Method: how the counts are built, and their limits
What the numbers on this site are, where they come from, how they are counted, and what they cannot tell you. Short version: they are consumer reports and recall notices, counted by a script, and they are a place to start asking questions, not a verdict on a truck.
Where the figures come from
NHTSA's complaints database records, for each complaint, the model year, the component involved and whether a crash, a fire, injuries or deaths were reported.
NHTSA's recall data gives, for each recall, a campaign number, the component, a summary and the consequence.
Both were downloaded on 2026-10-16 and the pages were built from that download by a script, so no figure on the site is typed by hand. Each year page links to the raw records it was built from.
How the counts are made
- Complaints. The complaint records file the F-150 under several model names that change from year to year (F-150, F-150 Regular Cab, F-150 SuperCab, F-150 Super Crew). We take all four for a model year and count each complaint once.
- Systems. A complaint can name several systems, so the system counts add up to more than the number of complaints.
- Filed in the first three years. The number of complaints filed no later than three calendar years after the model year. It makes an older truck comparable with a newer one that has had less time to collect complaints.
- Recalls. One row per campaign number. The summary and consequence are the first sentence of each field, copied as published.
What the numbers cannot tell you
- A complaint is a consumer's report. We have not checked it, and the reporter may name the wrong system.
- Counts are not failure rates. There are no sales figures here to divide by, so a year that sold more trucks will show more complaints.
- A recall means the maker agreed to fix a problem on certain trucks. It does not say your truck has the problem or that it was never fixed.
- Nothing here covers repair cost, reliability scores or the condition of one particular truck. Get an inspection for that.
Where to go next
See the F-150 comparison table, or open a single year such as 2015 or 2018. Back to the home page.