Ford F Series Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 294 consumer complaints across the 14 model years of the Ford F Series (1988–2005) that have at least 5 complaints. 1997 has the most, with 47. Across all years, the part named most often is engine cooling (82 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
Best and worst F Series years →
All F Series 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 9 | 44,500 | 0 | 1 | — | Not enough data |
| 2004 | 7 | 99,500 | 0 | 1 | — | Not enough data |
| 2002 | 34 | 98,000 | 1 | 2 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2001 | 44 | 100,000 | 1 | 3 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2000 | 41 | 73,500 | 1 | 3 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1999 | 36 | 80,000 | 0 | 4 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1998 | 20 | 87,521 | 0 | 3 | — | Stable |
| 1997 | 47 | 118,000 | 0 | 3 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1996 | 16 | 104,000 | 0 | 1 | — | Stable |
| 1995 | 16 | 110,080 | 0 | 1 | — | Stable |
| 1994 | 7 | 125,000 | 0 | 1 | — | Not enough data |
| 1993 | 5 | 160,825 | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1991 | 6 | 49,995 | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1988 | 6 | 92,500 | 1 | 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.
- Engine cooling82 30%
- Fuel system45 16%
- Electrical system42 15%
- Vehicle speed control33 12%
- Body and structure23 8.3%
- Tires17 6.2%
- Engine17 6.2%
- Brakes17 6.2%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2001: “I have a 2001 Ford f-150 that I purchased brand new in 2001. I have noticed that the entire frame is rusted and I am concerned about the structural integrity of the truck. It has already had the gas tank strap recall fixed. I found several spots that look as if the frame is deteriorating from rust.”
NHTSA complaint #10735102, filed 2015-07, 130,000 miles1999: “On july 28th around 3:00 am there was a storm earlier in the night and a tree top fell into the road and I wentto apply the brakes they locked up causing me to fish tail and lose control spinning around twice making me strike a tree and spin back around and nose dive down and embankment and land on all four wheels messed up the front bumper left fender left door cracked windshield and completely wiped out the bed.”
NHTSA complaint #10617878, filed 2014-07, 137,000 miles1996: “Cruise control refuses to disengage when brakes applied. Issue reported to Ford dlr. In 2002 and dlr. Refused to repair as not under warranty recall and unit out of warranty. I do not try to use cruise control as vehicle accelerates with control on and will not disengage. This is a safety issue that Ford needs to correct at no charge to me.”
NHTSA complaint #10318450, filed 2010-03, 105,000 milesOther Ford models
38,897 complaintsFord Explorer
34,624 complaintsFord Escape
27,530 complaintsFord Fusion
22,441 complaintsFord Focus
22,107 complaintsFord Taurus
18,162 complaintsFord Windstar
14,152 complaintsFord Edge
14,106 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology