Skip to content
KLUNK
KLUNK

2017 Ford F-150

The Verdict

90 Smooth Ride

The 2017 Ford F-150 has 43 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are transmission (29 complaints) and engine (7 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 90/100, it earns a "Smooth Ride" rating. If you're shopping for a Ford F-150, consider the 2020 model year which has 23% fewer complaints.

Safe Bet

The 2020 has 23% fewer complaints

View the 2020 Ford F-150 dashboard →

90

Klunk Score: Smooth Ride

This vehicle year has significantly fewer complaints than average. A reliable choice.

How is this calculated?

The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.

Recalls 8

Active safety recalls from NHTSA for this vehicle year.

26V370000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 F-150 vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 17V053. The instrument cluster may lose power after initial vehicle start-up i...

Risk

An instrument cluster that fails to display critical safety information, such as gear position or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy

Dealers will update the Instrument Panel Cluster Assembly (IPC) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 6. 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service...

Reported Sep 6, 2026

17V599000 SEATS

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 trucks with manually-adjusted front passenger seats. The seat belt anchor may not be adequately welde...

Risk

The seat belt buckle weld may fail, preventing the occupants from being properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger manual seat track, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin November 6, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service...

Reported Apr 10, 2026

17V671000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 F-150 vehicles equipped with ten-speed transmissions. The pin that attaches the transmission shift linkage to the transmission may come out, pre...

Risk

The disconnected linkage may cause the vehicle to not move forward or backward as selected by the driver with the shift lever. Additionally, despite selecting 'Park', if the parking brake is not a...

Remedy

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the roll pin with an updated part, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-8...

Reported Apr 10, 2026

17V332000 SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Ford Explorer, F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450 and F-550 vehicles equipped with a manual driver's seat back recliner mechanism. In the event of a cra...

Risk

If the occupant is not adequately restrained in the event of a crash, they have an increased risk of injury.

Remedy

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the seat back frame, free of charge. The recall began on June 7, 2017. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. For...

Reported Apr 10, 2026

17V053000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 F-150 trucks equipped with an eight-inch productivity screen. In these vehicles, the instrument cluster may lose power after the initial vehicle...

Risk

If the transmission gear position indicator fails to illuminate, the driver may be unable to tell the transmission shift position, increasing the risk of a crash or injury from unintended vehicle m...

Remedy

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the instrument cluster, free of charge. The recall began February 20, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's...

Reported Apr 10, 2026

17V529000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 F-150 and Mustang vehicles. The air bag inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may rupture in the event of a crash.

Risk

An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-73...

Reported Apr 10, 2026

25V236000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2018 F-150, Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The brake master cylinder may allow brake fluid to leak from the front wheel circuit int...

Risk

A brake fluid leak can cause reduced brake function and extend the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder. If the master cylinder is leaking, the brake booster will also be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters wer...

Reported Nov 4, 2025

18V213000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Ford F-150 and 2018 Ford Expedition and Mustang and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions. A roll pin m...

Risk

Despite the transmission shift lever being placed in 'Park' and the instrument panel display indicating 'Park,' the vehicle may roll away after it has been exited if the parking brake has not been ...

Remedy

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmission to make sure it has the roll pin, installing one if it is missing, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2018. Owners ma...

Reported Apr 4, 2018

Get notified if a recall hits this car.

We email you when NHTSA issues a new recall on the 2017 Ford F-150. No spam, no marketing.

Under the Hood

Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.

YearBodyBrakesElectricalEngineTransmission
20004688127433747
20015576820144171
20023134314238375
2003142278514465
20041233122156315208
200549310914028593
2006177868619940
2007173375118843
200814934469842
200913433547132
2016323538
2017322729
20183341035
2019300330
2020202326

By Category

Transmission
29
Engine
7
Body
3
Brakes
2
Electrical
2

By Severity

1
21
2
20
4
2

Worst Problems

Compare Against

See how the 2017 Ford F-150 stacks up against rivals.

Complaints

Transmission 2

The 4-5-6 drum ring in my transmission went out on my truck that has 70, 318 miles on it. Vehicle was missing shift points and would not always shift properly causing power to not be available when expected - especially dangerous when trying to merge onto a highway. Vehicle was inspected by a Ford dealership and by ABC transmissions of Tacoma WA. I paid ABC Transmissions $9,693.98 to fix the problem. The transmissions would clunk badly and was very obviously missing shift points. They first appeared 30k miles ago but Ford lied to me saying it was a "software problem".

9d ago
Brakes 2

I am filing this complaint because a Ford-authorized dealership, West Hills Ford in Bremerton, Washington, returned my vehicle to me in an unsafe condition after performing a repair under federal safety recall 25S37 (NHTSA Campaign 25V-236, brake master cylinder), and because an independent inspection has since documented physical evidence of a real defect connected to that repair. Please see attached documents outlining this entire incident as well as supporting documentation.

10d ago
Electrical 1

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Ford F-150. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of the purchase, the vehicle mileage was approximately 170,000, and it was later discovered via a third party that the mileage was 250,000.

10d ago
Transmission 1

Vehicle is subject to active Safety Recall 26S28 for transmission lead frame and range sensor failure causing unexpected downshifts into 1st gear. Vehicle experienced downshifting symptoms creating severe road hazard and risk of rear-wheel lockup. Dealership cleared diagnostic trouble codes without saving freeze-frame logs, mis-entered VIN on billing estimates, and refused to complete the recall repair. Vehicle is available for inspection.

10d ago
Engine 1

In late July 2026, my son received a Ford safety recall notice (Recall #26S28) for his 2017 F 150 requiring a PCM software update. I brought the truck to Crown Motors in Redding on August 11th for the recall service. Before this appointment, the truck had no performance issues. Immediately after picking up the truck, a noticeable pinging sound occurred under acceleration. I returned the vehicle on August 12th, where Crown Motors confirmed the issue and advised spark plug replacement. This did not resolve the problem. I was also told that continued driving could damage the engine, so the truck remained at the dealership. Over the following days, Crown Motors worked with Ford engineering and repeatedly attempted software-related fixes. Crown staff informed me they believed the recall update caused the issue, and the first internal Ford team reportedly agreed. However, on August 25th, Ford’s second internal review determined the software update was not responsible and stated that all repair costs would fall on me—despite the clear timeline showing the problem began immediately after the recall service. Customer Service provided no assistance and refused to escalate my concern. As a result, my truck is currently non-operational, Crown Motors does not have a fix, and Ford will not cover repairs triggered only after Ford’s own safety recall. According to NHTSA’s info, it seems Ford is obligated under Motor Vehicle Safety Act (49 U.S.C. § 30111 et seq.) to repair the vehicle. I am requesting that Ford acknowledge responsibility for the recall related issue and cover the necessary repairs. I am deeply concerned at the lack of support and accountability shown throughout this process from Ford. I am resubmitting this info, not sure if my first attempt worked. I had an issue with my internet browser.

11d ago
Transmission 1

Driving back from tri cities and when we were on I5 the transmission abruptly shifted down and went to a very high RPM. Was able to limp off the freeway by UW, and then drove home slowly. Had it trailered by the dealership i had just bought it from and they brought it to a shop where they said the transmission needed replaced.

11d ago
Engine 2

On XXX, my [XXX] son was driving this 2017 Ford F-150 when the transmission suddenly downshifted while traveling on the road. The downshift was severe enough that the rear tires lost traction and the vehicle fishtailed, nearly resulting in an accident. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Ford dealer on 8/18/2026. We reported the sudden downshift, but the dealer was unable to duplicate the condition. The dealer performed Ford Recall 26S28/NHTSA 26V-237 and campaign 19G01, and the vehicle was returned on XXX. On XXX, only two days after the recall repair, the engine unexpectedly shut off while the vehicle was being driven. It restarted afterward. On XXX, the engine again unexpectedly stalled while the vehicle was moving. When the engine stopped, power-steering assist was lost and the driver had to coast the vehicle safely to the side of the road. The engine restarted immediately. When attempting to drive away, the transmission appeared to be starting in approximately third gear rather than first gear. After the vehicle was moving, the transmission eventually began operating normally again. Ford Customer Relationship Center was notified on XXX and formally documented these incidents. The vehicle is available for inspection. I am concerned because the original sudden downshift closely resembles the safety defect addressed by Recall 26V-237/26S28, and serious intermittent stalling and abnormal transmission operation have continued after the recall remedy was performed. I am requesting that NHTSA document and evaluate these post-recall safety symptoms and whether the recall remedy adequately addresses the underlying defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

11d ago
Transmission 2

This lead frame issue is never ending. Well over a decade without a proper remedy. I’m very familiar with it. but this one nearly ended my life. After the near collision I called my mechanic and bought a new ford lead frame from a dealership. It’s doing fine now, it’s been 1 year. the incident caused my truck to go into park or possibly reverse at highway speed just as I passed a semi truck and returned to the right lane. If the trucker had not been paying attention it would have been bad. There was nothing I could do. . On top of this, he was under the impression that it was intentional. So I almost got into a physical altercation until I convinced him to look inside my truck as my gear indicator light was dancing from gear to gear while not touching anything.. To add to the seriousness, my taillamps never came on because I didn’t touch the brake. It was a horrible timing.. . Shortly after this i received a notice from Ford explaining the cause and symptoms of this issue, but then stated there was no fix at the time, but the vehicle was “safe to drive.” That is irresponsible. This was the only time mine did it, no prior issues. I got new ford parts and had it replaced. my mechanic said they deal with this weekly! Then I get a letter from Ford saying there is a fix and it’s a computer programming issue which is totally not true. That’s just a smoke screen, but it also goes on to say it could be a lead frame and if you’ve already fixed it before you got a letter, they will refund your money, but I highly doubt that. But they should stop claiming these vehicles are safe to drive because they absolutely are not if they’re having an issue regarding recall 26S28. So not only did i use new Ford parts, I paid a reputable EX Ford Technician Who owns his own business to perform the services because ford didn’t offer a fix. only to waste my time reprogramming the ecm. I work, I don’t have time.It’s irresponsible to say it’s not a safety concern. It’s just bad policy

14d ago
Electrical 1

Short in the rear window defroster. Within 5 minutes of turning off the defroster after only having it on for 2 minutes at 2:30am leaving work, the back window exploded outward and shattering. No rocks, no other folks on the road. Upon research, and after contacting insurance company and the glass repair company, this is a very common issue in 2015-2019 F-150s. But there are no safety recalls. Praise God my children were not in the backseat, they would have been riddled with glass. How is this not a safety issue?

15d ago
Engine 2

Not sure if I can file an issue for this, but I wanted to let you know that a Ford Safety recall caused other issues after it was applied. In late July 2026, my son received a Ford safety recall notice (Recall #26S28) for his 2017 F 150 requiring a PCM software update. I brought the truck to Crown Motors in Redding on August 11th for the recall service. Before this appointment, the truck had no performance issues. Immediately after picking up the truck, a noticeable pinging sound occurred under acceleration. I returned the vehicle on August 12th, where Crown Motors confirmed the issue and advised spark plug replacement. This did not resolve the problem. I was also told that continued driving could damage the engine, so the truck remained at the dealership. Over the following days, Crown Motors worked with Ford engineering and repeatedly attempted software-related fixes. Crown staff informed me they believed the recall update caused the issue, and the first internal Ford team reportedly agreed. However, on August 25th, Ford’s second internal review determined the software update was not responsible and stated that all repair costs would fall on me—despite the clear timeline showing the problem began immediately after the recall service. Customer Service provided no assistance and refused to escalate my concern. As a result, my truck is currently non-operational, Crown Motors does not have a fix, and Ford will not cover repairs triggered only after Ford’s own safety recall. I believe the Spark Knock issue is an additional safety issue caused by the PCM recall update that was I was told could cause engine failure.

15d ago
Transmission 2

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear, causing the rear wheels to lock up. The contact pulled over, turned off and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the transmission was rebuilt, but the failure persisted. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair; however, the failure reoccurred. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that a diagnostic test was needed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,200.

17d ago
Transmission 1

I am filing a formal complaint regarding improper service practices, breach of safety recall protocols, and severe resulting vehicle damage committed by Fox Grand Traverse Ford. On April 23, 2026, independent facility Kinney’s Complete Auto Repair replaced the lead frame connector on my vehicle. During service, the transmission pan was dropped and inspected. The transmission was certified clean, free of metal shavings, and operating normally. On August 3, 2026, a mobile service technician from Fox Grand Traverse Ford performed Safety Recall 26S28 (PCM Software Update) at my workplace parking lot. Ford Motor Company’s official support guidelines explicitly state: "Ford Mobile Service is unavailable for Recall 26S28." Servicing requires in-dealership PCM reprogramming and post-flash adaptive calibration. Because the service was performed in a parking lot, the technician omitted the mandatory post-flash adaptive learning drive cycle. The vehicle immediately suffered harsh shifting, hydraulic pressure spikes, and forward rolling while in Reverse. Fox Ford now demands $7,883.73 for a complete transmission replacement, falsely claiming there metal shavings in the gear box and that the damage was a "pre-existing condition," despite the recent clean pan inspection from April 2026.

17d ago
Transmission 1

My 2017 Ford F-150 equipped with the 10R80 10-speed automatic transmission experiences repeated harsh and unpredictable shifting. The transmission will hesitate or delay during shifts and then engage very hard, sometimes producing a severe bang or jolt through the truck. It also experiences abnormal gear hunting and inconsistent shifting behavior. These symptoms can occur during normal driving and create a safety concern because the transmission does not always respond predictably to driver input. Ford has issued technical service bulletins addressing harsh engagement, delayed engagement, harsh shifting, and delayed shifting on 2017-2020 F-150 vehicles equipped with the 10R80 transmission. My vehicle is experiencing these same types of symptoms. I am reporting this because I believe the 10R80 transmission in affected 2017 F-150 vehicles should be investigated for a potential safety defect.

19d ago
Brakes 1

I have been trying to get this recall resolved. This truck was at the Metro Ford dealership in Tupelo, Mississippi for over one week in July 2026. Replacement parts sent to dealership were also recalled. Dealership ended up placing original part back on the truck. How can this issue be resolved?

20d ago
Engine 1

PCM not communicating with throttle body causes wrench light to come on and we loose control of the gas and slows the car abruptly.

21d ago
Transmission 2

See attached document for complaint.

22d ago
Transmission 1

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after receiving notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (POWER TRAIN), the dealer was contacted, and a mechanic was sent to the residence to perform a software update on the vehicle. After the software update was performed, the vehicle experienced hard shifting, and the gear became stuck in 5th gear and 3rd gear on occasion, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the transmission leadframe was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was 155,062.

22d ago
Transmission 1

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted and the powertrain warning light illuminated. The transmission was stuck between third and fifth gear. In addition, the transmission failed to shift from park to drive until the vehicle was turned off. The failure was a persistent failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and a portable scanner was attached; DTCs P0722 and P061A were retrieved. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train). The vehicle was not repaired under the recall. The contact was informed that the failure codes were not the required failure codes associated with the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

23d ago
Transmission 1

I purchased a 2017 Ford F-150 on July 9th. It is covered under Safety Recall 26S28 (NHTSA Campaign 26V23700). On July 25th, the vehicle entered highway limp mode due to an Output Speed Sensor failure (Code P0722). A Ford dealership performed the 26S28 software flash but left the failing physical lead frame hardware in the vehicle. On August 15th, the truck reverted to a dangerous limp mode on the highway due to the same unaddressed P0722 hardware failure. Ford Corporate is refusing to authorize the physical hardware replacement under the safety recall framework, leaving the vehicle fundamentally unsafe to drive.

24d ago
Transmission 1

The transmission started skipping 4th gear a couple days later started randomly changing gears from 1st through 10th, and neutral while driving after reaching speed limits. While making a left hand turn it went into neutral and was almost hit broadside by an 18 wheeler with my grandson in the truck. There is a TSB and 3 class action lawsuits on this issue. My vehicle is a 2017 f150 with 50,365 miles which is EXTREMELY low miles for its age. I asked for goodwill assistance but was told no by the dealership and customer support. I called EXECUTIVE AFFAIRS twice and have yet received a call. I written a letter to Ford Consumer Affairs about my situation with contact information but have not received a response. A vehicle with this mileage should not be having a major issue regardless of its age. This is a life threatening safety issue that needs immediate attention. My vehicle is currently at the dealership having this 8600 dollar repair. Ford should be waving this charge or at least financial assistance with it but all I get is being told NO or IGNORED.

25d ago

43 total

1/ 3
Report a Klunk