Ford F-150 Complaints

39,812 consumer complaints on file.

#11747587July 1, 2026
ENGINE
The Variable Camshaft Timing (VCT) Phasers on my 2018 Ford F-150 3.5L EcoBoost have failed, resulting in violent, un-commanded camshaft movement within the engine. The vehicle is currently in my possession, and the failed components are available for inspection upon request. This failure puts my safety and the safety of surrounding motorists at extreme risk. The internal locking pins inside the cam phasers have degraded, which introduces excessive slack and erratic force against the engine's timing chain. If the timing chain jumps a gear or breaks due to this violent movement,a known consequence of ignored phaser rattle.The engine will suffer catastrophic internal damage. This will result in an immediate, sudden loss of motive power at highway speeds, leaving the vehicle completely stalled and un-drivable in moving traffic without warning. The problem is actively reproducible on every cold engine start, characterized by a harsh, metallic rattling noise lasting several seconds until oil pressure builds. Approximately two weeks ago, I contacted Ford Corporate Customer Relations to escalate this issue. During that call, Ford informed me that these exact cam phasers were already replaced in 2021 at Liberty Ford of Fayetteville, NC. The fact that a critical engine timing component has failed twice on the same vehicle indicates a deeply flawed, inherently dangerous design. Ford's prior attempts to remedy this through Customer Satisfaction Programs 21B10 and 21N03 clearly did not provide a permanent or safe resolution. Aside from Ford Corporate reviewing the VIN service history, the vehicle has not been inspected by police, insurance representatives, or an independent investigator. The primary and immediate symptom warning of this mechanical failure is the severe metallic clicking and rattling noise upon engine ignition. I am urging the NHTSA to investigate this recurring defect, as it poses a severe and unpredictable sudden-stall hazard for thousands of drivers.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747594July 1, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am filing this complaint because I believe I was the victim of odometer fraud in connection with the purchase of a vehicle from a private seller. At the time of the sale, I relied on the odometer reading and the seller’s representations about the vehicle’s mileage. After purchasing the vehicle, I discovered evidence indicating that the odometer had been rolled back by approximately 90,000 miles. I was not informed of any mileage discrepancy before the sale, and I would not have purchased the vehicle, or would have paid significantly less, had I known the vehicle’s true mileage. Because of the apparent odometer rollback, the vehicle’s value has been substantially reduced, and I have suffered financial harm. I am requesting that this matter be investigated and that any appropriate action be taken under applicable odometer fraud laws. I am also seeking reimbursement or other appropriate relief for my losses. I have attached copies of the documents and evidence I have available, including the title, bill of sale (if applicable), vehicle history information, communications with the seller, and any other documentation supporting my complaint.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747609July 1, 2026
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 56 MPH, the hood was bouncing and the hood became unsecured and flew open, covering the windshield, and the windshield was cracked. The contact was able to safely maneuver the vehicle onto the shoulder of the roadway and subsequently had the vehicle towed to the residence. The contact stated that the hood latch appeared to be locked in place; however, the support bar had no tension nor screws missing. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be diagnosed or repaired because the contact was unable to schedule an appointment. The manufacturer had not been notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747623July 1, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
Subject: Vehicle Safety Complaint – 2013 Ford F-150 Flex Fuel Transmission Failure I am submitting this complaint regarding my 2013 Ford F-150 Flex Fuel due to a serious and costly transmission failure that I believe warrants investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). I purchased this vehicle in 2020, and since that time it has experienced ongoing transmission problems. The transmission has progressively worsened and now slips during operation, creating a safety concern when accelerating, merging into traffic, or crossing intersections. The vehicle does not consistently respond as expected, increasing the risk of a crash. After having the vehicle inspected, I was informed that the transmission requires complete replacement at a cost of more than $7,000. This is an excessive repair expense for what appears to be a known issue affecting Ford F-150 trucks. I am aware that Ford has issued recalls and service actions involving transmission problems on other model-year Ford F-150s. Given the nature of the transmission failure in my 2013 F-150 and the widespread complaints from other owners, I believe the 2013 Ford F-150 should also be investigated for similar transmission defects. This failure is more than an inconvenience—it is a safety issue. A slipping transmission can result in unexpected loss of power, delayed acceleration, or failure to properly engage gears, placing drivers, passengers, and others on the roadway at risk. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate transmission failures in the 2013 Ford F-150 Flex Fuel and determine whether this model should be included in any existing or future safety recalls or other corrective actions. Owners should not be responsible for thousands of dollars in repairs when the failure may be the result of a widespread defect. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747631July 1, 2026
ENGINE
Back in Jan 2025 I noticed oil consumption from 2020 F150 with the 5.0 engine. There is class action lawsuit against Ford currently for this problem they know they have. I informed my local dealer, that has always serviced my tuck on time over the years, that it was smoking. I have owned this truck since new in Sep 2020. It had roughly 33K miles on it when I first noticed it. The dealership started running consumption test on it under warranty at 36,370 miles. They changed the oil regular for the test and instructed me to drive it 1000 miles each time between changes. One change before they tried to fix it, it had consumed 5 quarts of oil. Ford says 1 quart per 10K miles is normal. They changed several motor parts when it was at 41,121 which took about a month. The problem got worse and I informed them and they again started testing it again and instructed me to drive it 1000 miles each time. They pushed the milage up and also ran it over on the warranty time frame and it has been at their location for over a month now, and Ford doesn't want to pay for a motor that only has 48,086 miles on it due to being out of warranty. They knew this problem existed and caused the warranty to laps and never fixed it. Now they are asking me to pay $11,598.42 for a new motor they knew was bad 15k miles before warranty went out. I am going through steps to make someone aware of this issue I'm currently dealing with. This motor has this problem, and they knew it and never fixed it and intentionally ran my warranty out so they would not have to cover it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747813July 1, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Vehicle was in Ford dealership’s service bay for an oil change service and reportedly caught fire inside the cab behind the dash due to an electrical system malfunction. The service technician stated that it was on the rack and just spontaneously caught fire inside the cab in the dash behind the infotainment system.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747722July 1, 2026
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a misfire coming from the engine. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or a dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part for the recall repair was unavailable. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 34,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747620July 1, 2026
POWER TRAIN
been waiting for over 1 year for the replacemnet part for NHTSA Recall 23V896
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747580July 1, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The truck’s fuel system can cut out under acceleration. This is very dangerous. Various times it has nearly stalled out under acceleration while trying to merge. The worst time was driving up a bridge, the truck began to hesitate nearly causing a crash. Every time it signals cylinder misfire, but that whole system has been replaced. Very dangerous, very disappointing.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747349June 30, 2026
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55-60 MPH, the park, neutral, and drive lights started to cycle and flash. The transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear with the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The local dealer was contacted about NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train); and confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 162,009.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747358June 30, 2026
POWER TRAIN
CDF drum failure on transmission causing transmission to miss shifts, rough shifts, and caused catastrophic damage to transmission, at just over 100K miles. It was out of warranty, but considering the number of complaints surrounding this issue, this needs to be a recall, and there needs to be financial reparations made by Ford to vehicle owners who have experienced this issue, necessitating a transmission replacement. Totally unacceptable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747369June 30, 2026
POWER TRAIN
I am submitting this complaint regarding the failure of the 10R80 automatic transmission in my 2017 Ford F-150. My truck developed progressively worsening transmission problems that were ultimately diagnosed as a failed CDF drum, requiring a complete transmission replacement at a cost exceeding $9,000. Before the transmission failed, the vehicle exhibited harsh shifting, delayed gear engagement, slipping, erratic shifting between gears, and unpredictable transmission behavior. The transmission would hesitate during acceleration, shift unexpectedly, and fail to respond normally to throttle input. These issues created dangerous driving conditions while merging onto highways, crossing intersections, and driving in traffic because I could no longer predict how the vehicle would respond. The repair facility confirmed that the root cause of the failure was the CDF drum within the 10R80 transmission. After researching this issue, I discovered that many other Ford owners have experienced the same failure. Ford has issued Technical Service Bulletins addressing CDF drum-related problems and has revised the CDF drum design, indicating that the original component had a known defect. This is not simply a reliability issue. The unpredictable shifting and loss of normal transmission operation present a serious safety concern that could increase the risk of a crash. I respectfully request that NHTSA continue investigating the Ford 10R80 transmission and the known CDF drum defect to determine whether a safety recall or other corrective action is warranted. Owners who have incurred substantial repair costs due to this apparent design defect should also be considered for reimbursement. I have retained repair invoices and documentation confirming the CDF drum failure and transmission replacement and can provide them upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747378June 30, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle and shifting into reverse(R), the transmission slipped back into park(P), and the vehicle needed to be restarted. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle had experienced unintended braking while driving. The contact pulled over, turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle operated as intended. The contact associated the failure with recent recall; however, the model year was not included. The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747418June 30, 2026
ENGINE
Engine shut off at 60mph on mountain road. No warning, noise or other indications. Warning appeared once engine shut down; instructed to stop and restart vehicle. All temps and pressures were in normal operating range at time of shut down. wrestled vehicle to a stop, towed home (midnight) and then towed to dealership next morning. Safety at risk with vehicle shutdown at 60mph, fortunately no traffic and shoulder was available. Motor is available at the dealership, has been inspected and diagnosed as complete engine failure, engine seized with no know/visible cause without extensive teardown.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747421June 30, 2026
POWER TRAIN, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
While driving at a low speed, when pressing the accelerator, the auto initially didn't respond, but then accelerated sharply after a delay (when the accelerator wasn't engaged). The transmission seemed to abrubtly shift up by 2 or 3 gears without warning requiring me to immediately depress the brake to avoid hitting the vehicle in front of me.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747422June 30, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The one recall for vin # [XXX] is "AN UNEXPECTED DOWNSHIFT TO A LOWER GEAR MAY OCCUR AND CAUSE AN ABRUPT WHEEL SPEED REDUCTION FOR A SHORT DURATION," reported in April 2026. On the NHTSA website, it states; "If the manufacturer has failed or is unable to remedy this safety recall for your vehicle in a timely manner, please contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at: 1-888-327-4236 or TTY: 1-888-275-9171 or file an online complaint with NHTSA." Can you please tell me what is considered "in a timely manner." We are going on almost 3 months since this recall was reported. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747438June 30, 2026
POWER TRAIN
I have had error messages displayed on the dashboard that there are a Hill Descent Control Fault and Service Advance Trac. These are immediately followed by loss of throttle response and/or loss of engine power. This has been occurring since April 2025 till presently June 2026. I have all documents from the dealership stating the faults exist and invoices stating they had been fixed. My truck has been serviced for the same problem six times at a cost of over$1800 over the last year and I am still having the same exact problem in traffic, which include loss of throttle and/ or power where I must stop completely in the lane I am in. I recently was almost struck in the rear of my vehicle because a truck did not notice be stopped off center lane. This is a danger to me and others on the roadways. It is continuing to get worse; I have photos of me pulled over in roadways, medians, shoulders having to stop put the truck in park to restart and proceed like normal until the next error and safety situation arises. It has occurred up to four times in one outing on the roadways. They have replaced Throttle body, throttle shaft twice, actuators, fuel pump relays and a fuse box relocation because of a ford TSB that a tech found on web. But my problem still exist they presently have my vehicle again, and I was told today they wanted to charge me for sparkplugs because that may be the cause. IDK. Please help.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747484June 30, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted, with the check engine and the power train warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the failure was associated with the recall. The dealer informed the contact that the recall remedy would be available on June 30, 2026. Upon returning to the dealer, the contact was informed that the parts were not yet available, and another diagnostic test was needed, which the contact declined. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was contacted several times, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747539June 30, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Consistent shudder in transmission. Downshifting at odd intervals and vibrations when at driving speeds. Taken to dealership and told that is just how it does. Transmission temp abnormally high on longer trips and transmission slips when hot.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747553June 30, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Transmission went out on me at 100,653 miles. 10 speed transmission. Would stay in gear for a long time in 1st through 3rd. Shift super hard from 5th to 7th. At times going down highway it would say it’s in first gear and I would have no throttle for 5-10 seconds until it would show it was in 10th gear again, vehicle would be in “coast” mode on the freeway. Sudden harsh shifts when not warranted causing erratic driving conditions. Resulting in a $6429.58 remanufactured transmission replacement. As I came online to check issues with these I found a mountain of complaints with these same transmissions. Ford needs to offer a recall with the amount of cases on the 10r80 transmission failures, plain and simple. Absolutely wrong for a truck with 100,653 miles to lose a transmission.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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