Head-to-head reliability
BMW M850i vs FORD F 150
How the BMW M850i 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
BMW M850i vs FORD F 150: The M850i has 0 owner complaints over 7 years, while the F-150 has 11,311 over 10 years, averaging 1,131 per year. The F-150's powertrain and electrical issues are common, but the M850i's recall record is cleaner. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the BMW M850i or FORD F 150 more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
BMW M850i
The BMW M850i shows a remarkably clean owner complaint record over seven years, with zero complaints logged. This suggests that in real-world use, owners are not reporting the kinds of recurring mechanical or electrical issues that often surface in other luxury or performance vehicles. The seven recalls, however, indicate that BMW has proactively addressed potential safety-related defects, mostly involving rearview camera and seat belt components. For a buyer, this points to a vehicle that is likely to be dependable in daily driving, but it's wise to confirm that all recall repairs have been performed.
FORD F 150
The Ford F-150, in contrast, has a high volume of owner complaints, averaging over 1,100 per year, with the powertrain and electrical system being the most frequent trouble spots. Owners describe harsh shifting, sudden power loss, and recurring warning lights, which can be both annoying and potentially dangerous. The 145 recalls and 328 crash-related complaints further underscore that this truck has had significant reliability and safety concerns. While the F-150 is a popular and capable workhorse, buyers should be prepared for potential transmission and electronic gremlins.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | BMW M850i | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 0 Better | 11,311 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 7 Better | 145 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 0 Better | 328 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 0.0 Better | 1131.1 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 0 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.
BMW M850i
No component data available.
There are no owner complaints to describe, so no specific failure patterns can be identified. This absence of complaints is a positive sign for reliability, but it also means there is less real-world data to anticipate potential issues.
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN3,553
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,071
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,401
- 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,164
- 05ENGINE847
Owners report hard and delayed shifts, especially between 7th and 8th gears, and occasional loss of power with the vehicle shutting off. These issues can be alarming and may lead to unsafe driving situations, such as stalling in traffic.
Complaints include loud bangs from the transmission accompanied by popping sounds from the rear suspension, as well as persistent dashboard warnings for front camera malfunction and pre-collision assist unavailability. These electrical gremlins can be frustrating and may indicate underlying wiring or sensor problems.
While specific owner complaints are not provided, the high number of complaints in this category suggests issues with headlights or other exterior lights, which could affect visibility and safety.
“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.
BMW M850i — 7 recalls
The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2021 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, X4 xDrive30i, X4 M40i, M550i, X4M, X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i, X5 xDrive50i, X5M, X5 M50i, X7 xDrive40i, X7 xDrive50i, X7 M50i, Alpina XB7, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, and 8 Series C…
The risk: If the driver relies on only the rearview camera image, the missing or reduced rearview image view can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
The fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rearview camera software and update it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 540d, 2018-2020 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 530e, 530e xDrive, X3 sDrive, X3 xDrive, X3 M40i, X3 M, and 2019-2020 X4 xDrive, X4 M40i, X4 M, X7 xDrive, X7 M50i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, 750Li, 750Li xDrive, 8 Series Co…
The risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Toyota owners may c…
The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 X3 xDrive30e, X4 xDrive30i, X4 M40i, X4M, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, 840i Gran Coupe, 840i xDrive Gran Coupe, M850i xDrive Gran Coupe, M8 Gran Coupe, X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, X3M, and 840i xDrive Convertible vehicles. The sensors…
The risk: If the air bag and/or seat belt pretensioners deploy improperly in the event of a crash, there is an increased risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
The fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the front seat belt buckles, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 18, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 8 Series Coupe, Grand Coupe and convertible 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, M8 and 740 Li, 740 Li xDrive, 750 Li xDrive, M760 Li xDrive, X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, X6 xdrive50i, X6 M50i, X6M, and 2019-2021 X5 sDrive40i, X5 xDrive40i,…
The risk: A loss of ABS and a reduction in braking assistance can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the integrated brake system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 25, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
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
BMW M850i or FORD F 150: which should you buy?
The BMW M850i has far fewer owner complaints per year (0.0) compared to the Ford F-150 (1,131.1), indicating a significantly lower rate of reported problems. In practice, this means M850i owners are less likely to encounter the transmission and electrical issues that plague many F-150s. However, the F-150's higher complaint volume is partly due to its much larger sales volume, so the per-vehicle risk may be lower than the raw numbers suggest.
Key differences
- The BMW M850i has zero owner complaints over seven years, while the Ford F-150 averages over 1,100 complaints per year.
- F-150 owners frequently report harsh shifting and power loss from the 10-speed automatic transmission, a problem not seen in the M850i.
- Electrical system issues in the F-150 include persistent warning lights and sensor malfunctions, whereas the M850i has no such reports.
- The F-150 has 145 recalls and 328 crash-related complaints, while the M850i has 7 recalls and no crash-related complaints.
- Check that all seven recalls have been performed, especially those for the rearview camera and seat belt buckles, as these are safety-critical.
- Since there are no owner complaints, look for any signs of deferred maintenance or wear typical of a high-performance vehicle, such as brake and tire condition.
- Test drive the F-150 and pay close attention to transmission shifts, especially between 4th-5th and 5th-6th gears, for any harshness or clunking.
- Check for any warning lights on the dash, such as 'Front Camera Malfunction' or 'Pre-Collision Assist Not Available,' which indicate electrical issues.
Before you buy
- For the BMW M850i, obtain a full service history and verify that all recall repairs are complete.
- For the Ford F-150, ask for records of any transmission repairs or software updates, and have a mechanic inspect the transmission and electrical system.
- Check the F-150's battery cables and charging system for corrosion or damage, as these are common electrical failure points.
- Inspect the F-150's exterior lights, including headlights, for proper operation and any signs of moisture or damage.
- For both vehicles, consider a pre-purchase inspection by a trusted mechanic who can identify potential issues.
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 | BMW M850i | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | 24 |
| 2025 | 0 | 329 |
| 2024 | 0 | 617 |
| 2023 | 0 | 1507 |
| 2022 | 0 | 3432 |
| 2021 | 0 | 5234 |
| 2020 | 0 | 33 |
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 BMW M850i or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- BMW M850i vs FORD F 150
- BMW M850i total complaints
- 0
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 11,311
- BMW M850i total recalls
- 7
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 145
- BMW M850i avg complaints/year
- 0.0
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 1131.1
- More reliable overall
- BMW M850i
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN