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2018 Ford F-53 problems

The most common problem on the 2018 Ford F-53 is body and structure, typically around 9,000 miles. It has 1.8 times the complaints of a typical F-53 model year.

Typical year1.8x the typical complaints
Owner complaints
11
Recalls
1
Service bulletins
18
Worst area
Body

The worst 2018 Ford F-53 problems

Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.

  • Body
    5
  • Electrical
    2
  • Brakes
    1
  • Driver assistance
    1
  • Seat belts
    1

Problems by type

Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.

  • Body
    5
  • Electrical
    2
  • Brakes
    1
  • Driver assistance
    1
  • Seat belts
    1
  • Steering
    1
  • Suspension
    1
  • Transmission
    1
  • Wheels
    1

Recalls 1

WheelsReported July 16, 2018 · 162 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford F53 stripped chassis vehicles equipped with 22.5 inch front wheels. The front wheel hub assembly may have wheel studs that were not properly heat treated.
Risk
If a sufficient quantity of wheel studs break on one hub, vehicle handling could be affected, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace any suspect front wheel hub studs, free of charge. The recall began August 20, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customers service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S21.

Recall number 18V470000 · Recall details

See all 1 recalls for the 2018 Ford F-53

Defect investigations

Trimark 060-1650 Door Latch FailuresOpened November 23, 2020, closed December 13, 2024

On November 23, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE20021 to investigate allegations of inoperative Trimark THP 060-1650 door lock/latches originally equipped on model years (MY) 2015-2017 Class A and Class C motorhomes.ODI received forty-six Vehicle Owner’s Questionnaires (VOQs) describing consumers being locked in or out of their vehicles.The door latch, containing a die-cast zinc plunger, was produced by Equality during calendar years 2014-2016. The die-cast may become porous and brittle over time and can break without warning, causing the vehicle owner to be unable to open the recreational vehicle door equipped with the latch.If the motorhome does not have any other doors such as some Class A models, occupants could be trapped inside, needing to climb out using the emergency exits. If locked out, owners would be unable to easily get in and retrieve children and pets. ODI analyzed the data provided by Trimark in response to its January 27, 2021 information request letter.Although an elevated failure rate was evident on a specific combination of plunger bolt, door lock/latch assembly and door, the data showed that most failures occurred within the first two years of service on the affected 2015-2017 vehicles.This data suggests that component failures generally would have already occurred.Further, ODI data reflects a downward trend in complaints after calendar year 2018 and for post- MY 2016 vehicles.This downward trend may be attributed Trimark's actions in 2016 such as changes in the manufacturing process of its zinc plunger component for the relevant population and its 2016 decision to switch to a steel plunger. In view of the nature of early-life failure, and failure rate trending downward for model years 2017 and newer, this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist.The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to

PE20021

Technical service bulletins for the 2018 Ford F-53 18

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

See all 18 bulletins for the 2018 Ford F-53

What 2018 Ford F-53 owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Oct 31, 2022 · Body · 9,000 miles · HI

The contact owns a 2019 Thor Motor coach Windsport built on a 2018 Ford F-53 Chassis. The contact stated that while she was cleaning the RV, she noticed that the metal screws that maintained the overhead unit of the driving compartment attached to the ceiling were pulling out. However, the brackets installed on each side of the overhead unit prevented it from falling. An independent RV mechanic diagnosed that the failure was due to metal screws being installed on the wooden surface. The independent mechanic informed the contact that brackets needed to be installed to maintain the overhead unit into position. The RV was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000.

Filed Jul 19, 2021 · Body · 7,376 miles · TN

The contact owns a 2019 Jayco Alante manufactured on a 2015 Ford F53 chassis. The contact stated while driving 28 mph, the front grill detached from the RV inadvertently. The contact took the RV to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the grill to be replaced however, the dealer did not provide the service at their location. The dealer referred the contact to a body shop for the repair. The RV was not yet repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 7,376.

Filed May 11, 2021 · Body, Electrical · 75,000 miles · NC · fire · 1 injury

Tl* the contact owns a 2018 ford f53. The contact stated while the vehicle was stationary, the roof started to leak causing water to get inside of the vehicle. The contact also stated that the inverter unit shorted out and caught on fire. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher. The fire or police department was not notified. The contact stated that the floor heating units and would occasionally overheat burning the contacts feet. The contact sustained a sore foot but no medical attention was required. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or an independent mechanic to have it diagnosed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and informed the contact that they would not assist. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

Filed Nov 17, 2020 · Suspension, Transmission · VA

Transmission failed at 54000 miles due to internal defective part. The vehicle started to jump on shifting from 1 st gear to 2 nd .

