Head-to-head reliability
Acura RL vs FORD F 150
How the Acura RL and FORD F 150 compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.
Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records
Acura RL vs FORD F 150: The RL averages 23.6 complaints per year, far fewer than the F-150's 1131.1, but RL owners report electrical issues like flickering headlights and a melting door handle, while F-150 owners face transmission hard shifts and power loss. The RL has 58 recalls, the F-150 145. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Acura RL or FORD F 150 more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Acura RL
The Acura RL is a luxury sedan that, in ownership terms, shows a pattern of electrical and lighting gremlins rather than catastrophic mechanical failure. Owners report flickering headlights that can cut out on rough roads, and in one alarming case, a door handle that smoked and melted, leaving the car unable to start. Airbag recalls, particularly the Takata inflator issue, dominate the safety concerns, with owners expressing frustration over slow remedy availability. Overall, it's a car that demands vigilance for electrical issues and recall completion, but not one that shows widespread engine or transmission failures.
FORD F 150
The Ford F-150, a full-size pickup, has a much higher complaint volume, with the powertrain—especially the 10-speed automatic transmission—being the primary sore spot. Owners describe hard, jerky shifts, delayed engagement, and even sudden loss of power, which can be dangerous in traffic. Electrical system complaints are also frequent, including camera and pre-collision assist malfunctions. While the F-150 has more recalls and incidents, its issues are more mechanical and potentially more disruptive to daily use, but they are also more widely reported and likely more familiar to dealers.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Acura RL | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 236 Better | 11,311 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 58 Better | 145 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 14 Better | 328 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 23.6 Better | 1131.1 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 12 Better | 287 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 0 Better | 1 |
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall records.
What actually goes wrong
The problems owners report
The most-complained-about systems on each vehicle — what fails, and what owners say in their own words.
Acura RL
- 01AIR BAGS81
- 02EXTERIOR LIGHTING60
- 03ELECTRICAL SYSTEM36
- 04SERVICE BRAKES16
- 05HYDRAULIC12
The dominant issue is the Takata passenger-side airbag inflator recall, which owners fear could rupture and send shrapnel. Many complain about the long wait for parts and lack of communication, leaving them feeling unsafe.
Headlights flicker or go out intermittently, especially over bumps, making night driving hazardous. Owners report having to pull over and cycle the lights to get them working again, with no permanent fix.
Serious electrical faults can occur, such as a door handle that smoked and melted, disabling the car's electrical systems and preventing it from starting. This suggests potential wiring or component failures that could be fire risks.
In a few cases, the brake and gas pedals deployed simultaneously, leading to unintended acceleration and a crash. This is a rare but critical safety concern that could indicate a pedal misalignment or electronic issue.
“TAKATA RECALL - WE RECEIVED AN "IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL" NOTICE, INFORMING US OF THE DEFECTS IN PASSENGER-SIDE AIRBAG INFLATORS. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE NATURE OF THE DEFECT IS SUCH THAT I WOULD NOT FEEL SAFE HAVING MYSELF OR A FAMILY MEMBER RIDE IN THE VEHICLE…”
“NHTSA RECALL 16V-061 HELLO,I AM CONCERNED WITH THE ABOVE MENTIONED RECALL.I WAS NOTIFIED IN MARCH OF 2016 ABOUT A RECALL THAT WOULD TAKE PLACE IN THE SUMMER OF 2016. TODAY IS AUGUST 14, 2016 AND I STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY DOCUMENTATION IN REGARDS TO THIS M…”
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN3,553
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,071
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,401
- 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,164
- 05ENGINE847
The 10-speed automatic transmission is a major source of complaints, with owners reporting hard shifts, clunks, and jerks between gears, especially 4-5 and 5-6. Some have experienced sudden loss of power and stalling, which is dangerous in traffic.
Many owners report recurring dashboard warnings for front camera malfunction and pre-collision assist being unavailable, which can disable safety features. These issues appear on startup and may require dealer intervention.
Headlight problems are common, with complaints about poor visibility or complete failure, though specific details are less frequent in the sample. This can compromise nighttime driving safety.
Engine-related complaints are numerous, but the sample doesn't detail specific failures. However, the high count suggests issues like stalling, rough running, or check engine lights that could affect reliability.
“I started noticing hard and delayed shifts from 7th into 8th gear. My RPM's were not increasing when this happened, and then on a very crowded major road I lost all power, vehicle shut off and drifted, then started up and jerked again very hard. This failure…”
“I am reporting a safety-related transmission problem I experienced with my 2020 Ford F-150 equipped with the 10R80 automatic transmission. While driving normally, the transmission shifts hard (ie: jerks, clunks) between 4-5 and 5-6 gears, and has on occasion…”
Official recalls
Safety recalls on record
Federal recall campaigns — the defect, the risk, and the fix. Confirm any open recall was completed before you buy.
Acura RL — 58 recalls
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014 Honda Ridgeline vehicles nationwide. Honda is also recalling certain 2011-2012 Acura RL, 2011 Honda Element and 2011-2013 Ridgeline vehicles in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Mary…
The risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are…
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2012 RL, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. T…
The risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal airbag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are E5…
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013 Acura ILX, 2015 RDX, 2005-2010 and 2012 RL, 2009-2014 TL, 2010 and 2012 ZDX, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2011-2013 and 2015 CR-Z, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013 Fit EV, 2010-2011 and 2013 Insight and 2007-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with…
The risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are S5B…
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2010-2012 Acura RL, 2010 Honda Element, and 2010-2013 Honda Ridgeline vehicles ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the…
The risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 16, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are…
FORD F 150 — 145 recalls
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 trucks equipped with high series LED headlamps with Autolamp (On/Off) functionality. The Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) may remain activated instead of dimming to parking lamps when the Master Lighting Switch (MLS) is manually rotated from…
The risk: DRL that cannot dim may reduce the visibility of other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the body control module, free of charge. The recall began March 10, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C03.
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019-2020 F-150 vehicles. The fastener securing the Power Distribution Box (PDB) 12V cable and Battery Monitoring System (BMS) eyelets to the positive battery terminal may loosen and affect the vehicle's systems such as instrument panel displays and br…
The risk: Inoperative vehicle systems or an engine stall can increase the risk of a crash. Reduced braking and steering efforts increases the risk of a crash. This condition could also create a resistive short, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the positive battery cable/BMS/PDB joint for excess sealant adhesive and remove any excessive adhesive, reassemble the joint, and retorque the fastener, as necessary, free of charge. The re…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater. Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causin…
The risk: When the heater is plugged in, prolonged corrosion could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring which can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the block heater cable, free of charge. Once parts are available, Dealers will replace the engine block heater cable, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2019. Owners may contact Ford…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 and 2019-2020 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickup trucks, and 2018-2019 Ford Explorer, 2019-2020 Expedition, and 2020 Escape vehicles equipped with driver and/or passenger's manual front seat back recliner mechanisms. Also…
The risk: A seat back with an improperly assembled recliner mechanism may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's num…
Buyer analysis
Acura RL or FORD F 150: which should you buy?
The Acura RL has far fewer complaints per year (23.6 vs 1131.1) and fewer recalls, indicating a lower rate of reported issues. However, the RL's problems are more electrical and safety-critical, while the F-150's are more mechanical and widespread. In practice, the RL may be less troublesome overall, but the F-150's issues are more typical for a high-volume pickup and may be easier to diagnose and fix.
Key differences
- The RL has a much lower complaint rate (23.6/yr) compared to the F-150 (1131.1/yr), suggesting fewer reported problems per vehicle.
- RL owners report electrical and lighting issues, like flickering headlights and a melting door handle, while F-150 owners report transmission hard shifts and loss of power.
- The RL's airbag recalls are a major safety concern, but the F-150 has more recalls overall (145 vs 58) and more crash/injury reports.
- The F-150's transmission problems can lead to sudden power loss, which is more immediately dangerous than the RL's headlight flicker, but the RL's electrical fire risk is also serious.
- Check for any open Takata airbag recalls and ensure they've been completed, as owners report long waits for parts.
- Test the headlights on rough roads to see if they flicker or cut out, and inspect the door handles for signs of melting or electrical damage.
- Test drive the F-150 through various speeds, especially 4-5 and 5-6 shifts, to feel for hard jerks or clunks, and listen for unusual transmission noises.
- Check the dashboard for any persistent warning lights like 'Front Camera Malfunction' or 'Pre-Collision Assist Not Available' that may indicate electrical issues.
Before you buy
- For the Acura RL: verify all recalls are performed, especially airbag inflators, and ask for service records.
- For the Acura RL: have a mechanic inspect the electrical system, including the door handle wiring and headlight connections.
- For the Ford F-150: get a transmission fluid check and a diagnostic scan for any stored transmission codes.
- For the Ford F-150: test all driver-assist features (camera, pre-collision) to ensure they work without warnings.
- For both: obtain a vehicle history report to check for any prior accidents or major repairs.
Check the actual car
Comparing models is smart. Checking the VIN is essential.
Brand averages tell you the trend. A VIN check tells you what's wrong with the specific Acura RL or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Acura RL vs FORD F 150
- Acura RL total complaints
- 236
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 11,311
- Acura RL total recalls
- 58
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 145
- Acura RL avg complaints/year
- 23.6
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 1131.1
- More reliable overall
- Acura RL
- Acura RL top complaint area
- AIR BAGS
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN