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Ford: Reliability & Common Problems

#6 of 24
Longevity rank#1 Tesla holds up to ~184k
~127k
Trouble-free mileageacross all body styles
580
Fords inspectedreal pre-purchase inspections
59/100
Average conditionall cars we check: 61/100



Based on 580 used Fords we inspected, they tend to be in slightly worse shape than average — average condition 59/100 vs 61 for all cars we check. Every number on this page comes from real pre-purchase inspections — cars people were about to buy and paid an independent inspector to go through point by point, engine to underbody, paint depth to error codes. Not owner surveys, not warranty statistics, not forum lore: what we actually found.

What we found

Most common faults

Oil leaks · Engine
57%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
38%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
31%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
29%
Oil leaks · Drivetrain
21%

Share of inspected Fords where each item was flagged.

How they score

Excellent 24% Good 28% Mediocre 24% Poor 24%
Hidden history

What the seller might not mention — how often we find it on Fords.

69%had a repainted or replaced panelall cars: 74%
4%showed structural repairall cars: 4%
24%had fault codes recently clearedall cars: 24%

Compare with another brand:

Cross-shopping? Ford vs Toyota · Ford vs Honda · Ford vs Chevrolet

How long does a Ford last?

Across every Ford body style we've inspected — sedans, SUVs and anything else pooled together — the average one's condition dips below decent (a 55/100 score) around ~127k miles. It ranks Ford #6 of 24 brands we have enough data to rate; the longest-lasting, Tesla, holds up to ~184k. Shopping a Ford near that mileage? Expect more wear ahead — see which makes give the best odds at your budget.



Good cars by mileage
0 25 50 75 100 0–20k mi: 88% in good shape (26 cars) 20–40k mi: 85% in good shape (47 cars) 40–60k mi: 84% in good shape (68 cars) 60–80k mi: 67% in good shape (61 cars) 80–100k mi: 60% in good shape (70 cars) 100–120k mi: 41% in good shape (82 cars) 120–140k mi: 45% in good shape (58 cars) 140–160k mi: 22% in good shape (49 cars) 160–180k mi: 38% in good shape (34 cars) 180–200k mi: 22% in good shape (27 cars) 200–220k mi: 13% in good shape (24 cars) 40k 80k 120k 160k 200k mileage when we inspected it
Good cars by age
0 25 50 75 100 1 years old: 94%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars this age) 2 years old: 96% in good shape (24 cars) 3 years old: 94% in good shape (33 cars) 4 years old: 78% in good shape (45 cars) 5 years old: 72% in good shape (39 cars) 6 years old: 62% in good shape (47 cars) 7 years old: 64% in good shape (47 cars) 8 years old: 38% in good shape (50 cars) 9 years old: 37% in good shape (46 cars) 10 years old: 57% in good shape (35 cars) 11 years old: 54% in good shape (24 cars) 12 years old: 40% in good shape (30 cars) 13 years old: 30%, drawn from the nearby bands (17 cars this age) 14 years old: 32%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars this age) 15 years old: 32%, drawn from the nearby bands (17 cars this age) 16 years old: 24%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars this age) 2y 4y 6y 8y 10y 12y 14y 16y vehicle age when we inspected it

Share of Fords in good shape (scoring 60+/100) by mileage and by age when we inspected them (each dot ≥5 cars; a band under 20 cars follows the nearby bands, so a run above the all-cars line stays above it, and a band of 20 or more uses the rate we measured; where a band has too few cars, the line follows the trend between the bands on either side; rolled-back odometers excluded from the mileage curve). The dashed grey curve is all cars we check.

Is Ford getting better?
▲ Newer Fords are holding up better 40% 60% 80% 2012–14: 41% in good shape (age-adjusted; 37 cars, raw 38%) 41 2015–17: 54% in good shape (age-adjusted; 101 cars, raw 50%) 54 2018–20: 59% in good shape (age-adjusted; 98 cars, raw 64%) 59 2009–11 2012–14 2015–17 2018–20 2021+

Share of Fords in good shape (60+/100) when inspected at the same age — 5–10 years old, age-adjusted — by model-year generation; the dashed line is the all-brand average. Compare every brand's trajectory →



Ford models we've inspected
Transit 70 cars · 67% good F-150 137 cars · 58% good Escape 40 cars · 55% good Mustang 68 cars · 47% good Fusion 38 cars · 45% good Explorer 32 cars · 40% good F-250 30 cars · 40% good Focus 24 cars · profile soon Expedition 15 cars · profile soon Bronco 14 cars · profile soon F-350 13 cars · profile soon E-350 12 cars · profile soon Fiesta 11 cars · profile soon Edge 11 cars · profile soon

Recently inspected:

2016 Ford Edge · 111k mi — flagged: abnormal noise, oil leaks, oil sludge. Inspected Nov 11.
2020 Ford F-350 · 124k mi — flagged: low coolant / cooling system issues, fault codes recently cleared, oil leaks. Inspected Nov 11.
The bottom line

Oil leaks on 57% of these Fords, often with fuel trim out of range and codes still active, are the story — not the paint, which is actually a bit cleaner than the wider used fleet. Drivetrain seepage and worn tires show up often enough that you should price both in before you talk numbers. Mileage is the bright spot: they stay decent longer than most brands, to about 127,000 miles, and 2018–20 cars age better than the 2012–14 group. Negotiate when leaks and codes stack, and walk if the seller cleared the lights and will not let you rescan after a drive.

FAQ
?
Are Fords reliable?
52% of the 580 Fords we inspected scored 60/100 or higher, averaging 59/100 — they tend to be in slightly worse shape than average.
?
What are the most common problems with a used Ford?
Across the Fords we inspected, the items we flag most often are oil leaks (57%), tires condition & wear (38%), fuel trim out of range (31%).
?
Are newer Fords more reliable than older ones?
Yes — comparing generations at the same age (5–10 years old), newer Fords hold up clearly better than the early-2010s ones.
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Based on 580 inspections · updated Nov 12, 2026