No vehicle is without its share of problems, even it has been the best-selling vehicle for over 4 decades. Ford has sold over 500,000 F-150s annually since the turn of the century, with the last couple of years flirting with 1,000,000 units sold. With that many pickup trucks on the road, it’s likely there are some issues, and sites like carcomplaints.com have compiled a list of the best and worst years to buy.
Car Complaints compiles both NHTSA complaints and its own user-submitted complaints to illustrate vehicle reliability concerns over time.
Most Complaints: 2004
Despite being named the 2004 MotorTrend Truck of the Year, one quick check of the graph shows a massive spike of complaints in 2004 at 1,170; this is not without some nuance. The number one complaint for the year is window problems, citing over 600 instances of windows not rolling up properly. An annoyance more than anything, and hardly something that should sway you completely away from a particular vehicle or model year.
At 245 complaints, the number two complaint was engine problems, followed by transmission problems, both valid concerns for owners. The complaints are not minor either: spark plugs breaking off, engine failure, and severe shudder, to name a few.
Car Complaints’ verdict: “Avoid Like the Plague.”
Improved to “Clunker” Status: 2005
The following year sees a significant decline in reported issues both to the website and to the NHTSA, with 2004 amassing nearly half the complaints as the prior year at 663. The number one issue continues to be the window problems that haunted the 2004 model, followed again by engine and transmission problems. However, the NHTSA engine complaints for 2005 outnumber those for the window issues.
Off the Watchlist, but Not Free from Trouble: 2013
Car Complaints does not issue a verdict on the 2013 model year F-150 as it flies somewhat inconspicuously under the radar with its 429 complaints. Checking the annual trendline would make it seem like the 2103 F-150 is a safe bet. However, Car Complaints and the NHTSA both list engine problems as the number one issue for the year, with the NHTSA totaling 828, more than 2004 and 2005 combined.
Engine Issues Remain: 2015
By no means the same as 2013, 2015 still sees engine problems as the number one reported issue by the NHTSA, though the number has subsided to 388 total complaints. Car Complaints lists both transmission problems and interior accessories problems above engine reports.
This is another year that flies under the radar, but is worth checking out as a potential problem year.
Car Complaints’ Worst Year: 2018
At first glance, the 2018 model year seems to be a desirable year in the grand history of the F-150 nameplate. Only 163 complaints in total, with all subsequent years dropping in complaints since. This can be a recency issue for sure, but Car Complaints still ranks this as the worst model year due to engine problems.
40 website complaints, and 613 NHTSA complaints do make the engine the number one concern for the model year. Excessive oil consumption, rattling, knocking, and stalling are all top-reported issues to carcomplaints.com.
The post Worst Years for Ford F-150 Reliability, Ranked appeared first on Pickup Truck +SUV Talk.
