2018 Ford F-150: engine stalls while driving

Filed Oct 6, 2026 · Transmission · FL

Premature transmission failure under 45k miles. While driving transmission will not shift gears causing the vehicle to stall and then suddenly engaging propulsing the vehicle forward unexpectedly. Multiple complaints online, Ford will not fix.

Filed Sep 27, 2026 · Transmission · IL

Transmission would go from 7th gear to 1st gear causing stalling in busy traffic. Also the truck would be stuck at 7th gear when coming to a stop light and when the light turned green would not shift down to one which caused a power loss. This is a known problem with ford transmission, the dealership diagnosed the issue as a hydraulic circuit leak, which is caused by the cdf cylinder sleeve. This can be found in Ford TSB 25-2126

Filed Sep 24, 2026 · Engine, Transmission · VA

2018 Ford F-150 Limited with the 3.5L EcoBoost engine. At approximately 60,000 miles the engine began making a rattling noise from the front of the engine on cold start, lasting several seconds. Over the last three months the noise has become progressively worse and now occurs at every cold start and lasts longer. The check engine light is currently illuminated. The vehicle has not stalled or lost power. A Ford dealer (Wynne Ford, Hampton, VA) diagnosed the condition on September 24, 2026 at 104,661 miles as cam phaser failure, requiring replacement of the variable camshaft timing (VCT) units and associated timing components. This matches Ford's Technical Service Bulletin 23-2143, which covers 2017-2020 F-150 vehicles with the 3.5L EcoBoost engine built on or before November 30, 2019. Ford previously issued Customer Satisfaction Program 21B10 and warranty extension 21N03 for this same defect on March 2, 2021, but 21N03 expressly excluded the F-150 Limited trim, and both programs have since expired. The dealer additionally reported that it has submitted multiple other cam phaser repairs on 2017-2020 3.5L EcoBoost vehicles for manufacturer assistance in the past two months, including vehicles newer and with lower mileage than mine, and that all were denied. The quoted repair is $5,414.11 at my expense. I am filing this report because cam phaser failure in these engines can progress to timing chain damage and engine failure, and because Ford has documented this defect since at least 2021 without issuing a recall. I contacted Ford (case CXH-09424982) and was denied any financial assistance.

Filed Sep 24, 2026 · Engine, Transmission · NC

The vehicle is stalling/jerking and long idling. I was told that the transmission needs to be replaced. Less than 80,000 miles. 2018 Ford 150

Filed Sep 21, 2026 · Transmission · 108,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. While approaching a light and entering a loop while driving 55 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly shifted from 7th gear to 1st gear. The vehicle stalled, was shifted into park, and restarted. There was vibration in the floor at the time of the purchase. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where the torque converter was repaired under warranty. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer again, where it was diagnosed and the failure was associated with the valve body. There were no codes present. The vehicle stalled on Interstate I-20 while driving 60 MPH, causing an unsafe situation. The wrench symbol was displayed after the failure. The vehicle was taken to a transmission center for a scheduled repair. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V164000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was contacted on two occasions, and the contact was provided a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.

Filed Sep 17, 2026 · Transmission · NC

Transmission slips out of park. And starts like it's in gear , can vehicle feel the truck jump a little.also shifts stalls and feels like it's stopping when taking off from a intersection. Started doing this when truck was about 2 years old. Had dealer change trans filter and fluid last year but it's still doing it.

Filed Aug 12, 2026 · Transmission · TX

The internal mechanical failure of the Ford 10r80 transmission due to design fault causes unsafe driving conditions as the transmission stalls (fails to power at request) or lunges (powers forward without driver input) causing unsafe conditions for vehicle occupants and nearby vehicular & pedestrian traffic. My vehicle exhibits two well known and documented conditions; stalling and lunging forward. The most common failure is that the transmission fails to shift from 1st to 3rd gear in a low speed condition (e.g. navigating parking lots amongst pedestrians). Upon the failure to shift, the vehicles computer system senses this, overrides by raising the vehicle RPMs significantly without driver input to do so, the vehicle then hard shifts and jerks forward several feet in an uncontrollable manner. Anticipating the jerk and overriding with the brakes fails to stop the vehicle from lunging forward. The second most common failure is the transmission totally failing to provide drive. A common scenario would be sitting at a traffic light waiting to make a left turn. Upon the opportunity to make a safe left turn, the vehicle at times will roll slightly forward (in its first gear), it will then attempt a shift while the vehicle may potentially still be in cross-traffic, and the vehicle at times will fail to drive, without any inputs (brake, gas, manual shift) getting the vehicle out of the no-drive condition, and leaving the vehicle subject to a dangerous potential for collision or safety hazard. The issues with the 10r80 transmission failures are well documented, well understood by Ford Motor Company, and specific to my vehicle have been identified by a reputable dealer as requiring repair. My vehicle's transmission is exhibiting failure at 47,000 miles. No warning indications exist prior, during or after this repeatable incident. Ford has since fixed the design flaw, but refuses to address the safety issue with vehicles manufactured before the re-design.

Filed Jul 1, 2026 · Engine · OH

The Variable Camshaft Timing (VCT) Phasers on my 2018 Ford F-150 3.5L EcoBoost have failed, resulting in violent, un-commanded camshaft movement within the engine. The vehicle is currently in my possession, and the failed components are available for inspection upon request. This failure puts my safety and the safety of surrounding motorists at extreme risk. The internal locking pins inside the cam phasers have degraded, which introduces excessive slack and erratic force against the engine's timing chain. If the timing chain jumps a gear or breaks due to this violent movement,a known consequence of ignored phaser rattle.The engine will suffer catastrophic internal damage. This will result in an immediate, sudden loss of motive power at highway speeds, leaving the vehicle completely stalled and un-drivable in moving traffic without warning. The problem is actively reproducible on every cold engine start, characterized by a harsh, metallic rattling noise lasting several seconds until oil pressure builds. Approximately two weeks ago, I contacted Ford Corporate Customer Relations to escalate this issue. During that call, Ford informed me that these exact cam phasers were already replaced in 2021 at Liberty Ford of Fayetteville, NC. The fact that a critical engine timing component has failed twice on the same vehicle indicates a deeply flawed, inherently dangerous design. Ford's prior attempts to remedy this through Customer Satisfaction Programs 21B10 and 21N03 clearly did not provide a permanent or safe resolution. Aside from Ford Corporate reviewing the VIN service history, the vehicle has not been inspected by police, insurance representatives, or an independent investigator. The primary and immediate symptom warning of this mechanical failure is the severe metallic clicking and rattling noise upon engine ignition. I am urging the federal safety agency to investigate this recurring defect, as it poses a severe and unpredictable sudden-stall hazard for thousands of drivers.

Filed Jun 28, 2026 · Transmission · AL

When you go to take off and pull into traffic the transmission will stall and not move. The transmission will shift into gear in about 5 seconds afterwards. Then it shifts erratic.

Filed Jun 19, 2026 · Transmission · MS

Vehicle stalls, slams into lower gear causing truck to slam to a stop. Vehicle will go into neutral and not change gears while going down the hwy at hwy speeds

Filed May 8, 2026 · Transmission · TX

Truck has 80,000 miles on it. For the last few thousand miles, the transmission has started to lurch during gear shifts from low speeds causing the vehicle to feel as if it is stalling out. Dealer states it is designed to do this, but due to power loss a collision is a possibility while trying to enter onto a highway with faster speeds. Dealer states the vehicle is learning the driver's driving behavior. After 80,000 miles the vehicle already has learned the driving behavior and there is something else taking place. The vehicle does not throw any warning codes when attaching an OSBII reader to the port. Taken to an independent shop and was told this is a known issue with the 10 speed transmission in the 2018 F-150 vehicles that Ford has not fixed until 2025 and up year models. This is a safety issue at the very least.

Filed Apr 18, 2026 · Acceleration, Electrical · NV

I was on Spencer street at the light about to cross on Saint rose park way. When the light turned green my truck wouldn’t let me proceed and the it went into a low gear and make a lot of noise until I crossed and stoped at the Horizon ridge light. At the light I turned off the truck like I have done every time this had happened after ford said they did the recall but after they did the recall I’ve been having all these issues. I turned the vehicle back on and put into into drive and it went into reverse I immediately pressed my brakes knowing there is a car behind me. Thankfully the guy saw the truck with the hazards and going into reverse he immediately went into the next lane. I couldn’t move I was stalled. Had the shut the truck off again and then turn it back on and then I was able to go into drive and sit on the side of the road. Meanwhile I can smell like this burning smell. Now this had happened 2 days after they came out to supposedly fix the recall that was on the truck. I didn’t work the next day after they came out to fit it at my job but driving home that day it drove sort of ok I felt a little lack of going into gear. When I went to work it did a hard jerk while driving like if the transmission was going to fall out. I parked at work for my 10 hour shift and when I went to go home I turned on my truck and out it into drive and it went into reverse. Thankfully I was in park and no cars was behind me. I called ford to tell them what had happened after they came and fix it and they told me it was not part of the recall. But yet when I looked up the recall when my insurance let me know if it people was saying they was having issues going into gears and possibly stalling. This is a serious matter and they keep brushing it off and telling me that I need to pay them to look at it. I don’t feel I need to pay if it is their mistake. I took it to my warranty company and they tried to fix it and found nothing on their end. At this point I gor into almost 5accident