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25 Glaring Problems With Ford Trucks That Drivers Shouldn’t Ignore

Cameron Eittreim February 15, 2022

Ford trucks are some of the most recognizable and most popular vehicles in the auto industry. The company has been able to cultivate both a reputation and a fortune on the back of the F-Series truck brand. Within the pickup truck segment, there is more brand loyalty than with any other type of vehicle. Truck owners are proud of their brand and even more proud of their specific vehicles.

But blind loyalty often hides the real problems that a vehicle has and the F-150 is not exempt from these issues. Over the years, the F-Series has suffered from a lot of issues relating to build quality, reliability, and safety. Nevertheless, Ford has continued to dominate the pickup truck segment for over three decades. The F-Series is renowned with automotive enthusiasts and is not going anywhere anytime soon. But there are still glaring problems with the current Ford pickup truck lineup that brand loyalists refuse to acknowledge and potential drivers shouldn’t ignore. Find out just what they are right here.

25: Airbag Issue

Ford isn’t a company that is a stranger to safety recalls as the brand has been involved in some of the most litigated recalls in automotive history. The airbag issue came to light in 2017 when it was revealed that the airbags that were used in F-150 pickup truck models were faulty. The airbags would rupture upon impact, sending metal shards everywhere. The result of course was occupants being dangerously injured (via Hot Cars).

This airbag recall came right on the heels of the redesigned F-150 pickup truck, so the last thing that Ford needed was bad press. Analysts were quick to point out the recent issues that Ford has had with quality, although the F-150 didn’t suffer a substantial hit in sales. To this day, the current generation of the F-150 is one of the best-selling models.

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24: Faulty Brakes

Again, no surprise here, but the F-150 was involved in a recall over its braking system as well. The 2016 Ford F-150 models were involved in a recall centered around the brake system. The brakes in the pickup trucks from this model year would freeze and get stuck. This dangerous aspect happened often enough for a warning to be issued. Ford has rectified the problem in recent years but that doesn’t mean it didn’t send shockwaves throughout the industry (via Hot Cars).

The F-150 is a brand that is synonymous with quality and safety, so when the vehicle is marked as unsafe, it’s not a good thing. Another important fact that drivers shouldn’t ignore is that having functional brakes on a pickup truck is important. What if you’re towing a large load like a boat or a trailer? The last thing drivers need is to have their brakes go out when they’re on the road.

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23: Engine Problems

For the longest period, the F-150 has been a remarkably reliable truck. But as technology advances the truck hasn’t kept up with the reliability. Drivers have been reporting all kinds of issues as it pertains to the reliability of the F-150. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported an unusual amount of engine failures on F-150 pickup trucks in the 2013 model year (via Hot Cars).

These were some of the first trucks to feature the Eco Boost engine and it would appear that Ford didn’t do a lot of R&D on this motor. Ford offered a fair amount of recalls to remedy this problem and of course, they were free of charge to owners. But you still have the tarnished reputation that comes with an unreliable product.

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22: Suspension Issues

Suspension issues are not something you want to experience on your ride, especially when it comes to a pickup truck That was what happened in the F-150’s 2011 model year. The F-150 was involved in several consumer complaints that revolved around the suspension. The factory suspension would show signs of wear early on. Again Ford offered several quick fixes that involved consumers bringing their trucks back to the dealership (via Hot Cars).

But these are problems that you shouldn’t have to face when it comes to a new vehicle purchase. For the longest time, Ford has built a business on the perception of quality that comes with the F-Series brand. To see it fall from grace like this just goes to show how the quality has suffered in the past decade.

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21: Corrosion

The F-150 was one of the first mainstream pickup trucks to be built using aluminum in manufacturing. There was a massive outcry initially from enthusiasts and just about everyone in the pickup truck industry. But Ford marched on with their design and the current F-150 has managed to continue being a massively popular pickup truck. When it came to the design there was a lot to be desired (via Hot Cars).

But in recent years owners have been noticing a fair amount of corrosion happening on the trucks. It is usually around the hood area and the fender walls, and this is worse if you live in a climate with a lot of snow. Ford has addressed the issue with a few recalls but that still doesn’t help the fact that these are very expensive pickup trucks that are rusting.

