NHTSA lists 1 safety recall and 843 owner complaints for the 2010 Ford F-150.
Recalled components: body structure. Most-described problem: stalling or shutting off (105 complaints, 12%). Most-reported area: electrical system (166 complaints, 20%; median mileage when it happened: 59,600).
Fewer complaints than a typical F-150 year
The 2010 drew 176 owner complaints in its first three years, against 388 for a typical F-150 year. Best years are picked only from 2016 on, since counts for older years say less: owners filed fewer complaints in the early 2010s.
No F-150 year stands out enough to avoid; best year: 2019. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
The interior door handle housing embossment retaining the interior door handle spring may fracture during normal usage resulting in insufficient spring force to return the handle to the fully stowed position.
Risk: In the event of a side impact crash, the door handle spring can fail causing the door latch to open.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Owners will be initially notified and instructed to take their vehicles to a ford or lincoln/mercury dealer if any interior door handle is loose or fails to return to the stowed position after activation for replacement of the affect module. Once parts become available, owners will be renotified and instructed to take their vehicles to a ford or lincoln/mercury dealer for inspection of each interior door handle. Depending on the results of the inspection, the dealer will either add a spring embossment reinforcement or replace the interior door handle module free of charge. The safety recall began on february 10, 2011. Owners may contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
Ford's recall campaign number is 11s15. or go to <a href=http://www.safercar.gov>http://www.safercar.gov</a> .
Ford is recalling certain model year 2009 and 2010 f-150 vehicles manufactured from january 18, 2008, through november 30, 2009.
NHTSA listing: F-150. Ford campaign 11S15.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA's investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2010 Ford F-150.
What owners report
Owners have filed 843 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 F-150. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Stalling or shutting off105 · 12%
Median 54,000 miles at failure, from 99 reports with mileage
Smoke or a burning smell40 · 5%
Median 54,500 miles at failure, from 40 reports with mileage
Rust or corrosion38 · 5%
Median 53,000 miles at failure, from 26 reports with mileage
Loss of power or limp mode31 · 4%
Median 68,800 miles at failure, from 30 reports with mileage
Power steering problems or locked steering31 · 4%
Median 50,000 miles at failure, from 30 reports with mileage
Shaking, shuddering or vibration27 · 3%
Median 14,400 miles at failure, from 21 reports with mileage
Check engine light24 · 3%
Median 84,500 miles at failure, from 24 reports with mileage
Won't start21 · 2%
Median 109,500 miles at failure, from 20 reports with mileage
Most named: instrument cluster/panel (8); instrument panel, speedometer/odometer (4) · Median 59,600 miles at failure, from 152 reports with mileage
Powertrain121 · 14%
Most named: automatic transmission (17) · Median 60,000 miles at failure, from 103 reports with mileage
Engine107 · 13%
Median 79,500 miles at failure, from 94 reports with mileage
Visibility/wiper104 · 12%
Median 73,000 miles at failure, from 99 reports with mileage
Visibility96 · 11%
Most named: glass, side/rear (45); defroster/defogger/hvac system, rear window (18) · Median 45,900 miles at failure, from 94 reports with mileage
Body structure92 · 11%
Most named: body (77); body, door (7) · Median 52,000 miles at failure, from 70 reports with mileage
Brakes57 · 7%
Median 50,500 miles at failure, from 46 reports with mileage
Unknown or other61 · 7%
Median 65,000 miles at failure, from 46 reports with mileage
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Ford F-150 recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2010 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2018 F-150 drew the most (501) and the 2010 drew 176.
Owner complaints
2010: 843 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Ford F-150
Model year
Complaints
2010
843
2011
2,190
2012
1,782
2013
2,982
2014
1,533
2015
1,719
2016
2,059
2017
1,442
2018
2,311
2019
1,329
2020
730
2021
1,277
2022
806
2023
503
2024
225
2025
125
2026
15
Safety recalls
2010: 1 recallTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Ford F-150
Model year
Recalls
2010
1
2011
6
2012
4
2013
3
2014
8
2015
13
2016
13
2017
17
2018
18
2019
9
2020
11
2021
29
2022
23
2023
13
2024
11
2025
15
2026
5
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
In the 843 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2010 Ford F-150, the problems described most are stalling or shutting off (105), smoke or a burning smell (40), and rust or corrosion (38). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2010 Ford F-150?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2010 Ford F-150.
How do I check if my F-150 has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Ford dealers for vehicles up to 15 years old from first sale.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Oct 2, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: F-150.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.