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Makes / Ford / F-150 / F-150 (13th gen) / 2015

Ford3 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.

2015 Ford F-150
Power282–385 hpTorque253–420 lb-ftEPA comb.18–22 mpgTows up to12,200 lbs

2015 Ford F-150 XL EcoBoost in Oxford White, front left by Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0 · cropped and resized

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

Checks by mechanism
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

Engines offered in the 2015 Ford F-150
EnginePowerTorqueTransmissionDriveEPA
3.5-TiVCT3.5L V6282 hp253 lb-ft6-speed automaticRWD or 4WD18 city / 24 hwy / 20 combined2WD
2.7-EcoBoost2.7L V6 turbo325 hp375 lb-ft6-speed automaticRWD or 4WD19 city / 26 hwy / 22 combined2WD
3.5-EcoBoost3.5L V6 turbo365 hp420 lb-ft6-speed automaticRWD or 4WD17 city / 24 hwy / 20 combined2WD
5.0-Coyote5.0L V8385 hp387 lb-ft6-speed automaticRWD or 4WD15 city / 22 hwy / 18 combined2WD

EPA city / highway / combined, from fueleconomy.gov.

NHTSA public records

Complaints and recalls

1,425complaints filed
14recall campaigns

Where the complaints land · top 6

SERVICE BRAKES270
POWER TRAIN191
ENGINE134
STRUCTURE122
UNKNOWN OR OTHER115
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM110
All other categories483

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

Wear item

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.

Slow cranking, a battery light that comes on under load, headlights that dim at idle and brighten when revved, or electronics that behave oddly before anything else fails.Electrical →
Moderate repair

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.

Air that is not cold, a clutch that cycles rapidly or not at all, a rattle or squeal that appears only with the A/C switched on.Climate →
Wear item

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.

Clunks over bumps, a knock when turning the wheel at low speed, uneven tyre wear, or a car that wanders and needs constant small corrections.Suspension →
Major repair

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.

A whistle or siren that rises with boost, blue smoke under acceleration, loss of power, or oil in the intercooler pipework.Engine →
Moderate repair

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.

Rough or shaky cold idle, a misfire code, hesitation under light load, or gradually worse fuel economy without an obvious cause.Engine →
Safety recall

Unexpected downshift into second gear

Ford recalled 1,392,935 F-150s in April 2026 because the truck can drop into second gear on its own at speed. Owner letters went out on 24 July 2026, so this is live: if you are looking at a 2015, 2016 or 2017 F-150 right now, there is a good chance the repair has not been done yet. It is a free software update.

The truck downshifts into second gear without being asked to. Ford's wording for what that means: "unexpectedly downshifting into second gear may result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash." At motorway speed a forced downshift into a low gear takes the drive wheels with it, which is why this is filed as a safety recall rather than a driveability complaint.Transmission →
Safety recall

Brake master cylinder leaking into the booster

On F-150s with the 3.5L EcoBoost, the brake master cylinder can leak fluid into the brake booster. Ford recalled 292,311 trucks for it in 2020 and pays for a new master cylinder and, where needed, a new booster. Six years on, the useful question is simply whether this particular truck has had it done.

Ford describes it as "a change in brake pedal travel and feel, increased pedal effort and reduced front brake function, possibly requiring greater effort and distance to stop the vehicle". A pedal that sinks slowly under steady pressure, or that needs more push than it used to, is the shape of it. The front brakes do most of the stopping, so losing part of that function is not a subtle change.Brakes →
Safety recall

Doors that can open while driving

A door that looks shut and is not. Ford recalled 1,101,107 trucks in 2017 for two ways this can happen — a bent latch cable, or a latch that freezes after water gets into it. The repair is free and does not expire, so the only thing to establish is whether it was done.

Ford's description is the useful part: "the doors on these vehicles may have a bent or kinked actuation cable or the door latches may freeze after water gets into the latch. Either condition can result in the doors opening while driving although they appear to be closed." The last five words are the danger — the door gives no sign before it matters.Body →
Safety recall

Seat belt pretensioner that can start a fire in a crash

A front seat belt pretensioner fires in a crash, as it is supposed to, and the sparks it throws can set light to the insulation inside the door pillar. Ford recalled 1,619,112 F-150s for it. The repair is free with no expiry, and the cab style tells you in seconds whether a particular truck is in scope.

None. There is nothing to hear, feel or look for while driving — this only shows itself in a crash, which is the worst moment to discover it. Ford's wording: "if a front seat belt pretensioner deploys as the result of a crash, the sparks may ignite materials such as carpeting or insulation within the B-pillar area."Safety equipment →
Safety recall

Engine block heater cable and the risk of fire

A cold-weather option most owners never think about, recalled three times in three years — including once for damage caused by the previous recall repair. If the truck has a block heater, "recall completed" on a VIN check is not the end of the question here; what matters is whether the cable was replaced or only switched off.

Nothing while driving. The risk is when the heater is plugged in, typically overnight in cold weather, and the vehicle is unattended. Ford's wording across the campaigns is consistent: corrosion or a damaged cable "could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring, increasing the risk of a fire."Electrical →

What it is good at

Strengths

01Aluminium body
02Four engine choices
03Deep parts supply

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 find

The 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