Do differential repair problems track annual snowfall across states?
Across U.S. states, NHTSA owner complaints about differential repair run higher where annual snowfall is higher, after adjusting for the makes sold in each state. This is an association across states, not proof that annual snowfall causes this repair.
State reports of this repair against annual snowfall, one dot per stateEach dot is a state: how much more (or less) than expected this repair is reported there, adjusted for the makes sold in the state, against its annual snowfall (inches)
How to read it: Each dot is a state. Further right means more annual snowfall (inches); higher up means more complaints for this repair than expected (1.0 is average). If the dots climb to the right, reports of this repair rise with annual snowfall (inches).
What it shows: States with more annual snowfall (inches) tend to sit higher on the chart across 26 states: a pattern in the data, not proof of cause.
Data: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, joined to NHTSA owner complaints, downloaded 2026-10-06 · 26 states. Chart: CalcScrape · calcscrape.com
The 8 states with the most annual snowfall (New York, Michigan, Colorado, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Connecticut, Pennsylvania): reports of this repair run 32% above what the makes sold there would predict, and 7 of 8 are above expected. The 8 with the least (California, Florida, Arizona, Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina): 18% below, and 1 of 8 are above expected.
Exceptions: Pennsylvania is among the highest in annual snowfall but reports below expected.
Split the states into thirds: the third with the least annual snowfall runs 18% below what the makes sold there would predict, the middle third 19% above, and the third with the most 32% above. It steps up steadily.
For annual snowfall, after allowing for the 1562 comparisons we ran, luck alone would produce a pattern this strong about 1 time in 10,000 or more. Take out any single state and the annual snowfall pattern still holds.
Weak spot: compare only states with similar very hot days and the pattern keeps about 33% of its strength, so part of it may come from very hot days instead of annual snowfall.
For annual snowfall, of the 1 exception states, 0 read the same way for the other parts of the system (so that is the system there, not this repair) and 1 are specific to this repair.
Road salt and slush corrode exposed metal and seize moving parts, and freezing weather stiffens rubber, so repairs to exposed parts can follow harsh winters.