Article Why is the MAX17250 switching off at a 1A load, for a 9-12V input, 18V 3.5A output?

The device is going into current limit on the input side. For those specifications this part can only deal with approximately 650mA load current.
Our online simulation tool EE-Sim is helpful for further analysis: http://maxim.transim.com/pwm2/designreq/Index?partId=9689

This device has a selectable inductor peak current limit of 1.85, 2.7 or 3.5A. Make sure to stay between these limits when completing your design.