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 2005 Ford F-150 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2005 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the bed of the truck was lower than usual. The contact looked underneath the vehicle and became aware of rust underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the mechanic stated that the vehicle was rusted and that the sub frame was cracking and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The dealer was contacted, and the dealer stated that the vehicle needed to be inspected. The manufacturer was contacted, and the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not under recall and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.
The contact owns a 2005 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the subframe was severely rusted. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.
The contact owns a 2005 Ford F-150. The contact stated that when he had the vehicle serviced that the independent mechanic informed him that the front and rear frame of the vehicle was rusted and he should not be driving the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance but did inform the contact to contact NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
This is an extended cab - 4 door - the rear doors are half doors with a a handle allowing entry and exit to and from the rear passenger seats. (It is not a crew cab 4 door). The doors LOCKED and the handles failed with a child in the rear seat. THe doors cannot be opened. The child and his mother had to climb over the center console to exit the vehicle. THe vehicle is at a mechanic who states no part are available to repair this faulty and unsafe door mechanism. Both rear doors are LOCKED. QUalified mechanic estimates the cost to rig a fix, in absence of any left door mechanism parts will be near or over $500.00. THe mechanic reports that the control cables from the handles to the door latch stretched and failed. If there had been a collision or engine fire, rear seated passengers would be trapped inside the vehicle. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED and REPAIRED BY FORD.
This vehicle is part of the now famous Frame Rust Issue on 2004 - 2008 f-150 Extended Cab pickup trucks. This is a one owner well maintained, very clean vehicle in perfect running order. During regular service, I found rust spots on the frame. The rust appeared to be from the inside out. After further investigation the frame had been destroyed by internal rust. I condemned the vehicle and took it off the road. Further investigation showed this was a very widely known problem and contested Issue. I have undercoated this truck many times over the years and it was very clean. I. Have never received any notice from Ford about this well documented problem. I am in the process of repairing the frame via dorman products. Ford should be held to account any pay for this repair.
The frame of the vehicle is rusted through in multiple spots. When I picked the vehicle up on the lift the weight of the vehicle crushed the bottom side of the frame upward 1/2" upon inspection below the front doors where the frame is welded together it is also rusted through. While looking up recalls I found images and videos of other same generation F-150's that have the same problem. 1 video the entire bottom side of the frame from the engine to the front leaf spring mounts was rusted through. U-haul is aware of the issue and doesn't allow certain Ford vehicles to tow their trailers due to this issue. It's only a matter of time before the frames start breaking like the Toyota pickups and accidents start to come in.
Frame on passenger and drive side by transmission, fuel tank, and rear leaf springs are rusted and have no integrity left. No structure integrity if in an accident. If fractures completely, will loose control of vehicle as the bed will contact cab, driveshaft will jamb into transmission, lock up brakes from pinched brake lines, loss of brakes from severed brake lines, lose control and go into on coming traffic or into roadside structures including pedestrians. NOTE: Your system will not let me upload pictures.
customer states that the frame of the vehicle has been compromised by corrosion. the vehicle only has 163,844 miles on it and it has major holes in the frame. The chassis could break in half prohibiting the use of this vehicle on the roadway due to the safety of occupants. I advised the customer of this of which they bought a frame repair kit (Pre-cut over frame c-channel steel) to weld onto the frame to support a longer lifespan. The truck is now safe for the roadway.
This and many other trucks of this generation have major frame rot issues due to the box frame. The rest of my truck looks excellent but the frame is so bad its most likely not repairable. I am not the only one with this major safety issue. Its only a 16 year old truck. Thankfully I have not towed or put a large load in the bed or else it could split in half. I wash my car seasonally and pressure wash off rust every spring. Yet the frame has rotted so badly they could not put it on a lift to do the alignment. I love this truck and I'm a big fan of the f150 line as a whole. Ford should take responsibility as Toyota has and fix their customers frames from this generation. I love ford but its always interesting walking through a parking lot and seeing every 04-08 f150 with major frame rot. Without fail every single one has that issue. …
2005 Ford f150, only 85,000 miles on the vehicle. The overall exterior body of truck has zero rust and is in excellent condition. However, the main "frame" of the truck, which supports all the weight and structure of the truck is rusted through. I live in wisconsin and have owned many fords, and other trucks. Never have I had a frame of a truck rust out like this. These truck should last 200,000 miles +, and I have done just that on previous vehicles. However, with the body having zero rust, it is out of the norm to see this frame rusted through with holes in the main structure of the frame. I was advised by multiple auto shops this can not be weld repaired due to safety standards. Further, in order to fix the issue and make the vehicle safe, the entire frame must be replaced. Being this truck only has 85,000 miles on it, I find it absurd that this is even an issue. …
Body complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2005 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 77 complaints about the body & structure of the 2005 Ford F-150, 7% of the model year's 1,112 complaints. The component named most often is body (54 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Ford F-150 body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2005 Ford F-150, though it has 3 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 2005 Ford F-150 body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 72,000 miles, and 19% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 0 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.