2016 Ford F-150 vs 2016 RAM 2500
Reliability comparison based on NHTSA recall and complaint records.
2016 Ford F-150
2016 RAM 2500
Stories from the shop
Different tools for different jobs. The 2016 Ford F-150 and the 2016 RAM 2500 are both pickups but engineered around different workloads. We're showing the reliability data on both so you can match the truck to what you actually use it for, not pick the one with the higher overall score.
Going with the 2016 RAM 2500? Watch the powertrain and steering. The 2016 Ford F-150 has fewer reports in those categories, so you'd be trading one set of weak spots for another.
On the dollars-and-cents side, total repair exposure across the top problem areas runs 5.1x higher on the 2016 RAM 2500. That's the number to keep in mind when you're pricing the deal — a $2,000 difference in purchase price disappears the first time you're staring at a transmission rebuild.
Match the truck to the workload. The half-ton handles daily driving and weekend trailers; the heavy-duty handles serious work. Buying the wrong one for your use case costs more than buying either one of them outright.
Side-by-side by problem area
Common questions
Which is more reliable, the 2016 Ford F-150 or the 2016 RAM 2500?
Based on the NHTSA data we track, the 2016 Ford F-150 comes out ahead with a reliability score of 3.1 versus 2.3. The margin is clear, so the verdict could shift if you weight specific categories differently or factor in your own use case.
What goes wrong more often on the 2016 Ford F-150?
On the categories we tracked, the 2016 Ford F-150 doesn't show meaningfully more complaints than the 2016 RAM 2500. Both have similar issue patterns.
What goes wrong more often on the 2016 RAM 2500?
Compared to the 2016 Ford F-150, the 2016 RAM 2500 has more complaints in powertrain and steering. Whether that's a deal-breaker depends on the cost and severity — see the comparison table above for repair cost ranges.
Which has more recalls?
Both vehicles have 14 active recalls. Total recall count alone isn't a great signal — what matters is severity. See the recall counts by severity in the comparison table.
Is an extended warranty worth it on either of these?
Both vehicles are out of factory bumper-to-bumper coverage at this point. Combined repair exposure across the top problem categories runs around $12,750 on the higher-risk vehicle. A quality service contract typically costs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years, so a single major failure usually pays for the contract. The math favors warranty coverage on whichever vehicle you choose, especially if you plan to keep it past 100,000 miles.