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2017 Ford F-150: engine and transmission complaints

HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
56%
598 of 1,116 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

56% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2017 Ford F-150 are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.

Worse than 73% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
598
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
1,116
this model year
Fires reported
19
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
18
37 crashes · 32 injuries

Complaints by component

POWER TRAIN318 · 28%
ENGINE270 · 24%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER136 · 12%
STRUCTURE104 · 9%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM100 · 9%
SERVICE BRAKES80 · 7%

The years either side

2010
34%
273 of 850
2011
56%
1,176 of 2,137
2012
62%
1,044 of 1,717
2013
61%
1,669 of 2,796
2014
39%
515 of 1,362
2015
34%
459 of 1,425
2016
40%
674 of 1,743
2017
56%
598 of 1,116
2018
64%
1,173 of 1,895
2019
76%
735 of 994
2020
61%
323 of 543
2021
49%
561 of 1,253
2022
40%
292 of 800
2023
48%
226 of 500

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

Cleaner alternatives

Other full-size pickups with no elevated signal

Toyota Tundra 201614%

The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.

What owners reported

SEAT BELTS,STRUCTURE,ENGINE07/09/2020CRASH3 INJURED
DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY ON A FRONTAL CRASH. MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING HWY 583 IN WILKINSON COUNTY ,MISSISSIPPI WHEN THE VEHICLE WENT OFF THE PAVEMENT STRIKING TWO LARGE TREES.*DT*JB
POWER TRAIN03/20/20251 INJURED
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission was slipping and the vehicle jerked significantly, causing the contact to sustain back pain. The power train warning light and an unknown warning light were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Geared Up Trans…
POWER TRAIN05/06/20231 INJURED
On April 28th, 2023 at approx. 1800 this Ford F-150 malfunctioned yet again. While traveling east on Interstate I-70 in a construction zone near Saint Clairsville, OHIO, this F-150 was set on cruise speed for the construction zone. This F-150 shifted from 8th gear down to 3rd gear. This uncommanded and unprompted ch…

Three of 598 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Recall campaigns on this model year (18)

ENGINE
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up …
ENGINE
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up …
SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford F-150 Regular Cab and SuperCrew Cab vehicles. If a front seat belt pretensioner deploys as the result of a …

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2017 Ford F-150

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle. Combined across 4 body styles NHTSA files separately.