FORD F 150 Reliability by Year
Best & Worst Years, Problems & Recalls — NHTSA Data
Comparing used FORD F 150 options? We analyzed 10 model years (2017–2026) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
Model-year trends show patterns. Run a VIN check for the exact FORD F 150 you plan to buy.
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the FORD F 150 has 27,152 owner complaints and 135 safety recalls across model years 2017–2026. The most reported issue area is POWER TRAIN. 2019 drew the most complaints; 2026 drew the fewest.
- Make
- FORD
- Model
- F 150
- Model years analyzed
- 2017–2026 (10 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 27,152
- Safety recall campaigns
- 135
- Crash-related complaints
- 745
- Fire-related complaints
- 276
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2019 (5,724 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2026 (3 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- POWER TRAIN
- Reliability signal
- Poor
FORD F 150: Which Years to Avoid & Which to Buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used — lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record — lower risk starting points.
⭐ NHTSA NCAP Crash Test Ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
NCAP crash test ratings for this model are not yet loaded or this vehicle was not tested in the years analyzed. NHTSA tests a subset of new vehicles each year. Check nhtsa.gov/ratings directly for the latest results.
What the Complaint Data Suggests
PoorThe FORD F 150 has 27,152 NHTSA complaints and 135 recalls on record. 745 complaints involve crash-related incidents. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 27,152 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 135 federal recall campaigns
- 745 crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
🔔 NHTSA Safety Recalls
135 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
Safety Recall
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Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2017–2026. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
🔧 Most-Reported Problem Areas
Based on component keywords extracted from all 27,152 NHTSA complaints.
📋 NHTSA Complaint Reports
27,152 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
Intermittently, the instrument cluster does not turn on upon startup. Speedometer and all other gauges within that screen go dark.
Intermittently, the instrument cluster does not turn on upon startup. Speedometer and all other gauges within that screen go dark.
Intermittently, the instrument cluster does not turn on upon startup. Speedometer and all other gauges within that screen go dark.
2024 Ford F-150 The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V512000 (POWER TRAIN) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
APIM real‑time clock failure. Dealer refuses repair, states ‘software issue’ for 16 months. Clock resets instantly to 12:00, cannot retain time. Will also blink sometime to current time and then immediately back to 12:00. This displays both on my head unit as well as my heads up display.
The contact owns a 2024 Ford F-150. The contact stated he received the notification letter for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V512000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was inspected and informed the parts were backordered. The manufacturer was contacted who confirmed the part status and referred the contact to the local dealer. The contact had not experienced a failure.
I own a 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum built in August 2024. The vehicle has been at the dealership for over 45 days for severe, unresolved electrical safety defects. I have attached photographic proof of the main defects. The first three photos show the driver's instrument display screen behind the steering wheel completely blacking out on startup, blinding critical safety gauges like the speedometer. The center screen stays on, but the main cluster is totally dead. Fourth and fifth photos show the driver's seat memory failure. I manually set my lumbar support to a comfortable 3-4-3 setting and save it, but every time the truck sits, the seat completely deflates to a flat zero default on startup. This causes an immediate driving distraction and ergonomic hazard. The factory navigation also randomly shouts driving directions out of nowhere without any driver input. The dealership is currently trying to install a temporary "bypass wire" hack on my factory harness just to see if it fixes the seat memory. However, Ford's internal hotline (SSSC) refuses to authorize repairs for the black screen or phantom navigation until a tech physically catches it glitching on command. Ford’s policy is to return the vehicle unrepaired if it does not fail during active observation. I am requesting NHTSA to investigate Ford's active evasion of safety recall 25V540 (Ford 25S88). The official recall paperwork states the defective supplier software entered production on May 14, 2024. My truck was manufactured in August 2024—squarely within the defective window—yet Ford is using a model-year loophole to exclude 2024 vehicles from the recall population. They are denying owners a permanent factory software remedy and forcing dealers to use unapproved, temporary physical workarounds. The vehicle is at the dealership and available for federal inspection if need be.
The contact owns a Ford F-150. The contact stated that during cold start up, there is a delay when reversing and resistance in backward movement. The vehicle moves slowly despite full throttle. The vehicle also intermittently experienced harsh shifting. The vehicle was taken to th The approximate failure mileage was 10,000.
On 4/22/2026 while flat towing this vehicle behind my motorhome, it burst into flames. The trip began in [XXX] . Driving south on XXX, I stopped about 120 miles later at a rest stop near XXX. I did a complete walk around inspection. There were no issues, everything looked fine. We continued on and about 20 miles later another vehicle driver was telling me frantically to pull over. I looked at my rear camera and saw the Ford was smoking. This was not due to an improper neutral tow setting. The truck would have burned in the first 20 miles. I have towed this vehicle many times. I know the importance of doing it properly., Thankfully there was a good place to pull over. I tried to extinguish the fire with my extinguisher but it was too hot. I was unable to disconnect from the motorhome. Both are a total loss. I think of all the places this could have happened and how trapped we could have been. By the grace of God, nobody was injured. Yes there is a police report and an insurance claim. There were no warning signs. My braking system runs on its own battery so there was no draw on the Ford battery. Ford did an update on the computer the night prior. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Seat belt sensors do not work correctly for back seat passenger. Seat doesn’t register people sitting in it or when seat belt is buckled sometimes. Issue was reported to dealer and taken for repairs u see warranty, but never completed. Causes issues when carrying passengers because i can’t tell if people are buckled. Sometimes driving down road it alerts randomly that seat belt was unbuckled and causes risk that could lead to an accident when I have to adjust it for a child while driving down the road. This is a wide spread reported issue for these trucks and should be recalled.
Very hard down shifting at low speeds and it feels like the drive line is coming out of it!! Has been happening since brand new! I have reported it to the dealership and the said it was a quart low on fluid and they added a quart but the vehicle continues to do the same thing???
Crashed truck and all airbags deployed besides passenger (I was only person in the car). The drivers airbag partially deployed and I smashed my face on steering wheel. It was defective or malfunctioned.
The contact owns a 2024 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V512000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
soy-based wire insulation has caused engine damage to vehicle. Rodents have Damaged the vehicle Wiring due to soy-based wires installed during manufacturing. I have to pay expensive repairs due to mice chewing on soy-based wires installation. The vehicle engine is smoking This will be a reoccurring problem. New wires need to be installed that does NOT attract rodents.
The contact owns a 2024 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V512000 (Power Train). The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were on back order. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Occasional hard downshift for no reason. Feels like it will damage transmission and lower transmission life. Jerks truck slightly when this occurs. More common on hill. Beginning to have some hard shifting coming out of park - recent issue. Purchased truck new in Jan 2025. Has gotten worse with recent Ford automatic software updates or was not addressed in those updates for another recall. Date listed was most recent. Has been occurring for several months occasionally, but with increasing frequency.
White smoke coming out of rear wheels when driving 80mph. Engine kicks at the same time reducing the speed. Strong smell of brakes at the rear wheels when pulled over. Likely the brakes are engaged at that speed.
Our 2025 Ford F-150 experienced a complete instrument cluster failure immediately following a manufacturer-initiated over-the-air software update. Component/System Failure: The instrument cluster/display failed completely. The speedometer, fuel gauge, warning lights, and all critical driving information are inoperable. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: This creates a serious safety hazard because the driver cannot monitor speed, fuel level, or warning indicators, increasing the risk of unsafe operation. Event Details: After the update installed overnight, the dashboard display was nonfunctional upon startup. The vehicle was operating normally prior to the update, and the failure occurred immediately afterward with no other issues. Inspection/Confirmation: The vehicle was taken to Southwest Ford dealership, where the issue was confirmed. We were told it is an electrical problem requiring repair. The dealership also stated another vehicle there had the same issue following an update. Manufacturer Response: The vehicle has approximately 46,000 miles and is out of warranty. We were quoted about $1,500 for repair. We opened a case with Ford Motor Company (Case #CCH-07666598-Q6Y1R3), but coverage was denied. Prior Warnings: There were no warning lights, messages, or symptoms prior to the failure. We believe this may indicate a defect in the software update system that could affect other vehicles and pose a broader safety risk. We request investigation and appropriate action.
The contact owns a 2024 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while his wife was in the process of parking the vehicle on the side of the street, the driver released the accelerator pedal; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended, jolted forward, and hit one unoccupied and parked vehicle, and hit another occupied vehicle stopped at the stop light. The air bags did not deploy. The driver sustained nerve pain, causing the fingers to become numb, and the driver sustained headaches, back, hips, and shoulder pain. It was unknown whether the other driver sustained injuries. The contact's wife drove to an emergency room after the collision and received medical assistance. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to an auto collision repair shop, where it was serviced for the collision damage. An independent mechanic had diagnosed the vehicle with a one-pedal driving system and ABS failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the insurance company for assistance. The failure mileage was 13,290.
See attached document for complaint.
Showing 20 of 27,152 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Before You Buy, Check the Exact FORD F 150
These pages show model-year patterns across 10years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
📖 Understanding This Data
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The FORD F 150 has 27,152 complaints on record across 10 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The FORD F 150 has 135 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 745 of the FORD F 150's 27,152 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Poor) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all FORD F 150 vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two FORD F 150 vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The FORD F 150 has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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📍 Check a FORD F 150 by State
Title-branding rules, flood-damage exposure, and salvage laws vary by state. Run a free VIN check or explore state-specific vehicle history guidance before buying a used FORD F 150.