Is the Ford Maverick reliable? Here’s what Consumer Reports says – Jalopnik

The Ford Maverick helped relaunch the compact pickup category when it debuted for the 2022 model year. While its original sticker price of $22,470 is a distant memory, this truck is still the entry-level Blue Oval with a base MSRP of only about $29,000. To call the Maverick successful is an understatement; in 2024, Ford sold more than 131,000 units, more than the Bronco, Bronco Sport, Expedition, Mustang Mach-E and Ranger. This success also started early, when we reported in 2022 that the Ford Maverick was destroying sales of the Hyundai Santa Cruz.

Given Ford’s record number of recalls, it’s fair to wonder about the Maverick’s reliability. After all, model years with a conventional gas engine have been affected by numerous recalls (26 for 2022, 19 for 2023 and 13 for 2024). Strangely enough, none of the Maverick Hybrids from these years have been recalled to date.

But here’s where it gets interesting: Consumer Reports (CR) gives the non-hybrid better reliability scores than its electrified counterpart, with both getting about average ratings. So, at least in the case of Ford’s smallest pickup, recalls and CR’s reliability ratings appear to be unrelated. In fact, Consumer Reports recommended every Maverick version in its overall ratings of new pickups, with the gasoline version ranking first and the hybrid second. Both had better reliability than the Hyundai Santa Cruz, the only other pickup on that list.

CR’s reliability ratings for the 2.0-liter turbocharged, gas-engine Maverick have never fallen into bad territory, at least through the 2025 model year. When it debuted in 2022, the Maverick’s reliability was in the middle of the organization’s “Reliability Verdict” scale, yielding an average result. During his assessment Consumer Reports highlighted the Maverick’s “civilized ride, convenient maneuverability, easy access and decent fuel economy.”

For 2023 and 2024, Ford’s compact truck has stepped up and earned good reliability scores in Consumer Reports. Interestingly, despite the differences in reliability, owner satisfaction has consistently remained in the good range regardless of model year. 2025 brought an updated exterior for the Maverick and standard all-wheel drive for models with the 2.0-liter turbo; front-wheel drive was previously the basic drivetrain. The updates are also accompanied by a drop in reliability ratings, with their scores returning to the average. Despite its innovation, the 2025 Maverick just missed the mark.

Consumer Reports often states that hybrid powertrains are just as reliable as conventional combustion engines. However, it appears Ford didn’t get the memo. For 2022, the base Maverick came with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid engine. The power plant drives the front wheels via an electronic continuously variable transmission, or e-CVT. That hybridization is where the difference between an e-CVT and CVT comes from. This combination did not get off to a good start in terms of reliability, as CR gave this Maverick Hybrid a poor rating. The group doesn’t go into details, but points to the drive system (think CV axles and other drivetrain equipment) as a particularly bad problem area. Other red flags include the hybrid battery and engine electrical systems. If this truck was a student, he would probably have to repeat the grade.

Perhaps Ford engineers went to summer school because the 2023 and 2024 editions managed to become C students (with average scores) for reliability in the eyes of CR. Owner satisfaction has also risen to the highest rank these years. Along with styling updates, the hybrid model saw all-wheel drive for the first time in 2025, but the added complexity of the chassis did not affect reliability. This model year maintained its average reliability ranking, even though it still scores lower than the non-hybrid.