Ford F Series
Across 33 model years (1971–2008), the Ford F Series has 10 NHTSA recall campaigns and 313 complaints on file.
The component named most often in complaints is engine and engine cooling (227 per 1,000 component mentions), followed by electrical system (119.9).
The 1997 model year has the most complaints (47). Recall campaigns peaked in 1990 with 2; complaints were received in the largest number in 2005 (49). Within Ford, this line ranks 45 of 201 by total complaints.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
Model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | vs line average | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 Ford F Series NHTSA record | 1 | 1 | 11% | 125,000 |
| 1972 Ford F Series NHTSA record | 1 | 0 | 0% | 125,000 |
| 1973 Ford F Series NHTSA record | 1 | 0 | 0% | 125,000 |
| 1974 Ford F Series | 2 | 0 | 0% | 136,911 |
| 1975 Ford F Series | 3 | 0 | 0% | 201,911 |
| 1976 Ford F Series | 2 | 0 | 0% | 190,000 |
| 1977 Ford F Series | 2 | 0 | 0% | 190,000 |
| 1978 Ford F Series | 3 | 0 | 0% | 70,016 |
| 1979 Ford F Series NHTSA record | 1 | 0 | 0% | 65,000 |
| 1984 Ford F Series NHTSA record | 1 | 1 | 11% | 51,500 |
| 1985 Ford F Series NHTSA record | 1 | 0 | 0% | 51,500 |
| 1987 Ford F Series NHTSA record | 0 | 3 | 32% | — |
| 1988 Ford F Series NHTSA record | 1 | 6 | 63% | 24,454 |
| 1989 Ford F Series | 2 | 2 | 21% | 27,654 |
| 1990 Ford F Series | 2 | 2 | 21% | 3,565 |
| 1991 Ford F Series NHTSA record | 0 | 6 | 63% | — |
| 1992 Ford F Series NHTSA record | 0 | 2 | 21% | — |
| 1993 Ford F Series NHTSA record | 0 | 5 | 53% | — |
| 1994 Ford F Series NHTSA record | 0 | 7 | 74% | — |
| 1995 Ford F Series NHTSA record | 0 | 16 | 169% | — |
| 1996 Ford F Series NHTSA record | 0 | 16 | 169% | — |
| 1997 Ford F Series | 0 | 47 | 496% | — |
| 1998 Ford F Series NHTSA record | 0 | 20 | 211% | — |
| 1999 Ford F Series | 0 | 36 | 380% | — |
| 2000 Ford F Series | 1 | 40 | 422% | 3,674 |
| 2001 Ford F Series | 1 | 44 | 464% | 3,674 |
| 2002 Ford F Series | 1 | 33 | 348% | 3,674 |
| 2003 Ford F Series NHTSA record | 1 | 1 | 11% | 3,674 |
| 2004 Ford F Series NHTSA record | 0 | 7 | 74% | — |
| 2005 Ford F Series NHTSA record | 0 | 9 | 95% | — |
| 2006 Ford F Series NHTSA record | 0 | 4 | 42% | — |
| 2007 Ford F Series NHTSA record | 0 | 4 | 42% | — |
| 2008 Ford F Series NHTSA record | 0 | 1 | 11% | — |
"vs line average" is the model year's complaints as a share of the line's average per model year (100% = average). A campaign covering several model years counts once per year. Model years with one campaign and fewer than 25 complaints are listed but have no page of their own; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record.
Components most reported
Per 1,000 component mentions across all Ford F Series complaints (392 mentions).
Campaigns by year reported
Complaints by year received
Other Ford model lines
- Explorer 302 recalls · 23,702 complaints
- F-150 287 recalls · 23,240 complaints
- Taurus 145 recalls · 17,081 complaints
- Focus 89 recalls · 15,266 complaints
- Windstar 87 recalls · 13,980 complaints
- Escape 202 recalls · 13,450 complaints
- Fusion 118 recalls · 13,246 complaints
- Ranger 188 recalls · 7,482 complaints
- Mustang 202 recalls · 7,367 complaints
- Edge 88 recalls · 7,093 complaints
- Expedition 146 recalls · 6,613 complaints
- Escort 50 recalls · 3,932 complaints
- F-250 86 recalls · 3,583 complaints
- Freestyle 3 recalls · 3,572 complaints
- Contour 38 recalls · 3,151 complaints
- F-250 SD 142 recalls · 2,979 complaints
- Crown Victoria 114 recalls · 2,976 complaints
- F-350 77 recalls · 2,456 complaints
- Freestar 10 recalls · 2,435 complaints
- Thunderbird 60 recalls · 2,352 complaints
- Aerostar 49 recalls · 2,309 complaints
- Fiesta 26 recalls · 1,952 complaints
- F-350 SD 180 recalls · 1,725 complaints
- Tempo 20 recalls · 1,197 complaints
- Probe 12 recalls · 1,193 complaints
- Escape Hybrid 2 recalls · 1,154 complaints
- Excursion 27 recalls · 1,121 complaints
- Five Hundred 3 recalls · 1,021 complaints
- E-350 289 recalls · 988 complaints
- E-150 153 recalls · 935 complaints
- Flex 34 recalls · 917 complaints
- Econoline 114 recalls · 902 complaints
- Fusion Hybrid 4 recalls · 846 complaints
- F150 52 recalls · 826 complaints
- Explorer Sport 9 recalls · 732 complaints
- Mustang GT 1 recalls · 693 complaints
- Explorer Sport Trac 10 recalls · 683 complaints
- Bronco 149 recalls · 673 complaints
- F Super Duty 19 recalls · 414 complaints
- F-550 SD 169 recalls · 406 complaints
- F-450 SD 187 recalls · 397 complaints
- F250 95 recalls · 388 complaints
- E-450 118 recalls · 329 complaints
- Ford 41 recalls · 316 complaints
- F Series 27 recalls · 313 complaints
- Ford Truck 22 recalls · 297 complaints
- E-250 216 recalls · 282 complaints
- Bronco II 11 recalls · 213 complaints
- Aspire 2 recalls · 212 complaints
- 500 1 recalls · 203 complaints
- Transit Connect 76 recalls · 190 complaints
- Festiva 5 recalls · 169 complaints
- Club Wagon 32 recalls · 165 complaints
- Focus Electric 11 recalls · 163 complaints
- Taurus X 2 recalls · 148 complaints
- Transit 154 recalls · 144 complaints
- F350 80 recalls · 140 complaints
- Mustang Convertible 0 recalls · 139 complaints
- Cvpi 7 recalls · 134 complaints
- C-Max 27 recalls · 128 complaints
Questions and answers
Which Ford F Series model years have the most recalls?
1975 (3), 1978 (3), 1974 (2). Across model years 1971–2008 there are 10 distinct campaigns.
Which Ford F Series model year has the most complaints?
1997, with 47 of the line's 313 complaints. Newer model years have had less time to accumulate reports.
What do owners of the Ford F Series complain about?
engine and engine cooling (227 per 1,000 mentions), electrical system (119.9 per 1,000 mentions), fuel system, gasoline (94.4 per 1,000 mentions). Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint flat files, public domain, dated 29 Sep 2026 and 15 May 2019.
Provenance
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, dated 29 Sep 2026 and 15 May 2019. Model names are as NHTSA records them; variants such as "Accord" and "Accord Hybrid" are separate lines. See the methodology.