Used Ford F-150 vs. Silverado 1500: What to Check (2016-2021)

• The 2016-2021 F-150 snapshot contains 69 recall campaigns, 7,307 complaints and 8 investigations, including 2 recorded as open.
• The 2016-2021 Silverado 1500 snapshot contains 36 recall campaigns, 4,658 complaints and 5 investigations, including 2 recorded as open.
• Drivetrain is the largest complaint category for both trucks. Read the exact-year narratives before assuming they describe the same transmission problem.
• The Silverado engine investigations concern the L87 6.2L V8. Identify the engine in the listing before applying those findings.
• CarTold's F-150 safety-rating data was missing from this extract. Use NHTSA's cab-specific ratings; the missing entries do not mean the truck was untested.

Start with the truck's specification. The extract includes 141 EPA variants for the F-150 and 128 for the Silverado, with combined ranges of 15-25 MPG and 14-27 MPG respectively. A model-level range cannot price the fuel use of two listings with different engines and drive wheels. For towing or hauling, obtain the manufacturer's capacity information for the exact configuration and read the truck's labels. Ask the seller how it was used, what it towed and whether it has been modified; give those answers to the inspecting mechanic.

Use drivetrain reports to prepare an inspection. F-150 complaint shares are drivetrain 32.8%, other 22.5%, engine 16.9%, visibility/lighting 7.8% and electrical 7.6%. Silverado complaint shares are drivetrain 27.6%, engine 20.0%, brakes 14.6%, other 13.1% and electrical 11.5%. These categories combine different symptoms and configurations. Read the F-150 or Silverado year report, then ask about matching symptoms and obtain invoices for any claimed repairs.

For the F-150, check the transmission and recall history. The August snapshot maps EA26001 to the tracked 2016-2017 F-150s and RQ21002 to the tracked 2020 F-150. EA26001 opened on January 30, 2026, to examine unexpected downshifting; its full scope includes earlier trucks outside this comparison and specifies the 6R80 transmission. RQ21002 opened on August 3, 2021, to examine recall 20V-575. The newer downshift recall, 26V237000, is another reason to obtain a current VIN check instead of relying on an older service invoice.

For a 6.2L Silverado, ask exactly what engine work was done. The snapshot maps EA25007 to the tracked 2019-2021 Silverados and RQ26001 to 2021. EA25007's October 23, 2025 opening summary cites 1,157 L87 engine-bearing failure reports across the GM vehicles it discusses, including 173 outside recall 25V-274. RQ26001's January 16, 2026 opening summary cites 36 reports across recalled GM vehicles alleging engine failure after the remedy. Those totals include other models. Ask for the recall inspection result, repair invoice and subsequent service history. The L87 engine analysis explains the different scopes; the investigations tracker links to case records.

Later case update. After this snapshot, NHTSA opened EA26005 on August 20, 2026, following RQ26001; it examines post-remedy failures and later-production L87 engines across 2021-2026 GM models. Check the linked engine analysis for how this changes the investigation history.

The counts leave major questions unanswered. Dividing complaints by summed model-year ages gives 162.38 for the F-150 and 103.51 for the Silverado. Both use the same denominator, so this leaves the raw-count ratio unchanged. It does not account for how many trucks exist, how far they have traveled or how they were used. Read how to interpret complaints before treating that difference as a reason to buy.

Look up safety by cab and configuration. The snapshot contains 39 rated Silverado variants: 33 with 5 stars overall and 6 with 4 stars. It contains no F-150 ratings because CarTold had not mapped NHTSA's cab-specific entries into this extract. Check the exact NHTSA listing using the cab and drive wheels rather than treating the empty row as a safety result.

1. Record each truck's specification. Get the engine, transmission, drive wheels, cab, bed and factory towing equipment. Confirm capacity against the exact truck if you plan to tow or carry a heavy load.
2. Send the VIN to the manufacturer dealer. Ask for open campaigns and the repair history for completed ones. Follow the recall completion guide to understand what an online check leaves out.
3. Ask for a description of prior work. If the seller says the transmission or engine was fixed, request the date, mileage, diagnosed condition and invoice. A software update, component repair and engine replacement are different entries in the history.
4. Arrange an independent inspection. Ask the mechanic to assess the transmission, brakes, underbody and evidence of leaks, damage or modifications. Include the year-specific complaints and the truck's reported towing history in the brief.
5. Compare purchase costs with the inspection in hand. Add required work to each asking price, compare fuel estimates for the actual variants, and confirm that the cab, bed and equipment suit the job. Investigate unresolved symptoms before putting down a deposit.

This page uses an August 10, 2026 extract for tracked model years 2016-2021. Investigation status, recall coverage and complaint totals can change; full federal case scopes may include other years and models. Complaint volume and campaign counts cannot estimate failure probability without exposure data. The EPA variants span substantially different trucks, and the F-150 safety entries were missing from this extract. We have not inspected or road-tested either vehicle on your shortlist.

Records originated with NHTSA and FuelEconomy.gov. Recall campaigns and investigations use distinct identifiers; complaint shares use each model's own total. This comparison uses the corrected F-150 complaint import: on August 6, 2026, fixing the model-name mapping changed the 2021 total from 0 to 1,204. Older extracts may therefore differ materially. The missing F-150 safety entries are a separate limitation of this snapshot. See data sources and methodology for coverage, and the record-types guide for the distinction between an investigation and a recall.

• Ford F-150 model hub
• Chevrolet Silverado 1500 model hub
• Silverado 6.2L V8 engine failures
• Open NHTSA investigations tracker
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