VEHICLE BUYER'S GUIDE
Ford F-1501975–2026
Year-by-year buyer intelligence from NHTSA safety data — reliability, value, and which years to target or avoid.
Best Years to Buy a Ford F-150
Buyer Score combines reliability (65%) and depreciation value (35%) — higher is better.
Ford F-150 Years to Avoid
0 recalls · 1987 complaints
52 reported injuries
Top issue: POWER TRAIN
9 recalls · 1470 complaints
60 reported injuries
Top issue: POWER TRAIN
1 recall · 1440 complaints
35 reported injuries
Top issue: POWER TRAIN
Federal Defect Investigations
NHTSA investigations are the stage that precedes a recall. 30 past investigations into the F-150 became recalls.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Data current as of October 28, 2026.
Ford F-150 — Year-by-Year Comparison
Every model year ranked by Buyer Score. Click any year for its detailed problem report.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | Injuries | Deaths | Reliability | Value | Buyer Score | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 19 | — | — | 53 | 31 | 45 | Excellent |
| 2025 | 7 | 104 | 2 | — | 53 | 46 | 51 | Excellent |
| 2024 | 4 | 160 | 13 | — | 53 | 59 | 55 | Excellent |
| 2023 | 6 | 358 | 12 | — | 53 | 69 | 59 | Good |
| 2022 | 12 | 604 | 36 | — | 48 | 76 | 58 | Good |
| 2021 | 17 | 869 | 7 | — | 43 | 79 | 56 | Caution |
| 2020 | 8 | 505 | 14 | — | 51 | 78 | 60 | Good |
| 2019 | 5 | 909 | 31 | — | 42 | 74 | 53 | Caution |
| 2018 | 9 | 1470 | 60 | 3 | 28 | 68 | 42 | Avoid |
| 2017 | 11 | 893 | 21 | — | 42 | 61 | 49 | Caution |
| 2016 | 9 | 1389 | 42 | — | 31 | 54 | 39 | Avoid |
| 2015 | 9 | 1174 | 62 | 3 | 34 | 47 | 39 | Caution |
| 2014 | 3 | 979 | 30 | 3 | 40 | 41 | 40 | Caution |
| 2013 | 0 | 1987 | 52 | 6 | 28 | 36 | 31 | Avoid |
| 2012 | 0 | 1236 | 23 | 1 | 35 | 32 | 34 | Caution |
| 2011 | 1 | 1440 | 35 | — | 31 | 29 | 30 | Avoid |
| 2010 | 0 | 612 | 18 | — | 49 | 29 | 42 | Good |
| 2009 | 1 | 209 | 21 | — | 53 | 29 | 45 | Good |
| 2008 | 0 | 236 | 29 | 2 | 53 | 29 | 45 | Good |
| 2007 | 3 | 321 | 26 | 2 | 53 | 29 | 45 | Good |
| 2006 | 5 | 368 | 22 | — | 53 | 29 | 45 | Good |
| 2005 | 5 | 683 | 36 | 1 | 46 | 29 | 40 | Caution |
| 2004 | 7 | 1184 | 28 | 5 | 35 | 29 | 33 | Caution |
| 2003 | 7 | 228 | 21 | 1 | 53 | 29 | 45 | Good |
| 2002 | 5 | 515 | 44 | — | 50 | 29 | 43 | Good |
| 2001 | 10 | 724 | 62 | 2 | 44 | 29 | 39 | Caution |
| 2000 | 9 | 654 | 46 | 1 | 46 | 29 | 40 | Caution |
| 1999 | 8 | 692 | 71 | — | 45 | 29 | 39 | Caution |
| 1998 | 8 | 840 | 31 | — | 43 | 29 | 38 | Caution |
| 1997 | 11 | 1720 | 101 | 11 | 28 | 29 | 28 | Avoid |
| 1996 | 3 | 185 | 10 | 2 | 53 | 29 | 45 | Good |
| 1995 | 3 | 411 | 25 | 2 | 53 | 29 | 45 | Good |
| 1994 | 4 | 493 | 31 | — | 51 | 29 | 43 | Good |
| 1993 | 4 | 398 | 9 | — | 53 | 29 | 45 | Good |
| 1992 | 3 | 308 | 7 | 5 | 53 | 29 | 45 | Good |
| 1991 | 1 | 184 | 4 | — | 53 | 29 | 45 | Excellent |
| 1990 | 3 | 182 | 3 | — | 53 | 29 | 45 | Excellent |
| 1989 | 4 | 135 | 4 | 2 | 53 | 29 | 45 | Excellent |
| 1988 | 2 | 79 | 2 | 1 | 53 | 29 | 45 | Excellent |
| 1987 | 3 | 64 | 4 | — | 53 | 29 | 45 | Excellent |
| 1986 | 1 | 48 | — | — | 53 | 29 | 45 | Excellent |
| 1985 | 1 | 26 | 3 | — | 53 | 29 | 45 | Excellent |
| 1984 | 0 | 7 | — | — | 53 | 29 | 45 | Excellent |
| 1983 | 1 | 6 | — | — | 53 | 29 | 45 | Excellent |
| 1982 | 0 | 1 | — | — | 53 | 29 | 45 | Excellent |
| 1981 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 53 | 29 | 45 | Excellent |
| 1980 | 0 | 2 | — | — | 53 | 29 | 45 | Excellent |
| 1979 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 53 | 29 | 45 | Excellent |
| 1978 | 4 | 11 | — | — | 53 | 29 | 45 | Excellent |
| 1977 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 53 | 29 | 45 | Excellent |
| 1976 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 53 | 29 | 45 | Excellent |
| 1975 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 53 | 29 | 45 | Excellent |
Buyer Score = Reliability (65%) + Value window (35%). Deaths and injuries sourced from NHTSA complaint filings. Year links open full NHTSA problem reports.
Known Ford F-150 Problems
Most frequently reported components across all model years, from NHTSA owner complaints.
Complaint counts across all model years. Numbers indicate frequency, not severity.
Shopping by Era
How each generation of the F-150 compares — best year within each era shown.
2018–Present
Modern safety tech, refreshed platforms, updated powertrains. Higher purchase price but lower reliability risk. Best pick in this era: 2020 (Buyer Score 60).
2013–2017
Mid-decade models in the depreciation sweet spot — typically 35–55% below original MSRP. Inspect carefully for powertrain wear and recall completion. Best: 2017 (Buyer Score 49).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best year F-150 to buy?+
The 2020 Ford F-150 scores highest on our Buyer Score (60/100) — combining a reliability score of 51/100 with a value score of 78/100. It has 8 recalls and 505 NHTSA complaints on record.
Which F-150 years have the most problems?+
The 2013, 2018, 2011 model years have the highest problem scores in our analysis. The 2013 F-150 leads with 0 recalls and 1987 owner complaints.
What is the Buyer Score?+
The Buyer Score is a composite metric that combines reliability (65% weight) and depreciation value (35% weight). Reliability reflects recall and complaint severity. Value reflects how much of the vehicle's depreciation has already been absorbed by prior owners — a 4–6 year old vehicle typically sits in the sweet spot.
What are the most common F-150 problems?+
The most frequently reported Ford F-150 issues involve: POWER TRAIN, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER. These are aggregated across all model years from NHTSA owner complaint filings. Frequency of complaints does not necessarily indicate severity.
Deep-Dive Research
A buyer's guide shows model-level risk. A VIN report shows the individual vehicle — accidents, odometer history, open recalls, and auction records.