The Least Reliable 2019 Pickup Trucks According to Consumer Reports

If you are considering going back a few model years for a used pickup truck, research is important. There are plenty of good truck models to choose from. Critics across the board rate cars, trucks, and SUVs each year and various verdicts from trusted sources help keep our decisions informed. These are the least reliable 2019 pickup trucks according to Consumer Reports.

GM pickup trucks were in the weeds in 2019

According to Consumer Reports, four different GM pickup truck models had the lowest possible reliability rating. The 2019 GMC Canyon and 2019 Chevrolet Colorado earned just 1 out of 5 for predicted reliability. That places these two midsize pickups among the least reliable 2019 pickup trucks. Consumer Reports remarks on the high towing and payload capacity of these two GM pickup truck models––especially with the available diesel engine. The 2019 GMC Canyon and the 2019 Chevrolet Colorado are also fuel-efficient with this engine option.

a red 2019 GMC Canyon parked on a mountain road
2019 GMC Canyon | GMC

However, Consumer Reports also warns against possible transmission problems for the 2019 GMC Canyon and the 2019 Chevrolet Colorado. Transmission major and transmission minor both show as trouble spots for this pickup. That said, in the next model year the 2020 GM trucks have 5 out of 5 reliability scores from Consumer Reports. So buying a model that’s just one year more recent may solve a lot of these issues.

Full-size GM pickup trucks

The 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 and the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 also have lackluster reliability ratings from consumer reports. A 1 out of 5 reliability rating for these full-size GM pickup trucks marks each one as one of the least reliable 2019 pickup trucks according to consumer reports. In addition, each of these full-sizers has 8 NHTSA recalls.

a white 2019 chevrolet silverado 1500 work truck on a construction site
2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | Chevrolet

Both transmission minor and problems with the brakes are noted as trouble spots by Consumer Reports. The 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 and the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 are both praised for having deep beds and a quiet cabin experience. However, the low reliability scores from Consumer Reports could move buyers in a different direction.

One Ford truck made the list of least reliable 2019 pickup trucks

The 2019 Ford Ranger is also among the least reliable 2019 pickup trucks according to Consumer Reports. Rejoining the lineup that model year, this is the first version of the newest generation Ranger. It’s not unusual to see low ratings for reliability in the first year of a new generation. Hence the familiar phrase that a model has to “work out the kinks.”

a blue 2019 ford ranger driving on a dirt road in the forest

The 2019 Ford Ranger has 6 recalls. Consumer Reports data shows that the most common trouble spots are transmission minor and power equipment. The 2020 model improved substantially in terms of reliability. While the 2019 Ford Ranger earned 1 out of 5, the 2020 Ranger got a score of 4 out of 5 for predicted reliability.

J.D. Power reliability scores

Just because these are the least reliable 2019 pickup trucks according to consumer reports doesn’t necessarily mean that they aren’t good trucks. In fact, all five of these pickup model are compelling in their own right.

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J.D. Power reliability scores, for example, don’t always paint the same picture. The 2019 GMC Canyon and 2019 Chevrolet Colorado both earned only a ranking of “average” for reliability. On the other hand, the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 earned a reliability verdict of “great” from J.D. Power. The 2019 GMC Sierra has an “average” score for reliability, but both of these GM pickup trucks earned a rating of “best” for resale value.

The 2019 Ford Ranger also earned a “great” reliability score from J.D. Power. This conflicting information just goes to show how important it is to cross-reference and spend plenty of time researching the products that interest you. The more opinions you get and layers of knowledge you stack up the less likely you are to be surprised down the road.