2006 Ford F-150 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other F-150 years
- Fewer complaints than other years 23rd of 33 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 585 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Ford F-150. That ranks 23rd out of 33 F-150 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (77 complaints, 13%), typically at around 58,507 miles. Complaints mention 58 crashes, 18 fires, 42 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
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- 585owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 58complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2006 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 77 | 13% | 58,507 | “spark plugs” (25%) | $1,250 |
| Engine problems | 74 | 13% | 99,495 | “spark plugs” (27%) | $2,150 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 68 | 12% | 19,371 | “assist vacuum hoses” (10%) | — |
| Electrical System problems | 60 | 10% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Steering problems | 55 | 9% | 60,000 | “steering shaft” (22%) | — |
| Air Bags | 48 | 8% | 82,150 | — | — |
| Power Train | 46 | 8% | 38,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 44 | 8% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 34 | 6% | 56,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 31 | 5% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 27 | 5% | 5,239 | — | — |
| Suspension | 25 | 4% | 52,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 23 | 4% | 103,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 23 | 4% | 101,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 23 | 4% | 89,235 | — | — |
| Visibility | 17 | 3% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 11 | 2% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 10 | 2% | 63,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 7 | 1% | 2,034 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 7 | 1% | 69,690 | — | — |
| Seats | 4 | 1% | 25,113 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 0% | 7,462 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 2 | 0% | 32,966 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 0% | 110,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | 113,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 0% | 203,344 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 1 | 0% | 17,350 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | 21,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | 50,949 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 0% | 41,341 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 110,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2006 Ford F-150 recalls (4)
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.
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor
Problem: On certain trucks, passenger cars and sport utility vehicles, the windshield wiper motor may have been produced without grease being applied to the output shaft gear.
Risk: After a period of continuous use on the high speed setting, lack of grease on the output shaft gear may cause the gear to distort or fracture during operation resulting in a loss of wiper function. Inoperative wipers under inclement weather conditions could cause a crash due to impaired visibility.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the wiper motor for the presence of grease and grease the wiper motor gears if necessary. The recall began on november 22, 2005. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673 or lincoln/mercury at 1-800-521-4140.
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.
- 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.
The dealership sold this vehicle to me with a rusted frame
The contact owns a 2006 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the contact's son was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact's son lost control of the vehicle, and the vehicle crashed into a guardrail…
The problem is that the paint in the cargo area is peeling or fading, and I think that problem is a factory defect. That part of the cargo area is galvanized, I need to know if that is in a recall, thank you.
Around the 1st of February 2026 the weather had turned cold around 6 degrees Fahrenheit and I had just had my vehicle inspected in January so I know everything was fine then. My wife and I had driven to her office about 2 miles from our home and I of course had the heat on and defrost on. We went…
I was recently involved in an accident in my vehicle. It was a head on collision and my airbag did not fully deploy. Though i was travelling the speed limit, had i been on a freeway and going the legal speed limit i think i might have been seriously injured. The libable insurance company encouraged…
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 | 585 | 4 |
| 2005 F-150 | 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 2006 Ford F-150?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, engine, service brakes, hydraulic problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 77 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2006 Ford F-150?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2006 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 2006 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.