Filed Jul 27, 2020 · Driver assistance, Electrical · 3,000 miles · WI

Tl* the contact owns a 2018 ford f-53 rv. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the back-up camera detached and became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to appleton camping center (2100 n mccarthy rd, appleton, wi 54913, (920) 757-6112) to be diagnosed. The contact was informed of a loosened electrical wire. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not contacted or notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 3,000.*dt

Filed Jun 3, 2020 · Body · 12,424 miles · NY

Main door hatch plunger broke on trimark 72130 door hatch /dead bolt , locking us out. If we had been inside we would have been trapped inside. The vehicle was parked at the time. Had to find a ladder a climb thru window and after a couple hours were able to take apart to get unlatch and found broken plunger/hatch.

Filed Jun 24, 2019 · Seat belts · 17 miles · FL

The front passenger shoulder harness in my rv is mounted so high that the belt goes across my wife's throat instead of her chest. Why is there no safety standard which requires a shoulder harness mount to be adjustable vertically to keep short people safe?

Filed Apr 2, 2019 · Wheels · 3,100 miles · CA

Vehicle sold as new to me by giant rv with a 15 year old tire installed on the front driver side. This was a mismatch, off brand "expired" tire that caused a blow out requiring repairs and creating an opportunity of risk. This was not disclosed and the dealer refuses to take ownership of the issue or provider necessary background as to the cause of why this tire was improperly replaced. Concern being that there may have been a non disclosed vehicle event (accident etc.) that caused damages which were improperly and unsafely repaired without proper disclosure. Concern being that there may be other hidden issues which may continue to put my family at risk. When asked the dealer and manufacturer (thor) place blame with ford as the chassis manufacturer. I do not believe ford motor company stores and installs 15 year old tires on brand new chassis. I believe there was an event when the vehicle was being transported by giant rv from thor's manufacturing center to their dealership in california. I believe they replaced the tire for the lowest cost as possible with inferior and unsafe material - putting me and my family as well as my vehicle at risk. I feel it is reasonable and and I feel a responsible dealer would do all they could to determine where and how this happened. If this is their business practice there are other vehicles and consumers at risk. The tire blew out while in a typical travel situation, after recently being serviced by the dealer (giant rv) for unrelated warranty issues. Tire blew out on 2/24/19 during regular travel. (fewer than 4,000 original miles on the coach). The failure was due to a front driver side mismatched tire that had a dot date of 2005 and failed due to age. The unsafe tire was identified as being a 2005 dated dot tire by both highway patrol and a tire agency which did the roadside repair for me. The tire was provided to giant rv service department where they too agreed that this was an unsafe ("expired") tire. Ultimately thor agreed to reimburse me for the tire. *dt

Filed Jul 16, 2018 · Steering · 781 miles · NY

Tl* the contact owns a 2018 jayco 31z. While driving 65 MPH, the steering was unstable and uncontrollable. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer (albany rv, 48 rensselaer ave, latham, ny 12110, (518) 459-4695), but was not diagnosed or repaired. Albany rv referred the contact to another unknown local dealer. The manufacturer was notified and referred the contact to the dealer. The failure mileage was 781.

Filed Jun 7, 2018 · Body · 3,500 miles · CA

While driving on the fwy the bunk doors on my motorhome failed where the door screws into the hinge braket causing the 45lbs door to fall off. On a seperate occasion on the other door, the weld in the bracket failed and the other door fell off. These doors are in a strait line with the driver and passenger seats and in the event of a panic stop or traffic collision could cause great bodily harm or death. The manufacure of the vehicle did not engineer the brackets and mounting devices properly and have created a potential hazard in all similarly equiped vehicles.

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Questions about the 2018 Ford F-53

Is the 2018 Ford F-53 reliable?

Owners have filed 11 complaints about the 2018 Ford F-53, 1.8 times a typical F-53 model year.

What is the most common problem with the 2018 Ford F-53?

Body and structure, with 5 complaints, typically around 9,000 miles. Next is electrical (2).

How many recalls does the 2018 Ford F-53 have?

1 recall, covering wheels.

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