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Reliability report · 2018 Ford F-250 Super Duty · Updated July 2026 · What it costs to keep →

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

382

Federal complaints

10

Recalls

~$10,000 (mechanic-quoted)

Pump grenades / full fuel system

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.

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

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

What it costs to keep

The purchase price is what you negotiate. These are the numbers you live with afterward — each one sourced, none of them blended into a fake total.

The ownership picture — 2018 F-250 Super Duty

Two sourced numbers. No fake total.

Theft

Stolen roughly 2× as often as the average vehicle. Worth pricing comprehensive coverage before you buy, not after.

Source: HLDI — the insurance industry’s loss-data institute — HLDI whole vehicle theft losses, 2017–18 models, published May 2019 (report WT-18). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Ford F-250 SuperCrew 4WD.

230 vs 100

2× average — off this chart

Repair risk

What this specific year is known to need. Pulled from the issues above — the repairs owners actually report, at the costs they report them. Averages from other sites blend every year together; these are this year’s own numbers.

Source: this report — 01 Known issues.

Clean fuel, filters serviced$0
Pump grenades / full fuel system~$10,000 (mechanic-quoted)
Damper under CSP$0
Track bar / front-end rebuild$400–$3,000
All recall remedies$0
Routine plugs / coils$400–$900
Full misfire repair~$3,500 (mechanic-quoted)
Why there’s no single “cost to own” number: sites that promise one are guessing at your insurance quote, your annual miles, and your luck. These are the numbers we can actually source — and each one carries its receipt.

Shopping this year?

Get the printable pre-purchase checklist and an alert if this year’s recall sheet changes.

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Have a specific one in your sights?

The VIN is on the listing. We’ll check this exact car — build, open recalls, and whether the “completed” repairs stayed fixed.

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Before you buy

Print this
  1. 01Run the VIN against all ten recalls; confirm the DRL reflash (19V-808) and both driveshaft campaigns (22V-087, 22V-880).
  2. 02On a 6.7 diesel: inspect the lower fuel filter for metal glitter; ask for fuel-filter history and any misfueling.
  3. 03Test-drive over rough pavement above 50 mph for death wobble; inspect track bar and ball joints; ask if the steering-damper CSP was performed.
  4. 04Cycle the power tailgate latch and check the DRL behavior with the headlights on.
  5. 05On a 6.2 gas V8: ask for plug and coil service history.

Own one already?

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