The Best Pickup Truck on the Market Suffers From Reliability Issues
This article was updated on 5/15/2023.
Naming the best of anything is a tricky and often woefully objective thing to do. There is a certain amount of subjective ways to judge and rate cars and trucks. However, sometimes subjectivity can get in the way too. That said, pickup trucks must be judged on how well they do the jobs they are meant to do. In this regard, the 2023 Ford F-150 Hybrid pickup truck is the best pickup truck because it offers so many incredible features that make doing truck stuff easier and more efficient. However, that doesn’t mean it’s perfect or even close to it.
Why is the Ford F-150 Hybrid ranked last?
Despite the F-150 Hybrid’s many features, the F-150 Hybrid has had some less-than-thrilled customers. While this may seem strange given the incredible powertrain and many cutting-edge features, there is a major problem with the model; reliability. According to Edmunds, the Ford F-150 Hybrid doesn’t deserve the low-reliability critiques. Yet, Consumer Reports bases its findings on the reports of F-150 Hybrid owners.
While the Hybrid engine itself isn’t exactly the problem, the F-150 has plenty of other troubling areas. CR polled F-150 Hybrid owners and asked what issues they’ve had, and the list was long.
The worst of the issues affected the following areas: Climate system, brakes, in-car electronics, drive line, transmission, and engine cooling. Aside from just the Hybrid model, the F-150, in general, has experienced some rust issues on new models starting in 2021.
For Consumer Reports, reliability is everything. Despite the fact that there are many excellent things about the PowerBoost Hybrid truck, the reliability negates it for CR’s purposes. This is how the best pickup truck gets ranked last.
2023 Ford F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid features
The F-150 PowerBoost’s most notable feature is its extremely powerful and fuel-efficient 3.5-liter V6 hybrid making 430 hp. With “what feels like a nearly bottomless amount of power,” as Consumer Reports says it, the F-150 PowerBoost’s engine is extremely impressive. It not only can accelerate faster than you can spit, but it can also tow 12,400 pounds.
Aside from the powertrain, one of the other coolest features of the truck is the optional built-in power generator. This feature is one of the handiest features added to a pickup truck since 4WD. Ford calls this option the Pro Power. This onboard power generator comes in three power levels and can power anything from tools to a literal house.
The F-150, in all its flavors, has a really cool feature that lives in its taillights that shows the weight of your truck’s payload in real time. This digital scale is invaluable for anyone who regularly loads their truck with serious weight. Overloading your rig can have disastrous consequences, and this feature helps prevent that.
The F-150 hybrid, as well as other F-150 models, also get a special tailgate that acts as a multi-functional work surface. The tailgate surface, when folded down, has cleats for clamping, places for writing utensils, a cup holder, a ruler, and a recessed place for work tablets and phones.
The best pickup truck got ranked last on Consumer Reports
The 2023 Ford F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid has some of the coolest and most practical features of any pickup truck ever made. The list of features is long and even difficult to get your arms around. However, the reliability has marked the F-150 model’s reputation over the past couple of years. These reliability issues could be products of production issues, rushed output, or the general confusion of the past few years. Whatever the reason for the poor reliability of the F-150, customers are feeling the burn.
