Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
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 starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked with an abnormal ticking sound coming from the front of the engine. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and it was diagnosed that the cam phasers had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21E027000 (Suspension), which was received in 2021. The vehicle was previously repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the recall was closed since the vehicle was previously repaired. The contact was referred to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 112,900.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the transmission malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to suddenly lose motive power. Additionally, the RPMs increased but the vehicle did not properly accelerate with the "Service Wrench" warning light illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a grinding noise coming from the front of the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the front driver's side wheel hub bearings were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 106,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the rear suspension spring was cracked. While looking underneath the vehicle, the contact noticed a hairline crack on the weld. There was a vibration in the vehicle while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle, and no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
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. …
The vehicle as of 12/9/2023 at 3:39pm CST is at a mileage of 79,542. The week of December 4th, 2023, we brought the truck to a repair shop because there were heavy vibrations that would occur in the front of the truck when driving on the interstate. The repair shop diagnosed it as needing to have the front left wheel hub assembly replaced, and they explained that normally when one side is replaced, they will replace the other side too (front right). They replaced this, but we are concerned that it could've been a ball joint misaligned with the dust boot or missing an alignment hole that could've caused the need to replace the front left wheel hub assembly. It appears online that other Ford owners have had this issue specifically with the front left while under 80,000 miles. We are concerned that one of the parts in the assembly could be defective.
Splash guard under the vehicle, sometimes also referred to as a diaper, fell off. I reported it to the dealer and was told I didn't need it anyhow. Well, if I didn't need it anyhow why did they put it on to begin with ? I also notice a lot of other Ford vehicles driving down the road with these guards (diapers) hanging down, so it isn't just a me problem it's a Ford problem. After inspecting the guard it is made of such cheap material I don't know how any engineering designer could of thought that these would hold up given the environment under a vehicle especially a truck. I would also think that this could easily become a road hazard.
At 66,000 miles I had to rebearing the Transfercase,and rear differential. at 88,000 miles I had to put a metal oil pan on it, because Ford used a two peice Plastic one.. they leak. Now I have a bad yoke off the transfer case,AND, the rear springer hangers are cracked on the welds. This is structural failure,..Ford is aware of the proplem ,because they offer a repair kit. I bought this truck new and it has never been wrecked.. Ford doesnot want to fix it..My complaint numberis 11698591. Thank you. [redacted] ..
Hello, The suspension on this truck is coil (spring) over the shock. The spring just sheared sitting in my driveway under no load what-so-ever. This could have easily caused an accident and somebody could have been killed. I googled this and did find another incident of this exact thing happening to the same year/model truck. The vehicle is at the dealer service department now. There were no warning at all before this happened and this truck has been "babied" for its whole life. I do have photos....but my phone will not send them right now for some reason. Thanks!
While stopping for traffic I heard a loud bang and my vehicle began to violently shudder to a stop. At the same time my check engine light came on. When traffic began to move, my vehicle would not move. I got out of my vehicle and found the drive shaft sheared in two pieces and laying on the ground. My truck was completely immobile in a busy highway. I believe the transmission was fighting against the brake system while I was trying to stop and the force as a result of that is what caused the drive shaft to shear.
My cam phasers are always burning and consuming a lot of oil it also has a ticking sound coming from the engine which Ford says is normal but I don't think it's normal because it gets louder and it happens as I drive all the time. My transmission will automatically slam into a higher gear while trying to accelerate on the highway. Oil is constantly getting into the spark plug chamber even after replacement of seals.
Suspension complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2018 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the suspension of the 2018 Ford F-150, 1% of the model year's 2,322 complaints. The component named most often is front › wheel bearing (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2018 Ford F-150 suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension 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 suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 24,000 miles, and 57% before 25,000 miles.
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.