NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Ford F-150. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
For the past 30 days, the 10-speed transmission in my F-150 is shifting very hard from 10th to 8th and in other lower gears. It also will not accelerate at times when applying the gas at 10 MPH. The Ford dealer was able to replicate the problem when presented with the truck today, but tells me that Ford said that "that's the way the truck drives. There is not a problem with it." Two days ago, a rough downshift caused my wife to strike her head on the headrest in the front passenger seat, and she will not ride in it until I get this problem resolved.
TRANSMISSION: Erratic movements and jerking Vehicle lunging forward Loss of acceleration Rough shifting Slipping into neutral
My F150 has approximately 69,000. When slowly accelerating from a stop light, the 10 speed transmission shifted from from 1-4, then back to 1st then up to 7 then back to first. I'm not an aggressive driver and it startled me. Luckily, i was not hauling anything or in a heavy traffic flow. I immediately slowed down as the sudden jerks between the gears did jolt all the occupants. The wrench light came on and within 10 miles I pulled into the dealership where I bought it. It was diagnosed by the dealership yesterday as needing the valve body replaced, costing $1,700. There were no warnings or messages present on the display prior to the failure. I simply have lost faith that had this occurred in a different driving situation I shudder to think that my family and I may not be safe.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while reserving the vehicle and shifting gears to drive when the vehicle accelerated independently forward. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated she crashed into a parked vehicle. Air bags did not deploy. The contact began to pump the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The contact did not have any injuries or seek medical attention. The contact stated there was a state trooper on the screen and witness the failure. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to towing lot and then to a collision repair shop. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000
At approximately 18:30 hours on July 27,2021. While backing from alley into my driveway, I coast into driveway since alley is on steep hill, so no gas is needed. Just incline is needed to get movement of truck into driveway. As truck was about five feet from closed garage door. Engine revved up without foot being on gas pedal. Since truck was in reverse gear, so backup camera was engaged to assist in stopping when I get close to door. The rear tires started spinning and burning rubber, my foot had been on brake pedal entire time I was coasting into driveway. I had to press hard on brake pedal to keep from accelerating into and through garage door. Engine finally stopped revving up after a few seconds. I quickly put transmission into park and shut off engine. My son was a passenger in truck and he said what the [XXX] just happened. Got out of truck and there were black tread marks on concrete driveway approximately 2 feet long in front of tires. Next morning July 28, 2021, I started truck up and it acted normal. Took son to work and drove out to Ford dealership to have them take a look at truck. They could not look at truck. Earliest they could get it in to look at it was August 13, They did ask if there were any warning lights on dash. Told them I didn’t see any engine lights indicating a problem is occurring. I have driven truck daily since incident without any further problems. I called Ford dealership today August 12, and canceled appointment to have truck looked at. I doubt they’d find anything, it was an intermittent issue, but it does need to be reported. I have photos of tire marks in front of tire s the next morning before I started truck back up. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Transmission shifts hard and/or will not up shift or down shift properly. Often shifting so hard that loud noises can be heard and felt, often causing dangerous lurching or pausing in acceleration. On several occasions transmission has nearly caused what could’ve ended in severe collisions with other vehicles. Ford service personnel have stated “that’s just how they are”. I feel this is a very dangerous vehicle to operate and will no longer take my family in it.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle began to sputter. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the cam phaser needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Crown Motors, at 555 Cypress Ave., Redding, CA 96001, where it was diagnosed that the cam phasers needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who informed him there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 72,909.
I pushed my horn and the cover that goes over horn and airbag broke/cracked. You are able to see the white from the airbag.
Tailgate released while driving
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds the vehicle would slip out of gear and shift up and down gears without warning. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the transmission replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 31,000.
The 10R80 10-speed automatic F-150 Sport XLT exhibits a loud bang (metal on metal sound) noise when starting engine, shifting into reverse or drive during cold or warm operation. Transmission will stall in between gears (particular 3, 7 and 10), lose of power, not accelerating or shifting while operating. Once power is regain, shifting become jerky (whiplash like) making vehicle propel harshly and operating unsafely on highways. I've made Dealer aware of mishaps in 2019 and several times in 2021. The vehicle did not present warning lamps in 2019, but presented warnings in 2021. Dealer has re-calibrated/reprogrammed the PCM or TCM module on each service and commented that problem didn't reoccur during diagnosis. July 5th 2021, I've requested for a test ride with mechanic, immediately in front of dealership on route 7 we noticed the grinding of gears, harsh jerky shifting and loss of acceleration in heavy traffic area, which put our life along with others who where on the highway that day in jeopardy. Mechanic requested to perform a thorough diagnosis for sharing with Ford Customer Care in two weeks (July 20, 2021). This has changed due to truck unable to shift gears properly on July 9th on route 29 (heavy traffic area during rush hour) problem worsen and vehicle was not able to sustain power in between gears. Vehicle is now with Ford Dealership in Warrenton Va, awaiting a thorough transmission diagnosis. My first report of hard shifting, my vehicle had less than 15K miles and was under the 30,000 miles mechanical warranty. Per the Koons Ford mechanic, Ford is aware of this problem but do not have a fix at this time. Per reports, FORD has been aware this problem since 2017, but didn't make their consumers aware nor fixed the issue. Overall this model is unsafe to operate and attention is needed before their are critical accidents on major highways. FORD has to take action, either buy back these models or fixed the problem.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated while experiencing failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the failure was unable to be diagnosed. The contacted stated that the dealer informed him that the failure was with the transmission. The contact was informed that he was not driving the vehicle correctly. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer several times however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 36,000.
The sunroof rail broken is the big issue for this Ford F-150 from 2015 to 2020. A lot of F150 between 2015 and 2020 have the sunroof issue which manufactures still not recall for this widely sunroof issue. If you search F150 sunroof issue it will come up a lot on the internet.
4wheel drive actuators fail. When they fail it causes front wheels to jerk and and lock up temperary. We it happened I was pulling out in traffic. They have been replaced 3 times by 2 different Ford dealers. The warning signs is a grinding nose coming from front drive trail. I have researched this on internet and it is a common problem with newer F150s. As I stated this is the third time they have been replaced and the truck only has less than 21000 miles on it. The first time they failed 11/05/20 (14987 miles) second time 06/02/21 (19138 miles) third time 06/24/21 (20327 miles).
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the cam phasers needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the cam phasers had previously been replaced; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,486.
The transmission randomly drops in and out of gear. At time times it will slam into gear creating a near whiplash condition. At other times the vehicle will simply become momentary inoperable. As this occurs completely without warning, it can create a dangerous situation leaving you motionless crossing a highway or busy intersection. I have been told that the transmission requires replacement at the cost of approx $4500.00. Prior to the first occurrence there were no signs of any issues.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the oil pan was leaking. The vehicle was diagnosed but not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
Back windshield blown out without impact. Vehicle was parked in driveway and had not been driven for several days.
The truck is less than 40,000 miles and the dealership states that the entire vista roof frame with cables has to be replaced because it will now not open. It makes a horrible noise and this was confirmed. Also I have had the same dealership check out the white residue that continues to show up on the cover of the steering wheel. They have replaced the cap, but the white residue continues to show up and now that it is out of warranty they will not fix it.
The truck bed is weak; 40lbs dumbbell put a dent in the sidewall and this shows the potential lack of strength within the vehicle.
Ford Sync 3 system in 2018 F-150 has been faulty, dealership diagnosed it as a faulty APIM, no longer covered under standard warranty. Online forums are littered with similar issues, Ford refuses to address or cover, wants > $1k for replacement. Symptions: - Main display screen goes completely blank - Backup camera does not display - Handsfree bluetooth disconnects - GPS freezes, directions do not display
Previous issues with the 10r80 transmission with is holding onto 4th gear too long then dropping hard into 6th gear. Vehicle also slams into reverse from park or driv when cold. Reported to dealership at 20k miles, but they only did a computer reset before. This was before the CDF Drum issue TSB. Ford now refuses to acknowledge the issue and inspect it post warranty despite a history of the issues being symptomatic with a failing transmission.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the gear shifter engaged independently. No warning light was illuminated. The dealer was contacted. The first time the failure had occurred the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the PCM software needed to be updated and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH and depressing the brake pedal to exit a highway, the transmission slammed in either second or third gear violently. The contact stated there was an abnormal banging sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle almost came to a complete stop. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but reoccurred at least two times a month. The contact stated that no warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
Tailgate latch fails and the gate opens while driving. This happened to me and I lost part of my load on the road causing a dangerous situation to other vehicles I can also lose valuable items or they could get damaged. I notified the dealership about this on two occasions and was told that there was no recall on the 2018 but other years were covered .
