Head to head · Full-size pickups · 2019 · 2019 Ford F-150 vs 2019 Ram 1500
The 2019 F-150 is the 13th generation with the first-run bugs shaken out — complaint volume drops by half versus 2018, and the recall list shrinks to 9. The 2019 Ram is a genuinely better truck to sit in carrying the longest rap sheet in our data: 1,444 complaints and 29 recalls, led by sudden power-steering loss.
953 vs 1,444 federal complaints · 9 vs 29 recalls · 2 full reports with mechanic & forum testimony
2019 Ford F-150
A late-generation sweet spot — if the engine checks out.
953
Federal complaints
9
Recall campaigns
$3,000–$5,500
10-speed fix on a problem truck — no recall covers shift quality
2019 Ram 1500
The redesigned truck is a big leap in comfort — but 2019 is the first-year model, and its recall list and steering complaints are the longest here.
1,444
Federal complaints
29
Recall campaigns
3
Steering recalls that must show closed
The signature problems, with real repair money — every fact cited in the full reports.
Power train remains the #1 complaint category: harsh downshifts, clunks, hesitation. There's no 2019-specific transmission recall, so a problem truck means an out-of-warranty repair — $3,000–$5,500 for a rebuild. A thorough test drive at every speed is your protection.
Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall databases, 2019 F-150 · Mechanic channel and owner signal (13th-gen F-150)
The 2018–2020 5.0 can burn oil with no puddle, no visible smoke, and no warning light — owners report losing a quart every 1,000–3,000 miles without knowing, and the owner documentation is extensive (there are dedicated consumption-tracking video series). Ford's fix is TSB 19-2365, a revised dipstick plus a software update — warranty work, not a recall, so many trucks never got it. Ask specifically whether the TSB was performed, ask about top-up habits, and check the dipstick yourself.
Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall databases, 2019 F-150 · Mechanic channel and owner signal (13th-gen F-150)
The 2015–2020 EcoBoost's signature problem: a metallic, diesel-like rattle on cold start that fades in about 30 seconds — the variable-timing cam phasers and chain tensioners going marginal, usually downstream of stretched oil-change intervals. Caught at the first rattle it's a phaser/tensioner job; ignored, the timing chain stretches and the bill roughly doubles. Arrive before the seller warms the truck up and listen to the first 30 seconds.
Sources: Mechanic channel and owner signal (13th-gen F-150)
The loudest complaint on the 2019 truck: sudden, no-warning loss of steering assist, in some reports leading to loss of control. Three separate recalls address contributors — a loose battery-ground fastener (19V020), a contaminated EPS gear that can short (19V812), and a machined steering-column stub shaft that can break and let the wheel detach (19V201). Confirm all three are closed by VIN, and treat any intermittent steering heaviness on the test drive as a genuine defect.
Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2019 Ram 1500 · NHTSA recall database and manufacturer communications (recalls 19V051, 19V142, 19V020/812/201; warranty extensions XL1, XG1)
Two of the more serious first-year recalls. Certain 2019 trucks with the 12-inch screen and base HVAC had no functioning windshield defrost/defog (an FMVSS 103 failure) — Chrysler's remedy was to repurchase the affected vehicles (19V051). Separately, a 48-volt auxiliary-battery terminal (on eTorque trucks) could overheat and cause a cabin fire even with the ignition off (19V142). Both are safety-critical; verify by VIN that the truck either wasn't affected or was remedied.
Sources: NHTSA recall database and manufacturer communications (recalls 19V051, 19V142, 19V020/812/201; warranty extensions XL1, XG1)
A signature early fifth-generation issue: water gets in through a cracked rear-window (backlite) frame or the center high-mounted stop lamp, wetting the headliner and the back of the cab. Chrysler issued two warranty extensions for it — XL1 for the back-glass leak and XG1 for the CHMSL leak — that reseal or replace the affected part. Check the rear headliner, the back of the cab, and behind the seats for staining and mustiness, and confirm whether the extensions were performed. (Verify the exact coverage window in the bulletin before relying on it.)
Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2019 Ram 1500 · NHTSA recall database and manufacturer communications (recalls 19V051, 19V142, 19V020/812/201; warranty extensions XL1, XG1)
How to actually decide, listing by listing.
How to break the tie
F-150 with a clean 10-speed test drive → the safer bet.
No 2019 recall covers shift quality, so what you feel is what you own — a problem truck out of warranty runs $3,000–$5,500. The engine habits are checkable in one visit: the oil-consumption interview on a 5.0L V8, the cold-start phaser listen on a 3.5L EcoBoost.
A Ram only with all three steering recalls closed.
Sudden power-steering loss is the loudest complaint on this truck, and 19V020, 19V812, and 19V201 are the campaigns behind it. Unverified steering paperwork is a walk-away, not a negotiating point.
Two Ram recalls have real teeth: the defroster buyback and the 48-volt battery fire.
19V051 was serious enough that Chrysler repurchased affected trucks; 19V142 can overheat the eTorque auxiliary battery and start a cabin fire with the key off. Both must show resolved on the VIN, and the XL1/XG1 water-leak extensions should back up a dry headliner.
The Ram's comfort is real — so is the first-year tax.
The fifth-generation cabin and coil-sprung ride are why people cross-shop up to it. A 2019 with a clean recall record and no active leaks is a fine truck; the file just says the burden of proof sits on the seller.
The matchup flips by year. Pick a different pair of cells and the verdict changes.
A 2019 with a clean recall record and no active leaks is fine; an unverified one is a gamble.
Paste either VIN and we’ll check its open recalls, campaign status, and build date against everything in these two reports — free.
Check a VIN — freeThe full reports
Everything the verdict is built on: