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2005 Ford F-150Problems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 1,112 owner complaints about the 2005 Ford F-150, most often about the visibility. It is covered by 3 safety recalls.

2005 Ford F-150
46
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.2× the F-150 median · #18 of 42 years by complaints
Safety recalls3Free fix at dealersOwner complaints1,112127 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage50kVisibility, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through May 26, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: SsmIntrigue, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2005 Ford F-150 has problems

1,112 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Visibility2601
Engine1176
Power train1121
Engine and engine cooling1119
Air bags10144
Service brakes, hydraulic9013
Structure772
Electrical system7311
Vehicle speed control5714
19 other systems30626

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

3 recalls

2005 Ford F-150 recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

–no report yet

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 11V-107 · Feb 23, 2011 · 1,325,000 vehicles

Risk. THE DRIVER SIDE FRONTAL AIR BAG COULD INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY OR LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL IF OCCURRING WHILE IN MOTION.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Vacuum: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings

Recall 08V-208 · May 7, 2008 · 605,684 vehicles

Risk. ONCE THE BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM RESERVE IS DEPLETED, THE DRIVER WILL HAVE FOUNDATION BRAKE FUNCTION, BUT WITH INCREASED BRAKE PEDAL EFFORT.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Interior lighting

Recall 06V-033 · Feb 6, 2006 · 211,432 vehicles

Risk. THIS ERROR COULD PREVENT THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) WARNING LIGHT FROM ILLUMINATING IF THE ABS MODULE EVER BECAME INOPERATIVE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.

Mileage at failure

When do visibility problems start?

50kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 247 visibility complaints. 92% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
28under 30k miles227under 100k miles20100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Visibility

39 owners mentioned a cost

$400median

Middle half: $300 – $417

Engine and engine cooling

20 owners mentioned a cost

$1,900median

Middle half: $545 – $3,000

Engine

17 owners mentioned a cost

$3,000median

Middle half: $2,000 – $7,150

Power train

9 owners mentioned a cost

$1,330median

Middle half: $750 – $2,800

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2005 vs. every other F-150 year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the F-150 median. How we score

'73'75'76'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26'27
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2005 Ford F-150 safety ratings

2005 Ford F-150 Supercab in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2005 Ford F-150 frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
  • Rollover: 4 stars (19.8% risk)
  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
3 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2005 Ford F-150, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Inadvertent airbag deploymentEA10001 · closed Apr 25, 2011
    Led to recall 11V-107
  2. LOSS OF BRAKE POWER-ASSISTPE08001 · closed May 9, 2008
    Led to recall 08V-208
  3. INADVERTENT AIRBAG DEPLOYMENTPE09046 · closed Jan 19, 2010
    Led to recall 11V-107
In owners' words

What F-150 owners report

Recent visibility complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

REAR PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW REGULATOR BROKE FOR SECOND TIME ALLOWING WINDOW TO FALL AND SHATTER INSIDE DOOR WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC ON INTERSTATE. VERY DANGEROUS, VERY EXPENSIVE.
Complaint 11164457 · Jan 2, 2019 · 80,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD F-150. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE SUN ROOF SHATTERED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 141,000.
Complaint 10881483 · Jun 29, 2016 · 141,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD F-150. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE SUN ROOF SHATTERED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 141,740.
Complaint 10881331 · Jun 28, 2016 · 141,740 miles

Own a 2005 F-150?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.