VinCanary

Reliability report · 2018 Ford F-250 Super Duty · Updated July 2026

Second year of the aluminum generation — steadier than 2017, same diesel and front-end homework.

2018 is the second year of the aluminum Super Duty, and it benefits from a year of running changes. Complaint volume (382) and the recall count (10) are both lower than the 2017 launch year.

The buying decision is the same as any Super Duty: verify the recalls, inspect the 6.7 diesel's fuel system, and test for death wobble. Also confirm the Daytime Running Light and driveshaft recalls, which are 2018-relevant.

Evidence: 382 NHTSA complaints · 10 recall campaigns · 6 mechanic & forum sources

Canary status

Chirping

What that means: The generation's first-year recalls are mostly sorted by 2018, and the recall count drops to ten. The core Super Duty patterns — CP4 diesel pump, death wobble, driveshaft — still apply, but this is a more settled version of the same truck.

CalmChirpingSquawkingFainted

This status assumes the riskiest common powertrain — see the F-250 Super Duty engine guide.

382

Federal complaints

10

Recalls

~$10,000 (mechanic-quoted)

Pump grenades / full fuel system

$0

Clean fuel, filters serviced

Known issues

Ranked by the cost of ignoring them. Every claim carries its source.

6.7L Power Stroke CP4 high-pressure fuel pump

major
  • 6.7L Power Stroke diesel

Still the diesel's defining risk. The Bosch CP4.2 high-pressure fuel pump can run dry, make metal, and contaminate the entire high-pressure system — pump, injectors, lines, and the fuel conditioning module — so a failure becomes a roughly $10,000 full-fuel-system replacement (mechanic-quoted), not a simple pump swap. Dirty or contaminated fuel, skipped filter services, and misfueling (gasoline or DEF in the diesel tank) are the triggers. Pull the lower fuel filter and check for metal glitter, and get the fuel-filter service history before buying.

What to check

Pink and cleanServiced. Proceed.

Dark brownDamage underway.

This is a 6.7L Power Stroke diesel problem. The 6.2L gas V8 and 7.3L Godzilla gas V8 don’t share it.

Which engine is in the one you found? →

Clean fuel, filters serviced

$0

Pump grenades / full fuel system

~$10,000 (mechanic-quoted)

Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall databases, 2018 F-250 SD · Independent mechanic and Ford-tech channel transcripts (Super Duty)

Front-axle death wobble (steering damper CSP applies)major

2018 is inside the 2017–2019 window for Ford's death-wobble Technical Service Bulletin (TSB 18-2268 — the fix instructions Ford sends dealers) and its follow-on Customer Satisfaction Program (a CSP — Ford's quiet goodwill coverage): a steering-linkage-damper replacement for 4WD trucks with 'sustained steering wheel oscillation after hitting rough pavement or an expansion joint above 45 mph.' It is a TSB/CSP, not a safety recall. Mechanics caution that the damper is a band-aid — the durable fix is usually the track bar, ball joints, or tie rods. Drive it over rough pavement above 50 mph and feel for the shake.

Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall databases, 2018 F-250 SD · Independent mechanic and Ford-tech channel transcripts (Super Duty)

$0

Damper under CSP

$400–$3,000

Track bar / front-end rebuild

Daytime running lights and driveshaft recallsmoderate

Two 2018-relevant campaigns beyond the diesel and front end: 19V-808 (Ford 19C10) — the Daytime Running Lights may fail to dim when the headlights switch on, dazzling oncoming drivers, fixed with a software reflash; and the driveshaft pair, 22V-087 (gas aluminum-driveshaft insulators) and 22V-880 (4x4 radial damper), either of which can fracture a driveshaft and cause loss of drive power or a rollaway. There is also a Continental-tire recall (21V-155) for over-cured tires. All free — confirm on the dealer printout.

Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall databases, 2018 F-250 SD

$0

All recall remedies

6.2L Boss gas V8: the misfire jobmoderate

  • 6.2L gas V8

Gas 2018s carry the 6.2L Boss V8 — 16 plugs, 8 coils, and what a Ford tech in our sources calls 'the $3,500 misfire job' from coils, plugs, and intake-manifold runners. It is a simple, capable tow engine, but ignition repairs run high because of the parts count. Ask for plug and coil history; treat a lingering misfire as leverage, not a puzzle.

Sources: Independent mechanic and Ford-tech channel transcripts (Super Duty)

$400–$900

Routine plugs / coils

~$3,500 (mechanic-quoted)

Full misfire repair

A calmer 2017 — the redesign's kinks are mostly worked out, the big-ticket checks are the same.
6 mechanic & owner sources

Shopping this year?

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Open recalls

Free fixes at any Ford dealer. Run the VIN — “completed” isn’t always completed.

  1. 19V-808Daytime Running Lights may not dim when headlights switch on, dazzling oncoming drivers (FMVSS 108). Free software reflash (Ford 19C10).open
  2. 19V-880SuperCrew carpet: seat-belt-pretensioner sparks can ignite B-pillar carpet in a crash. Free heat-resistant repair (Ford 19S52).open
  3. 19V-864Power-tailgate latch: water can short the release switch and open the tailgate while driving. Free wiring/switch repair (Ford 19S48).open
  4. 19V-278Engine block-heater cable can short and overheat wiring (fire). Free cable replacement (Ford 19S11).open
  5. 21V-155Continental tires may have been over-cured, risking sidewall break or belt separation. Free inspection/replacement (Ford 21S10).open
  6. 22V-087Gas trucks with aluminum driveshafts: underbody insulators can loosen and damage the driveshaft (fracture). Free repair (Ford 22S09).open
  7. 22V-8804x4 driveshaft radial damper can shift and fracture the driveshaft — loss of drive power or rollaway. Free replacement (Ford 22S74).open
  8. 22V-644360-degree camera anti-reflective coating can degrade to a foggy rearview image. Free camera replacement (Ford 22S51).open
  9. 25V-572Rearview camera may display a distorted, inverted, or blank image; letters phased 2026. Free repair (Ford 25S89).open
  10. 20E-090ICON aftermarket steering-stabilizer kit (accessory, not a Ford part) can lock the steering — applies only if the truck has this aftermarket kit. Free repair from ICON.open

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