Ford F Series (light) Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 110 consumer complaints across the 11 model years of the Ford F Series (light) (1988–2002) that have at least 5 complaints. 1994 has the most, with 16. Across all years, the part named most often is brakes (33 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All F Series (light) model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 13 | 120,000 | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 2001 | 10 | 98,250 | 0 | 1 | — | Not enough data |
| 1999 | 6 | 123,000 | 0 | 1 | — | Not enough data |
| 1997 | 15 | 105,250 | 0 | 0 | — | Stable |
| 1994 | 16 | 3,345 | 0 | 0 | — | Stable |
| 1993 | 12 | — | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1992 | 9 | — | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1991 | 9 | — | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1990 | 8 | 60,000 | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1989 | 6 | — | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1988 | 6 | 130,000 | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Brakes33 29%
- Engine cooling26 23%
- Fuel system15 13%
- Transmission and drivetrain11 9.6%
- Electrical system11 9.6%
- Body and structure8 7.0%
- Engine6 5.2%
- Suspension5 4.3%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2002: “We purchased a car from nab autos in fredericksburg, va. After the 7th day of driving it, the motor blew up. Wrong spark plugs were installed by dealer. Also the truck had been raced with nitrous which we were unaware of until we tried to find out what happened to motor. I have documentation from the repair shop. My 18 year old son drives this vehicle which began losing power and shaking before he was able to pull off to the side of the highway.”
NHTSA complaint #11109867, filed 2018-07, 90,000 miles1997: “Our mechanic noticed that one of the straps at the rear of the gas tank was missing, and when filling up our 1997 Ford f150, the tank was getting close to being filled, gas started spewing out of the fill tube. We looked under the truck and noticed that the fill tube had shifted due to the rear strap being broken.”
NHTSA complaint #10401527, filed 2011-05, 163,500 miles2001: “While shifting about in the driver's seat to back up and look rearward to guide the vehicle in reverse, the driver's seat belt unexpectedly came unbuckled and began to retract. I thought that I must have been at fault and not properly buckled it even though the normal warning lite and sounds indicating an unbuckled seat belt were not evident. Owners began to tug the belt after latching it each time to ensure proper closure and verify buckle engaged. …”
NHTSA complaint #10672621, filed 2015-01, 65,000 milesOther Ford models
38,918 complaintsFord Explorer
34,637 complaintsFord Escape
27,545 complaintsFord Fusion
22,448 complaintsFord Focus
22,108 complaintsFord Taurus
18,164 complaintsFord Windstar
14,152 complaintsFord Edge
14,107 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology