2018 Ford F-250 SD: problems, recalls and reliability
10 recalls and 397 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is steering (45% of complaints); the 2016 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Sep 2025
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 397 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“My backup camera went black. There is a recall on this product 25V572 or Ford 25S89. My vin number is not on the list. How do i get my vin number on this list since the problem is identical to the recall prolem?”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Dec 2025
“100k miles and the high pressure fuel pump is failed. Created small metal particles that got into fuel lines. Everything needs to be replaced. There's a recall on over 80k trucks with the same issue. Local ford said this is the same issue as all the recalls but because we don't have the recall on our VIN, we have to pay $20k for replacement.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Aug 2025
“The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle displayed the death wobble. The failure had occurred three times. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer was contacted; however, the contact was not able to speak with a representative. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.”Owner report · Steering · Jun 2025
Show 7 more owner reports
“The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle shut off unintendedly and the contact lost control of the vehicle. The message engine power reduced was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the high-pressure fuel pump had failed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 127,460.”Owner report · Fuel System, Diesel · May 2025
“The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-250 SD. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera image was blank. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the rearview camera had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.”Owner report · Back Over Prevention · Apr 2025
“The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the steering wheel seized with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 148,000.”Owner report · Steering · Feb 2025
“The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-250. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. There was no warning light illuminated before the failure. The contact was unsure if the vehicle was towed or taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was rust in the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.”Owner report · Engine · Dec 2024
“Ford recall 18N03 was preformed in 2022. Now in 2024/2025 passenger front door will not latch during freezing temperatures.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Dec 2024
“I PURCHASED THE TRUCK NEW, AND IT HAS NEVER EXPERIENCED THE DEATH WOBBLE UNTIL DEC.25, 2024. THE TRUCK NOW HAS ONLY 45K MILES ON IT. I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND HIT A ROUGH PATCH IN THE ROAD AT 70 MPH, AND THE TRUCK BEGAN TO VIBREATE AND SHAKING, MY SON WAS IN THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME AND SAID IT LOOKED LIKE THE CAB WAS GOING TO FALL OFF IT WAS SHAKING SO BAD. i HAVE TAKEN THE TRUCK TO TWO RIVERS FORD DEALERSHIP TO CHECK OUT THE ISSUE. I JUST WANTED TO REPORT IT AS WELL SO THERE IS A RECORD OF THE ISSUE.”Owner report · Steering · Nov 2024
“The lug nuts have decorative caps that are easily damaged during ordinary maintenance. Once damaged, the nuts cannot be properly torqued. This puts proper tightening at risk. This then increases the result of the nuts loosening, falling off, and losing control of the vehicle.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Nov 2024
When filing, owners marked a crash in 7 of these complaints and injuries in 4 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 10 campaigns
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Lincoln MKC, Mustang, F-350 SD, F-250 SD, F-450 SD, 2015-2017 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, 2015-2018 Edge, Transit Connect, 2016-2019 F-550 SD, Transit, 2017-2019 Econoline, and 2019 Ranger vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, inverted, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 13, 2026. Ford owners will receive letters in phases, beginning January 2026 and June 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S89. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 25V270. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning September 8, 2025.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2018 F-Super Duty F-250, F-350, and F-450 4x4 vehicles. A radial damper inside the driveshaft may move out of position over time, which can cause a driveshaft imbalance and result in a fracture.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driveshaft, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 27, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S74.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2019 F-250, F-350 and F-450 Super Duty trucks. The Daytime Running Lights (DRL) may not dim when the headlight switch is moved into the "On" position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Remedy: Ford has notified owners, and dealers will reprogram the Body Control Module (BCM) software, free of charge. The recall began November 25, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19C10.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-150, 2018-2020 F-250, F-350, and 2019 Escape vehicles equipped with Continental tires. On the affected vehicles, it is possible that one or more tires were cured for too long during tire production.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S10.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2022 F-250 and F-350 Super Duty vehicles equipped with gasoline engines and aluminum driveshafts. Underbody heat and noise insulators may loosen and contact the aluminum driveshaft, which could damage the driveshaft and cause it to fracture.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the driveshaft as necessary, and properly attach the underbody insulators, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 7, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S09.
Icon Vehicle Dynamics, LLC (Icon) is recalling all 05-UP FSD 2.5 Centerline Stabilizer Kits with part number 65050. The kits were sold as an accessory for certain 2005-2021 Ford F-250 4X4 and F-350 4X4 pickup trucks. The foam ring inside the stabilizer "through shaft" may block the piston ports, possibly causing the steering to lock up.
Remedy: Icon will notify owners, and dealers will install a new shock assembly with a revised foam ring and steel support disc, free of charge. The recall began December 21, 2020. Owners may contact Icon customer service at 1-951-689-4266.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2019 F-Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 SuperCrew Cab vehicles with carpet flooring. If a front seat belt pretensioner deploys as the result of a crash, the sparks may ignite materials such as carpeting or insulation within the B-pillar area.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will apply heat resistant tape to the carpet and its insulation, and modify the B-Pillar insulation as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 20, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S52.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Super Duty F-250, F-350, and F-450 trucks equipped with an electric tailgate latch release switch mounted in the tailgate handle. Water may enter the electrical wiring system and cause a short circuit, activating the switch and releasing the tailgate latches.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will modify the tailgate/frame wiring harnesses by adding jumper pigtails to isolate the tailgate release control circuits and will install a new tailgate handle release switch, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 20, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S48.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2020 F-Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, and 2017-2020 Lincoln Continental vehicles equipped with the 360-degree camera system. Degradation of the camera's anit-reflective lens coating can lead to a foggy or cloudy rearview camera image.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 14, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S51.
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 and previously remedied under recall 18V894. During the previous repair, the block heater cable's splice connector may have been damaged.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the engine block heater from being used. When replacement cables become available, a second notice will be mailed and dealers will replace the engine block heater cord, free of charge. The recall began May 31, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S11.
How other years compare
Check your exact F-250 SD by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2018 Ford F-250 SD reliable?
NHTSA has 397 owner complaints and 10 recall campaigns on record for the 2018 Ford F-250 SD. The most complained-about area is steering (45% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2018 Ford F-250 SD problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 28,000 miles or less.
Does the 2018 Ford F-250 SD have open recalls?
10 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning back over prevention: sensing system: camera. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.