FORD

Ford Problems

209,425 owner complaints across 87 Ford models. Below — what fails first, how often it ends in a crash, and which models draw the most reports.

NHTSA owner complaints · 209,425 reports · 87 models · Updated Sep 19, 2026
Quick answer

Ford owners have filed 209,425 complaints with NHTSA across 87 models. On average the car was 5.65 years old when the problem happened, and 31.9% of reports fall inside the first three years — while the factory warranty was still running.

What breaks on Ford

The systems Ford owners report most, and how often each failure ended in a crash.

FIG.01·Ford — what breaks
SystemComplaintsShare of FordEnded in a crash
Power Train24,20911.6%2.4%
Steering15,3707.3%3.1%
Engine And Engine Cooling14,0266.7%0.6%
Electrical System11,6405.6%0.8%
Engine11,5775.5%0.4%
Air Bags11,2915.4%24.2%
Structure10,6875.1%0.9%
Vehicle Speed Control8,1003.9%11.2%
ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA owner complaints

When Ford problems show up

FIG.02·Ford — when problems appear
MeasureValueWhat it means
Average age at failure5.65 yearsHow old the car was when the problem happened
Reported inside 3 years31.9%Share of complaints filed while the factory warranty was likely still running
Complaints describing a crash9,943Of 209,425 total
Complaints describing a fire6,969Of 209,425 total
ROWS 4·SOURCE NHTSA owner complaints

A low average age does not automatically mean a fragile car: a brand with a young fleet on the road will always skew early. Read it next to the share reported inside three years.

Which Ford models draw the most complaints

Volume follows sales, so a bestseller will always top this list. The columns worth reading are age at failure and how many reports ended in a crash.

FIG.03·Ford models by owner complaints
ModelComplaintsShare of FordAvg age at failureCrashes
EXPLORER29,13613.9%5.1 yrs1,455
ESCAPE24,77511.8%6.1 yrs680
FUSION20,1799.6%6.4 yrs695
FOCUS19,0109.1%4.6 yrs905
TAURUS14,6497%5.8 yrs869
F-15013,6736.5%6.3 yrs840
EDGE12,8456.1%5.9 yrs276
WINDSTAR11,4905.5%6.8 yrs401
MUSTANG7,9003.8%5.1 yrs579
EXPEDITION7,6783.7%5.2 yrs448
RANGER6,4853.1%6.7 yrs569
F-2502,9791.4%5.9 yrs179
FREESTYLE2,9361.4%5.3 yrs90
FIESTA2,8601.4%4.2 yrs115
ESCORT2,8501.4%5.0 yrs340
ROWS 15·SOURCE NHTSA owner complaints

Ford complaints by model year

A bad generation shows up here as a block of years, not as a single spike. Recent years look quiet simply because those cars are young and still under warranty.

FIG.04·Ford complaints by model year
Model yearComplaintsCrashesFires
2026261
2025139121
20245263711
20239113818
20221,7868124
20212,6577540
20204,36310747
20193,7728718
20186,02012826
20178,48819859
20168,34922557
20156,89021648
20149,265289146
201312,847276223
20129,33629048
20118,37523940
20107,79723325
20093,90218426
20086,55530472
20075,26227163
20065,67028076
20057,864315102
20045,975338115
20036,185359182
20028,431485399
ROWS 25·SOURCE NHTSA owner complaints

What Ford owners report

Grouped by the system owners named. Open any row for the full reports, in their own words — one per model so the same fault does not repeat.

Power Train 12% 24,209 Read
2000 Ford WINDSTAR · crash · fire

The contact owns a 2000 ford windstar. The contact stated while driving at 55 mph, the contact heard an abnormal bang. The vehicle cabin was immediately filled with smoke and the contact moved off the roadway. The contact was assisted by a state trooper and the vehicle was towed to a local repair facility. The mechanic advised the rear axle had failed but did not exhibit signs of wear. The vehicle was left with the mechanic where he was awaiting repairs to the axle. The contact was concerned with the possibility of a crash had the traffic been heavier. The failure mileage was 130,000

2021 Ford BRONCO SPORT · crash

The vehicle was parked in my parking garage and rolled away causing a collision. There were no warning lights indicating an issue. The vehicle is currently sitting at a shop awaiting warranty paperwork for a transmission replacement that was done last year

2021 Ford BRONCO · fire

My drive shaft/coupling caught fire at the front transfer case. I was able to extinguish it safely. This is the same description as: NHTSA Recall No.: 26V236 Manufacturer Recall No.: 26S26 And the description “ Vehicle 1: 2021-2025 FORD BRONCO‘ includes my vehicle, however, my VIN/license plate number do not show this recall in effect

Steering 7% 15,370 Read
1997 Ford CROWN VICTORIA · crash · fire

Driving east on allen street in springfield massachusetts steering control locked up resulting in a crash with a gas station pump police crash report id 15-3725-AC car was totalled out when it caught fire no noise was heard seconds before crash. I have noticed that there was a recall on the replacement parts but wonder if the oem parts could fail resulting in crash

2013 Ford FUSION · crash · fire

I was in a car accident with my 2013 ford fusion. There was a witness at the scene saying that there were sparks shooting from my car before the accident happened. He says it looked like a tire came off my car taking a right curve on a main road in the city the car did not turn I just went straight across 2 lanes of oncoming traffic.on tho the sidewalk and into a tree. I could not open the door to the car to get out 2 guys came over and noticed the car was on fire and pulled the driver side door open. I ended up in the hospital luckily no one else was hurt I live in london ontario canada. .....updated 12/15/15 *bf *tr updated 9/7/2017

2003 Ford RANGER · crash · fire

Dt: the contact was traveling at 45 mph when the vehicle hit a patch of ice on the road. He lost control of the vehicle and hit a ditch. The vehicle then rolled and hit an embankment. The vehicle t busted in to flames. The occupants were able to get out of the vehicle before it exploded. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. Injuries were sustained. The vehicle has not been inspected at this time to determine what caused the vehicle to explode. The vehicle was totaled

Engine And Engine Cooling 7% 14,026 Read
1997 Ford F-150 · crash · fire

The contact owns a 1997 ford f150 xlt. The vehicle was parked for over 18 hours and caught on fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. The origin of the fire was unknown. The fire started under the hood of the vehicle and it was destroyed. No one was injured. The manufacturer was called and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 101,000

1997 Ford THUNDERBIRD · crash · fire

I was driving my car to pay the power bill. I had made a complete stop and then turned left up the road about 4/10's of a mile when I pulled into the parking space I noticed white steam coming from the engine compartment. I opened the hood a the engine was covered in antifreeze. I called for a tow hoping it was a blown hose or at worst a head gasket. So I didn't drive it further to prevent further damage. The dealership looks at it and says it is a cracked intake manifold. Which leads to a $1135 bill for parts and labor. Some online research brought a concern...is the intake manifold plastic? If so, why!?

2002 Ford TAURUS · crash · fire

While driving in the rain the driver lost control of the vehicle and hit a tree. After impact the consumer heard a pop and the vehicle caught on fire. *mr *scc

Electrical System 6% 11,640 Read
2002 Ford F-150 · crash · fire

Woke up at 1am one 4-1-2018 to my ford f 150 on fire drivers side front under the hood. Unknow to us our local sheriff had spotted the fire and already called the fire department. Total loss. Bought the truck a few months back without any knowledge of a recall on the speed control switch. The vehicle was sitting in our drive next to our other cars for 3 hour with keys out of the ignition

1987 Ford RANGER · crash · fire

I had just left a red light. I was the 1st vechicle inthe north lane on a two lane street. The south bound side had about 8 cars . The last car hit a car in front of him, she hit a jeep in front of her, and impact caused her to swearve into the northbound side where I hit her in in the front passenger side. I had my grandson 9 in the front with me. My granddaughter 16 and her friend 15 were in the truck bed. I just had a small indention in the front of my truck. This truck was a 1987 long bed. Runs good. It I thought was steaming maybe I busted my radiator. My concern was the children. Then it started smoking. A fire extinquisher was used. A little while later it caught and burned up

2001 Ford FOCUS · crash · fire

While driving, vehicle caught on fire under the hood, eliminating visibility, and causing consumer to collide into side of mountain. Related recall 02V288000, consumer's vehicle not included due to VIN

Engine 6% 11,577 Read
2013 Ford FOCUS · crash · fire

2013 ford focus was going 35 mph, saw a late 1990's ford ranger stop short in front of a fire station and tried to brake. Couldn't stop in time and rear ended the ford ranger. The driver of the focus got out of the vehicle and to speak to the other driver and the engine of the focus caught fire about 30 seconds later. Firemen were across the street and came over to extinguish the fire. With all of this, the airbags did not deploy. I called ford to alert them of this issue. They gave me a case number and within 1 business day I was contacted by customer care. They said they would inspect the vehicle to at a local dealership to find out why the airbags didn't deploy. They said they would not cover the cost and were vague about what the next steps were and how long the process would take. When I tried to inquire further, they said they wanted to know what my intentions were. I mentioned were are not trying to shakedown and sue ford, we simply want answers.the insurance company, state farm, totaled the focus and they are working with me to give ford the vehicle, but ford is not cooperating. I haven't been in contact with someone since the original follow-up and we have questions that need to be answered in order for state farm to give ford possession of the vehicle. Ford has stopped cooperated and they have been impossible. This is a safety issue that we are trying to address and ford is dragging this process out as long as they can

2024 Ford EXPEDITION · fire

Incident happened 06/26/2026. My wife was driving with our 4 kids down the highway to family event. My wife smelled a funny odor coming from the vents and was going to drive to the next exit and then noticed smoke. At that moment she wasn’t sure where the smoke was coming from. She put the hazards on and started pulling off to the shoulder thinking possibly it was the radiator. She came to a stop and called me (husband) that something was wrong with the vehicle. She was going to leave the kids in the car, get out and check the radiator. That’s when smoke started coming in through the air vents. She didn’t want the kids to breath in the smoke so they exited the vehicle, that’s when she noticed a fire under the engine. At that point a state trooper arrived on scene. He checked on my wife and kids and brought them back to his patrol car. The trooper went back to the vehicle to grab the baby’s diaper bag and wife’s purse. The trooper tried to extinguish the flames but the front of the vehicle was well involved already. Within 10-15 minute from my wife stopping the whole car was burnt to the ground and nothing left of the car. Looking back my wife only had a couple minutes to get to safety, had they lingered before getting out of the vehicle this could have been a tragic fatality incident. Our children do not feel safe riding in a vehicle since the incident happened. The safety of the trooper on scene was at risk helping get everyone to safety. It seems that something on the engin

2024 Ford BRONCO · fire

The contact owns a 2024 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, a fire originated near the dashboard area without warning. The occupants inside the vehicle first noticed an abnormal smoke odor inside the vehicle. Shortly afterwards, the contact and passenger’s eyes started burning and their throats became irritated. The driver opened and then closed the windows and then safely pulled over. The heated seats were turned off during the failure. The passenger then observed flames coming from the passenger’s side air vent. The contact and passenger exited the vehicle with the engine still running. The windows blew out from the intense heat of the fire. The air bags did not deploy but started melting. The Fire Department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. No injuries were reported. A Police report was not filed, but the Police were directing traffic. The vehicle was towed to a collision center. The local dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a claim was opened. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the insurance company for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 11,685

Air Bags 5% 11,291 Read
2017 Ford MUSTANG · crash · fire

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH and making a left turn the contact crashed into a vehicle going straight through the intersection. The contact's entire front end crashed into the other vehicle's driver-side front fender by the driver's front wheel. The contact's vehicle spun 180 degrees and the air bags deployed, however, the bags ignited and set the contact's clothes on fire. The vehicle stopped in the roadway. The contact exited and the police arrived on the scene and filed a report. The contact was offered medical attention but instead was taken to the ER by her mother. The contact suffered second-degree burns on her left forearm and elbow, additional burns left side of the abdomen and both shins, also a large cut on her left shin. The contact's only passenger had bruises on his right hip, and no burns or lacerations. The passenger refused medical attention on scene and also did not follow up for medical attention. The vehicle was taken to an impound lot. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000

2017 Ford ESCAPE · crash · fire

The contact owned a 2017 ford escape. While driving 35 mph, the contact's vehicle was t-boned by another vehicle exiting a parking lot. The contact's vehicle was pushed into a stop sign and a pole, and landed in a ditch. None of the air bags deployed inside the vehicle. Instead, the air bags deployed outwardly, which caused the front passenger tire to detach from the vehicle. A police report was filed. The vehicle was totaled by the insurance company and towed. The contact smelled a burning odor, but there was no fire. The contact and a passenger were injured and transported by ambulance to the hospital. The contact spoke with the takata manufacturer, but received no assistance. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The cause of the failure was not determined. The VIN and failure mileage were unknown

2009 Ford EDGE · crash · fire

The contact owns a 2009 ford edge. While driving 40 mph, the contact heard an explosion under the vehicle. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact stated that smoke entered the cabin of the vehicle, which hindered his visibility. As a result, the front passenger side of the vehicle crashed into a pole and caught fire underneath the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated that the fire extinguished on its own due to the cold. A fire report was filed. A police report was not filed. The contact sustained lower back and shoulder injuries by striking the bottom of the dashboard. The contact's daughter seated in the rear passenger seat sustained back, neck, and chest injuries, and sustained breathing problems. Both occupants sought medical attention. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The contact called big three auto sales (17020 e 8 mile rd, detroit, mi 48205, (313) 245-0800) and was informed that the VIN was associated with NHTSA campaign number: 19V001000 (air bags). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown

Structure 5% 10,687 Read
2004 Ford ESCAPE · crash · fire

While driving home from having a few drinks with my friends, a deer ran out in front of me and although I slammed on the brakes, I couldn't stop quick enough to avoid hitting the deer and smashing in the grill of my new car. When the state patrol arrived, they gave me a ticket for speeding and after I told them that I was not speeding when I hit the deer, (I had gotten the speed down to about 60mph at impact) they then wanted me to take a alcohol impaired test which I naturally declined because I wasn't impaired. I only had just a few drinks and maybe some beer & wine at dinner and maybe 2 drinks before I left to go home. They then proceeded to arrest me like a common crook and took me to jail, where I had to spend the night. Anyways, my insurance company refuses to fix my new car and now the car company refuses to fix it also. This car is a piece of junk. If it had been made good, it wouldn't have sustained all that damage from hitting a lousy deer. While trying to fix the damage myself, my friend [xxx] put some gas on the grill and lit it to soften up the plastic junk they made the grill out of, so we could bend it back together and j.b. Weld it. Well, [xxx] got some of the hot melted plastic on him and it burned like [xxx] and he jumped up and knocked over the jar with gas in it and the whole place went up in flames. My car not only burned, but my garage went up in smoke too. Now the insurance company is telling me that they won't pay the claim for the garage or the car ca

2002 Ford EXPLORER SPORT TRAC · crash · fire

The consumer was involved in an accident, the vehicle rolled over and the entire roof collapsed. The consumer stated the vehicles body was weak

2001 Ford F-150 · crash · fire

Structure of 2001 f150. My late husband suffered massive head trama when the f150 he was driving was struck head on with an isuzu delivery truck. The truck burst into flames and continued to burn out of control. Iihs and dateline report the structure of the truck is unsafe and could result in massive head trama injuries

Vehicle Speed Control 4% 8,100 Read
2009 Ford F-150 · crash · fire

The gas pedal got stuck while I was driving. I couldn't stop it and lost control. It caused a horrific car accident. 10 people were involved and I'm currently fighting the case in court to prove I was not reckless. It has been inspected by my insurance but unfortunately it was only for damages and not for mechanical issues regarding the gas pedal

2004 Ford F-250 · crash · fire

While driving on the freeway the accelerator got stuck causing us to have an accident. As the truck increased in speed my husband stomped on the break and the truck was only gaining speed. We placed the truck on park and the truck eventually came to a stop causing the truck an immediate stop and forced us down a hill. The truck was totaled because we were pulling a 5th wheel

2001 Ford EXPLORER SPORT TRAC · crash · fire

The contact owns 2001 ford explorer sport trac. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the brake pedal traveled to the floorboard upon engagement and the vehicle continued to accelerate. In addition, smoke emitted from the air vents and from under hood. The contact immediately jumped from the vehicle once he noticed flames extending from under the hood. The unoccupied vehicle then crashed into a wooded area. The contact sustained road rash and injuries to the left wrist and hand. A police report was filed of the incident. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a salvage facility. The vehicle had been included in NHTSA campaign id number: 07V336000 (vehicle speed control) however, the failure occurred before the recall remedy could be performed. The manufacturer was not notified of the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 156,800

Unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA. Percentages are shares of all 209,425 Ford complaints.

Ford against the rest

FIG.05·Ford versus other brands
MeasureWhere Ford sitsOut of
By complaint volume#129 brands with 3,000+ complaints
By age at failure (later is better)#1229 brands
Complaints ending in a crash4.7%across all 209,425 reports
ROWS 3·SOURCE NHTSA owner complaints + ForCar

Ranking by volume says more about how many cars a brand sells than about how they hold up. Age at failure is the fairer of the two.

Ford problems by model

50 Ford models have owner complaints on file. Pick one for its worst years, failing systems and what owners actually wrote. Another 37 Ford models have no complaints on record at all.

FIG.06·Ford problems by model
ModelOwner complaintsYearsMost reported system
Ford Explorer29,1451991–2026Tires
Ford Escape25,7222001–2026Engine
Ford Fusion20,6352006–2020Steering
Ford Focus19,1442000–2026Power train
Ford Taurus14,7401986–2019Engine and engine cooling
Ford F-15013,8531981–2026Engine and engine cooling
Ford Edge12,8452007–2026Electrical system
Ford Windstar11,4901995–2003Service brakes
Ford Mustang8,5651981–2026Engine and engine cooling
Ford Expedition7,6781997–2026Engine and engine cooling
Ford Ranger6,5121982–2026Tires
Ford F-2503,4081981–2026Tires
Ford Freestyle2,9362005–2007Vehicle speed control
Ford Fiesta2,8602011–2026Power train
Ford Escort2,8501981–2002Seat belts
Ford Contour2,4791995–2000Engine and engine cooling
Ford Crown Victoria2,4281987–2011Engine and engine cooling
Ford F-3502,1811981–2026Tires
Ford Freestar2,1272004–2007Power train
Ford Thunderbird1,8921981–2005Engine and engine cooling
Ford Ecosport1,8032018–2026Engine and engine cooling
Ford Flex1,7702009–2026Steering
Ford Aerostar1,7231984–1997Electrical system
Ford Bronco1,3761981–2026Visibility/wiper
Ford Bronco Sport1,2662021–2026Electrical system
Ford Probe9221988–1997Seat belts
Ford Five Hundred8992005–2007Vehicle speed control
Ford Excursion8722000–2005Tires
Ford Explorer Sport Trac5822001–2010Power train
Ford Explorer Sport5752003–2003Structure
Ford Transit5662015–2026Power train
Ford Transit Connect4822010–2026Structure
Ford Maverick4742022–2026Power train
Ford Mustang Mach-E4732021–2026Electrical system
Ford E-4503501995–2026Tires
Ford E-3502461981–2026Tires
Ford E-1501781981–2014Electrical system
Ford Bronco II1501983–1990Electrical system
Ford Taurus X1452008–2009Steering
Ford Festiva1161988–1994Seat belts
Ford F-4501121999–2026Engine
Ford F-550851999–2026Engine
Ford F-650252000–2026Power train
Ford LTD241981–1986Electrical system
Ford C-Max142013–2018Back over prevention
Ford F-750102000–2026Service brakes
Ford GT72004–2022Air bags
Ford Fairmont31981–1983Steering
Ford Granada21981–1982Steering
Ford F-10011981–1983Tires
ROWS 50·SOURCE NHTSA owner complaints
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How we count

Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,109,349 of them, covering 2,013 models built between 1981 and 2026.

A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.

Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.

Frequently asked questions

How reliable is Ford?

Owners have filed 209,425 complaints across 87 Ford models. On its own that number reflects how many Ford cars are on the road — compare the average age at failure (5.65 years) instead.

What breaks most often on a Ford?

The most reported system is Power Train with 24,209 complaints.

Do Ford problems show up under warranty?

31.9% of Ford complaints describe something that happened in the first three years, while the factory warranty was likely still running.

Which Ford model has the most complaints?

See the model list above — each card shows its complaint count, and the model page breaks it down by year and by system.

Owner complaints from NHTSA, published as filed and unverified. Age at failure computed by ForCar from incident date and model year; production series grouped by the first 11 VIN characters. Last updated Sep 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.
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