Is the 2023 Ford F-150 a bad year?
418 owner complaints to NHTSA. Transmission complaints: 159, 2.8× a quiet F-150 year.
Keep it, but watch the transmission
Half of the transmission complaints for this year were filed at 18k–49k miles, where you are now. Few of them say the car was towed: 3 of 159 filed since 2016.
The verdict moves with mileage: the same car reads differently at 30,000 and at 150,000 miles.
What 2023 F-150 owners report, by mileage
Each system owners named in five or more complaints, with the mileage range where the middle half of those complaints were filed. Read at 34,000 miles.
| SYSTEM | COMPLAINTS | MIDDLE HALF FILED AT | TYPICAL US REPAIR BILLS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission and drivetrainSTANDS OUT | 159 (38%) | 18k–49k miles · around this mileage | CV axle / CV joint replacement (one side) $300–$1,500 · Automatic transmission replacement $2,500–$7,000 |
| Visibility and wipers | 28 (7%) | 7k–35k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Fuel system | 10 (2%) | 25k–52k miles · around this mileage | Fuel pump replacement $220–$1,500 · Fuel injector replacement (one injector) $300–$1,200 |
| Electrical system | 85 (20%) | 9k–31k miles · mostly behind | — |
| Brakes | 48 (11%) | 8k–23k miles · mostly behind | — |
| Engine | 28 (7%) | 4k–29k miles · mostly behind | — |
| Collision avoidance | 28 (7%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Body structure | 24 (6%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Exterior lighting | 23 (6%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Wheels | 21 (5%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Speed control | 18 (4%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Steering | 17 (4%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Suspension | 8 (2%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Lane assist | 7 (2%) | too few with a mileage | — |
Bills are typical US ranges from the sources named in the tool (J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, CarParts.com and others), printed only for systems that stand out or sit at or ahead of 34,000 miles. Not a quote.
What owners reported alongside their complaints
Of 418 complaints: 18 mention a crash · 4 mention a fire · 7 report an injury · 15 say the car was towed.
180 complaints were filed in the last 12 months, the newest in Oct 2026.
Counts of what owners wrote in their complaints, not verified by anyone.
Recalls for the 2023 Ford F-150: 13
The fuel tank may be improperly secured and leak fuel, or detach from the vehicle while driving. A detached tank can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, a fuel leak can cause an engine stall or increase the risk of a fire.
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. An obstructed rearview camera image can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
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. Trailer lights or brakes that do not function can reduce the driver's ability to control the trailer and decrease the trailers visibility to other road users, increasing the risk of a crash.
The moonroof wind deflector clips may be inadequately attached to the moonroof frame, which can result in the wind deflector detaching from the vehicle. A detached wind deflector can become a road hazard and increase the risk of a crash.
The rear axle hub bolt may fatigue and break, which can result in damage to the axle hub splines. Damaged axle hub splines can result in a vehicle rollaway when in park without the parking brake applied or cause a loss of drive power. Either of these conditions can increase the risk of a crash.
A software error may cause the rearview camera image to delay, freeze, or not display when the vehicle is in reverse. A frozen or missing rearview camera image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The air bag warning label may be missing from the dashboard. Without a label that shows the proper restraint usage guidelines, the occupants may have an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
The rear axle hub bolt may fatigue and break, which can result in damage to the axle hub splines. Damaged axle hub splines can result in a vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is in park without the parking brake applied or cause a loss of drive power. Both of these conditions can increase the risk of a crash.
The steering wheel clock spring may have an insufficient weld, causing a loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag. A deactivated air bag will not deploy during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Contact with the rear axle housing may damage the wiring harness, causing the electric parking brake to activate unexpectedly. Unexpected activation of the electric parking brake while driving increases the risk of a crash.
The front axle pinion may not have been heat-treated, which can cause it to fracture. A fractured pinion can result in a loss of 4-wheel drive and may cause the front wheels to lock up, increasng the risk of a crash.
The instrument panel top cover on the passenger-side may prevent the air bag from deploying as intended. An air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury in a crash.
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." The inability to secure the vehicle in the park position can result in a rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
A recall may cover only some cars of a model year; the campaign size counts every model and year it lists. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls: dealers fix open recalls free.
Service bulletins from Ford: 382
Repair instructions Ford sent its dealers for symptoms seen in the shop on the 2023 Ford F-150. Ask a dealer or mechanic for a bulletin by its number.
Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may have diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P05B0 stored in the powertrain control module…
Some 2020-2026 Aviator/Explorer/F-150/Bronco/Ranger vehicles equipped with a 2.7L or 3.0L…
Detected with the CDF clutch cylinder following this article, technicians should carefully inspect and replace other transmission components and flush…
Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoost engine and 2020-2026 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.3L hybrid engine may exhibit…
Neighbouring years
2022 F-150: 607 complaints, keep it, but watch the transmission · 2024 F-150: 196 complaints, keep it, but watch the transmission.
Every Ford F-150 year
2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012 · 2013 · 2014 · 2015 · 2016 · 2017 · 2018 · 2019 · 2020 · 2021 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · 2026 · All F-150 years side by side
Other Ford models: Ford 500 · Ford Bronco · Ford Bronco Sport · Ford C-Max · Ford Contour · Ford Crown Victoria · Ford E-150 · Ford E-250 · Ford E-350 · Ford E-450 · Ford EcoSport · Ford Edge · Ford Escape · Ford Escape Hybrid · Ford Escort · Ford Excursion · Ford Expedition · Ford Explorer · Ford Explorer Sport · Ford Explorer Sport Trac · Ford F SD · Ford F-150 Hybrid · Ford F-150 Lightning BEV · Ford F-250 SD · Ford F-350 SD · Ford F-450 SD · Ford F-550 SD · Ford Fiesta · Ford Five Hundred · Ford Flex · Ford Focus · Ford Focus Electric · Ford Ford · Ford Freestar · Ford Freestyle · Ford Fusion · Ford Fusion Energi · Ford Fusion Hybrid · Ford Maverick · Ford Maverick Hybrid · Ford Mustang · Ford Mustang GT · Ford Mustang Mach-E · Ford Ranger · Ford Taurus · Ford Taurus X · Ford Thunderbird · Ford Transit · Ford Transit Connect · Ford Windstar. All makes and models.
Questions
Is the 2023 Ford F-150 a bad year?
418 owner complaints to NHTSA. Transmission complaints: 159, 2.8× a quiet F-150 year. At 34,000 miles the tool says: Keep it, but watch the transmission. Half of the transmission complaints for this year were filed at 18k–49k miles, where you are now. Few of them say the car was towed: 3 of 159 filed since 2016.
What are the most common problems with the 2023 Ford F-150?
By owner complaints to NHTSA: transmission and drivetrain (159), visibility and wipers (28), fuel system (10), electrical system (85), brakes (48). Half of the transmission complaints were filed between 18k–49k miles.
How many recalls does the 2023 Ford F-150 have?
13 recall campaigns list this model year: Fuel system (NHTSA 26V-578), Backup camera (NHTSA 26V-489), Exterior lighting (NHTSA 26V-104), Visibility and wipers (NHTSA 25V-729) and more. A recall may cover only some cars; check by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Method: counts of unverified owner complaints filed with NHTSA, compared only with other years of the same model (sales volumes are unknown, so no failure rate is computed). A system stands out at 40+ complaints and at least twice the model's quiet (lower-quartile) year, or twice the share across every vehicle of that model year. The mileage range is the 25th to 75th percentile of the mileages owners reported. Data received by NHTSA through November 5, 2026. Repair prices are typical US ranges from named sources, not quotes. Not a diagnosis and not financial advice. PulsCar is not affiliated with NHTSA. Check this car at your own mileage.