Diagsheet

Full-size pickups · model years 2014 to 2025

Ford F-150 vs Chevrolet Silverado 1500: problems and reliability

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Silverado 1500 looks better on 3 and the F-150 on 2, with 2 too close to call.

Ford F-150

Ford F-150

13,378 complaints · 107 recalls

Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Chevrolet Silverado 1500

8,845 complaints · 43 recalls

Newest report Sep 24, 2026 · checked Sep 27, 2026

Counts are not adjusted for sales. The more cars of a model there are on the road, the more complaints it draws, so the raw totals above say a lot about sales. Everything below compares shares of each model's own complaints, the mileage problems start at, recalls per model year and each model's years against its own median.

Scorecard

Measure, 2014 to 2025F-150Silverado 1500
Complaints that report a crash2.7%3.6%
Complaints that report a fire1.0%1.2%
Complaints that report an injury1.8%1.7%
Median miles when problems are reported52,00050,000
Recall campaigns per model year8.93.6
Do-not-drive recalls21
NHTSA investigations107

The shaded side is lower (for miles, higher). Values within about a tenth of each other count as too close to call.

What owners complain about

The system F-150 owners complain about most is transmission and drivetrain; for the Silverado 1500 it is engine. Complaints citing transmission and drivetrain make up 35% of all F-150 complaints, against 24% on the Silverado 1500. The Silverado 1500 leans the other way on engine: 25% of its complaints, against 16% for the F-150.

Ford F-150Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Transmission and drivetrain35%24%
Engine16%25%
Electrical11%18%
Brakes9.2%18%
Steering4.1%12%
Structure6.0%3.4%
Fuel and propulsion3.3%3.7%
Speed control4.5%2.2%
Windshield and wipers4.1%1.6%
Engine and Engine Cooling2.4%2.7%

Share of each model's complaints that cite each system, from NHTSA's own component codes. One complaint can cite several systems, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

The most reported problems

The most reported problem on the F-150 is transmission shudder (12% of its complaints). On the Silverado 1500 it is brake wear (19% of its complaints), against 11% on the F-150.

ProblemF-150Silverado 1500
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early11% 1,415most in 2014 · 44k mi19% 1,696most in 2015 · 50k mi
Engine stalls or loses power while driving9.1% 1,224most in 2018 · 55k mi13% 1,155most in 2014 · 50k mi
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard12% 1,651most in 2018 · 68k mi8.9% 789most in 2019 · 58k mi
Check engine light or misfire4.5% 606most in 2018 · 73k mi8.4% 746most in 2021 · 58k mi
Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails5.1% 688most in 2019 · 40k mi6.3% 558most in 2019 · 40k mi
Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing2.3% 305most in 2018 · 60k mi9.1% 804most in 2021 · 53k mi
Power steering cuts out or goes heavy2.0% 267most in 2014 · 60k mi6.6% 583most in 2014 · 56k mi
Transmission fails or needs replacement4.1% 545most in 2018 · 80k mi3.0% 262most in 2017 · 81k mi

Share of each model's own complaints, with the count beside it. "Most in" links to the symptom sheet for the model year with the most reports of it, and the mileage is the median from reports that gave one.

When problems start

Problems show up at about the same mileage on both. Half the F-150 complaints that give a mileage come before 52,000 miles, and half the Silverado 1500 complaints before 50,000. 47% of F-150 reports and 50% of Silverado 1500 reports come before 50,000 miles. Older model years have had longer to reach high mileage, so a window that runs to recent years pulls both medians down.

Ford F-150Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Under 25k25%26%
25k to 50k22%23%
50k to 75k21%23%
75k to 100k14%14%
100k to 150k13%11%
Over 150k4.8%3.0%

Share of the complaints that state a mileage: 6,859 for the F-150 and 4,718 for the Silverado 1500.

Worst and best years

The 2018 F-150 draws 1.8 times the complaints of a typical F-150 year for its age. No Silverado 1500 model year stands out from the rest.

Ford F-150

Every F-150 model year

Chevrolet Silverado 1500

  • Years to avoid: none stands out
  • Best years: 2018

Every Silverado 1500 model year

Ford F-150Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Each model year against its own model's median. F-150: 2014 0.8, 2015 1.0, 2016 1.3, 2017 1.0, 2018 1.8, 2019 1.2, 2020 0.7, 2021 1.2, 2022 0.8, 2023 0.7, 2024 0.4. Silverado 1500: 2014 1.1, 2015 0.9, 2016 0.7, 2017 0.8, 2018 0.6, 2019 1.3, 2020 1.0, 2021 1.3, 2022 1.2, 2023 0.9, 2024 1.0.2014 F-150: 0.8 times its median2014 Silverado 1500: 1.1 times its median'142015 F-150: 1.0 times its median2015 Silverado 1500: 0.9 times its median'152016 F-150: 1.3 times its median2016 Silverado 1500: 0.7 times its median'162017 F-150: 1.0 times its median2017 Silverado 1500: 0.8 times its median'172018 F-150: 1.8 times its median2018 Silverado 1500: 0.6 times its median'182019 F-150: 1.2 times its median2019 Silverado 1500: 1.3 times its median'192020 F-150: 0.7 times its median2020 Silverado 1500: 1.0 times its median'202021 F-150: 1.2 times its median2021 Silverado 1500: 1.3 times its median'212022 F-150: 0.8 times its median2022 Silverado 1500: 1.2 times its median'222023 F-150: 0.7 times its median2023 Silverado 1500: 0.9 times its median'232024 F-150: 0.4 times its median2024 Silverado 1500: 1.0 times its median'241x

Each bar is that model year's complaints for each year on the road, divided by the same figure for a typical year of the same model (the dashed line). Measuring each model against itself takes the sales gap between the two out of the picture, so they can share a scale. Years too new to judge are left out.

Recalls and investigations

The F-150 draws more recalls: 8.9 campaigns per model year against 3.6 for the Silverado 1500. A recall counts once however many cars it covers, so this figure does not grow with sales the way complaint totals do.

Ford F-150

107 recall campaigns and 10 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: transmission and drivetrain (21), exterior lighting (9) and electrical (9).

  • Do not drive 14V-316 (steering), model years 2014
  • Do not drive 21V-407 (steering), model years 2021
  • 24V-852 (equipment) covers 7 model years
  • 18V-894 (engine) covers 5 model years

Investigations

  • EA26001: Unintended transmission downshift and rear wheel lock-up (open, led to a recall)
  • PE25002: Unintended transmission downshift and rear wheel lock-up (closed)
  • PE24019: Low-pressure fuel pump failure (closed, led to a recall)

Chevrolet Silverado 1500

43 recall campaigns and 7 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: airbags (12), service brakes, hydraulic (9) and seat belts (5).

  • Do not drive 16V-256 (suspension), model years 2016 and 2017
  • 19V-645 (service brakes, hydraulic) covers 5 model years
  • 19V-761 (service brakes, hydraulic) covers 5 model years

Investigations

  • EA26005: Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy (open)
  • RQ26001: Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy (closed)
  • EA25007: Loss of motive power due to engine failure (open)

Whether a particular car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Crashes, fires and injuries

A larger share of Silverado 1500 complaints report a crash: 3.6%, against 2.7% for the F-150. Fire reports: 140 for the F-150 and 108 for the Silverado 1500. Complaints on file report 7 deaths in the F-150 and 7 in the Silverado 1500 for these model years.

Ford F-150Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Report a crash2.7%3.6%
Report a fire1.0%1.2%
Report someone hurt1.8%1.7%

Share of each model's complaints in which the owner reported it. These are owners' own accounts as filed with NHTSA, and one report on its own doesn't prove a defect.

Questions

Is the Ford F-150 or the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 more reliable?

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Silverado 1500 looks better on 3 and the F-150 on 2, with 2 too close to call. NHTSA complaint totals cannot settle it alone: the F-150 has 13,378 complaints and the Silverado 1500 8,845 for model years 2014 to 2025, and those totals follow how many of each were sold.

Which has more recalls, the F-150 or the Silverado 1500?

The F-150 has 107 recall campaigns and the Silverado 1500 43 across model years 2014 to 2025. The F-150 draws more recalls: 8.9 campaigns per model year against 3.6 for the Silverado 1500.

What are the most common problems on the F-150 and the Silverado 1500?

The most reported problem on the F-150 is transmission shudder (12% of its complaints). On the Silverado 1500 it is brake wear (19% of its complaints), against 11% on the F-150.

More comparisons

Every comparison