2018 Ford F-450 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Wheels (2) · Fuel/Propulsion System (2) · Engine (2)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Ford F-450 model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (3)
Equipment 2019-05-29 · campaign 19V398000 · 13 vehicles
Defect: LGE Coachworks, Inc. (LGE Coachworks) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Ford E-450, F-550, and Freightliner M2-based vehicles equipped with ASA Electronics Voyager back-up camera displays. The displays may unexpectedly revert back to the factory default settings which may cause the camera image to be reversed.
Risk: The driver may inadvertently turn the wrong direction to avoid an object behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: ASA will notify LGE Coachworks owners, and dealers will replace the displays, free of charge. The recall began May 9, 2019. Owners may contact ASA customer service at 1-800-384-4400 or LGE Coachworks at 1-800-209-3985.
Exterior Lighting:brake Lights 2019-05-03 · campaign 19V342000 · 17 vehicles
Defect: Taylor Made Ambulances is recalling certain 2017-2018 Ford E-350, F-450, E-450, F-550, and GMC G3500-based ambulances equipped with Whelen brake lights. Depending on the specific wiring of the vehicle, these brake lights may illuminate when the brake pedal has not been pressed.
Risk: If the brake lights incorrectly illuminate, it can confuse other drivers, possibly increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Taylor Made will notify owners and Whelen will replace the brake lights, free of charge. The recall began June 5, 2019. Owners may contact Taylor Made Ambulances customer service at 1-800-468-1310.
Engine 2018-12-18 · campaign 18V894000 · 410,289 vehicles
Defect: 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 causing corrosion and damage.
Risk: When the heater is plugged in, prolonged corrosion could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring which can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the block heater cable, free of charge. Once parts are available, Dealers will replace the engine block heater cable, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S45.
Service bulletins (6)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-06-23 · 25N10S1 · Other
certain 2017-2025 f-450 – f-600 chassis cab upfitted with an aerial bucket frame rail crack
Unknown Or Other 2024-08-07 · SSM 52787 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2017-2020 f-150 and 2017-2019 f-super duty vehicles may not successfully complete the transmission characterization/solenoid idn procedure using the integrated diagnostic system (ids) scan tool. this may be due to the ids not being at the latest software level
Equipment:other:owners/Service/Other Manual 2023-06-08 · SAN-Vol1 I1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
the service awareness newsletter is an informal communication that contains information that may not be presently available in a tsb, ssm, gsb, or other electronic communication. this article includes information on warranty, technical service tips and other service information.
Engine And Engine Cooling 2020-08-19 · TSB 20-2272 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2015-2019 transit vehicles equipped with a 3.2l engine, 2018-2020 f-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.0l engine, 2017-2020 super duty vehicles equipped with a 6.7l engine built on or after 13-may-2017 may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (mil) with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p2
Steering 2020-04-30 · 20N04 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
in some of the affected vehicles, customers may experience sustained steering wheel oscillation after hitting rough pavement or an expansion joint at speeds typically above 45 mph (72 km/h).
Engine 2018-09-14 · TSB 18-2278 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2017-2018 f-super duty vehicles equipped with a 6.7l engine may exhibit a concern where the def level indicator appears to be stuck in the full position. follow the service procedure steps to correct the condition.
What owners report
2026-01-23 · Fuel/Propulsion System · 🔥 fire“incidents summary: the vehicle experienced a significant engine compartment fire while in operation. the fire originated in the engine valley near the secondary fuel filter, consistent with the failure mode described in nhtsa investigation pe24014. 1. component failure & part numbers: the fire necessitated an $18,000 repair (ro #443426). based on …”
2025-04-08 · Fuel/Propulsion System“my truck is outfitted with the cp4 fuel pump. these pumps are failing on a regular basis and destroying entire fuel systems costing the vehicle owner as much as $20,000 to replace. if this pump goes out while driving, it could be a major safety issue. i tow a 44 foot trailer with my truck and this can cause a deadly accident. i called ford and …”
2024-05-30 · Engine · 91,000 mi“the contact owns a 2018 ford f-450. the contact stated that upon having the vehicle serviced, he was made aware that there were metal shavings found inside the oil pan, and that the engine needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the nhtsa hotline for assistance. t…”
2023-05-12 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:other Fuel Types:turbo/Supercharger:hoses/Plumbing · 51,000 mi“the contact owns a 2018 ford f-450. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. the vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the turbo charger. after retrieving the vehicle, the failure immediately reoccurred. the vehicle was t…”
2023-02-20 · Unknown Or Other“the rear camera is addressed in nhtsa recall number22v644, but the same issue is occurring with the front camera too. ford dealer said to call ford customer service to address my concern. ford customer service advised i file a claim with nhtsa. since ford already acknowledged the issue with these cameras, i’d like the front to be addressed at the s…”
2022-03-16 · Back Over Prevention · 18,000 mi“the contact owns a 2018 ford f-450. the contact stated while reversing, the rearview camera image was significantly blurry. the contact wiped the rearview camera lens; however, the failure persisted. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the dealer acknowledged the failure and advised the contact that the vehicle was out of warranty and the vin was …”
2020-01-14 · Wheels · 22,876 mi“steering wheel shakes at highway speeds . front tires are wearing due to this issue…”
2019-06-30 · Engine · 1,400 mi“all 2018,f-450,okaloosa county fleet trucks. starting/cranking modul causes engine not to start or randomly start after 5,10,20 minutes.…”
2019-01-04 · Electrical System · 3,800 mi“the power tailgate opens randomly on its own. this has resulted in damage to my tailgate and the attached trailer. i have security video footage of it opening right before as i started to drive. ford is refusing to repair it under warranty. the truck has 3800 miles on it and has not even had its first oil change. this could have caused a serious…”
2018-05-30 · Wheels · 800 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2018 ford f-450. while driving 45 mph, the steering wheel seized. the vehicle was taken to lebanon ford (770 columbus ave, lebanon, oh 45036, (513) 932-1010), but the failure could not be duplicated. the contact informed the dealer and the manufacturer several times of the failure, but no assistance was offered. the failure m…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.