Head-to-head reliability

Jaguar XJ vs FORD F 150

How the Jaguar XJ and FORD F 150 compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.

Jaguar XJ112 complaints · 20 recalls Fewer issues per year
FORD F 15011,102 complaints · 144 recalls

Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records

Which should you buy?

Jaguar XJ averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. Jaguar XJ has 112 complaints and 20 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.

CategoryJaguar XJFORD F 150
Total complaintsAll model years combined112 Better11,102
Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns20 Better144
Crash reportsCrash-related complaints18 Better319
Complaints per yearAveraged across model years11.2 Better1110.2
Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints20 Better287
Reported deathsTied to owner complaints0 Better1

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.

Jaguar XJ

  1. 01ENGINE31
  2. 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM21
  3. 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER18
  4. 04POWER TRAIN12
  5. 05SERVICE BRAKES12
In owners' words — ENGINE

THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD NUMEROUS"UNUSUAL" ISSUES FROM "STICK-TO-YOUR-FINGERS" CONTROL BUTTONS THAT WERE CHANGED UNDER WARRANTY TO A FAULTY ALARM SYSTEM THAT GOES OFF RANDOMLY ONCE ACTIVATED,TO EXCEPTIONALLY SLOW TOUCH SCREEN FUNCTIONS THAT CAN ONLY BE CONTROLLED…

A SERIS OF ISSUES PLAQUE THIS MODEL. CHANGED THROTTLE BODY TWICE BUT CAR KEEP SHOWING STABILITY CONTROL NOT AVAILABLE, THROTTLE BODY ACTUATION ISSUES WITH P2119,P2118 CODES AMONG SEVERAL OTHERS. CAR SHAKES AND SHUTS DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. AT IDLE, THE…

FORD F 150

  1. 01POWER TRAIN3,492
  2. 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,052
  3. 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,380
  4. 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,150
  5. 05ENGINE828
In owners' words — POWER TRAIN

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.

Jaguar XJ — 20 recalls

Engine And Engine Cooling — Engine — Gasoline — Belts And Associated Pulleys
#19V039000

The defect: Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Jaguar) is recalling certain 2019 Jaguar F-Pace, F-Type, and XJ vehicles equipped with V6 or V8 gasoline engines. The crankshaft pulley retaining bolt may have been improperly manufactured, possibly causing the crankshaft pulley bolt to fracture, potentially re…

The risk: Engine failure may increase the risk of a crash.

The fix: Jaguar has notified owners, and dealers will replace the crankshaft pulley center retaining bolt, free of charge. The recall began February 11, 2019. Owners may contact Jaguar customer service at 1-800-452-4827. Jaguar's number for this re…

Air Bags — Frontal
#20V557000Dec 2020

The defect: Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Jaguar) is recalling certain 2010-2011 and 2017 XJ vehicles. The Restraint Control Module (RCM) software may cause the frontal air bags to deploy improperly in the event of a frontal impact crash.

The risk: Failure of the air bags to deploy properly increases the risk of injury in a crash.

The fix: Jaguar will notify owners, and dealers will update the RCM software, free of charge. The recall began October 7, 2020. Owners may contact Jaguar customer service at 1-800-369-1000. Jaguar's number for this recall is H294.

Air Bags
#17V394000

The defect: Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Jaguar) is recalling certain 2010-2011 XJ vehicles. If, while servicing the vehicle, the vehicle does not successfully receive an update to the Restraint Control Module (RCM) software, the default air bag calibration settings may be incorrect.

The risk: In the event of a crash, the incorrect calibration may not activate the air bag deployment as intended, increasing the risk of injury.

The fix: Jaguar will notify owners, and dealers will update the RCM with the latest software, free of charge. The recall began on August 15, 2017. Owners may contact Jaguar customer service at 1-800-452-4827. Jaguar's number for this recall is H034.

Air Bags — Frontal
#20V557000Dec 2020

The defect: Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Jaguar) is recalling certain 2010-2011 and 2017 XJ vehicles. The Restraint Control Module (RCM) software may cause the frontal air bags to deploy improperly in the event of a frontal impact crash.

The risk: Failure of the air bags to deploy properly increases the risk of injury in a crash.

The fix: Jaguar will notify owners, and dealers will update the RCM software, free of charge. The recall began October 7, 2020. Owners may contact Jaguar customer service at 1-800-369-1000. Jaguar's number for this recall is H294.

FORD F 150 — 144 recalls

Engine
#18V894000

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…

Engine
#19V278000Aug 2019

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…

Seat Belts — Pretensioner
#18V568000

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-…

Latches/Locks/Linkages — Doors — Latch
#17V652000

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.

YearJaguar XJFORD F 150
2019131
2018238
2017427
Years to scrutinize: the 2014 Jaguar XJ drew the most complaints (22); the 2021 FORD F 150 drew the most (5,162). Inspect these model years especially closely.

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 Jaguar XJ or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.

Go deeper

Full reliability reports

Jaguar XJ vs FORD F 150 — comparison facts
Comparison
Jaguar XJ vs FORD F 150
Jaguar XJ total complaints
112
FORD F 150 total complaints
11,102
Jaguar XJ total recalls
20
FORD F 150 total recalls
144
Jaguar XJ avg complaints/year
11.2
FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
1110.2
More reliable overall
Jaguar XJ
Jaguar XJ top complaint area
ENGINE
FORD F 150 top complaint area
POWER TRAIN