Head-to-head reliability
JEEP Liberty vs FORD F 150
How the JEEP Liberty 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
JEEP Liberty averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. JEEP Liberty has 5,700 complaints and 51 recalls on record; FORD F 150 has 11,157 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 | JEEP Liberty | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 5,700 Better | 11,157 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 51 Better | 144 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 285 Better | 324 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 570.0 Better | 1115.7 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 258 Better | 287 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 8 | 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.
JEEP Liberty
- 01SUSPENSION1,034
- 02VISIBILITY881
- 03FUEL SYSTEM742
- 04ELECTRICAL SYSTEM697
- 05FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM691
“While driving I heard a popping sound and felt the vehicle sway slightly. The vehicle continued to making intermittent banging noises towards the rear passenger side. Upon stopping and investigating I found the rear control arm had failed on the passenger sid…”
“The contact owns a 2009 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, he heard abnormal banging sounds coming from the rear of the vehicle and the vehicle was shuddering violently. The contact veered to the side of the road and exited the vehicle to…”
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN3,503
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,058
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,383
- 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,150
- 05ENGINE829
“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 filing a safety complaint regarding the transmission in my 2019 Ford F-150 equipped with the 5.0L V8 and 10-speed automatic transmission. My vehicle currently has approximately 88,000 miles. The transmission began experiencing abnormal shifting, includin…”
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.
JEEP Liberty — 51 recalls
The defect: ROCK KRAWLER IS RECALLING 44 PERFORMANCE SUSPENSION SYSTEMS SOLD AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR USE ON THE VEHICLE LISTED ABOVE. THESE SUSPENSION SYSTEMS WERE PRODUCED WITH GRADE 2 CARRIAGE BOLTS INSTEAD OF THE PROPER GRADE 5 CARRIAGE BOLTS. THE IMPROPER GRADE 2 CARRIAGE BOLTS COULD EXPERIENCE A LOSS…
The risk: THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF EFFECTIVE LIFT AND LOWERING OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLE, POSSIBLY CREATING THE DRIVER TO PANIC WHICH COULD POSSIBLY LEAD TO A VEHICLE CRASH.
The fix: ROCK KRAWLER WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND PROVIDE A FREE REMEDY. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 15. 2008. ALL THE AFFECTED UNTITS HAVE BEEN REMEDIED. OWNERS MAY CONTACT ROCK KRAWLER AT 1-518-270-9822.
The defect: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2004-2007 Jeep Liberty vehicles. The rear suspension lower control arms can fracture due to excessive corrosion, causing a loss of vehicle control.
The risk: A fractured control arm can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear lower control arms, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U38. No…
The defect: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2012 Jeep Liberty and 2012-2013 Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger vehicles. A component within the occupant restraint controller (ORC) may fail and prevent the active headrests from deploying in the event of a rear-end crash.
The risk: If the active headrests do not deploy in certain rear-end crashes, the front seat occupants have an increased risk of injury.
The fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ORC as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 4, 2017. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is T56.
The defect: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2012 Jeep Liberty and 2012-2013 Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger vehicles. A component within the occupant restraint controller (ORC) may fail and prevent the active headrests from deploying in the event of a rear-end crash.
The risk: If the active headrests do not deploy in certain rear-end crashes, the front seat occupants have an increased risk of injury.
The fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ORC as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 4, 2017. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is T56.
FORD F 150 — 144 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…
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 JEEP Liberty or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- JEEP Liberty vs FORD F 150
- JEEP Liberty total complaints
- 5,700
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 11,157
- JEEP Liberty total recalls
- 51
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 144
- JEEP Liberty avg complaints/year
- 570.0
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 1115.7
- More reliable overall
- JEEP Liberty
- JEEP Liberty top complaint area
- SUSPENSION
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN