1996 Ford F-150: Reliability Data
Source: NHTSA — 383 complaints
383
Total Complaints
113,250mi
Median Mileage
Cruise Control
Top Issue
22
Crash Reports
When Do Complaints Happen?
Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.
85,000
25th Percentile
113,250
Median Mileage
150,000
75th Percentile
What Fails?
Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.
Cruise Control
22
Electrical System
18
Front Underhood
17
Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
15
Vehicle Speed Control
14
Frontal
14
Tires
13
Selector Devices
13
Fuel System, Gasoline
12
Engine
12
Severity Assessment
22
Crashes
87
Fires
21
Injuries
2
Deaths
Sample Complaint Reports
"INDEPENDENT FRONT SUSPENSION MALFUNCTION, VEHICLE TENDS TO VEER LEFT WITHOUT TURNING STEERING WHEEL. TT"
"HAD TO REPLACE THE PADS AND ROTORS ON NEW VEHICLE 3 TIMES. TT"
"HAD TO REPLACE THE PADS AND ROTORS ON NEW VEHICLE 3 TIMES. TT"
Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.
When Were Complaints Filed?
Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.
When Does Each Component Fail?
Median mileage at complaint for top components.
Cruise Control
22 complaints
25th: 69,165 mi
Median: 117,500 mi
75th: 142,312 mi
Electrical System
18 complaints
25th: 77,301 mi
Median: 110,000 mi
75th: 157,500 mi
Front Underhood
17 complaints
25th: 86,316 mi
Median: 98,250 mi
75th: 117,500 mi
Vehicle Speed Control
14 complaints
25th: 125,234 mi
Median: 150,000 mi
75th: 179,000 mi
Where Are Complaints Coming From?
Top states by complaint count.
TX: 50
CA: 33
OH: 26
FL: 24
PA: 20
MI: 15
LA: 15
MO: 14
NY: 13
IN: 10
Who Files Complaints?
32.1%
Original Owners
67.9%
Second+ Owners
Ford F-150 — Other Years
See how this model compares across different model years.
| Year | Complaints | Crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 25 | 0 |
| 1991 | 357 | 12 |
| 1992 | 553 | 25 |
| 1993 | 753 | 32 |
| 1994 | 908 | 79 |
| 1995 | 788 | 61 |
| 1997 | 3285 | 205 |
| 1998 | 1624 | 96 |
| 1999 | 1322 | 116 |
| 2000 | 1269 | 102 |
| 2001 | 1451 | 113 |
| 2002 | 963 | 63 |
| 2003 | 520 | 57 |
| 2004 | 2429 | 99 |
| 2005 | 1363 | 66 |
| 2006 | 735 | 72 |
| 2007 | 623 | 51 |
| 2008 | 455 | 48 |
| 2009 | 397 | 34 |
| 2010 | 1131 | 33 |
| 2011 | 2938 | 70 |
| 2012 | 2422 | 57 |
| 2013 | 3849 | 102 |
| 2014 | 1859 | 56 |
| 2015 | 2036 | 64 |
| 2016 | 2373 | 67 |
| 2017 | 1595 | 47 |
| 2018 | 2627 | 104 |
| 2019 | 1532 | 30 |
| 2020 | 797 | 30 |
| 2021 | 1138 | 19 |
| 2022 | 702 | 29 |
| 2023 | 494 | 25 |
| 2024 | 195 | 25 |
| 2025 | 112 | 7 |
Active Recalls (7)
Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.
Exterior Lighting
Campaign 09E012000 | 07/04/2009
DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
Exterior Lighting
Campaign 06E026000 | 23/03/2006
WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
Vehicle Speed Control
Campaign 05V388000 | 07/09/2005
A FIRE AT THE SWITCH COULD OCCUR.
BY LETTER DATED SEPTEMBER 12, 2005, OWNERS WERE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN THEIR VEHICLES TO THEIR DEALERS TO HAVE THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH DISCONNECTED. OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD THEIR SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATED ARE BEING NOTIFIED THAT PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE AND ADVISED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO
Headlights
Campaign 09E025000 | 11/05/2009
DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
Exterior Lighting
Campaign 06E049000 | 24/05/2006
WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
CK MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CK MOTORSPORT AT 1-909-610-7211.
Seats
Campaign 96E010000 | 25/03/1996
IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR TO THE DRIVER'S SEAT, THIS COULD RESULT IN A SUDDEN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
DEALERS WILL REMOVE ALL FOAM AND/OR FABRIC SANDWICHED BETWEEN THE RECLINER ASSEMBLY AND THE SEAT FRAME, INSTALL WASHERS BETWEEN THE SEAT RECLINER AND THE SEAT FRAME AT EACH ATTACHMENT POINT, AND INSTALL NEW ATTACHING BOLTS TORQUED TO A HIGHER SPECIFICATION. THESE CORRECTIONS WILL BE MADE TO BOTH THE
Labels
Campaign 96V161000 | 29/08/1996
INCORRECT INFLATION PRESSURES COULD CAUSE PREMATURE WEAR OF THE REAR TIRES. .
OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH CORRECT CERTIFICATION LABELS AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR INSTALLING THESE LABELS. DEALERS CAN INSTALL THIS LABEL IF THE OWNER SO DESIRES.
General Vehicle Maintenance
Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.
- Follow the manufacturer's maintenance schedule in your owner's manual
- Don't ignore warning lights — early diagnosis prevents expensive repairs
- Keep records of all maintenance and repairs
- Use OEM or equivalent-quality parts for repairs
- Address unusual noises, vibrations, or smells promptly
Compare Ford F-150
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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.
Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.
Data through: 2026-03-28