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Ford F Series (light)Years to avoid, problems & recalls

NHTSA has 120 owner complaints and 4 safety recalls on record for the Ford F Series (light).

Years to avoidNoneBased on weighted complaintsBest years—Fewest complaints for their ageOwner complaints120Top: Service brakes, hydraulicSafety recalls41973–2002 model years

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports. Updated daily. How we score years.

Best & worst years

Ford F Series (light) years to avoid

Complaints by model year, colored by the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the F Series (light) median. Tap a year for its full report.

'73'78'80'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
2002Not rated–/10013 complaints · 0 recalls2001Not rated–/10010 complaints · 0 recalls2000Not rated–/1003 complaints · 0 recalls1999Not rated–/1006 complaints · 0 recalls1998Not rated–/1001 complaint · 0 recalls1997Not rated–/10015 complaints · 0 recalls1996Not rated–/1002 complaints · 0 recalls1995Not rated–/1001 complaint · 0 recalls1994Not rated–/10016 complaints · 0 recalls1993Not rated–/10012 complaints · 0 recalls1992Not rated–/1009 complaints · 0 recalls1991Not rated–/1009 complaints · 0 recalls1990Not rated–/1008 complaints · 0 recalls1989Not rated–/1006 complaints · 0 recalls1988Not rated–/1006 complaints · 0 recalls1987Not rated–/1000 complaints · 1 recall1986Not rated–/1001 complaint · 0 recalls1980Not rated–/1000 complaints · 3 recalls1978Not rated–/1001 complaint · 0 recalls1973Not rated–/1001 complaint · 0 recalls
Complaints by system

Most common Ford F Series (light) problems

All model years combined: 120 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
Service brakes, hydraulic292
Engine and engine cooling262
Electrical system148
Fuel system, gasoline141
Power train110
Structure80
Engine62
Tires60
Vehicle speed control53
14 other systems337
4 recalls

Ford F Series (light) recalls

Newest first. The ring shows the share of affected vehicles repaired, from the manufacturer's latest report to NHTSA.

–Vehicle speed control: springs87V-059 · 1987 · Apr 27, 1987 · 2,060 vehicles–Wheels: hubcap/cover80V-072 · 1980 · Jun 9, 1980 · 12,500 vehicles–Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system80V-032 · 1980 · Mar 24, 1980 · 8,000 vehicles–Steering: steering wheel/handle bar80V-033 · 1980 · Mar 24, 1980 · 13,332 vehicles
3 investigations

NHTSA investigations of the F Series (light)

  1. SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEADDP05005 · 1997–2001 · closed Jan 4, 2006
    No recall
  2. FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLYEA05004 · 2001 · closed Jul 6, 2005
    No recall
  3. FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLYRQ04011 · 2001 · closed Feb 17, 2005
    No recall