Ford F 150 Supercab
Problems & Worst Years
Every reported problem for the Ford F 150 Supercab, model year by model year — ranked from 3003 federal NHTSA complaints across 2012–2020.
Cold weather is a recurring villain in the Ford F-150 SuperCab's complaint record. Door latches that fail to engage or release when temperatures drop lead three separate years — 333 occurrences on the 2016, 177 on the 2017, and a remarkable 422 on the 2018, all at safety severity — and the 2018 pairs them with 369 reports of transmission shifting problems, also specifically in cold weather. If you live somewhere with real winters, this is the single most model-specific thing to know.
Transmission complaints are the broader constant. The 2012 — one of the two heaviest years at 840 total occurrences, with seven safety-severity problems — leads with 371 reports of the transmission downshifting into first gear unexpectedly, alongside 341 of the engine stalling or losing power during acceleration. Random downshifting recurs on the 2016 (206 occurrences) and 2017 (149), and the 2019's file is nearly all shifting: random shifting and jerking (148 occurrences, safety severity), hard and delayed shifts (111), erratic downshifting (48). Even the 2020, lightest year here at 196 occurrences, leads with transmission jerking and hard shifting (94) while adding 26 reports of excessive oil consumption.
Engine noise forms the third thread — cam phaser failure and knocking-and-rattling complaints run through the 2017, 2018, and 2019 files — and the 2016 contributes 71 reports of the brake pedal sinking to the floor without stopping power.
Totals by year: 840 (2012), 717 (2016), 442 (2017), 838 (2018), 480 (2019), 196 (2020) — making the 2020 the comparative bright spot and the 2012 and 2018 the years demanding the hardest look. Bring the usual perspective: these are owner-filed NHTSA complaints, not measured failure rates, and later years have had less time to accumulate reports. Whatever the year, an extended test drive focused on shift behavior, a cold-start listen for rattle, a straight question about latch history in winter climates, and a pre-purchase inspection with service records count for more than the model year itself.
Ford F 150 Supercab problems by year
Complaint volume by model year (bar = relative to the worst year). Theworst yearsare the most-complained-about, weighted by safety-risk problems.
| Year | Complaint volume | Problems | Safety / High | Most common problem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012worst | 715 | 29 | 7/6 | Transmission downshifting into first gear unexpectedly Transmission · 371 complaints |
| 2016worst | 610 | 23 | 2/10 | Door latches fail to engage or release in cold weather Other · 333 complaints |
| 2017 | 395 | 10 | 2/5 | Door latches freeze in cold weather Other · 177 complaints |
| 2018worst | 736 | 10 | 1/4 | Door latches freeze in cold weather Other · 422 complaints |
| 2019 | 380 | 23 | 2/9 | Transmission Random Shifting and Jerking Transmission · 148 complaints |
| 2020 | 167 | 14 | 1/5 | Transmission Jerking and Hard Shifting Transmission · 94 complaints |
Data source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) owner complaints and recalls, 2012–2020. Problem clustering and year rankings are derived from the complaint record; complaint volume reflects reports filed, not total incidence or fault rate. Vehicle image is illustrative.