While some '90s 4x4s continue to run like the day they left the factory, others crumble at the sight of a muddy trail.

The demands that are put on pickup trucks can be severe at times. Not only are they expected to get around through downtown traffic, but they are expected to plow through snow, climb rocks, wade through water, and sometimes tow or haul big and heavy items. A truck is a working machine, that better be able to play at a moment's notice, but it also needs to calm down with the family sitting inside.

In every decade, there are trucks that are good, some that are bad, and some that fall in between. The ’90s were not a great decade for trucks, but they were not the worst either. It is possible to go on and on about all the good trucks that are found throughout the decade, as well as a slew of bad ones. Let’s cover some of the most unreliable 4x4s, and then talk about two that are as solid as a tank.

In the previous year, some changes were made to the F-150. The front suspension, which had been twin I-beams for a substantially long time, was switched over to short and long-arm suspensions. It was a change that many Ford truck enthusiasts did not like until they put it to the test off-road.

The new suspension handled everything in the outdoors better, and the new interior brought some form of luxury to a truck that had been used on farms and in construction fields for as far back as most people can remember, and further.

The 1998 Ford F-150 is a truck riddled with problems, though. The Triton motor has been notorious for having its own brand of issues. The threads inside the block that hold the spark plugs are not long enough, making it a common issue for the plugs to shoot out, requiring a complete engine dismantle to fix. It also had various issues with electronic ignition parts, such as the MAF sensor and coil packs, as well as leaking oil that goes straight into the starter. The F-150 is a decent truck, but with problems mainly associated with the Triton motor.

Related: 10 American Trucks Of The '90s Ranked Worst To Best

The 1997 Ford Ranger was the last compact truck of the generation. Between 1987 and 2004, this truck was the number one sold compact truck in America, giving way finally to the Chevy and GMC lineup. The Ranger replaced the Ford Courier from the ‘70s and early ‘80s and has since been one of the top dogs in its class.

The Ford Ranger, unlike its bigger sibling above, did not have any problems with engine blocks spitting out spark plugs, mainly because the engines installed in the Ranger were not Triton motors. The truck did have some of its own unique problems with the engine. It was prone to bog down, hesitate, or even stalling when accelerating hard. It has a high idle when cold starting, which is difficult at best when the surrounding temperature is below freezing. The final straw for most of the owners were brake issues. The rear drums would lock up when first driving the truck after a night of rest.

The 1999 Chevrolet Silverado was the replacement line for the popular C/K models from previous years. In ’99, this truck won the “Truck of the Year” award given out by Motor Trend. The Silverado was a much-improved truck, adding in luxury, comfort, and styling that also served to help decrease the wind resistance of the truck. The wiring was a much less complex system, allowing the truck to communicate with the onboard computer more efficiently.

Having an easier wiring setup should be a good thing, but in this case, it meant problems for the truck. The dash gauges would work when they wanted, bouncing back and forth at random times, with no notice or reason. Other electrical sensors had problems as well, such as the transfer case sensor malfunctioning, the heat and cooling actuators failing, and a fuel level sensor that would stop working. Most of the main problems revolved around the electrical systems, with a few relating to fuel and air delivery systems.

Related: Areas Where The 2022 Chevrolet Silverado Beats The Competition

As most gearheads know, the GMC Sierra is similar to the Chevy Silverado in almost every way, except the name and the badging. In ’93, the Chevy trucks were still labeled as C/K trucks. The 1993 GMC Sierra 1500 was a work truck that could tow, and it did both tasks very well. As with its sibling, the Sierra could be ordered in any way that the original owner wanted it, from a work truck to a muscle truck.

The engines in the 1500 were solidly built and dependable, for the most part. The one issue that always comes up is the fluids. All the fluids need to be changed earlier than suggested because they break down faster than they should. The one engine problem that was frequent was a weak manifold gasket, causing oil and coolant to leak. The main problems dealt with sensors and manufacturing flaws, such as door handles breaking off and power door locks malfunctioning.

The 1996 Dodge Dakota, as with every other Dodge truck made, was a slight variation away from the standards set by the other two of the big 3 Detroit carmakers. The Dakota was larger than the other brands' compact trucks but still smaller than the full-size versions that are so popular today. The Dakota was the first mid-sized to ever offer a V8 option for the power under the hood. In crash test rating, it was one of the safest trucks on the road.

Many problems have been reported from owners of the 1996 Dakota. Oil leaks seemed to spring up out of nowhere, from every gasket or connection from which it could escape. The cam and crankshaft sensors malfunctioned on a regular basis, which caused stalling or no-start issues. The truck was also famous for surging and misfiring due to the location of the coil and spark plug wires. The key issues for the Dakota centered around engine components and fluids.

Dodge Trucks are generally durable, dependable, and as tough as they come. The 1993 generation was no exception to this. It had galvanized steel body panels that helped with strength as well as adding protection against corrosion. This is why so many older Dodge trucks are in decent shape, compared to the other two rivals. The coolest thing about these trucks is that most of the body parts are interchangeable, so if damage is done to a front fender of a ’93, a fender from an ’86 can be installed.

The 1993 Dodge W 250/350 did have its own set of problems, though, which may have been a part of why the new generation was coming out the following year. As with the Dakota above, the 250 and 350 had problems with oil leaking out of any hole possible. Excessive carbon build-up would cause the engine to start knocking, the fuel gauge would not read the correct level, and there were constant problems with the heating and cooling system. Overall, the main problems with the truck center around the age of the truck design and engineering.

Related: Here’s Why The Ram 2500 Is The Best Heavy-Duty Truck To Buy In 2022

The 1993 GMC Sonoma is a rebadged Chevy S10 that began its lineage of compact trucks the previous year. The platform that the truck was built on was also used for the company’s popular SUV known as the GMC Jimmy and the Chevrolet Blazer. The Sonoma is most well known for its GT version, which was a small truck with big V6 power.

Unfortunately, the Sonoma had some problems that could lead to serious issues. The Brake System Control Module was prone to failing, the heater cores went out on a regular basis, and transmission seals would leak due to the movement of the transmission, which was caused by a faulty transmission mount. The main problems were in the engine, though. Internal distributor issues and intake manifold gasket caused poor engine performance. Water and oil were also both found to leak due to the intake gasket issues.

The Mazda B-series trucks remained mostly unchanged in appearance for the eight years that it was produced. Small things can be noticed, such as striping along the sides going away, and the front bumper and grille being switched to black in 1990. In the first years of production, this truck was highly praised, with owners claiming that it was comfortable and roomy, similar to a car, but that it was able to carry out most tasks that a truck is required to perform.

Owners described the Mazda B-Series as a well-built truck that offers a sizable interior and a suspension system that works very well on and off the pavement. The problems with the Mazda B-Series begin and end with the engine. Cranking over without starting is a quite widespread problem with the B-series trucks. Check engine codes pop up frequently, and the truck was known to miss and run poorly, especially when under a load.

In 1995, the Toyota Tacoma was born. It has lived on since then as one of the most dependable, durable, and usable trucks on the market. That year, the Tacoma was marketed as a compact truck but was later changed to a mid-size truck in the early 2000s. It replaced the Hilux, which contains a line of trucks that are still used throughout the world today.

Owners of this truck love it in all ways but one. The comfort and interior room are almost non-existent, but it is a small truck. When it comes to reliability, it earned a J.D. Power rating of 4.8 out of 5. This truck is designed to be a daily commute vehicle, but it can still handle any type of terrain or weather. This truck is built like a tank, and no others in its class can compare.

The 1991 Nissan pickup truck came with various engines and drivetrain options, as well as a couple of trim levels. Nissan has been known for its tough, dependable vehicles throughout its production years. In ’91, their truck was one of the top imports sold, and even today, it can be seen in decent shape on and off the main roads.

When going through owner reviews, one thing is made clear: Nissan trucks are some of the most dependable vehicles on the road. The only repairs that must be made after years of driving them are routine maintenance tasks, and even when a regular schedule is not followed, only small things will malfunction. Once again, the main complaint that owners have is the room inside the cab.

Related: The Early Years Of Nissan And Datsun Pickups Explored

Trucks are expected to be built tough. We put them through all types of tasks and need them to be able to get from point A to point B no matter what we haul in them. Daily driving is an aspect of life now that is required of any truck, as is having the ability to haul big objects when needed. And of course, one of the most important tasks assigned to every truck is playtime.

Off-road adventures are part of the allure of owning a pickup truck. Ford, Chevy, and Dodge all have good and bad trucks, as do plenty of foreign brands. The main thing to remember is that every manufacturer has good and bad versions of the trucks, so pick wisely.

I have been a professional freelance writer for over twenty years. Mostly ghostwriting for other people but I do have a couple of websites that I run. I specialize in articles about the automotive industries, and on the side I take cars from the junkyard, rebuild them, and sell to people in need.