Most common 1999 Ford F Series problems
Share of the 36 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford F Series complaints by model year
Best F Series years: 1995, 1996, 2004. Years to avoid: 2000, 1997, 2001, 1999, 2002. Compare all years →
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 1999 Ford F Series:
Pulls under hard braking
There is no summary currently available
Tire valve stem
There is no summary currently available
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
On September 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 Ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or…
What 1999 Ford F Series owners say
Engine & cooling
I had just got off work and was leaving the parking area and blew out the number 4 sparkplug on the right side head. I shut off the my truck and parked it. I called a friend that lives close for a ride home. The next morning I drove back to the plant and took my truck to the local Ford dealership. They said that I should replace the head or install a helicoil and also replace the spark plug and coil pack. So I had them install the helicoil and replace the damaged parts. Less then a month later I was driving to work on the I 90 and I blow out the number 5 cylinder spark plug and this time it took out the plastic shield and ripped the spark plug and the coil pack off he truck. I have not done any thing but contact Ford motor company about this at this time. There suggestion was to replace the heads my self at a cost of 6,000 dollars.
6.8 litre v-10 engine and one spark plug from each cylinder head came out. One cyl head had threads destoyed thereby making a replacement nessesary and the other one was suspect. The dealer suggested a rebuilt engine as costs would be very close between repairs and a genuine Ford rebuilt engine and it would come with a warrenty. My complaint is that the plugs came out because the cyl heads were a poor design with only 3/8" threads in an aluminum casting and I shouldn't be paying for poor engineering and designs. There has been an update in 2001 that now has a cyl head with 9/16" threads and plugs to suit. I want Ford to install a new updated engine at their cost.
Fuel & propulsion system
While inspecting my vehicle for fuel strap recall 11s21, it was noted that the frame of my f150 was rusted through at the location where the new strap would be installed. My Ford dealer told me that they could not replace the recalled strap until the frame was repaired (at my expense). Ford does not repair the frame under the recall, only replaces the strap. I feel that Ford should do the frame repair as part of the recall, as the strap was less rusty than the frame. The straps, in my opinion, were of similar quality as the frame, only thinner metal. My truck has been very well maintained, but the undercarriage has been rusting excessively since new. I own much older Ford vehicles with no such issue; my opinion is that Ford sourced poor quality materials when building these model year trucks. I also have rust holes in the transmission dipstick tube and exhaust manifolds. …
While driving, there was a loud explosion, then engine was running rough and loud. Mechanic stated that due to a faulty design, the #7 spark plug had been shot from the engine, damagine the ignition coil and allowing fuel to spray from the injectors onto the now loose spark plug. Mechanic stated I was lucky this did not result in an engine fire. Engine is Ford 5.4l v8. Mechanic explained that the design of the engine means that the aluminum heads have approx. Half as many threads as a normal spark plug, meaning that this is a frequent occurrence and Ford is aware of the fire risk but has chosen not to address.
Electrical system
August 24 my f150 truck caught fire nearly killing me and destroying my house. I notified Ford they said they would get back to me when they did the letter states that I owned a windstar van and there was nothing they could do for me because the windstar has no investigations..I do not a windstar they had the correct VIN number and this did dot get reported to you in the investigations truck is 100% loss and I need correct compensation for my loss.
While driving, there was a loud explosion, then engine was running rough and loud. Mechanic stated that due to a faulty design, the #7 spark plug had been shot from the engine, damagine the ignition coil and allowing fuel to spray from the injectors onto the now loose spark plug. Mechanic stated I was lucky this did not result in an engine fire. Engine is Ford 5.4l v8. Mechanic explained that the design of the engine means that the aluminum heads have approx. Half as many threads as a normal spark plug, meaning that this is a frequent occurrence and Ford is aware of the fire risk but has chosen not to address.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1999 Ford F Series a good car?
Based on 36 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1999 F Series rates use caution: 1.7× as many complaints as a typical year of the F Series at the same age. It is one of the F Series years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 Ford F Series?
The engine & cooling — 14 complaints, 39% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the fuel & propulsion system (7) and electrical system (4).
How many recalls does the 1999 Ford F Series have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 1999 Ford F Series. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Ford F Series?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 1995, 1996 and 2004. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2000, 1997, 2001, 1999 and 2002. See the full Ford F Series years comparison.
At what mileage do 1999 Ford F Series problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 80,000 miles; 24% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.