Head-to-head reliability
Honda FIT vs FORD F 150
How the Honda FIT 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
Honda FIT vs FORD F 150: The FIT averages 113 complaints per year with 51 recalls, while the F-150 averages 1,131 complaints per year with 145 recalls. The FIT's top issue is electrical system failures, whereas the F-150's is power train problems. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Honda FIT or FORD F 150 more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Honda FIT
The Honda FIT is a compact car that owners often buy for fuel economy and maneuverability. Over 10 years, it has averaged about 113 complaints per year, with electrical system issues being the most common. Many complaints involve the digital display failing or going blank, which can affect speed and fuel readings. Air bag and fuel system problems also appear, but the overall complaint rate is relatively low.
FORD F 150
The Ford F-150 is a full-size pickup known for its towing and hauling capability. It has a much higher complaint rate, averaging over 1,100 per year, with power train issues dominating. Owners frequently report transmission problems like hard shifts and sudden loss of power. Electrical glitches and lighting failures are also common, making it a vehicle that may require more frequent attention.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Honda FIT | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 1,133 Better | 11,311 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 51 Better | 145 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 59 Better | 328 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 113.3 Better | 1131.1 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 60 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.
Honda FIT
- 01ELECTRICAL SYSTEM311
- 02AIR BAGS225
- 03FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM145
- 04ENGINE139
- 05UNKNOWN OR OTHER130
Owners report the digital instrument cluster going blank or garbled, especially in cold weather. This can hide the fuel gauge, odometer, and oil life, leaving drivers without critical information.
Complaints include air bag warning lights and recalls for occupant classification sensors and inflator modules. In a crash, a faulty sensor might prevent the air bag from deploying correctly.
Some drivers experience the fuel gauge reading incorrectly or going blank, and others report the engine juddering and losing power at highway speeds. These issues can cause unexpected stalls or inaccurate fuel level readings.
Reports include misfires, such as a cylinder 2 misfire due to carbon buildup, and instances where the engine light flashes while driving. This can lead to rough running and potential breakdowns.
“The dealership changed the oil on my 2020 Honda Fit, and the Oil Life display was reset to 100%, on 1/8/24. Two days later the LCD panel, which shows the fuel gauge, odometer, remaining range, oil life, etc. began to intermittently go blank or become garbled…”
“DIGITAL DISPLAY (MILEAGE, OIL LEVEL, FUEL GAUGE, ETC) FAILS WHEN TURNING VEHICLE ON DURING COLD WEATHER. IT REMAINS BACKLIT, BUT ALL TEXT DISAPPEARS. TYPICALLY, THIS HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING ON EITHER HIGHWAY OR CITY STREETS. THIS MEANS AS A DRIVER I'M UNABLE TO…”
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN3,553
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,071
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,401
- 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,164
- 05ENGINE847
Many owners describe hard or delayed shifts, especially between gears, and some experience sudden loss of power or the vehicle shutting off. These transmission problems can be dangerous in traffic.
Complaints include warning messages like 'Front Camera Malfunction' and 'Pre Collision Assist Not Available' appearing frequently. These glitches can disable driver-assist features and cause distraction.
Headlight issues are common, with recalls and complaints about lights failing or flickering. Poor visibility at night increases the risk of accidents.
Some owners report engine-related problems, though fewer than transmission issues. Recalls exist for engine components, indicating potential reliability concerns.
“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.
Honda FIT — 51 recalls
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura R…
The risk: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls ar…
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Fit and 2019-2022 HR-V vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display when the engine is started with a key, due to a design error in the audio display power circuit. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of…
The risk: An inoperative rearview camera display can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will update the display audio unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 13, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is 6DW. This recall has…
The defect: Honda (America Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Fit and 2019-2022 HR-V vehicles that were previously recalled under NHTSA recall number 23V-046. The rearview camera image may not display when the engine is started with a key, due to a design error in the audio display power circuit.…
The risk: An inoperative rearview camera display can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will update the display audio unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 8, 2024. Owners may contact Honda service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are TIQ and DIR. Vehicles previou…
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022…
The risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH,…
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
Honda FIT or FORD F 150: which should you buy?
The Honda FIT has far fewer complaints per year (about 113) compared to the Ford F-150 (over 1,100). This means the FIT owner is less likely to face frequent repairs, while the F-150 may demand more time and money for maintenance. However, both have specific issues that buyers should inspect.
Key differences
- The Ford F-150 has roughly 10 times more complaints per year than the Honda FIT, with power train issues being the most reported.
- Honda FIT complaints often center on electrical display failures, while Ford F-150 complaints frequently involve transmission problems like hard shifts and power loss.
- The F-150 has more recalls (145 vs 51) and crash-related complaints (328 vs 59), indicating a higher volume of safety-related reports.
- Both vehicles have air bag and engine issues, but the FIT's are less frequent and often tied to display or sensor glitches.
- Check the digital instrument cluster for any blanking or garbled text, especially in cold weather, as this is a common complaint.
- Test the fuel gauge accuracy and look for any signs of engine misfire or hesitation during a test drive.
- During a test drive, pay attention to transmission shifts for jerking, clunking, or delayed engagement, which are frequently reported.
- Check for warning messages on the dashboard related to camera or pre-collision assist systems, as these electrical glitches are common.
Before you buy
- Obtain a full vehicle history report and check for open recalls on the NHTSA website.
- For the Honda FIT, test all electronic displays and gauges, especially in cold conditions if possible.
- For the Ford F-150, take an extended test drive focusing on transmission behavior and listen for unusual noises.
- Have a trusted mechanic inspect the vehicle, paying attention to the specific problem areas noted in complaints.
- Ask the seller for maintenance records, particularly for transmission fluid changes on the F-150 and electrical repairs on the FIT.
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 | Honda FIT | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 36 | 33 |
| 2019 | 136 | 36 |
| 2018 | 116 | 56 |
| 2017 | 42 | 43 |
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 Honda FIT or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Honda FIT vs FORD F 150
- Honda FIT total complaints
- 1,133
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 11,311
- Honda FIT total recalls
- 51
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 145
- Honda FIT avg complaints/year
- 113.3
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 1131.1
- More reliable overall
- Honda FIT
- Honda FIT top complaint area
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN