Total Complaints
303 filings
FORD F-350 · model year
303 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports, and 2 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2018FORDF-350 carries 303 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 6 fires, 9 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2018 F-350 is steering with 100 filings, followed by suspension (76) and wheels (24). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 2 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 177 investigation files overlapping the 2018 F-350, and 8 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
303 filings
Crashes Reported
2 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| STEERING | 100 |
| SUSPENSION | 76 |
| WHEELS | 24 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 23 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 19 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 12 |
| BACK OVER PREVENTION | 8 |
| ENGINE | 6 |
| POWER TRAIN | 4 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 3 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TAILGATE:LATCH | 3 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL | 3 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 3 |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 2 |
| TIRES:VALVE | 2 |
EQUIPMENT
VCI Emergency Vehicle Specialists (VCI) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Ford F-550, 2014 E-350 and E-450, 2015 F-250 and F-450, 2016 E-450, 2017 E-350, F-450 and E-450, 2018 F-350, 2010 E-450, 2005-2006 E-450, 2009 E-450 and Chevrolet C4500-based Type I and Type III ambulances equipped with ASA Elect
ENGINE
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater. Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causi
My truck's tailgate has started opening on its own while driving, again. Previous recalls on this issue were performed when parts were available. This is a safety hazard to anyone behind me if anything falls out of the truck bed while driving. Today, 2/3/2026, it opened again. A bucket fell out of the truck bed. Fortunately no one was behind me. My truck is available for inspection. I have not contacted the dealer yet for their inspection/diagnosis. There are no warnings when this happens. It has forced me to strap the tailgate so it can't open unexpectedly.
Steering Effort Control Module failed. This is a known concern with these vehicles. Many Super Duty's have this happen. It is a very expensive repair. The steering effort changes, the vehicle becomes out of alignment and other things like cruise control, wipers, etc may fail as part of this issue.
Steering Effort Control Module failed. This is a known concern with these vehicles. Many Super Duty's have this happen. It is a very expensive repair. The steering effort changes, the vehicle becomes out of alignment and other things like cruise control, wipers, etc may fail as part of this issue.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH and hauling a boat, the vehicle made abnormal banging sounds and stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was restarted but was undrivable. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, but the diesel mechanic was unavailable to service the vehicle. The vehicle was then towed to a certified mechanic and was diagnosed with a blown engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The contact stated that the failure had occurred in Vancouver Island, Canada, where the vehicle remained for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
Mileage: 72,000
The car had not been driven and was only in use for about 20 minutes. Then, the check engine light came on. I was planning to take the next exit to investigate. About a minute after the check engine light came on, several other lights came on. They stopped about 20 seconds later. The car began to smoke and as I was pulling over, smoke began to enter the cab. When I pulled over, the car began was on fire. Highway patrol and Cal Fire arrived. Cal Fire put the fire out. It was a total loss. Highway 101 was shut down for a bit while the truck was on fire.
Truck went into limp mode wile driving on highway had to have trailer towed 980 miles egr cooler rubbing on wire harness on firewall staffing wires ro short out fuel injection this is a manufacturer defect.why would egr cooler and electrical wire harness be placed so close is a big safety and fire hazard ....cost of repairs at ford dealer in Columbia Tennessee $800 for repairs
Truck went into limp mode wile driving on highway had to have trailer towed 980 miles egr cooler rubbing on wire harness on firewall staffing wires ro short out fuel injection this is a manufacturer defect.why would egr cooler and electrical wire harness be placed so close is a big safety and fire hazard ....cost of repairs at ford dealer in Columbia Tennessee $800 for repairs
Truck went into limp mode wile driving on highway had to have trailer towed 980 miles egr cooler rubbing on wire harness on firewall staffing wires ro short out fuel injection this is a manufacturer defect.why would egr cooler and electrical wire harness be placed so close is a big safety and fire hazard ....cost of repairs at ford dealer in Columbia Tennessee $800 for repairs
The panoramic vista sunroof began allowing air while driving. Then the mechanism began not working properly. This all resulted in the track breaking and caused the entire system to stop working. While driving on highway or freeways, the glass would open and could not be secured properly. Could have caused the glass to become a projectile object. Upon researching this issue, I found several complaints for the panoramic vista sunroof for Ford/Lincoln's from 2017 to 2019. TSB # 18-2374. We have a 2018. To be clear; this was a progressive issue that started in 2021 and simply thought it to be the windy conditions outside the vehicle. Then the issue became worse even after being regularly serviced and repaired. By 2024, the track broke completely. Resulting in a complete replacement.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH and coming to a stop, the vehicle stalled in the middle to the road. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart and was pushed to side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the high-pressure fuel pump had exploded, causing metal shavings intrusion in the fuel system. The dealer determined that the entire fuel system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.
Mileage: 138,000
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the transmission shifted hard into gear, and the vehicle was shaking erratically. Additionally, the engine overheated. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the transmission shifted hard into gear, and the vehicle was shaking erratically. Additionally, the engine overheated. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Unknown component that failed. Suspicion, the fuel system located at the back of the fire wall on drivers side. The fire started in that location and was extremely hot and fast moving. The truck was fully engulfed within 1.5 minutes then burnt the attached 5th wheel trailer and contents. It was a total loss of 3 vehicles 2018 Ford F350, 2021 Dutchman Voltage 5th wheel trailer, and a 2013 Polaris RZR side by side UTV. All was reduced to rubble within 15 Min. Our safety and lives were at risk, we had 30-45 seconds from smelling and seeing smoke to flames. We were traveling on Interstate 15 at highway speeds and had to stop as safe as possible on the shoulder of the road. The vehicle has not been inspected as far as I know, the frame is all what is left. There were no warning lights and all gauges read normal,
Unknown component that failed. Suspicion, the fuel system located at the back of the fire wall on drivers side. The fire started in that location and was extremely hot and fast moving. The truck was fully engulfed within 1.5 minutes then burnt the attached 5th wheel trailer and contents. It was a total loss of 3 vehicles 2018 Ford F350, 2021 Dutchman Voltage 5th wheel trailer, and a 2013 Polaris RZR side by side UTV. All was reduced to rubble within 15 Min. Our safety and lives were at risk, we had 30-45 seconds from smelling and seeing smoke to flames. We were traveling on Interstate 15 at highway speeds and had to stop as safe as possible on the shoulder of the road. The vehicle has not been inspected as far as I know, the frame is all what is left. There were no warning lights and all gauges read normal,
Unknown component that failed. Suspicion, the fuel system located at the back of the fire wall on drivers side. The fire started in that location and was extremely hot and fast moving. The truck was fully engulfed within 1.5 minutes then burnt the attached 5th wheel trailer and contents. It was a total loss of 3 vehicles 2018 Ford F350, 2021 Dutchman Voltage 5th wheel trailer, and a 2013 Polaris RZR side by side UTV. All was reduced to rubble within 15 Min. Our safety and lives were at risk, we had 30-45 seconds from smelling and seeing smoke to flames. We were traveling on Interstate 15 at highway speeds and had to stop as safe as possible on the shoulder of the road. The vehicle has not been inspected as far as I know, the frame is all what is left. There were no warning lights and all gauges read normal,
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH and driving over a bump on the road, the steering wheel started vibrating and shaking abnormally. The contact stated that the failure had occurred approximately twelve times. The contact stated that an independent mechanic and a dealer were contacted. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the steering dampener needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering dampener, the pitman arm, and the inner and outer drag links needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to the death wobble. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the inner and outer drag link and pitman's arm were worn and that only the steering dampener replacement would be covered. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to
Mileage: 76,000
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Engine Power reduced" message was displayed on the instrument panel before the vehicle lost automotive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously towed on several occasions for the failure and the fuel system was replaced. The vehicle was recently towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V957000 (Fuel System, Diesel). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
Mileage: 125,000
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced a "death wobble". The contact then received notification for Customer Satisfaction Program: 20N04 (Steering Linkage Damper Extended Coverage). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the repair was performed; however, the failure recurred approximately 5,000 miles after the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was also referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a safety complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 38,320.
Mileage: 38,320
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced a "death wobble". The contact then received notification for Customer Satisfaction Program: 20N04 (Steering Linkage Damper Extended Coverage). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the repair was performed; however, the failure recurred approximately 5,000 miles after the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was also referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a safety complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 38,320.
Mileage: 38,320
Sync screen has gone black on radio causing all blind spots to be invisible while parking a large vehicle. I was told by ford tech support this is a recall in certain year ford explorers but not in the F series trucks! I looked up the issue on many of ford forums and it is an unresolved issue. If the rear camera is a recall the image projecting device âSYNC Radioâ which is a brain to truck should be as well I would imagine. The laborer and parts for the repair are costly to the company and Iâm extremely concerned with how I was treated when this is a known issue with ford. I paid 62000 for a vehicle that now has a recall for a foggy camera but no recall for the device to visually see 360 degrees around vehicle. Suburban Ford of Waterford wants to charge me upwards around 1000.00 for parts and laborer to fix a KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE. All attempts to update have been completed and any ford provided reset and install options have been performed. Downloaded the 3.4 update onto th
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Timing Belt Failure
Underbody shields detachment
B-Pillar Trim Detachment
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.