Head-to-head reliability

Porsche Macan vs FORD F 150

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

Porsche Macan162 complaints · 15 recalls Fewer issues per year
FORD F 15027,559 complaints · 141 recalls

Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records

Which should you buy?

Porsche Macan averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. Porsche Macan has 162 complaints and 15 recalls on record; FORD F 150 has 27,559 complaints and 141 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.

CategoryPorsche MacanFORD F 150
Total complaintsAll model years combined162 Better27,559
Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns15 Better141
Crash reportsCrash-related complaints11 Better762
Complaints per yearAveraged across model years16.2 Better2755.9
Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints4 Better714
Reported deathsTied to owner complaints0 Better10

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.

Porsche Macan

  1. 01AIR BAGS36
  2. 02EXTERIOR LIGHTING25
  3. 03ELECTRICAL SYSTEM23
  4. 04SERVICE BRAKES21
  5. 05UNKNOWN OR OTHER15
In owners' words — AIR BAGS

Car sensor showed collision happening, without any external car onsite on a highway. And after pulling the car onto a safe place on the shoulder, upon hitting park gear the side rail airbags deployed. No accident happened to the car but airbags deployed unpro…

There was a recall on the passenger sideair bag sensor for previous years but the issue is still occurring in my 2021 Porsche macan turbo. The error code reports a faulty air bag sensor. The recall should be extended to later year models. Thank you

FORD F 150

  1. 01POWER TRAIN9,972
  2. 02ENGINE4,861
  3. 03ELECTRICAL SYSTEM3,475
  4. 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER3,212
  5. 05STRUCTURE1,486
In owners' words — POWER TRAIN

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.

Porsche Macan — 15 recalls

Suspension — Front — Shock Absorber
#21V224000

The defect: Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2021 Porsche Macan, Macan S, Macan GTS, and Macan Turbo vehicles. The screw connection on the shock absorbers of the front and rear axle might not be tightened properly.

The risk: A failed screw connection may cause damage to the braking system, driving instability, and the potential loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the remedy has been performed. Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will rework and tighten the screw connections, free of charge. Owners may contact Porsche's customer service at 1-80…

Seat Belts — Rear/Other — Anchorage
#23V443000

The defect: Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2016-2020 Macan S, 2017-2020 Macan, 2017 Panamera Turbo, 2018 and 2020 Macan Turbo and Panamera 4, 2018 Macan Sport Edition, Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, and 2019 Panamera 4 Sport Turismo vehicles. The screw that attaches the lower seat belt a…

The risk: An improperly tightened seat belt anchor can detach during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

The fix: Dealers will replace and tighten the lower rear outboard seat belt anchor screws, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 24, 2023. Owners may contact Porsche's customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsch…

Exterior Lighting — Headlights
#22V656000

The defect: Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2003-2020 Porsche Macan, Cayenne, Panamera, and Cayman S, 2001-2004 Boxster, Boxster S, 2004 Boxster 50 JAHRE SPYDER 550 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of all affected models and model years. The caps that c…

The risk: Improperly adjusted headlights may not illuminate the road properly, or cause a glare to oncoming drivers, which can increase the risk of a crash.

The fix: Dealers will inspect the headlights for sealing caps and install missing caps as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 28, 2022. Owners may contact Porsche's customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's…

Seat Belts — Rear/Other — Anchorage
#23V443000

The defect: Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2016-2020 Macan S, 2017-2020 Macan, 2017 Panamera Turbo, 2018 and 2020 Macan Turbo and Panamera 4, 2018 Macan Sport Edition, Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, and 2019 Panamera 4 Sport Turismo vehicles. The screw that attaches the lower seat belt a…

The risk: An improperly tightened seat belt anchor can detach during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

The fix: Dealers will replace and tighten the lower rear outboard seat belt anchor screws, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 24, 2023. Owners may contact Porsche's customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsch…

FORD F 150 — 141 recalls

Electrical System — Integrated Trailer Brake Control
#26V104000

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.…

Engine And Engine Cooling — Engine — Oil/Lubrication
#24V851000

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…

Power Train — Automatic Transmission — Fluid/Lubricant — Valves/Valve Body
#25V164000

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.

Engine And Engine Cooling — Engine — Oil/Lubrication
#25V198000

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…

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.

YearPorsche MacanFORD F 150
202609
20250320
20248600
202361448
202243292
2021114939
2020242530
2019185718
2018315505
2017603198
Years to scrutinize: the 2017 Porsche Macan drew the most complaints (60); the 2019 FORD F 150 drew the most (5,718). 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 Porsche Macan or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.

Go deeper

Full reliability reports

Porsche Macan vs FORD F 150 — comparison facts
Comparison
Porsche Macan vs FORD F 150
Porsche Macan total complaints
162
FORD F 150 total complaints
27,559
Porsche Macan total recalls
15
FORD F 150 total recalls
141
Porsche Macan avg complaints/year
16.2
FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
2755.9
More reliable overall
Porsche Macan
Porsche Macan top complaint area
AIR BAGS
FORD F 150 top complaint area
POWER TRAIN