Once considered the example of an unreliable truck, the Ram 1500 shocks us again when looking at 2023 most reliable full-size trucks rankings.
Every year, Consumer Reports ranks vehicles based on predicted reliability, and we comb through the data to see which ones did well and which ones did not.
Besides the Ram 1500 being the top-ranked pickup for reliability, CR also ranked electric trucks as well.
ALSO OF INTEREST: Consumer Reports says not to buy the 2023 Ford F-150.
Without further ado, here is the ranking, in order, of the 2023 most reliable full-size non-electric trucks.
Looking at this list, it is impressive the Ram 1500 repeats it’s out-of-nowhere success from 2022 model year. While it has the highest score among full-size trucks, let’s be clear — it’s still not a 5/5. Also worth noting Titan, Tundra and F-150 have tied predictive reliability scores, and we deferred to the order found on the CR website.
The Toyota Tundra has perennially been the king of reliability, but last year it took a big hit from Consumer Reports with its full redesign, and it lost its top spot. Looks like CR is still not convinced the new model has seen much improvement with issues we found, and it sits in the No. 2 spot again.
The Ford F-150 is very interesting — especially when you look at the information on electric trucks and the fact that CR has separated out the Ford F-150 hybrid from the gas model.
Wrapping up the bottom are the General Motors full-size twins, which haven’t gotten any love from CR in recent years. In fact, one year, the publication called them out as the least reliable trucks on the road.
The automotive news cycle seems to be stuck in an infinite loop of EV news, but how do these trucks actually do for reliability. Less parts should make them more reliable, right?
Here’s how CR ranks them:
Here’s the really interesting dirt on the F-150: According to the behind-the-scenes data, which only members have access to, the Ford F-150 Lightning is much more reliable than the gas F-150 while the F-150 hybrid is way less reliable than the gas F-150.This is really strange for an automaker to have its reliability rankings split up by types and then having one version ranking higher than others.
Finally, the low sales volume of the F-150 Lightning and the Rivian R1T could also help explain why they are seen as more reliable. Basically, less vehicles on the road equals less chances of having a problem
This kind of reliability data is useful for consumers trying to make a decision on which truck to buy, but one data source shouldn’t be your only option. We publish many different reliability studies and they should be seen as one part of your buying decision, not the end-all, be-all.