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Chevrolet vs Ford Reliability

In our inspections, Ford’s average condition stays above the “decent” threshold to around 127k miles, versus 109k for Chevrolet.

Based on 311 Chevrolets and 577 Fords. “Decent” means a condition score of 55/100.

vs
Head to head
ChevroletFord
Cars inspected311577
Average condition57/10059/100
In good shape (60+/100)50%52%
Holds up to (avg dips below decent)~109k mi~127k mi
Repainted or replaced panel66%69%
Structural repair found3%4%
Fault codes recently cleared26%24%

Green = the better number of the pair. Condition reflects the mix of cars that came to us — age, price, model — so treat small gaps as a tie.

How they score
Chevrolet
Excellent 23% Good 27% Mediocre 23% Poor 27%
Ford
Excellent 24% Good 28% Mediocre 24% Poor 24%
How long do they stay good?
Good cars by mileage
▬ Chevrolet▬ Ford▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 Chevrolet, 0–20k mi: 88% in good shape (26 cars)Chevrolet, 20–40k mi: 83% in good shape (35 cars)Chevrolet, 40–60k mi: 67% in good shape (43 cars)Chevrolet, 60–80k mi: 65% in good shape (43 cars)Chevrolet, 80–100k mi: 46% in good shape (39 cars)Chevrolet, 100–120k mi: 39% in good shape (33 cars)Chevrolet, 120–140k mi: 36% in good shape (22 cars)Chevrolet, 140–160k mi: 15%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars in this band)Chevrolet, 160–180k mi: 9%, drawn from the nearby bands (17 cars in this band)Chevrolet, 180–200k mi: 5%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars in this band) Ford, 0–20k mi: 88% in good shape (26 cars)Ford, 20–40k mi: 85% in good shape (47 cars)Ford, 40–60k mi: 84% in good shape (67 cars)Ford, 60–80k mi: 67% in good shape (61 cars)Ford, 80–100k mi: 60% in good shape (70 cars)Ford, 100–120k mi: 42% in good shape (81 cars)Ford, 120–140k mi: 45% in good shape (58 cars)Ford, 140–160k mi: 22% in good shape (49 cars)Ford, 160–180k mi: 38% in good shape (34 cars)Ford, 180–200k mi: 22% in good shape (27 cars)Ford, 200–220k mi: 13% in good shape (24 cars) 40k 80k 120k 160k 200k mileage when we inspected it
Good cars by age
▬ Chevrolet▬ Ford▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 Chevrolet, 1 years old: 96%, drawn from the nearby bands (9 cars this age)Chevrolet, 2 years old: 97%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars this age)Chevrolet, 3 years old: 90%, drawn from the nearby bands (9 cars this age)Chevrolet, 4 years old: 76% in good shape (21 cars)Chevrolet, 5 years old: 68% in good shape (25 cars)Chevrolet, 6 years old: 59% in good shape (27 cars)Chevrolet, 7 years old: 57%, drawn from the nearby bands (15 cars this age)Chevrolet, 8 years old: 55%, drawn from the nearby bands (17 cars this age)Chevrolet, 9 years old: 43% in good shape (23 cars)Chevrolet, 10 years old: 51%, drawn from the nearby bands (16 cars this age)Chevrolet, 11 years old: 41%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Chevrolet, 12 years old: 31%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars this age)Chevrolet, 13 years old: 23%, drawn from the nearby bands (13 cars this age)Chevrolet, 14 years old: 21%, drawn from the nearby bands (6 cars this age)Chevrolet, 15 years old: 19%, drawn from the nearby bands (9 cars this age)Chevrolet, 16 years old: 12%, drawn from the nearby bands (5 cars this age) Ford, 1 years old: 94%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars this age)Ford, 2 years old: 96% in good shape (23 cars)Ford, 3 years old: 94% in good shape (33 cars)Ford, 4 years old: 78% in good shape (45 cars)Ford, 5 years old: 72% in good shape (39 cars)Ford, 6 years old: 62% in good shape (47 cars)Ford, 7 years old: 64% in good shape (47 cars)Ford, 8 years old: 38% in good shape (50 cars)Ford, 9 years old: 37% in good shape (46 cars)Ford, 10 years old: 59% in good shape (34 cars)Ford, 11 years old: 54% in good shape (24 cars)Ford, 12 years old: 40% in good shape (30 cars)Ford, 13 years old: 30%, drawn from the nearby bands (17 cars this age)Ford, 14 years old: 32%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars this age)Ford, 15 years old: 32%, drawn from the nearby bands (17 cars this age)Ford, 16 years old: 24%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars this age) 2y 4y 6y 8y 10y 12y 14y 16y vehicle age when we inspected it

Share in good shape (scoring 60+/100) by mileage and by age when we inspected them (each dot ≥5 cars; a band under 20 cars follows the nearby bands, so a run above the all-cars line stays above it, and a band of 20 or more uses the rate we measured; where a band has too few cars, the line follows the trend between the bands on either side; rolled-back odometers excluded from the mileage curve). Dashed grey = all cars we check.

Most common faults
Chevrolet
Oil leaks · Engine
50%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
41%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
35%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
26%
Low coolant / cooling system issues · Engine
24%
Ford
Oil leaks · Engine
57%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
38%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
31%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
30%
Oil leaks · Drivetrain
21%
Trajectory by generation
Chevrolet ▼ Newer Chevrolets aren't holding up as well 40% 60% 80% 2012–14: 61% in good shape (age-adjusted; 20 cars, raw 60%) 61 2015–17: 60% in good shape (age-adjusted; 53 cars, raw 57%) 60 2018–20: 42% in good shape (age-adjusted; 35 cars, raw 49%) 42 2009–11 2012–14 2015–17 2018–20 2021+
Ford ▲ Newer Fords are holding up better 40% 60% 80% 2012–14: 41% in good shape (age-adjusted; 37 cars, raw 38%) 41 2015–17: 54% in good shape (age-adjusted; 100 cars, raw 50%) 54 2018–20: 60% in good shape (age-adjusted; 97 cars, raw 65%) 60 2009–11 2012–14 2015–17 2018–20 2021+

Share in good shape when inspected at the same age (5–10 years, age-adjusted), by model-year generation; dashed = all-brand average. All brands →

FAQ
?
Which is more reliable, Chevrolet or Ford?
In our inspections, Ford’s average condition stays above the “decent” threshold to around 127k miles, versus 109k for Chevrolet.
?
What are the most common problems with used Chevrolets and Fords?
On Chevrolets we flag oil leaks (50%), fuel trim out of range (41%), tires condition & wear (35%). On Fords: oil leaks (57%), tires condition & wear (38%), fuel trim out of range (31%).
?
How many Chevrolet and Ford vehicles have you inspected?
311 Chevrolets and 577 Fords — 888 real pre-purchase inspections. Updated Nov 11, 2026.
?
How long do Chevrolet and Ford stay in decent condition?
In our data, decent is a 55/100 score. The average Chevrolet dips below it around 109k mi; Ford around 127k mi. Individual cars vary — get the one you’re buying inspected.
Buying a used Chevrolet or Ford? Get a pre-purchase inspection before you pay.
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Based on 888 inspections · updated Nov 11, 2026