3 Ford Raptor Years To Avoid & Why

ByKern Campbell

The Ford F-150 Raptor is one of Ford’s most powerful truck offerings. When looking to buy one, which years have problems? Do some Raptor years have issues that lead to costly repairs? Basically, which Raptor years should you avoid?

Ford Raptor Years To Avoid 1 3 Ford Raptor Years To Avoid & Why

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What are the Ford Raptor years to avoid?

Of the few years the Ford F-150 Raptor has been around, there are a few to avoid. These include the early year of 2009, 2012, and 2014. These Raptors have issues with spark plug and oil issues that have the potential to be expensive fixes. The 2012 also has an odd issue with the windows shattering.

We’ve done our research on vehicle problems, and have worked in the automotive industry for a while. While we can’t say that we avoid “avoid” some years of Raptor, it is nice to know which Ford F-150 Raptor models present the highest risk of issues.

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Ford F-150 Raptor Years to Avoid

F-150 Raptor 2011 and 2012 Shattered Windows

Note that this problem didn’t happen in all years and isn’t terribly common – but this is a strange problem to have glass that breaks suddenly.

The most common report is having the back window that sees to the rear of the vehicle and bed suddenly break.

This is especially scary since small pieces of glass can hurt a person in the backseat, and multiple drivers report bringing their vehicle to a body shop to learn that nothing impacted the glass. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has been investigating the incidents, but no recalls have been issued yet.

Some drivers report using their rear window defroster just before the glass shatters, and one or two said they smelled plastic burning at the same time.

One potential challenge with shattering windows is that without a recall in place, an auto insurance company is unlikely to pay to have the glass replaced before breaking. You’ll probably have to pay out of your own pocket unless the glass actually does shatter.

The NHSTA nor Ford seem to have records of any injuries that are the result of glass shattering.

Transmission issues in 2012 Ford Raptor

The 2012 Ford F-150 Raptor is known to have some common transmission issues. The symptoms include jerky shifting and the inability to accelerate quickly. Unfortunately, for those with transmission issues, the most common remedy is to replace the whole transmission for upwards of $4,000.

Engine problems with 2012 Ford F-150 Raptor

The problems don’t get better for the 2012 Ford F-150 Raptor. In addition to potential engine issues, the 2012 Raptor also has some spark plug problems that result in rough acceleration. 

Some of the issues have to do with the engine being rattled around while doing off-roading, which is a problem since the vehicle is designed for off-road.

Oil Pan problems with F-150 Raptors before 2018

This problem also happened with regular Ford F-150s – not just the Raptor trim. When designing the F-150, Ford elected to use plastic oil pans – which is an important part of the vehicle designed to hold oil when the vehicle is not running.

The issue became twofold: a plastic oil pan could be roughed up easier during off-roading, which the Raptor is designed to do. Once an oil pan issue became apparent, the Raptor could suddenly lose a lot of oil and potentially disable the vehicle.

Infotainment problems in 2014 and earlier

Thankfully, radio problems aren’t normally safety issues, and we simply suggest pulling over before using the navigation or making numerous changes to your radio.

The larger issue with the Raptor before 2014 was Bluetooth not connecting and navigation working slowly. Others also reported issues with audio going slow sometimes on Bluetooth.

Most problems related to infotainment aren’t a big deal and are hiccups. While the Raptor and F-150 could have faster infotainment, any safety issues that arise out of operating a radio while driving has an easy solution in pulling over when needed.

Climate control issues in 2014 Raptors

Along with infotainment issues, the Ford F-150 Raptor could also have issues using its own climate control detection systems. The heating and cooling can miss the mark drastically, especially when set to automatic modes, and make the cabin of the Raptor either too hot or too cold for conditions. While this is easily changed, Ford could have developed a better system to make the climate control system more accurate.

General Raptor Issues not of a specific year

The onboard computer can cause occasional problems in the Ford Raptor.

While we didn’t have any statistics or specifics about how often this issue occurred, the Raptor seems to have a “sometimes” problem with the onboard diagnostic system not immediately detecting its own catalyst monitors and displaying an error message on the screen. 

The problem doesn’t appear to have a costly one, as the remedy can be to run the engine for a little while and restart it until the message goes away.

Which years should you fully avoid?

The Ford F-150 Raptor doesn’t have many problems, in part because the vehicle is a bit different from the F-150 in both potential engine choice and transmission. 

We would suggest taking the lowest risk and taking a long look at the mechanical and service history of a 2012 Ford F-150 Raptor before buying because it seems as though that particular year has a few problems that could compound to attack your wallet. 

Knowing that some issues have been fixed can also greatly affect the price and future of the vehicle.

Raptors built after 2018 have had better quality reports, with the exception of the recalls Ford made for the 2021 model year in regards to airbags. Fixing a problem within a recall is not bad, as Ford is forced to recognize or choose to remedy the issue at no cost to the customer.

Some plus sides for the Ford F-150 Raptor

The Raptor is built differently than the Ford F-150. You have the option of a more powerful 8-cylinder engine with more serious off-road capabilities, including different shocks and suspension.

Of all the complaints we read, most of the issues like engine problems and glass were also the case of the F-150. We didn’t see many, if any, complaints about the auto parts that make the Raptor truly unique, likely because those parts are of high quality and were installed well.

Key Takeaways

  • The 2012 Ford Raptor seems to have a mix of problems with engine and transmission issues.
  • Glass breaking issues were reported for several years, including 2012 and 2011 – the rear glass can suddenly shatter.
  • The Raptor had minor oil pan issues before 2018 when the oil pan was made of plastic instead of aluminum.
  • Years before 2014, have some infotainment issues with the radio connecting via Bluetooth and delayed navigation