Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
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 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 approximately 45 mph when the vehicle's side air bags on the driver-side, front and rear, suddenly deployed without impact. The contact then noticed that a small fire had sparked on the floorboard near their feet. The contact had pulled over to the side of the road where an observer was able to retrieve a fire extinguisher from their home and put out the fire. The contact was unable to verify if a fire report was made. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who had not diagnosed or repaired the vehicle as of yet. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.
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 starting the vehicle on two occasions, the electrical systems in the vehicle failed to illuminate. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that on another occasion while driving 30 MPH, the interior and exterior lights and electrical systems became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to identify the cause of the failure. After the third failure, the contact took the vehicle home and had an electrician inspect the vehicle. The electrician diagnosed that the ground wires had begun rusting due to being made of a nonferrous material. The electrician disconnected, sanded down, and used di-electric grease to prevent the rust from reoccurring; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the drive train inoperative warning light illuminated. In addition, the transmission independently downshifted from 10th gear to 7th gear. The contact stated that the engine abruptly seized, and the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with alternator failure due to engine oil leaking onto the alternator. The contact was informed that the alternator needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the transmission shifted independently and unusually hard while shifting. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the Navigation System screen turned off temporarily. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring increasingly and the Navigation System screen would turn off for an extended period and would fail to turn on upon turning off and restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that it was a known failure; however, there was no fix for the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission shifted to neutral(N) unintendedly, and the vehicle lost motive power. The power train warning light was illuminated. No further information was available. Additionally, the contact stated that electronic system and lights failed to turn off. The contact confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall and that the warranty had expired. The contact stated that there were complaints and lawsuits related to the failure. The contact stated that the body control module (BCM) was previously repaired. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 84,019.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the START/STOP feature intermittently failed to operate as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while pulling out of a parking lot and entering traffic, another vehicle attempted to run a red light. The contact stated that the vehicle was unable to accelerate due to the failure with the START/STOP feature, and the other vehicle crashed into the contact's vehicle. The air bags deployed upon impact. No injuries were reported. A Police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the residence after the crash. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed, the vehicle shut off with the "Auto START/STOP - Shift to Park - Restart Engine" message was displayed. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and the vehicle resumed normal operation. The contact also stated that while driving at a high speed, the vehicle shuddered while depressing of the accelerator pedal. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer on several occasions; however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer had been notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000.
I was driving, I looked down because my truck was unresponsive, my truck had died, a warning light had come on stating the following: "Auto Start/Stop Shift to P, then Restart Engine". I was on the interstate, in a two lane construction zone, I had to pull over into the construction area, stop my truck, and try and restart. After a minute or two, I was able to restart my truck and re-enter the road way. A very dangerous situation, luckily I did not have my children in the vehicle at the time. I scheduled a service appointment after this and was told it was the fuel pump control module. Unfortunately, it has happened twice since my service appointment... something needs to me done!
Electrical complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2018 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 172 complaints about the electrical system of the 2018 Ford F-150, 7% of the model year's 2,322 complaints. The component named most often is instrument panel › speedometer/odometer (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2018 Ford F-150 electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2018 Ford F-150, though it has 18 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2018 Ford F-150 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 26,000 miles, and 46% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 11 fires and 7 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.