Head-to-head reliability
Toyota Prius vs FORD F 150
How the Toyota Prius 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 Prius averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. Toyota Prius has 265 complaints and 20 recalls on record; FORD F 150 has 11,102 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 Prius | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 265 Better | 11,102 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 20 Better | 144 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 42 Better | 319 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 26.5 Better | 1110.2 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 23 Better | 287 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 1 | 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 Prius
- 01UNKNOWN OR OTHER49
- 02SERVICE BRAKES45
- 03ELECTRICAL SYSTEM43
- 04VISIBILITY/WIPER28
- 05VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL27
“Extremely loud, ear-piercing noise from speakers when the vehicle is started. Lasts about two to three seconds. My ears have been damaged by it. My young boys cried while in their car seats and said that their ears hurt. Noise occurs randomly. Dealer states t…”
“My 2022 Prius LE hood latch does not work. It does not click and hood stays locked. They told me at Walmart that the hood latch is probably corroded somewhere or defective. It takes two people to open the hood. My vehicle has 54,490mi. This has happened twice…”
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN3,492
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,052
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,380
- 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,150
- 05ENGINE828
“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…”
“The vehicle experienced intermittent transmission-related drivability issues before the recall remedy was available. The vehicle had delayed/hard shifting, an intermittent wrench warning light, and a reduced power/limp mode condition where the transmission wo…”
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 Prius — 20 recalls
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019 Lexus LS500, LC500, ES300h, UX250h, LS500h, Toyota Prius, RAV4 HV, 2019-2020 Toyota Prius Prime, and 2020 Corolla HV vehicles. The brake booster pump may fail causing a deactivation of the Vehicle Stability Control system a…
The risk: Deactivation of the vehicle stability control system or a loss of braking assist increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the brake booster pump, free of charge. The recall began September 20, 2019. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 and Lexus owner…
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Prius and Prius Prime vehicles. Water may enter the rear door switch and cause a short circuit, allowing an unlocked rear door to open unexpectedly.
The risk: A door that unexpectedly opens while the vehicle is moving or during a crash increases the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will replace both right and left rear door opener switches, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed August 9, 2024. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 24TB06 and 24T…
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 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 — 144 recalls
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 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 and previously remedied under recall 18V894. During the previous repair, the block he…
The risk: A damaged cable could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the engine block heater from being used. When replacement cables become available, a second notice will be mailed and dealers will replace the engine block heater cord, free of charge. The…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford F-150 Regular Cab and SuperCrew Cab vehicles. If a front seat belt pretensioner deploys as the result of a crash, the sparks may ignite materials such as carpeting or insulation within the B-pillar area.
The risk: A vehicle fire could result if materials ignite inside the vehicle.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove the B-pillar insulation material and wiring harness tape, and install heat resistant tape, free of charge. The recall began September 28, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Ford F-150, and 2017 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty trucks. The doors on these vehicles may have a bent or kinked actuation cable or the door latches may freeze after water gets into the latch. Either condition can result in the do…
The risk: A door that opens while driving can increase the risk of injury.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the door latch actuation cables and repair if necessary, and install water shields over the door latches, free of charge. The recall began October 12, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer…
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 Prius | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 9 | 16 |
| 2025 | 15 | 324 |
| 2024 | 22 | 607 |
| 2023 | 19 | 1484 |
| 2022 | 24 | 3388 |
| 2021 | 6 | 5162 |
| 2020 | 14 | 25 |
| 2019 | 29 | 31 |
| 2018 | 36 | 38 |
| 2017 | 91 | 27 |
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 Prius or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Toyota Prius vs FORD F 150
- Toyota Prius total complaints
- 265
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 11,102
- Toyota Prius total recalls
- 20
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 144
- Toyota Prius avg complaints/year
- 26.5
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 1110.2
- More reliable overall
- Toyota Prius
- Toyota Prius top complaint area
- UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN