Used truck problems by model year, from the safety records
Buying a used truck? See what drivers and owners actually reported for each model year, and which recalls were issued, from the federal safety records instead of a list of someone's opinions. The Ford F-150 comes first.
Complaint figures come from NHTSA's complaints database, downloaded on 2026-10-16.
Recall figures come from NHTSA's recall database, downloaded on 2026-10-16.
Start with the Ford F-150
Pick a model year to see its complaints by system, how many report a crash or a fire, and each recall with what it says. The comparison table puts all 12 years side by side. 2013 has the most complaints on file (2,796); the 2013 page shows where they concentrate.
- 2009324 complaints · 2 recalls
- 2010851 complaints · 1 recall
- 20112,137 complaints · 6 recalls
- 20121,717 complaints · 4 recalls
- 20132,796 complaints · 3 recalls
- 20141,362 complaints · 8 recalls
- 20151,425 complaints · 14 recalls
- 20161,779 complaints · 14 recalls
- 20171,132 complaints · 18 recalls
- 20181,920 complaints · 19 recalls
- 20191,012 complaints · 9 recalls
- 2020556 complaints · 11 recalls
How to use it
- Open the year you are shopping for and read the recalls first: they are the problems the maker has already admitted to.
- Check which systems the complaints name, then ask the seller and the mechanic about those systems.
- Compare with the years either side before you decide.
Counts are reports, not repair records or failure rates. The method page explains exactly how the figures are built and what they leave out.