Most Reliable Used pickup trucks (2015–2022)
Ranked by NHTSA owner-complaint rate per 1,000 sold · 8 pickup trucks
By CarWhere Research · Published Jul 14, 2026 · Updated September 2026 · NHTSA source data
Across 8 used pickup trucks from 2015–2022, ranked by NHTSA owner-complaint rate per 1,000 vehicles sold, the Toyota Tacoma, Ford F-Series, Chevrolet Silverado have the lowest rates — the Toyota Tacoma is lowest at 0.197 complaints per 1,000 sold per year of vehicle age. This adjusts federal complaint volume for how many were sold; it is not a holistic dependability score. Data as of September 2026.
How to read this. This ranks the federal complaint rate — NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold — not overall dependability. It is a different lens than Consumer Reports or J.D. Power, which weigh many systems and owner surveys. A model can place differently here than on those lists. Counts are severity-weighted; sales figures are cited per model. How we score complaints.
About this study
- Models ranked
- 8
- Complaints analyzed
- 68,716
- U.S. units represented
- 19,640,924
- Model-years
- 60 (2015–2022)
Method. For each model, NHTSA owner complaints (severe complaints — crash, fire, injury — weighted double) are divided by U.S. units sold (per 1,000) and by years of vehicle age, then the model's median across years is taken. Calendar-year sales are used as each model-year's cohort size. Complaint records are matched to NHTSA's body-style/trim model names and de-duplicated by complaint ID; where a sales figure covers a whole line (marked *), complaints are aggregated across the same variants. NHTSA data extracted September 2026.
Scope. 8 high-volume pickup trucks with a cited U.S. sales figure and enough complaint volume to rank; models with too few units or complaints to be statistically stable are excluded. This is a used-vehicle complaint-rate study (2015–2022 model years), not a ranking of new pickup trucks.
Used pickup trucks ranked by complaint rate
| # | Model | Complaints / 1k sold / yr | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota Tacoma | 0.197 | Lowest complaint rate | Years to avoid → |
| 2 | Ford F-Series* | 0.427 | Lowest complaint rate | Years to avoid → |
| 3 | Chevrolet Silverado* | 0.579 | Below-average complaint rate | Years to avoid → |
| 4 | Nissan Titan | 0.742 | Average complaint rate | Years to avoid → |
| 5 | GMC Sierra* | 0.922 | Average complaint rate | Years to avoid → |
| 6 | Ram Pickup* | 0.968 | Above-average complaint rate | Years to avoid → |
| 7 | Honda Ridgeline | 1.27 | Highest complaint rate | Years to avoid → |
| 8 | Jeep Gladiator | 1.583 | Highest complaint rate | Years to avoid → |
Lower is better. Rate = severity-weighted NHTSA complaints ÷ (U.S. units sold ÷ 1,000) ÷ years of vehicle age, median across a model's years. All 8 curated pickup trucks ranked. A * marks a model whose sales figure covers the whole line — complaints are aggregated across the same variants to match. Complaint data: NHTSA. Sales: cited per model below.
Five used pickup trucks with the lowest complaint rates (2015–2022)
- Toyota Tacoma — 0.197 complaints per 1,000 sold per year of vehicle age.
- Ford F-Series — 0.427 complaints per 1,000 sold per year of vehicle age.
- Chevrolet Silverado — 0.579 complaints per 1,000 sold per year of vehicle age.
- Nissan Titan — 0.742 complaints per 1,000 sold per year of vehicle age.
- GMC Sierra — 0.922 complaints per 1,000 sold per year of vehicle age.
What this measures: how often owners file federal safety/defect complaints, adjusted for how many were sold. It does not measure repair cost, breakdown frequency, or the survey-based dependability that Consumer Reports and J.D. Power report — use it alongside those.
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Frequently asked
What is the most reliable used pickup truck by complaint rate?
Among the 8 used pickup trucks (2015–2022) we analyze, the Toyota Tacoma has the lowest NHTSA owner-complaint rate — 0.197 complaints per 1,000 sold per year of vehicle age — followed by the Ford F-Series and Chevrolet Silverado. It adjusts federal complaint volume for units sold, so it rewards models owners complain about least relative to how many were sold.
How is this pickup truck ranking calculated?
For each model we take its NHTSA owner complaints, weight severe (crash/fire/injury) complaints double, and divide by U.S. units sold (per 1,000) and years of vehicle age. That yields a complaint rate comparable across models regardless of how many were sold — a best-seller is no longer penalized just for volume. Where a sales figure covers a whole model line, complaints are aggregated across the same variants. Sales figures are cited per model; complaints are the federal record.
Does this match Consumer Reports or J.D. Power reliability?
Not necessarily. Consumer Reports and J.D. Power measure owner-reported problems and predicted dependability across many systems. This ranks only NHTSA safety/defect complaint rate — a narrower, public, federal signal. A model can rank differently here than on those lists; both are valid, they measure different things. Use this alongside them, then check the specific VIN.