Last updated: 2026-10-10
Ford F-150 Reliability by Year
Ford F-150 repairs average about $788 a year, under the $936 full-size truck norm. See which years draw transmission, engine, and door complaints.
Ford F-150 Reliability Overview
Ford's full-size pickup holds a good reliability standing as a used buy, sits close to average among trucks, and costs less than the class norm to keep running. Favor the 2024 and approach the 2018 and 2021 model years with caution, since they draw the most trouble. Owners say the 10-speed automatic slips, shifts hard, or drops gears at highway speed, and some trucks roll away while the shifter and dash both read Park.
Current generation: 14th gen (2021–present).
Best & Worst Ford F-150 Years
Best Ford F-150 Years to Buy
Based on reliability index scoreThe 2024 truck has been on the road long enough to judge, and it draws a small fraction of the complaints filed against 2018 and 2021: 2.8 per 10,000 sold, against 30.4 and 22. Its top complaint is LED headlight glare reported by other drivers, not a failing part. Before buying, check for broken rear axle bolts and an instrument cluster that goes dark.
Ford F-150 Years to Avoid
Rear axle hub bolts shear, and owners often find the break during a tire rotation. In the worst cases a wheel comes off or the rear end locks up while driving. Transmission faults come next: hard downshifts, slipping, and sudden drops into neutral. Owners also report wipers quitting in rain and fires on PowerBoost hybrids. This year carries 26 recalls, the most of any F-150 year tracked.
Ford F-150 Reliability Score Trend
Ford F-150 reliability has improved in recent years, with newer models scoring an average of 72/100 compared to 62/100 for older years.
Scores 0–100. Higher is better.
| Year | Score | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 58/100 | Mixed |
| 2019 | 65/100 | Good |
| 2020 | 67/100 | Good |
| 2021 | 58/100 | Mixed |
| 2022 | 62/100 | Good |
| 2023 | 68/100 | Good |
| 2024 | 74/100 | Good |
| 2025 | 75/100 | Good |
| 2026 | 82/100 | Excellent |
Year-by-Year Reliability
2026 Ford F-150
0 recalls · 0 complaints
Clean record so far with an excellent standing, though zero complaints and recalls reflect limited time on the road rather than proven durability.
2025 Ford F-150
13 recalls · 64 complaints
Draws fewer complaints than 2024 but more recalls, with shifter freezes and brake loss showing up within the first few thousand miles.
2024 Ford F-150
9 recalls · 146 complaints
Rates better than 2023 and above other 2024 trucks, but a back-ordered rear axle bolt recall and blank instrument clusters stand out.
2023 Ford F-150
10 recalls · 383 complaints
Middle of the pack among F-150 years, with fewer complaints than 2022 but recurring cold-weather hub noise and hybrid no-start reports.
2022 Ford F-150
21 recalls · 657 complaints
Rates good but sits among the weaker F-150 years, with rear axle bolt failures and speaker blasts; the 2023 rates better.
2021 Ford F-150
26 recalls · 1021 complaints
The weakest of nine scored years, with more recalls than the 2020 or 2022 and rear axle hub bolt failures leading its complaints.
2020 Ford F-150
7 recalls · 517 complaints
Final year of the thirteenth generation, with good reliability and a mid-pack standing, held back mainly by ten-speed transmission failures.
2019 Ford F-150
6 recalls · 972 complaints
Middle of the pack among F-150 years, with transmission trouble starting around 60,000 miles and lower yearly repair costs than its class.
2018 Ford F-150
15 recalls · 1852 complaints
A weaker F-150 year, with 10-speed transmission faults, cam phaser failures, and 15 recalls, compared with 6 recalls on the 2019.
Common Ford F-150 problems
Problem areas with the most owner complaints, each with the years affected, symptoms, and fixes.
Found Your Ford F-150? Check Its History
Power train (14) problems come up most in Ford F-150 owner complaints, and 107 recalls cover the years we track. A VIN check shows whether the car you found had its recall work done, plus accident and title history.
- Accidents
- Open Recalls
- Title History
- Odometer Rollback
Ford F-150 Repair Costs
Reliability Rating
3.5/5
Annual Repair Cost
$788
Repair Frequency
0.3/yr
Major Repair Risk
15%
$148 below the fullsize trucks average of $936/yr.
Ranked #7 of 17 among fullsize trucks.
Ford F-150 Resale Value
The Ford F-150 is estimated to retain about 77.1% of its original value after 5 years, based on observed used-car listings.
- Value Retained
- 77.1%
- Depreciation
- 22.9%
- Listings Analyzed
- 720
after 5 years
over the same period
U.S. used-car listings
Listings observed in . Actual resale value varies by trim, mileage, condition, and location.
Explore Ford F-150 depreciation and resale value on CarResaleValue.comFord F-150 Years to Avoid
See which model years have the most problems
Most Reliable Ford Models
Compare all Ford models by reliability
Compare Ford F-150 With Similar Trucks
The Ford F-150 competes with other full-size trucks such as Ram 1500, Chevrolet Silverado, and Ford F-150 Lightning.
F-150 vs Ram 1500
9 years tracked · 4051 complaints
F-150 vs Chevrolet Silverado
9 years tracked · 4263 complaints
F-150 vs Ford F-150 Lightning
5 years tracked · 476 complaints
F-150 vs GMC Sierra 1500
9 years tracked · 2647 complaints
F-150 vs Toyota Tundra
9 years tracked · 1258 complaints
More Ford F-150 comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the Ford F-150 reliable?
- Yes, it holds a good reliability standing and sits close to average among trucks on the site. Results swing a lot by model year. The 2020, 2023 and 2024 trucks draw far fewer owner complaints than 2018 and 2021, where owners report transmission failures, roll-aways in Park, and sheared rear axle bolts.
- What is the most common Ford F-150 problem?
- Powertrain faults lead, with 2,014 owner complaints across all years. Owners say the 10-speed automatic slips, skips gears, and lurches at stops, and some trucks roll away while showing Park. Dealers often find no fault codes. Owners say the repair they finally get is usually a full transmission replacement.
- How much does a Ford F-150 cost to maintain?
- Independent repair-cost data puts the F-150 at about $788 a year, below the $936 average for full-size trucks. Cam phaser repairs on the 3.5L EcoBoost are a costly exception. Owners say Ford's phaser program has expired, so they now pay for the work themselves, and repeat failures are common.
- What is the best year for a used Ford F-150?
- The 2024 is the site's pick among years that have been on the road at least two years. It draws far fewer complaints than older trucks. The 2025 and 2026 trucks rate higher, but they are too new to have built up a full complaint record.
- Do Ford F-150 trucks catch fire?
- Some do, and the 2018 leads with 29 fire reports. Across model years, owners describe cabin fires breaking out minutes after crashes, even a deer strike, near the driver seat after the side airbags fire. Other trucks catch fire while driving, after stalling, or after a remote start.
How we score the Ford F-150
Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.
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