Menu

2006 Ford F-150Problems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 585 owner complaints about the 2006 Ford F-150, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 4 safety recalls.

2006 Ford F-150
60
CarFlaw IndexSolid year33% below the F-150 median · #26 of 42 years by complaints
Safety recalls4Free fix at dealersOwner complaints585107 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage59kEngine and engine cooling, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through August 3, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2006 Ford F-150 has problems

585 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
Engine and engine cooling773
Engine745
Service brakes, hydraulic6815
Electrical system606
Steering552
Air bags4829
Power train462
Structure449
Fuel system, gasoline343
22 other systems19925

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

4 recalls

2006 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 →

–no report yet

Windshield wiper/washer: motor

Recall 05V-520 · Nov 9, 2005 · 199,942 vehicles

Risk. AFTER A PERIOD OF CONTINUOUS USE ON THE HIGH SPEED SETTING, LACK OF GREASE ON THE OUTPUT SHAFT GEAR MAY CAUSE THE GEAR TO DISTORT OR FRACTURE DURING OPERATION…

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 engine and engine cooling problems start?

59kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 76 engine and engine cooling complaints. 83% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
15under 30k miles63under 100k miles13100k 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.

Engine

13 owners mentioned a cost

$1,200median

Middle half: $617 – $3,448

Engine and engine cooling

9 owners mentioned a cost

$1,249median

Middle half: $550 – $2,000

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

2006 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

2006 Ford F-150 safety ratings

2006 Ford F-150 Supercab in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2006 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
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2006 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
In owners' words

What F-150 owners report

Recent engine and engine cooling complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

The contact owns a 2006 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power with an abnormal popping sound coming from the engine compartment. The failure occurred more often while attempting to accelerate or driving uphill. The vehicle occasionally…
Complaint 11589276 · May 17, 2024 · 230,774 miles
I TRIED TO START MY TRUCK, BUT IT WOULDN'T START. IT TURNED OVER PERFECTLY BUT WOULD NOT START. IT HAD STARTED TWICE EARLIER IN THE DAY. THE FUEL PUMP DRIVER MODULE, LOCATED ABOVE THE SPARE TIRE ON THE FRAME OF THE TRUCK, HAD CORRODED AND FAILED.
Complaint 10568397 · Feb 27, 2014 · 41,841 miles
THE RIGHT EXHAUST MANIFOLD STUDS HAD BROKEN APPROXIMATELY 5/5/2012, IN WHICH THEY DID NOT TELL ME THE FULL EXTENT OF THE DAMAGES. THEY JUST TOLD ME THE MANIFOLD WAS LEAKING AND THE COST TO REPAIR IT. THIS CAUSED THE MANIFOLD TO WARP AND LEAK. THE DEALER WOULD NOT REPAIR IT UNDER THE EXTENDED…
Complaint 10532184 · Jul 28, 2013 · 105,000 miles

Own a 2006 F-150?

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