Ford problems by model
Owners have filed 357,917 complaints with NHTSA about the 56 Ford models with enough data to profile here, covering 494 model years from 1990 through 2025. The F-150 draws the most at 48,224, 13.5% of the make's total.
Complaint volume tracks how many cars a make sold as much as how they held up, and NHTSA complaints are unverified owner reports rather than confirmed defects. Nothing on this page compares Ford against another manufacturer. Use it to find the model, then the model year, then read what owners of that year actually filed.
Every Ford model
| Model | Model years | Complaints | Most-reported year | Top system that year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F-150 | 35 1991–2025 | 48,224 | 2013 3,972 | Power train (34.1%) |
| Explorer | 33 1991–2025 | 43,345 | 2002 4,100 | Power train (38.6%) |
| Escape | 24 2001–2024 | 36,596 | 2013 3,688 | Engine (34.3%) |
| Focus | 19 2000–2018 | 29,842 | 2000 5,152 | Electrical system (27.3%) |
| Fusion | 15 2006–2020 | 28,880 | 2010 7,032 | Steering (23.6%) |
| Taurus | 26 1990–2016 | 22,041 | 1993 2,206 | Engine and engine cooling (34.5%) |
| Windstar | 9 1995–2003 | 19,365 | 1995 4,799 | Engine and engine cooling (38.5%) |
| Edge | 16 2007–2022 | 18,140 | 2013 3,249 | Electrical system (26.3%) |
| Expedition | 23 1997–2024 | 11,614 | 1999 1,137 | Engine and engine cooling (22.3%) |
| Mustang | 30 1990–2024 | 10,985 | 2005 893 | Air bags (26.4%) |
| Ranger | 26 1990–2024 | 10,042 | 1999 966 | Tires (19.4%) |
| F-250 SD | 18 1999–2022 | 8,957 | 2019 1,946 | Steering (39.9%) |
| F-250 | 21 1991–2014 | 5,461 | 1999 702 | Tires (16.2%) |
| Freestyle | 3 2005–2007 | 5,140 | 2005 2,018 | Vehicle speed control (29.1%) |
| F-350 SD | 17 1999–2022 | 4,719 | 2017 855 | Steering (34.2%) |
| Contour | 6 1995–2000 | 4,548 | 1995 1,323 | Engine and engine cooling (21.3%) |
| Escort | 11 1990–2000 | 4,316 | 1997 729 | Air bags (20.9%) |
| Fiesta | 8 2011–2019 | 4,303 | 2011 1,040 | Power train (35.2%) |
| F-350 | 18 1993–2014 | 3,608 | 1999 531 | Tires (19.2%) |
| Freestar | 3 2004–2006 | 3,146 | 2004 1,600 | Power train (54.6%) |
| Crown Victoria | 12 1992–2005 | 3,130 | 1992 482 | Service brakes, hydraulic (17.8%) |
| Thunderbird | 9 1990–2002 | 2,520 | 1993 559 | Engine and engine cooling (34.7%) |
| Ecosport | 4 2018–2021 | 2,473 | 2018 971 | Engine (36.6%) |
| Flex | 8 2009–2019 | 2,329 | 2013 780 | Electrical system (25.8%) |
| Aerostar | 7 1990–1996 | 2,228 | 1993 541 | Electrical system (20.3%) |
| Bronco Sport | 4 2021–2024 | 2,044 | 2021 1,084 | Electrical system (19.8%) |
| Escape Hybrid | 7 2005–2021 | 2,004 | 2008 584 | Service brakes (22.1%) |
| Bronco | 7 1994–2024 | 1,569 | 2022 516 | Visibility/wiper (12.6%) |
| Five Hundred | 3 2005–2007 | 1,526 | 2005 716 | Power train (19.4%) |
| Maverick Hybrid | 3 2022–2024 | 1,405 | 2022 741 | Electrical system (21.3%) |
| Excursion | 5 2000–2004 | 1,289 | 2000 635 | Tires (30.2%) |
| Probe | 6 1990–1995 | 1,263 | 1990 378 | Seat belts (77.0%) |
| Mustang Mach E | 3 2021–2023 | 1,172 | 2021 680 | Forward collision avoidance (28.2%) |
| Fusion Hybrid | 4 2010–2013 | 1,126 | 2010 648 | Steering (21.3%) |
| Tempo | 5 1990–1994 | 1,109 | 1993 316 | Engine and engine cooling (23.1%) |
| F-150 Hybrid | 3 2021–2023 | 832 | 2021 361 | Power train (34.6%) |
| Explorer Sport | 5 1998–2002 | 777 | 2001 243 | Suspension (15.2%) |
| Transit | 4 2015–2020 | 730 | 2015 274 | Power train (29.2%) |
| Explorer Sport Trac | 4 2001–2007 | 649 | 2001 229 | Power train (16.2%) |
| E-150 | 4 1994–1999 | 521 | 1994 180 | Service brakes, hydraulic (15.6%) |
| Econoline | 4 1992–1999 | 479 | 1994 164 | Service brakes, hydraulic (21.3%) |
| Maverick | 3 2022–2024 | 431 | 2022 212 | Electrical system (20.3%) |
| Mustang GT | 2 2005–2006 | 391 | 2005 213 | Electrical system (28.6%) |
| F-150 Lightning BEV | 2 2022–2023 | 349 | 2023 207 | Electrical system (35.7%) |
| C-MAX | 2 2013–2014 | 338 | 2013 233 | Electrical system (22.3%) |
| Transit Connect | 2 2014–2016 | 305 | 2014 159 | Structure (17.6%) |
| F150 | 1 1990–1990 | 290 | 1990 290 | Fuel system, gasoline (46.2%) |
| 500 | 2 2005–2006 | 252 | 2005 147 | Engine (21.1%) |
| Taurus X | 1 2008–2008 | 210 | 2008 210 | Steering (20.0%) |
| Redundant C-MAX Hybrid | 1 2013–2013 | 177 | 2013 177 | Electrical system (28.2%) |
| Fusion Energi | 1 2019–2019 | 151 | 2019 151 | Electrical system (68.2%) |
| F250 | 1 1990–1990 | 129 | 1990 129 | Fuel system, gasoline (31.0%) |
| Focus Electric | 1 2013–2013 | 120 | 2013 120 | Power train (30.8%) |
| F Super Duty | 1 1999–1999 | 115 | 1999 115 | Service brakes, hydraulic (22.6%) |
| Escape Phev | 1 2022–2022 | 107 | 2022 107 | Engine (33.6%) |
| F-450 SD | 1 2008–2008 | 105 | 2008 105 | Engine and engine cooling (30.5%) |
Model years shown are those with at least 100 complaints on file, the gate every page on this site has to clear.
Reading the numbers
Across every Ford model year on the site, power train is the system named most often: 50,705 complaints, 18.4% of those filed under a named system. Individual model years diverge from that sharply, which is the reason to read the year rather than the badge.
The three most-reported Ford models (F-150, Explorer and Escape) account for 35.8% of the make's complaint volume. The rest is spread across the other 53 models. Bear in mind that a nameplate selling in the millions will out-file a niche one whatever its record.
Of the 357,917 complaints, 17,412 describe a crash, 9,865 describe a fire and 930 report a death.
Most-reported Ford model years
The single heaviest model year of each Ford nameplate, 1990–2025. Heaviest is not worst. Read it alongside the model page.