2025 Ford F-150: What to check before buying
Owners have filed 64 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the transmission, electrical, and brakes. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2025- Owner complaints
- 64
- Recalls
- 13
- Crashes reported
- 2
- 1 injury
Your inspection sheet
Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2025 Ford F-150: inspection sheet
Paperwork and questions
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/2
Cold start, engine bay, and underside
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/2
Test drive
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/5
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
Which F-150 is it?
EPA figures for each version of the 2025 Ford F-150. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2.7L 6-cylGas | 4WD, RWD | 20–21 mpg |
| 3.5L 6-cylGas | 4WD, RWD | 19–20 mpg |
| 5.0L 8-cylGas | 4WD, RWD | 19 mpg |
| 5.2L 8-cylGas | 4WD | 12 mpg |
| 3.5L 6-cylHybrid | 4WD | 23 mpg |
- The 2025 Ford F-150 was sold in five versions. Confirm which one this is from the window sticker, the engine cover, or the VIN report before you compare prices.
- On the hybrid, watch for the car moving off on electric power at low speed and for any hybrid system warning on the dash.
- Reset the trip computer at the start of the drive. A F-150 that averages well under the EPA 12 mpg combined on a mixed route may have an engine or tire problem.
Check the odometer against these mileages
Owners report these failures starting around the mileages below. A car inside one of these ranges deserves a closer look at that part, or records showing it was already fixed.
Shifter freezes or self-shifts
500–5,330 miles
Brake loss with warning lights
1,000–6,500 miles
Why these checks: what owners reported
NHTSA complaints for the 2025 Ford F-150, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Transmission14No crashes
Powertrain fault warnings, loss of power, and a shifter that freezes are the main failures. Several reports describe a service light with a powertrain or loss-of-power message, sometimes leaving the truck undrivable while dealers fail to fix it. The console shifter can stick in the stowed position or lock in reverse or park, which strands the truck. These shifter reports cite 500 to 5,330 miles. Many other filings are about recall 25V512, where dealers say repair parts are unavailable for months even after notices said they were ready. One report mentions hard shifting.
Electrical13No crashes
Backup cameras fail most often here. They go black, flash green, flicker, or show inverted images, and repeat repairs, including a camera and a full harness replacement, do not always hold. One dealer cites a backordered part. The instrument cluster can go dark, taking the speedometer, gear display, and turn signals with it. Other reports describe brake and parking brake fault warnings, spongy or locking brakes, rear wheels locking briefly when shifting on an incline, airbag warnings, loud speaker pops with a burning smell, and headlights shutting off at night. Several trucks had under 1000 miles.
Brakes91 crash
Sudden loss of braking is the core failure. The pedal goes soft or drops to the floor, ABS, brake, and parking brake warnings flash, and the truck coasts or stops late. In some cases the brakes then lock violently. One crash with injuries involved the rear end locking up at highway speed, and the owner links it to a federal hydraulic brake recall. Reports cite 2000 to 6,500 miles. Dealers often reset modules or say Ford has no fix. A separate report describes a tow package truck missing its trailer brake control module.
Automatic emergency braking61 crash
BlueCruise hands-free driving draws most reports here. The system weaves within the lane, steers abruptly toward a barrier, fails to slow when a truck cuts in, or brakes hard after false hands-on-wheel warnings, creating rear-end and loss-of-control risk. One crash happened when the brake hold feature released at a red light. Other reports describe Reverse Brake Assist Not Available messages that disappear before a dealer can diagnose them, starting after a dash recall.
Steering5No crashes
Unexpected steering moves under BlueCruise are the main pattern. The truck veers hard left or right toward barriers or the road edge until the driver takes over. Pressing a seat memory button can also switch BlueCruise off mid-drive. One report ties a Service Charging System Now warning to steering that became very heavy at 70 mph, around 1460 miles. Another describes brief excessive play and a shimmy only in left-hand curves.
Acceleration and cruise control3No crashes
Cruise control changes speed on its own. Reports describe the set speed jumping to 95 mph from 75, and adaptive cruise or BlueCruise misreading a speed limit and braking hard, such as dropping from 70 to 50 mph in traffic. Both behaviors create rear-end crash risk and force the driver to brake or press the gas to override. One owner skipped the dealer, citing no known fix.
Exterior lights2No crashes
Headlight outages and a dim third brake light are the concerns. Water erosion of the front headlight wiring harness causes the LEDs to go out. On the Raptor, the third brake light is very dim when the tail lights are on, because it doubles as a marker lamp. Braking is then hard for following drivers to notice, especially in daylight with the headlights on.
Body and structure2No crashes
Exposed engine parts and early corrosion are the issues. On Tremor trucks with the 402A modular front bumper, a large opening leaves the front of the engine visible, and owners worry road debris or off-road obstacles could strike vital components. Separately, heavy rust on the exhaust, muffler, brackets, bolts, and screws showed up at about 60 miles, with no warning lights.
In owners' own words
Excerpts from complaints F-150 owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
1st incident: shift lever on centre consul " froze" in recessed position and vehicle could not be shifted into gear. Mileage at 500. 2nd incident: Mileage at 1600. With engine running, shift lever " froze" in reverse gear and couldn't be moved. If this happen on a busy street or highway, something serious could occur, even life threatening.
Filed with NHTSA, March 2025
Truck is brand new and keeps having engine failure. Truck is not driveable on multiple occasions. Multiple dealers have assessed and goes unrepaired. First dealer cleared light and did not repair despite loss of communication codes present.
Filed with NHTSA, September 2025
When backing Ford f-150 up on any kind of an incline rear end is locked up for about ten seconds causing a safety risk. When shifting from reverse to drive. Does not do this on a flat surface. Have almost been hit three times now by cars coming around the corner of my street. Does not throw a code. Been at dealership a couple weeks. Dealership sent tech to house to observe. Did it every time! Truck only has 800 miles on it.
Filed with NHTSA, April 2025
The electronic instrument cluster went completely dark and would not come on after turning off the vehicle and locking and unlocking the truck. The dealer reset the cluster, but claims it was simply "overloaded." This is a major drivability issue as there is no speedometer, no indication of what gear one is in, and the turn signals are inoperable. This is a known problem with no solution.
Filed with NHTSA, July 2025
Brake failure on freeway vehicle has 2000 miles. I almost got off hwy but stayed on shoulder after brake warning avoided hitting cars and coasted with very little brakes. Could cause death vehicle was towed from hwy to the dealer
Filed with NHTSA, August 2025
Brakes failed on my 2025 F150 and several ABS and brake system alarms came in. The problem went away on its own. I took the truck to my dealer and was told Ford is aware of the problem and does not have a fix. No other advice was given.
Filed with NHTSA, May 2025
How the 2025 compares with other F-150 years
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2025 has the fewest owner complaints of the 8 F-150 years we cover, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
- Transmission14286
- Electrical1385
- Brakes924
- Automatic emergency braking60
- Steering522
- Acceleration and cruise control33
Where the 2025 fits in the F-150's history
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2025 is the fifth model year of the F-150's 14th generation (2021 on).
Recalls to confirm (13)
Recall repairs are free at any Ford dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
25V823000BrakesDec 2025
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Lincoln Navigator, F-150, Expedition, Bronco, and Ranger vehicles. The Electronic Brake Booster (EBB) module may malfunction while driving or when the driver is utilizing an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) feature, resulting in a loss of power brake assist.
Risk: An unexpected loss of power brake assist while driving can extend stopping distance and increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, a loss of power brake assist while ADAS features are engaged can result in the vehicle not braking as expected, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the electronic brake booster, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, are expected to be mailed December 15, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in January 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SD4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 3, 2025.
25V540000ElectricalAug 2025
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 F-550 SD, F-450 SD, F-350 SD, F-250 SD, and 2025 F-150 vehicles. The Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) may fail at startup.
Risk: An instrument panel display that does not show critical information, such as warning lights or vehicle speed, increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: The instrument panel cluster software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 5, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S88.
25V512000TransmissionAug 2025
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023-2025 F-150 vehicles equipped with the Trailer Tow Max Duty package and a 9.75-inch heavy duty axle with a 3/4 float axle design. The rear axle hub bolt may fatigue and break, which can result in damage to the axle hub splines.
Risk: Damaged axle hub splines can result in a vehicle rollaway when in park without the parking brake applied or cause a loss of drive power. Either of these conditions can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the left and right rear axle shaft assemblies, free of charge. This is a phased recall. Ford owners will receive letters in multiple phases, beginning August 2025 through Winter 2025. Phase 1 will include 2023 F-150 model year vehicles. Phase 2 will include 2025 F-150 model year vehicles and Phase 3 will include 2024 F-150 model year vehicles. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed August 22, 2025. Owner notification letters were mailed August 22, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S82. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 23V896.
25V489000Seat beltsJul 2025
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 F-150 hybrid vehicles equipped with a 3.5L hybrid electric powertrain. When the driver or passenger's seat belt is not buckled and the vehicle is started, the audible warning chime may not activate as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection.".
Risk: An audible warning chime that fails to alert occupants of an unbelted seat belt can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the audio control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 15, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C31.
25V488000BrakesJul 2025
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Lincoln Navigator, F-150, Expedition, Bronco, and Ranger vehicles. The Electronic Brake Booster (EBB) module may malfunction while driving or when the driver is utilizing an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) feature, resulting in a loss of power brake assist.
Risk: An unexpected loss of power brake assist while driving can extend stopping distance and increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, a loss of power brake assist while ADAS features are engaged can result in the vehicle not braking as expected, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: The EBB module software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 22, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S77.
25V398000ElectricalJun 2025
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 F-150 trucks. Contact with the engine coolant hose may chafe the engine wire harness or cause a pull out of the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) connector pins, causing the engine to stall.
Risk: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect, replace the engine wire harness as necessary, and relocate the engine coolant hose, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 12, 2025. The parts are anticipated to be available the third quarter of 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S63.
25V344000EngineJun 2025
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Transit, F-150, and Explorer vehicles. The connecting rod and rod bearing components may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure.
Risk: A damaged engine can result in engine failure and a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the connecting rods and replace the engine long block assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 15, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S55.
25V309000SteeringMay 2025
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 F-150 vehicles. The lower intermediate shaft fasteners may be improperly attached to the steering gear, allowing the shaft to come loose or detach.
Risk: A lower intermediate shaft that detaches can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the lower intermediate shaft fasteners as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 30, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S46.
25V271000EquipmentApr 2025
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 F-150 vehicles. The air bag warning label may be missing from the dashboard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection.".
Risk: A missing air bag warning label will not warn occupants about the risks of air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Ford will mail owners the warning labels, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 7, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C12.
25V199000ElectricalMar 2025
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 F-150 full hybrid electric (FHEV) vehicles. The high voltage battery junction box may contain an incorrect fuse, which can fail and result in a sudden loss of drive power.
Risk: A sudden loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the incorrect 60-amp fuse with a 150-amp fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 11, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S29.
25V198000EngineMar 2025
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, Expedition, and 2024 Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines. The engine may have a misaligned engine cup plug, which can result in a rapid oil leak.
Risk: A rapid oil leak can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the engine cup plug alignment, and replace the plug if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 22, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S30.
25V164000TransmissionMar 2025
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, Bronco, 2024 Ranger, 2025 Mustang, Explorer, and Aviator vehicles. The transmission valve body may have been machined incorrectly, which can cause reverse gear failure, or unexpected forward movement in reverse or neutral gear.
Risk: Unexpected vehicle movement increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the transmission main control valve body, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 11, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S19.
24V851000EngineDec 2024
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, 2024 Expedition and 2024 Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine. The engines may have a misaligned engine cup plug, which can result in a rapid oil leak.
Risk: A rapid oil leak can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the engine cup plug alignment, and replace the plug if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 23, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S70.
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