Head-to-head reliability
Chevrolet BOLT EV vs FORD F 150
How the Chevrolet BOLT EV 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 BOLT EV averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. Chevrolet BOLT EV has 531 complaints and 38 recalls on record; FORD F 150 has 11,102 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 BOLT EV | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 531 Better | 11,102 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 38 Better | 144 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 24 Better | 319 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 75.9 Better | 1110.2 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 11 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 BOLT EV
- 01ELECTRICAL SYSTEM257
- 02FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM107
- 03STEERING96
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER70
- 05POWER TRAIN46
“General Motors is making brand new Bolt ev/Euvs using batteries that are supposed to be used to fix cars that could potential catch fire. They stated that the old vehicles effected by the recall would be given priority. I have had a bolt EUV on reserve that h…”
“General Motors is making brand new Bolt ev/Euvs using batteries that are supposed to be used to fix cars that could potential catch fire. They stated that the old vehicles effected by the recall would be given priority. I have had a bolt EUV on reserve that h…”
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN3,492
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,052
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,380
- 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,150
- 05ENGINE828
“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…”
“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 BOLT EV — 38 recalls
The defect: General Motors, LLC. (GM) is recalling certain 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV vehicles. One of the two fasteners that secure the driver's frontal air bag to the steering wheel may be missing or improperly tightened.
The risk: An improperly installed air bag may not deploy properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will inspect and replace as necessary, the driver-side air bag fasteners. If the fasteners cannot be tightened properly, the air bag assembly will be replaced. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letter…
The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV vehicles. The high voltage battery could catch fire when charged to full or nearly full capacity.
The risk: A battery fire increases the risk of injury.
The fix: Owners are advised to take the following interim steps: Set the Target Charge Level feature in their vehicle to limit the charge level to 90%, charge their vehicle more frequently, avoid depleting the battery to 70 miles range remaining, p…
The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. After a crash with seat belt pretensioner deployment, the pretensioner exhaust may ignite carpet fibers near the B-pillar, causing a fire.
The risk: A vehicle fire can increase the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will install metal foil at the carpet near the pretensioner exhaust, and install a pretensioner cover as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed between January 23, 2023 and April 25, 2023. Owners may cont…
The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. The instrument panel may be missing the perforation on the underside of the panel cover that allows the passenger-side air bag to deploy properly.
The risk: An air bag that does not deploy properly in a crash increases the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will replace the instrument panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 21, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N232414710.
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 BOLT EV | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 59 | 1484 |
| 2022 | 59 | 3388 |
| 2021 | 66 | 5162 |
| 2020 | 172 | 25 |
| 2019 | 175 | 31 |
| 2018 | 0 | 38 |
| 2017 | 0 | 27 |
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 BOLT EV or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Chevrolet BOLT EV vs FORD F 150
- Chevrolet BOLT EV total complaints
- 531
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 11,102
- Chevrolet BOLT EV total recalls
- 38
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 144
- Chevrolet BOLT EV avg complaints/year
- 75.9
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 1110.2
- More reliable overall
- Chevrolet BOLT EV
- Chevrolet BOLT EV top complaint area
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN