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2018 Ford F-350 SDProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 205 owner complaints about the 2018 Ford F-350 SD, most often about the steering. It is covered by 9 safety recalls, and for recall 25V-572 the manufacturer reports only 21% of affected cars repaired.

43
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.3× the F-350 SD median · #5 of 24 years by complaints
Safety recalls9Lowest repair rate 21%Owner complaints20510 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage25kSteering, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 25, 2026. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2018 Ford F-350 SD has problems

205 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Steering1022
Suspension783
Wheels250
Structure241
Electrical system121
Back over prevention100
Engine72
Fuel/propulsion system62
Power train50
12 other systems261

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

9 recalls

2018 Ford F-350 SD recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

21%repaired · 2026 Q3

Sensing system: camera

Recall 25V-572 · Sep 3, 2025 · 1,456,417 vehicles · 307,410 repaired

Risk. A rearview camera that displays an inverted, distorted, or blank image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

60%repaired · 2026 Q1

Sensing system: camera

Recall 22V-644 · Aug 26, 2022 · 277,040 vehicles · 167,430 repaired

Risk. Lack of a clear rearview camera image can reduce the driver's visibility of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

63%repaired · 2024 Q1

Driveline: driveshaft

Recall 22V-087 · Feb 16, 2022 · 247,445 vehicles · 155,788 repaired

Risk. A fractured driveshaft can cause a loss of drive power, or a loss of vehicle control if the driveshaft contacts the ground.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 5 more recalls
37%repaired · 2023 Q1

Tires

Recall 21V-155 · Mar 10, 2021 · 15,769 vehicles · 5,797 repaired

Risk. Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall, resulting in sudden air loss or belt edge separation which could lead to tread/belt loss.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

75%repaired · 2021 Q2

Seat belts: pretensioner

Recall 19V-880 · Dec 11, 2019 · 490,574 vehicles · 369,559 repaired

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

Problem, fix and repair progress →

77%repaired · 2021 Q2

Tailgate: latch

Recall 19V-864 · Dec 4, 2019 · 231,664 vehicles · 177,424 repaired

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

Problem, fix and repair progress →

76%repaired · 2021 Q1

Exterior lighting: headlights

Recall 19V-808 · Nov 12, 2019 · 86,296 vehicles · 65,488 repaired

Risk. DRL that cannot dim may reduce the visibility of other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

86%repaired · 2020 Q3

Engine

Recall 19V-278 · Apr 8, 2019 · 131,068 vehicles · 112,158 repaired

Risk. A damaged cable could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring, increasing the risk of a fire.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.

Mileage at failure

When do steering problems start?

25kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 73 steering complaints. 97% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
44under 30k miles71under 100k miles2100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2018 vs. every other F-350 SD year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the F-350 SD median. How we score

'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
3 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2018 Ford F-350 SD, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Power tailgate opens unintendedPE18011 · closed Dec 12, 2019
    Led to recall 19V-864
  2. Sogefi Secondary Diesel Fuel Filter LeakPE24014 · still open
    Open
  3. Power Tailgate Release SystemsRQ21001 · closed Jan 10, 2024
    No recall
In owners' words

What F-350 SD owners report

Recent steering complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

Going 60 to 70 miles per hour on I81 front end experienced uncontrollable wobbling not able to control truck had to slow down to stop vibrations. Occurred 3 times in a row almost rear ended by tractor trailer trucks as they could not tell we were having problems as we slowed down. Placing our…
Complaint 11769183 · Oct 5, 2026
Steering Effort Control Module failed. This is a known concern with these vehicles. Many Super Duty's have this happen. It is a very expensive repair. The steering effort changes, the vehicle becomes out of alignment and other things like cruise control, wipers, etc may fail as part of this issue.
Complaint 11710914 · Jan 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH and driving over a bump on the road, the steering wheel started vibrating and shaking abnormally. The contact stated that the failure had occurred approximately twelve times. The contact stated that an independent mechanic…
Complaint 11638271 · Jan 24, 2025 · 76,000 miles

Own a 2018 F-350 SD?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.