2015 Ford F-150 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Power Train (357) · Service Brakes (272) · Engine (145)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Ford F-150 model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
1,110 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (14)
Power Train:automatic Transmission 2026-04-14 · campaign 26V237000 · 1,392,935 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 F-150 vehicles. A loss of signal between the transmission range sensor and the powertrain control module can cause the transmission to unexpectedly downshift into second gear.
Risk: Unexpectedly downshifting into second gear may result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the powertrain control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 24, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S28. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 15, 2026.
Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Ball Joint 2021-04-12 · campaign 21E027000 · 2,394 vehicles
Defect: Tenneco Automotive (DRiV) is recalling certain MOOG K500359 ball joints, for aftermarket installation on 2015-2018 Ford F-150 trucks. The ball joint may have a misaligned dust boot and may be missing alignment hole and installation warning tag, which may lead to improper alignment of the ball joint.
Risk: An incorrectly installed ball joint may cause the ball joint stud to break, which can compromise front wheel control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: DRiV will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and if necessary replace the ball joint, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed May 5, 2021. Owners may contact Tenneco Automotive customer service at 1-877-489-6659.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist 2020-06-08 · campaign 20V332000 · 292,311 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2017 F-150 pickup trucks equipped with 3.5L Ecoboost engines. The brake master cylinder may leak brake fluid into the brake booster.
Risk: A loss of brake fluid may result in a change in brake pedal travel and feel, increased pedal effort and reduced front brake function, possibly requiring greater effort and distance to stop the vehicle. These conditions can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake master cylinder and inspect the brake booster, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. Ford issued owners an interim notification on June 30, 2020. The recall began on October 28, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S31.
Engine 2020-02-21 · campaign 20V098000 · 13,854 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2016 F-150 pick-up trucks equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines and block immersion heaters that were potentially relocated from their originally installed location. The incorrect location could put the heater too close to hot engine components, possibly resulting in a damaged cable.
Risk: A damaged cable could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the block heater's location and its cable, replacing components as necessary, free of charge. If the replacement parts are not available, dealers will disable the existing block heater cable from being used until parts become available. The recall began April 9, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S08.
Engine 2019-04-08 · campaign 19V278000 · 131,068 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater and previously remedied under recall 18V894. During the previous repair, the block heater cable's splice connector may have been damaged.
Risk: A damaged cable could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the engine block heater from being used. When replacement cables become available, a second notice will be mailed and dealers will replace the engine block heater cord, free of charge. The recall began May 31, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S11.
Engine 2018-12-18 · campaign 18V894000 · 410,289 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater. Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causing corrosion and damage.
Risk: When the heater is plugged in, prolonged corrosion could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring which can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the block heater cable, free of charge. Once parts are available, Dealers will replace the engine block heater cable, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S45.
Seat Belts:pretensioner 2018-08-31 · campaign 18V568000 · 1,619,112 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford F-150 Regular Cab and SuperCrew Cab vehicles. If a front seat belt pretensioner deploys as the result of a crash, the sparks may ignite materials such as carpeting or insulation within the B-pillar area.
Risk: A vehicle fire could result if materials ignite inside the vehicle.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove the B-pillar insulation material and wiring harness tape, and install heat resistant tape, free of charge. The recall began September 28, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S27.
Latches/Locks/Linkages:doors:latch 2017-10-16 · campaign 17V652000 · 1,101,107 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Ford F-150, and 2017 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty trucks. The doors on these vehicles may have a bent or kinked actuation cable or the door latches may freeze after water gets into the latch. Either condition can result in the doors opening while driving although they appear to be closed.
Risk: A door that opens while driving can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the door latch actuation cables and repair if necessary, and install water shields over the door latches, free of charge. The recall began October 12, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S33.
Seat Belts:rear/Other 2017-08-28 · campaign 17V526000 · 117,423 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 F-150, and 2017 F-250 and F-350 trucks equipped with a crew cab. The left rear inflatable seat belt buckle assembly may be inadequately attached to its mounting bracket. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
Risk: If the left rear inflatable seat belt buckle separates from it's mounting bracket, the seat occupant may not be adequately restrained, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat belt assembly, replacing the attaching rivet as necessary, free of charge. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed October 18, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy becomes available. Owners may contact Ford Customer Service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C12.
Latches/Locks/Linkages:doors:latch 2017-05-22 · campaign 17V331000 · 14,410 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 F-150, and 2017 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 vehicles originally produced with black or body colored exterior door handles that may have been subsequently equipped with a chrome exterior door handle cover accessory kit purchased from a Ford dealer. These accessory door handle covers may cause the doors to unlatch in a side impact collision. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Risk: If the doors unlatch and open in a side impact collision, the occupants have an increased risk of injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove the accessory covers and refund the purchase price. The recall began July 13, 2017. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for the recall is 17C09.
Seat Belts:front:anchorage 2015-12-22 · campaign 15V867000 · 2,590 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford F-150 SuperCrew trucks manufactured January 22, 2015, to March 17, 2015. The affected vehicles may be equipped with driver or front passenger seat belt anchorage assemblies whose pretensioner cable was not properly crimped. As a result, the seat belts may not properly restrain the seat occupant in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS
Risk: An occupant that is not be properly restrained is at an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver and/or front passenger side seat belt retractor(s) and pretensioner(s), free of charge. The recall began on February 12, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C17.
Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control 2015-09-30 · campaign 15V614000 · 33,481 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford F-150 trucks manufactured March 18, 2014, to August 6, 2015 and equipped with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). While using the Adaptive Cruise Control, the vehicle may falsely detect an obstacle in its path and may unexpectedly apply the brakes.
Risk: A vehicle that unexpectedly brakes increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the cruise control module with updated ACC radar software, free of charge. The recall began on October 25, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S29.
Steering 2015-05-12 · campaign 15V279000 · 8,963 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford F-150 trucks manufactured March 19, 2015, to March 30, 2015. The affected vehicles may have been built with a steering upper intermediate shaft that was improperly riveted.
Risk: If the intermediate shaft was improperly riveted, it could separate from the intermediate shaft flex coupling, resulting in a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the intermediate shaft and replace it, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 22, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S17.
Structure:frame And Members:underbody Shields 2015-04-28 · campaign 15V251000 · 73 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford F-150 vehicles manufactured January 30, 2015, to January 31, 2015. The affected vehicles may have loose or missing underbody heat shields.
Risk: A missing underbody heat shield can lead to degradation or melting of the fuel or vapor lines, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle for missing underbody heat shields and fasteners, and will install the missing components as required, free of charge. The recall began on May 13, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S12.
Service bulletins (248)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Power Train 2026-07-09 · 26N04 · Other
customer satisfaction program 26n04 certain 2015-2017 model year f-150 vehicles equipped with a 6r80 transmission transmission molded leadframe replacement
Unknown Or Other 2026-03-25 · 25N17 · Other
advance notice – customer satisfaction program 25n17 certain 2015-2025 model year multiple vehicle lines rear view camera replacement if required after dealer evaluation
Unknown Or Other 2026-02-24 · SSM 54601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
ford and lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. unlike the integrated wired keypad, the accessory wireless keypad master code cannot be retrieved from the
Power Train 2025-11-12 · SSM 54366 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2015-2021 ford and lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated mil with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0011, p0012, p0014, p0015, p0016, p0017, p0018, p0019, p0021, p0022, p0024 and/or p0025. pinpoint test hk in the powertrain control and emissions diagnosis (pc/ed) or in section 303-14 of th
Unknown Or Other 2024-11-27 · SSM 53174 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
various vehicles equipped with a 2.7l or a 3.0l gas engine may require a crankshaft bolt replacement during repairs. various vehicles equipped with a 2.7l or a 3.0l gas engine may require a crankshaft bolt replacement during repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2024-10-10 · SSM 53040 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
while performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 ford and lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions.
Showing the 6 most recent of 248 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-29 · Engine“after owning the truck since it was new and always having it serviced at a ford dealership we are told that the engine needs to be rebuilt after only having 38k miles on the truck. this is due to a ford engine defect. it had to be towed to the dealership. …”
2026-10-27 · Power Train“i took my truck to the dealership for them to fix the transmission recall. afterwards it started shifting funny and was not normal like before, i started getting codes like p0721 i took it back and they said it had nothing to do with what they did. i don't believe that - the truck was fine before. they finally looked at it again and said the rec…”
2026-10-26 · Power Train · 138,000 mi“the contact owns a 2015 ford f-150. the contact stated that while driving, the vehicle revved abnormally while shifting from 5th gear to 1st gear and nearly completed the downshift. the contact stated that on several occasions, while driving, the vehicle shifted into 5th gear, and when the contact depressed the accelerator pedal, the transmission d…”
2026-10-25 · Structure:body“leaks oil from oil filter. can’t screw on tight enough to prevent oil from coming through. driver side door doesn’t latch properly slight shift went opening and shutting. while driving air comes in around the door and you can feel it try to open.…”
2026-10-25 · Unknown Or Other“i was driving down the highway and the truck locked up the dash was twitching and a wrench light came on the truck kept going down in gears.pulled over to the side of the road was an hour away from home turned truck off and on again but everytime you try to go it does it all over again you crank it try put it in drive dash lights flickering and it …”
2026-10-24 · Power Train:automatic Transmission“the component is the 6r80 transmission; the transmission is not available for inspection as i purchased an entirely new unit through ford. after having ford service department technicians perform the recall service, my vehicle began shifting erratically over the course of a few weeks. when i reached back out to the service department i was told- "i…”
2026-10-22 · Power Train · 136,000 mi“the contact owns a 2015 ford f-150. the contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 26v237000 (power train); however, the failure occurred after the recall repair. while driving at 62 mph, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted, and the transmission warning light illuminated. the contact pulled over, and …”
2026-10-22 · Vehicle Speed Control“on 9/25/2026, i made an appointment with a ford dealer to receive a fix for nhtsa saftey recall 26v237 on 10/7/2026. before 10/7/2026 ford paused the recall. in their own notice ford says this problem could result in loss vehicle control increasing the risk of a crash. they do not rule out that a crash could occur at high speed. it appears tha…”
2026-10-22 · Power Train“i am writing on behalf of my father, [xxx], age [xxx], regarding his 2015 ford f-150 (vin [xxx]), which is covered by safety recall 26s28 for unintended transmission downshift. his truck has already experienced the defect. in early october, it unexpectedly downshifted while he was driving. he contacted asheville ford multiple times to schedule a s…”
2026-10-19 · Power Train:automatic Transmission · 144,000 mi“the contact owns a 2015 ford f-150. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 mph, the transmission suddenly downshifted, causing the vehicle to abruptly stop in the middle of the road. during the failure, the wrench warning light illuminated, and the vehicle entered limp mode. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence, where…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.