2018 Ford F-150 Electrical Problems

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.

NHTSA ID

11752609

Incident

Jul 24, 2026

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.

NHTSA ID

11752427

Incident

Nov 15, 2025

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.

NHTSA ID

11751948

Incident

Feb 2, 2026

transmission not shifting right and back up camera not cutting off while driving

NHTSA ID

11748155

Incident

Jan 23, 2026

I think that ford needs to a recall on these 10r80 transmissions, I was driving a week ago and suddenly I went to limp mode. Went to gear one now transmission is hesitating

NHTSA ID

11746279

Incident

Jun 19, 2026

Body control module catastrophic failure resulting in electrical failure while driving. Horn would not turn off, hazards would not turn off, warning modules firing off messages, burning smell coming from engine compartment. Absolute safety hazard while driving.

NHTSA ID

11739810

Incident

May 24, 2026

The audio and navigation system with the sync 3 constantly malfunctions and causes immediate distraction of the driver and passengers and fails regularly with intermittent failures, freezes and takes the attention of the driver away from the road. This is a problem with many Ford vehicles and over many production year models. Ford will not address this and admit this common failure the Ford F-150 2018 the navigation and audio panel freezes locks up malfunctions doesn't respond and the navigation system will be working and then skips and puts you into a different location on a different Road or just locks up entirely.

NHTSA ID

11738303

Incident

Mar 30, 2026

My 2018 ford f150 rear back up camera is out and shows a blue screen. Other models around my year has had a recalls for it.

NHTSA ID

11737459

Incident

Jun 1, 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while parked and a rental trailer was hooked up to the vehicle, the trailers turn signals and brake lights did not work ad intended and did not illuminate as intended. The vehicle was then hooked up to another trailer where the turn signals did not work as intended and the brake lights did not illuminated as intended again. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the trailer control module needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.

NHTSA ID

11736477

Incident

Mar 1, 2026

Mileage

150,000 mi

I was driving down the road and then smoke started bellowing out of the cupholder area of the center console and it smelled like burnt wires and I could hear it Cizzle so I pulled over as quick as I could and ripped out the center console to find that the connectors going to the glow rings on the cupholders had shorted out and were causing a small flame in melting the plastic so I ripped the wiring harness out that Fed the power to the cupholders .

NHTSA ID

11736071

Incident

May 6, 2026

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Ford F-150. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 97,839. At the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 150,176.

NHTSA ID

11732841

Incident

Apr 3, 2026

Mileage

150,176 mi

I was on Spencer street at the light about to cross on Saint rose park way. When the light turned green my truck wouldn’t let me proceed and the it went into a low gear and make a lot of noise until I crossed and stoped at the Horizon ridge light. At the light I turned off the truck like I have done every time this had happened after ford said they did the recall but after they did the recall I’ve been having all these issues. I turned the vehicle back on and put into into drive and it went into reverse I immediately pressed my brakes knowing there is a car behind me. Thankfully the guy saw the truck with the hazards and going into reverse he immediately went into the next lane. I couldn’t move I was stalled. Had the shut the truck off again and then turn it back on and then I was able to go into drive and sit on the side of the road. Meanwhile I can smell like this burning smell. Now this had happened 2 days after they came out to supposedly fix the recall that was on the truck. I didn’t work the next day after they came out to fit it at my job but driving home that day it drove sort of ok I felt a little lack of going into gear. When I went to work it did a hard jerk while driving like if the transmission was going to fall out. I parked at work for my 10 hour shift and when I went to go home I turned on my truck and out it into drive and it went into reverse. Thankfully I was in park and no cars was behind me. I called ford to tell them what had happened after they came and fix it and they told me it was not part of the recall. But yet when I looked up the recall when my insurance let me know if it people was saying they was having issues going into gears and possibly stalling. This is a serious matter and they keep brushing it off and telling me that I need to pay them to look at it. I don’t feel I need to pay if it is their mistake. I took it to my warranty company and they tried to fix it and found nothing on their end. At this point I gor into almost 5accident

NHTSA ID

11732044

Incident

Apr 18, 2026

The vehicle skips a beat when shifting and it jumps from 10-8 gear for no reason causing the vehicle to lag or shift rough and break

NHTSA ID

11731987

Incident

Feb 1, 2026

Was slowing down to turn, engine cut out and received an “auto start/stop, shift to P and then restart engine” error on dash. Almost got in an accident because of it.

NHTSA ID

11728496

Incident

Apr 1, 2026

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.

