Over the years, Ford has been hard at work advertising the F-150’s best-in-class towing capacity. Chevrolet has done its own fair share of capability advertising with the Silverado 1500, with selling points like its roll-formed, high-strength steel bed coming to mind. Ram’s 1500 pickup has recently been handed a hugely advantageous advertising point: its success in attaining the 2026 JD Power Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) award.
The study follows vehicles over a three-year period, meaning the 2023 Ram 1500 is technically responsible for the win. That means it hadn’t yet utilized the Hurricane inline-six.
JD Power found the Ram 1500 suffered from fewer problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) than average, and while it can’t tow as much as the F-150, nor does it have the same fierce following as the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, it’s able to provide a greater amount of reliability than the latter two.
In the world of pickups, being able to depend on a truck is a huge plus, and in that case, Ram managed to come from the shadows and climb into the spotlight.
Ram Won The Number Owners Live With While Ford Keeps Its Towing Trophy
2026 Ram 1500 Express front 3/4Ram
“But, I can tow more,” shouts the Ford F-150 from the side of the road, as the Ram 1500 keeps on trucking by.
A parodied oversimplification for sure, but the principle remains. The F-150 can indeed tow 13,500 lbs when properly equipped, much more than the Ram’s 11,610-lb maximum. To achieve its max, the 2026 Ram 1500 must be equipped with the 3.0-liter Hurricane SO inline-six, the Trailer-Tow Group, a Quad-Cab configuration, and a 3.92:1 axle ratio, among others.That gap sounds significant until you picture what 13,500 lbs actually looks like – most boat-and-trailer combos top out well under 7,000 lbs.
If you regularly tow weights that come close to 13,500 lbs, the Ford F-150 cannot be written off: it beats the Ram 1500 by nearly 2,000 lbs. But, how often are light-duty pickup truck owners actually towing that much weight? At the same time, maximum tow ratings shouldn’t be used as a blanket means of determining a pickup truck’s ability to work hard as a whole.
In reality, most half-ton truck buyers aren’t pulling loads that heavy. Most of the time, light-duty trucks are subjected to trailer weights of around 5,000 lbs, as a typical boat or camper weighs roughly the same. If you want to get nitpicky, there are loads of SUVs that can handle that sort of weight. For pickup truck buyers, drivetrain dependability, cabin quality, and maintenance costs matter most.
That’s where the 2023 Ram 1500 came out ahead in JD Power’s study. The 1,000–2,000-lb capacity reduction compared to the F-150 likely won’t matter to most Ram 1500 buyers. It’s easy for Ford to shout its best-in-class towing numbers from the rooftops, but that’s really only part of a pickup truck’s entire duty cycle. It also needs to work as hard, and as long, as its owner does.
The Ram 1500’s VDS Win Is More Impressive Because The Industry Got Worse
2026 Ram 1500 Tradesman Side ViewRam
On average, JD Power’s VDS study found that new vehicles of all types suffer from roughly 204 problems per 100 vehicles. This is a two-point uptick from 2025’s 202 PP100. It also marks the highest number of problems since JD Power revamped the study back in 2022. Perhaps unsurprisingly, infotainment issues made up the largest category of faults found in the VDS, with a 56.7 PP100 ranking.
In the Large Light Duty Pickup Truck category, the study placed the Ram 1500 in first place, followed by the Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The Ford F-150 and the GMC Sierra 1500 were tied for third. As a whole, the Ram 1500 managed to shave off 13 problems per 100 models on average, climbing from fourth place to first in just one year. But remember, these are just reported problems.
2026 Ram 1500 Laramie front 3/4Stellantis
The study itself doesn’t necessarily factor in things like catastrophic mechanical failure, and in truth, that’s not entirely likely within the first three years of a vehicle’s life if it’s properly maintained and not abused. The VDS study takes into consideration nine different categories, ranging from things like powertrain dependability, seats, exterior finish, and infotainment.
The Ram 1500 managed to reach its first-place JD Power VDS finish without the help of the new Hurricane inline-six. In 2023, the truck offered a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and a 5.7-liter Hemi V8, both of which came equipped with Ram’s eTorque mild-hybrid setup. A 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 was also on offer. You can argue that the Ram TRX’s supercharged 6.2-liter V8 also played a hand in its VDS win, but relatively few of those were sold compared to the rest of the Ram 1500 lineup.
But here’s the problem: every engine that earned Ram this title is either gone or going. The truck that just won the dependability crown is now powered by engines that have never been tested over three years. That’s either Ram’s greatest opportunity – or its biggest vulnerability.
The New Hurricane Engine Now Becomes A Big Question
2025 RAM 1500 Tungsten 3.0L Twin-turbo Hurricane I6 EngineStellantis
These days, the 2026 Ram 1500 offers two versions of the 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six. Equipped with a pair of turbochargers, it comes with 420 hp and 469 lb-ft of torque in its Standard Output (SO) configuration. It can also be optioned with 540 hp and 521 lb-ft of torque in its High Output (HO) configuration. This means the latter produces 145 hp more than the larger, recently-resurrected 5.7-liter Hemi V8.
You don’t want the High-Output Hurricane inline-six if you’re going to be towing. Ram states that it’s only rated to haul up to 10,000 lbs, whereas the Standard-Output Hurricane can manage up to 11,610 pounds. If we turn back the clock to 2024, a 5.7-liter Hemi-equipped Ram 1500 could tow up to 12,750 lbs, but can only haul up to 11,320 lbs in 2026.
It seems, then, that the Hemi was brought back for buyers interested in old-school, naturally aspirated V8 character, rather than for those who want it to work hard. You’re going to need the smaller six if you’re going to work the Ram 1500 as hard as it can be worked. On the other hand, Ram is poised to offer a wide range of powertrains tailored for different buyers. In short, performance-oriented buyers will want the High-Output six, the hard worker will opt for the Standard-Output six, and the nostalgia-driven buyer will inevitably choose the Hemi. A Pentastar V6 sits at the bottom of the pile for those who simply need a bed to haul stuff.
With the Hemi looking like it’s taken a semi-retired position within the lineup, the Hurricane inline-six sits as the Ram 1500’s current flagship engine. Because the 2026 VDS didn’t factor the Hurricane into the numbers – as it wasn’t even out yet – it will now need to prove itself long-term. Ram has handed the engine an era of strength and no doubt wants to hold onto it.
Can Ram Keep The Crown After Changing Almost Everything?
2026 Ram 1500 Laramie rear 3/4Stellantis
The short answer is that only time will tell. At present, the 2026 Ram has a broad selection of powerplants at its disposal, two of which are brand new to the scene. Being a modern vehicle, its electrical system is complex, and infotainment and driver-assistance software are wide-reaching. The overarching theme of the 2026 VDS is that the increase in modern tech has led to an increase in problems per 100 vehicles. If it continues to climb, it certainly wouldn’t be a shock, either.
Ram should understand that its next generation of powertrains needs to match the long-term dependability of the vehicles that earned the 2026 VDS award. Winning it once and falling back is far less impressive, and far less common, than winning it and keeping it.
2026 Ram 1500 BackCountryRam
Engine dependability alone doesn’t account for much, as the older Hemi found in the 2023 models didn’t win Ram the VDS title by itself. The Hurricane engine can’t be written off as unreliable, either. It’s still extremely new to the scene, and hasn’t had enough of a chance to prove its mettle. In truth, it will take several years before we see concrete results of Ram’s massive power plant shift that has taken place over the past year or so.
Yes, the Ford F-150’s 13,500-lb towing capacity is impressive. Being able to tow as much as a heavier-duty Chevy or Ram does have its upsides for a few owners. However, Ram’s VDS title victory will matter more to more people. The modern pickup truck is built to work, play, haul the family, and complete the weekly grocery run all at the same time, and Ram’s success in building a truck that can handle all of those things as reliably as possible is an impressive feat. We’ll just have to see if Ram can hold onto that.
Base Trim Engine
3L Hurricane I6 Hybrid
Base Trim Transmission
8-speed automatic
Base Trim Drivetrain
Rear-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
305 HP @6400 RPM
Base Trim Torque
269 lb.-ft. @ 4800 RPM
Base Trim Fuel Economy (city/highway/combined)
18/25/21 MPG
Base Trim Battery Type
Lithium ion (Li-ion)
Infotainment & Features
9 /10
Sources: Stellantis, Ford, General Motors, JD Power, MotorTrend.