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20: Questionable Durability

Another issue that came with the use of aluminum in the use of the F-150 was the perceived lack of durability. Owners questioned how this truck might be able to hold up in the long run. Crash tests were promising but what about the daily grind of owning a pickup truck? The hauling, working, and towing that a truck has to do. There’s no doubt that the F-Series trucks are worked especially hard by their owners (via Hot Cars).

The pickup truck market is centered around being rough and ready, and an aluminum pickup truck didn’t quite match that philosophy. The sales initially slid a little bit until consumers had become more comfortable with the new Ford products. The F-150 has since returned to market dominance but this was a huge gamble Ford took.

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19: 2018 Recalls

Ford is not a company that’s a stranger to recalls and the F-150 has been involved in more than a few. 2018 was a bad year for the F-150 brand as Ford had to issue several recalls as it pertained to the new truck. The first and most notable recall centered around the transmission, which would suffer from slips and grinding. The new transmission was designed to save on fuel and the technology hadn’t been well-vetted yet (via Hot Cars).

There were several minor recalls that came out this year as well that pertained to the infotainment center, the HVAC system, and even the headlights. Ford would fix these problems as they arose but this created a confusing scenario with customers. The truck was supposed to be one of the best-selling vehicles of all time and all these problems made customers question it.

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18: Faulty Spark Plugs

Faulty spark plugs in a pickup truck are never a good mix and can seriously damage the engine. The 2011 F-150 models were notorious for having the spark plugs break at the worst times. According to owners of the 2011 F-150 models that came with the Triton V8, the spark plugs would shoot out of the engine. This could be caused by several issues and Ford offered consumers a recall on the affected trucks (via Hot Cars).

Nevertheless, when you spend tens of thousands on a new truck, the last thing that you want to happen is the spark plugs to become faulty. These trucks are put under a lot of pressure by their owners and something like this happening can be quite questionable. Ford hasn’t had this problem with the new model F-150 pickup trucks.

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17: Air Conditioning Messups

When it comes to a new pickup truck one of the must-have features is the air conditioning. Without a good air conditioner, you’ll be hot in the summertime months, especially if you are working. The HVAC systems that we have in cars and trucks have changed dramatically over the years. The new systems are more efficient and easier to use than ever before, but they are also much more expensive to repair (via Hot Cars).

The complaints also revolve around the fact that the air conditioner won’t start working until the vehicle has been running for about 10 minutes. This obviously isn’t an ideal situation for anyone who owns one of these pickup trucks. Ford has worked to rectify this problem over the past few years but many F-150 owners are still posting complaints online.

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16: Recall For Safety Belts

A more concerning recall that happened with the Ford F-Series pickup trucks in the last few years was about safety belts. The trucks that were involved in the recall were the F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 models. According to the recall information the seatbelts would become loose at the base. This meant that the affected seatbelts weren’t effective in a crash situation (via Hot Cars).

This also affected the models that had power seating, in which the automatic function of the seatbelts would not work either. The company had to move quickly to provide consumers with a plan of action, in this case, a recall. But the damage had already been done to Ford’s rep and this has happened too often.

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15: Loose Power Seats

Build quality has gone down on new cars across the board and the problem has hit Ford as well. In 2016, Ford was forced to recall 200,000 F-150 models because of loose power seats that were installed from the factory. These power seats included the drivers and passenger seats on full-size truck models. The seats would become loose as the driver was on the road and could potentially become removed during operation (via Hot Cars).

Ford F-150 SVT Raptor — Photo Credit: Ford

This is never a safe situation to have and Ford was able to put the recall into effect quickly. Nevertheless, drivers of these expensive trucks were not amused at the fact that their seats could fly off. The loose power seats on the F-150 models were just a few of the recent recalls that Ford had to issue.

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14: Poor Handling

If you aren’t fortunate enough to have an F-150 Raptor or one of the higher-end models then chances are you are experiencing poor handling. The F-150 has been known for a lot of things, but according to owners, poor handling is one of them. The truck just doesn’t handle well and a lot of it has to do with the design. The current generation of the F-150 has gotten better marks for handling but not by far (via Hot Cars).

Ford has introduced a number of tweaks to the models to try and get to the bottom of it but to no avail. When it comes to a full-sized pickup, the F-150 gets extremely poor marks for handling and the owners just seem to pass this up. The freeway rides on these trucks are amazing but the handling, not so much.

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13: Noisy Interior

One of the more notable complaints with the F-150 recently has been related to increased interior noise. Now, pickup trucks have never been the quietest vehicles to drive, but the F-150 has been getting especially slammed for this noisy interior. Highway driving seems to be where drivers are voicing the most complaints. Even a short drive down the road in your F-150 might seem a lot noisier than your friend’s Silverado (via Hot Cars).

When it came to rectifying this problem, Ford introduced a number of enhancements but it hasn’t been enough to curb driver complaints. Take one look at any F-150 Forum online and you will find a plethora of complaints and fixes from owners. Only time will tell if Ford manages to make changes to this problem.

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12: Problems With Transmission Roll Pins

Ford isn’t a stranger to transmission issues and recalls. There have been plenty of faulty transmissions over the years. But a vehicle that you don’t want to have a faulty transmission in is a brand-new pickup truck. There were thousands of pickup trucks that were involved in a recall over the transmission issue. It was said that the truck would not go forward or reverse (via Hot Cars).

The problem with the transmission means the truck is not drivable. The repair of a brand new transmission can cost tens of thousands of dollars. These trucks are very expensive vehicles to repair and Ford had to honor the warranty. Needless to say, there were plenty of new owners who were quite upset.

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11: Incompatible Infotainment

Ford was one of the first companies to incorporate a next-generation infotainment center into their vehicle. Microsoft Sync was the first system that the company ever used and it has built on this over the past decade. The current sync systems that were incorporated into the new F-150 pickup trucks had a lot of compatibility issues. Consumers were reporting all kinds of issues with the system not working with their smartphones (via Hot Cars).

While all of this was going on Ford issued a number of recalls that related to updating this system. The infotainment systems in these trucks have come a long way but the lack of compatibility made a lot of drivers frustrated, especially since the new infotainment systems are a big selling point for these trucks.

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10: Door Issues

The F-150 is a truck that is available in a number of cab configurations, which is one of the things that has made the truck so popular. When the aluminum trucks were released in 2016, there were issues with the doors. A recall was issued pertaining to the hinges that were on the truck as they would malfunction when water leaked through the door jambs (via Hot Cars).

The fact that all of these trucks use an electronic locking system means that water can damage them quickly. There were a few fixes that Ford has issued for this problem and nowadays things seem to be going a lot better. Consumer complaints about the door jamb problem have seemingly disappeared on the new models.

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9: Price

There is no denying that the price of trucks has gone through the roof. The Ford F-150 was one of the first mainstream pickup trucks that were sold on the market. Nowadays, those simple beginnings have changed. When it comes to an expensive pickup truck the F-150 is quite a pricey investment. Even the base model starts out at $30,000, and that’s before you start to add options (via Hot Cars).

A fully-loaded Raptor model could easily top $110,000, which is why most consumers have started to turn on the brand. Loyalists won’t admit that the high prices of the truck are driving people away. Nevertheless, the F-150 has become quite a pricey pickup truck that many people can’t afford.

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8: Electric Windows Get Stuck

It’s not at all uncommon for a truck to have problems with the power windows, but on the F-150 it was taken to the next level. The new F-150 models have had a number of issues surrounding the power window system. These systems would routinely get stuck and or fail altogether which would add to a number of issues for the consumer (via Hot Cars).

Replacing a broken power window system is not an easy task, and it can cost thousands of dollars. The main thing that you look for when it comes to fixing one of these systems is a warranty and Ford was able to honor that for new owners. But still, a faulty power window can happen at the worst times.

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7: MyFord System

The MyFord Infotainment center has been at the forefront of issues for the automaker in recent years. A lapse in the design of the system enabled a lot of issues to happen when consumers would be trying to use this. Incompatibility issues and a lack of cohesiveness in the design of the unit made Ford have to issue recalls on it (via Hot Cars).

The recent additions of the MyFord system have made it a lot better received. But there are still a lot of complaints with this system in the new Ford trucks. As automakers continue to move toward an automated and digital world it is important that these systems don’t malfunction. The people at Ford are still working on those growing issues.

