Head-to-head reliability
Infiniti I35 vs FORD F 150
How the Infiniti I35 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
Infiniti I35 vs FORD F 150: The I35 averages about 69 complaints per year with 13 recalls, while the F-150 averages over 1,100 complaints per year with 145 recalls. The I35’s complaints include stalling and airbag failures; the F-150’s center on transmission problems. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Infiniti I35 or FORD F 150 more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Infiniti I35
The Infiniti I35 is a luxury sedan with a relatively low complaint volume—about 69 per year over three years—but the pattern shows serious stalling and airbag concerns. Owners frequently report the engine shutting off without warning while driving, which can leave you without power steering or control. Airbag non-deployment in crashes and persistent airbag warning lights are also common. Recalls for passenger-side airbag inflators add another layer of ownership hassle.
FORD F 150
The Ford F-150 is a full-size pickup with a much higher complaint rate—over 1,100 per year across ten years—and the dominant issue is the transmission. Owners describe hard, delayed, or jerky shifts, and some report sudden loss of power or the truck shutting off. Electrical glitches like camera and pre-collision warnings are frequent, and there are many recalls covering lights, batteries, and engines. It’s a high-volume vehicle with a wide range of reported problems.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Infiniti I35 | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 206 Better | 11,311 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 13 Better | 145 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 13 Better | 328 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 68.7 Better | 1131.1 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 15 Better | 287 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 11 | 1 Better |
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.
Infiniti I35
- 01ENGINE60
- 02ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING48
- 03AIR BAGS32
- 04ELECTRICAL SYSTEM23
- 05VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL21
Owners report the engine stalling or shutting off without warning at speeds like 40–50 mph, often traced to sensors such as throttle position, crank position, or timing control. This can cause a total loss of power and steering assist, which is dangerous in traffic.
Complaints include sudden stalling and failure to restart, sometimes with pending diagnostic codes like P0340. The lack of a warning light means you may not know there’s a problem until it happens.
Owners report airbags failing to deploy in crashes, including a T-bone collision where none deployed and the driver was severely injured. Others see the airbag warning light on and face $800–$1,000 repair bills for sensors.
Multiple reports describe the vehicle shutting off while driving, causing loss of steering and control. This often happens on the highway or at lower speeds, and restarting may be possible but the risk remains.
“I OWN A 2002 INFINITI I35. WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MILES PER HOUR, MAKING A LEFT TURN, I WAS HIT ON THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE (T-BONED). NON OF MY AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AND I WAS SEVERELY INJURED. I SUSTAINED INJURIES TO MY NECK, BOTH SHOULDERS AND M…”
“I HAD RECENTLY HAD SOME WORK DONE ON MY CAR TO REPLACE THE RIGHT BEARING WHEEL AND THE POWER STEERING LINE, AS THERE WAS A LEAK AND LOUD ROARING NOISE WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AS CONFIRMED BY THE MECHANIC. ABOUT A WEEK LATER, I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY (…”
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN3,553
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,071
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,401
- 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,164
- 05ENGINE847
The most common complaint is the 10-speed automatic transmission shifting hard, jerking, or clunking between gears, and sometimes losing power entirely. Owners describe delayed shifts from 7th to 8th gear and sudden shutdowns while driving.
Owners report warnings like 'Front Camera Malfunction' and 'Pre Collision Assist Not Available' appearing every time the truck starts. There are also reports of loud bangs from the transmission and popping sounds from the rear suspension.
Headlight issues are common enough to be a top complaint category, and there are recalls for headlights. Faulty lighting can reduce visibility and increase crash risk.
Engine-related complaints and recalls exist, though they are less frequent than transmission issues. Problems can include stalling or other failures that affect drivability.
“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.
Infiniti I35 — 13 recalls
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2001-2003 Maxima, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2007-2011 Versa Sedan and Versa Hatchback, 2001-2004 Infiniti I30 and I35, 2002-2003 Inifiniti QX4, 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 and 2006-2010 M35 and M45 vehicles. The vehicles ar…
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: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators with alternate desiccated inflators, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 888-737-9511 o…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45, 2003-2004 Infiniti I35, 2006-2010 Infiniti M35 and M45, and 2007-2011 Nissan Versa vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Missis…
The risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began December 21, 2017. All owners should receive a second notice by May 15, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer s…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Infiniti I35, 2003-2005 FX35 and FX45, and 2006 M35 and M45 vehicles originally sold, or currently registered, in geographic locations associated with high absolute humidity. Specifically, vehicles sold, or ever registere…
The risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengers frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-70…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2001-2003 Maxima, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2007-2011 Versa Sedan and Versa Hatchback, 2001-2004 Infiniti I30 and I35, 2002-2003 Inifiniti QX4, 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 and 2006-2010 M35 and M45 vehicles. The vehicles ar…
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: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators with alternate desiccated inflators, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 888-737-9511 o…
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
Infiniti I35 or FORD F 150: which should you buy?
The Infiniti I35 has far fewer complaints per year (about 69) compared to the Ford F-150 (over 1,100), but the I35’s issues—stalling and airbag failures—are severe and potentially life-threatening. The F-150’s higher volume means more reported problems overall, especially with the transmission, but many are drivability annoyances rather than sudden loss of control. In practice, the I35 may leave you stranded or unprotected in a crash, while the F-150 may frequently need transmission repairs.
Key differences
- The Infiniti I35’s most serious complaints involve engine stalling and airbags not deploying, which can lead to loss of control or injury.
- The Ford F-150’s dominant issue is the 10-speed transmission, with hard shifts, jerking, and occasional power loss.
- The I35 has 13 recalls over 3 years, many for airbag inflators, while the F-150 has 145 recalls over 10 years covering lights, batteries, and engines.
- The F-150 has a much higher complaint rate per year, but the I35’s lower rate includes severe safety-related failures.
- Check for any history of engine stalling or sudden shutdown—ask for diagnostic codes like P0340 and test-drive at highway speeds.
- Inspect the airbag system: ensure no warning light is on and confirm whether the passenger-side airbag inflator recall has been performed.
- Test-drive the truck through all gears, especially 4th–5th and 7th–8th, looking for hard shifts, jerks, or delayed engagement.
- Check for electrical warnings on startup, such as front camera or pre-collision assist messages, and verify all recalls are up to date.
Before you buy
- Obtain a full vehicle history report and confirm all open recalls have been repaired.
- Have a mechanic inspect the transmission (F-150) or engine sensors and airbag system (I35) specifically for the reported failure patterns.
- During a test drive, include highway speeds and simulate the conditions where owners report stalling or hard shifts.
- Ask the seller for maintenance records, especially any transmission repairs or engine sensor replacements.
- Check for warning lights on the dashboard before and after the test drive, and scan for stored diagnostic codes.
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 Infiniti I35 or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Infiniti I35 vs FORD F 150
- Infiniti I35 total complaints
- 206
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 11,311
- Infiniti I35 total recalls
- 13
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 145
- Infiniti I35 avg complaints/year
- 68.7
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 1131.1
- More reliable overall
- Infiniti I35
- Infiniti I35 top complaint area
- ENGINE
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN