2018 Ford F-150 Brake Problems

Which parts fail

• Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
  2
• Foundation components › Master cylinder
  2
• Antilock › ABS warning light
  1

Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  1736%
• 25k–50k
  817%
• 50k–75k
  511%
• 75k–100k
  511%
• 100k–150k
  919%
• 150k+
  36%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2018 Ford F-150 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that prior to the crash he had driven into some mud and the ABS and engine lights were illuminated. The contact stated that while driving in snow at approximately 40 mph, the accelerator pedal became stuck. The brake pedal was applied but failed to respond. The driver made a sharp U-turn into a patch of grass and crashed into a fence, hydroplaned, and crashed into a dumpster. The contact sustained injuries to his back and neck that required medical attention. The passenger sustained unknown injuries and received medical attention. A police report was filed. There were no reported fires. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to a collision center. The insurance company evaluated the vehicle and towed it to another repair shop. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. …

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 contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH and hauling a trailer, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard. The vehicle failed to stop immediately. The contact drove the vehicle into a ditch to stop it. The message "Low Brake Fluid" was displayed, and the brake warning light was illuminated. The front driver's side tire was damaged from the ditch. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries sustained, and no police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V150000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.

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. …

Vehicle was inspected by the dealership and Ford inspector. VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL RELATED PROBLEMS OF THE 2018 Ford F-150. Backing up to an elevated driveway on a residential street. Braking at 0 mph and the vehicle accelerated at a speed which crashed the front end of the neighbor's car parked at the top of the driveway. Those neighbors have two small children which play on that driveway and would have been killed. The neighbor heard the brakes screeching. I did not have my foot on the accelerator. This incident was reported to the police, the dealership and Ford which inspected the vehicle. They claim they did not find a problem, but there are a multitude of similar issues online. …

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 contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that 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 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 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 owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 - 45 MPH, the brakes became inoperable. The low brake fluid message was displayed. There was an audible chime coming from the vehicle. The brake fluid reservoir was very low. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the brake fluid reservoir was empty, and there was no indication of a leak. The brake fluid reservoir was empty within 5 minutes. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the brake master cylinder was leaking fluid into the brake booster. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V150000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. …

Related recalls

Brake complaints in other F-150 years