Head-to-head reliability
Toyota 86 vs FORD F 150
How the Toyota 86 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
Toyota 86 averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. Toyota 86 has 14 complaints and 4 recalls on record; FORD F 150 has 11,157 complaints and 144 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.
| Category | Toyota 86 | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 14 Better | 11,157 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 4 Better | 144 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 2 Better | 324 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 3.5 Better | 1115.7 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 3 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.
Toyota 86
- 01ENGINE5
- 02FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM3
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER3
- 04STRUCTURE2
- 05STEERING1
“On [XXX], my 2019 Toyota 86 experienced a sudden engine failure while I was driving, causing the vehicle to lose power and become undrivable. The vehicle was towed to Camelback Toyota in Phoenix, AZ. The dealership initially diagnosed the failure as being cau…”
“Note: even though this is a Toyota vehicle, it has a Subaru Boxer 4 engine. This issue has happened twice this year, once at a stoplight back on May 20 and again Oct. 16 while in line at a Chic Filet. In both cases pressing the brake harder helped keep me fro…”
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN3,503
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,058
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,383
- 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,150
- 05ENGINE829
“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 filing a safety complaint regarding the transmission in my 2019 Ford F-150 equipped with the 5.0L V8 and 10-speed automatic transmission. My vehicle currently has approximately 88,000 miles. The transmission began experiencing abnormal shifting, includin…”
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.
Toyota 86 — 4 recalls
The defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
The risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.
The defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
The risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.
The defect: Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (Gulf States) is recalling certain 2017 4Runner , 86, Avalon, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Corolla, Corolla iM, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Prius, Prius C, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Sienna and Yaris vehicles. The spare tire air pressure was not adjusted to the proper pressure as stated…
The risk: A spare tire that is not inflated to the proper value may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Gulf States will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the spare tires, adjusting their pressure as necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 15, 2017. Owners may contact Gulf States customer service at 1-800-444-1074. Toyota's nu…
The defect: Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2017 Toyota 86 vehicles manufactured July 1, 2016 through August 11, 2016 equipped with an automatic transmission and ignition key. Vehicles with a push-to-start button or manual transmission are not affected. In the affected vehicles, i…
The risk: If the key can be removed from the ignition when the transmission is not in the "Park" position, the vehicle could roll away increasing the risk of a crash and occupant or pedestrian injuries.
The fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition key/transmission interlock wiring connections, correcting them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began in January 31, 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service…
FORD F 150 — 144 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…
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 | Toyota 86 | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 | 27 |
| 2019 | 10 | 32 |
| 2018 | 1 | 42 |
| 2017 | 2 | 31 |
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 Toyota 86 or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Toyota 86 vs FORD F 150
- Toyota 86 total complaints
- 14
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 11,157
- Toyota 86 total recalls
- 4
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 144
- Toyota 86 avg complaints/year
- 3.5
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 1115.7
- More reliable overall
- Toyota 86
- Toyota 86 top complaint area
- ENGINE
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN