FORD F-53 · model year

2018 FORD F-53

7 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2018FORDF-53 carries 7 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 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-53 is structure:body with 2 filings, followed by parking brake (1) and seat belts (1). 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.

NHTSA currently has 177 investigation files overlapping the 2018 F-53, 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.

7
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

7 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
STRUCTURE:BODY2
PARKING BRAKE1
SEAT BELTS1
BACK OVER PREVENTION1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1
STRUCTURE1

Recent Complaints

20221031STRUCTURE

The contact owns a 2019 Thor Motor coach Windsport built on a 2018 Ford F-53 Chassis. The contact stated that while she was cleaning the RV, she noticed that the metal screws that maintained the overhead unit of the driving compartment attached to the ceiling were pulling out. However, the brackets installed on each side of the overhead unit prevented it from falling. An independent RV mechanic diagnosed that the failure was due to metal screws being installed on the wooden surface. The independent mechanic informed the contact that brackets needed to be installed to maintain the overhead unit into position. The RV was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000.

Mileage: 9,000

20200727BACK OVER PREVENTION

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 FORD F-53 RV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BACK-UP CAMERA DETACHED AND BECAME INOPERABLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO APPLETON CAMPING CENTER (2100 N MCCARTHY RD, APPLETON, WI 54913, (920) 757-6112) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED OF A LOOSENED ELECTRICAL WIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED OR NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000.*DT*JB

Mileage: 3,000

20200727ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 FORD F-53 RV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BACK-UP CAMERA DETACHED AND BECAME INOPERABLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO APPLETON CAMPING CENTER (2100 N MCCARTHY RD, APPLETON, WI 54913, (920) 757-6112) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED OF A LOOSENED ELECTRICAL WIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED OR NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000.*DT*JB

Mileage: 3,000

20200603STRUCTURE:BODY

MAIN DOOR HATCH PLUNGER BROKE ON TRIMARK 72130 DOOR HATCH /DEAD BOLT , LOCKING US OUT. IF WE HAD BEEN INSIDE WE WOULD HAVE BEEN TRAPPED INSIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT THE TIME. HAD TO FIND A LADDER A CLIMB THRU WINDOW AND AFTER A COUPLE HOURS WERE ABLE TO TAKE APART TO GET UNLATCH AND FOUND BROKEN PLUNGER/HATCH. *TR

Mileage: 12,424

20190624SEAT BELTS

THE FRONT PASSENGER SHOULDER HARNESS IN MY RV IS MOUNTED SO HIGH THAT THE BELT GOES ACROSS MY WIFE'S THROAT INSTEAD OF HER CHEST. WHY IS THERE NO SAFETY STANDARD WHICH REQUIRES A SHOULDER HARNESS MOUNT TO BE ADJUSTABLE VERTICALLY TO KEEP SHORT PEOPLE SAFE?*DT

Mileage: 17

20180607STRUCTURE:BODY

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FWY THE BUNK DOORS ON MY MOTORHOME FAILED WHERE THE DOOR SCREWS INTO THE HINGE BRAKET CAUSING THE 45LBS DOOR TO FALL OFF. ON A SEPERATE OCCASION ON THE OTHER DOOR, THE WELD IN THE BRACKET FAILED AND THE OTHER DOOR FELL OFF. THESE DOORS ARE IN A STRAIT LINE WITH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS AND IN THE EVENT OF A PANIC STOP OR TRAFFIC COLLISION COULD CAUSE GREAT BODILY HARM OR DEATH. THE MANUFACURE OF THE VEHICLE DID NOT ENGINEER THE BRACKETS AND MOUNTING DEVICES PROPERLY AND HAVE CREATED A POTENTIAL HAZARD IN ALL SIMILARLY EQUIPED VEHICLES.

Mileage: 3,500

20180410PARKING BRAKE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 FORD F-53. WHEN THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS RELEASED, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE CHIME CONTINUED TO BE AUDIBLE AND COULD NOT BE DEACTIVATED. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR ALSO ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE BRAKE ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED TWICE PRIOR TO THIS FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED FOR THE EMERGENCY BRAKE CHIME FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND RECOMMENDED THAT THE CONTACT CALL THE DEALER THAT SERVICED THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 3,000. *TT *TR

Mileage: 3,000

Compare 2018FORDF-53 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 8 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2018 FORD F-53 have?
The 2018 FORD F-53 has 7 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2018 FORD F-53?
The most-complained component for the 2018 FORD F-53 is STRUCTURE:BODY with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include PARKING BRAKE and SEAT BELTS.
Is the 2018 FORD F-53 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

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.