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 266 complaints and 20 recalls on record; FORD F 150 has 27,256 complaints and 140 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 | 266 Better | 27,256 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 20 Better | 140 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 41 Better | 748 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 26.6 Better | 2725.6 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 23 Better | 704 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 1 Better | 10 |
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 BRAKES44
- 03ELECTRICAL SYSTEM40
- 04VISIBILITY/WIPER31
- 05VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL27
“A few weeks ago, at around 10pm, when I was driving on the freeway, my car’s engine temperature warning light suddenly on. The next day, I immediately sent my car to the dealer for a check up, the report stated ‘’ coolant reservoir very low. Pressure tested s…”
“Design of rear window, side mirrors and large rear pillar greatly reduce the visibility and checking of blind spot if you are a taller person. Blind spot electronic detection can not be trusted as it's performance is intermittent. Solution would be for Toyota…”
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN9,897
- 02ENGINE4,853
- 03ELECTRICAL SYSTEM3,450
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER3,152
- 05STRUCTURE1,481
“When I am parking the truck, I press and hold the brake pedal, While the truck shifter in in "Drive", I press the start/stop button to shut truck down, the shifter gets stuck in "drive" and doesn't automatically shift in to park. The truck locks down and will…”
“My truck is a 2025 Ford F150 STX with 5,900 miles on it. This truck was purchased new at River City Ford in Lavalette, WV The component in questions seems to be involved with the turbos and more specifically the wastegate that attached to the turbos. Also, ye…”
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 Prius vehicles. An electrical short circuit in the combination meter could occur, causing the speedometer, the odometer, and the fuel gauge to go blank. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federa…
The risk: A blank main display will not show important information like vehicle speed or fuel level. Driving with an inoperative display can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the flash memory chip (ROM) production date, and if necessary, replace it along with the combination meter circuit board, free of charge. The recall began February 7, 2020. Owners may con…
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: Gulf States Toyota (GST) is recalling certain 2019 C-HR, 4Runner, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, Land Cruiser, Prius, RAV4, Sequoia, Tacoma, Sienna, Tundra and Yaris vehicles. The text on the load capacity label may become illegible. As such, these vehicles fail to comply w…
The risk: If the driver cannot read the label, they may unknowingly overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: GST will notify owners, and dealers will provide corrected load carrying capacity modification labels, free of charge. The recall began May 24, 2019. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall i…
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Prius Prime, 2023-2026 Prius, and 2025-2026 Prius Plug-in Hybrid 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 increases the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will modify the rear door switch circuits, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed March 26, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in Q2 2026.…
FORD F 150 — 140 recalls
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2026 F-150, 2022-2026 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD, Maverick, 2024-2026 Ranger, 2023-2026 F-600 SD, 2022-2027 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, and 2026 E-Transit vehicles. When towing a trailer, the integrated trailer module (ITRM) may los…
The risk: Trailer lights or brakes that do not function can reduce the driver’s ability to control the trailer and decrease the trailers visibility to other road users, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: The integrated trailer module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 25, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, 2024 Expedition and 2024 Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine. The engines may have a misaligned engine cup plug, which can result in a rapid oil leak.
The risk: A rapid oil leak can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix: Dealers will inspect the engine cup plug alignment, and replace the plug if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 23, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for th…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, Bronco, 2024 Ranger, 2025 Mustang, Explorer, and Aviator vehicles. The transmission valve body may have been machined incorrectly, which can cause reverse gear failure, or unexpected forward movement in reverse or neutral gear.
The risk: Unexpected vehicle movement increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace the transmission main control valve body, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 11, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S19.
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, Expedition, and 2024 Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines. The engine may have a misaligned engine cup plug, which can result in a rapid oil leak.
The risk: A rapid oil leak can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix: Dealers will inspect the engine cup plug alignment, and replace the plug if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 22, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this…
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 | 5 | 3 |
| 2025 | 15 | 301 |
| 2024 | 22 | 570 |
| 2023 | 18 | 1414 |
| 2022 | 23 | 3188 |
| 2021 | 6 | 4823 |
| 2020 | 14 | 2530 |
| 2019 | 28 | 5724 |
| 2018 | 34 | 5505 |
| 2017 | 101 | 3198 |
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
- 266
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 27,256
- Toyota Prius total recalls
- 20
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 140
- Toyota Prius avg complaints/year
- 26.6
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 2725.6
- More reliable overall
- Toyota Prius
- Toyota Prius top complaint area
- UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN