2021 Ford F-150 vs 2021 RAM 3500
Reliability comparison based on NHTSA recall and complaint records.
2021 Ford F-150
2021 RAM 3500
Stories from the shop
Different tools for different jobs. The 2021 Ford F-150 and the 2021 RAM 3500 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.
If you lean 2021 Ford F-150, know what you're getting into on powertrain and electrical. Those categories have noticeably more complaints than the 2021 RAM 3500 sees, and they're not cheap items when they go.
Going with the 2021 RAM 3500? Watch the wheels and tires. The 2021 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 1.9x higher on the 2021 Ford F-150. 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 2021 Ford F-150 or the 2021 RAM 3500?
Based on the NHTSA data we track, the 2021 RAM 3500 comes out ahead with a reliability score of 3.9 versus 2.2. 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 2021 Ford F-150?
Compared to the 2021 RAM 3500, the 2021 Ford F-150 sees more reported issues in powertrain and electrical. That doesn't mean it's a bad truck — it means those are the categories worth budgeting for if you go that direction.
What goes wrong more often on the 2021 RAM 3500?
Compared to the 2021 Ford F-150, the 2021 RAM 3500 has more complaints in wheels and tires. 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?
The 2021 Ford F-150 has more active recalls (12 vs 1). Total count is less important than severity, though — a vehicle with one critical recall and zero moderate ones is generally riskier than one with five moderate recalls.
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 $13,900 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.