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil consume oil. The check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and the contact was provided an estimate for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while cold starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact then received a letter from the manufacturer that the cam phasers were defective and would be replaced under warranty. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the part was replaced. Recently, the contact stated that the failure returned. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer for an unrelated issue and the check engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. A diagnostic test was performed, and the contact was informed that the cam phasers were defective; however, the repair was no longer covered under warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the initial cam phasers placed in the vehicle were refurbished parts needed to be replaced. The contact was never notified of this and was informed that the vehicle no longer qualified for the repair under warranty. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 91,157.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that during cold start-ups, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the cam phaser needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired under an extended warranty, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer, where it was diagnosed that the cam phaser needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. The VIN was not available.
The transmission would not change gears as needed. Dropped it off at the dealer and they reset it. Problem persisted and then they changed the timing chain. Now the transmission is not switching gears correctly still. There is a fan on that was never on before. Dropping it back off tomorrow.
At random times the ignition switch will not turn, therefore the truck will not start. The steering wheel is not binding. I have tried both keys. There are just days when the ignition will not turn. I took it to the local Ford dealer. Of course the day I took it, the ignition switch turned and I was able to start it and drive it there. I explained that it just won't turn at random times. Since it turned for them, they blew the problem off. Other people have had some problem (as seen on the internet).
1. Rear Window Spontaneously Shattered 2. My seven years old daughter was in the back seat, glass remains reached even the front seats. 3. My wife was driving and she was not able to see the traffic behind her. She was very concern about my daughter safety with the broken window behind her. 4.Dealer had not been contacted. 5. 911 contacted, police inspected the rear window and created an incident number. -No warning lamps were turned on.
Truck parked, rear sliding glass window shattered on it's own with no impact. No one near the vehicle. Thankfully we were not driving or have passengers when this occurred.
Transmission malfunction. Truck experiences major hard shifting, hesitation going to gears which causes lack of exceleration. Transmission was reprogrammed around $30k miles Dec 2020. On 5/20/21, I came to stop at 4 way intersection. I proceeded to go straight but truck was barely moving (less than 5 mph) and when looking at dash I could see gear indicator showing transmission still in 7th gear but truck would not excelerate as if it was in neutral. I proceeded to use my flashers and coasted to the side of the two lane road. The dealer reprogrammed the transmission a second time on 5/24/21. I picked the vehicle up from dealer on 5/25/21 and experience same failures and a see manual warning light flashed on the dash. This vehicle is currently at the dealer and I've been advised they are dropping transmission to see what is going on inside. This 10 speed transmission is a major safety issue when driving as the vehicle can become disabled at anytime
Approximately once every 20 times the truck engages the Auto StartStop feature, the vehicle turn off the engine and requires you to place the vehicle in Park and restart the vehicle. I picked up the vehicle from the Dealer after they had it for a week, and they were unable to reproduce the error. The Dealer did have error messages and worked with Ford technicians to clear the error(s), but in my 8th day since having my truck back, it has happened twice. While inconvenient, and I could push the button every time I’m in the truck to disable, this was a nice fuel efficiency perk. Also, it doesn’t happen while driving, only coming to a complete stop. The danger that I fear, is that someone behind me will become impatient/look at the green and drive into my truck. I do have a screenshot of the error.
Transmission. It is currently at a Ford dealer being disassembled. Might be available for inspection! When pulling out into traffic the transmission would go neutral when shifting which causes the truck to slow down in front of moving vehicles. Naturally I push the accelerator to make it go which revs the engine and then it slams into gear. On wet pavement this causes the drives wheels to spin out so you have to really pay attention not to slide sideways and lose control. It happens at all speeds! Yes it has been reproduced by the Ford dealer! It is currently at a Ford dealer being disassembled and then send the information to Ford so they can find out from Ford how to handle it. The truck is still barely under warrantee! There were not any warning lamps or messages before or after it started malfunctioning. It started malfunctioning this year, 2021, when it had around 40,000 miles.
2 to 4 times a day since I bought the truck new, when cold, the engine RPM's flair up 600 to 1000 RPM's before slamming into gear. This happens when shifting from 3rd to 4th gear and sometimes 5th to 4th gear. I have taken it to 2 different dealers. Both said it shifted normal. When went to pick it up from the second dealer I had the Service manager ride with me. He noticed poor shifting and said the truck was NOT shifting normally. I left it for them to give it a better look. Only 3 days later I was asked to pick it up because they "couldn't duplicate the problem", even though the Service Manager witnessed the problem.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side door failed to lock securely. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was informed of failure and suggested that the vehicle be taken to an authorized dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
On Thurs., May 20, 2021, about 5:00 pm Central, I was traveling south on the Edens Express in the Chicago area, traveling at highway speed (approximately 70+ mph) when all of a sudden and without warning my power train cut out and I received an error message, Check Engine and Drive Mode Not Available came up after I came to a stop, turned the vehicle off and tried to re-engage the transmission to drive off. My truck stopped forward motion and I had to coast to a stop on the right hand side of the road. I was between Exits 34 and 35, about 1.25 miles north of the Skokie/Old Orchard exit. I contacted Ford Road Service and they towed the truck to my local Ford Dealer, Napoleon Ford in Libertyville, IL. Ford Service indicated that the issue was caused by the Powertrain Control Module (PCM). Service re-flashed the PCM and said that was the only fix necessary. My concern is that this issue happened suddenly and without any warning while I was traveling at highway speed. While I was lucky enough to be in the right-hand lane (of the 3 lane highway), that was only because I was planning to exit at the Skokie/Old Orchard exit which was the next exit. Had I been away from the right-hand lane or someone was tailgating me when this happened (or going up a hill), the consequences might not have been so good for my personal well-being. I wanted to bring this to your attention in case this is happening to other Ford F-150 truck with similar PCMs. When I asked Ford Service what caused the error in the PCM, they could not give me a reason nor could they say what caused the error, leaving it as unknown whether this will happen again.
The AIPM on my truck has been bugged 2 days after the warranty expired (05/2021). The infotainment screen becomes unresponsive, drops Bluetooth connectivity, or extremely slow. This originally happened a couple times a week but now is constant. The truck currently has 39k miles
TRANSMISSION JUMPS FROM THIRD TO FIRST BACK TO THIRD JERKING THE VEHICLE AND SOME TIMES DELAYS THE VEHICLE FROM CLEARING LANES AND/OR VEHICLES. THIS SEEMS TO HAPPEN EVERY TIME YOU DRIVE THE VEHICLE FOR THE FIRST TIME AND/OR AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN PARKED FOR MORE THAN A FEW HOURS.
The rear end of the vehicle failed and had to be completely replaced. I believe this was caused due to the ten speed transmission issues that have been reported for Ford F-150's from 2017-2020. The failure was less than ten thousand miles after the powertrain warranty had expired costing $3,467.32. This incident happened in May of 2021. The truck has also had problems with the fuel system and the engine running roughly but hasn't cause any major damage just diagnostic and repair bills from ford.
Transmission harsh up and down shifts and some times hangs between gears before going into gear revs when going into 6th like in N and will not go into reverse until transmission is cooled down
This F150 developed an annoying whistling wind noise at around 50MPH and higher. I cannot be sure but I think it's originating from the windshield area. Owned this vehicle since new and now has 22,000 miles.
AFTER A LONG PERIOD OF TOWING (APPROXIMATELY 4000# FOR 2+ HOURS)I STOPPED FOR GAS. ON RESTART OF THE ENGINE, IT HAD A VERY ROUGH IDLE AND THERE WAS A WARNING LIGHT FOR THE AUTO START/STOP SYSTEM. IT DIED AND WOULD NOT RUN FOR MORE THAN 5 SECONDS. TO GET IT TO RUN I HAD TO KEEP IT IN NEUTRAL AND REV THE ENGINE TO APPROXIMATELY 2500RPM. IT DID NOT REPEAT THE ISSUE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP (ANOTHER 2+ HOURS OF TOWING). THIS SITUATION WAS IN A GAS STATION BUT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE IF IT WAS ON A PUBLIC ROAD.
I am reporting to NHTSA because the recall #17S37 should include my truck as I have the same issues and I am apprehensive to even drive my truck as the issue continues to increase in severity. See the answers to the requested questions below. 1.What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Answer -1. The cylinder heads have failed. Yes, the truck is available upon request. 2.How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Answer -2. Per recall 17S37. Cylinder heads machined without supply holes will result in premature engine failure. Engine Failure can cause noise, check engine light, runs rough and/or loss of motive power without warning while driving, increasing the risk of crash. 3.Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Answer – 3. Yes, the problem has been confirmed by the Ford dealer shop foreman upon a 1:1 test drive. The shop foreman agreed of the noise and the shudder. The shop foreman scheduled a diagnostic for the truck. 4.Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Answer – 4. Yes, the ford dealer ran multiple diagnostics over multiple visits on the truck. I was informed by the shop foreman that the cylinder heads were machined incorrectly, and new cylinder heads and camshafts were to be replaced. I proceed to file a formal complaint through Ford. Upon filing the complaint with Ford and through numerous calls almost daily I still can’t receive any response/feedback from the complaint line. I can provide the complaint number upon request. 5.Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Answer -5. There were no warning lamps. However, I heard loud clicking, horrible gas mileage, and loss of power for many months before the dealer determine the issue failed cylinder heads.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while at a complete stop, the vehicle shuddered, and the engine shut off. A message advising to shift to park(P) and restart the vehicle was displayed. The contact shifted into park(P) and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving at 5 MPH and making a turn. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring increasingly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who test-drove the vehicle but could not determine the cause of the failure. Additionally, the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
THE APIM IS DEFECTIVE THE GPS SIGNIAL ON THE NAVIGATION IS MESSED UP IT WILL SHOW THAT I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF A LAKE OR FIELD WHEN I'M ON THE ROAD, THE NAVIGATION IS ALSO VERY SLOW AND THE BACKUP SENSORS DON'T WORK AS EXPECTED WHEN BACKING UP THE 360 CAMERA IS ALSO EXTREMELY LAGY AND TAKES 15 SECONDS TO ACTIVATE. FORD SAYS THIS PART IS 1800 BUT IT IS AN INTERNAL PART OF THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM AND SHOULDN'T JUST FAIL
see NTSHA report of technical service bulletin. This describes exactly the issue. As a result, the timing chain has been diagnosed as stretched due to the cam phaser issue. From what I understand, the safety concern is that the timing chain, if left undiagnosed/unrepaired can cause engine failure, loss of control etc. Ford has attempted to fix the VCT (Variable camshaft timing. [XXX] . the below is Ford's TSB issued 04May2023 TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 3.5L EcoBoost - Cold Start Ticking/Tapping/Rattle With Possible No Restart During Auto-Start-Stop Operation 23-2143 04 May 2023 This bulletin supersedes 22-2200. Model: Ford 2018-2020 Expedition Built on or before 30-Nov-2019 2017-2020 F-150 Engine: 3.5L EcoBoost Built on or before 30-Nov-2019 Lincoln 2018-2020 Navigator Built on or before 30-Nov-2019 Summary This article supersedes TSB 22-2200 to update the production fix date, Action statement and customer symptom. NOTE: Certain parts may now be reused for this repair. Refer to the Service Procedure for details. Issue: Some 2017-2020 F-150 and 2018-2020 Expedition/Navigator vehicles built on or before 30-Nov-2019 and equipped with a 3.5L EcoBoost engine may exhibit a ticking/tapping or rattle type noise from the top front cover area of the engine on initial start-up after a cold soak of 6 hours or more that may last for 2-5 seconds. Some vehicles may also exhibit an intermittent condition with no auto restart during auto-start-stop operation with or without diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P164C present in the powertrain control module (PCM). This may be due to a worn variable camshaft timing (VCT) unit. To correct the condition, follow the Service Procedure to replace the VCT units. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine has been making excessive valve train/piston/rod noise. I noticed the noise in March 2021 when towing my vacation trailer to San Diego. When idling noise is loudest below engine on drivers side. Noise increases dramatically when under load, and can be heard inside cab when driving. Motor almost sounds like a diesel engine. On April 26,2021 I took the truck to my dealer, Raceway Ford, Fontana, CA. After a road test I was given a notice from FORD stating that this is normal for this 5.0 engine. No way an engine should sound like this after 30,000 miles. This is a serious design flaw. When this engine fails I hope that we are not in the middle of the desert in 110 degree weather, going down a mountain pass, or crossing the golden gate bridge. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY MATTER !!! Please force Ford to find a fix and repair these engines ASAP
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE UNINTENDEDLY DOWNSHIFTED AND STALLED WHILE DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE POWER TRAIN MALFUNCTION WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. DUE TO THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO GERVAIS INC (5 LITTLETON RD, AYER, MA 01432) HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND A CASE WAS FILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 23,200.