Used pickup trucks: years to avoid and the most consistent models
We checked every model year from 2011 to 2022 of 14 popular pickup trucks. Each car is compared with its own other model years, so a big seller is not penalized for having more owners.
Popular pickup trucks with no standout bad year since 2011
No model year in this period had more than twice the typical complaints of the same car. This shows consistency, not that a model has few problems: a car with the same problem every year also appears here, so check its most common problems. Sorted by number of owner complaints, as a rough measure of popularity.
| Model | Best years | Typical score | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Silverado | 200820142017 | 81 | 8,746 |
| Toyota Tacoma | 202020212022 | 81 | 8,489 |
| Ford Ranger | 202020212022 | 82 | 8,202 |
| GMC Sierra | 200920102013 | 76 | 3,904 |
| Nissan Frontier | 200920152017 | 79 | 3,369 |
Pickup truck model years to avoid
Model years with the most complaints compared with a typical year of the same car.
| Car | vs typical year | Score | Main problem |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 GMC Canyon | 7.2x | 5 | Steering |
| 2016 GMC Canyon | 6.5x | 6 | Steering |
| 2016 Chevrolet Colorado | 5.1x | 14 | Steering |
| 2017 Nissan Titan | 4.0x | 23 | Engine |
| 2015 Chevrolet Colorado | 3.6x | 24 | Steering |
| 2017 Honda Ridgeline | 2.9x | 30 | Engine |
| 2022 Toyota Tundra | 2.8x | 32 | Engine |
| 2013 Ford F-150 | 2.7x | 38 | Transmission |
| 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 | 2.6x | 34 | Steering |
| 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 | 2.5x | 35 | Brakes |
| 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 | 2.3x | 38 | Engine |
| 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | 2.2x | 43 | Steering |
| 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 | 2.1x | 44 | Engine |
| 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 | 2.1x | 43 | Engine |
| 2018 Ford F-150 | 2.1x | 42 | Transmission |
| 2014 Ram 1500 | 2.0x | 44 | Steering |
| 2019 Honda Ridgeline | 2.0x | 44 | Fuel system |
Every pickup truck we rate
Years to avoid and best years between 2011 and 2022.
How these rankings work
We do not compare raw complaint counts between models, because a car that sells ten times more gets more complaints. Each model year is compared with the other years of the same car, and only model years with at least four years on the road count.
Questions about the used pickup trucks
Which used pickup truck models have no bad years?
Among popular models, these have no model year with more than twice the usual complaints since 2011: Chevrolet Silverado, Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, GMC Sierra and Nissan Frontier. That means no year stands out, not that they have no problems, so check each model's most common problems before you buy.
Which pickup truck years should I avoid?
The model years with the most complaints compared with a typical year of the same car are 2015 GMC Canyon, 2016 GMC Canyon, 2016 Chevrolet Colorado, 2017 Nissan Titan and 2015 Chevrolet Colorado.
Other rankings
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