YearToAvoid

2019 Ford F-150 Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Caution

Complaint Index

60/100

#7 most-complained of 16 F-150 years

The 2019 Ford F-150 has a Complaint Index of 60 and ranks 7th worst among 16 model years, earning a Caution verdict. Transmission & Powertrain issues account for 55% of complaints, with 9 recalls on record.

Complaints
1,327
Recalls
9
Crashes / fires
17 / 7
Injuries / deaths
25 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
19.5
17.5 city / 23 hwy

Top 2019 Ford F-150 problems

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

  1. Transmission & Powertrain730 (55%)
  2. Engine407 (31%)
  3. Other131 (10%)
  4. Electrical System107 (8%)
  5. Collision Avoidance & Cameras85 (6%)
  6. Structure & Body46 (3%)
  7. Visibility & Wipers36 (3%)
  8. Airbags24 (2%)
  9. Brakes24 (2%)
  10. Fuel System24 (2%)

What owners report

  • Airbags failed to deploy during moderate-to-severe collisions, including T-bone and rear-end crashes.
  • Pre-collision assist and automatic emergency braking systems reportedly did not activate when needed, even with alerts set to high sensitivity.
  • Owners describe electrical faults such as dome lights turning on unexpectedly and alarms sounding repeatedly, in one case followed by a fire.
  • Seat structures and seat backs reportedly broke loose or failed to stay locked in place after rear-end impacts.
  • Some owners report transmission hard-shift noise along with brakes that felt like they let go, contributing to accidents.
  • A dashboard-area fire occurred in a vehicle that was parked and unoccupied.
2019 Ford F-150 complaints: complaints filed per quarter1612018 Q42019 Q42020 Q42021 Q42022 Q42023 Q42024 Q42025 Q4
1673 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2018 Q4 to 2026 Q3; peak 2025 Q2 (161).

2019 Ford F-150 recalls

9 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 26V373000Jun 9, 2026Electrical System91,198 vehicles

    Exterior lighting:headlights

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 20V097. When the headlight switch is turned from "Autolamps" to "Headlamps On," the Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs) may remain fully bright instead of dimming to parking lamps as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices and Associated Equipment."

    Risk: Daytime Running Lamps that do not dim may reduce the visibility of other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: ,Dealers will reprogram the body control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 17, 2026. Owners may contact customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C28. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 6, 2026.

  2. NHTSA 25V442000Jun 27, 2025Collision Avoidance & Cameras200,237 vehicles

    Back over prevention:software

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2024 Explorer, 2021-2024 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank image, or the image may remain on the display after the backing event has ended.

    Risk: A rearview camera that displays a blank image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle. A rearview image that continues to be displayed after the vehicle is shifted out of reverse may distract the driver. Both of these situations can increase the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S72.

  3. NHTSA 24V852000Nov 8, 2024Other27,678 vehicles

    Equipment:other:labels

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, 2020-2024 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2018-2024 F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The air bag warning label may be missing from the dashboard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirement Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

    Risk: Without a label that shows the proper restraint usage guidelines, the occupants may have an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.

    Remedy: Ford will mail owners the warning labels, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 19, 2024. Owners may call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24C39.

See all 9 recalls for the 2019 Ford F-150 →

2019 Ford F-150 fuel economy and fuel cost

City
17.5 MPG
Highway
23 MPG
Combined
19.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,400
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.

2019 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
2017Good401,4371719
2018Avoid932,3081819
2019Caution601,327919.5
2020Best207271119
2021Good471,01229 !20

All Ford F-150 years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2019 Ford F-150 reliable?
NHTSA data gives the 2019 F-150 a Complaint Index of 60 and a Caution verdict, ranking it 7th worst out of 16 model years covered. Transmission & Powertrain complaints make up 55% of the total.
What are the most common problems with the 2019 F-150?
Transmission & Powertrain issues lead with 730 complaints (55% share), followed by Engine problems at 407 complaints (31% share). Median mileage at failure across all complaints is 60,000 miles.
Does the 2019 Ford F-150 have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 9 recalls for the 2019 F-150, covering areas including Electrical System, Collision Avoidance & Cameras, Structure & Body, and Engine. None are do-not-drive recalls.
How does the 2019 F-150 compare to other years?
The 2019 model's Complaint Index of 60 is worse than 2017 (40), 2020 (20), 2021 (47), 2022 (33), 2023 (27), 2024 (7), and 2025 (0), but better than 2011 (87), 2013 (100), 2016 (80), and 2018 (93).
What is the fuel economy of the 2019 F-150?
The 2019 F-150 gets an EPA-rated 19.5 mpg combined (17.5 city / 23 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,400.

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.