Head-to-head reliability

Toyota Sequoia vs FORD F 150

How the Toyota Sequoia and FORD F 150 compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.

Toyota Sequoia130 complaints · 32 recalls Fewer issues per year
FORD F 15011,102 complaints · 144 recalls

Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records

Which should you buy?

Toyota Sequoia averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. Toyota Sequoia has 130 complaints and 32 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.

CategoryToyota SequoiaFORD F 150
Total complaintsAll model years combined130 Better11,102
Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns32 Better144
Crash reportsCrash-related complaints4 Better319
Complaints per yearAveraged across model years13.0 Better1110.2
Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints10 Better287
Reported deathsTied to owner complaints0 Better1

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 Sequoia

  1. 01UNKNOWN OR OTHER26
  2. 02STRUCTURE25
  3. 03ELECTRICAL SYSTEM15
  4. 04SERVICE BRAKES13
  5. 05POWER TRAIN12
In owners' words — UNKNOWN OR OTHER

ON JULY 12, 2017, I HAD BACKED UP MY 2017 TOYOTA SEQUOIA TO A FAMILY MEMBER'S HOUSE AND THEN PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK, BUT LEFT IT RUNNING. MY THREE CHILDREN REMAINED INSIDE THE VEHICLE, SEATED AND BUCKLED. I EXITED THE VEHICLE TO WALK TO THE BACK AND PUT A BO…

Fuel filler door hinge and pin does not work properly. The hinge, door, and pin are bent. This prohibits 1) opening the door, 2) filling the gas tank, and 3) the door from closing properly. The spacing around the door is not equal and is askew, tilted to the…

FORD F 150

  1. 01POWER TRAIN3,492
  2. 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,052
  3. 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,380
  4. 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,150
  5. 05ENGINE828
In owners' words — POWER TRAIN

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 Sequoia — 32 recalls

Steering — Hydraulic Power Assist System
#21V920000

The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2008-2022 Sequoia and 2007-2021 Tundra vehicles. The power steering gear assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in an oil leak.

The risk: An oil leak may cause a sudden loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the power steering gear assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 21, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for…

Steering — Hydraulic Power Assist System
#21E103000

The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain JTEKT power steering gear assembly service parts for 2007-2021 Tundra and 2008-2022 Sequoia, part numbers 44250-0C160, 44250-0C131, 44250-0C170, and 11250-0C121. The power steering gear assembly may have been manufactured incorr…

The risk: An oil leak may cause a sudden loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the power steering gear assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 17, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall i…

Steering — Hydraulic Power Assist System
#21V920000

The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2008-2022 Sequoia and 2007-2021 Tundra vehicles. The power steering gear assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in an oil leak.

The risk: An oil leak may cause a sudden loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the power steering gear assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 21, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for…

Steering — Hydraulic Power Assist System
#21E103000

The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain JTEKT power steering gear assembly service parts for 2007-2021 Tundra and 2008-2022 Sequoia, part numbers 44250-0C160, 44250-0C131, 44250-0C170, and 11250-0C121. The power steering gear assembly may have been manufactured incorr…

The risk: An oil leak may cause a sudden loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the power steering gear assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 17, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall i…

FORD F 150 — 144 recalls

Engine
#18V894000

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…

Engine
#19V278000Aug 2019

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…

Seat Belts — Pretensioner
#18V568000

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-…

Latches/Locks/Linkages — Doors — Latch
#17V652000

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.

YearToyota SequoiaFORD F 150
2026916
20257324
202435607
2023361484
202213388
202145162
2020425
2019731
20182038
2017727
Years to scrutinize: the 2023 Toyota Sequoia drew the most complaints (36); the 2021 FORD F 150 drew the most (5,162). Inspect these model years especially closely.

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 Sequoia or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.

Go deeper

Full reliability reports

Toyota Sequoia vs FORD F 150 — comparison facts
Comparison
Toyota Sequoia vs FORD F 150
Toyota Sequoia total complaints
130
FORD F 150 total complaints
11,102
Toyota Sequoia total recalls
32
FORD F 150 total recalls
144
Toyota Sequoia avg complaints/year
13.0
FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
1110.2
More reliable overall
Toyota Sequoia
Toyota Sequoia top complaint area
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
FORD F 150 top complaint area
POWER TRAIN