Head-to-head reliability
Saturn Astra vs FORD F 150
How the Saturn Astra 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
Saturn Astra vs FORD F 150: The Astra has 164 complaints over 2 years (82.0/yr) and 2 recalls, while the F-150 has 11,311 complaints over 10 years (1,131.1/yr) and 145 recalls. The Astra's main issue is the Takata air bag recall; the F-150's is transmission problems. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Saturn Astra or FORD F 150 more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Saturn Astra
The Saturn Astra is a compact car sold for only a couple of model years, so parts and recall repairs can be slow to arrive. Owner complaints are heavily concentrated in air bags, with many reports about the Takata recall and waiting months for parts. Electrical and power train issues also show up, including stalling, no-start problems, and repeated accelerator pedal failures. With 164 complaints over 2 years, the Astra has a modest but serious pattern of safety-related faults.
FORD F 150
The Ford F-150 is a full-size pickup with a huge owner base and a long production run, so it generates far more complaints in total. The most common reports involve the transmission shifting hard or losing power, along with electrical glitches like camera and pre-collision warnings. Exterior lighting and engine issues also appear frequently. With over 11,000 complaints across 10 years, the F-150 has many reported problems, but the rate per year is higher than the Astra's.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Saturn Astra | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 164 Better | 11,311 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 2 Better | 145 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 5 Better | 328 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 82.0 Better | 1131.1 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 7 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.
Saturn Astra
- 01AIR BAGS97
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM22
- 03POWER TRAIN18
- 04ENGINE8
- 05STEERING6
Owners report the Takata frontal driver-side air bag inflator recall, with long waits for parts and driving for many months without the fix. This matters because the air bag may not deploy correctly in a crash.
Complaints include stalling while driving, trouble starting, and repeated accelerator pedal failures that trigger a check engine light. These can leave a driver stranded or cause sudden loss of power.
Owners describe the vehicle rolling while in park, failing to start, and warning lights illuminating with steering seizure. These are serious drivability and safety concerns.
Some owners report stalling while driving and difficulty starting, often after buying used. This can require repeated shop visits and costly diagnostics.
“TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN ASTRA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V063000 (AIR BAGS) FOR THE FRONTAL DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG INFLATOR; HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED TH…”
“TAKATA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 16V063. WE GOT NOTIFIED OF THE SATURN ASTRA RECALL IN FEBRUARY OF 2016, WE GOT THE LETTER STATING THE FIX HAS ARRIVED IN APRIL OF 2017. THAT'S 14 MONTHS OF NO WORD AND DRIVING AN UN-SAFE VEHICLE, THAT THE RECALL NOTICE ITSELF…”
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 with the 10-speed automatic transmission. This can happen at speed and create a crash risk.
Complaints include loud bangs from the transmission area, rear suspension popping, and dashboard warnings like front camera malfunction and pre-collision assist not available. These can disable driver-assist features.
Headlight issues are common enough to appear in recalls and complaints. Poor lighting can reduce visibility for the driver and other road users.
Engine problems are reported, including stalls and other failures that may lead to loss of power. This can be dangerous in traffic and expensive to repair.
“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.
Saturn Astra — 2 recalls
The defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 Saab 9-3 vehicles manufactured May 31, 2002, to February 15, 2011, 2006-2009 Saab 9-5 vehicles manufactured June 7, 2005, to May 28, 2009, and 2008-2009 Saturn Astra vehicles manufactured April 11, 2007, to July 24, 2008. Upon deploy…
The risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator on Saab 9-3 and 9-5 vehicles and will replace the driver's frontal airbag module on Saturn Astra vehicles, free of charge. The recall began on March 1, 2…
The defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 Saab 9-3 vehicles manufactured May 31, 2002, to February 15, 2011, 2006-2009 Saab 9-5 vehicles manufactured June 7, 2005, to May 28, 2009, and 2008-2009 Saturn Astra vehicles manufactured April 11, 2007, to July 24, 2008. Upon deploy…
The risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator on Saab 9-3 and 9-5 vehicles and will replace the driver's frontal airbag module on Saturn Astra vehicles, free of charge. The recall began on March 1, 2…
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
Saturn Astra or FORD F 150: which should you buy?
The Saturn Astra has far fewer complaints per year (82.0) than the Ford F-150 (1,131.1), but the Astra's complaints are concentrated in serious safety areas like air bags and stalling. The F-150's higher volume means more individual problems, but many are transmission and electrical issues that may be addressed under recalls. In practice, the Astra's lower rate may mean fewer trips to the shop, but its unresolved Takata recall is a major concern.
Key differences
- The Astra's top complaint is air bags (97), mostly the Takata recall, while the F-150's top complaint is power train (3,553), often transmission shifting and power loss.
- Astra owners report stalling and repeated accelerator pedal failures; F-150 owners report hard shifts, jerking, and sudden loss of power.
- The F-150 has 145 recalls over 10 years, including headlights and battery cables; the Astra has 2 recalls, both for the driver-side air bag inflator.
- The Astra averages 82 complaints per year; the F-150 averages 1,131.1 per year, so the F-150 has far more reported problems in total.
- Check if the Takata air bag recall (campaign 16V063000) has been completed; if not, the driver-side air bag may not work in a crash.
- Test for stalling, no-start, and accelerator pedal issues; scan for code P2138 and ask if the pedal has been replaced multiple times.
- Test drive at highway speeds to feel for hard or delayed shifts, jerking, or clunking from the 10-speed transmission.
- Check for dashboard warnings like front camera malfunction or pre-collision assist not available, and verify any related recalls are done.
Before you buy
- Ask for a written recall history and confirm all open recalls are repaired before purchase.
- On the Astra, specifically verify the Takata air bag inflator recall is closed and get proof.
- On the F-150, scan for transmission codes and test drive in stop-and-go and highway conditions.
- Have a mechanic inspect the electrical system, including battery cables and camera/assist features.
- Check for any signs of stalling or power loss by asking the seller about repair records and test driving from a cold start.
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 Saturn Astra or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Saturn Astra vs FORD F 150
- Saturn Astra total complaints
- 164
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 11,311
- Saturn Astra total recalls
- 2
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 145
- Saturn Astra avg complaints/year
- 82.0
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 1131.1
- More reliable overall
- Saturn Astra
- Saturn Astra top complaint area
- AIR BAGS
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN