2017 Ford F-150 Electrical Problems

Which parts fail

• Instrument panel › Speedometer/odometer
  4
• Instrument cluster/panel
  2
• 12V/24V/48V battery › Cables
  1
• Horn
  1

Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  1530%
• 25k–50k
  1326%
• 50k–75k
  1326%
• 75k–100k
  12%
• 100k–150k
  36%
• 150k+
  510%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 Ford F-150 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owned a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, smoke and heat were suddenly present inside the cabin of the vehicle. After exiting the vehicle the fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. During the incident, the vehicle was destroyed and towed away. The contact indicated that the flames had started behind the front seats inside the cabin of the vehicle but the cause of the fire was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 47,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS NO POLICE OR FIRE REPORT, BUT BOTH ARRIVED AT THE SCENE. THE CONSUMER SUFFERED FROM 3RD DEGREE BURNS ON THE ARM.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated while pulling out of a parking lot and making a right turn, the vehicle suddenly shut off in the middle of the road. The vehicle was able to restart but lost power steering functionality. The vehicle was towed to a nearby yard. The contact then resumed driving. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving on two other occasions, causing the vehicle to be towed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the vehicle restarted independently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon investigating the failure, the contact noticed that the front tires were rubbing against the coil springs housing while turning, causing the vehicle to shut off. …

The contact's husband owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while her husband was stopped at a red light, the vehicle shut off with an "Alarm" alert message on the instrument panel. The contact's husband sought assistance and had the vehicle jumpstarted, and the vehicle restarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where an oil change was performed, and the battery was tested, and the contact was informed that the battery was in good condition. Upon leaving the mechanic, the vehicle shut off again but another attempt to jumpstart the vehicle failed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The vehicle remained with the dealer for four days; however, the dealer could not duplicate the failure. …

The wiring for the rear defrost caught fire. A week later it caused the rear glass to completely shatter. We didn't know it was the rear defrost wiring until we had the glass replaced and were able to see the wires fried. I have farm animals and routinely leave my 3 children in their carseats in the truck with it running when it's cold outside and I feed our animals. If it had caught fire with my kids in the truck I wouldn't have known and they wouldn't have been able to get out. I talked to 2 Ford dealerships, 2 different lawyers and a service rep through Ford's website. Even though this exact issue is everywhere on Ford Forums no one will do anything about it because there's no current recall. The only thing we could do to make sure this doesn't happen again is to pull the fuse for the rear defrost. This is a devastating accident waiting to happen and no one will do anything about it.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated while the vehicle was at a complete stop at a traffic light, the vehicle shut off inadvertently. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle the following day, the transmission gear position indicator was not illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the transmission was not shifting smoothly while driving. The contact stated that the vehicle shut off for a second time while at a complete stop. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed at his expense. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V053000 (Power Train, Electrical System). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the Auto START/STOP inadvertently activated, causing several other electrical systems to malfunction. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled to the side of the road, turned off the vehicle, removed the ignition key, and then restarted the vehicle. The failure had recurred twice within 4 months. The last failure occurred while driving approximately 70 MPH, and the vehicle was coasted to the side of the road and waited to restart the vehicle. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and it was confirmed that there were no recalls on the VIN. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 154,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the instrument cluster failed to indicate the transmission shift position. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The power train warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V053000 (Power Train, Electrical System), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 159,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle would hesitate upon startup without warning. The contact had initially taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the engine shut off while performing a test on the battery. The mechanic discovered that the negative lead cable had become defective. The mechanic performed a temporary repair and instructed him to take the vehicle to the nearest dealer for repair. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer where it remained in their possession and was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed him that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving in fifth gear, the vehicle suddenly downshifted into second gear. Five minutes later while driving in third gear, the vehicle abruptly downshifted to second gear. The fault with the electrical system was displayed. The recall letter for NHTSA Campaign Number 26V237000 (Power Train) was received. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but no assistance was provided. The local dealer was contacted, who informed the parts were not available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving in the rain, the horn and hazard lights independently activated. The door latch failed to operate as needed when the temperature was at 36 degrees. The contact had to turn on the heater for the doors to open. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the BPS needed to be replaced due to moisture. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.

Related recalls

Electrical complaints in other F-150 years