Ford · vehicle model
Ford F Series (LIGHT)
163 NHTSA complaints and 0 safety recalls across model years 1973–2002.
- Complaints
- 163
- Recalls
- 0
- Model years
- 18
The verdict
The Ford F Series (LIGHT) pairs above-average complaint volume with zero recalls.
- 27th pctile
- complaint volume, US models
- 0
- recall campaigns
Ford F Series (LIGHT) vs. all tracked models
Total NHTSA ODI complaints across models with substantive safety data
163 Around the middle lower than 27% of 3,088 models
tracked vehicle models, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more models. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · August 2026
The FordF Series (LIGHT) appears in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database with 163 consumer safety complaints and 0 recall campaigns across 18 model years (1973–2002). That averages roughly 9 complaints per model year. Report counts can differ between model years for many reasons; this dataset does not establish the cause of a difference.
Complaint volume on a nameplate alone is not a reliability verdict: a long-running bestseller can accumulate more filings than a low-volume niche model because more vehicles are on the road. The table below shows report counts and published NHTSA crash-test ratings side by side for each model year. The filing-year histogram shows the timing of submitted reports, not a causal trend.
NHTSA has 179 investigation files tied to this model, with 6 currently open. Investigation records, complaint reports, and recall campaigns each provide different context. Use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and the underlying notices to research a specific vehicle; PlainCars does not infer a vehicle-risk or pricing conclusion from these records.
Complaints by Year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 17 |
| 2001 | 11 |
| 2000 | 5 |
| 1999 | 6 |
| 1998 | 1 |
| 1997 | 16 |
| 1996 | 3 |
| 1995 | 1 |
| 1994 | 23 |
| 1993 | 18 |
| 1992 | 13 |
| 1991 | 12 |
| 1990 | 12 |
| 1989 | 16 |
| 1988 | 6 |
| 1986 | 1 |
| 1978 | 1 |
| 1973 | 1 |
Complaint Filing Trend
NHTSA complaint volume by year filed (not model year).
Year filed (bar labels show the complaint count).
Compare FordF Series (LIGHT) to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 6 Open
Timing Belt Failure
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illuminated
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Timing Belt Failure
Underbody shields detachment
B-Pillar Trim Detachment
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Collisions Involving Ford BlueCruise
Seat Belt Retractor Pretensioner Inadvertent Deployment
Loss of Motive Power
Frequently Asked Questions
How reliable is the Ford F Series (LIGHT)?▼
What years of Ford F Series (LIGHT) are available?▼
Does the Ford F Series (LIGHT) have safety ratings?▼
What are the most common Ford F Series (LIGHT) complaints?▼
How do I check if my Ford F Series (LIGHT) has been recalled?▼
Data sources
Data vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. Ford F Series (LIGHT) totals are aggregated from the linked NHTSA model-year rows; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.