Ford5 independent sources
2015 · Pickup (Regular Cab, SuperCab, SuperCrew)
2015 Ford F-150
The first model year of the thirteenth-generation F-150, and the year Ford moved the body to aluminium alloy. Ford put the weight saving at nearly 750 lb and raised high-strength steel in the frame from 23% to 77%. Four engines were offered and all four used a six-speed automatic; two of them displace 3.5 litres and are different engines, so the badge alone does not tell you which truck you are looking at.
Photo coming
Power282–385 hpTorque253–420 lb-ftEPA comb.18–22 mpgTows up to12,200 lbs
Facelift year
What changed for 2015
- First model year of the thirteenth generation. The body moved to aluminium alloy; Ford put the weight saving at nearly 750 lb.
- High-strength steel in the frame rose from 23% to 77%.
- A 2.7L EcoBoost V6 joined the range, and the naturally aspirated base V6 became a 3.5L Ti-VCT.
- Every engine used the six-speed automatic.
Before you hand over money
Check before you buy
- Check the title status first — clean, salvage, rebuilt or flood. On a truck this age a rebuilt title is common enough to be worth confirming before anything mechanical.
- Work out from the VIN whether a 3.5L truck has the naturally aspirated Ti-VCT V6 or the twin-turbo EcoBoost. Both are 3.5 litres, and they are not the same engine to own or to repair.
- This is the first year of the aluminium body. Ask where any panel work was done and whether the shop was equipped for aluminium; the repair pool is smaller than for steel.
- Look for open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov. This model year carries 14 recall campaigns, and dealers fix open ones free.
Four engines offered that year
Engines
Which engine a listing has is the first thing that changes the answer.
| Engine | Power | Torque | Transmission | Drive | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5-TiVCT3.5L V6 | 282 hp | 253 lb-ft | 6-speed automatic | RWD or 4WD | 18 city / 24 hwy / 20 combined2WD |
| 2.7-EcoBoost2.7L V6 turbo | 325 hp | 375 lb-ft | 6-speed automatic | RWD or 4WD | 19 city / 26 hwy / 22 combined2WD |
| 3.5-EcoBoost3.5L V6 turbo | 365 hp | 420 lb-ft | 6-speed automatic | RWD or 4WD | 17 city / 24 hwy / 20 combined2WD |
| 5.0-Coyote5.0L V8 | 385 hp | 387 lb-ft | 6-speed automatic | RWD or 4WD | 15 city / 22 hwy / 18 combined2WD |
EPA city / highway / combined, from fueleconomy.gov.
NHTSA public records
Complaints and recalls
Where the complaints land
SERVICE BRAKES270
POWER TRAIN191
ENGINE134
STRUCTURE122
UNKNOWN OR OTHER115
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM110
A complaint count is not a failure rate. It tracks how many of these were sold and how much attention a problem drew, so a popular car will always show more complaints than a rare one. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, retrieved 2026-08-11.
Against the rest of the generation: 0.89 where 1.00 is the average complaint volume per year on the road across the 6 model years written up here. Dividing by age is what makes the comparison mean anything; the raw counts alone favour whichever year is youngest.
Same car, different year
This year, or the one next to it?
Against 2016, this is the same truck: the same four engines at the same ratings, all on the six-speed. What separates them is that 2015 is the first year of the aluminium body and 2016 is the second, and that 2016 drew more complaints both in raw count and once age is taken out (index 1.17 against 0.89, where 1.0 is the generation average). Against 2017, the difference is mechanical: 2017 brought the second-generation 3.5L EcoBoost and the ten-speed automatic, but only on that engine.
Documented mechanisms
Known problems
Charging system: battery and alternator
The alternator charges the battery while the engine runs and powers everything electrical. Both are consumable parts with a service life, and on a used car at least one of them has usually been replaced already — or is due.
Air conditioning compressor failure
The compressor is the pump in the air conditioning loop. When it seizes it can send metal debris through the whole system, which turns a component replacement into a system job.
Suspension and steering noise
Bushings, ball joints, link rods and strut mounts are rubber and grease components that wear continuously. They rarely fail suddenly; they get gradually noisier and vaguer, which is why a test drive on a rough road tells you more than one on smooth pavement.
Turbocharger wear and failure
A turbocharger runs at very high speed on an oil-fed bearing, driven by exhaust gas. Its condition is tied directly to the engine's oil history, which makes service records more informative here than on most components.
Carbon buildup on intake valves
In a direct-injection engine the fuel is sprayed into the cylinder rather than at the intake valve. Nothing washes the back of that valve, so deposits from crankcase ventilation and exhaust gas recirculation accumulate there over time.
What it is good at
Strengths
Running it
Ownership and maintenance
Drivetrain
RWD or part-time 4WDTows up to 12,200 lbs (3.5L EcoBoost, properly equipped)The maximum figure needs a specific combination — the 3.5L EcoBoost, a 3.73 axle and the Max Trailer Tow Package. Tow and payload ratings otherwise depend on engine, cab, bed length and axle. The door-jamb sticker gives the numbers for that specific truck; a range quoted for the model does not.
Parts
Common — parts and independent shops are easy to findThe best-selling vehicle in the US for over four decades. Both original and aftermarket parts are widely stocked and independent shops know the truck well. The exception is body repair: the aluminium panels need a separately equipped shop.
Service intervals
Engine oil and filterPer the Intelligent Oil-Life MonitorThe interval is calculated rather than fixed. Turbocharged engines are less forgiving of a stretched interval than the naturally aspirated ones.
Transmission fluidPer the manufacturer's stated intervalEvery 2015 engine uses the six-speed automatic.
Spark plugsPer the manufacturer's stated interval
Engine air filterPer the manufacturer's stated interval, shorter in dusty use
Cost items
Relative bands only. What a job costs depends on your region, the shop and where the parts come from, so a dollar figure written here would be wrong for most readers — and a wrong number costs more trust than a missing one.
HighTurbocharger replacementEcoBoost engines only.
HighTiming chain and cam phaser workOne of the larger engine expenses, and labour is the bigger share of it.
HighAluminium body panel repairAluminium repair needs a shop equipped and certified for it, which is a smaller pool than for steel.
MediumBrakes and suspension wear itemsLoads and towing use shorten these intervals.
MediumTransmission service