2023 Ford F-150: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
48%
226 of 474 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
48% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2023 Ford F-150 are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 60% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 26 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 45%).
Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.
What owners reported
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE03/31/2026FIRECRASH1 INJURED
After a crash into a tree on the passenger side the airbags deployed and the truck immediately caught fire and the doors locked and would not open for any reason. The only way I was able to exit was busting through the front windshield. had I been severely injured or knocked unconscious the outcome of this would have b…
SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM08/15/2025CRASH1 INJURED
When pressing on the break to come to a stop pulling in parking space, my F150 quickly accelerated cause a crash into a building my 2 year old truck has been declared a total loss from insurance.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE04/25/2025FIRE1 INJURED
This vehicle started having issues. The truck would shut off going down the highway at 60-65 mph. The radio would blink on and off. The truck would shut down and not turn back on for multiple hours. Dealer couldn't replicate the problem. Our son utilized the truck to go and pick up LP gas for us from his shop. On the w…
Three of 226 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 (13)
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2023 F-150, Mustang, Explorer, Bronco, and 2023 Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. The t…
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023 F-150 vehicles. The instrument panel top cover on the passenger-side may prevent the air bag from deploying as intend…
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023 F-150, Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The front axle pinion may not have been heat-treated, which can ca…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2023 Ford F-150
Ask the seller whether the transmission has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many transmission faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the transmission.
13 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A transmission already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
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.
