YearToAvoid

2010 Ford F-150 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Good The 2010 Ford F-150 has a complaint index of 40, ranking 13th worst out of 21 model years, and earns a Good verdict. Top complaint areas are the electrical system (22%), visibility/wipers (20%), and engine (20%), with one recall on file.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
40/100
#13 of 21 F-150 years
Verdict
Good
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
843
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
1
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
23
reported in complaints
Fires
35
Injuries
28
Top issue
Electrical System
Best nearby year
2009
rated Good
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
16
14 city / 19.5 hwy
Injuries / deaths
28 / 0

Top 2010 Ford F-150 problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA 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%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Vehicles reportedly caught fire under the cab or near the driver's door, in some cases while the engine was off or the truck was parked.
  • Owners describe trucks rolling on their own while parked in gear with the key removed, sometimes striking objects or people.
  • Some drivers reported sudden unintended forward surges at low speed that did not stop with braking.
  • Electrical fires were reported starting near the floorboard, dashboard, or window area, sometimes with a burning smell or visible melting before flames appeared.
  • A door handle failure was linked to a severed thumb during a head-on collision.
  • Brake and power steering loss was reported alongside an engine compartment fire while driving on cruise control.
2010 Ford F-150 complaints: complaints filed per quarter362010 Q12012 Q22014 Q32016 Q42019 Q12021 Q22023 Q42026 Q1
843 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2010 Q1 to 2026 Q3; peak 2015 Q1 (36).

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)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2008Good10369115
2009Good15324216
2010Good40843116
2011Avoid852,189617
2012Avoid751,781417

All Ford F-150 years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2010 Ford F-150 reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2010 F-150 has a complaint index of 40 and ranks 13th worst out of 21 model years, which earns it a Good verdict relative to other F-150 years.
What are the most common problems with the 2010 Ford F-150?
NHTSA complaint data shows the top problem areas are Electrical System (22% of complaints), Visibility & Wipers (20%), and Engine (20%), with a median failure mileage around 52,989 to 60,000 miles depending on the area.
Does the 2010 Ford F-150 have any recalls?
NHTSA lists one recall for the 2010 F-150, covering an interior door handle housing that could fracture, affecting trucks built from January 2008 through November 2009.
How does the 2010 F-150 compare to the 2011 and 2013 F-150?
The 2010 F-150 has a much lower complaint index (40) than the 2011 (85) and 2013 (100) model years, both of which carry an Avoid verdict.
Did the 2010 Ford F-150 have fire complaints?
NHTSA complaint data for the 2010 F-150 includes 35 fire incidents, with several owner reports describing electrical fires near the floorboard or window area and engine compartment fires.

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.