The Ford F-150, launched in the U.S. nearly half a century ago, is surprisingly popular given the problems it’s had over the years. Unsurprisingly, the 2023 model is attracting its fair share of complaints. Owners of the 2023 model are complaining primarily about the electrical system and powertrain problems, but there are also a substantial number of complaints about the brakes.
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Most Common Problems
There are hundreds of complaints about the 2023 Ford F-150 on file with the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA). Top of the list are electrical system problems that total more than 38% of all complaints. There are also a substantial number of powertrain (23%), and brake related (13%) issues. Of course, as always, many complaints are listed in more than one (sometimes three) different categories, which makes it difficult to provide accurate statistics.
There are many other components and systems that are regarded as problematic. These include the airbags, backover prevention, engine, equipment, exterior lighting, forward collision avoidance, fuel system, lane departure, latches/locks/linkages, seats, seat belts, steering, structure, suspension, tires, trailer hitches, visibility, and wheels.
There are also six recalls that relate to the 2023 F-150, all issued in 2023.
Airbags: 321 2023 F-150 vehicles have airbags that may not deploy properly – 2/10/2023
Airbags: 17,970 Ford vehicles including 2023 F-150 vehicles have airbags that may not deploy properly (as above) – 12/15/2023
Powertrain: 1,138 Ford vehicles risk rollaway caused by a loose bolt in the transmission – 2/10/2023
Powertrain: 240 2023 Ford vehicles, including the F-150, have a front axle pinion that may not have been heat-treated, which can cause it to fracture – 2/24/2023
Parking brake: 870,701 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a single exhaust system may experience unexpected activation of the electric parking brake – 7-21-2023
Powertrain: 112,965 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles with specific trailer tow and axle designs have rear axle hub bolts that may break – 12/22/2023
Blank display screens, faulty aircons, and “popping” speakers all feature prominently in electrical system problem complaints. There are also a lot of people who report that they can’t stop their trucks — but they display the warning, “Stop safely now.” For example, “When I tried to start the truck, the dash showed messages saying ‘stop safely now’ and ‘full accessory mode’ but would not start.” A large number of complaints tell this same story.
But there is another much more alarming issue — fire.
Fire Issues
The first fire-related complaint came from an owner in South Carolina who was waiting for his 2023 F-150 to be delivered in February 2023. It refers to a fire issue that hit the headlines that same month. What happened was that the battery of an F-150 Lightning caught alight during a pre-delivery quality check. The fire burned one pickup truck and spread to two others. As a result, production at the automaker’s Michigan plant was temporarily stopped.
The owner stated in his complaint, “I don’t want a bomb in my garage. What should I do?” He had read about the fire shortly before taking delivery and was hugely concerned. “You should know that Ford is basically telling me to take delivery ‘as is.’ This hardly seems safe to me as well as others who have builds that coincide with this very dangerous issue.” No solution is recorded in the complaint.
NHTSA Response
According to a report issued by the NHTSA on March 15, 2023, “the vehicle fire started when cathode aluminum tabs contacted the anode electrode material, causing an internal short circuit when the cells were at a high state of charge.” The automaker found that 18 vehicles with cells built within the suspect time window had been delivered to dealerships.
On February 29, 2024, a representative of the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) wrote to Ford Motor Company acknowledging the automaker’s notification that there would be a safety recall of 216 2023 F-150 vehicles. The letter states that the fasteners that secure the junction box bus bars inside the high-voltage battery pack may not have been tightened securely, which can cause electrical arcing at the busbars. “Electrical arcing increases the risk of a fire. In addition, a loss of drive power may occur, which can increase the risk of a crash.”
Our Internet search revealed an NHTSA Safety Recall Report, 24V-144 dated February 23, 2024. This reveals that the affected vehicles were produced between October 31, 2022 and August 2, 2023. Oddly, the recall is not listed on the NHTSA 2023 Ford F-150 page.
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Fire in 2024
A complaint issued to the NHTSA by a Californian owner on October 28, 2024, describes how his vehicle, with about 20,000 miles, had caught fire the previous night. The F-150 was parked near his residence and he was inside the house asleep. His dogs alerted him and he heard “the tires possibly popping/exploding due to the fire. The exterior and interior walls, attic, and electrical box were all burned.” The local fire department extinguished the fire and the owner was told not to move the vehicle until further investigation. He said he thought “the fire may have started from the middle console due to an EV battery failure.”
There is also a fire of a 2023 F-150 in September 2024 recorded on the F150 Gen14 forum. While there appears to be some skepticism from members of the forum regarding the origin of the fire, some claiming it was probably intentional. This followed the owner sharing a video of the fire (that is no longer available) on the forum. Others have offered more constructive opinions. “It definitely started as an INTERIOR fire……and given the dark color of the smoke at the base of the drivers side windshield I’d say it started near the drivers area or driver / dash…”
“It is very likely to have started under the dash, as smoke came out the HVAC first. Anything from a pinched wire, to a pin pulling loose from a connector, to poor quality could cause that. I found a few wires on my new 2024 that were pinched under the tailgate trim, against the metal. Could cause a short after chafing for a bit.”
The incident is described in Autoevolution, together with photographs. The video, though, has been disabled.
Blank Screen and Faulty Dashboard
An owner from Pennsylvania reports having a problem with the instrument panel, display, and dashboard. “When turning on the vehicle, it does not present any information, black screen with a faint light on the edge. I turn on, turn off, and drive the vehicle and the information does not return.”
“When I turned on (the) vehicle the instrument cluster screen was blank,” states a complaint from an owner in Iowa. Unable to see what speed the vehicle was traveling at, the driver tried restarting after placing it in Park. But this didn’t work so he was forced to drive without a functional speedometer. “After I got to (my) destination it resolved itself on subsequent start-up.”
Similarly, an owner from Florida states that the gauge cluster is “completely dark.” There were also no warning lights for safety. “Driving without a speedometer is very dangerous.”
An owner from Colorado describes how when reversing, the center screen that contains the backup camera freezes, with no indication it has stopped functioning. “This leads to a situation where you are seeing a camera image that is not related to the actual view behind you. This can cause crashes and pedestrian hazards if you do not realize the screen has broken.“
Faulty Air Conditioning
Complaints about the air conditioning system are reported as an electrical system and visibility problems. The reason is that when the system fails, drivers are unable to defrost or defog their windshield and windows.
An owner from Texas reports that the air conditioner has stopped working twice. “This is a brand new vehicle and it gets extremely hot in Texas. To have the A/C go out and no longer function is a serious health risk to me and my family.”
It isn’t always immediate. An owner from Tennessee had been driving for about two hours when the air conditioner stopped blowing out of the vents. “Even adjusting the fan speed up & lowering temp, vents did not blow air. However, I could hear air blowing within (the) console.” During this time the windshield wouldn’t defrost either. “I turned off (the) system for approximately 30 minutes and then (the) system began working.” The complaint states that this was the third time it had happened.
An owner from Los Angeles reports ongoing problems during an eight-hour trip. “Not only an uncomfortable inconvenience, but this issue could also be a safety issue (visibility) when depending on the vehicle’s defog/defrost system as the AC system (compressor and condenser) is used for defogging/defrosting the vehicles windows.”
Based in Arizona, another owner states that the air conditioner “lines and evaporator coil are freezing up” when in use. This results in zero airflow out of the vents in the cabin. “I checked forums online and this has been a common problem with my vehicle yet Ford has filed no recall to fix it. Dealership states it’s a faulty temp sensor in the evaporator. Ford refuses to pay for the fix under the vehicle manufacturer warranty because no warning lights are displayed on the dash.”
Popping Speakers
An owner from California complained to the NHTSA after experiencing this issue several times. “My F150 Tremor randomly has extremely loud electrical POP sounds through the speakers followed by the loud static.” This happens when he listens to the radio or connects to the android studio. “It’s super dangerous to hear this while driving.”
Another owner expressed shock that this had happened. While driving to work in a brand new 2023 F-15 Lightning Lariat with the stereo on 5, “all of the speakers suddenly popped at an extremely high volume.” This recurred in surround mode. Unable to identify the problem, the owner did some online reading and found that the issue was “extensive.” However, the “dealer shrugged when I called them…”
After experiencing this issue twice, a Ford F-150 owner complained to the NHTSA describing “an extremely loud electrical/static pop coming from the speakers, followed by extremely loud static noise which went on for several seconds. The noise was so loud that it caused ringing in (my) ears. The noise was not related to the volume control of the speakers, as turning the dial all the way down to zero, or turning the volume off, had no effect on the noise.” He had to turn the vehicle off to stop the noise. “Reading this online, it sounds like this is not an isolated occurrence, and others are experiencing an even worse version of the problem that will not stop until the battery is disconnected.”
Powertrain Problems
Complaints about the 2023 F-150 powertrain are varied. They range from reports that the transmission causes vibration in the accelerator pedal or jerking, shifting, and clunking, to to malfunctions involving reduced power. There are also complaints about Stop Safely Now warnings prior to failures. The three issues that Ford has acknowledged via recalls are that a loose bolt in the transmission may cause rollaway, axles may fracture because they haven’t been heat-treated, and rear axle hub bolts may break, see above.
Dealerships maintain that some of the problems owners report are “normal.” For example, an owner from Virginia complained that the transmission was causing vibration in the accelerator pedal. “The dealer says it’s a normal characteristic. But I had the same vehicle in 2021 and never had the problem.”
An owner from New Hampshire states that there was a constant clicking and rattling noise coming from the drivetrain. According to the service adviser, Ford says “this is a normal condition and there is nothing to be fixed.” He identified the condition as the same as that described in a Ford Recall, NHTSA Campaign ID 23V896000 — the rear axle hub bolt may break.
Powertrain Malfunction: Reduced Power
This problem relates to a loss of motive power. An owner from Texas states that when the “Powertrain Malfunction/Reduced Power” error message displayed, the F-150 slowed down to about 5 mph. Similarly, an owner from Florida states that while driving at highway speeds, they detected a fault in the drivetrain that reduced power to the electric motor. This reduced their speed to 5 mph.
An owner from Wisconsin states that whenever driving after a cold start or after stopping at a traffic light, when the accelerator pedal is depressed, the vehicle starts losing motive power. The “Wrench Symbol” is illuminated and the message “Powertrain Malfunction/Reduced Power – Contact Dealer” is displayed. While the dealer maintained that the gear shift module needed replacing, the owner linked the failure to an electrical system manufacturer communication, 23H01: Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) High Voltage Battery Module Replacement Program.
Harsh Downshifting and Clunking
An owner from Pennsylvania reports unpredictable shifting and “significant clunking while driving” that started from the day the vehicle was purchased. “This transmission is dangerous in my opinion and Ford should be held accountable. No warning signs, nothing at all. Dealer claimed there were no DTC’s stored. Ford should be replacing this transmission and fixing the problem.”
An owner from Maryland describes a similar problem. “Transmission jerking, harsh shifting, clunking, lunging, and hesitating.” The dealership was able to duplicate the problem “and found the transmission was 1.5 quarts low on fluid. I have driven the truck a few hundred miles since and the issues are still there. I also understand Ford is having issues with the 10R80 transmission and there have been recalls.” However, this vehicle is not included in the recall.
Sudden downshifting with the transmission was causing a Colorado owner’s -150 to stop suddenly. “The vehicle can lock up wheels and become uncontrollable.” The dealership verified the problem but was told by Ford “there is no fix.”
Warnings to Stop Safely Now
Drivers who receive Stop Safely Now warning messages report different issues.
A complaint from one owner of a brand new in 2023 F-150 tells how he couldn’t start the vehicle 3 weeks later, when it had 1,400 miles on the clock. After the Stop Safely Now warning, he couldn’t activate the engine or disengage the parking brake. He turned the engine off and tried again a few minutes later, but that didn’t help. The next morning it functioned normally. He contacted Ford and took the vehicle in for a service. His concern is that had he been traveling at 70 mph on the interstate when this happened, he might have been stranded, which “could have been very hazardous.”
Another owner experienced the Stop Safely Now warning immediately after starting the truck. He also had a “full accessory power” warning flash continuously. “I was unable to move my shifter as it was stuck on Park the whole time. I turned off and restarted the vehicle 8-10 times over the course of 10-15 minutes.” The messages eventually went away and he was able to put the F-150 into Drive and drive to work.
“I researched this issue and see a ton of other owners are having similar issues from this model.”
Brake Problems
Brake problems are varied. However, the most common problems relate to the parking brake. For example an owner from Michigan reports that the parking brakes engage while driving. “This has become a dangerous situation as it’s caused my car to suddenly stop in different driving situations.”
An owner from Indiana states that the parking brake engages randomly when the 2023 F150 Lightning Lariat ER comes to a stop while driving. This increases the risk of a crash. Despite the fact that this happens several times a day, the dealership was “unable” to replicate the issue.
Another owner tells how the parking brake sometimes engages spontaneously while driving, resulting in an abrupt stop. This had happened seven times, six when the owner was driving and once when the sales rep was at the wheel. Unlike the collision emergency braking system, the heads up display showed “parking brake” when it happened. Even though he had experienced the fault previously, the sales rep was “unable to replicate the issue” a second time, and the vehicle was released to the owner. Straight after this, the fault occurred again, in the middle of an intersection. “Had this not been a three-way stop, serious bodily injury or death may have resulted from oncoming traffic.
By the time the owner of a F-150 from Wisconsin had clocked up 300-400 miles, the parking brake had engaged on its own three times when trying to accelerate at intersections. “For no reason the red parking brake will light up and cause the truck to screech to a halt. It disengages when I engage the throttle again.” This problem was reportedly intermittent and the owner didn’t know what triggered it. “I’m scared of this happening at a time when it would cause a serious accident with my kids in the truck.”
What Are Your Next Steps?
Every year, automakers, including Ford, buy back, replace, or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ vehicle owners. It doesn’t cost them anything because the law makes Ford pay the legal fees for lemon-related legal fees. So, if you’ve got ongoing issues with your 2023 Ford F-150 and think it might be a lemon, don’t waste valuable time. Do something about it.
If you’d like Lemberg Law to assess your 2023 Ford F-150 problems free of charge, call our Helpline or fill out a contact form now.
About the Author:
Sergei Lemberg is an attorney focusing on consumer law, class actions related to automotive issues, and personal injury litigation. With nearly two decades of experience, his areas of practice include Lemon Law (vehicle defects), Debt Collection Harassment, TCPA (illegal robocalls and texts), Fair Credit Reporting Act, Overtime claims, Personal Injury cases, and Class Actions. He has consistently been recognized as the nation's "most active consumer attorney." In 2020, Mr. Lemberg represented Noah Duguid before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Duguid v. Facebook. He is also the author of "Defanging Debt Collectors," a guide that empowers consumers to fight back against debt collectors and prevail, as well as "Lemon Law 101: The Laws That Lemon Dealers Don't Want You to Know."
