Half-Ton Pickup Reliability Takes a Step Back, But Why?
Consumer Reports reliability study reveals some troubling data for half-ton truck owners as problems surface.
Eye Opener
Each year, Consumer Reports issues their latest automotive reliability study, which examines the number of problems per vehicle owners experience, then uses that data to calculate a predicted reliability score on a 100 point scale. This year's report just came out, and it's somewhat of an eye-opener for half-ton pickups like the Ford F-150, which have long been some of the more reliable vehicles on the road.
Photos: Ford
Big Fall
The Ford F-150 scored below average in CR's ratings, but it certainly wasn't alone in that regard. In fact, the Chevrolet Silverado also fell below average in this year's reliability study, as did the Ram 1500 and GMC Sierra. So what is causing these new pickups to fall so far in the rankings?
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Main Culprit
According to the reliability study, the main culprit behind these issues is technology, unsurprisingly. New safety and convenience features might be nice to have in pickups, but they're also a giant pain, as owners often experience problems with this tech and the electronics that support it.
Photos: Ford
Specific Problems
A couple of trouble areas specifically identified by CR include infotainment screens and transmission problems, which GM had the highest occurrences of. But many F-150 owners have complained about the jerky nature of the 10-speed automatic transmission that comes standard in all F-150s as well.
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The Competition
The F-150 did fare better than the General Motors duo overall, however, both of which presented some of the worst reliability scores of any vehicle in the study. The Ram 1500 didn't fare much better, as CR cited its array of electronics issues including faulty screens, body control modules, gauges, engine computers, and headlights as major problem areas.
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Go Heavy
The Nissan Titan scored below average as well, making the Toyota Tundra the only half-ton pickup to score better than average on the reliability test. On the flip side, heavy-duty trucks interestingly did very well this year, with the F-250 and F-350 landing an average reliability score and Sierra 2500 HD and Silverado 2500 HD coming in at just above average.
Photos: Ford
Tech Wave
Technology features have long been a thorn in the side of new vehicle owners, and with more and more tech going into new vehicles, that doesn't figure to change any time soon. Thus, it certainly pays to have a warranty and a bit of patience when buying a newer pickup these days.
Photos: Ford
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