Ford F-150 Wheels Problems
Owners have filed 674 complaints with NHTSA about wheels problems on the Ford F-150 across 31 model years. The 1997 model year has the most (115). The words owners use most often: “lug nuts” (32% of reports).
- 674wheels complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 36mention a crash
- 17mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- $200typical repair cost reported by owners
- 53%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Lug nuts: mentioned in 218 of 674 complaints (32%)
- Tire rotation: mentioned in 43 of 674 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical wheels repair on the Ford F-150 at $200, and half of them between $140 and $480.
Based on 21 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (1998–2025), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do wheels problems happen?
Based on 250 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 674 complaints, 36 mention a crash, 5 a fire, 17 an injury.
Ford F-150 wheels complaints by model year
| Model year | Wheels complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 F-150 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2024 F-150 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2023 F-150 | 21 | 5% | 178 |
| 2022 F-150 | 8 | 1% | 5,000 |
| 2021 F-150 | 27 | 3% | 48,000 |
| 2020 F-150 | 5 | 1% | 53,057 |
| 2019 F-150 | 10 | 1% | 16,000 |
| 2018 F-150 | 43 | 2% | 10,572 |
| 2017 F-150 | 44 | 3% | 44,197 |
| 2016 F-150 | 53 | 3% | 50,000 |
| 2015 F-150 | 40 | 2% | 54,000 |
| 2014 F-150 | 25 | 2% | 56,728 |
| 2013 F-150 | 39 | 1% | 66,000 |
| 2012 F-150 | 18 | 1% | 91,500 |
| 2011 F-150 | 13 | 1% | 80,975 |
| 2010 F-150 | 12 | 1% | 110,500 |
| 2009 F-150 | 7 | 2% | 68,000 |
| 2008 F-150 | 7 | 2% | 74,771 |
| 2007 F-150 | 8 | 2% | 44,120 |
| 2006 F-150 | 10 | 2% | 63,000 |
| 2005 F-150 | 16 | 1% | 88,365 |
| 2004 F-150 | 21 | 1% | 70,000 |
| 2003 F-150 | 13 | 3% | 45,250 |
| 2002 F-150 | 13 | 2% | 100,000 |
| 2001 F-150 | 14 | 1% | 102,000 |
| 2000 F-150 | 13 | 1% | 75,000 |
| 1999 F-150 | 16 | 2% | 176,500 |
| 1998 F-150 | 44 | 3% | 75,000 |
| 1997 F-150 | 115 | 4% | 40,000 |
| 1996 F-150 | 6 | 2% | 161,429 |
| 1995 F-150 | 11 | 2% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Wheels:lugs/nuts/bolts/studs
Model years: 2022
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022 F-150 Raptor Series vehicles equipped with 37-inch tires. The lug nuts on the wheels may have been incorrectly tightened.
Risk: Incorrectly tightened wheel lug nuts can loosen and result in wheel separation from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will tighten or replace the wheel lug nuts, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 26, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S59.
Wheels:lugs/nuts/bolts/studs
Model years: 1997, 1998
Problem: Vehicle description: multi-purpose vehicles and light duty pickup trucks. The lug nuts on these vehicles may not create sufficient clamp load allowing wheel movement in relation to the hub/rotor mounting surface.
Risk: This can result in the loosening of lug nuts, stud fatigue failure, and the potential for a wheel separation from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Owners of these vehicles will be receiving two notifications. The first notification, which began in may 1998, will provide an interim repair procedure until parts become available. This interim procedure can be completed by owners or their dealers. It specifies that the lug nut torque must be verified to be 100 lbs. Then the lug nuts need to be tightened an additional 1/8 to 1/4 turn more. There will be a second owner notification, which is expected to begin july 20, 1998, under which dealers will inspect the wheel studs and replace the wheel lug nuts.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Pirelli Tires on F150 prematurely cracking & failing w/only 16,700 miles on the tire. Tread barely has any wear. On Saturday evening XXX Left rear tire wall blew out & PSI on tire went from 35 to 0 in less than 1 second. Upon closer inspection, all tires have premature cracks in the walls & the…
I own a 2018 Ford F-150 4WD with approximately 24,600 miles. While traveling approximately 70 MPH on the highway in 2H with cruise control operating, I suddenly heard an extremely loud metal-on-metal grinding/ratcheting noise from the driver's-side front wheel area. The noise caused immediate…
vehicle shifted from 1st to 3rd gear and as I accelerated the engine RPMs drastically increased. The transmission jumped from 3rd to 8th gear and then immediately dropped to 1st gear while I was at 40-45 mph. Due to the speed the back tires locked and the vehicle jumped from 1st to 3rd gear and I…
While driving on the highway on several occasions, the transmission drops from 6th gear to a lower gear, either seeming to slip, or locking the wheels causing a bad jerk. i have an appointment in two days , but am concerned that there may be more damage to my vehicle that will show up later due to…
Tire/wheel was losing air, upon investigation I discovered a cracked rim, which is my second in 8 months. Upon looking online, I see that ford is attributing this issue to aggressive stiff-wall offroad tires. I have the fx4 offload package with the factory wheels and BF GOODRICH KO2 all-terrain…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Ford F-150s have wheels problems?
No. NHTSA has 674 owner complaints about wheels for the Ford F-150. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Ford F-150 wheels?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list wheels. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix wheels problems on the Ford F-150?
Owners report a typical cost of $200 (half paid between $140 and $480), from 21 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about wheels problems on the Ford F-150?
The most frequent phrase is “lug nuts”, in 218 of 674 complaints, followed by “tire rotation” (43).
Other Ford F-150 problems
- Power Train problems (8,965)
- Engine problems (4,522)
- Electrical System problems (3,641)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (2,689)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (2,502)
- Steering problems (2,253)
- Service Brakes problems (2,080)
- Visibility problems (2,074)
See all Ford F-150 problems.