Head-to-head reliability
Volkswagen EOS vs FORD F 150
How the Volkswagen EOS 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
Volkswagen EOS vs FORD F 150: The EOS averaged 42.5 complaints per year over 10 years, while the F-150 averaged 1,131.1. The EOS had 21 recalls and 8 injuries; the F-150 had 145 recalls and 287 injuries. Both show power train and electrical issues. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Volkswagen EOS or FORD F 150 more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Volkswagen EOS
The Volkswagen EOS is a two-door convertible that can be costly to maintain as it ages. Over 10 years, it averaged 42.5 complaints per year, with air bag and power train issues dominating. Many air bag complaints stem from Takata recalls that left owners with broken horns or steering wheel controls. Power train complaints describe sudden power loss and transmission failure, which can be dangerous.
FORD F 150
The Ford F-150 is a full-size pickup with a much higher complaint volume: 1,131.1 per year over 10 years. Power train and electrical problems are the most common, with many owners reporting harsh shifting, sudden power loss, and battery or camera malfunctions. The truck also has 145 recalls and 287 injuries reported, indicating widespread safety concerns.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Volkswagen EOS | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 425 Better | 11,311 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 21 Better | 145 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 13 Better | 328 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 42.5 Better | 1131.1 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 8 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.
Volkswagen EOS
- 01AIR BAGS168
- 02POWER TRAIN102
- 03ELECTRICAL SYSTEM51
- 04ENGINE48
- 05SERVICE BRAKES34
Owners report that after Takata air bag inflator recalls, the horn, ignition lock, and steering wheel controls stop working, often costing $700+ to repair. This means a safety recall can lead to unexpected electrical failures.
Complaints describe sudden speed drops to 20 mph, transmission slipping into neutral, and loss of power while driving. These failures can leave a driver stranded or unable to accelerate in traffic.
Reports include seat heaters activating on their own and burning the seat, as well as post-recall failures of horn and steering wheel controls. Electrical gremlins can be persistent and expensive to trace.
One owner reported a broken timing belt tensioner at 72,319 miles that caused major engine damage, despite regular oil changes. Another noted loss of power and a service warning. Engine repairs can be catastrophic if the timing belt fails.
“I TOOK THE CAR IN AS PART OF THE TAKATA INFLATOR RECALL. EVERYTHING IN THE CAR WAS WORKING WHEN I DROPPED OFF THE CAR. NOW THE DEALERSHIP WANTS $700 PLUS TO REPAIR THE HORN, IGNITION LOCK, CONTROLS ON THE STEERING WHEEL THAT CONTROL THE VOLUME AND MENU BUTTON…”
“TAKATA RECALL ON 10/19/18 I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP SO THAT THEY COULD INSTALL THE NEW AIRBAG INFLATOR KIT DUE TO THE RECALL. A FEW DAYS LATER I NOTICED MY HORN WAS NOT WORKING. I RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 11/9/18 ONLY TO BE TOLD I NEED TO REPLACE T…”
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN3,553
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,071
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,401
- 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,164
- 05ENGINE847
Many owners report hard or delayed shifts, jerking, clunking, and sudden loss of power with the 10R80 transmission. Some describe the truck shutting off and drifting, which is a serious safety risk.
Complaints include loud bangs from the transmission, rear suspension popping, and warnings like 'Front Camera Malfunction' and 'Pre Collision Assist Not Available.' These electrical issues can affect driver assistance features.
With 1,164 complaints, headlight problems are common, though specific failure details are not in the sample. Poor lighting can reduce visibility and safety at night.
Engine complaints total 847, though sample texts focus on power train. Recalls for engine issues suggest potential problems that could lead to stalling or reduced performance.
“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.
Volkswagen EOS — 21 recalls
The defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015 Passat, 2015-2016 Eos, 2015-2017 CC, 2016-2017 TT Roadster, TT Coupe, 2017 Audi R8 Coupe, and R8 Spyder vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
The risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 4, 2019. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-…
The defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Eos, 2012 Passat, 2012-2016 CC, 2015-2016 e-Golf, 2011-2015 Touareg, 2012-2015 and 2017 Tiguan, and 2011-2016 Golf and 2011-2013 GTI vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal evaluation period ma…
The risk: If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.
The fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles to make them fully compliant or Volkswagen will repurchase them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer se…
The defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015 Passat, 2015-2016 Eos, 2015-2017 CC, 2016-2017 TT Roadster, TT Coupe, 2017 Audi R8 Coupe, and R8 Spyder vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
The risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 4, 2019. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-…
The defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Volkswagen CC, 2010-2014 Golf, 2010-2014 Eos, 2007-2010 Passat Sedan and Wagon, and 2012-2014 Passat vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
The risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 16, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.…
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
Volkswagen EOS or FORD F 150: which should you buy?
The Volkswagen EOS has far fewer issues per year (42.5 vs. 1,131.1), but both have serious safety-related complaints. The Ford F-150's much higher volume means a buyer is more likely to encounter problems, while the EOS's lower volume still includes dangerous power train and air bag failures.
Key differences
- The Ford F-150 has 26 times more complaints per year than the Volkswagen EOS, but the EOS still has serious air bag and power train failures.
- Air bag complaints on the EOS often relate to Takata recalls causing secondary electrical failures, while F-150 electrical complaints involve transmission noises and driver-assist warnings.
- Power train issues on the EOS include sudden speed drops to 20 mph, while F-150 power train complaints describe harsh shifting and sudden power loss.
- The F-150 has 145 recalls versus 21 for the EOS, meaning more frequent trips for recall repairs.
- Check for post-Takata recall repairs: test the horn, ignition lock, and steering wheel controls, as owners report these fail after the air bag fix.
- Test drive at highway speeds and listen for transmission slipping or sudden power loss, which owners describe as dropping to 20 mph or going into neutral.
- Test the transmission for hard shifts, jerking, or clunking between gears, especially 4-5, 5-6, and 7-8, as owners report these symptoms.
- Check for electrical warnings like 'Front Camera Malfunction' or 'Pre Collision Assist Not Available' on startup, and listen for loud bangs from the transmission or rear suspension.
Before you buy
- Obtain a full vehicle history report and confirm all recalls, especially Takata air bag recalls on the EOS, have been completed.
- Have a mechanic inspect the transmission for both vehicles, focusing on shift quality and any stored trouble codes.
- Test all electrical components: horn, steering wheel controls, seat heaters, cameras, and driver-assist systems.
- For the EOS, check the timing belt and tensioner service history, as one owner reported a broken tensioner causing engine damage.
- For the F-150, scan for transmission and electrical fault codes, and test drive at various speeds to replicate shifting issues.
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 Volkswagen EOS or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Volkswagen EOS vs FORD F 150
- Volkswagen EOS total complaints
- 425
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 11,311
- Volkswagen EOS total recalls
- 21
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 145
- Volkswagen EOS avg complaints/year
- 42.5
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 1131.1
- More reliable overall
- Volkswagen EOS
- Volkswagen EOS top complaint area
- AIR BAGS
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN