Diagsheet

Full-size pickups · 6 model years, 2016 to 2025

Ford F-150 vs Toyota Tundra: problems and reliability

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Tundra looks better on 5 and the F-150 on 1, with 1 too close to call.

Ford F-150

Ford F-150

5,654 complaints · 68 recalls

Toyota Tundra

Toyota Tundra

1,519 complaints · 35 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, 2016 to 2025F-150Tundra
Complaints that report a crash3.2%1.6%
Complaints that report a fire1.3%0.7%
Complaints that report an injury1.9%1.1%
Median miles when problems are reported44,00020,000
Recall campaigns per model year11.35.8
Do-not-drive recalls00
NHTSA investigations61

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 Tundra it is engine. Complaints citing transmission and drivetrain make up 35% of all F-150 complaints, against 21% on the Tundra. The Tundra leans the other way on engine: 35% of its complaints, against 16% for the F-150.

Ford F-150Toyota Tundra

Transmission and drivetrain35%21%
Engine16%35%
Electrical11%11%
Fuel and propulsion3.4%15%
Brakes8.2%9.3%
Speed control3.9%8.7%
Structure7.7%4.1%
Engine and Engine Cooling2.2%7.0%
Exterior Lighting3.2%5.4%
Steering3.2%3.2%

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 Tundra it is stalling (16% of its complaints), against 9.2% on the F-150.

ProblemF-150Tundra
Engine stalls or loses power while driving9.2% 518most in 2018 · 50k mi16% 239most in 2023 · 34k mi
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard12% 690most in 2018 · 65k mi8.8% 134most in 2022 · 10k mi
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early9.6% 541most in 2016 · 35k mi9.6% 146most in 2016 · 10k mi
Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing2.2% 124most in 2018 · 56k mi11% 162most in 2023 · 35k mi
Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails5.3% 300most in 2016 · 38k mi5.1% 7719k mi
Check engine light or misfire4.3% 244most in 2018 · 66k mi3.2% 4835k mi
Doors, latches or locks fail5.8% 328most in 2018 · 15k mi0
Wheel bearing, tires or wheels2.5% 139most in 2016 · 46k mi3.0% 4520k 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

Tundra owners report problems earlier. Half the Tundra complaints that give a mileage come before 20,000 miles; for the F-150 the halfway point is 44,000. 54% of F-150 reports and 83% of Tundra 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-150Toyota Tundra

Under 25k32%54%
25k to 50k22%29%
50k to 75k19%12%
75k to 100k12%3.6%
100k to 150k12%1.0%
Over 150k3.0%0.5%

Share of the complaints that state a mileage: 2,787 for the F-150 and 417 for the Tundra.

Worst and best years

The 2018 F-150 draws 1.8 times the complaints of a typical F-150 year for its age. The 2024 Tundra draws 12.4 times the complaints of a typical Tundra year for its age.

Ford F-150

Every F-150 model year

Toyota Tundra

Every Tundra model year

Ford F-150Toyota Tundra

Each model year against its own model's median. F-150: 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. Tundra: 2016 1.2, 2017 0.9, 2018 1.2, 2019 1.0, 2020 0.7, 2021 0.4, 2022 9.5, 2023 11.2, 2024 12.4.2016 F-150: 1.3 times its median2016 Tundra: 1.2 times its median'162017 F-150: 1.0 times its median2017 Tundra: 0.9 times its median'172018 F-150: 1.8 times its median2018 Tundra: 1.2 times its median'182019 F-150: 1.2 times its median2019 Tundra: 1.0 times its median'192020 F-150: 0.7 times its median2020 Tundra: 0.7 times its median'202021 F-150: 1.2 times its median2021 Tundra: 0.4 times its median'212022 F-150: 0.8 times its median2022 Tundra: 9.5 times its median'222023 F-150: 0.7 times its median2023 Tundra: 11.2 times its median'232024 F-150: 0.4 times its median2024 Tundra: 12.4 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: 11.3 campaigns per model year against 5.8 for the Tundra. 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

68 recall campaigns and 6 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: transmission and drivetrain (12), exterior lighting (7) and service brakes, hydraulic (5).

  • 24V-852 (equipment) covers 4 model years
  • 26V-104 (electrical) covers 4 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)

Toyota Tundra

35 recall campaigns and 1 NHTSA investigation across these model years. Most recalled: equipment (9), electrical (4) and exterior lighting (3).

  • 25V-322 (exterior lighting) covers 4 model years
  • 25V-657 (backup camera) covers 4 model years

Investigations

  • EA19001: Electrical overstress (closed, led to a recall)

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

Crashes, fires and injuries

A larger share of F-150 complaints report a crash: 3.2%, against 1.6% for the Tundra. Fire reports: 75 for the F-150 and 11 for the Tundra. Complaints on file report 3 deaths in the F-150 and 0 in the Tundra for these model years.

Ford F-150Toyota Tundra

Report a crash3.2%1.6%
Report a fire1.3%0.7%
Report someone hurt1.9%1.1%

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 Toyota Tundra more reliable?

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Tundra looks better on 5 and the F-150 on 1, with 1 too close to call. NHTSA complaint totals cannot settle it alone: the F-150 has 5,654 complaints and the Tundra 1,519 for the 6 model years from 2016 to 2025 that both have on file, and those totals follow how many of each were sold.

Which has more recalls, the F-150 or the Tundra?

The F-150 has 68 recall campaigns and the Tundra 35 across the 6 model years from 2016 to 2025 that both have on file. The F-150 draws more recalls: 11.3 campaigns per model year against 5.8 for the Tundra.

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

The most reported problem on the F-150 is transmission shudder (12% of its complaints). On the Tundra it is stalling (16% of its complaints), against 9.2% on the F-150.

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