic. Got the truck into a gas station, checked the brake fluid reservoir & it was below the minimum fill line. Purchased brake fluid at the gas station, filled it up & drove and the parking lot. The brakes partially worked, but the reservoir drained quickly again. I was lucky that there was a brake service repair shop within a quarter of a mile, so I refilled the brake fluid to the max & drove slowly with hazards on to the shop & left it there. Today they told me it was a brake master cylinder internal failure that caused brake fluid to leak into brake booster resulting in loss of braking power. While my truck is not covered under an existing recall, there is a recall for this exact issue for the same make & model of my vehicle (but with a different motor). That is NHTSA recall # 25v-236. I believe this recall should apply to my truck.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake fluid warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, added brake fluid and continued driving. The contact stated that upon depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal went down to the floorboard, and the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and added brake fluid to the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The contact was able to drive to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the brake master cylinder had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 25v236000 (service brakes, hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the "brake fluid level low service now" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal went to the floorboard. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic and brake fluid was added to the brake fluid reservoir; however, the failure returned within minutes. The dealer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA campaign number: 25v236000 (service brakes, hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.

Abs block leaking.

Break light and warning came on. “low breakfluid” next got off ramp put my foot on break and no breaks. Was able to stop using down shift and did not plow into anyone. Thank goodness. There is a recall on other non diesel f150s fyu.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that on several occasions after adding brake fluid to the brake fluid reservoir, and test driving the vehicle around the neighborhood, the brake warning light illuminated. The contact stated that each time the brake fluid reservoir was checked and was empty. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal went to the floorboard. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and it was confirmed that brake fluid was leaking from the vehicle and further diagnostic test was needed to determine how to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 25v236000 (service brakes, hydraulic); as a possible cause for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 43,250.

Master brake cylinder leaked brake fluid into brake booster resulting in complete loss of brakes. Warning light displayed low break fluid moments before complete loss of braking power, +/- 60 seconds before all breaking power was lost. Certain 2018 Ford F-150's currently qualify for this recall but my specific model does not. Reports online show many other's experience same issue with this 2018 model.

Vehicle warning for “low brake fluid” came on while on freeway. Lost braking power and had to coast to a stop.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while the vehicle was idling, the contact’s husband shifted from the park to drive and discovered that the brake pedal had extended to the floor while depressed. Later while driving approximately 25 mph and depressing the brake pedal to stop the vehicle, the brake pedal extended to the floor and the vehicle failed to stop. The contact stated that the parking brake was used to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was later examined by and independent mechanic who diagnosed that the brake master cylinder was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 22v150000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 69,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 40 mph and depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal collapsed, and the message "brake fluid low fault" was displayed. The contact was able to drive to advanced auto, where brake fluid was added to the vehicle; however, the failure recurred after driving 2 miles. The contact stated that upon pulling to the side of the road and inspecting the vehicle, the contact could not find a brake fluid leak. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that brake fluid was leaking into the brake booster. The dealer determined that the brake booster or the brake master cylinder needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

While driving my low brake fluid light came on. I immediately pressed the brakes to pull over and almost could not stop causing danger to myself and other drivers around. I filled the reservoir for it to all leak out again in three miles. I filled it two more times and it keeps saying low fluid and losing my brakes. I inspect under the vehicle to find no visible fluid. It is leaking from the master cylinder into the brake booster. There is a recall for this on other 2018 f150 super crews. I will be bringing this to my local Ford dealer to confirm the issue.

Driving on a major freeway during rush hour traffic and my master brake cylinder failed causing me to lose brakes. Further more the cylinder vacuumed my brake fluid into the engine causing more costly repairs. I previously owned a 2015 f150 and know that master cylinder failed and was recalled. Ford assured me this was a better master cylinder in the 2018.

Approximately 2 months ago I stopped to get a bagel breakfast and parked my 2018 Ford xft on a slight 2 to 5 % slope parking lot. I put the truck emergency brake on and pressing on the brake petal put the truck into park. I exited the store after picking up my order an got into my truck , depressed the brake petal and at the same time pulled the emergency brake button to release the vehicle still in park mode. The shifter would not release the transmission to drive mode or move at all and stayed I lock mode. After approximately 20 minutes to no avail to get it into drive mode I called the local Ford dealership where I bought the truck and told them my problem at which time I was informed I needed to get the truck towed to the Ford dealership. I then called a tow truck and waited for about half an hour until it arrived. Both myself and the tow truck driver made several attempts to engage the truck to drive mode. The two truck driver was sucessful on the last attempt not knowing how he got it into drive mode. I had to pay the tow truck driver the full amount and drove to the Ford dealership which was approximately six miles away. Next day I got a call from the dealership telling me my truck was done. I was informed there that they were not able to duplicate the problem and found nothing else wrong with the emergency brake. I paid that bill which was approximately 200. 00 dollars. I had no problem with the brake since, until today 6/28/24 several months later. Problem repeated itself on miles 2 to 5% slope. Called the same Ford dealership service dept. No response. Called sales dept. Women paged service rep. Informed him of past problem and repeated problem today. He informed me that no one there or any Ford dealership representative anywhere in region or national knows what to do in his situation. Further, stating I should have the truck towed th there dealership ASAP. I repeated my problem and asked if he had any phone number for Ford hq he said none.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact attempted to depress the brake pedal and the vehicle shifted to the right. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that his daughter informed him the vehicle had also shifted to the right while depressing the brake pedal to slow down. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and it was determined that the rear brakes were worn. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred after the brake repair. The contact related the failure to the abs system. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

I have been having nothing but problems with this truck since I purchased it and I'm looking to see if anyone can help me out with this truck. I have had it now almost two years and the truck was in the shop for 3 months of it getting worked. I have had nothing but problems with the braking system as well. The dealer wouldn't sell me the original pads for it, they sent someone to car quest to get a set of pads. Whenever I gave them the VIN I would always end up with the wrong parts somehow. So I dont know if there is VIN fraud or what but something wasn't adding up. The dealer I purchased it from is not much of help. The water pump has gone out, the cam phasers were replaced(and are rattling again. ) the starter was replaced due to clunking when started. ( still clunks) oil pan gasket was replaced. The transmission had to be replaced. I am just trying to see what my options are with this truck. It's clearly a lemon and just wondering if there's anything anyone can do to help because the reliability of this 35,000 dollar truck is out the window.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 45 mph, the vehicle lost braking capability. The vehicle was placed in manual mode. The low power steering fluid message was displayed. The contact was able to pull into a gas station to purchase power steering fluid. The contact added power steering fluid; however, while the vehicle was parked, the power steering fluid leaked out of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that the failure was due to a failed seal and that the master pump had leaked from the rear seal. The contact called the local dealer, who referred him to the manufacturer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 132,401.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. Additionally, the contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal to drive from a complete stop, there was no pressure on the brake pedal, and the brakes became inoperable. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the brake master cylinder was leaking brake fluid into the brake booster. The dealer determined that the brake master cylinder and the brake booster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 22v150000 (service brakes, hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle accelerated at excessive speeds. The contact aggressively depressed the brake pedal and shifted into neutral to decelerate and slow the vehicle to a stop. The failure was intermittent and occurred at various speeds. The contact’s son inspected the vehicle and determined that a fuse related to the cruise control might be defective. The contact’s son had replaced the fuses. While driving approximately 10 mph and coming to a stop sign, the contact decided to come closer to the stop sign however, the vehicle accelerated past the stop sign. The contact attempted to depress the brake pedal several times however, the vehicle failed to stop until approximately a block away from the stop sign. There was a certified mechanic nearby who inspected the vehicle but found no cause for the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the cruise control fuse had failed. The dealer replaced the fuse. The contact was uncomfortable with the fuse being in the vehicle, so the dealer removed the fuse to deactivate the cruise control. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a complaint was filed. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.

I was riding down the road the truck started to run hot then it slammed on brakes the power steering went out the panel the instrument panel was black I couldn't roll my windows down the truck was in drive but it wouldn't go and the motor was still running though and then it came all came back up and then it did this all the way home it would slam on break it didn't matter if I was going 30 or 60 and then it shut off before it got home and then the only way to get it going again was to jump it off.

My 2018 f150 XLT had the low brake fluid light and message come across my onboard computer as I was driving. When I went to stop my truck to check my brake fluid level, my brake pedal went to the floor and slowly my truck came to a stop. Luckily, I did not collide with anything and was close to a store. I then bought more brake fluid because as it said, it was low, and was. I then proceeded to drive again, and the same thing happened within minutes, and then I checked under the truck for leaking brake fluid. There was none at this point I had no choice but to have my truck trailered to my home by my mechanic where he inspected my brake system, and then he proceeded to tell me that the rear seal on the brake master cylinder most likely blew out and all my brake fluid was leaking into my brake booster. My mechanic did some research and come to find out that this was a problem with Ford f150’s matching my year. There is a recall for this exact problem on 2018 f150’s but I did call the dealership and they proceeded to tell me that there was no recall on my truck. As more research was done come to find out that the recall was only on the f150’s that had a bigger motor than mine. I don’t understand why my truck does not have a recall because the brake master cylinders are the same and I could’ve been in a serious car accident and hurt myself or my family if there was a vehicle in front of me when my brakes failed. This being said, I don’t understand how my truck does not have a recall and that’s why I am writing this complaint today. Please advise thank you.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact stated that when he depressed the brake pedal, he heard a hard knocking sound. The contact stated that the vehicle did not decelerate smoothly. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle and shifting to reverse, the vehicle immediately drove backwards however, while depressing the brake pedal, the pedal extended to the floor and the vehicle failed to stop. The contact quickly shifted into park to stop the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on two separate occasions. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 26,000.