Ford E-150 Reliability
1,311 NHTSA complaints (1989–2021). Complaint rate: 1391.7 per 1,000 vehicles.
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Bottom line: Avoid the 1992–2001 Ford E-150 (56 crash-related complaints). The 2014–2016 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA complaint count per model year
Common Ford E-150 Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 66 | 9.1% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 65 | 12.3% |
| STEERING | 47 | 8.5% |
| TIRES | 41 | 4.9% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 39 | 2.6% |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 35 | 2.9% |
| ENGINE | 35 | 0.0% |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 32 | 0.0% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 32 | 0.0% |
| POWER TRAIN | 31 | 3.2% |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989GOOD | — | 2 | 0 | — | View 1989View→ |
| 1990GOOD | — | 2 | 1 | — | View 1990View→ |
| 1991 | — | 20 | 0 | 1 | View 1991View→ |
| 1992AVOID | — | 86 | 3 | 13 | View 1992View→ |
| 1993AVOID | — | 95 | 10 | 6 | View 1993View→ |
| 1994AVOID | — | 180 | 2 | 14 | View 1994View→ |
| 1995AVOID | — | 104 | 4 | 8 | View 1995View→ |
| 1996AVOID | — | 81 | 11 | 9 | View 1996View→ |
| 1997AVOID | — | 122 | 4 | 4 | View 1997View→ |
| 1998AVOID | — | 81 | 4 | 1 | View 1998View→ |
| 1999AVOID | — | 115 | 15 | 2 | View 1999View→ |
| 2000AVOID | — | 61 | 2 | 3 | View 2000View→ |
| 2001AVOID | — | 52 | 1 | 2 | View 2001View→ |
| 2002 | — | 37 | 1 | 4 | View 2002View→ |
| 2003 | — | 31 | 9 | 1 | View 2003View→ |
| 2004 | — | 36 | 2 | — | View 2004View→ |
| 2005 | — | 24 | 3 | — | View 2005View→ |
| 2006 | — | 22 | 0 | 1 | View 2006View→ |
| 2007GOOD | — | 15 | 0 | — | View 2007View→ |
| 2008GOOD | — | 12 | 0 | 1 | View 2008View→ |
| 2009GOOD | — | 10 | 0 | — | View 2009View→ |
| 2010GOOD | — | 14 | 1 | — | View 2010View→ |
| 2011 | — | 30 | 1 | — | View 2011View→ |
| 2012 | — | 19 | 3 | — | View 2012View→ |
| 2013 | — | 29 | 4 | — | View 2013View→ |
| 2014GOOD | — | 9 | 0 | — | View 2014View→ |
| 2015GOOD | — | 10 | 0 | — | View 2015View→ |
| 2016GOOD | — | 11 | 0 | — | View 2016View→ |
See also: Ford E-150accident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
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