Ford F-250 reliability by year
28 recalls and 5,818 owner complaints across 21 model years. Best year to buy: 2024. Year to avoid: 2019.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
Years to avoid — and why 3 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and others. Still verify the specific vehicle.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 21 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the F-250 aggregated across 21 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Ford F-250?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2024 Ford F-250 scores 8.2/10 — the strongest in the 2005–2025 range. 36 complaints on file, 0 active recalls. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Ford F-250 year should I avoid?
The 2019 Ford F-250 scores 5.8/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 1,151 owner complaints with NHTSA, 4 active recalls. That doesn't mean every 2019 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Ford F-250 should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2017 (avoid — the body — 6 fire-related complaints on the electrical system); 2011 (avoid — the steering — 1 fatality report and 2 crash-related complaints on the steering); 2008 (avoid — the steering — 5 fire-related complaints on the engine). The cleaner years on the data are 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2014. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.
How many years of the Ford F-250 are tracked?
21 model years (2005 through 2025) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 28 recalls and 5,818 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Ford F-250?
steering is the most-reported category — 2,788 complaints across 21 model years. Average shop repair runs about $700.