1999 Ford F-150 problems & reliability
1,044 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1999 Ford F-150, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
58 complaints report injuries (82 injured, 11 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1999 Ford F-150 vehicles were involved in 175 fatal crashes with 95 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 219 | 21% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 112 | 11% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 97 | 9% |
| Structure | 95 | 9% |
| Electrical System | 85 | 8% |
| Visibility | 81 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 79 | 8% |
| Power Train | 75 | 7% |
| Air Bags | 69 | 7% |
| Tires | 52 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 100,000 miles (middle 50% between 64,000 and 144,220 miles), based on 489 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owned a 1999 Ford F-150. The contact stated that he had parked the vehicle and was standing outside of the vehicle, between the driver's side door and the vehicle; however, the vehicle reversed independently at 5-7 MPH onto the highway. The contact's back was slammed against the pole of a speed limit sign…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Jul 24, 2023
“Tl* the contact owned a 1999 ford f-150. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked at his residence, the vehicle caught fire. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with a water hose. The fire department and police department were not informed nor was a…”
Engine · filed Mar 23, 2021
“Lower intake manifold gaskets keep blowing, as well as the head gaskets I only drive ford's, so ford please fix this for us loyal owners please.”
Engine · filed Sep 23, 2020
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Fuel Tank Strap Failure Due to Corrosion
Engineering Analysis EA11006 · opened May 4, 2011 · closed Aug 19, 2011 · led to recall 11V385000
- Fuel Tank Strap Corrosion/Rust
Preliminary Evaluation PE10036 · opened Sep 7, 2010 · closed May 23, 2011
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Engineering Analysis EA05005 · opened Mar 22, 2005 · closed Aug 2, 2006 · led to recall 08V025000
- BLOW BACK DURING REFUELING
Preliminary Evaluation PE99047 · opened Jul 12, 1999 · closed Sep 23, 1999
Technical service bulletins
295 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1999 Ford F-150. The 10 most recent:
This SKU is an Oil Dipstick. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect the dipstick tube. The dipstick tube inner diameter may be small enough that it prevents installation of the OE…
DOR-N3Z7B-03 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 7, 2020
Safety recall 11S21 - Fuel tank strap fracture - requests for recall service action
TSB160073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 21, 2016
For 1997-2003 F-150, 2004 F-150 Heritage, 1997-1999 F-250 Light Duty, or 2002-2003 Blackwood vehicles Safety Recall 11S21 has been issued for vehicles that are operated in high corrosion areas for an extended period…
16-0073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 21, 2016
Ford/lincoln: safety recall regarding high corrosion areas for operating, for an extended time, vehicles where both or one strap of fuel tank can fracture, after contacting ground. Model 1997-99 f250 ld, 1997-03 f150…
TSB-14-0164 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 9, 2014
Ford/lincoln: safety recall issued due to one or both fuel tank straps fracturing due to being in high corrosion areas for an extended period and dislodging fuel tank. Model 1997-99 f250, 1997-03 f150, 2004 f150…
TSB-14-0147 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 11, 2014
Ford: certain 1999-2001 model year vehicles up to 6000 lb gvwr registered in new york and certain 2001 vehicles up to 6000 lb gvwr registered in the state of maine, certified for sale in california-federal emission…
CSP-08B01 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 16, 2008
1999-2008 7.3l/6.0l/6.4l/4.5l diesel f-super duty - clean the charge air cooler (cac) system after certain turbo or engine failures - service tip. *nj
20228 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2008
Some 1997-2008 vehicles equipped with a 4.6l 2v, 5.4l 2v, or 6.8l 2v engine--spark plug thread repair procedure--not covered under new vehicle limited warranty. *nj this includes f-53 motorhome chassis. Updated 2/23/10…
07212 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2007
Wds cop kit diagnostic tip - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - engine misfire or rough running. *tt
041601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 14, 2005
Rear axle noise repair. *tt
05618 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2005
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1999 Ford F-150 has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1999 Ford F-150?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 100,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.