Most Reliable and Least Reliable Hybrid Trucks Are Both Fords
In the latest reliability rankings, hybrids won big. Their electric powertrain components help with both acceleration and braking, and their traditional engine and brakes need less service. But not every hybrid pickup truck is created equal. While the Ford Maverick has one of the highest predicted reliability scores of the year, the F-150 PowerBoost has one of the lowest.
The 2023 Toyota Corolla Hybrid was the most reliable car overall
Consumer Reports published its yearly reliability ranking, and hybrids won big. According to USA Today, the most reliable car overall was the Toyota Corolla Hybrid. The regular Corolla lagged several spots behind the Corolla Hybrid, landing in seventh place.
This victory by Toyota shouldn’t be a surprise for many drivers, as Toyotas are well-known for their reliability. On top of being reliable, the Corolla Hybrid also provides drivers with a good balance of specs and features. The hybrid sedan starts at about $23,000, which makes it fairly affordable for most households.
Its 1.8-liter four-cylinder hybrid powertrain gets 138 hp, which isn’t much for a small sedan, but it will be very fuel efficient. It starts with front-wheel drive and it’s paired to a CVT. Overall, the Corolla Hybrid gets about 50 mpg in the city and 43 mpg on highways, for 47 mpg combined.
The 2023 Ford Maverick Hybrid is one of the top-performing hybrids of the year
On the other hand, pickup trucks in general aren’t that reliable, but some hybrid trucks can be. The most reliable hybrid truck on the market is the Ford Maverick Hybrid. Even though it’s a pickup truck, the Maverick Hybrid starts at about $22,000. It’s roughly $1,000 cheaper than the Corolla Hybrid.
Interestingly, the Maverick comes standard with a hybrid powertrain, but Ford provided drivers with a regular gas-powered option as well. The Ford truck’s hybrid powertrain is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that works with an electric motor to get 191 hp and 155 lb-ft of torque.
This setup allows the Maverick Hybrid to get an estimated 42 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on highways, for 38 mpg combined. That being said, many truck owners want to equip their trucks with all-wheel drive, and that only comes on the regular internal combustion truck and will lower the Maverick’s fuel economy.
Furthermore, the FWD hybrid powertrain won’t allow the Ford to tow very much, as it has a max towing capacity of 2,000 pounds when equipped with that hybrid powertrain.
The 2022 Ford F-150 Hybrid is one of the worst-performing hybrids of the year
While the Maverick Hybrid provides truck lovers with a reliable and efficient option, Ford also makes the least reliable hybrid truck of the year: the F-150 Hybrid called the PowerBoost. This is a relatively new drivetrain option. It equips the full-size Ford truck with a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 EcoBoost engine that works with an electric motor to get 430 hp and 570 lb-ft of torque.
Thanks to that power, the F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid can tow about 12,700 pounds of cargo, which isn’t far from the F-150’s max towing capacity. That said, since the F-150 is a full-size truck, it’s far less efficient than its smaller sibling.
Even with the hybrid powertrain, the Ford truck only gets an estimated 25 mpg combined with rear-wheel drive. Drivers who add all-wheel drive will get 23 mpg combined instead. Plus, it starts at over $45,000, so it will be both an expensive and unreliable truck.
Next, see the reliability of the Ford F-150 PowerBoost vs the hybrid Toyota Tundra.
