Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
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 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the cam phasers, the timing chain, and other unknown parts were replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 21N03. The manufacturer was contacted and advised the contact that the vehicle was not covered due to the manufacturing plant where the vehicle manufactured. Additionally, the contact stated that the front passenger's side door and the rear passenger's side and driver's side doors failed to unlock as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the failure was related to an unknown recall. An appointment was scheduled for the repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated he received a notice of Ford Campaign Number: 21M06 for enhanced unintended tailgate opening remedy. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the repair was completed. The dealer then informed the contact that he would need to press the power release button twice in order to open the vehicle; however, upon testing the vehicle, the tailgate failed to respond as intended. The contact stated that the tailgate would only open while the vehicle was turned off. The dealer informed the contact that another software update needed to be performed on the vehicle to repair the issue. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V983000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the contact felt a thump and observed a loud noise simultaneously coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and inspected, and the contact became aware that the tailgate had unexpectedly opened. The contact closed the tailgate. On another occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact felt a thump and observed a loud noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated that a large toolbox with 6-foot drawers fell from the vehicle onto the road. The contact stated that the toolbox falling from the vehicle could have caused injuries to other drivers. The contact used a bungee cord to secure the tailgate. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear driver's and passenger's side doors latches independently unlocked and the driver's and passenger's rear doors swung open. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent at first but had become persistent. The contact stated that the failure occurred after the vehicle was taken through the car wash. The contact, who is an independent mechanic, diagnosed the cause of the failure as moisture inside the door wells. The contact used bungy cords to prevent the doors from swinging open. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and hauling a Keystone Cougar trailer, the tailgate opened unintendedly, which the contact noticed after making a stop. The contact stated that the failure caused damages to the vehicle and the trailer. The contact stated that the upper part of the tailgate was bent, and the outer side of the tailgate had buckled in. Additionally, the contact noticed that the propane tank of the trailer had been pushed back. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 117,500.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 80 MPH, the tailgate unlatched and opened independently. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact stated that he continued to experience the failure. The contact took the vehicle to another local dealer: Kendall Ford of Meridian (250 E Overland Rd, Meridian, ID 83642:[phone]) who was also unable to duplicate the failure. The contact stated that he continued to experience the failure. The contact took the vehicle back to Kendall Ford of Meridian and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon attempting to enter the vehicle, he became aware that the driver's side door latch failed to secure the door closed. The door-ajar warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the door actuator. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the failure only occurred during extremely cold temperatures; however, the vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who then diagnosed a failure with the door latch assembly. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 57,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while transporting a wild animal in the bed of the truck, with the top lid enclosed, the tailgate failed to open. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where the contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under the extended warranty. The dealer was unable to open the tailgate. The vehicle was diagnosed that the actuator was inoperable. The actuator was replaced. The animal died in the truck. The contact was concerned about a child being trapped in the bed of the truck. The manufacturer was notified however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 26,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked in the driveway, the door failed to close due to the extreme cold weather. The contact manually rigged the door closed while driving to work. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that there was water inside the door lock and unlock cables. The contact stated that the rusted cables caused the locking failure and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,415.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the driver's side door latch froze and failed to latch securely. The contact stated that the failure occurred in colder climates for several hours. The contact stated that after the vehicle had warmed up for 15 minutes, the door latch operated as designed and the door closed properly. The contact was concerned about the safety of the vehicle with the door not locking as needed. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed, and the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
Related recalls
Latches/locks/linkages › Tailgate › Latch
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-150 vehicles with manual and power release tailgates. The tailgate latches may unlatch unexpectedly while driving.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the left-hand and right-hand tailgate latches, free of charge. An interim notification letter was mailed January 31, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 31, 2022.
Door Lock & Latch complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are door lock & latch problems on the 2018 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 57 complaints about the locks & latches of the 2018 Ford F-150, 2% of the model year's 2,322 complaints. The component named most often is doors › latch (22 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2018 Ford F-150 door lock & latch problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 21V-983 (latch, Dec 16, 2021). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2018 Ford F-150 door lock & latch problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 42,000 miles, and 21% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to locks & latches 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.