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6: Backup Camera Glitches

One of the more concerning problems with the new F-150’s has been the fact that the backup camera would glitch from time to time. These glitches are not uncommon for a vehicle in this class but in recent years it would appear that it happens more often. Ford has tried to address the issue with a number of fixes to no avail (via Hot Cars).

From time to time, no matter what model of Ford truck you have the backup camera is going to glitch. Owners will have to completely turn the truck off and restart it in order to get over the glitches that keep happening. There is no word from Ford as to when this problem is going to be fixed.

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5: Ticking Sounds

Perhaps one of the most vocal complaints with Ford pickup trucks has been the ticking sound that comes from the engine. Often happening on the Triton V8 consumers have complained about a ticking sound even when the truck has low mileage. There are no known fixes for this problem but there’s a good chance that you’ll hear ticking coming from one of these trucks (via Hot Cars).

The F-150 models were always equated with quality but it seems like the owners have had to put up with this problem. No one wants to hear a ticking truck over and over again but with the F-150 it seems to be a common problem. It will be interesting to see what kind of fixes Ford has for this problem in the future.

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4: O2 Sensor Failure

Sensors go out on vehicles all the time, but recently Ford has had an issue with O2 sensor failures on their vehicles. The O2 sensor controls the oxygen in the exhaust system of the vehicle, and when it goes bad it can make the vehicle run horribly. Ford issued a number of recalls on this system after drivers voiced their frustration (via Hot Cars).

But on a brand new vehicle, you shouldn’t have to put up with any kind of a sensor failing, much less one of the O2 sensors which can be a time-consuming and difficult fix. In recent years these trucks have gotten better but the O2 sensors are still a source of contention for Ford truck owners.

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3: Oil Pump Failure

Speaking of a strange failure that has been happening on new Ford truck models, drivers have reported the oil pump going out. The oil pump is a critical part of the engine and when this goes out it can spell destruction for the owner of the vehicle. There have been recalling issued for the oil pump as it pertains to the Triton V8 engine (via Hot Cars).

There is no reason why you’d want to have an expensive new pickup truck that has an oil pump failure. The Ford Motor Company is no stranger to these types of failures. Nevertheless, the F-150 still remains a popular pickup truck to this day even with the issues.

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2: Tires Wearing Out

When it comes to one of the most notable issues surrounding the F-150 has been tire failure. A lot of owners have been complaining about tires that wear out far quicker than you’d think that they would. Owners of recent F-150 pickup trucks have said that their tires are wearing out a lot quicker than you’d expect (via Hot Cars).

It happens to the front and rear tires and a lot of drivers have been concerned. Ford has not addressed the problem and there has not been a formal recall. Owning a brand new truck is one of the proudest moments that you can have. But having a vehicle that runs through tires can be expensive and a safety issue.

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1: Brake Light Gasket Failure

The brake lights on the Ford F-150 models have had to be recalled recently as well. The brake light issue revolves around the gasket that is used to install the light. When rainwater accumulates around the truck bed the water will leak through the lights. This creates a long-term problem that can damage the taillights in the long run (via Hot Cars).

A lot of drivers have been complaining about this issue but Ford hasn’t issued a recall as of yet. It will be interesting to see what they do to fix these issues in the long run. Drivers certainly don’t want to have a leaking tail light or any kind of light on a vehicle.

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25 Glaring Problems With Ford Trucks That Drivers Shouldn’t Ignore

25: Airbag Issue

24: Faulty Brakes

23: Engine Problems

22: Suspension Issues

21: Corrosion

20: Questionable Durability

19: 2018 Recalls

18: Faulty Spark Plugs

17: Air Conditioning Messups

16: Recall For Safety Belts

15: Loose Power Seats

14: Poor Handling

13: Noisy Interior

12: Problems With Transmission Roll Pins

11: Incompatible Infotainment

10: Door Issues

9: Price

8: Electric Windows Get Stuck

7: MyFord System

6: Backup Camera Glitches

5: Ticking Sounds

4: O2 Sensor Failure

3: Oil Pump Failure

2: Tires Wearing Out

1: Brake Light Gasket Failure

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