Head-to-head reliability
Toyota Crown vs FORD F 150
How the Toyota Crown 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 Crown vs FORD F 150: The Crown has 53 complaints over 4 years (13.3/year) and 11 recalls, while the F-150 has 11,311 complaints over 10 years (1,131/year) and 145 recalls. Both show powertrain and electrical issues, but the F-150's volume is far higher. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Toyota Crown or FORD F 150 more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Toyota Crown
The Toyota Crown is a hybrid sedan that has been on the road for four years, accumulating 53 complaints—about 13 per year. Owners frequently report sudden acceleration, loss of power, and transmission hesitation, often when accelerating from a stop or merging. There are also electrical issues like charging problems and instrument cluster recalls. With 11 recalls and 5 crash-related complaints, it's a newer model with a modest but concerning pattern of powertrain and electrical faults.
FORD F 150
The Ford F-150 is a full-size pickup with a massive 10-year complaint history: over 11,000 complaints, averaging more than 1,100 per year. The most common issues involve the transmission (hard shifts, loss of power) and electrical system (camera malfunctions, battery problems). There are 145 recalls and 328 crash-related complaints, indicating widespread, persistent problems across many model years. This is a high-volume vehicle with a long list of owner-reported failures.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Toyota Crown | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 53 Better | 11,311 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 11 Better | 145 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 5 Better | 328 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 13.3 Better | 1131.1 |
| 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 Crown
- 01UNKNOWN OR OTHER13
- 02ENGINE13
- 03POWER TRAIN11
- 04ELECTRICAL SYSTEM10
- 05FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM7
Owners report intermittent power loss and hesitation when accelerating from a stop or merging, sometimes with stuttering. This can leave you vulnerable in traffic, as the car may not respond when you need it most.
Complaints describe the vehicle jerking or hesitating after a stop, then suddenly accelerating seconds later. Some owners have nearly been T-boned because the car didn't move when they pressed the gas.
Issues include phones not charging from front ports and unresolved electrical problems. Recalls cover instrument cluster and rearview camera display failures, which can affect visibility and vehicle status information.
Several reports of sudden unintended acceleration, including one where the car smashed through a garage door despite braking. These are rare but serious incidents that owners say happened at low speeds.
“While driving less than 10 mph, (slightly down hill) approaching the house garage, the car suddenly accelerated and the brake was applied to stop but the car continued and smashed through the garage door, proceeded through garage, smashed through the back of…”
“Our 2024 Toyota Crown Platinum has been experiencing random loss of power or torque when merging into traffic from a complete stop. The vehicle will be working fine; then, while attempting to accelerate from a complete stop, there is no torque or ability to a…”
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN3,553
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,071
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,401
- 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,164
- 05ENGINE847
The 10-speed automatic transmission is a major pain point: owners report hard shifts, jerking, clunking, and even complete loss of power while driving. Some describe the truck shutting off and drifting, which is extremely dangerous.
Frequent complaints about front camera malfunctions, pre-collision assist not available, and battery cable issues. These can disable driver-assist features and cause warning lights, reducing safety and convenience.
Headlight problems are common enough to be a top complaint category, with recalls for headlights. Poor lighting can impair night visibility and increase accident risk.
Engine-related complaints include various failures, and there are multiple engine recalls. Owners may face costly repairs or safety risks if the engine stalls or loses power.
“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.
Toyota Crown — 11 recalls
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru Solterra vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may cause the rearview camera to freeze or d…
The risk: A rearview camera that fails to display an image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will update the parking assist software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB13 and 25LB06. Subaru's nu…
The defect: Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (GST) is recalling certain Toyota 2023 GR Supra, 2024 4 Runner, Corolla, Grand Highlander, Grand Highlander Hybrid, Land Cruiser Hybrid, Tacoma, Tacoma Hybrid, 2023-2024 BZ4X, Corolla Cross Hybrid, GR Corolla, GR86, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Prius, Prius Prime, Sequoia…
The risk: A vehicle with an incorrect maximum capacity weight value may be overloaded, which can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: GST will mail new labels to owners, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 16, 2024. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall is 24R2.
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Toyota Venza, 2023-2025 RAV4 Prime, RAV4, Highlander, GR Corolla, Crown, 2024-2025 Lexus TX, LS, Toyota Tacoma, Grand Highlander, and 2025 Lexus RX, Toyota Crown Signia, Camry, RAV 4 Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV), and 4 Runner…
The risk: An instrument panel display that does not show critical information can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
The fix: Dealers will update the instrument panel software over-the-air (OTA) for non-PHEV vehicles, free of charge. For PHEV vehicles, dealers will inspect the instrument panel assembly, and either replace it, or update the software, free of charg…
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru Solterra vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may cause the rearview camera to freeze or d…
The risk: A rearview camera that fails to display an image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will update the parking assist software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB13 and 25LB06. Subaru's nu…
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
Toyota Crown or FORD F 150: which should you buy?
The Toyota Crown has far fewer complaints per year (13.3 vs. 1,131.1), but both vehicles show serious powertrain and electrical issues. In practice, the Crown's lower volume means you're less likely to encounter problems, but the ones reported are still concerning. The F-150's massive complaint count reflects widespread, recurring faults across many trucks.
Key differences
- The Crown averages 13 complaints per year; the F-150 averages over 1,100 per year, a huge difference in reported problem frequency.
- Crown owners report sudden acceleration and power loss from a stop; F-150 owners report transmission jerking, clunking, and complete power loss while driving.
- The F-150 has 145 recalls and 328 crash-related complaints; the Crown has 11 recalls and 5 crash-related complaints.
- Electrical issues are common in both: Crown has charging and camera display problems; F-150 has camera malfunctions and battery cable recalls.
- During test drive, simulate stop-and-go traffic and merging; check for hesitation, jerking, or delayed acceleration.
- Verify all electrical functions: USB ports, infotainment, rearview camera, and instrument cluster; ask about any unresolved electrical issues.
- Test the transmission thoroughly: accelerate gently and firmly from stops, watch for hard shifts, clunks, or delayed engagement.
- Check for active recalls on headlights, battery cables, and engine; ensure all recall work is completed and ask for documentation.
Before you buy
- Run the VIN on NHTSA.gov to see all open recalls and complaint history for the specific vehicle.
- Take an extended test drive covering city streets, highways, and stop-and-go traffic to feel for transmission or acceleration issues.
- Ask the seller for maintenance records, especially any transmission or electrical repairs.
- Have a trusted mechanic inspect the vehicle, focusing on the transmission, electrical system, and engine.
- For the F-150, specifically test the front camera and pre-collision assist features; for the Crown, test all charging ports and infotainment.
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 Crown | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 24 |
| 2025 | 15 | 329 |
| 2024 | 17 | 617 |
| 2023 | 20 | 1507 |
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 Crown or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Toyota Crown vs FORD F 150
- Toyota Crown total complaints
- 53
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 11,311
- Toyota Crown total recalls
- 11
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 145
- Toyota Crown avg complaints/year
- 13.3
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 1131.1
- More reliable overall
- Toyota Crown
- Toyota Crown top complaint area
- UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN