Head-to-head reliability

Volvo EX90 vs FORD F 150

How the Volvo EX90 and FORD F 150 compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.

Volvo EX9071 complaints · 3 recalls Fewer issues per year
FORD F 15011,157 complaints · 144 recalls

Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records

Which should you buy?

Volvo EX90 averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. Volvo EX90 has 71 complaints and 3 recalls on record; FORD F 150 has 11,157 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.

CategoryVolvo EX90FORD F 150
Total complaintsAll model years combined71 Better11,157
Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns3 Better144
Crash reportsCrash-related complaints2 Better324
Complaints per yearAveraged across model years35.5 Better1115.7
Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints1 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.

Volvo EX90

  1. 01ELECTRICAL SYSTEM34
  2. 02UNKNOWN OR OTHER19
  3. 03FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM13
  4. 04VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL9
  5. 05LANE DEPARTURE9
In owners' words — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Ongoing Software Issues From shortly after delivery through now, the vehicle experiences frequent and recurring warning messages and system failures, including but not limited to: Suspension system warnings Driver assistance and self-driving feature failures…

I am submitting this complaint because I believe my Volvo electric vehicle has a serious and recurring safety-related defect that has not been permanently repaired despite multiple repair attempts. Since purchasing the vehicle new, it has repeatedly failed to…

FORD F 150

  1. 01POWER TRAIN3,503
  2. 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,058
  3. 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,383
  4. 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,150
  5. 05ENGINE829
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…

I am filing a safety complaint regarding the transmission in my 2019 Ford F-150 equipped with the 5.0L V8 and 10-speed automatic transmission. My vehicle currently has approximately 88,000 miles. The transmission began experiencing abnormal shifting, includin…

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.

Volvo EX90 — 3 recalls

Seats — Critical Fasteners
#24V869000

The defect: Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2025 EX90 vehicles. The bolts for the second-row free-standing seat may not be tightened properly.

The risk: An improperly tightened seat may not adequately restrain the occupant during a crash, increasing their risk of injury.

The fix: Dealers will inspect and tighten the bolts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 10, 2025. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R10292.

Exterior Lighting — Headlights — Concealment Devices
#25V071000Jul 2025

The defect: Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain 2025 EX90 vehicles. Due to a software error in the low power controller (LPC), the headlight shutters may close over the high and low beams while driving.

The risk: A loss of headlight function while driving can reduce visibility and increase the risk of a crash.

The fix: The LPC software will be updated manually, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 12, 2025. Owners may contact Volvo's customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R10298.

Structure — Body — Hatchback/Liftgate — Support Device/Strut
#25V654000

The defect: Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain 2025 EX90 vehicles. A spindle nut may detach from the Power Operated Tailgate (POT) drive units, causing the tailgate to suddenly drop.

The risk: A tailgate that suddenly drops can hit a person, increasing the risk of injury.

The fix: Owners are advised not to use the POT function until the repair is completed. Dealers will replace both POT drive units. Owner letters were mailed November 24, 2025. Owners may contact Volvo's customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's nu…

FORD F 150 — 144 recalls

Exterior Lighting — Headlights
#20V097000

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.

Electrical System — 12v/24v/48v Battery — Cables
#19V805000Dec 2019

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…

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…

Seats — Front Assembly — Recliner
#19V633000

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…

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.

YearVolvo EX90FORD F 150
2026417
202567324
Years to scrutinize: the 2025 Volvo EX90 drew the most complaints (67); the 2021 FORD F 150 drew the most (5,182). 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 Volvo EX90 or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.

Go deeper

Full reliability reports

Volvo EX90 vs FORD F 150 — comparison facts
Comparison
Volvo EX90 vs FORD F 150
Volvo EX90 total complaints
71
FORD F 150 total complaints
11,157
Volvo EX90 total recalls
3
FORD F 150 total recalls
144
Volvo EX90 avg complaints/year
35.5
FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
1115.7
More reliable overall
Volvo EX90
Volvo EX90 top complaint area
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
FORD F 150 top complaint area
POWER TRAIN