Head-to-head reliability
Rolls Royce DAWN vs FORD F 150
How the Rolls Royce DAWN 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
Rolls Royce DAWN vs FORD F 150: The DAWN has 0 complaints and 2 recalls over 6 years, while the F-150 has 11,311 complaints and 145 recalls over 10 years. The F-150 also shows 328 crash-related complaints and 287 injuries. The DAWN has no reported complaint pattern. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Rolls Royce DAWN or FORD F 150 more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Rolls Royce DAWN
The Rolls Royce DAWN is a low-volume luxury coupe with no owner complaints filed over six years, so there is no reported pattern of recurring failures. Two recalls for air bags are on record, but no crashes, injuries, or deaths are linked to them in this data. In ownership terms, the main reliability story is simply that very few problems have been reported, which can make it hard to know what might go wrong long-term.
FORD F 150
The Ford F-150 is a high-volume pickup with 11,311 complaints over ten years, averaging about 1,131 per year. The most common complaint areas are the power train, electrical system, exterior lighting, and engine. Owners describe hard or delayed transmission shifts, sudden loss of power, loud bangs from the transmission, and dashboard warnings for camera and pre-collision systems. With 145 recalls and 328 crash-related complaints, this truck has a much more active problem history.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Rolls Royce DAWN | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 0 Better | 11,311 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 2 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.
Rolls Royce DAWN
No component data available.
Two recalls involve air bags, but no owner complaints describe the actual failure symptom. For a buyer, this means checking that recall work was completed is important, even though no crash or injury is reported in this data.
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN3,553
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,071
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,401
- 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,164
- 05ENGINE847
Owners report hard or delayed shifts, jerking, clunking, and sudden loss of power, often linked to the 10-speed automatic transmission. One owner said the truck shut off and drifted on a crowded road, which is a serious drivability concern.
Complaints include loud bangs from the transmission with popping sounds from the rear suspension, plus dashboard warnings like 'Front Camera Malfunction' and 'Pre Collision Assist Not Available.' These warnings can affect driver assistance features and may recur after dealer visits.
There are 1,164 complaints about exterior lighting, and a recall covers headlights. Buyers should check that headlight-related recall work was done and that lights function correctly.
Engine complaints total 847, and there are engine-related recalls. While the sample complaint text does not describe a specific engine failure, the volume of complaints suggests owners have reported engine issues often enough to warrant a pre-purchase inspection.
“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.
Rolls Royce DAWN — 2 recalls
The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2017 430i, 430i xDrive, 440i, 440i xDrive and M4 vehicles and Rolls-Royce Dawn vehicles. The affected vehicles have seat-mounted side air bag inflator initiators that may fail to ignite during a crash.
The risk: If the air bag inflator initiator fails to ignite, the seat-mounted air bag will not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began April 17, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2017 BMW 640i, 640i xDrive, 650i, 650i xDrive, M6, 535i, 535i xDrive, 430i, 430i xDrive, 440i, 440i xDrive, M4, X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, i3, i8, Rolls-Royce Dawn, Mini Clubman Cooper, Clubman Cooper S, Cooper All4, Cooper S All4, Mi…
The risk: If the air bag inflator initiator fails to ignite, the seat-mounted air bag will not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began February 6, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
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
Rolls Royce DAWN or FORD F 150: which should you buy?
The Rolls Royce DAWN has 0 complaints per year on average, while the Ford F-150 has about 1,131 per year. In practice, the F-150 has a much higher reported rate of problems, especially around the transmission and electrical system. The DAWN's lack of complaints may reflect low production and low mileage rather than proven durability.
Key differences
- The Rolls Royce DAWN has 0 complaints and 2 recalls, while the Ford F-150 has 11,311 complaints and 145 recalls over a longer period.
- Ford F-150 owners report hard shifts, delayed engagement, sudden power loss, and loud transmission bangs; the DAWN has no reported complaint pattern.
- The F-150 has 328 crash-related complaints, 287 injuries, and 1 death in the data; the DAWN has none of these reported.
- The F-150's top complaint areas are power train, electrical, exterior lighting, and engine, while the DAWN's only recall subject is air bags.
- Confirm both air bag recalls were completed by a Rolls Royce dealer and ask for written proof.
- Because there are no owner complaints, ask for a full pre-purchase inspection focusing on air bag system health and any stored fault codes.
- Test drive at low and highway speeds, specifically checking for hard or delayed shifts between gears and any clunking or jerking.
- Check for dashboard warnings such as 'Front Camera Malfunction' or 'Pre Collision Assist Not Available' and verify all recalls, especially headlight and battery cable recalls, were performed.
Before you buy
- Run the VIN on NHTSA.gov to see all open recalls for the specific vehicle and confirm they were fixed.
- For the Ford F-150, ask for transmission service records and test the 10-speed automatic thoroughly on a cold start and during highway merging.
- For the Rolls Royce DAWN, verify air bag recall completion and get a pre-purchase inspection from a shop familiar with the brand.
- Check for any stored diagnostic trouble codes, especially transmission and electrical codes on the F-150.
- Ask the seller for a complete maintenance history and compare it to the complaint patterns in this 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 | Rolls Royce DAWN | 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 Rolls Royce DAWN or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Rolls Royce DAWN vs FORD F 150
- Rolls Royce DAWN total complaints
- 0
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 11,311
- Rolls Royce DAWN total recalls
- 2
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 145
- Rolls Royce DAWN avg complaints/year
- 0.0
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 1131.1
- More reliable overall
- Rolls Royce DAWN
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN