Ford F-150 Years to Avoid — and the Years to Buy

Every Ford F-150 model year from 1990 to 2026, benchmarked against each other with 47,613 federal complaints, 188 recall campaigns, and the odometer readings owners put in their reports.

Avoid: 1997, 2000–2001, 2004, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018. These years top the F-150's complaint rankings by volume and severity.
Safer bets: 1991–1993, 1996, 2003, 2007–2009, 2020, 2022 — the quietest years with at least four years on the road.

47,613Complaints on file
188Recall campaigns
37Model years

The trouble strip

One cell per model year. The whole answer in one glance — click any year for the full report.

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

The defining problem

Transmission & drivetrain tops the Ford F-150 file with 8,636 complaints, concentrated in the 2011–2019 model years, most often reported around 69,100 miles. The year pages break down what fails and when.

Every year, ranked

YearVerdictComplaintsRecallsTop problemTrouble index
2026 Few reports 6 1 — 0
2025 Too early to call 166 12 Driver assistance 4
2024 Too early to call 251 10 Electrical 8
2023 Typical 575 12 Transmission & drivetrain 14
2022 Better year 794 23 Electrical 20
2021 Typical 1,282 29 Transmission & drivetrain 27
2020 Better year 886 11 Transmission & drivetrain 20
2019 Below average 1,680 9 Transmission & drivetrain 36
2018 Avoid 2,816 19 Transmission & drivetrain 67
2017 Below average 1,775 18 Transmission & drivetrain 41
2016 Avoid 2,544 14 Transmission & drivetrain 58
2015 Below average 2,192 14 Transmission & drivetrain 52
2014 Below average 1,925 8 Transmission & drivetrain 44
2013 Avoid 3,942 3 Transmission & drivetrain 89
2012 Below average 2,440 4 Transmission & drivetrain 54
2011 Avoid 2,973 6 Transmission & drivetrain 66
2010 Typical 1,136 1 Visibility & wipers 28
2009 Better year 400 2 Electrical 11
2008 Better year 455 1 Engine 14
2007 Better year 625 7 Engine 18
2006 Typical 742 14 Engine 22
2005 Below average 1,364 14 Visibility & wipers 36
2004 Avoid 2,431 16 Visibility & wipers 61
2003 Better year 524 11 Engine 18
2002 Typical 965 10 Engine 32
2001 Avoid 1,451 19 Engine 57
2000 Avoid 1,274 17 Electrical 57
1999 Below average 1,323 18 Engine 42
1998 Below average 1,624 18 Wheels & tires 45
1997 Avoid 3,285 26 Engine 100
1996 Better year 383 7 Electrical 15
1995 Typical 788 7 Brakes & stability 28
1994 Typical 908 13 Brakes & stability 31
1993 Better year 753 13 Fuel system 18
1992 Better year 553 9 Fuel system 16
1991 Better year 357 6 Fuel system 11
1990 Few reports 25 0 Fuel system 1

Questions buyers ask

What Ford F-150 years should I avoid?

Federal complaint records point to 1997, 2000–2001, 2004, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018 as the Ford F-150 years to avoid — they drew the highest volume of serious complaints relative to the model's other years.

What is the most common Ford F-150 problem?

Transmission & drivetrain tops the Ford F-150 file with 8,636 complaints, concentrated in the 2011–2019 model years, most often reported around 69,100 miles.

What are the best Ford F-150 years to buy used?

The quietest Ford F-150 years in federal records are 1991–1993, 1996, 2003, 2007–2009, 2020, 2022 — each with at least four years on the road and well-below-average complaint volume for this model.

Data updated 2026-08-12 from NHTSA's public records

Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Counts cover the Ford F-150 only, scored against this model's own worst year — not against other models. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.