The Ford Maverick helped relaunch the compact pickup category when it debuted for the 2022 model year. While its original $22,470 sticker price is a distant memory, this truck is still the Blue Oval’s entry-level model with a base MSRP of just around $29,000. To call the Maverick a success 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 started early too, as we reported in 2022 that the Ford Maverick was destroying the Hyundai Santa Cruz in sales.
Given the number of recalls Ford has instituted, it’s reasonable to question the reliability of the Maverick. After all, model years with a conventional gas engine have been hit with numerous recalls (26 for 2022, 19 for 2023, and 13 for 2024). Curiously, none of the Maverick Hybrids from these years have been recalled yet.
But here’s where it gets interesting: Consumer Reports (CR) gives the hybrid better reliability scores than its electrified counterpart, with both receiving a rating around average. So, at least in the case of Ford’s smallest pickup, the recalls and CR’s reliability ratings do not appear to be related. In fact, Consumer Reports recommended each Maverick version in its overall ratings of new pickup trucks, too, ranking the gas version in first place and the hybrid in second. Both had better reliability than the Hyundai Santa Cruz, which was the only other pickup on that list.
Read more: At $19,000, Is This 1977 Ford Pinto Cruiser Wagon A Buking Good Deal?
Ford Maverick (non-hybrid) reliability
A gray Ford Maverick on a dealer lot. – Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock
CR’s reliability ratings for the 2.0-liter, turbocharged, gas-powered Maverick never cross into bad territory, at least until the 2025 model year. For its 2022 debut, the Maverick’s reliability sat near the middle of the organization’s “Reliability Verdict” scale, earning an average result. During its review, Consumer Reports highlighted the Maverick’s “civilized ride, handy maneuverability, easy access, and decent fuel economy.”
For 2023 and 2024, Ford’s compact truck has stepped up its game, earning good reliability scores from Consumer Reports. Interestingly, despite the differences in reliability, owner satisfaction remained consistently in the good range, regardless of model year. 2025 brought a refreshed exterior to the Maverick and standard all-wheel drive for models with the 2.0-liter turbo; front-wheel drive used to be the base drivetrain. Also accompanying the updates is a drop in reliability ratings, with their scores brought back to average. Despite its update, the Maverick 2025 barely missed the mark.
Ford Maverick Hybrid reliability
2025 Ford Maverick drives through the mud – Ford
Consumer Reports often mentions hybrid powertrains that are as reliable as conventional internal combustion engines. However, it seems Ford didn’t get the memo. For 2022, the base Maverick came with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid engine. The power plant turns the front wheels through an electronic continuously variable transmission, or e-CVT. That hybridization is where the difference between e-CVT and CVT comes from. This combination didn’t get off to a good start when it came to reliability, as CR gave this Maverick Hybrid a poor rating. The group does not go into specifics, but points to the drive system (think CV axles and other drivetrain gear) as a particularly bad trouble spot. The hybrid battery and engine electrical systems are other red flags. If this truck was a student, it would probably have to repeat the grade.
Maybe the 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 also rises to the highest level for these years. Along with the styling updates, the 2025 saw the hybrid-powered model gain all-wheel drive for the first time, but the added complexity of the steering gear didn’t impact reliability. This model year has maintained its average reliability rating, although it is still a lower rating than the non-hybrid.
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