We counted every owner complaint filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for model-year 2015–2025 vehicles: 374,444 complaints across 2,609 makes and models. This page ranks the vehicles and the systems owners report most, and links each problem to what it costs to repair.
What fails most: problem areas across all vehicles
| Problem area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine Engine overhaul cost | 81,031 | 21.6% |
| Electrical system Alternator / electrical repair cost | 69,468 | 18.6% |
| Transmission / powertrain Transmission repair cost | 59,542 | 15.9% |
| Brakes Brake repair cost | 32,158 | 8.6% |
| Steering Power steering repair cost | 31,005 | 8.3% |
| Fuel system Fuel pump repair cost | 24,468 | 6.5% |
| Automatic emergency braking / collision warning | 20,595 | 5.5% |
| Body structure | 19,162 | 5.1% |
| Air bags | 17,145 | 4.6% |
| Speed control / acceleration | 16,608 | 4.4% |
| Wipers / visibility Wiper replacement cost | 13,128 | 3.5% |
| Suspension Shock / strut replacement cost | 12,697 | 3.4% |
| Exterior lights Headlight replacement cost | 11,914 | 3.2% |
| Engine and cooling Engine overhaul cost | 8,770 | 2.3% |
| Backup camera / rear sensors | 6,991 | 1.9% |
Shares add up to more than 100% because one complaint can name several problem areas (for example, engine and transmission).
The 60 most-complained-about vehicles
| # | Vehicle (2015–2025) | Complaints | Worst year | Top problem | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford F-150 | 11,842 | 2018 | Transmission / powertrain (36%) | |
| 2 | Ford Escape | 9,632 | 2017 | Engine (38%) | |
| 3 | Ford Explorer | 9,079 | 2016 | Body structure (24%) | |
| 4 | Ram 1500 | 8,527 | 2016 | Engine (23%) | |
| 5 | Honda CR-V | 8,154 | 2018 | Engine (21%) | |
| 6 | Jeep Cherokee | 7,347 | 2015 | Transmission / powertrain (50%) | |
| 7 | Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | 7,160 | 2015 | Engine (28%) | |
| 8 | Jeep Wrangler | 6,869 | 2018 | Steering (34%) | |
| 9 | Subaru Outback | 5,835 | 2019 | Electrical system (32%) | |
| 10 | Honda Pilot | 5,597 | 2016 | Engine (34%) | |
| 11 | Honda Accord | 5,446 | 2018 | Electrical system (23%) | |
| 12 | Ford Edge | 5,190 | 2017 | Engine (36%) | |
| 13 | Honda Civic | 4,916 | 2016 | Steering (44%) | |
| 14 | GMC Sierra 1500 | 4,913 | 2015 | Engine (36%) | |
| 15 | Jeep Grand Cherokee | 4,849 | 2015 | Electrical system (28%) | |
| 16 | Hyundai Tucson | 4,848 | 2016 | Engine (38%) | |
| 17 | Ford Fusion | 4,656 | 2016 | Engine (32%) | |
| 18 | Ram 2500 | 4,548 | 2018 | Brakes (52%) | |
| 19 | Nissan Rogue | 4,457 | 2023 | Engine (18%) | |
| 20 | Tesla Model 3 | 4,295 | 2018 | Automatic emergency braking / collision warning (40%) | |
| 21 | Kia Sorento | 4,270 | 2016 | Engine (45%) | |
| 22 | Subaru Forester | 4,033 | 2019 | Wipers / visibility (26%) | |
| 23 | Ford F-250 SD | 3,942 | 2019 | Steering (52%) | |
| 24 | Ford Focus | 3,929 | 2016 | Transmission / powertrain (51%) | |
| 25 | Tesla Model Y | 3,783 | 2023 | Automatic emergency braking / collision warning (48%) | |
| 26 | Honda Odyssey | 3,774 | 2018 | Electrical system (28%) | |
| 27 | Hyundai Sonata | 3,717 | 2015 | Engine (50%) | |
| 28 | Chrysler Pacifica | 3,672 | 2017 | Engine (35%) | |
| 29 | Toyota RAV4 | 3,633 | 2019 | Electrical system (21%) | |
| 30 | Chevrolet Malibu | 3,192 | 2016 | Engine (34%) | |
| 31 | Kia Soul | 3,124 | 2015 | Engine (65%) | |
| 32 | Chevrolet Equinox | 3,023 | 2015 | Engine (32%) | |
| 33 | Hyundai Santa Fe | 2,823 | 2017 | Engine (46%) | |
| 34 | Nissan Altima | 2,684 | 2015 | Transmission / powertrain (22%) | |
| 35 | Chevrolet Traverse | 2,644 | 2018 | Air bags (23%) | |
| 36 | Toyota Highlander | 2,616 | 2021 | Transmission / powertrain (29%) | |
| 37 | Kia Optima | 2,598 | 2015 | Engine (59%) | |
| 38 | Ford Expedition | 2,537 | 2019 | Transmission / powertrain (35%) | |
| 39 | Hyundai Elantra | 2,503 | 2017 | Engine (37%) | |
| 40 | Tesla Model S | 2,502 | 2015 | Electrical system (25%) | |
| 41 | Jeep Compass | 2,469 | 2018 | Engine (41%) | |
| 42 | GMC Acadia | 2,423 | 2017 | Transmission / powertrain (27%) | |
| 43 | Chrysler 200 | 2,361 | 2015 | Electrical system (37%) | |
| 44 | Toyota Camry | 2,338 | 2018 | Transmission / powertrain (18%) | |
| 45 | Chevrolet Tahoe | 2,306 | 2015 | Engine (24%) | |
| 46 | Hyundai Palisade | 2,302 | 2020 | Brakes (18%) | |
| 47 | Chevrolet Colorado | 2,241 | 2016 | Steering (41%) | |
| 48 | Dodge Grand Caravan | 2,225 | 2016 | Electrical system (29%) | |
| 49 | Jeep Renegade | 2,200 | 2017 | Engine (39%) | |
| 50 | Ford F-350 SD | 2,147 | 2017 | Steering (40%) | |
| 51 | GMC Yukon | 2,040 | 2015 | Engine (35%) | |
| 52 | Ram 3500 | 1,984 | 2018 | Brakes (37%) | |
| 53 | Kia Telluride | 1,977 | 2020 | Wipers / visibility (18%) | |
| 54 | Volkswagen Atlas | 1,967 | 2019 | Electrical system (24%) | |
| 55 | Ford EcoSport | 1,850 | 2018 | Engine and cooling (45%) | |
| 56 | Mazda CX-5 | 1,846 | 2016 | Engine (27%) | |
| 57 | Honda HR-V | 1,821 | 2023 | Wipers / visibility (19%) | |
| 58 | Toyota Tundra | 1,778 | 2022 | Engine (31%) | |
| 59 | Nissan Sentra | 1,762 | 2015 | Transmission / powertrain (29%) | |
| 60 | Ford Mustang | 1,750 | 2015 | Electrical system (18%) |
Complaints by brand
Brands with at least 1,000 complaints. Ford leads on volume (66,986), which mostly reflects how many vehicles it sells; the "top problems" column is the fairer comparison, because it shows what goes wrong rather than how often.
| Brand | Complaints | Top problem areas | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford | 66,986 | Transmission / powertrain (23%), Engine (22%), Electrical system (11%) | 1,836 | 631 |
| Honda | 35,626 | Electrical system (20%), Engine (19%), Steering (14%) | 1,256 | 174 |
| Chevrolet | 32,064 | Engine (23%), Electrical system (20%), Transmission / powertrain (20%) | 1,269 | 376 |
| Jeep | 26,968 | Electrical system (28%), Transmission / powertrain (25%), Engine (25%) | 972 | 422 |
| Hyundai | 22,806 | Engine (37%), Electrical system (18%), Transmission / powertrain (14%) | 870 | 451 |
| Toyota | 19,320 | Transmission / powertrain (16%), Engine (15%), Electrical system (14%) | 1,587 | 254 |
| Kia | 19,208 | Engine (43%), Electrical system (16%), Transmission / powertrain (11%) | 825 | 690 |
| Ram | 15,956 | Brakes (25%), Electrical system (20%), Engine (16%) | 659 | 262 |
| Nissan | 15,345 | Transmission / powertrain (19%), Electrical system (18%), Engine (17%) | 936 | 168 |
| GMC | 14,738 | Engine (27%), Transmission / powertrain (20%), Electrical system (16%) | 392 | 123 |
| Subaru | 14,153 | Wipers / visibility (25%), Electrical system (24%), Engine (9%) | 661 | 137 |
| Tesla | 12,314 | Automatic emergency braking / collision warning (33%), Electrical system (16%), Speed control / acceleration (13%) | 1,421 | 96 |
| Volkswagen | 9,152 | Electrical system (25%), Engine (22%), Air bags (12%) | 359 | 60 |
| Chrysler | 8,124 | Electrical system (31%), Engine (30%), Transmission / powertrain (28%) | 319 | 90 |
| Dodge | 7,647 | Electrical system (26%), Transmission / powertrain (16%), Engine (15%) | 366 | 97 |
| Mercedes-Benz | 6,142 | Engine (21%), Electrical system (19%), Fuel system (10%) | 313 | 110 |
| BMW | 5,701 | Electrical system (24%), Engine (19%), Transmission / powertrain (12%) | 355 | 150 |
| Acura | 4,720 | Engine (20%), Transmission / powertrain (17%), Electrical system (13%) | 147 | 32 |
| Mazda | 4,344 | Engine (25%), Electrical system (15%), Brakes (10%) | 266 | 29 |
| Audi | 4,215 | Electrical system (30%), Engine (20%), Air bags (10%) | 159 | 33 |
| Cadillac | 2,870 | Engine (27%), Exterior lights (17%), Transmission / powertrain (17%) | 140 | 33 |
| Lincoln | 2,490 | Engine (25%), Electrical system (19%), Transmission / powertrain (13%) | 105 | 34 |
| Buick | 2,267 | Air bags (22%), Electrical system (18%), Engine (18%) | 117 | 22 |
| Lexus | 1,795 | Electrical system (13%), Air bags (13%), Brakes (12%) | 231 | 19 |
| Land Rover | 1,788 | Electrical system (25%), Engine (21%), Steering (13%) | 73 | 35 |
| Volvo | 1,743 | Electrical system (27%), Engine (18%), Brakes (11%) | 115 | 40 |
| Mitsubishi | 1,284 | Transmission / powertrain (26%), Electrical system (16%), Engine (14%) | 128 | 8 |
| Infiniti | 1,267 | Engine (23%), Electrical system (16%), Transmission / powertrain (16%) | 73 | 13 |
| Forest River | 1,010 | Body structure (27%), Tires (19%), Suspension (14%) | 14 | 60 |
Complaints by model year
Older model years have more complaints mainly because they've been on the road longer: a 2015 model has had about ten years for problems to show up, a 2025 model barely one. For collision-avoidance complaints by model year, see the phantom braking index.
| Model year | Complaints | Collision-avoidance | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 52,560 | 396 | 2,552 | 1,044 |
| 2016 | 51,790 | 461 | 2,283 | 780 |
| 2017 | 50,730 | 1,114 | 2,079 | 719 |
| 2018 | 48,247 | 2,445 | 1,804 | 515 |
| 2019 | 40,695 | 2,411 | 1,542 | 452 |
| 2020 | 29,740 | 2,120 | 1,197 | 396 |
| 2021 | 27,553 | 2,833 | 1,185 | 348 |
| 2022 | 25,437 | 2,953 | 1,135 | 283 |
| 2023 | 21,717 | 2,550 | 1,201 | 181 |
| 2024 | 16,244 | 1,798 | 907 | 171 |
| 2025 | 10,233 | 1,532 | 652 | 94 |
How to use this index
- Buying used: open the vehicle's page and look for a model year that stands far above its neighbors. The worst-years list does this for all 60.
- Already own one: check the top problem areas and the median mileage. If your car is approaching that mileage, that's the repair to budget for.
- Got a quote: each problem area links to a repair cost calculator so you can check whether the price is in range.
More from this data
- Worst model years to buy used: years that drew far more complaints than the rest of that model's run.
- Phantom braking index: which cars owners say brake or warn for no reason.
- Fire and crash complaints by vehicle.
- Mileage at failure: how many miles were on the car when owners reported each problem.
- Look up your car by VIN.
Methodology
We downloaded NHTSA's complete consumer complaint files (received 2015-2019, 2020-2024, 2025-2026) and kept complaints for model years 2015 through 2025. NHTSA records one row per problem area, so a single complaint that names both the engine and the transmission appears twice; we count it once as a complaint and once under each problem area. "Median mileage" is the middle odometer reading owners gave, ignoring blanks and readings above 400,000 miles. Vehicle rankings on the fire, crash and phantom-braking pages include models with at least 300 complaints.
Limits. Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle were sold, so high-volume vehicles like the F-150 rank high partly because there are millions of them. Newer model years have had less time to accumulate complaints. NHTSA's public API returns only recent complaints, which is why we used the bulk files.
Source: NHTSA datasets and APIs, data retrieved 2026-09-25. Free to cite or republish with a link to this page.