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 the federal safety agency 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.
2018 Ford F-150 locks problems
57 complaints (2% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 42,000. 1 crash reported.
- owner complaints
- 57
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- typical mileage
- 42,000
- crashes
- 1
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Doors: latch22
- Tailgate: latch12
- Tailgate: lock3
- Doors: lock1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Ford F-150 locks problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2018 Ford F-150 locks
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Latches/locks/linkages: tailgate: latch
- What is wrong
- 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 number 21V983000 · Recall details
What 2018 Ford F-150 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
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 failure mileage was 132,000.
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 contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 82,743.
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.
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 noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated that a large toolbox with 6-foot drawers fell from the vehicle onto the road. The contact stated that the toolbox falling from the vehicle could have caused injuries to other drivers. The contact used a bungee cord to secure the tailgate. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked in the driveway, the door failed to close due to the extreme cold weather. The contact manually rigged the door closed while driving to work. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that there was water inside the door lock and unlock cables. The contact stated that the rusted cables caused the locking failure and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,415.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear driver's and passenger's side doors latches independently unlocked and the driver's and passenger's rear doors swung open. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent at first but had become persistent. The contact stated that the failure occurred after the vehicle was taken through the car wash. The contact, who is an independent mechanic, diagnosed the cause of the failure as moisture inside the door wells. The contact used bungy cords to prevent the doors from swinging open. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the driver’s side door latch froze and failed to latch securely. The contact stated that the failure occurred in colder climates for several hours. The contact stated that after the vehicle had warmed up for 15 minutes, the door latch operated as designed and the door closed properly. The contact was concerned about the safety of the vehicle with the door not locking as needed. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed, and the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the rear passenger’s door failed to latch and close securely. The contact stated that after the vehicle had warmed up the door closed as needed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle and attempting to close the front driver's side and passenger's side doors on a freezing day or in cold weather, the doors failed to close securely. The contact stated that the doors closed as needed after the vehicle had warmed up. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver's side door suddenly opened, which required the contact to manually hold the door closed while driving. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under Ford Campaign Number: 18N03 unless the failure was duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Questions about the 2018 Ford F-150 locks
Does the 2018 Ford F-150 have locks problems?
Owners have filed 57 complaints about the locks of the 2018 Ford F-150, 2% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2018 Ford F-150 locks problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 42,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Ford F-150 locks?
Yes, 1 recall: 21V983000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Ford F-150 have the most locks problems?
The Ford F-150 model years with the most locks complaints are 2018 (57 complaints), 2016 (52 complaints) and 2017 (43 complaints).
Other 2018 Ford F-150 problems
Transmission 1,020Engine 591Body 193Electrical 173Brakes 92Visibility 85Steering 83Acceleration 73Fuel system 64Driver assistance 43Wheels 43Airbags 38Lights 23Suspension 23Seat belts 16Seats 14Tires 2
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