The Lemon Index2023 Ford F-150.
The 2023 Ford F-150 is so far better than average by owner complaints: 710 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 80, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about electrical, and it has 22 recalls. The best Ford F-150 year is 2007.
Early read
Covers the whole F-Series (F-150 plus the F-250/F-350 Super Duty): Ford reports their sales together.
Before you buy. What matters most for this car.
How serious. Out of 710 owner complaints, owners reported:
Every Ford F-150 year. 2023 is highlighted. Lower is better.
What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.
Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.
When owners reported problems. From owner complaints to the government.
Most owners who filed a complaint with NHTSA had 5K to 40K miles on the car (121 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.
- transmission & drivetrain complaints mostly came at 14K–45K miles
- electrical complaints mostly came at 2K–18K miles
Recalls 22
- fuel system, gasoline 2026
The fuel tank may be improperly secured and leak fuel, or detach from the vehicle while driving.
- back over prevention 2026
A software error may cause the rearview camera image to be obstructed by the infotainment home screen menu when the vehicle is placed in reverse.
- electrical 2026
When towing a trailer, the integrated trailer module (ITRM) may lose communication with the vehicle, possibly causing a loss of brake and turn signal lights, or a loss of brake function.
Show all 22 recalls
- transmission & drivetrain 2025
The integrated park module may fail to lock into the park position when the driver shifts into park.
- visibility 2025
The moonroof wind deflector clips may be inadequately attached to the moonroof frame, which can result in the wind deflector detaching from the vehicle.
- lights 2025
The rear lightbar may have microcracks in the outer lens that allows moisture to accumulate, which can result in inoperative or flickering reverse lights.
- transmission & drivetrain 2025
The rear axle hub bolt may fatigue and break, which can result in damage to the axle hub splines.
- back over prevention 2025
A software error may cause the rearview camera image to delay, freeze, or not display when the vehicle is in reverse.
- stability control 2025
The SYNC software may fail to activate the electronic stability control (ESC) system at the beginning of each ignition cycle.
- electrical 2025
The fasteners that secure the junction box bus bars inside the high-voltage battery pack may not have been tightened securely, which can cause electrical arcing at the busbars.
- electrical 2025
A manufacturing defect in the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit.
- suspension 2024
The front upper control arm ball joint nut may not have been tightened properly, allowing the front upper control arm to detach from the knuckle assembly.
- equipment 2024
The air bag warning label may be missing from the dashboard.
- electrical 2024
The fasteners that secure the junction box bus bars inside the high-voltage battery pack may not have been tightened securely, which can cause electrical arcing at the busbars.
- transmission & drivetrain 2023
The rear axle hub bolt may fatigue and break, which can result in damage to the axle hub splines.
- steering 2023
The steering wheel clock spring may have an insufficient weld, causing a loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag.
- stability control 2023
The SYNC software may fail to activate the electronic stability control (ESC) system at the beginning of each ignition cycle.
- parking brake 2023
Contact with the rear axle housing may damage the wiring harness, causing the electric parking brake to activate unexpectedly.
- lights 2023
The rear lightbar may have microcracks in the outer lens that allows moisture to accumulate, which can result in inoperative or flickering reverse lights.
- transmission & drivetrain 2023
The front axle pinion may not have been heat-treated, which can cause it to fracture.
- transmission & drivetrain 2023
The transmission may contain a loose bolt which could prevent the transmission from engaging the park gear, although the gear shifter position may indicate that the vehicle has been shifted to "PARK.".
- airbags 2023
The instrument panel top cover on the passenger-side may prevent the air bag from deploying as intended.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.
Problems Ford told dealers about
Ford sent dealers 485 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- Ting, pop or clicking noise from the front or rear
- Noise when the brakes are applied
Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.
Safety
Crash test details
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford F-150 (Regular Cab) Gas PU/RC 4WD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ |
| Ford F-150 (Regular Cab) Gas PU/RC RWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ |
| Ford F-150 (Super Cab) Gas PU/EC 4WD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ |
| Ford F-150 (Super Cab) Gas PU/EC RWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ |
Fuel cost and engines
About $1100–3400 a year in electricity (EPA estimate).
In owners' words
⢠power train malfunction / reduced power ⢠dealer sees the same problem / issue ⢠I did get a "wrench" icon on my dashboard and a power train malfunction notice on my ford pass app
2023 Ford F-150 owner · NHTSA complaint 11543071
More owner reports
While driving at high way speeds, a fault in the drive train was detected and reduced power to the electric motors, reducing our speed to only 5 MPH.
NHTSA complaint 11594949
While driving the trailer plug melted at the connection to the truck. I got a message that the trailer was disconnected and there were no brakes on the trailer. The plug on the truck is burned.
NHTSA complaint 11520897
Quick answers
Is the 2023 Ford F-150 reliable?
It's too early to be sure. So far it has drawn 1.2× fewer complaints than average per car sold, against other 2023 cars after the same time on the road (early Lemon Index 80; 100 is average). The best Ford F-150 year by this measure since 2010 is 2025.
What are the most common 2023 Ford F-150 problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are electrical (32%), transmission & drivetrain (31%) and brakes (10%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2023 Ford F-150 have?
22 safety recalls (latest: fuel system, gasoline). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Is the 2023 Ford F-150 safe?
NHTSA gave it 5 out of 5 stars overall in its best tested version. Ratings differ by body style, and the full table is on the advanced page.
At what mileage do 2023 Ford F-150 problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 5,300 and 40,000 miles. The middle report was at 18,000 miles, from 121 complaints.
Does the 2023 Ford F-150 have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues make up 31% of its owner complaints.
How much does the 2023 Ford F-150 cost in fuel a year?
About $1100 to $3400 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What Ford F-150 year is better than the 2023?
By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2014, 2010 and 2020.
Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average; lower is better. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works