What breaks most · 1990 to 2003 model years
Ford Ford Truck problems by year
Owners have filed 274 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Ford Ford Truck across model years 1990 to 2003. Three years stand out: 2002 for powertrain and transmission complaints, 1997 for tires complaints and 1999 for engine and cooling complaints. The quietest years are 1993, 1990 and 1991.
- Years to check closely: 2002, 1997, 1999
- Fewest complaints: 1993, 1990, 1991
- Complaints on file
- 2741990 to 2003, all trims
- Worst year
- 200237 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 2413 fires · 33 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 69kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 0Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 0 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (2) | |
| 9 | 1 | 0 | Tires (5) | |
| 10 | 0 | 0 | Engine and cooling (2) | |
| 7 | 1 | 0 | Fuel system (3) | |
| 15 | 1 | 0 | Fuel system (3) | |
| 21 | 2 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (7) | |
| 18 | 2 | 0 | Tires (5) | |
| 34 | 2 | 0 | Tires (10) | |
| 25 | 1 | 0 | Tires (11) | |
| 33 | 6 | 0 | Engine and cooling (8) | |
| 25 | 3 | 0 | Tires (7) | |
| 20 | 0 | 0 | Engine and cooling (6) | |
| 37 | 3 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (14) | |
| 12 | 2 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (2) |
What fails on the 2002 Ford Ford Truck
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 38% |
14 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 19% |
7 | 0 | Shop all body and structure parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 16% |
6 | 1 | Shop all suspension parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 8% |
3 | 0 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Seat belts | 8% |
3 | 0 | Check recalls for seat belts on NHTSA.gov |
| Tires | 8% |
3 | 0 | — |
| Air bags | 8% |
3 | 2 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 5% |
2 | 0 | Shop all engine parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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FORD f 250 triton v10 no. 2 spark plug and coil blew out of the engine head. Apparently this is a common problem with this model and others. FORD will charge 650.00 to fix.
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FORD mechanic discribe problem: as h.c.p. Hitching and can not correct problem. Diesel consumption has increased agreat deal went from 20mpg to 8mpg. Also have replaced the water pump seven times. Was charged $100.00 one time, jan. 2001 last time water pump was changed. *ak
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1999 FORD diesel truck oil pan leaks. *mr the oil pan deteriorated prematurely. The consumer requested a fix of the problem and a recall. The consumer has talked to many FORD truck owners who have experienced this problem. *sc
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Ford Ford Truck years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2002, 1997, 1999 carry the most filings on the Ford Ford Truck. The 2002 alone has 37 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Ford Ford Truck problem?
On the 2002 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 14 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Ford Ford Truck problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Ford Ford Truck complaints that include mileage is about 69,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.