Pickup trucks are one of the most popular vehicle segments on the American market. More and more potential car buyers are choosing a pickup truck as an everyday or family car. While pickup trucks in previous decades were robust workhorses with little comfort, today car manufacturers have recognized the comfort and luxury aspect and equipped their trucks with all the features you would expect from a passenger car.

Midsize pickups are an excellent choice for buyers whose hauling needs exceed the capabilities of a compact truck, but who still need something smaller than a full-size truck to be practical and maneuverable. Here are the midsize pickups you can find on the market right now, ranked from least to most reliable by their JD Power Quality and Reliability Score, the number of recalls for the current generation of the model, and the rate of NHTSA complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold.

8 RivianR1T

• JD Power Quality and Reliability Rating: N/A
• Number of callbacks: 10
• NHTSA complaints/1,000 vehicles: 1.64

The futuristic, all-electric Rivian R1T is a relative newcomer to the pickup truck market, first launched for the 2022 model year. None of the R1T models have a JD Power Quality and Reliability Rating, placing it at the bottom of the list, which is further compounded by the fact that the number of NHTSA complaints per 1,000 R1Ts sold is quite high. Most complaints involve the front collision avoidance system, airbags, or steering issues, but with the recent refresh of the R1T, Rivian hopes to win back some points for the 2025 model year.

There have also been ten recalls for the R1T since its launch, three of which affect the current model year. One involves a missing airbag warning label on the dashboard, meaning owners may be unaware of the danger to babies and children in the front seats; another involves incorrectly adjusted headlights that reduce visibility; and the third involves improper deployment of side curtain airbags due to damaged pillar trim clips. None of the recalls are classified as urgent.

Although the Rivian brand does not have a JD Power quality and reliability rating, it scored highly in JD Power’s recent APEAL survey, indicating high customer satisfaction with the brand.

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7 GMC Canyon

• JD Power Quality and Reliability Rating: N/A
• Number of callbacks: 3
• NHTSA complaints/1,000 vehicles: 0.87

Like its Chevrolet counterpart, the Colorado, the GMC Canyon is two years into its third generation. The 2024 Canyon doesn’t have a JD Power score, but due to lower complaints per 1,000 vehicles, it ranks higher than the Rivian above.

Of those 0.87 complaints per 1,000 trucks, most focus on problems with the exterior lighting and electrical system. While the current generation Canyon has amassed three recalls over the years, only one of those affects the 2024 model: an improperly installed fuel pump increases the risk of fire, a problem the Canyon’s Chevrolet twin also has. However, that recall is not classified as urgent, nor are the other recalls affecting older models.

Typically, new generations are prone to some teething issues at the beginning, but reliability improves after the first few model years.

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6 Chevrolet Colorado

• JD Power Quality and Reliability Rating: N/A
• Number of callbacks: 4
• NHTSA complaints/1,000 vehicles: 0.58

The GMC Canyon’s Chevrolet twin, the Colorado, is also in its third generation as of 2022. The 2024 Colorado doesn’t have a JD Power score, but the previous generation (pre-2022) interestingly had a much higher rating than its Canyon counterpart. The rate of NHTSA complaints per 1,000 vehicles is quite low, and slightly lower than the Canyon’s, earning it a higher spot on this list. Most complaints focus on electrical issues and problems with the forward collision avoidance system.

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There are two active recalls for the 2024 Colorado: the first is for an improperly installed fuel pump that poses a potential fire hazard (a problem the Colorado’s GMC cousin also has), while the second is for installing incorrect tires on some vehicles. Neither recall is considered urgent.

5 Honda Ridgeline

• JD Power Quality and Reliability Rating: 80
• Number of callbacks: 18
• NHTSA complaints/1,000 vehicles: 2.77

The Honda Ridgeline is the oldest model on the list, with the current generation being on the market since 2017. The current model has a fairly high JD Power score, and previous models of this generation are also generally reliable, with scores in the high seventies and low eighties. However, the Ridgeline has also amassed a large number of NHTSA complaints over the years, resulting in a high complaint rate per 1,000 vehicles sold.

The most common sources of complaints are problems with the electrical system, lighting, forward collision warning system and the rearview camera. The latter is also the subject of a recall affecting the current model year, with some vehicles losing the rearview camera’s image output. Some vehicles from the previous model year are also affected by this recall; the 2023 Ridgeline has two other recalls involving a possible loss of steering control and braking function.

Importantly, the Ridgeline faced the most recalls and complaints in its earlier model years, so buying a 2024 model is probably a safe bet as the number of recalls has decreased since 2021.

4 Toyota Tacoma

• JD Power Quality and Reliability Rating: 83
• Number of callbacks: 0
• NHTSA complaints/1,000 vehicles: 0.15

You might expect the Toyota Tacoma to top any reliability list, but the 2024 model is the first of an all-new generation of America’s best-selling midsize pickup truck. Still, it’s already doing well, with a JD Power rating of 83/100 for quality and reliability and a very low rate of NHTSA complaints filed per 1,000 vehicles sold. The 2024 Tacoma is an all-new truck, and deliveries are picking up quickly, meaning the number of complaints and recalls may still fluctuate. For now, though, it lives up to Toyota’s legendary reliability, despite a new platform and new turbo (and optional hybrid) powertrains.

There are no recalls for the current model yet, and the complaints filed so far are mostly related to transmission failures on low-mileage vehicles, with some customers reporting that they cannot get into gear. Therefore, if you have purchased a new Tacoma or are planning to purchase one, the transmission is the biggest potential problem point to look out for, but otherwise it is very likely that you will have a safe and trouble-free driving experience with the Tacoma.

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3 Nissan Frontier

• JD Power Quality and Reliability Rating: 84* (2023 Rating)
• Number of callbacks: 9
• NHTSA complaints/1,000 vehicles: 0.63

The current generation of the Nissan Frontier has been on the market since 2022 and is the first standalone model with the Frontier name in the American market. Previous generations of the Frontier were a rebadged version of the truck known as the Nissan Navara in other markets. While the 2024 Frontier does not have a JD Power rating, the 2023 version enjoys a high rating and the generation as a whole has a relatively low NHTSA complaint rate. Most of the complaints filed relate to problems with the electrical system, driver assistance features (forward collision avoidance and cruise control), powertrain issues, and problems with the braking system.

While there are nine recalls for the Frontier this generation, only two of them involve the 2024 model: the first concerns improper airbag deployment, while the second concerns a possible loss of steering ability due to ball joint separation. None of the recalls are classified as urgent.

2 Jeep Gladiator

• JD Power Quality and Reliability Rating: 87* (2023 Rating)
• Number of callbacks: 13
• NHTSA complaints/1,000 vehicles: 1.70

Although the 2024 Jeep Gladiator does not have a JD Power quality and reliability rating, last year’s model has a very high rating and is of the same generation, which serves as a strong indicator of the 2024 model’s reliability. So far, there has only been one generation of the modern Gladiator, which was released in 2020; the previous pickup truck named Gladiator was discontinued in 1988. When the new version came out, it was the first pickup truck built by Jeep since the end of the Comanche in 1992.

While there are no recalls and no complaints for the current model year Gladiator, there are 13 active recalls for the previous models; these mainly relate to airbag problems, rearview camera and backup light malfunctions, fuel pump problems, and overheated clutch components. None of the recalls are classified as urgent. The NHTSA complaint rate is quite high; the most common problems that appear in the complaints relate to transmission, steering, engine problems, and electrical malfunctions.

1 Ford Ranger

• JD Power Quality and Reliability Rating: 87
• Number of callbacks: 0
• NHTSA Complaints/1,000 vehicles: 0

The 2024 Ford Ranger marks the beginning of the sixth generation of the model and has already achieved a JD Power quality and reliability rating of 87, matching the previous generation’s final model year. The 2024 Ranger is also the only vehicle on the list that has no active recalls or NHTSA complaints. While some of the engine options offered for the last generation have been carried over to the new Ranger, most of the components are new, and so it will be a while before we get a full picture of this generation’s reliability. What’s notable, however, is that this generation of Ranger was introduced overseas two years before it was launched in America, meaning many issues were addressed before it landed in the U.S.

Sources:
JD Power, NHTSA, Manufacturer