Ford Super Duty Tops 2024 Dependability Rankings (F-150 Falls Short)

J.D. Power 2024 Dependability Study shows that the F-150 is slipping and it might be reflective of the auto industry as a whole. 

We all like to think that buying a new truck is something that will land us a reliable piece of modern machinery. One might assume that, after all these years, manufacturers must have figured out how to perfectly blend modern tech with enough simplicity that it won’t cause any longevity issues. Unfortunately, though, it seems like that isn’t the case. Moreover, it seems like this is much more than an F-150 problem.

According to J.D. Power, the average age of a vehicle on American roads today is 12 years. So, it’s important for manufacturers to build vehicles that can be trusted for the long haul. Unfortunately, though, J.D. Power’s 2024 dependability study also outlines an unfortunate deterioration of vehicle dependability after just three years of ownership. The average number of issues per 100 vehicles between 90 days and three years of ownership increased from four to an eye-watering 190 compared to the 2023 study. In the wake of these issues, the F-150 no longer even cracks the top three for most dependable full-size light-duty trucks.

Ford’s Dependability Rankings

Ford sits pretty low in the overall brand dependability rankings. Sitting only six positions from the bottom, J.D. Power ranks Ford among Volvo, Infiniti, Audi, and, perhaps most telling, Land Rover. With the bar set pretty low thanks to an average of 190 problems per 100 vehicles, the study found that Ford vehicles experienced 239 per 100. Throughout the SUV categories, not one Ford vehicle made the top three. The good news, however, is that it wasn’t all bad when it comes to the truck category.

As we mentioned above, the F-150 did not make the top three in the Large Light-Duty Pickup category. However, the Ford Super Duty lineup sits in first place as the most dependable Large Heavy Duty Pickup. In addition, J.D. Power ranked the Ranger as the third most dependable Midsize Pickup. Ultimately, it’s still hard to swallow that America’s best-selling pickup truck might be one of America’s least dependable simultaneously.

Why Is Dependability Slipping?

It’s worth keeping in mind that the inclusion of vehicles up to three years old are included in the study. Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power says that the decline in dependability can likely be partially attributed to the “tumultuous” conditions in which the vehicles were built. Namely, the re-ramping of vehicle production in a post-Covid-19 world and, of course, the great microchip shortage that led to hundreds of trucks sitting unfinished and even being delivered to customers lacking some functionality.

Another line of thinking, though, is that advancements in technology are the root cause, here. Auto manufacturers do love the latest and greatest and it’s not a shocking thing to see implementation of these techs hit production lines before they’re truly ready. A great example is the PowerBoost hybrid F-150 making Consumer Reports‘ list of the 10 least reliable new cars for 2023.  All we can say with certainty is that we hope this problematic dependability downtrend is just a speed bump in the road. Not just for Ford, but for the automotive industry as a whole. After all, the real losers in all of this are us, the consumers.

Photos: Ford

Braden Carlson

Braden Carlson is an automotive enthusiast from Boise, Idaho. At 19 he quit his day job to pursue a career in automotive journalism, launching his Youtube channel in his own name. Today you can still find him producing DIY video content, reviews and writing for an amassment of automotive websites. His work is most frequently found on Rennlist, The Mustang Source and Corvette Forum. When not writing or driving, he's likely to be found covered in grease and oil undoubtedly from one of his gratuitous collection of questionable project cars.