Head-to-head reliability
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross vs FORD F 150
How the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross 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
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross vs FORD F 150: The Eclipse Cross has 59 complaints over 9 years (6.6/yr) with top issues in electrical system and airbags, while the F-150 has 11,311 complaints over 10 years (1131.1/yr) with powertrain problems dominating. The F-150 also has 145 recalls versus 3 for the Eclipse Cross. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross or FORD F 150 more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross is a compact crossover that, in owner reports, shows a pattern of electronic gremlins rather than mechanical wear. Complaints cluster around the electrical system, air bags, and brakes, with several owners describing sudden shutdowns, warning-light cascades, and false activations. While the total complaint count is low, the nature of these issues—stalling, limp mode, and airbag warnings—can be unsettling for a daily driver.
FORD F 150
The Ford F-150 is a full-size pickup with a much higher volume of complaints, dominated by powertrain issues, especially the 10-speed automatic transmission. Owners report hard shifts, clunks, and occasional loss of power, which can be alarming in traffic. Electrical problems and exterior lighting issues also appear frequently, but the sheer number of complaints reflects the F-150's popularity as much as its reliability challenges.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 59 Better | 11,311 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 3 Better | 145 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 9 Better | 328 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 6.6 Better | 1131.1 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 6 Better | 287 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 1 | 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.
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
- 01ELECTRICAL SYSTEM17
- 02UNKNOWN OR OTHER12
- 03AIR BAGS11
- 04SERVICE BRAKES10
- 05ENGINE9
Owners report sudden engine shutdowns while driving, followed by a dashboard lit up with warnings and the car entering limp mode. Another common issue is an inaccurate fuel gauge that can leave drivers stranded, and a touchscreen with unresponsive areas.
Some owners report that placing a phone on the passenger seat triggers the airbag and seatbelt warning lights, suggesting a sensor sensitivity issue. Others have found evidence of tampering with rear seat airbags in used vehicles, which is a serious safety concern.
There are reports of unusual noises from the brakes, such as cracking or clicking when reversing, and one instance where the engine revved abnormally and braking felt unresponsive, though the cause was not clearly identified.
“WHILE DRIVING THE ABOVE VEHICLE ON THE FREEWAY THE CAR SHUT DOWN. I PULLED OVER SAFELY TO THE SIDE. SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF COMPLETELY AND THEN RESTARTED IT.THE DASH WAS LIT UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE AND THE CAR STARTED AND WAS TO DRIVE HOME IN A LIMP MODE IN. CA…”
“THIS VEHICLE IS A SAFETY HAZARD TO ANYONE ON THE ROAD, ESPECIALLY THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER OF SAID VEHICLE. IT HAS BEEN IN AN OUT OF THE SHOP FOR A MULTITUDE OF ISSUES. IT HAS AN ISSUE THAT CANNOT BE FIXED OF A FAULTY GAS READING CAUSING A PERSON TO NEVER KNO…”
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN3,553
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,071
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,401
- 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,164
- 05ENGINE847
The most frequent complaints involve the 10-speed automatic transmission, with owners describing hard and delayed shifts, jerking, clunking, and even sudden loss of power while driving. These issues can be intermittent but are often severe enough to raise safety concerns.
Owners report warning messages like 'Front Camera Malfunction' and 'Pre Collision Assist Not Available' appearing on the dash, sometimes accompanied by a loud bang from the transmission area. These electrical glitches can affect driver-assist features.
While specific complaints are not detailed in the sample, the high number of complaints in this category suggests issues with headlights or other exterior lights, which could impact visibility and safety.
“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.
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross — 3 recalls
The defect: Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) is recalling certain 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Outlander Sport, 2018-2019 Eclipse Cross, and 2017-2018 Outlander vehicles equipped with a Forward Collision Mitigation (FCM) system that detects pedestrians. Due to incorrect software, the FCM-ECU (Electron…
The risk: If the FCM-ECU software activates the brake for longer than necessary, the driver may react by applying additional braking. The resulting rapid deceleration of the vehicle can increase the risk of a rear-end collision.
The fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the FCM-ECU software with updated software, free of charge. The recall is began October 16, 2018. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall…
The defect: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport vehicles equipped with a Forward Collision Mitigation (FCM) system and 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Eclipse Cross vehicles and 2017-2018 Outlander vehicles equipped with an Adaptive Cruise Contro…
The risk: If the safety systems do not function as intended, it can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will update the Hydraulic Unit-ECU software, free of charge. The recall began October 16, 2018. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-18-008.
The defect: Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) is recalling certain 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Outlander Sport, 2018-2019 Eclipse Cross, and 2017-2018 Outlander vehicles equipped with a Forward Collision Mitigation (FCM) system that detects pedestrians. Due to incorrect software, the FCM-ECU (Electron…
The risk: If the FCM-ECU software activates the brake for longer than necessary, the driver may react by applying additional braking. The resulting rapid deceleration of the vehicle can increase the risk of a rear-end collision.
The fix: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the FCM-ECU software with updated software, free of charge. The recall is began October 16, 2018. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall…
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
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross or FORD F 150: which should you buy?
The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross has far fewer complaints per year (6.6) compared to the Ford F-150 (1131.1), but the Eclipse Cross's issues are more electronic and can be just as concerning. The F-150's powertrain problems are more mechanical and potentially more costly to repair, but its high volume is partly due to its massive sales numbers.
Key differences
- The Eclipse Cross has a much lower complaint rate (6.6/yr) than the F-150 (1131.1/yr), but its issues are more electronic, like sudden shutdowns and airbag sensor problems.
- The F-150's top issue is the 10-speed transmission, with hard shifts and loss of power, while the Eclipse Cross's top issue is electrical system failures.
- The F-150 has more recalls (145) compared to the Eclipse Cross (3), indicating a higher frequency of factory-identified defects.
- The Eclipse Cross has a higher proportion of airbag complaints (11 out of 59) relative to its total, which is a safety concern, whereas the F-150's airbag complaints are not in its top five.
- Check for any history of electrical system repairs or software updates, as owners report sudden shutdowns and warning light issues.
- Test the passenger seat airbag sensor by placing objects on the seat to see if it triggers warnings, and verify that all airbags are intact and not tampered with.
- Test drive the F-150 through various speeds and gears to feel for hard shifts, jerks, or clunks, especially between 4th-5th and 7th-8th gears.
- Check for any warning messages related to the front camera or pre-collision assist, and have the transmission fluid and software checked by a mechanic.
Before you buy
- For the Eclipse Cross: inspect the fuel gauge accuracy and have the electrical system scanned for any stored codes.
- For the Eclipse Cross: verify that all airbags are original and have not been replaced or tampered with, especially in a used vehicle.
- For the F-150: perform a thorough test drive including highway speeds to assess transmission shift quality.
- For the F-150: check the exterior lights for any flickering or failure, and review the recall history for any outstanding safety recalls.
- For both: obtain a vehicle history report and have a trusted mechanic do a pre-purchase inspection.
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 | Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | 24 |
| 2025 | 4 | 329 |
| 2024 | 7 | 617 |
| 2023 | 5 | 1507 |
| 2022 | 6 | 3432 |
| 2021 | 0 | 5234 |
| 2020 | 5 | 33 |
| 2019 | 13 | 36 |
| 2018 | 19 | 56 |
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 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross vs FORD F 150
- Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross total complaints
- 59
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 11,311
- Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross total recalls
- 3
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 145
- Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross avg complaints/year
- 6.6
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 1131.1
- More reliable overall
- Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
- Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross top complaint area
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN