AI Damage1999 Ford F Series (heavy) reliability: common problems
Owners of the 1999 Ford F Series (heavy) filed 5 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and engine. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 40% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 20% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 20% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 20% of all complaints
- 5 Suspension 20% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (40% of all).
- Engine: 1 complaints (20% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (20% of all).
- Steering: 1 complaints (20% of all).
- Suspension: 1 complaints (20% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 5 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Truck engine started to cut out. Occurs every few hundred miles, requires part replacement. The cam position sensor is the part that continues to fail. Replacement fixes it.
Front end shakes violently when encountering successive dips or potholes at speeds between 40 and 60 . Replaced tires,shocks, tie rod ends, steering box, and linkage. Constantly verifying tire pressure, when this occurs daily I must slow to a crawl or shake the steering wheel from ten to two to make it quit.
My truck started making a noise and slowly got worse over about 6000 miles. I brought it into ford and the said it was pistion slap or a bad bearing. They tolsd me it wouldnt affect the performance or the truck and it is a fairly common problem.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 13,113 of 32,257 model years in the NHTSA data (top 41% most complained about).
On average one model year of the F Series (heavy) has 5 complaints (4 years in the data). This year has 5, about average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Ford F Series (heavy)?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, engine, powertrain. Total complaints: 5. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (20%), tires: bulges, blowouts (20%), transmission slipping (20%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 Ford F Series (heavy)?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1999 Ford F Series (heavy) from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1999 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.