YearToAvoid

2010 Ford F-150 Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Best

Complaint Index

13/100

#14 most-complained of 16 F-150 years

The 2010 Ford F-150 has a Complaint Index of 13, ranked 14th worst out of 16 model years, and carries a "Best" verdict. NHTSA lists 843 complaints, 1 recall, 35 fires and 23 crashes for this year — far fewer issues than years like 2013 (index 100) or 2018 (index 93).

Complaints
843
Recalls
1
Crashes / fires
23 / 35
Injuries / deaths
28 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
16
14 city / 19.5 hwy

Top 2010 Ford F-150 problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Electrical System189 (22%)
  2. Visibility & Wipers171 (20%)
  3. Engine169 (20%)
  4. Transmission & Powertrain121 (14%)
  5. Structure & Body106 (13%)
  6. Brakes64 (8%)
  7. Other64 (8%)
  8. Fuel System58 (7%)
  9. Steering48 (6%)
  10. Suspension, Wheels & Tires45 (5%)

What owners report

  • Owners report engine fires starting near the driver's door or under the hood, sometimes within weeks of purchase or at low mileage.
  • Some describe the truck rolling on its own while parked in gear with the key removed, leading to collisions with fences, vehicles, or garage walls.
  • Several report sudden unintended forward surges at low speed that ended in a crash before the vehicle could be stopped.
  • Electrical fires are described starting near the floorboard or window area, sometimes with a burning smell or visible melted material.
  • One owner reported the brakes and power steering failing simultaneously along with an engine compartment fire while driving on cruise control.
  • A door handle failure during a collision was linked to a severed thumb, matching the recalled interior door handle component.
2010 Ford F-150 complaints: complaints filed per quarter462010 Q12012 Q22014 Q32016 Q42019 Q12021 Q22023 Q42026 Q1
1095 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2010 Q1 to 2026 Q3; peak 2015 Q1 (46).

2010 Ford F-150 recalls

1 NHTSA recall campaign list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 11V049000Feb 1, 2011Structure & Body280,946 vehicles

    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 the handle to the fully stowed position.

    Risk: In the event of a side impact crash, the door handle spring can fail causing the door latch to open.

    Remedy: Owners will be initially notified and instructed to take their vehicles to a ford or lincoln/mercury dealer if any interior door handle is loose or fails to return to the stowed position after activation for replacement of the affect module. Once parts become available, owners will be renotified and instructed to take their vehicles to a ford or lincoln/mercury dealer for inspection of each interior door handle. Depending on the results of the inspection, the dealer will either add a spring embossment reinforcement or replace the interior door handle module free of charge. The safety recall began on february 10, 2011. Owners may contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.

2010 Ford F-150 fuel economy and fuel cost

City
14 MPG
Highway
19.5 MPG
Combined
16 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$4,050
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2010 compared with other F-150 years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Best13843116
2011Avoid872,189617
2012Caution671,781417

All Ford F-150 years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2010 Ford F-150 a good year to buy?
Among 16 model years of the F-150, 2010 ranks 14th worst with a Complaint Index of 13 and a "Best" verdict relative to other F-150 years.
What are the most common problems with the 2010 F-150?
NHTSA complaints show Electrical System issues lead at 22% of complaints (189), followed by Visibility & Wipers at 20% (171) and Engine at 20% (169).
Does the 2010 F-150 have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 1 recall (campaign 11V049000) for the interior door handle housing, which could fracture and affect operation of the door.
How many fires and crashes were reported for the 2010 F-150?
NHTSA data shows 35 fires and 23 crashes reported among the 843 total complaints for the 2010 F-150.
How does the 2010 F-150 compare to other years like 2013 or 2018?
The 2010 F-150's Complaint Index of 13 is much lower than 2013's 100 and 2018's 93, both rated "Avoid," making 2010 comparatively strong.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.