Ford F-150 (2021-2023) vs Ram 1500 (2019-2024): Which Should You Buy?

Both trucks carry the same reliabilityScore (6/10) in these files, and neither buyVerdict crowns a clear winner — this is genuinely a coin flip on paper. The real difference shows up in who eats the cost of each truck's worst documented failure: Ford's costliest issue, the 2021–2022 2.7L EcoBoost's shattering intake valves, is recall 24S55 — Ford replaces the engine free if it fails the test. Ram's costliest issue, the 5.7L HEMI's lifter/camshaft failure ($3,000–$8,500), has no recall at all — it's a straight out-of-pocket gamble you can only screen for by listening to a cold start. Beyond that, both files push their risk into "first year of something new" territory (Ford's 2021 launch recalls and PowerBoost hybrid electronics vs. Ram's 2019 launch and the still-unproven 2025 Hurricane inline-six), and both buyVerdicts say the same thing in the end: buy the paperwork, not the truck — verify every recall by VIN before money changes hands.

• •Ford's worst-case documented failure (2.7L EcoBoost intake valves, up to $11,000) is recall-covered and fixed free by VIN; Ram's worst-case documented failure (5.7L HEMI lifters/cam, $3,000–$8,500) has no recall — it's money out of the buyer's pocket.
• •Both generations had rough launch years (Ford 2021, Ram 2019) with the highest complaint and recall counts; Ram's redesigned 2025 (Hurricane twin-turbo I6) repeated that pattern with six recalls in about 18 months and no high-mileage track record yet.
• •Ram stacks more four-figure 'comfort feature' risk on loaded trims — eTorque 48V system ($900–$3,500), air suspension ($1,000–$4,500), and Uconnect screen delamination ($400–$2,000) — while Ford's equivalent optional risk concentrates mainly in the PowerBoost hybrid ($200–$8,500).