FORD F 150 Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data

After a big freeze my fuel level gauge stopped working. I have replaced every sensor and fuse possible, along with multiple new fuel pumps. It has been taken to a certified Ford Dealership and they can’t find the problem. There is a Ford recall that already explains the problem exactly. It is Ford 26C26. I am not able to get my vehicle inspected and without knowing exactly what my fuel level is it could leave me stranded.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train); however, the failure occurred after the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission started slipping. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that a diagnostic test was needed to determine the cause of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the clock spring needed to be replaced. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V847000 (Steering, Air Bags); however, the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by phone, but no assistance was provided. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline and to the DMV for assistance.

The torque converter has malfunctioned and the vehicle is currently at the dealership for repairs. The truck experiences significant vibration and shuddering at speeds above 45 mph. There is an existing recall for this exact issue; however, our VIN is not included in the affected vehicle population. With only 60,000 to 70,000 miles on the truck and less than 10 years of service, a major component such as the torque converter should not require replacement, especially on a vehicle that has been properly maintained throughout its life.

My vehicle's transmission changed gears suddenly and unexpectedly causing a slight difficulty to control. Following the sudden gear change, some lights on the dashboard began flickering erratically. I have video of the dashboard after the gear change. For this incident, I was driving about 25 MPH. I experienced similar behavior before and at highway speeds. Since then, the vehicle was serviced by Ford for a Safety Recall Notice 26S28/NHTSA Recall 26V237. The service performed under the recall did not fix the problem. The local Ford dealer told me they would charge me to have the problem investigated, so I have not brought the vehicle in to them.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the contact attempted to stop the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to stop as needed and the braking distance became extended. Additionally, the brake pedal was firm while depressed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V236000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the dealer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and was made aware of the failure.

My 2017 Ford F-150 V8 with the 6-speed automatic transmission has been experiencing a serious and recurring transmission malfunction. The truck has consistently, almost on a daily basis, gone into limp mode and become stuck in 5th gear. It also frequently fails to downshift to 1st gear when coming to a stop. Instead, it remains in 3rd gear, requiring the truck to pull away from a complete stop in 3rd gear. The dealership did perform the software update on 08/20/2026 ,yet the issues remain the same. The vehicle has set diagnostic trouble code P0722 for the transmission output speed sensor. I have been informed that the output speed sensor is molded into the transmission lead frame and cannot be replaced separately, requiring replacement of the lead frame. Today, the transmission malfunction created an immediate and potentially life-threatening safety situation. As I pulled out of my driveway, the truck remained in 1st gear and would not properly progress through the gears. It then abruptly jumped into 2nd gear and caused the vehicle to stall/lose forward progress while I was entering the roadway. Oncoming traffic was nearly upon me and I was almost struck. The vehicle eventually engaged the proper gear and continued moving, but by that time I was in a dangerous, life-threatening situation. This is not an isolated incident or an occasional inconvenience. The transmission has been repeatedly malfunctioning, including going into limp mode in 5th gear and failing to downshift appropriately when stopping. The vehicle's inability to properly select and engage the appropriate gear creates a serious risk when pulling into traffic, stopping, accelerating, or attempting to avoid another vehicle. Ford has a customer satisfaction program related to the transmission lead frame/output speed sensor issue. However, I was told that my vehicle is not covered because P0722 is not one of the diagnostic codes included for coverage.

In 2025 my 2017 Ford F-150 started randomly downshifting. We took the car to the ford dealer who could not assess what the problem was exactly (Rowe Ford in Westbrook, Maine). They suggested a new transmission to be safe and clearly indicated that this was not a safe truck to drive at the time. We took the truck to another ford dealer to try to get an actual determination of what was wrong (Casco Bay Ford, Maine). They also advised that no codes were being given but that the truck was clearly downshifting and not safe. With no real alternatives or clear problem, we paid 8,000 for a new transmission. Then, months later we get the recall notice: (Campaign 26S28 / NHTSA Recall 26V237) - Ford F-150's were downshifting... We had Ford do the software update as this is now a new transmission, but when we asked about the Recall and if there was anything we could do about the 8,000 we just paid lower and upper management (we talked to both) advised that because they could not definitively put a label to the problem before we fixed the transmission that they could not attribute the downshifting to the same problem and so will not help or otherwise reimburse us for the cost of having to fix the problem that was recalled later. No remedy was offered by Ford.

The vehicle has a ten speed transmission. It started with the transmission making minor down shifts from 3 to 1 and then 7 to 1. Without any engine warning light. It has subsequently started a severe shift from 3 to 1 and 7 to 1 and the engine light has now come on. This creates a dangerous situation when it down shifts from 7-1 when your speed is 45 mph of above. I contacted a dealership regarding a repair but was told there is no recall and it would cost 215 to diagnose and from 4,500 - 8,000 for the repair. It is a known issue to the Ford dealers but without a recall they are gouging the consumers who is at risk of accident.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 15 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the brakes became inoperable. The brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard, and the vehicle was driven in LIMP Mode back to the residence. The dealer was contacted by phone and associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V236000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the dealer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 146,118.

The 4-5-6 drum ring in my transmission went out on my truck that has 70, 318 miles on it. Vehicle was missing shift points and would not always shift properly causing power to not be available when expected - especially dangerous when trying to merge onto a highway. Vehicle was inspected by a Ford dealership and by ABC transmissions of Tacoma WA. I paid ABC Transmissions $9,693.98 to fix the problem. The transmissions would clunk badly and was very obviously missing shift points. They first appeared 30k miles ago but Ford lied to me saying it was a "software problem".

I am filing this complaint because a Ford-authorized dealership, West Hills Ford in Bremerton, Washington, returned my vehicle to me in an unsafe condition after performing a repair under federal safety recall 25S37 (NHTSA Campaign 25V-236, brake master cylinder), and because an independent inspection has since documented physical evidence of a real defect connected to that repair. Please see attached documents outlining this entire incident as well as supporting documentation.

Vehicle is subject to active Safety Recall 26S28 for transmission lead frame and range sensor failure causing unexpected downshifts into 1st gear. Vehicle experienced downshifting symptoms creating severe road hazard and risk of rear-wheel lockup. Dealership cleared diagnostic trouble codes without saving freeze-frame logs, mis-entered VIN on billing estimates, and refused to complete the recall repair. Vehicle is available for inspection.

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Ford F-150. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of the purchase, the vehicle mileage was approximately 170,000, and it was later discovered via a third party that the mileage was 250,000.