Head-to-head reliability
Acura ZDX vs FORD F 150
How the Acura ZDX 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 ZDX vs FORD F 150: The ZDX has far fewer complaints (67 over 7 years) than the F-150 (11,311 over 10 years), but its issues involve safety systems like automatic braking. The F-150's main problem is transmission harshness. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Acura ZDX or FORD F 150 more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Acura ZDX
The Acura ZDX is a relatively new model with a low complaint volume, averaging about 9.6 complaints per year over seven years. Owners report issues primarily with the forward collision avoidance and braking systems, which can cause unexpected braking or fail to engage, leading to safety concerns. Electrical system problems, including cooling system failures, also appear, but the overall frequency is low.
FORD F 150
The Ford F-150 is a high-volume pickup with a much higher complaint rate, averaging over 1,100 complaints per year. The dominant issues are in the powertrain, particularly the 10-speed automatic transmission, which owners describe as hard shifting, jerking, and sometimes losing power. Electrical system problems, including camera and pre-collision assist malfunctions, are also common, along with exterior lighting and engine issues.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Acura ZDX | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 67 Better | 11,311 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 36 Better | 145 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 5 Better | 328 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 9.6 Better | 1131.1 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 4 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 ZDX
- 01FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE23
- 02SERVICE BRAKES20
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER13
- 04ELECTRICAL SYSTEM12
- 05BACK OVER PREVENTION9
Owners report that the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) can be hyper-sensitive, causing sudden automatic braking for no reason, or fail to engage during a collision, providing no warning or braking. This inconsistency is alarming and could lead to rear-end collisions.
Intermittent braking malfunctions cause the vehicle to jerk unexpectedly when slowing or stopping, in traffic, on hills, or while reversing. The cause is often unknown, and the unpredictable behavior can be dangerous.
Failures in the drive motor inverter cooling system have been reported, which can lead to overheating and potential loss of power. This is a critical component for the electric drivetrain.
“On [XXX] at approximately 700 miles on a 2024 Acura ZDX A-Spec AWD (VIN [XXX] ), the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) failed to engage during a collision event. The system did not provide forward collision warning and did not initiate automatic emer…”
“I am writing to report a serious safety defect in my 2024 Acura ZDX concerning the Forward Collision Alert and Automatic Emergency Braking. The system exhibits hyper-sensitivity, leading to unwarranted and dangerous automatic braking events. On 3/17/25, at ap…”
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN3,553
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,071
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,401
- 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,164
- 05ENGINE847
The 10R80 automatic transmission is a major source of complaints, with owners experiencing hard and delayed shifts, jerking, clunking, and even sudden loss of power while driving. These issues can be intermittent and may pose safety risks.
Many owners report persistent warnings for 'Front Camera Malfunction' and 'Pre-Collision Assist Not Available' on startup, indicating issues with the camera and driver-assist systems. These malfunctions can disable safety features.
Headlight problems are common, though specific symptoms are not detailed in the sample. Given the high complaint count, headlight failures or poor performance are likely.
“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 ZDX — 36 recalls
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014 Honda Insight and Acura TSX and TSX Wagon, 2014-2015 Honda Crosstour and Pilot vehicles nationwide, as well as certain 2014 Honda FCX Clarity and Fit EV vehicles in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississip…
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 specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NG…
The risk: An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for t…
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2014 TSX Sport Wagon, 2010-2013 ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic and Civic Hybrid, 2008-2010 Civic GX NGV, 2012-2015 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2014 Fit EV, 2010-20…
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 August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are F…
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…
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 ZDX or FORD F 150: which should you buy?
The Acura ZDX has far fewer complaints per year (9.6) compared to the Ford F-150 (1,131.1), indicating a lower rate of reported issues. However, the ZDX's issues are concentrated in safety-critical systems like braking and collision avoidance, which could be more concerning per incident. In practice, the F-150's higher volume reflects its popularity and the widespread nature of its transmission problems.
Key differences
- The ZDX's complaints focus on advanced driver-assist systems (forward collision, automatic braking) that can act unpredictably, while the F-150's main issue is the 10-speed transmission's harsh shifting and power loss.
- The ZDX has a much lower complaint rate (9.6/yr) than the F-150 (1,131.1/yr), but the ZDX's issues are more safety-critical per report.
- The F-150 has a higher number of crash-related complaints (328) and injuries (287) compared to the ZDX (5 crashes, 4 injuries), though the ZDX has fewer total complaints.
- Electrical system problems appear in both, but on the ZDX they involve the inverter cooling system, while on the F-150 they involve camera and pre-collision assist malfunctions.
- Test the forward collision warning and automatic braking in a safe area to ensure they don't trigger unexpectedly or fail to respond.
- Check for any recalls related to air bags, as the ZDX has multiple recalls for inflator modules.
- Take a thorough test drive to feel for hard shifts, jerks, or clunks, especially between 4th-5th and 5th-6th gears, and listen for any unusual noises.
- Check if the front camera and pre-collision assist warnings appear on startup, as these are common issues.
Before you buy
- For the ZDX, verify that all recalls have been performed, especially air bag inflator recalls.
- For the F-150, ask for service records related to transmission repairs or software updates.
- Have a trusted mechanic inspect the ZDX's inverter cooling system for any signs of leakage or failure.
- On the F-150, test the headlights and all exterior lighting for proper function.
- Check the NHTSA website for the latest complaints and recalls for both models before purchase.
Year by year
Which model years to avoid
Complaints per model year for both vehicles — lower is better. The spikes are the years to scrutinize.
| Year | Acura ZDX | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | 24 |
| 2025 | 0 | 329 |
| 2024 | 55 | 617 |
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 ZDX or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Acura ZDX vs FORD F 150
- Acura ZDX total complaints
- 67
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 11,311
- Acura ZDX total recalls
- 36
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 145
- Acura ZDX avg complaints/year
- 9.6
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 1131.1
- More reliable overall
- Acura ZDX
- Acura ZDX top complaint area
- FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN