Ford F-150 Reliability: America’s Best-Selling Truck Has a Weak Spot

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The Ford F-150 has been the undisputed sales volume champion for decades, while midsize pickups and SUVs continue to gain ground, this full-size truck still rules the charts. Part of its popularity comes down to its impressive blend of abilities, and broad spread of trims, from the workhorse XL to the luxurious King Ranch, and off-road beasts like the Raptor R.

But decades of continued success don't happen by chance, and one of the key factors in the enduring popularity of many vehicles is just how reliable they are. So, to see whether this held true for the F-150, we decided to look back on the last two generations of this evergreen truck and see how it has fared.

The Ford F-150

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The 14th generation F-150 was introduced for the 2021 model year and received a mid-cycle refresh in 2024. The range is available in Regular Cab, SuperCab, and SuperCrew body styles, paired with either rear-wheel drive (RWD) or four-wheel drive (4WD). Powertrain options are just as extensive, ranging from the standard 325-hp 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 and 400-hp 5.0-liter V8 to the potent 400hp 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 which can also be had in 430-hp hybrid form.  The Raptor steps up to a 450-hp 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6, while the Raptor R packs a 720-hp supercharged 5.2-liter V8. All engines come with a 10-speed automatic transmission.

Tech levels are also impressive, with an 8-inch or available 12-inch digital gauge cluster paired with a 12-inch SYNC 4 center infotainment display. But how does all this variety and complexity translate into long term reliability?

We looked to Consumer Reports and its comprehensive reliability surveys for the data. CR is a trusted, independent organization that buys its test vehicles and derives reliability scores from extensive member feedback detailing real-world repairs and component failures. The scores below represent the cumulative results for each model year from real owners.

Ford F-150 Reliability (Current 14th Generation: 2021–2026)

2021 model year F-150s debuted with a bit of a dismal reliability record, but most first-year models tend to struggle with teething issues that are usually resolved with software updates, or recalls, depending on the severity. Subsequent years have seen some improvement, but infotainment screen glitches, build quality issues and rough transmission shifting have been noted by owners across all model years.

The NHTSA has issued multiple recalls for the 14th generation F-150 , covering concerns such as trailer brake controller software, wiper motor failures, rear axle hub bolt shears, and rear-view camera display glitches. The 5.0-liter V8 and lower spec trims look to be the ones that have fared the best.

Ford F-150 Reliability (13th Generation: 2015–2020)

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The 13th generation F-150 was also a big step forward from its predecessor and marked a major industry milestone with the switch to a military-grade aluminum-alloy body on a high-strength steel frame. Somewhat unusually, it was considered to be at its most reliable in its first year of production and dipped then stabilized int eh years thereafter.

Issues varied from the usual infotainment screen problems to harsh shifting from the updated 10-speed automatic transmission and door-latch freezing. Some of these were resolved by recalls, but the 13thgeneration F-150 proved to be slightly less reliable than the newer models overall. But to get a better picture of what these scores mean, let's take a look at how other full-size trucks are doing in the reliability stakes.

Current F-150 Vs. Rivals

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Looking at the latest batch of full-size trucks , it is clear that none stand out as particularly durable or reliable. This is surely partly due to the wholesale adoption of forced-induction engines, complex automatic transmissions, and advanced electrical architectures, which are all potential failure points that older truck designs didn't have.

In the case of the F-150, it scores just below its main rivals overall for 2026, but few manage to score much higher than the low 40s, both for 2026 and in previous years. The Ram 1500 is an anomaly here and has been plagued with several build quality and electronic issues this past year, however, it also usually scores in the mid-40s as well. The older F-150 generation did not prove to be any more reliable than the current range, and when you dig into the details the fairly obvious conclusions are that for the best reliability you should stick to the more basic variants, and that good old Coyote V8 .

Data Sources:

• All vehicle data, pricing figures, and technical specifications were sourced from official manufacturer documentation and press materials.

• Reliability data was sourced from Consumer Reports

This story was originally published by Autoblog on Aug 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the Features section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.