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Ford F-250 SDModel year report

2018 Ford F-250 SD Problems

Compared with other Ford F-250 SD years

More complaints than typical for this model

100/100 5.1× a typical year · 50 = typical

Open NHTSA investigationSogefi Secondary Diesel Fuel Filter Leak

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
399filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
28,000miles, 293 complaints with mileage
Recalls
9campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2018 Ford F-250 SD (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error

What owners report

Owner complaints for this model year center overwhelmingly on a violent front-end shake that starts when the truck hits a bump, pothole, or bridge joint at highway speed and continues until the driver slows well down. Reports appear across a wide mileage range, from under 10,000 miles to well past 100,000. A smaller share of complaints covers camera, fuel, and engine-oil-leak concerns.

  1. Steering

    Highway-speed front-end shake ("death wobble")

    • 293 complaints (73%)
    • median 28,102 mi at 2.1 yrs old (234 state mileage)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2018–2025

    Owners describe hitting a bump, expansion joint, or rough patch at roughly 55-75 mph and then having the steering wheel and front end shake violently, sometimes enough to move the truck out of its lane. Most say control returns only after braking down to about 25-45 mph. Complaints mention dealers replacing the steering damper and, in some cases, a track bar, and a few owners report the shaking returning after the repair or parts being on backorder. Reported from under 8,000 miles to past 90,000 miles; most sampled complaints fall between roughly 15,000 and 55,000 miles and occur at highway speed on rough pavement.

    3 related service bulletins

    What to check: Test drive at highway speed over expansion joints and rough pavement, and ask for service records showing whether the steering damper or track bar was replaced and whether a front-end alignment was done.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I have experienced violent shaking from the front end of the vehicle at highway speeds (the death wobble . Vehicle was taken to the dealership, and steering dampener installed. The issue persisted, so I returned to the dealership and the exact same part was replaced. Problem is worse than ever. Serious safety hazard.”

    NHTSA complaint #11375037, filed 2020-11, 29,500 miles

    “Driving on interstate hwy at approximately 70mph when I drove over a small bump. Immediately the steering wheel and entire front end of truck started shaking violently. I nearly ran off the road surface. I had to slow down quickly to make it stop, forcing vehicles behind me to react to avoid a collision.”

    NHTSA complaint #11386318, filed 2021-01, 37,300 miles
  2. Suspension

    Front-end shake traced to ball joints and tires

    Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

    A few owners describe the same shaking but point to worn front ball joints or a tire with a shifted belt rather than the steering damper; one says an independent shop diagnosed ball joints and the shaking returned after repair. Another reports the dealer attributing the shake to a tire belt and noting it only happens at highway speed. Sampled reports range from around 25,000 to about 100,000 miles, again at highway speed over uneven pavement.

    Recall 21V1550001 related service bulletin

    What to check: Have the front ball joints, track bar, and tire condition inspected, and check tire build dates against the tire recall; for dual rear wheel trucks, look for corrosion around the front valve stems.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Was traveling 70 MPH on highway and passed a overpass. Truck went into a death wobble. Thought maybe road condition but then next overpass it did it again. Couldn't control steering wheel until decelerated down to 45 MPH. Took truck to dealer. They told me it was a shifted belt in one tire. Truck only has 34000 miles on it. When drive truck in normal speeds I have no issuers! Think Ford knows thers a problem but don't want to admit it,”

    NHTSA complaint #11390400, filed 2021-01, 34,000 miles

    “I have a 2018 Ford f-250 super crew 4x4 with 26,000 miles on it. I bought it as a certified pre-owned vehicle with approx. 13,000 miles on it. Within the last 30 days, I have experienced on 2 occasions a major shake in the front end. In both cases, I was driving on the interstate at highway speeds of 70-75 MPH. The problem occurred when driving over a rough spot in the roadway. After the 2nd. Occurrence, I took it to a Ford dealership and they found TSB 19-2392 which outlines updated track bar and directs replacement. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11309502, filed 2020-02, 26,000 miles

Buying note. The thing to establish on a used example is whether the front-end shake has appeared and what was replaced; a highway test drive over rough pavement is worth more than a parking-lot inspection. Also confirm which open recalls have been completed and check for oil leaks and camera operation before purchase.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 399 consumer complaints for the 2018 Ford F-250 SD. 293 of the complaints include a mileage, and 83% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 28,000 miles. Of all complaints, 7 involved a crash, 9 a fire, 4 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns and 251 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 13 Ford F-250 SD model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 100 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (more complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Brakes (6), Electronic stability control (6), Air bags (4), Exterior lighting (4), Vehicle speed control (4), Latches, locks and linkages (2), Seats (2), Engine cooling (1), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (1).

Example complaints

Steering: “25k miles and when I hit a bump in the road the front end shakes violently. Ford replaced a steering stabilizer identified as the fix . 1k miles later the violent shaking is back. I have scheduled an appointment next week but no additional fix has been identified. I fear that replacing parts will only delay the issue until it is out of warranty. Help!”

NHTSA complaint #11280358, filed 2019-11, 25,000 miles

Suspension: “The truck just started to wobble and got worse and worse! Scared the hell out of me and my son with his three friends inside!! Horrible feeling to have! Did research and found that this is actually happening to other f250 owners. Now my truck sits in the driveway because dealership is 2 weeks out to just get an appointment!!! My wobble is occurring at from 40mph-65mph”

NHTSA complaint #11415056, filed 2021-05, 50,000 miles

Other or unknown: “The AC line fitting overheated causing it to explode and arc which in turn melted the primary wiring harness for the engine. This also resulted in the wire catching fire and causing burn damage to the firewall. The vehicle was going through a car wash when the incident occurred. I have been told by my mechanic that the water from the car wash prevented further fire damage.”

NHTSA complaint #11321731, filed 2020-04, 66,100 miles

Wheels: “When traveling at various speeds when I cross a bridge or uneven road my front end will shake violently and almost have to come to a complete stop for it to stop shaking the used dealer I bought it from says it because some kind of shock on the front end but I'm not sure it only has 45,000 miles on it I've tried adjusting the air in the tires to no avail I'm afraid to even let my wife drive it.”

NHTSA complaint #11395676, filed 2021-02, 45,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

83% of the 293 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 17,500 and 40,500 miles.

11%0–1029%10–2543%25–5010%50–753%75–1004%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (293 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 28,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

201820191412020202120222023202420252026
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Recalls and investigations

See all 9 recalls for the 2018 Ford F-250 SD → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 251 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 251 bulletins →

Other model years of the Ford F-250 SD

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20269128———Too new
2025173,1068———Too new
2024406,0004——Too new to compareToo new
2023444,50016——54 · TypicalToo new
202212739,00017——68 · MoreRising
202116745,95012——77 · MoreRising
202026751,49814——93 · MoreRising
20191,16520,20011——100 · MoreFalling
201839928,0009——100 · MoreFalling
20171,15529,00014——100 · MoreFalling
201629163,0003——45 · TypicalStable
201529669,3612——45 · TypicalFalling
20142668,5000——0 · FewerStable
20132142,0000———Falling
20125755,1180——0 · FewerStable
201112234,5000——25 · FewerStable
20103244,5180——0 · FewerStable
20092330,5070———Stable
200814143,9100——14 · FewerStable
20075430,0001——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200627440,0001——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200529541,4503——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200425455,8382——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200317849,0004——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200224575,0003——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200128874,2542——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200023379,1502——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199924997,0002——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19973995,0002——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199611104,0001———Not enough data
19959157,6051———Not enough data

All Ford F-250 SD model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2018 Ford F-250 SD?

Owner complaints for this model year center overwhelmingly on a violent front-end shake that starts when the truck hits a bump, pothole, or bridge joint at highway speed and continues until the driver slows well down. The issues reported most often: Highway-speed front-end shake ("death wobble"); Front-end shake traced to ball joints and tires.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2018 Ford F-250 SD have?

NHTSA recorded 399 consumer complaints for the 2018 Ford F-250 SD as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2018 Ford F-250 SD is reported most often?

Steering is named most often, in 252 complaints (63% of the total), followed by suspension with 198.

Has the 2018 Ford F-250 SD been recalled?

NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

At what mileage are problems with the 2018 Ford F-250 SD reported?

Among the 293 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 28,000 miles and the middle half falls between 17,500 and 40,500 miles; 83% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.