Full-size pickups · 3 model years, 2015 to 2020
Ford F-250 Super Duty vs Chevrolet Silverado 2500: problems and reliability
On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the F-250 Super Duty and the Silverado 2500 split evenly (2 each, the rest too close to call).
Newest report Sep 23, 2026 · checked Sep 27, 2026
Scorecard
| Measure, 2015 to 2020 | F-250 Super Duty | Silverado 2500 |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints that report a crash | 1.9% | 3.2% |
| Complaints that report a fire | 1.7% | 2.7% |
| Complaints that report an injury | 1.3% | 1.7% |
| Median miles when problems are reported | 65,000 | 48,000 |
| Recall campaigns per model year | 6.3 | 5.3 |
| Do-not-drive recalls | 0 | 0 |
| NHTSA investigations | 4 | 2 |
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-250 Super Duty owners complain about most is steering; for the Silverado 2500 it is electrical. Complaints citing suspension make up 31% of all F-250 Super Duty complaints, against 1.7% on the Silverado 2500. The Silverado 2500 leans the other way on electrical: 23% of its complaints, against 7.2% for the F-250 Super Duty.
Ford F-250 Super DutyChevrolet Silverado 2500
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-250 Super Duty is suspension problems (31% of its complaints). On the Silverado 2500 it is brake wear (17% of its complaints), against 1.4% on the F-250 Super Duty.
| Problem | F-250 Super Duty | Silverado 2500 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension noise, struts or alignment | 31% 265most in 2015 · 70k mi | 0 |
| Steering wheel shakes or the "death wobble" | 28% 239most in 2015 · 70k mi | 0 |
| Brakes grind, pulse or wear early | 1.4% 1245k mi | 17% 70most in 2015 · 23k mi |
| Engine stalls or loses power while driving | 7.8% 66most in 2020 · 69k mi | 6.9% 2844k mi |
| Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails | 5.0% 4269k mi | 6.9% 2860k mi |
| Wheel bearing, tires or wheels | 5.5% 47most in 2015 · 60k mi | 4.4% 1822k mi |
| Fuel pump failure | 5.9% 50most in 2020 · 97k mi | 3.2% 13 |
| Check engine light or misfire | 6.8% 5877k mi | 1.7% 7 |
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
Silverado 2500 owners report problems earlier. Half the Silverado 2500 complaints that give a mileage come before 48,000 miles; for the F-250 Super Duty the halfway point is 65,000. 36% of F-250 Super Duty reports and 53% of Silverado 2500 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-250 Super DutyChevrolet Silverado 2500
Share of the complaints that state a mileage: 469 for the F-250 Super Duty and 227 for the Silverado 2500.
Worst and best years
The 2019 F-250 Super Duty draws 5.5 times the complaints of a typical F-250 Super Duty year for its age. The 2024 Silverado 2500 draws 3.9 times the complaints of a typical Silverado 2500 year for its age.
Ford F-250 Super Duty
Chevrolet Silverado 2500
- Years to avoid: 2022 and 2024
- Best years: 2017 and 2018
Ford F-250 Super DutyChevrolet Silverado 2500
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-250 Super Duty draws more recalls: 6.3 campaigns per model year against 5.3 for the Silverado 2500. A recall counts once however many cars it covers, so this figure does not grow with sales the way complaint totals do.
Ford F-250 Super Duty
19 recall campaigns and 4 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: backup camera (5), transmission and drivetrain (3) and steering (2).
- 20E-090 (steering) covers 3 model years
- 25V-572 (backup camera) covers 2 model years
Investigations
- PE24014: Sogefi secondary diesel fuel filter leak (open)
- RQ21002: Rearview camera fmvss 111 noncompliance (open)
- RQ21001: Power tailgate release systems (closed)
Chevrolet Silverado 2500
16 recall campaigns and 2 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: airbags (5), transmission and drivetrain (3) and service brakes, hydraulic (2).
- 18V-578 (service brakes, hydraulic) covers 2 model years
- 16V-651 (airbags) covers 2 model years
Investigations
- EA21002: Desiccated air bag inflator rupture (open)
- PE21010: Air bag malfunction (closed)
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 2500 complaints report a crash: 3.2%, against 1.9% for the F-250 Super Duty. Fire reports: 14 for the F-250 Super Duty and 11 for the Silverado 2500.
Ford F-250 Super DutyChevrolet Silverado 2500
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-250 Super Duty or the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 more reliable?
On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the F-250 Super Duty and the Silverado 2500 split evenly (2 each, the rest too close to call). NHTSA complaint totals cannot settle it alone: the F-250 Super Duty has 848 complaints and the Silverado 2500 407 for the 3 model years from 2015 to 2020 that both have on file, and those totals follow how many of each were sold.
Which has more recalls, the F-250 Super Duty or the Silverado 2500?
The F-250 Super Duty has 19 recall campaigns and the Silverado 2500 16 across the 3 model years from 2015 to 2020 that both have on file. The F-250 Super Duty draws more recalls: 6.3 campaigns per model year against 5.3 for the Silverado 2500.
What are the most common problems on the F-250 Super Duty and the Silverado 2500?
The most reported problem on the F-250 Super Duty is suspension problems (31% of its complaints). On the Silverado 2500 it is brake wear (17% of its complaints), against 1.4% on the F-250 Super Duty.
More comparisons
- Ford F-250 Super Duty vs Ram 25002014 to 2022
- Ram 2500 vs Chevrolet Silverado 25002015 to 2020