2005 Ford F-150 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other F-150 years
- About as many complaints as other years 14th of 33 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 1,112 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Ford F-150. That ranks 14th out of 33 F-150 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is visibility (260 complaints, 23%), typically at around 50,000 miles. Complaints mention 50 crashes, 29 fires, 57 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
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- 1,112owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 50complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2005 Ford F-150 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility problems | 260 | 23% | 50,000 | “window regulator” (41%) | $620 |
| Engine problems | 117 | 11% | 116,500 | “spark plug” (17%) | $7,550 |
| Power Train problems | 112 | 10% | 65,850 | “four wheel” (8%) | $1,750 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 111 | 10% | 64,000 | “spark plugs” (29%) | $2,000 |
| Air Bags problems | 101 | 9% | 79,500 | “air bag” (50%) | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 90 | 8% | 31,087 | “master cylinder” (11%) | — |
| Structure problems | 77 | 7% | 71,000 | “frame rusted” (10%) | — |
| Electrical System problems | 73 | 7% | 69,750 | “fail safe” (8%) | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 57 | 5% | 50,251 | “throttle body” (12%) | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline problems | 53 | 5% | 50,000 | “fuel injectors” (25%) | — |
| Suspension | 49 | 4% | 57,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 40 | 4% | 97,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 36 | 3% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 34 | 3% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 25 | 2% | 98,778 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 21 | 2% | 85,087 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 20 | 2% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 16 | 1% | 88,365 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 10 | 1% | 35,988 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 9 | 1% | 114,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 7 | 1% | 45,988 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 7 | 1% | 39,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 0% | 126,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 4 | 0% | 103,500 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 0% | 16,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 3 | 0% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 0% | 36,141 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2005 Ford F-150 recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: Ford is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 f-150 pick up trucks as well as certain model year 2006 lincoln mark lt vehicles. If the clockspring jumper wire comes in contact with the driver side frontal air bag lower horn plate, the wire insulation may become chafed, creating a potential for a short circuit. If this occurs the air bag warning lamp may illuminate indicating that service is required.
Risk: The driver side frontal air bag could inadvertently deploy increasing the risk of injury or loss of vehicle control if occurring while in motion.
Fix: Ford will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicles to a ford or lincoln/mercury dealer to have a new clockspring jumper wire installed that incorporates a protective mesh cover. Repairs will be performed free of charge. This safety recall began on some vehicles in march 2011. The recall campaign on the expanded population is expected to begin on or about may 9, 2011. Owners may contact the ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.
Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuum:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: Ford is recalling 605,684 my 2005-2006 f-150 and lincoln mark lt vehicles equipped with 5.4l 3-valve engines. The brake booster vacuum supply hose attached to the intake manifold fitting may swell over time and lose retention force. This condition could allow the hose to become detached from the fitting during an intake manifold backfire. Should the hose detach from the intake manifold, several brake applications with power assist will be available before the vacuum reserve is depleted.
Risk: Once the brake booster vacuum reserve is depleted, the driver will have foundation brake function, but with increased brake pedal effort. Reduced vehicle braking could lead to a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace a rubber hose on the brake booster vacuum supply tube assembly. The recall began on june 27, 2008. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Interior lighting
Problem: Certain pickup trucks fail to comply with either the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) no. 105, 'hydraulic and electric brake systems' or fmvss no. 135, 'passenger car brake systems.' these vehicles were built with a software error in the instrument cluster.
Risk: This error could prevent the antilock brake system (abs) warning light from illuminating if the abs module ever became inoperative.
Fix: Dealers will recalibrate the instrument cluster in these vehicles. The recall began on february 27, 2006. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Inadvertent airbag deployment (EA10001) — opened Jan 13, 2010, closed Apr 25, 2011, led to recall 11V107000.
- Inadvertent airbag deployment (PE09046) — opened Sep 24, 2009, closed Jan 19, 2010, led to recall 11V107000.
- Loss of brake power-assist (PE08001) — opened Jan 8, 2008, closed May 9, 2008, led to recall 08V208000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
My sister's 2008 Hyundai Elantra burned completely nothing left my truck was parked next to it it also burned the entire driver's side It was ruled an accident by fire department but progressive has turned down any claim from me the said since there was no one at fault even though her car burned my…
The contact owns a 2005 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, while the brake pedal was depressed, the brakes failed to engage; the contact pulled the vehicle into a Home Depot parking lot, exited the vehicle, and discovered that the engine compartment was on fire. The Home…
customer states that the frame of the vehicle has been compromised by corrosion. the vehicle only has 163,844 miles on it and it has major holes in the frame. The chassis could break in half prohibiting the use of this vehicle on the roadway due to the safety of occupants. I advised the customer of…
Spark plug blew out no check enginge lite until after coil an plugs replaced now motor has a knocking sound 5/23 not 1969 like date happended onlys puts down even if i select present day
While changing the spark plugs 7 of the eight broke off in the engine block, the threaded section came out but the ceramic bottom portion is what broke. I find that this is somewhat common because Auto Zone rents a spark plug extractor specifically for this. My safety isnât at risk. Problem not…
Other Ford F-150 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 F-150 | 0 | 1 |
| 2026 F-150 | 12 | 5 |
| 2025 F-150 | 107 | 13 |
| 2024 F-150 | 193 | 11 |
| 2023 F-150 | 413 | 13 |
| 2022 F-150 | 597 | 23 |
| 2021 F-150 | 1,028 | 29 |
| 2020 F-150 | 736 | 11 |
| 2019 F-150 | 1,336 | 9 |
| 2018 F-150 | 2,318 | 18 |
| 2017 F-150 | 1,449 | 17 |
| 2016 F-150 | 2,074 | 13 |
| 2015 F-150 | 1,729 | 13 |
| 2014 F-150 | 1,537 | 8 |
| 2013 F-150 | 2,989 | 3 |
| 2012 F-150 | 1,783 | 4 |
| 2011 F-150 | 2,191 | 6 |
| 2010 F-150 | 843 | 1 |
| 2009 F-150 | 324 | 2 |
| 2008 F-150 | 369 | 1 |
| 2007 F-150 | 488 | 2 |
| 2006 F-150 | 585 | 4 |
| 2005 | 1,112 | 3 |
| 2004 F-150 | 2,029 | 5 |
| 2003 F-150 | 423 | 4 |
| 2002 F-150 | 821 | 2 |
| 2001 F-150 | 1,236 | 8 |
| 2000 F-150 | 1,075 | 6 |
| 1999 F-150 | 1,044 | 7 |
| 1998 F-150 | 1,381 | 8 |
| 1997 F-150 | 2,758 | 14 |
| 1996 F-150 | 324 | 2 |
| 1995 F-150 | 626 | 2 |
See all Ford F-150 problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Ford F-150?
Owners most often report visibility, engine, power train problems. The top one, visibility, accounts for 260 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2005 Ford F-150?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2005 Ford F-150 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other F-150 model years, the 2005 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.