Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Ford F-150 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On 12/17/03 while backing out of my driveway to go to work, the left front lower ball joint failed on my 1999 Ford f-150 4 wheel drive pickup. This caused the wheel to angle out at a 45 degree angle and lower "a" frame to come in contact with the road. This vehicle only has 69,100 miles on it, is only used for personal transportation (no snow plowing or business use) and has had all scheduled maintenance performed. Vehicle up to that point had displayed no driving erratics that might indicate a problem. Service manager indicated that this a normal problem that should have been caught during normal maintenance (my original dealer where I purchased the vehicle has sold the dealership) and not covered by any warrenty or recall. Ford consumer rep agreed. …
1999 Ford f150 2wd truck with 80,000 miles the fuel tank fell out of the truck. Upon investigation, it was found that the fuel tank straps has corroded apart. When re-installing new straps, it was found that the fuel fill tube was corroded, as well, with several holes in it. Also, while re-attaching fuel tank it was found that the rear three cross-members were on there way to corroding into two pieces, and had already completely broken in other places. Upon removal of pick-up truck bed for examination, it was found that the rear spring shackle pins had corroded away, leaving no support. Further, the frame rails were corroded to the point that they could be bent by hand- no tools used! This should be a major safety recall by Ford as an unsuspecting user hauling a trailer May loose their trailer, despite safety chains attached, causing injury, or death, and property damage. …
Dt: bought a used truck, and after the warranty expired had to replace the starter/the ball joints/he upper tie rods, and the control arm on both sides. Engine manifold split, and exhaust system rusted. Later, while driving tie rods came off. There was a slight drop at the entrance to the parking lot, and as vehicle went back up the drop, it slid and there was an impact. Got out of the car, and saw that the tie rod came off and gouged into the pavement. Spoke to the manager of country club Chevrolet, and he simply gave consumer a discount on parts and labor. Yesterday he went to a certified used vehicle dealer and asked for the 88-point inspection,, and they were unable to provide that information.
While driving on a local highway I felt my trucks front end vibrate then start to wobble. Stoped at a traffic light I could smell the odor of hot metal. I pulled in a parking lot got out of my truck andwalked around the front of my truck. I could feel a lot of heat comming from the left wheel. There was an auto service dealer open below where I pulled off the highway. I left my truck to be checked out. The next day I was told I needed upper ball joint balljoint assembly on both sides ,lower control arms on both sides and also upper contrl arms. The shop keep the old parts. I was lucky because one hour before this I was on interstate 75 in traffic.
Right front wheel fell off vehicle while driving. Lower ball joint cracked and separated, causing vehicle frame and bumper to Land on pavement. Dealer mechanic commented that he has never seen a ball joint shear off in such a manner in 23 years of experience.
Underframe is rotten and rusted out. Was hanging on by a two inch piece of metal. Vehicle is 1999 with only 94,200 original miles. Should not have rusted out. Ford will not accept any fault or repair.
Failure of front end sterring parts( ball joints, tie rods, and idler arm). On several occassions my mechanic has instructed me that I should have the front end check for wear and tear due to premature failures in these parts. This is the third time in the past 3 years (@about 20K miles per year) I have had major replacements done on these parts. I do not beleive the failure is due to driving conditions, most is at high ways speeds on reasonably smooth roads. The latest failure has me very concerned about the overall safety of the vehicle as I typical drive on the highway. My mechanic indicated if a failure occurs at highways speeds - it might not be a great outcome... I feel I am lucky in that every time I go to the mechanic (serveral times per year) I have him check these parts. I recently received an inspection in June 2004 and these parts were OK then. …
Truck was unstable with cause unknown by dealership. Owner has taken vehicle in for corrective action several times, however nothing has changed. Vehicle vibrates excessively when at idle with RPM gauge fluctuating up/down. Consumer states that the engine runs rough, oil level dropped and there was a clicking noise in which the dealer replaced the fan blade and fan clutch. Rear brakes experienced grinding, dealer applied a silencer to the front and rear brake pads. Consumer has experienced several problems with the A/C and heater, problems still exists. Vehicle uses a lot of gas, idles rough and experiences small hesitation upon acceleration. Vehicle kicks into gear. Vehicle drifts to the right, while driving at higher speeds, vehicle and steering wheel vibrate. …
I bought the 99 f-150 used. I've owned it for 2 years and in those two years spent over 3000 dollars repairing it. I cant handle the thought of keeping a truck that cost so much in repairs. And now the dealer tells me I need a new transmission. This is one week after I spent over 500 replacing the spark plugs, fuel filter, and getting the fuel injectors cleaned. I have only 58,000 miles on the thing and was told by the dealer that the plugs don't need to be touched for 100,000 miles. Well it was missing and that was the problem. The truck slams into gear between 1 and 2, and now the problem is my transmission is bad. At 58,000 miles? And I've never even towed anything. Just regular wear and tear? I think these trucks must be lemons. After I get the transmission fixed, I'll have spent $5,600 in a two year span. I have to sell it because the repairs are more than the payment. …
The drivers side mirror (remote controlled type)vibrates at highway speeds causing rear viewed vehicle lights at night to bounce all over the place creating a dangerous situation. Dealer replaced mirror three times to no avail. Stated "Ford knows about it, but has no fix, why not complain to the dsb". There is nothing I can do for it until Ford acknowledges it as a defect and issues a TSB to us". Okay I filled out the dsb form and a factory rep came and looked at it and stated: "98% of all f150's with these mirrors vibrate". "there is nothing I can do for you." issue is still pending before the dsb. Ford's only TSB ref this issue says check tire pressure and/or bug deflectors. Both of these were looked at, still shakes. Ford has a design problem between the door/mirror combination. And the passenger side mirror does not move at all.
Suspension complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 1999 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 43 complaints about the suspension of the 1999 Ford F-150, 4% of the model year's 1,044 complaints. The component named most often is front (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Ford F-150 suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 1999 Ford F-150, though it has 7 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1999 Ford F-150 suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 89,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to suspension problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.