FORD F-150 · model year

2010 FORD F-150

1131 NHTSA complaints, 33 crash reports, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2010FORDF-150 carries 1131 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 33 crashes, 46 fires, 35 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2010 F-150 is electrical system with 151 filings, followed by engine (107) and visibility/wiper (104). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 9 investigation files overlapping the 2010 F-150, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

1131
Complaints
33
Crashes
46
Fires
35
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

1131 filings

Crashes Reported

33 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM151
ENGINE107
VISIBILITY/WIPER104
POWER TRAIN101
STRUCTURE:BODY77
UNKNOWN OR OTHER59
STEERING47
VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR45
SERVICE BRAKES44
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM44
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL37
EXTERIOR LIGHTING26
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING23
VISIBILITY20
AIR BAGS18

Recalls (1)

11V04900001/02/2011

STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 F-150 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JANUARY 18, 2008, THROUGH NOVEMBER 30, 2009. THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE HOUSING EMBOSSMENT RETAINING THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE SPRING MAY FRACTURE DURING NORMAL USAGE RESULTING IN INSUFFICIENT SPRING FORCE TO RETURN TH

Recent Complaints

20260211ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My truck won't shift into 3rd gear. It hesitates when idling. When you accelerate it shudders. After a certain rbm it goes.

20260211ENGINE

My truck won't shift into 3rd gear. It hesitates when idling. When you accelerate it shudders. After a certain rbm it goes.

20260211POWER TRAIN

My truck won't shift into 3rd gear. It hesitates when idling. When you accelerate it shudders. After a certain rbm it goes.

20260208POWER TRAIN

engine shout off while in travel. heavy traffic ,crazy driver's. no warning . nothing filed ... tow truck returned truck to home. no light's or warning. repair by owner. still incomplete.

20260208ENGINE

engine shout off while in travel. heavy traffic ,crazy driver's. no warning . nothing filed ... tow truck returned truck to home. no light's or warning. repair by owner. still incomplete.

20251215ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2010 Ford F-150. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 114,500. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was advised to perform Carfax search regarding the vehicle. It was later discovered that the mileage on the Title was 282,262.

Mileage: 282,262

20251120BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS

Rear view mirror backup camera flickers and goes on and off while in reverse, sometimes with the screen remaining blank. This can reduce or eliminate the drivers view of what is behind presenting a safety hazard. The driver is unable to see objects behind them. Ford currently has a recall for backup cameras with the same problem on many other Ford Model vehicles. However, the 2010 Ford F150 is not currently on a recall. This is the SECOND 2010 Ford F150 that I have owned that has had this issue and the internet is full of people posting of the same exact issue with the F150.

20250909SERVICE BRAKES

2010 FORD F150 ONLY OWNER - Brake Calipers and break line failed. Took it into Ford Dealership and they were unable to provide a diagnosis. Truck still shakes when in idle. All maintenance and needed care for the truck has been maintained. Repair cost over $4k to repair for 6 months in with the issue. Camera does not work and has not since 2014. Heated seats stopped working and burned out in 2014. All issues started to surface after truck was paid off.... Of course

20250909SEATS

2010 FORD F150 ONLY OWNER - Brake Calipers and break line failed. Took it into Ford Dealership and they were unable to provide a diagnosis. Truck still shakes when in idle. All maintenance and needed care for the truck has been maintained. Repair cost over $4k to repair for 6 months in with the issue. Camera does not work and has not since 2014. Heated seats stopped working and burned out in 2014. All issues started to surface after truck was paid off.... Of course

20250909ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

2010 FORD F150 ONLY OWNER - Brake Calipers and break line failed. Took it into Ford Dealership and they were unable to provide a diagnosis. Truck still shakes when in idle. All maintenance and needed care for the truck has been maintained. Repair cost over $4k to repair for 6 months in with the issue. Camera does not work and has not since 2014. Heated seats stopped working and burned out in 2014. All issues started to surface after truck was paid off.... Of course

20250805POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2010 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 70 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to 1st gear, and the service vehicle soon warning light soon illuminated. The contact continued to drive the vehicle, and the vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the mechatronic unit was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 144,587.

Mileage: 144,587

20250731SERVICE BRAKES

BRAKE FLUID IS LEAKING OUT OF THE MASTER CYLENDER AND INTO THE BRAKE BOOSTER. CAUSING LOW BRAKE FLUID IN THE RESIVORE. AND RESULTING IN NO BRAKES. THERE ARE RECALLS FOR THIS ISSUE WITH THE 2013 MODLES. THIS SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO THE 2010 MODLES.

20250726SERVICE BRAKES

Leaving my driveway today, the 2010 Ford F-150 suddenly indicated a brake fluid level low message and the brake warning indicator turned on. The brake pedal, which was firm about a minute before, suddenly depressed to floor and the truck was stopped only with great difficulty. The sudden change in braking performance would probably have caused an accident if I had been driving in traffic. I took the truck to a mechanic who refilled the master cylinder and bled the brakes. I left the mechanic and pulled out. The brakes were fine leaving the lot. About 1/4 mile later, the brake warning came on and the brakes became spongy. I immediately returned to the mechanic and was informed that the brake master cylinder was draining into the booster. Apparently this is a recall item on later F-150s but it does not appear to include the 2010.

20250707SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact's wife owns a 2010 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving, the vehicle failed to exceed 80 MPH. The contact stated that the ABS and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where DTC: C1440 (Pressure Transducer Main/Primary Signal Faulted) was retrieved. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact provided the DTC: C1440 to the dealer. The dealer informed the contact that the ABS module needed to be replaced; however, the part had been discontinued. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 131,591.

Mileage: 131,591

20250622CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

When put into drive, vehicle unexpectedly accelerated. Could not control or stop the vehicle. The vehicle is no longer available for inspection. The inability to stop the vehicle put myself and other drivers and pedestrians at extreme risk. I am not aware if the vehicle was inspected for cause after the incident. No warnings or symptoms presented themselves at the time of the incident.

20250512CrashPOWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2010 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after exiting a store and entering the vehicle, the contact secured the seat belt, depressed the brake pedal, and shifted into reverse(R), and the vehicle unintendedly accelerated across the parking lot. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal was not depressed during the failure. The contact stated that the vehicle came to a stop after crashing into a guard rail, stopping the vehicle from driving into a pond. The air bags did not deploy. There was no injury sustained, and medical attention was not needed. There was no Police report filed. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and a case was filed. The approximate failure mileage was 117,000.

Mileage: 117,000

20250512CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

The contact owns a 2010 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after exiting a store and entering the vehicle, the contact secured the seat belt, depressed the brake pedal, and shifted into reverse(R), and the vehicle unintendedly accelerated across the parking lot. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal was not depressed during the failure. The contact stated that the vehicle came to a stop after crashing into a guard rail, stopping the vehicle from driving into a pond. The air bags did not deploy. There was no injury sustained, and medical attention was not needed. There was no Police report filed. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and a case was filed. The approximate failure mileage was 117,000.

Mileage: 117,000

20250510POWER TRAIN

Slips out of drive

20250502STRUCTURE:BODY

2010 f150 Rear heated window exploded when heat was turned on for window had to replace out of my own pocket also exhaust manifold bolt is gone exhaust leak truck only has 93343miles what happened to the quality for the price of your vehicle that shouldn't fall apart for lack of threads on the bolts to save money. stud on manifold just fell out last year that's not normal wear and tear ,rear window I'm not interested any more its manifold studs

20250502ENGINE

2010 f150 Rear heated window exploded when heat was turned on for window had to replace out of my own pocket also exhaust manifold bolt is gone exhaust leak truck only has 93343miles what happened to the quality for the price of your vehicle that shouldn't fall apart for lack of threads on the bolts to save money. stud on manifold just fell out last year that's not normal wear and tear ,rear window I'm not interested any more its manifold studs

Compare 2010FORDF-150 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2010 FORD F-150 have?
The 2010 FORD F-150 has 1131 NHTSA complaints, 33 crashes, 46 fires, 35 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2010 FORD F-150?
Yes, the 2010 FORD F-150 has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2010 FORD F-150?
The most-complained component for the 2010 FORD F-150 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 151 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and VISIBILITY/WIPER.
Is the 2010 FORD F-150 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.