2018 Ford F-150 body & structure problems

Related recalls

• Recall 21V983000Dec 16, 202157,591 vehicles
  LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TAILGATE:LATCH

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-150 vehicles with manual and power release tailgates. The tailgate latches may unlatch unexpectedly while driving.

  Risk: Unexpected tailgate opening may allow unrestrained cargo to fall out of the truck bed and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: Dealers will replace the left-hand and right-hand tailgate latches, free of charge. An interim notification letter was mailed January 31, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 31, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S53.

• Recall 18V568000Aug 31, 20181,619,112 vehicles
  SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER · STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford F-150 Regular Cab and SuperCrew Cab vehicles. 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.

  Risk: A vehicle fire could result if materials ignite inside the vehicle.

  Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove the B-pillar insulation material and wiring harness tape, and install heat resistant tape, free of charge. The recall began September 28, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S27.

• Recall 17V598000Sep 25, 201739 vehicles
  STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford F-150 Raptor Super Cab pick-up trucks not equipped with a moonroof. The structural roof braces may be missing rivets at the attachment of the roof rail, thereby reducing the structural integrity.

  Risk: If the structural integrity is reduced, in the event of a rollover crash, there may be an increased risk of injury .

  Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install the rivets for the roof brace attachments, free of charge. The recall began October 17, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S29.

What owners say

1. Filed Sep 11, 2026OHBody & Structure

   I am getting heavy water intrusion from the rear sliding glass window after any rain. It creates a very musty unpleasant odor in the cab. I am concerned that my young children, my wife, and myself are breathing mold spores and or other dangerous airborne particles from this problem.

   NHTSA complaint #11763544 · source
2. Filed Aug 26, 2026105,000 miOHBody & Structure

   The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the lock mechanism to drop the spare tire was rusted and failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the failure failed to allow for the spare tire from being lowered. No warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. However, the dealer confirmed that the lock was rusted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the…

   NHTSA complaint #11759756 · source
3. Filed Jul 14, 202675,000 miMDBody & Structure

   The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the tailgate unexpectedly opened while driving and while the vehicle was parked. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V983000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

   NHTSA complaint #11750228 · source
4. Filed Feb 21, 2026WIBody & StructureOther / Unknown

   Tried to open door to put my 2 year old in her car seat and it wouldn't open, assume this was due to the extreme cold. So I took our other vehicle, few days later when it warmed up I again went to leave with my daughter and this time the door opened but will no longer latch shut. Tried toggling child lock messing with lock mechanism on top of the door Tried both interior and exterior handles but it will not latch no matter what I do. Now all my lights are staying on and door…

   NHTSA complaint #11719599 · source
5. Filed Feb 5, 2026WIBody & Structure

   In cold weather all four vehicle doors would open randomly when driving, forcing occupants to manually hold them shut. Owner found recall 18N03 was active for vehicle and took the vehicle to Ford dealership for service of recall. The issue continued after service and the owner inspected vehicle following the recall procedure distribution from NHTSA to discover the dealership partially and incorrectly completed the work listed. Additionally, recall 18N03 refers to recall…

   NHTSA complaint #11716038 · source
6. Filed Feb 2, 2026132,000 miWIBody & Structure

   The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side door failed to properly latch and, on several occasions, while driving at undisclosed speeds, the door erroneously opened. The contact stated that the failure only occurred during extremely cold weather days, and a heat gun was used to defrost the latching mechanism. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The…

   NHTSA complaint #11714930 · source
7. Filed Dec 10, 2025NYBody & Structure

   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 .

   NHTSA complaint #11704180 · source
8. Filed Dec 1, 202582,743 miMNBody & Structure

   The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the front driver’s and passenger’s side doors fail to latch securely while attempting to close the doors during freezing or cold weather. The contact was forced to warm up the vehicle for approximately 15-20 minutes before the doors would latch properly while closing the doors. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle for the failure, and the…

   NHTSA complaint #11702238 · source
9. Filed Nov 14, 202577,518 miOHBody & Structure

   The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the tailgate independently unlatched. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,518. The VIN was unavailable.

   NHTSA complaint #11699426 · source
10. Filed Sep 9, 202542,000 miMIBody & Structure

    The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the contact felt a thump and observed a loud noise simultaneously coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and inspected, and the contact became aware that the tailgate had unexpectedly opened. The contact closed the tailgate. On another occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact felt a thump and observed a loud…

    NHTSA complaint #11686019 · source
11. Filed Jul 19, 2025NYBody & Structure

    Door Latch Freezing during cold winter months(every year) where temperatures drop below 32°F even after Ford Recall done on both front door latches. Inability to open door, then after door opened there is an Inability for door to latch until it warmed up.

    NHTSA complaint #11674698 · source
12. Filed May 17, 2025CABody & Structure

    Pant is flaking off roof and tail gate in 1/8 to 1/4 inch pieces. Offord white paint. Clearly a manufacturing defect . 2018 F150 has approx. 27,000 miles on it, Filed a claim with ford dealer Gosch in Murrieta Ca 92563.

    NHTSA complaint #11661636 · source

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology