Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2000 Ford F-150 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My 2000 Ford xl triton is great. It has 201,000 miles and runs like a new vehicle. My problem is that the paint has bubbbled and peeled back. It has left some light rust spots under the paint. I would like to have it fixed. After talking with other owners, they said the problem is the thickness of the painy.
The half rear doors accessing the rear bench seat are defective. The doors have a defect in the locking/opening handle. The Ford dealer locally wants to charge me in excess of $1119.00 to correct the problem. I have researched this matter via the internet & have found this is a pretty common complaint.
I had my 2000 Ford f150 at the dealer before the bumper to bumper ran out with 31000 miles on the truck there was recalls on it for the back window leaking and other things like the speed control I notice the frame and crossmembers rusting out at this time the paint was not doing its job all they had too do was to paint it but they refused to do it, now there is a recall on just the fuel tank straps what about the tank and the frame and crossmembers this truck is a hazard to be on the road this truck should have been fixed at the time when I noticed the problem. The truck has about 78000 original miles on it now and the body looks like it is in real good shape but the frame and crossmembers look like they have 250000 miles on it. Is there anything that can be done about this because Ford did not do what they should have done back when there was only 31000 miles on it. …
Ford has issued a recall for defective fuel tank straps that May corrode and cause a potential fuel leak. I brought my truck in for the recall and sure enough my straps are corroded. The vehicle is at a Ford dealership and they will not replace the straps because the corroded straps have started to corrode the tank. According to the dealer the tank will begin leaking if they replace the straps. The dealer called Ford customer care and they would not cover the tank. I also called Ford and they refused to cover the tank and also will not replace the straps unless I purchase a tank from them to replace. If my straps break I will lose my tank and potentially cause a fire or accident to another vehicle. The recall does not currently address additional damage caused by the defective straps. …
I began hearing a squeal coming from the engine compartment and on stopping I could hear the cooling fan hitting the fan cowling. I thought the squeal was from one of the idler pulleys on the serpentine belt, and thought that maybe the fan cowling had loosened. On my way to the repair station, I lost the belt, it came completely off. What actually happened was the radiator support had completely rusted and disintegrated causing the front portion of the engine components to fall forward. I had to bring the vehicle to a body shop where they had to remove the bumper, front end, both fenders, and the hood to replace the radiator support. The owner of the shop knew of this problem when I brought the truck in and stated that this was a common problem with this truck and that he has done approximately 20 of them in the past year. …
I have a structural crack in the metal on the lower rear corner of the drivers side door. It is currently one half inch in length and growing. After doing some research and some investigation on similar Ford f150's I have found that this is not an isolated problem, but rather a fairly common one. I have also noticed that this is very issue has been brought to the attention of the ntsb. I called Ford today, and received the unsatisfactory answer that, since my warranty is expired a repair is not covered. I hope that the ntsb is looking at this matter closely and will issue a decision on it soon. I am worried that the structural integrity of my vehicle is compromised, and that the manufacturer Ford has not taken the proper steps to fix this problem. I believe that Ford and the ntsb will be to blame if I or a member of my family is injured because of a documented door failure.
Vehicle taken in on oct 5, 2011 for safety recall notice 11s21. While on the rack much rusting was noticed on undercarriage as well as spots rusting through paint at specific points on the right and left side rocker panels, bed and the running boards. Pictures and samples were taken and an email sent to the company president. No response was ever received. An internet search has found that this rust problem is prevalent in the f-150 of this vintage. The rust has not only diminished the value of the vehicle but the issues with the rocker panels and running boards have the potential to lead to accidents occurring with a failure at operating speeds.
Have a 2000 Ford f150 had tank filled with gas and was driving down road when gas tank fell of found that both straps that held tank had rusted through thankfully we were not moving fast or it is hard to tell what would have happened there is only 125000 mile on vehicle and has been maintained feel that an incident like this is uncalled for that there should have been a safer way of mounting since vehicle had even been rustproofed we are thankfull that this did not happen a high speed for we feel that something grave could have happened to us and anyone behind us if and when it May have exploded.
My truck front cross member that supports radiator and the body to the frame is just about rusted gone. Dealer stated that truck is 11 years old and will not repair. I am sending this for record in the event I am killed due to any failure in which I describe. I have read two cases on this website , one is a 2001 f-150 that had a cross member support rusted out in 2003 with 48,000 miles and another was a 2001 f-150 had a tag attached to the frame which read ( defective material do not use l/s performance I expect a full investigation on this complaint and I do want my vehicle inspected by NHTSA.
I have a 2000 f150 and I too have the famous crack on the driver's door. I talked to my selling dealer, they just wanted to put a new door on my truck at full cost to me. I thought this was real bad as this truck has very low miles. I talked to Ford customer support and they denied that there was a problem with door cracks even though I provided the TSB letter to the Ford customer support rep. I was told it was not covered under the manufactor's or extended warranty I purchased. Furthermore, I was told that I would be responsible for all charges.
Body complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2000 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 66 complaints about the body & structure of the 2000 Ford F-150, 6% of the model year's 1,075 complaints. The component named most often is body › door (35 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Ford F-150 body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2000 Ford F-150, though it has 6 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 2000 Ford F-150 body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 70,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 2 injuries to body & structure 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.