2015 Ford F-150 problems & reliability
1,665 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2015 Ford F-150, alongside 13 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.
45 complaints report injuries (80 injured, 3 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2015 Ford F-150 vehicles were involved in 250 fatal crashes with 104 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 370 | 22% |
| Service Brakes | 297 | 18% |
| Engine | 261 | 16% |
| Unknown OR Other | 200 | 12% |
| Electrical System | 167 | 10% |
| Structure | 147 | 9% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 139 | 8% |
| Steering | 83 | 5% |
| Visibility/wiper | 77 | 5% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 73 | 4% |
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 50,000 miles (middle 50% between 26,000 and 78,718 miles), based on 1,045 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“While driving (end of June 2026) at 55 mph, my truck downshifted and slowed immediately cause the tires to lose traction before shifting back and regaining control. My truck was brought to a local shop as it was unsafe to drive. The shop said the lead frame needed to be replaced and we did. I then received recall…”
Power Train · filed Aug 5, 2026
“The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted from 5th gear to 2nd gear with the WRENCH icon displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (POWER TRAIN). After the…”
Power Train · filed Aug 4, 2026
“The contact's son owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while his son was driving 15 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to 1st gear, causing the rear wheels to lock up and the vehicle to skid toward the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the contact's workplace. The…”
Power Train · filed Aug 4, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Engineering Analysis EA26001 · opened Jan 30, 2026 · open
- Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Preliminary Evaluation PE25002 · opened Mar 21, 2025 · closed Jan 30, 2026
- Seatbelt Pretensioner Fire
Preliminary Evaluation PE18008 · opened Aug 3, 2018 · closed Dec 17, 2018 · led to recall 18V568000
- Champion Ford Edinboro / Steering Shaft
Audit Query AQ17001 · opened Jan 4, 2017 · closed Jun 15, 2018
- Brake Master Cylinder Failure
Recall Query RQ16001 · opened Sep 28, 2016 · closed Jul 5, 2020 · led to recall 20V332000
Technical service bulletins
249 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2015 Ford F-150. The 10 most recent:
Customer Satisfaction Program 26N04 Certain 2015-2017 Model Year F-150 Vehicles Equipped with a 6R80 Transmission Transmission Molded Leadframe Replacement
26N04 · Other · issued Jul 9, 2026
Advance Notice – Customer Satisfaction Program 25N17 Certain 2015-2025 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Rear View Camera Replacement If Required After Dealer Evaluation
25N17 · Other · issued Mar 25, 2026
Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated…
SSM 54601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 2026
Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. Pinpoint test HK in…
SSM 54366 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 12, 2025
Various vehicles equipped with a 2.7L or a 3.0L gas engine may require a crankshaft bolt replacement during repairs. Various vehicles equipped with a 2.7L or a 3.0L gas engine may require a crankshaft bolt replacement…
SSM 53174 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 27, 2024
While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024…
SSM 53040 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 10, 2024
This article supersedes TSB 22-2219 to update the Parts List and Service Procedure to clarify applicable steps by vehicle application. Some 2003-2020 Expedition/Navigator and 2006-2020 F-150 (non-Raptor) vehicles…
TSB 24-2188 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 24, 2024
All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the…
SSM 52476 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2024
This article supersedes TSB 23-2330 to update the Parts List. Some 2015-2017 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 2.7L EcoBoost engine may exhibit an oil leak from the oil pan RTV seal. This may be due to various concerns…
TSB 24-2098 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 29, 2024
For 2015-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines and customer concern of an engine oil leak, refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 303-00 for oil leak inspection and testing methods. Ford has…
SSM 52335 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 6, 2024
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 2015 Ford F-150 has 13 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 2015 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 50,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.