Ford F-150 Years to Avoid
Based on federal records, the Ford F-150 years to avoid are 2021, 2022, 2018: the 2021 alone has 0 NHTSA owner complaints and 618 manufacturer service bulletins on file. The cleanest recent records so far belong to the 2025 and 2020 model years.
Sources: NHTSA complaints, manufacturer service bulletins, recall campaigns, CarWhere verified buyer prices · Updated 2026-06-11 · By Sam Reynolds, Lead Researcher
| Model year | NHTSA complaints | Service bulletins | Recall campaigns | Avg. price buyers paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 0 | 248 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 0 | 282 | 0 | — |
| 2017 | 0 | 342 | 0 | — |
| 2018AVOID | 0 | 416 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 0 | 330 | 0 | — |
| 2020BEST | 0 | 244 | 0 | — |
| 2021AVOID | 0 | 618 | 0 | — |
| 2022AVOID | 0 | 453 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 0 | 357 | 0 | — |
| 2024 | 0 | 263 | 0 | — |
| 2025BEST | 0 | 134 | 0 | $74,172 (50 deals) |
| 2026 | 0 | 34 | 0 | $64,672 (8 deals) |
Methodology: complaint counts are owner reports filed with NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation; service bulletins are manufacturer communications filed with NHTSA; counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume. Prices are averages of CarWhere verified buyer transactions (shown when 3+ deals exist for the year).
Why these years stand out
2021 Ford F-150: 0 owner complaints, 618 service bulletins, 0 open recall campaigns.
2022 Ford F-150: 0 owner complaints, 453 service bulletins, 0 open recall campaigns.
2018 Ford F-150: 0 owner complaints, 416 service bulletins, 0 open recall campaigns.
2025 Ford F-150: cleanest recent federal record (0 complaints, 134 bulletins) — verified buyers paid an average of $74,172.
2020 Ford F-150: cleanest recent federal record (0 complaints, 244 bulletins).
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FAQ
What are the worst years for the Ford F-150?
Based on federal records, the Ford F-150 years to avoid are 2021, 2022, 2018: the 2021 alone has 0 NHTSA owner complaints and 618 manufacturer service bulletins on file. The cleanest recent records so far belong to the 2025 and 2020 model years. Counts are raw federal filings (NHTSA complaints, manufacturer communications, open recall campaigns) and are not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the best years for the Ford F-150?
Among recent model years, the 2025 and 2020 Ford F-150 show the lowest combined complaint and service-bulletin counts on federal record. Verified buyers paid an average of $74,172 for the 2025.
How do I check a specific Ford F-150 before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the exact year and build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report for that VIN — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for the exact model year, the original window sticker where the manufacturer publishes one, and a market price check from verified buyers. One-time purchase, no subscription.
Where does this data come from?
Three federal sources — NHTSA owner complaints (ODI), manufacturer service bulletins filed with NHTSA, and open recall campaigns — plus CarWhere's verified buyer-paid transaction prices. Counts are presented raw and refreshed regularly.