Ford F-150 among pickup trucks slammed by Consumer Reports

Pickup trucks may be increasingly popular, but the reliability of the segment just received a jolt by Consumer Reports.

The Ford F-150, the perennially top-selling vehicle in the United States, was graded as below average in the magazine’s annual reliability study. The GMC Sierra 1500, Chevrolet Silverado, Nissan Titan and Ram 1500 also scored below average.

The magazine’s statisticians annually calculate reliability ratings for every major mainstream car, minivan, SUV and pickup truck using Consumer Reports’ member survey data. It factors in models that use some of the same components.

Pickup Trucks Receive Surprising Grades

Consumer Reports said the Ram 1500 is “plagued with electronics issues—screen replacements, headlights, body control modules, gauges, and engine computers.”

The Ford Ranger, Nissan Frontier, Chevrolet Colorado and its sibling, the GMC Canyon, all had below-average reliability.

The Toyota Tundra was the only half-ton pickup truck to log a better than average reliability.

Heavy-duty pickups are more likely to be reliable, according to the report.

The Ford F-250 and F-350 pickups logged average reliability.

The GMC Sierra 2500 HD and Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD had better than average reliability.

The Jeep Gladiator, a midsize pickup, was the highest performer among all trucks with well-above-average reliability.

The Honda Ridgeline ranked second in the midsize group with better than average reliability. Consumer Reports rated the Toyota Tacoma with average reliability.

Mazda was at the top for reliability in the brand rankings, followed by Toyota, Lexus, Buick and Honda. The five bottom brands were Lincoln, Tesla, Volkswagen Mini and Ford.

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