Is the Ford F-150 high maintenance?
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Not especially. The Ford F-150 is about average to maintain. On AAA's 2025 half-ton crew-cab pickup benchmark, it costs about $1,704 a year to maintain and repair at 15,000 miles a year, tires included — about the same as the $1,656 all-vehicle average. Owners filed 0.427 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 F-150s sold (2015–2022 sales), #2 of 8 pickup trucks we rank (lower is better; segment median 0.832).
Verdict
About average
about average to maintain
Per year
$1,704
AAA 2025 benchmark
5 years
$8,520
75,000 miles
NHTSA complaints
0.427 / 1k
Best for pickup trucks
F-150 maintenance cost: 5 and 10 years
| Period | Miles | Estimate | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per year | 15,000 | $1,704 | AAA half-ton crew-cab pickup, 11.36¢/mile |
| 5 years | 75,000 | $8,520 | AAA's own 5-year window |
| 10 years (floor) | 150,000 | $17,040+ | AAA's 5-year per-mile rate, extended in a straight line |
Method: AAA 2025 half-ton crew-cab pickup benchmark: 11.36¢ a mile × 15,000 miles a year. Covers scheduled maintenance, wear-item repairs, one set of tires and an extended warranty over 5 years. A category average, not a F-150-specific quote. The 10-year figure is a floor: it doesn't add the larger age-related repairs (and later scheduled items such as spark plugs or coolant) that come after year 5.
How the verdict is set: Two inputs. Cost: the estimate against AAA's $1,656 all-vehicle average (more than 3% under counts in the car's favor, more than 3% over against it). Complaints: NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 sold against the median of every model in our study (0.48); well under the median helps, well over hurts, roughly double or more hurts twice as much. Both low = "No"; both high = "Yes". Models without a dollar estimate get no verdict.
F-150 service schedule highlights
Oil changes
Normal service: Condition-based: Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor shows a message when an oil change is due; do it within two weeks or 500 mi of the message. Never exceed 1 year or 10,000 mi between oil changes. If the monitor resets early or fails, change at 6 months or 5,000 mi.
Severe or special conditions: Same monitor; it shortens the interval with severe use (short trips under 5–10 mi, extreme temperatures, dust, extended idling, heavy loads/towing). Ford gives no separate fixed severe mileage for oil.
Oil: Explorer: Motorcraft SAE 5W-30 meeting WSS-M2C971-A1 (2.3L EcoBoost and 3.0L); SAE 0W-30 (WSS-M2C973-A1) alternative in extreme cold
Source: Ford Explorer Owner's Manual (edition July 2025, file labeled 2026) — Scheduled Maintenance
Included maintenance
No complimentary scheduled maintenance confirmed for new Ford vehicles. Checked ford.com and fordprotect.ford.com: no standard complimentary scheduled maintenance for new Ford vehicles found. Scheduled maintenance coverage is the paid Ford Protect Premium Maintenance Plan ($0 for covered services once purchased; must be bought within 3 yr/36,000 mi).
Ford factory schedule
| Interval | Service items | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Every oil change (per Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor, max 1 yr/10,000 mi) |
| Ford Explorer Owner's Manual (edition July 2025, file labeled 2026) — Scheduled Maintenance |
| Every 3 years |
| Ford Explorer Owner's Manual (edition July 2025, file labeled 2026) — Scheduled Maintenance |
| Every 20,000 miles |
| Ford Explorer Owner's Manual (edition July 2025, file labeled 2026) — Scheduled Maintenance |
| Every 30,000 miles |
| Ford Explorer Owner's Manual (edition July 2025, file labeled 2026) — Scheduled Maintenance |
| Every 60,000 miles (severe service) |
| Ford Explorer Owner's Manual (edition July 2025, file labeled 2026) — Scheduled Maintenance |
| Every 100,000 miles |
| Ford Explorer Owner's Manual (edition July 2025, file labeled 2026) — Scheduled Maintenance |
| Every 150,000 miles |
| Ford Explorer Owner's Manual (edition July 2025, file labeled 2026) — Scheduled Maintenance |
| At 200,000 miles or 10 years |
| Ford Explorer Owner's Manual (edition July 2025, file labeled 2026) — Scheduled Maintenance |
| No scheduled interval |
| Ford Explorer Owner's Manual (edition July 2025, file labeled 2026) — Scheduled Maintenance |
Common F-150 problems (NHTSA data)
Owners filed 0.427 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 F-150s sold (2015–2022 sales), #2 of 8 pickup trucks we rank (lower is better; segment median 0.832).
- 19,967 owner complaints on file with NHTSA across all F-150 model years.
- Most-reported systems: electrical system (1,282), powertrain / transmission (919).
- Model years flagged in our years-to-avoid analysis: 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023.
- Best-rated years: 2008, 2009, 2010.
Complaints measure problems owners reported to the government, not repair bills: a high count signals more unscheduled repairs, which AAA's category benchmark doesn't adjust for. F-150 years to avoid →
How the F-150 compares in its AAA category (half-ton crew-cab pickup)
Same AAA category means the same dollar benchmark, so the complaint rate is what separates them. Luxury models aren't priced.
| Model | Est. per year | Complaints / 1,000 sold | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford F-150 | $1,704 | 0.427 Best | About average |
| Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | $1,704 | 0.579 Above average | About average |
| GMC Sierra 1500 | $1,704 | 0.922 Average | Somewhat — above average |
| Ram 1500 | $1,704 | 0.968 Below average | Somewhat — above average |
| Toyota Tundra | $1,704 | — | About average |
Frequently asked questions
Is the F-150 high maintenance?
Not especially. The Ford F-150 is about average to maintain. On AAA's 2025 half-ton crew-cab pickup benchmark, it costs about $1,704 a year to maintain and repair at 15,000 miles a year, tires included — about the same as the $1,656 all-vehicle average. Owners filed 0.427 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 F-150s sold (2015–2022 sales), #2 of 8 pickup trucks we rank (lower is better; segment median 0.832).
Is the F-150 expensive to maintain?
Plan on about $1,704 a year, $8,520 over 5 years. AAA 2025 half-ton crew-cab pickup benchmark: 11.36¢ a mile × 15,000 miles a year. Covers scheduled maintenance, wear-item repairs, one set of tires and an extended warranty over 5 years. A category average, not a F-150-specific quote.
How much does a F-150 cost to maintain over 10 years?
About $17,040 at 15,000 miles a year (150,000 miles), extending the AAA 5-year per-mile rate in a straight line. Treat it as a floor: AAA's rate is measured on a car's first 5 years, and older cars need larger repairs.
How often does the F-150 need an oil change?
Ford's published oil-change interval: condition-based: Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor shows a message when an oil change is due; do it within two weeks or 500 mi of the message. Check your owner's manual for your engine; severe-service intervals are shorter.
What is the cheapest Ford to maintain?
Of the 4 Ford models we cover, the F-150 has the lowest estimated maintenance cost: about $1,704 a year (AAA 2025 half-ton crew-cab pickup benchmark).
What F-150 years should I avoid?
Our NHTSA years-to-avoid analysis flags 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023. Owners filed 0.427 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 F-150s sold (2015–2022 sales), #2 of 8 pickup trucks we rank (lower is better; segment median 0.832).
Related
Sources and method
Dollar figures: AAA's 2025 Your Driving Costs category benchmark (retail parts and labor for routine maintenance specified by the vehicle manufacturer, a comprehensive extended warranty, repairs to wear-and-tear items that need service during 5 years of operation, and one set of replacement tires). Schedule, oil interval and included maintenance: Ford's own documents, linked by row. Complaints: NHTSA's public complaint database, divided by published U.S. sales (CarWhere analysis).
- Your Driving Costs 2025 (brochure: cost per mile by vehicle category) — AAA (maintenance cents per mile by category)
- Your Driving Costs 2025 fact sheet (methodology) — AAA (what the maintenance line includes)
- NHTSA vehicle owner complaints database — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (complaints per 1,000 sold is a CarWhere calculation)
- Ford Explorer Owner's Manual (edition July 2025, file labeled 2026) — Scheduled Maintenance — Ford (opened 2026-11-06)
- Ford — What is the Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor System? — Ford (opened 2026-11-06)
- Ford Protect — FAQ (paid maintenance plans) — Ford (opened 2026-11-06)