Head-to-head reliability
Nissan NV vs FORD F 150
How the Nissan NV 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
Nissan NV vs FORD F 150: The NV has zero owner complaints over 10 years, while the F-150 has over 11,000, with transmission and electrical issues common. The NV has 15 recalls, the F-150 has 145. Choose the NV for fewer reported problems, but verify recalls. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Nissan NV or FORD F 150 more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Nissan NV
The Nissan NV is a commercial van with a remarkably clean complaint record over the past decade—zero owner complaints filed with NHTSA. This suggests that, in terms of reported issues, owners have not experienced or reported significant problems. However, it has had 15 recalls, mostly for airbag inflators and backup camera systems, which are important to address but do not reflect day-to-day reliability complaints. For a buyer, this means the NV is likely to be a low-drama ownership experience, but you should verify recall completion.
FORD F 150
The Ford F-150 is a popular full-size pickup with a high volume of owner complaints—over 11,000 in ten years, averaging more than 1,100 per year. The dominant issues are in the powertrain, especially the 10-speed automatic transmission, which owners describe as hard shifting, jerking, and even losing power. Electrical system problems are also common, including camera and pre-collision warnings. While the F-150 has many recalls, the complaint pattern points to real-world reliability concerns that could affect daily driving.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Nissan NV | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 0 Better | 11,311 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 15 Better | 145 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 0 Better | 328 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 0.0 Better | 1131.1 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 0 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.
Nissan NV
No component data available.
There are no owner complaints on file for the Nissan NV, so there are no specific failure patterns to describe. This absence of complaints is notable but does not guarantee perfection; it may reflect lower sales volume or under-reporting.
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN3,553
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,071
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,401
- 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,164
- 05ENGINE847
Owners report hard and delayed shifts, especially between 7th and 8th gears, and some have experienced sudden loss of power while driving. The 10R80 automatic transmission is a frequent source of complaints, with jerking and clunking between gears.
Electrical issues include warnings for front camera malfunction and pre-collision assist not available, appearing every time the truck starts. Some owners also report loud bangs from the transmission area, which may be linked to electrical or sensor problems.
Headlight-related recalls are common, but owners also report issues with exterior lighting that could affect visibility and safety. Specific complaint details are limited, but the high number of complaints in this category suggests problems with headlights or other lights.
“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.
Nissan NV — 15 recalls
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2012-2017 NV Cargo and NV Passenger Van, 2013-2015 Titan and Armada and 2011-2012 Infiniti QX56 vehicles. Due to a manufacturing issue, the air bag inflator may not function properly or may rupture during deployment.
The risk: An inflator rupture may result in 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 driver air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began May 7, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or Infiniti customer service at 1-800-662-62…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2012-2017 NV Cargo and NV Passenger Van, 2013-2015 Titan and Armada and 2011-2012 Infiniti QX56 vehicles. Due to a manufacturing issue, the air bag inflator may not function properly or may rupture during deployment.
The risk: An inflator rupture may result in 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 driver air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began May 7, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or Infiniti customer service at 1-800-662-62…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additio…
The risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014 NV passenger vans manufactured March 14, 2014 to May 15, 2014, equipped with seat belt retractors from Faurecia Automotive Systems. The seat belt retractor bolts on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th row removable seats may not be torqued…
The risk: If the seat belt retractor bolts are not torqued to specification, or are missing, it may cause the seat belt anchor to not be secured properly. If this occurs, the belt may not properly restrain the seat occupant in the event of a crash i…
The fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat belt retractor bolt for the proper torque, and tighten if necessary, free of charge. The recall began in September 2014. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7…
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
Nissan NV or FORD F 150: which should you buy?
The Nissan NV has far fewer reported issues per year (0 complaints) compared to the Ford F-150 (over 1,100 per year). In practice, this means the NV is likely to be more reliable in terms of owner-reported problems, but the F-150's issues are more frequent and potentially more serious, especially transmission failures.
Key differences
- The Nissan NV has zero owner complaints, while the Ford F-150 has over 11,000, indicating a stark difference in reported reliability.
- Ford F-150 owners frequently report transmission problems, including hard shifts and loss of power, which are not mentioned for the NV.
- Electrical system issues are common in the F-150, such as camera and pre-collision warnings, while the NV has no such complaints.
- The F-150 has a higher number of recalls (145) compared to the NV (15), but recall counts alone don't reflect owner satisfaction.
- Check that all 15 recalls have been performed, especially airbag inflator and backup camera recalls, as these are safety-related.
- Since there are no complaints, inspect the vehicle thoroughly for any signs of wear or prior damage, as the absence of data doesn't guarantee perfection.
- Test drive the F-150 and pay close attention to transmission behavior, especially shifts between 4-5 and 5-6 gears, for any jerking or clunking.
- Check for any warning lights related to the front camera or pre-collision system, as these are common electrical issues.
Before you buy
- Obtain the vehicle's recall status and ensure all recalls are completed before purchase.
- For the F-150, have a mechanic inspect the transmission and check for any diagnostic trouble codes.
- For the NV, verify the backup camera and airbag systems are functioning properly.
- Review the vehicle's service history for any transmission or electrical repairs.
- Take both vehicles for an extended test drive, including highway speeds, to feel for any shifting issues.
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 | Nissan NV | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 | 5234 |
| 2020 | 0 | 33 |
| 2019 | 0 | 36 |
| 2018 | 0 | 56 |
| 2017 | 0 | 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 Nissan NV or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Nissan NV vs FORD F 150
- Nissan NV total complaints
- 0
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 11,311
- Nissan NV total recalls
- 15
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 145
- Nissan NV avg complaints/year
- 0.0
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 1131.1
- More reliable overall
- Nissan NV
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN