Ford F-150 years to avoid— and the best years
8 F-150 model years ranked on what NHTSA holds for each one: recalls and owner complaints per year on the road, with critical recalls and standing advisories ahead of everything else. The current model year is left out, as are the 2024, 2025, 2026: too new for a record. This ranks the paperwork, not the car in front of you — a specific car’s history and service record still decide it.
Every F-150 model year, ranked
Source: NHTSA recalls, complaints and crash ratings; the arithmetic in each rowCleanest record first. /yr is the count divided by the years that model year has been on sale (2026 minus the model year, at least 1), because raw counts condemn the oldest year on the page for having been around longer.
| Year · rank | Safety Signal | Years on road | Recalls | Complaints | Crash | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 #1 | F | 6 | 11 · 1.8/yr | 730 · 122/yr | ★★★★★ | 1 critical |
| 2019 #2 | F | 7 | 9 · 1.3/yr | 1,329 · 190/yr | ★★★★★ | 2 critical |
| 2022 #3 | F | 4 | 23 · 5.8/yr | 806 · 202/yr | ★★★★★ | 3 critical |
| 2018 #4 | F | 8 | 18 · 2.2/yr | 2,311 · 289/yr | ★★★★★ | 4 critical |
| 2023 #5 | F | 3 | 13 · 4.3/yr | 503 · 168/yr | ★★★★★ | 4 critical |
| 2016 #6 | F | 10 | 13 · 1.3/yr | 2,059 · 206/yr | ★★★★★ | 5 critical |
| 2017 #7 | F | 9 | 17 · 1.9/yr | 1,442 · 160/yr | ★★★★★ | 6 critical |
| 2021 #8 | F | 5 | 29 · 5.8/yr | 1,277 · 255/yr | ★★★★★ | Advisory |
The F-150 years to check hardest
last 2 of 8 ranked years2021 Ford F-150
The 2021 F-150: a standing park-outside or do-not-drive advisory, which outranks every other figure here; 29 recalls in 5 years on the road (5.8 a year, 3 critical: power train, parking brake, steering) — also visibility/wiper ×6, electrical system ×3; 1,277 owner complaints to NHTSA, 255 a year (most often transmission and drivetrain (441) and electrical (176)); owners reported 18 crashes, 7 fires, 13 injured; NHTSA investigation EA23002 (became recall 24V635, engine); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars.
2017 Ford F-150
The 2017 F-150: 17 recalls in 9 years on the road (1.9 a year, 6 critical: power train, equipment, engine) — also service brakes ×3, structure ×2; 1,442 owner complaints to NHTSA, 160 a year (most often transmission and drivetrain (546) and engine (382)); owners reported 42 crashes, 21 fires, 34 injured; NHTSA investigation EA26001 (open, power train); NHTSA investigation PE25002 (closed, power train); NHTSA investigation PE18008 (became recall 18V568000, seat belts); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars.
The F-150 years the record favours
first 2 of 82020 Ford F-150
The 2020 F-150: 11 recalls in 6 years on the road (1.8 a year, 1 critical: electrical system) — also exterior lighting ×2, back over prevention ×2; 730 owner complaints to NHTSA, 122 a year (most often transmission and drivetrain (356) and engine (139)); owners reported 19 crashes, 4 fires, 17 injured; NHTSA investigation RQ21002 (open, back over prevention); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars.
2019 Ford F-150
The 2019 F-150: 9 recalls in 7 years on the road (1.3 a year, 2 critical: equipment, engine) — also exterior lighting ×2, back over prevention ×2; 1,329 owner complaints to NHTSA, 190 a year (most often transmission and drivetrain (735) and engine (384)); owners reported 17 crashes, 7 fires, 25 injured; NHTSA investigation PE23001 (became recall 24V031, structure); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars.
How this ranking is made
Source: the same rule the nameplate page has used since v0.28- For each model year, NHTSA’s recall campaigns and owner complaints filed against it are counted from the public files, as on its own page.
- Each count is divided by the years the model year has been on sale (2026 − model year, at least 1): a 2016 has had 10 years to collect filings, a 2023 only 3.
- The years are then ordered: a standing park-outside or do-not-drive advisory first, then the number of critical recalls, then recalls per year, then complaints per year; a newer year wins a tie.
- The current model year and any year under 3 on the road are left out — a half-finished record should not win a ranking on a blank sheet.
What it cannot know: whether a given car had its recalls done (NHTSA’s VIN lookup and the maker’s own settle that), its mileage, its trim, or how it was kept. A recall is a repair at the maker’s expense, not a verdict on the design; a complaint is an owner’s unverified report. Every figure above links to the page that lists the filings behind it.
Common questions about F-150 years
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsWhat Ford F-150 years should I avoid?
On the filed record the 2017, 2021 rank lowest of the 8 F-150 model years WhichTrim can rank (2016–2023): the 2021 — a standing advisory, 29 recalls in 5 years (5.8 a year), 3 critical, 1,277 complaints (255 a year); the 2017 — 17 recalls in 9 years (1.9 a year), 6 critical, 1,442 complaints (160 a year). The year pages list every campaign, its severity and whether a repair exists.
What is the best Ford F-150 year to buy used?
The 2020 Ford F-150 has the cleanest record of the ranked years: Safety Signal F, 1.8 recalls a year on the road and 122 complaints a year. The 2020 F-150: 11 recalls in 6 years on the road (1.8 a year, 1 critical: electrical system) — also exterior lighting ×2, back over prevention ×2; 730 owner complaints to NHTSA, 122 a year (most often transmission and drivetrain (356) and engine (139)); owners reported 19 crashes, 4 fires, 17 injured; NHTSA investigation RQ21002 (open, back over prevention); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars. That ranks paperwork, not condition.
Is the 2021 Ford F-150 reliable?
WhichTrim does not score reliability; it counts what was filed. The 2021 F-150: a standing park-outside or do-not-drive advisory, which outranks every other figure here; 29 recalls in 5 years on the road (5.8 a year, 3 critical: power train, parking brake, steering) — also visibility/wiper ×6, electrical system ×3; 1,277 owner complaints to NHTSA, 255 a year (most often transmission and drivetrain (441) and electrical (176)); owners reported 18 crashes, 7 fires, 13 injured; NHTSA investigation EA23002 (became recall 24V635, engine); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars. That is the weakest record on this page once the counts are put on a per-year footing. A specific car with its recalls done and a service history can be a sound buy; the record says what to check.
How many recalls does the Ford F-150 have?
Across the 8 ranked model years (2016–2023) NHTSA has posted 133 recall campaigns against the Ford F-150, and owners filed 10,457 complaints. Across every model year on file (2016–2026) the nameplate page carries the full count.
Why divide by years on the road?
Recalls and complaints accumulate with time: a 2016 has had 10 years to collect filings and a 2023 only 3, so raw counts condemn the oldest year every time. Dividing by the years on sale puts them on one footing. A standing advisory and critical recalls still come first, because no rate makes those smaller.