NHTSA ID

11727328

Incident

Dec 15, 2025

Mileage

167,000 mi

When the F-150 would be turned off after driving for a while, the truck would not Start for a few hours until it cooled down. I had it checked out at Gator Ford and they saif they could not determine the proble. I drove it to [XXX] and had it check out at Two Rivers Ford in [XXX] and they said the truck clearly had a problem and that they "Believed it eas the 10 gear trsnission getting hot and the truck cutting off. They said I should trade it or risk the proble being the Oil Pump and eng. I took their advice and traded it for an F-150 platunm Vin: [XXX] . This is a problem and needs to be look at as now my 2023 F-150 eng has locked up that I reported with a Vin [XXX] . The cutting off with wait time was a daily occurance. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11726691

Incident

Aug 1, 2022

APIM module has failed. very common on these models and should be recalled!

NHTSA ID

11723860

Incident

Aug 1, 2025

Sync screen, music, and charging are all dead. I think it’s the apid

NHTSA ID

11714312

Incident

Jan 27, 2026

According to repairman, water made it into the rear tail light, shorting out a module that controls all lights, windows, a/c and heating controls.

NHTSA ID

11714283

Incident

Jan 26, 2026

Odometer Fraud. The contact intended to purchase a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after the Carfax report was retrieved, and it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. The contact stated that the vehicle was listed on Facebook Marketplace with 97,000 miles. Upon test-driving the vehicle, the contact confirmed that the Odometer reading was 97,000; however, the contact later discovered that the Carfax report listed the mileage at 240,565 on July 14, 2025.

NHTSA ID

11710597

Incident

Jan 11, 2026

Mileage

240,565 mi

Backup camera shows blue screen. Appears to be faulty wiring harness or connection. Impacted driver safety when backing up. Previously replaced camera due to suspected camera failure. Fix lasted less than a year before blue screen returned. No other warnings or indications.

NHTSA ID

11709280

Incident

Dec 20, 2025

This vehicle has the 10R80 10 speed transmission, the same transmission that is in the Mustang that is under recall now. That was reset at a Ford dealership in 2023 I believe. It was not acting up at that time, they "fixed" it then while it was in. Now a few years later this problem is VERY PERSISTANT now, constantly missing, skipping, and losing power trying to accelerate trying to get on to busy roads and highways, it loses power and skips through all the gears from 1st to 10th back down to 4, then 6 then 2 then back to 9 and 10. I have almost been hit numerous times from this action. It is also causing the dash lights to turn off and come back on. Also effecting my 4 wheel drive, it will not engage. This should be a SAFTEY RECALL and Ford needs to take of it.

NHTSA ID

11708813

Incident

Jul 11, 2024

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

NHTSA ID

11708567

Incident

Jan 2, 2026

Taillight leaks water causing the blindspot sensor to burn up. Once the sensor is burned up the airbags, power door locks, power windows, heat/defrost, and the radio don't work. This is a known problem and Ford has no fix for it. It is several weeks wait to get it into Ford and costs several thousand dollars for a known problem that they are not addressing. Having no heat or defrosters in the winter make this a safety issue for everyone on the road not just the operator. Door locks and windows not working is a safety issue for the vehicle passengers.

NHTSA ID

11707774

Incident

Dec 8, 2025

The vehicle experienced repeated failures involving multiple systems, including the transmission system (transmission replacement), powertrain/engine system (cylinder-related repairs), electronic control systems (vehicle computer/control module replaced multiple times), electrical system (ongoing electrical faults), and rear safety systems (backup camera failure). The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. These failures created ongoing safety concerns due to loss of vehicle reliability and malfunction of safety-related electrical systems, raising concern about unexpected mechanical or electrical failure during operation. The issues were confirmed and documented by Ford-authorized dealerships and independent service centers. Despite repeated repairs, the same or related problems continued to occur. The vehicle was inspected and repaired by Ford dealerships; however, one servicing dealership (Ford of Ventura) later closed, leaving unresolved issues without continuity of service. Warning lights and system alerts occurred prior to failures along with ongoing electrical malfunctions. Exact dates of first warning indicators are UNKNOWN, but symptoms recurred over time despite repairs. The vehicle was purchased with approximately 38,500 miles. Due to COVID-19-related delays, dealership availability and parts shortages caused months-long wait times for service, and when the vehicle was finally inspected by a dealership, it had approximately 60,000 miles. Major system failures occurred well under 100,000 miles. Ford later declined assistance, citing out-of-state purchase and maintenance not performed exclusively at Ford dealerships, despite regular routine maintenance. The cause of the failures is UNKNOWN, but the pattern suggests systemic mechanical and electrical defects rather than owner misuse. All invoiced available as system will not upload them at this time.

NHTSA ID

11707544

Incident

Sep 20, 2021