Head-to-head reliability
Nissan Sentra vs FORD F 150
How the Nissan Sentra 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 Sentra vs FORD F 150: The Sentra has 669 complaints over 10 years (66.9/yr) and 17 recalls, while the F-150 has 27,553 complaints (2,755.3/yr) and 141 recalls. The Sentra's main issues are electrical failures causing sudden stops; the F-150's are powertrain problems like shifter malfunction. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Nissan Sentra or FORD F 150 more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Nissan Sentra
The Nissan Sentra is a compact sedan that, based on NHTSA data, shows a pattern of electrical and powertrain failures that can cause sudden loss of power while driving. Owners report the car abruptly stopping with no warning, losing all lights and forward motion, which is a serious safety concern in traffic. The high number of electrical system complaints (168) and forward collision avoidance issues (112) suggest these systems are unreliable, and the 17 recalls indicate ongoing quality problems.
FORD F 150
The Ford F-150 is a full-size pickup with a very high complaint volume (27,553) and 141 recalls, pointing to widespread reliability issues. The dominant problem area is the powertrain (9,967 complaints), with owners describing the shifter getting stuck in drive and the truck failing to engage park, as well as turbo/wastegate failures. Electrical system complaints (3,474) include total loss of power while driving, disabling all safety systems, which is a critical safety hazard.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Nissan Sentra | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 669 Better | 27,553 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 17 Better | 141 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 58 Better | 762 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 66.9 Better | 2755.3 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 52 Better | 714 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 1 Better | 10 |
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 Sentra
- 01ELECTRICAL SYSTEM168
- 02UNKNOWN OR OTHER125
- 03POWER TRAIN120
- 04FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE112
- 05SERVICE BRAKES111
Owners report the Sentra abruptly stopping while driving, with no forward motion and all lights going out, putting the driver and others in danger. This suggests a complete electrical failure that can occur at any time.
Complaints describe early engine and electrical malfunction at low mileage, as well as persistent battery issues requiring frequent jumps. This indicates potential engine or transmission defects that may leave you stranded.
With 112 complaints, the forward collision avoidance system appears to malfunction, possibly causing false alerts or failing to engage when needed, which could lead to rear-end collisions.
“I am submitting a vehicle defect complaint pursuant to 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301 regarding a potential safety related defect involving engine, electrical, and powertrain systems. The vehicle experienced early engine and electrical malfunction at relatively low mi…”
“For the past 6 weeks my car has abruptly stopped. No forwarding, no lights. All of which occurred during heavily moving traffic putting myself and others in grave danger. Due to my quick thinking and CDL training I was able to redirect traffic until I was abl…”
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN9,967
- 02ENGINE4,861
- 03ELECTRICAL SYSTEM3,474
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER3,211
- 05STRUCTURE1,485
The most common issue is the shifter getting stuck in drive when parking, failing to shift into park automatically, which can cause the truck to roll away. Also, turbo and wastegate failures are reported on low-mileage trucks.
Engine complaints often relate to the same park/shifter issue, but also include sudden loss of power while driving, with all safety systems (brakes, airbags, steering) becoming inoperable.
Total electrical failure while driving is a recurring theme, where the truck loses all power, including hazard lights and brakes, creating a dangerous situation. Some owners also report ABS issues after recall repairs.
“When I am parking the truck, I press and hold the brake pedal, While the truck shifter in in "Drive", I press the start/stop button to shut truck down, the shifter gets stuck in "drive" and doesn't automatically shift in to park. The truck locks down and will…”
“My truck is a 2025 Ford F150 STX with 5,900 miles on it. This truck was purchased new at River City Ford in Lavalette, WV The component in questions seems to be involved with the turbos and more specifically the wastegate that attached to the turbos. Also, ye…”
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 Sentra — 17 recalls
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2024 Titan, Frontier, Infiniti QX60, Pathfinder, 2023-2024 Sentra, Versa, Kicks, Infiniti QX50, and 2023 Rogue vehicles. Due to a manufacturing issue, the driver's air bag inflator may absorb moisture, and cause the air bag to deploy improper…
The risk: An air bag that deploys improperly may not protect the driver as intended during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will replace the front driver's air bag assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PD103, PD10…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2024 Sentra vehicles. The front left-side driveshaft may not be fully seated in the continuously variable transmission (CVT) assembly, or may have a loose or missing retaining clip, which can cause a transmission fluid leak and loss of drive…
The risk: An unexpected loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will inspect the front left driveshaft, and if necessary, replace the driveshaft and CVT assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 26, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669.…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Sentra vehicles. The driver's seat frame may not be fully secured to the outer side of the seat track. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 207, "Seating Systems,"…
The risk: An unsecured driver's seat may not adequately restrain the driver during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the driver's side lower seat frame assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 1, 2025. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number…
The defect: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2024 Nissan Sentra vehicles. The windshield may have air bubbles on the front lower driver's side, which can obscure the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicl…
The risk: An owner who cannot see their VIN clearly may not recognize their vehicle is involved in a safety recall, and may not have the recall remedy performed, which could increase the risk of injury, fire, or a crash.
The fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the windshield as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 29, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PMA38.
FORD F 150 — 141 recalls
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2026 F-150, 2022-2026 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD, Maverick, 2024-2026 Ranger, 2023-2026 F-600 SD, 2022-2027 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, and 2026 E-Transit vehicles. When towing a trailer, the integrated trailer module (ITRM) may los…
The risk: Trailer lights or brakes that do not function can reduce the driver’s ability to control the trailer and decrease the trailers visibility to other road users, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: The integrated trailer module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 25, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, 2024 Expedition and 2024 Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine. The engines may have a misaligned engine cup plug, which can result in a rapid oil leak.
The risk: A rapid oil leak can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix: Dealers will inspect the engine cup plug alignment, and replace the plug if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 23, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for th…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, Bronco, 2024 Ranger, 2025 Mustang, Explorer, and Aviator vehicles. The transmission valve body may have been machined incorrectly, which can cause reverse gear failure, or unexpected forward movement in reverse or neutral gear.
The risk: Unexpected vehicle movement increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace the transmission main control valve body, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 11, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S19.
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, Expedition, and 2024 Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines. The engine may have a misaligned engine cup plug, which can result in a rapid oil leak.
The risk: A rapid oil leak can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix: Dealers will inspect the engine cup plug alignment, and replace the plug if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 22, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this…
Buyer analysis
Nissan Sentra or FORD F 150: which should you buy?
The Nissan Sentra has far fewer complaints per year (66.9) compared to the Ford F-150 (2,755.3), indicating a lower frequency of reported issues. However, the Sentra's problems, especially sudden electrical failure, are still serious. In practice, the F-150's sheer volume of complaints and recalls suggests a much higher likelihood of encountering a major defect.
Key differences
- The Sentra has 66.9 complaints per year vs the F-150's 2,755.3, a 41x difference in complaint rate.
- The Sentra's top issue is electrical system failure causing sudden stops; the F-150's top issue is powertrain problems like shifter malfunction and turbo failures.
- The F-150 has 141 recalls over 10 years, while the Sentra has 17, indicating more widespread safety defects in the Ford.
- Both vehicles can experience total loss of power while driving, but the F-150's reports also include loss of all safety systems (brakes, airbags, steering).
- Test the electrical system thoroughly: check for any intermittent stalling or loss of lights while driving, as owners report abrupt shutdowns.
- Inspect the forward collision avoidance system for proper operation; false alerts or failure to engage could indicate a defect.
- Test the park/shift mechanism: ensure the shifter automatically engages park when the engine is shut off, and listen for any unusual noises from the transmission.
- Check for any signs of turbo or wastegate issues, such as loss of power or unusual whistling, especially on low-mileage trucks.
Before you buy
- Obtain a vehicle history report to check for any open recalls on the specific VIN.
- For the Sentra, perform a test drive that includes sudden stops and electrical system checks (lights, infotainment).
- For the F-150, test the park function multiple times and drive at highway speeds to feel for vibrations or power loss.
- Have a trusted mechanic inspect the electrical system and powertrain on both vehicles before purchase.
- Read owner forums for the specific model year to identify common issues not yet reflected in NHTSA data.
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 Sentra | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | 9 |
| 2025 | 25 | 320 |
| 2024 | 31 | 597 |
| 2023 | 0 | 1448 |
| 2022 | 80 | 3290 |
| 2021 | 129 | 4938 |
| 2020 | 0 | 2530 |
| 2019 | 220 | 5718 |
| 2018 | 184 | 5505 |
| 2017 | 0 | 3198 |
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 Sentra or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Nissan Sentra vs FORD F 150
- Nissan Sentra total complaints
- 669
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 27,553
- Nissan Sentra total recalls
- 17
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 141
- Nissan Sentra avg complaints/year
- 66.9
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 2755.3
- More reliable overall
- Nissan Sentra
- Nissan Sentra top complaint area
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN