2010 Ford F-150

Typical pattern

6.5% of complaints about the 2010 Ford F-150 came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2010 vehicle — around the middle of the 203 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 5.4 yr in service. The most-reported system is electrical system (166 complaints), typically at 5.1 yr or about 60,141 miles.

Complaints: 1,133
Median age at failure: 5.4 yr
Median mileage: 56,330 n=981
Crash / fire / tow: 9.2% of reports
Safety recalls: 1

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Electrical system

166 reports · 60,141 mi

5.1 yr

12.7%

Power train

124 reports · 61,000 mi

6.8 yr

12.1%

Visibility

107 reports · 45,980 mi

4.7 yr

9.3%

Engine

107 reports · 80,000 mi

6.6 yr

6.5%

Visibility / wipers

104 reports · 73,000 mi

5.9 yr

6.7%

Structure

92 reports · 52,000 mi

5.7 yr

8.7%

Other

61 reports · 66,000 mi

7.3 yr

1.6%

Steering

48 reports · 63,000 mi

6.4 yr

8.3%

Service brakes

44 reports · 71,400 mi

6.5 yr

4.5%

Fuel / propulsion

44 reports · 90,000 mi

7.6 yr

6.8%

Speed control

39 reports · 52,000 mi

4.3 yr

23.1%

Engine cooling

31 reports · 17,000 mi

1.3 yr

9.7%

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

11V049000 2011-02-01

Structure:body:door

FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 F-150 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JANUARY 18, 2008, THROUGH NOVEMBER 30, 2009. THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE HOUSING EMBOSSMENT RETAINING THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE SPRING MAY FRACTURE DURING NORMAL USAGE RESULTING IN INSUFFICIENT SPRING FORCE TO RETURN THE HANDLE TO THE FULLY STOWED POSITION.

IN THE EVENT OF A SIDE IMPACT CRASH, THE DOOR HANDLE SPRING CAN FAIL CAUSING THE DOOR LATCH TO OPEN.

In owners’ own words

Speed control 22,000 mi 1.8 yr in service crash / fire / tow

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2010 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5-8 MPH, THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD. THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP UNTIL CRASHING INTO A TREE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, BUT THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THIS WAS THE FIFTH TIME THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,000. UPDATED 08/31/11*LJ UPDATE 09/09/11

Speed control 10,000 mi 1.8 yr in service crash / fire / tow

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE PARKING LOT OF A HOSPITAL WHILE THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE DEALER DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS TO THE FAILURE AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. A FIRE REPORT WAS AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 10,000.

Speed control 35,633 mi 1.8 yr in service crash / fire / tow

VEHICLE BEING DRIVEN AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEED ON CRUISE CONTROL. CRUISE CONTROL KICKED OFF. THEN POWER STEERING AND BRAKES WENT OUT AND A FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT IN FRONT OF DRIVER SEAT. VEHICLE COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. SMOKE BEGAN TO FILL THE CAB. AT SIDE OF ROAD VEHICLE WAS EVACUATED VEHICLE BURNED TO THE GROUND. PHOTOS AVAILABLE FROM THE TIME THEY GOT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. *KB

Exterior lighting mileage not reported 5 mo in service

THE BLUE HEADLIGHTS ARE PROBLEM FOR ONCOMING VEHICLES AND SHOULD BE OUTLAWED AS WELL AS THE LITTLE LIGHTS THAT ARE MOUNTED BELOW THE HEADLIGHTS THAT COME ON WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS ARE ON DIM,ON THE SUV'S THEY ARE THE WORST,THE ONE'S THAT ARE ON THE FORD PICKUPS AND SOME OF THE CHEVY. PICKUPS ARE AS BIG AS THE HEADLIGHT AND ARE IN SOME CASES BRIGHTER THEN THE DIM HEADLIGHTS AND THEY BLIND ONCOMING VEHICLES AND THEY TOO SHOULD BE OUTLAWED. *TR

Other F-150 model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.