What's Wrong with the 13th Generation (2015–2020) F-150?

F-150 owners have made 715 complaints about the 2015–2020 model years. Using our PainRank™ system we've ranked it 79th out of 94 Ford generations in overall reliability, with some engine and interior concerns.

Compare With Other F-150 Generations

Common 2015-2020 Ford F-150 Problems

Some of the worst issues 13th generation F-150 owners have to deal with.

  1. Rodent Damage to Soy-Based Wire Coating

    Newer Ford vehicles use an electrical wire coating that is a more eco-friendly, soy-based material. But maybe it's a little too eco-friendly? There's been an uptick in owner complaints about rodents using the coating as a chew toy and causi…

    Continue reading article "Rodent Damage to Soy-Based Wire Coating" A chewed wiring harness showing exposed copper wiring

  2. Swollen and Stuck Lug Nuts

    Most lug nuts are one piece of hardened steel, but Ford chose a design that puts an aluminum cap over a steel core. The cap is notorious for swelling and delaminating when it gets hot, and it’s also a great place to trap moisture and promot…

    Continue reading article "Swollen and Stuck Lug Nuts"

  4. Door Latch Failure

    Ford is having a tough time with its door latches. The seemingly simple devices keep finding new ways to fail allowing doors to fly open while driving, or rebound and hit you when you go to close them. The issues have been investigated and …

    Continue reading article "Door Latch Failure" Side view of a gray Ford sedan

  5. MyFord Touch Complaints

    Ford's customer satisfaction has been in steady decline since 2010. MyFord Touch was also released in 2010. This is not a coincidence. The system was Ford's attempt at an all-in-one, in-dash communication and entertainment system. What owne…

    Continue reading article "MyFord Touch Complaints"

What Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

What Breaks the Most

Years to Avoid

13th Generation (2015–2020) F-150 Key Numbers

  1. 5 model years

    Grouping all models by their year can reveal some baddies.

  2. 715 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  3. 79th in reliability

    Overall reliability rank out of 94 eligible generations.

Recent Lawsuits for 13th Generation F-150 Owners

  • Lyman, et al., v. Ford Motor Company

    1. Case Filed

      Ford F-150 oil consumption issues have caused a class action lawsuit which includes trucks equipped with 5-liter engines. The 2018-2020 trucks allegedly have multiple defects that cause excessive oil consumption.

    Class Vehicles
    • 2018-2020 F-150
    Location
    Michigan

Recent 13th Generation (2015–2020) F-150 News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  1. One of Ford's "solutions" to excessive oil concerns in the F-150 was to install new dipsticks with lowered minimum fill level markings. No wonder they're getting sued.

    A proposed class-action lawsuit says Ford needs to properly address oil consumption issues in the 5.0-liter Coyote engine.

    A couple major flaws inside the engine draw excess oil into the combustion chamber where it is burned off. Not only does this mean the engine uses much more oil than advertised, but all that additional carbon buildup causes wear on ignition and emissions equipment.…

    keep reading article "2018-2020 F-150 Owners Sue Ford Over Excessive Oil Consumption Concerns"

  2. Ford has recalled over 874,000 F-Series trucks with engine block heaters that can start a fire when plugged into the wall.

    The automaker believes a low and unshielded mounting position is allowing road salt to corrode the heater cable’s splice connector, causing at least three known fires.

    Block heaters are made for cold climates. Road salt is too. I'm not sure how those blockheads forgot to shield those cables in the first place.

    keep reading article "Engine Block Heaters Recaled for Starting Fires in F-Series Trucks"

  3. Leaky master cylinders are causing a sudden loss of pressure in the F-150’s braking system.

    Brakes really thrive under pressure, it’s what pushes the pads against the rotors and keeps your brake pedal from falling to the floor. You know, little stuff like that. In a twist, it’s Ford that finds themselves under pressure from a California lawsuit looking for an expansion of a previous master cylinder recall.…

    keep reading article "Lawsuit Says Ford Should Expand a Previous F-150 Master Cylinder Recall"

  5. Anyone out there having trouble slowing their truck down?

    There’s a lawsuit that says a change to the F-150’s master cylinder design is creating a dangerous braking situation.

    All 2013-2018 Ford F-150s use master cylinders supplied by Hitachi, with the pistons fitted with just a single cup seal responsible for containing pressurized brake fluid. The lawsuit alleges this is unusual because pistons within master cylinders are usually fitted with two cup seals to ensure that fluid does not leak out of the master cylinders.

    These single-seal master cylinders have already been recalled for the 2013 and 2014 model years. But instead of changing the design, Ford replaced the defective part with – I bet you can see where this is going – new defective parts.

    keep reading article "The F-150's Single-Seal Master Cylinder Design is Doomed to Fail"

  6. Of all the things that can start a fire in your truck, I’m guessing you were never really worried about the seat belts.

    Well, guess what? Following a lengthy investigation into the seat belt pretensioner system in the 2015-2018 F-150, Ford has decided to recall 2 million trucks that are catching on fire after a crash.

    Between April and October 2017, Ford knew of four reports of localized interior fires that occurred on 2015-2016 F-150s after the seat belt pretensioners deployed. An investigation on the four trucks was opened that focused on the front seat belt pretensioners (both retractor and lap anchor), electrical wiring, insulation and carpeting.

    Pretensioners use a small explosive charge to lock the seat belt in place during an accident. Except, the F-150’s charges aren’t small and have been producing “excessive sparks” that smolder on interior panels and sometimes start a fire.

    The recall covers both the Regular and SuperCrew Cabs.

    keep reading article "Millions of F-150s Recalled Because Their Seat Belts Are Starting Fires After Crashes"

  7. Ford owners sure do love their trucks and they just can't seem to stop talking about them.

    It also turns out some of them just can't stop thanks to widespread brake issues. Federal safety regulators are investigating 2015-2016 Ford F-150 trucks after reports of brake pedals going to the floorboards, a complete loss of brakes and dealerships diagnosing the problems as caused by faulty master cylinders.

    We've all heard about putting the pedal to metal, you just never want that to happen with the pedal on the left.

    If all this master cylinder / brake talk sounds familiar, it's because the 2013 and 2014 model years were recalled for the same issue earlier this year. I guess that's one box still unchecked on the Ford engineer's to-do list.

    keep reading article "2015-2016 F-150 Brakes Under Investigation"

What F-150 Owners Say About This Generation

Rodents Can't Get Enough of Ford's Soy-Coated Wiring and That's a Big Problem

I began to wonder why the old truck had no troubles being parked in the same place for 15 years and right away the new truck has this chronic issue. Doing a little Internet research I discovered that the wiring insulation as well as a few other component parts on this and the 2016 models is made from a soy-based material. Turns out that to a rat or other rodent that insulation looks like a tasty little snack!

2015 F-150 Owner