What are the most common problems with the 2015 Ford F-150?

NHTSA has 1,737 complaints. Power train (429) and brakes (317) are the largest groups, then engine (282). In a small sample we read, owners describe rough shifting and power loss, which does not show how common they are.

Does the 2015 Ford F-150 have recalls?

Yes, 13 recalls are on file. The newest, 26V237 from April 2026, covers an unexpected downshift into second gear. Ford says dealers will update software for free.

What gas mileage does the 2015 F-150 get?

EPA combined ratings run from 17 MPG (5.0L, 4WD) to 22 MPG (2.7L turbo, 2WD).

Is 2015 a bad year for the F-150?

By NHTSA counts it is neither the highest nor the lowest on complaints, 1,737, against 1,538 for 2014 and 2,080 for 2016. It has 13 recalls. Counts are not adjusted for sales.

2015 Ford F-150 Problems, Recalls and MPG

The 2015 Ford F-150 has 13 recalls on file, the newest about a transmission that can suddenly downshift^[1]^[2]. Owners filed 1,737 complaints with NHTSA, led by power train and brake reports^[3]^[4]^[5].

1,737owner complaints^[3]

13recalls^[1]

17–22MPG combined (EPA)^[6]

Problems
Recalls
Fuel economy
Engine and size
By year
Verdict
FAQ

Most reported problems

NHTSA has 1,737 owner complaints on file for the 2015 F-150^[3]. Of these, 50 mention a crash, 13 a fire, 80 injuries and 3 deaths^[3]. These are unverified reports from owners, and one complaint can name several parts.

The biggest groups are below. Counts are not adjusted for how many trucks were sold.

Component group	Complaints	Median miles at failure
Power train^[4]	429	89,500
Brakes^[5]	317	51,000
Engine^[7]	282	65,250
Unknown or other^[8]	205	39,129
Electrical system^[9]	176	52,000
Structure^[10]	147	27,500
Speed control^[11]	145	44,000
Steering^[12]	84	37,600

We also read a small sample of 12 complaint texts from each of the four largest named groups. What owners describe in that sample:

Power train. In 7 of 12 texts, owners describe rough, jerky or banging gear changes, or a shudder while shifting^[4]. In 5 of 12, the truck lost power or shut down while driving^[4].
Brakes. In 4 of 12 texts, owners say the truck braked hard on its own with adaptive cruise control on and nothing ahead^[5]. Two of those say it happened again after the recall repair^[5]. In another 4 of 12, owners describe a pedal that sank, faded or failed to slow the truck, including a failed master cylinder^[5].
Engine. In 7 of 12 texts, owners describe a loss of power, a stall or limp mode while driving^[7]. In 3 of 12, they mention the auto stop/start feature shutting the engine off or not restarting it^[7].
Electrical. In 9 of 12 texts, owners say the cooled front seats made the seat back hot^[9]. Several of those texts are near copies of each other, so this sample is narrower than it looks^[9].

This is a small sample, so it shows what kinds of problems owners report, not how common they are.

Recalls

NHTSA lists 13 recalls for this model year^[1]. Newest first:

Transmission downshift (26V237). April 2026. The transmission range sensor can lose its signal to the engine computer, and the truck may suddenly drop into second gear. That can mean loss of control and a crash. Ford says dealers will update the computer software for free, and owner letters were mailed July 24, 2026^[2].
Brake master cylinder (20V332). June 2020. Covers trucks with the 3.5L EcoBoost engine^[13]. The master cylinder can leak brake fluid into the brake booster, so the pedal feels different, takes more effort and the front brakes work less well. Dealers replace the master cylinder and check the booster, free of charge^[13].
Block heater location (20V098). February 2020. On certain 3.5L trucks^[14], a block heater that was moved from its original spot can sit too close to hot engine parts and damage its cable. The risk is overheated wiring and fire. Dealers inspect and replace parts as needed. If parts are not available, they disable the heater cable until they are^[14].
Block heater splice, second round (19V278). April 2019. Applies to trucks already repaired under 18V894, where the repair may have damaged the cable splice. The risk is overheated wiring and fire. Dealers disable the heater. A second notice follows when replacement cables are available^[15].
Block heater corrosion (18V894). December 2018. Water and dirt can corrode the block heater cable splice, which can overheat the wiring and start a fire. Dealers disable the heater cable first and replace it once parts are available^[16].
Seat belt pretensioner sparks (18V568). August 2018. After a crash, sparks from a front seat belt pretensioner can ignite carpet or insulation near the B-pillar. Dealers remove insulation and wiring tape and add heat resistant tape, free of charge^[17].
Door latch (17V652). October 2017. A kinked cable or a frozen latch can let a door open while driving even though it looks closed. Dealers inspect the cables, repair them if needed and add water shields^[18].
Remedy pending
Rear seat belt buckle (17V526). August 2017. On crew cab trucks, the left rear inflatable seat belt buckle may not be fastened well enough to its bracket and could separate. Dealers are to inspect it and replace a rivet as needed. Owners get a second notice when the remedy becomes available, so the repair may not be ready yet^[19].
Chrome door handle covers (17V331). May 2017. Applies only to trucks fitted with a dealer-sold chrome handle cover kit. The covers can make doors unlatch in a side impact. Dealers remove the covers and refund the price^[20].
Front seat belt anchorage (15V867). December 2015. Applies to a small group of 2015 SuperCrew trucks built from January 22 to March 17, 2015^[21]. A pretensioner cable was not crimped properly, so the belt might not hold an occupant in a crash. Dealers replace the retractor and pretensioner^[21].
Adaptive cruise control braking (15V614). September 2015. Certain trucks built between March 18, 2014 and August 6, 2015 with adaptive cruise control can falsely detect an obstacle and brake without warning^[22]. Dealers reprogram the cruise control module with updated radar software^[22].
Steering shaft (15V279). May 2015. Trucks built March 19 to March 30, 2015 may have an improperly riveted steering shaft that could separate and cause loss of steering control^[23]. Dealers inspect and replace it as needed^[23].
Underbody heat shields (15V251). April 2015. Trucks built January 30 and 31, 2015 may have loose or missing heat shields, which can damage fuel or vapor lines and raise fire risk^[24]. Dealers install missing parts^[24].

Check your own VIN for open recalls, because several apply only to certain builds, engines or cab styles.

Fuel economy

EPA lists a combined rating from 17 to 22 MPG, depending on engine and drive^[6]^[25]. The best is the 2.7L turbo with rear-wheel drive^[6]. The thirstiest is the 5.0L 8-cylinder with four-wheel drive^[25]. EPA's annual fuel cost estimate uses current fuel prices, not the prices when the truck was new.

Version	City / highway / combined MPG	Annual fuel cost
2.7L turbo, 2WD^[6]	19 / 26 / 22	$3,050
3.5L turbo, 2WD^[26]	17 / 24 / 20	$3,350
3.5L, 2WD, gasoline or E85^[27]	18 / 24 / 20	$3,350
5.0L 8-cyl, 2WD, gasoline or E85^[28]	15 / 22 / 18	$3,700
2.7L turbo, 4WD^[29]	18 / 23 / 20	$3,350
3.5L turbo, 4WD^[30]	17 / 23 / 19	$3,550
3.5L, 4WD, gasoline or E85^[31]	17 / 22 / 19	$3,550
5.0L 8-cyl, 4WD, gasoline or E85^[25]	15 / 21 / 17	$3,950

Engine and size

EPA lists 325 hp for the 2.7L 6-cylinder^[32] and 365 hp for the 3.5L 6-cylinder^[33].

Dimensions below are Canadian-market specifications and can differ slightly from US trucks. They cover regular cab and super cab versions only.

Version	Length	Width	Height	Wheelbase	Curb weight
Regular cab, 6.5-ft box, 2WD^[34]	207 in	80 in	76 in	122 in	4,050 lb
Regular cab, 6.5-ft box, 4x4^[35]	207 in	80 in	77 in	122 in	4,310 lb
Regular cab, 8-ft box, 2WD^[36]	226 in	80 in	75 in	141 in	4,154 lb
Regular cab, 8-ft box, 4x4^[37]	226 in	80 in	77 in	141 in	4,385 lb
Super cab, 6.5-ft box, 2WD^[38]	230 in	80 in	76 in	145 in	4,372 lb
Super cab, 6.5-ft box, 4x4^[39]	230 in	80 in	77 in	145 in	4,588 lb

How 2015 compares with other years

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for each F150 model year. The 2015 is highlighted^[1].

Show the numbers

Model year	Complaints	Recalls
1995	626	2
1996	324	2
1997	2,758	14
1998	1,381	8
1999	1,044	7
2000	1,075	6
2001	1,236	8
2002	821	2
2003	423	4
2004	2,029	5
2005	1,112	3
2006	585	4
2007	488	2
2008	369	1
2009	324	2
2010	843	1
2011	2,193	6
2012	1,783	4
2013	2,990	3
2014	1,538	8
2015	1,737	13
2016	2,080	13
2017	1,455	17
2018	2,322	18
2019	1,339	9
2020	737	11
2021	1,296	29
2022	813	23
2023	510	13
2024	231	11
2025	128	16
2026	18	7

NHTSA lists 1,737 complaints and 13 recalls for the 2015 model year^[1]. The year before, 2014, has 1,538 complaints and 8 recalls^[1]. The year after, 2016, has 2,080 complaints and 13 recalls^[1].

Some other years for context: 2013 has the most complaints of any year listed, 2,990, with 3 recalls^[1]. 2018 has 2,322 complaints and 18 recalls^[1]. 2017 has 1,455 complaints and 17 recalls^[1]. So 2015 is neither the highest nor the lowest on complaints, and has more recalls than 2011 through 2014. Several later years have more recalls, and these counts do not account for how many trucks were sold^[1].

Should you buy a used 2015 F-150?

The 2015 F-150 has 13 recalls on file^[1], so check the VIN for open ones, especially the 2026 transmission recall and the block heater recalls^[2]^[14]^[15]^[16]. For the block heater and rear seat belt recalls, ask whether the final part was ever installed, since the records describe interim steps^[15]^[16]^[19]. In the complaint samples we read, owners describe rough shifting, power loss and brake problems, so pay attention to how the transmission shifts, try adaptive cruise control if equipped and check the brake feel on a test drive^[4]^[5]^[7]. We cannot say how the truck compares on reliability, price or towing because our facts do not cover those.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2015 Ford F-150?: NHTSA has 1,737 complaints^[3]. Power train (429) and brakes (317) are the largest groups, then engine (282)^[3]^[4]^[5]^[7]. In a small sample we read, owners describe rough shifting and power loss, which does not show how common they are^[4].
Does the 2015 Ford F-150 have recalls?: Yes, 13 recalls are on file^[1]. The newest, 26V237 from April 2026, covers an unexpected downshift into second gear. Ford says dealers will update software for free^[2].
What gas mileage does the 2015 F-150 get?: EPA combined ratings run from 17 MPG (5.0L, 4WD) to 22 MPG (2.7L turbo, 2WD)^[25]^[6].
Is 2015 a bad year for the F-150?: By NHTSA counts it is neither the highest nor the lowest on complaints, 1,737, against 1,538 for 2014 and 2,080 for 2016^[1]. It has 13 recalls^[1]. Counts are not adjusted for sales^[1].

Facts and sources

Owner complaints and recalls for every Ford F150 model year (chart above). NHTSA recall database
Recall 26V237, filed April 14, 2026: Power Train › Automatic Transmission. NHTSA recall database
NHTSA has 1,737 owner complaints on file for the 2015 Ford F150 (50 mention a crash, 13 a fire, 80 injuries, 3 deaths reported). NHTSA vehicle records
429 complaints name the power train component group (10 crashes, 1 fires, 3 injuries, median mileage at failure 89,500). NHTSA vehicle records
317 complaints name the brakes component group (10 crashes, 0 fires, 8 injuries, median mileage at failure 51,000). NHTSA vehicle records
EPA rating for F150 Pickup 2WD, 2.7L 6-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, Rear-Wheel Drive: 19 city / 26 highway / 22 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,050. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
282 complaints name the engine component group (2 crashes, 4 fires, 1 injuries, median mileage at failure 65,250). NHTSA vehicle records
205 complaints name the unknown or other component group (4 crashes, 1 fires, 8 injuries, median mileage at failure 39,129). NHTSA vehicle records
176 complaints name the electrical system component group (2 crashes, 5 fires, 8 injuries, median mileage at failure 52,000). NHTSA vehicle records
147 complaints name the structure component group (7 crashes, 2 fires, 2 injuries, median mileage at failure 27,500). NHTSA vehicle records
145 complaints name the speed control component group (6 crashes, 0 fires, 5 injuries, median mileage at failure 44,000). NHTSA vehicle records
84 complaints name the steering component group (3 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 37,600). NHTSA vehicle records
Recall 20V332, filed June 8, 2020: Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Power Assist. NHTSA recall database
Recall 20V098, filed February 21, 2020: Engine. NHTSA recall database
Recall 19V278, filed April 8, 2019: Engine. NHTSA recall database
Recall 18V894, filed December 18, 2018: Engine. NHTSA recall database
Recall 18V568, filed August 31, 2018: Seat Belts › Pretensioner. NHTSA recall database
Recall 17V652, filed October 16, 2017: Latches / Locks / Linkages › Doors › Latch. NHTSA recall database
Recall 17V526, filed August 28, 2017: Seat Belts › Rear / Other. NHTSA recall database
Recall 17V331, filed May 22, 2017: Latches / Locks / Linkages › Doors › Latch. NHTSA recall database
Recall 15V867, filed December 22, 2015: Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage. NHTSA recall database
Recall 15V614, filed September 30, 2015: Forward Collision Avoidance › Adaptive Cruise Control. NHTSA recall database
Recall 15V279, filed May 12, 2015: Steering. NHTSA recall database
Recall 15V251, filed April 28, 2015: Structure › Frame And Members › Underbody Shields. NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for F150 Pickup 4WD FFV, 5.0L 8-cyl, Automatic (S6), Gasoline or E85, Part-time 4-Wheel Drive: 15 city / 21 highway / 17 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,950. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for F150 Pickup 2WD, 3.5L 6-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, Rear-Wheel Drive: 17 city / 24 highway / 20 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,350. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for F150 Pickup 2WD FFV, 3.5L 6-cyl, Automatic 6-spd, Gasoline or E85, Rear-Wheel Drive: 18 city / 24 highway / 20 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,350. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for F150 Pickup 2WD FFV, 5.0L 8-cyl, Automatic (S6), Gasoline or E85, Rear-Wheel Drive: 15 city / 22 highway / 18 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,700. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for F150 Pickup 4WD, 2.7L 6-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, Part-time 4-Wheel Drive: 18 city / 23 highway / 20 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,350. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for F150 Pickup 4WD, 3.5L 6-cyl turbo, Automatic (S6), Regular, Part-time 4-Wheel Drive: 17 city / 23 highway / 19 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,550. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for F150 Pickup 4WD FFV, 3.5L 6-cyl, Automatic 6-spd, Gasoline or E85, Part-time 4-Wheel Drive: 17 city / 22 highway / 19 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,550. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA Test Car List, 2015 Ford F150 with 2.7L 6-cylinder: rated 325 hp. www.epa.gov
EPA Test Car List, 2015 Ford F150 with 3.5L 6-cylinder: rated 365 hp. www.epa.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, F-150 P/U REG CAB 6.5-FT BOX 2WD: length 207 in, width 80 in, height 76 in, wheelbase 122 in, curb weight 4,050 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, F-150 P/U REG CAB 6.5-FT BOX 4X4: length 207 in, width 80 in, height 77 in, wheelbase 122 in, curb weight 4,310 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, F-150 P/U REG CAB 8-FT BOX 2WD: length 226 in, width 80 in, height 75 in, wheelbase 141 in, curb weight 4,154 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, F-150 P/U REG CAB 8-FT BOX 4X4: length 226 in, width 80 in, height 77 in, wheelbase 141 in, curb weight 4,385 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, F-150 P/U SUPER CAB 6.5-FT BOX 2WD: length 230 in, width 80 in, height 76 in, wheelbase 145 in, curb weight 4,372 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, F-150 P/U SUPER CAB 6.5-FT BOX 4X4: length 230 in, width 80 in, height 77 in, wheelbase 145 in, curb weight 4,588 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov

Complaints submitted to NHTSA by owners; unverified reports, one complaint can name several components. Complaint counts are not normalized by sales; compare years of the same model, not different models. EPA annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not the price when the car was new. Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles. Dimensions are Canadian-market specifications and can differ slightly from US models.

2015 Ford F-150: problems, recalls and fuel economy