Head-to-head reliability
Chevrolet Blazer vs FORD F 150
How the Chevrolet Blazer 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
Chevrolet Blazer averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. Chevrolet Blazer has 741 complaints and 12 recalls on record; FORD F 150 has 11,133 complaints and 144 recalls. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Chevrolet Blazer | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 741 Better | 11,133 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 12 Better | 144 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 30 Better | 319 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 74.1 Better | 1113.3 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 35 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.
Chevrolet Blazer
- 01ELECTRICAL SYSTEM215
- 02POWER TRAIN182
- 03ENGINE177
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER154
- 05STEERING101
“Since I’ve got the vehicle i experienced issues with it not going in drive or reverse sporadically. I was air to obtain this in video and show it to the dealer for the first time Dec 2023. In addition and overtime it’s seems this issue may go hand and hand wi…”
“The infotainment system of a brand new 2025 Blazer EV is doing blackouts, flickers, and changing commands and requests. While this may sound trivial - and if this system just did the radio - I would agree. However it controls most all the sub-systems of the c…”
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN3,499
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,056
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,382
- 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,150
- 05ENGINE829
“The internal mechanical failure of the Ford 10r80 transmission due to design fault causes unsafe driving conditions as the transmission stalls (fails to power at request) or lunges (powers forward without driver input) causing unsafe conditions for vehicle oc…”
“The vehicle experienced intermittent transmission-related drivability issues before the recall remedy was available. The vehicle had delayed/hard shifting, an intermittent wrench warning light, and a reduced power/limp mode condition where the transmission wo…”
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.
Chevrolet Blazer — 12 recalls
The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2025 Chevrolet Blazer, Blazer EV, and Equinox vehicles. The door strikers were not properly heat-treated, which can cause them to break.
The risk: A broken door striker can cause the door to open unexpectedly, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will replace all four side door strikers and attachment bolts, free of charge. All affected vehicles are still in dealership inventory and therefore no owner notification letters are expected to be mailed. Owners may call Chevrolet…
The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2023 Chevrolet Blazer and Traverse vehicles. The left-side half-shaft assemblies may be missing a retaining ring.
The risk: A missing retaining ring on the half-shaft can cause half-shaft inner joint separation, resulting in a loss of drive power or vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is placed in park. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace the left-side half-shaft assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 23, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N222390180.
The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2023 Cadillac XT6, GMC Acadia, Chevrolet Blazer, Traverse, and 2022-2023 Cadillac XT5 vehicles. The transmission may have been built with an incorrect sun gear, which can result in the driver-side half-shaft disengaging from the transmission.
The risk: A half-shaft disengaging from the transmission can result in a loss of drive power or vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is placed in park. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace the sun gears, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2023. The remedy is expected to become available August 31, 2023. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevro…
The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2024 Chevrolet Blazer, Blazer EV, Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The door strikers may fracture, resulting in the door opening unexpectedly.
The risk: A door opening while the vehicle is being driven can increasing the risk of injury or a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace all four door strikers and attaching bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 24, 2024. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and GMC customer service at 1-800-462…
FORD F 150 — 144 recalls
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 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 and previously remedied under recall 18V894. During the previous repair, the block he…
The risk: A damaged cable could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the engine block heater from being used. When replacement cables become available, a second notice will be mailed and dealers will replace the engine block heater cord, free of charge. The…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford F-150 Regular Cab and SuperCrew Cab vehicles. If a front seat belt pretensioner deploys as the result of a crash, the sparks may ignite materials such as carpeting or insulation within the B-pillar area.
The risk: A vehicle fire could result if materials ignite inside the vehicle.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove the B-pillar insulation material and wiring harness tape, and install heat resistant tape, free of charge. The recall began September 28, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Ford F-150, and 2017 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty trucks. The doors on these vehicles may have a bent or kinked actuation cable or the door latches may freeze after water gets into the latch. Either condition can result in the do…
The risk: A door that opens while driving can increase the risk of injury.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the door latch actuation cables and repair if necessary, and install water shields over the door latches, free of charge. The recall began October 12, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer…
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 | Chevrolet Blazer | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 16 |
| 2025 | 26 | 324 |
| 2024 | 42 | 610 |
| 2023 | 41 | 1484 |
| 2022 | 46 | 3398 |
| 2021 | 125 | 5172 |
| 2020 | 211 | 26 |
| 2019 | 184 | 32 |
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 Chevrolet Blazer or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Chevrolet Blazer vs FORD F 150
- Chevrolet Blazer total complaints
- 741
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 11,133
- Chevrolet Blazer total recalls
- 12
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 144
- Chevrolet Blazer avg complaints/year
- 74.1
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 1113.3
- More reliable overall
- Chevrolet Blazer
- Chevrolet Blazer top complaint area
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN