Every recall, complaint
& crash rating,
in plain numbers
Search 2,054,142 NHTSA complaints, 7,787 recalls, and 2,107 crash-test ratings across 3,559 vehicle models, one free dashboard, straight from federal records.
The national picture
Ford F-150 draws the most NHTSA complaints of any model we track, while the average crash-test score across 2,107 rated model-years sits at 4.67 of 5 stars.
- 2,054,142
- consumer complaints
- 7,787
- recall campaigns
- 4.67★
- avg NCAP overall
- 68.3%
- earn 5 stars
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, and NCAP ratings. Complaint counts are raw volume, not a per-vehicle defect rate.
Every make and model here is read directly from three NHTSA data products - the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, official recall campaigns, and New Car Assessment Program crash-test ratings - not a third-party estimate. See our methodology for the full source list.
How safe is the U.S. fleet?
Across every model-year NHTSA has crash-tested, the average overall NCAP rating is 4.67 of 5 stars - modern cars cluster near the top of the scale.
Most complained-about models
View all rankings →Vehicle models by NHTSA complaint volume
All model-years combined, since 2000
- Ford F-150
Ford F-150 (1975–2025)
46,610 complaints
- Ford Explorer
Ford Explorer (1977–2025)
42,132 complaints
- Jeep Grand Cherokee
Jeep Grand Cherokee (1989–2025)
39,285 complaints
- Ford Escape
Ford Escape (2000–2025)
34,642 complaints
- Honda Accord
Honda Accord (1979–2025)
30,820 complaints
- Ford Focus
Ford Focus (1999–2018)
29,538 complaints
- Chevrolet Malibu
Chevrolet Malibu (1974–2025)
28,985 complaints
- Ford Fusion
Ford Fusion (2006–2020)
28,242 complaints
- Ford Taurus
Ford Taurus (1977–2019)
23,867 complaints
- Toyota Camry
Toyota Camry (1983–2025)
23,201 complaints
- Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (1994–2026)
22,161 complaints
- Jeep Wrangler
Jeep Wrangler (1986–2026)
21,786 complaints
What this shows The Ford F-150 draws the most NHTSA complaints of any model, a function of how many were sold as much as their reliability. Complaint counts are raw volume, not a per-vehicle defect rate.
Across the whole fleet
What actually goes wrong with cars?
Every NHTSA complaint is filed against a vehicle system. Electrical, engine, and power-train faults dominate by sheer volume, but air-bag and speed-control complaints escalate to crashes far more often. Pick a system to see the makes and models behind it.
Most-complained vehicle systems
NHTSA consumer complaints by component category
- Electrical System
Electrical System
180,040 complaints
- Engine
Engine
157,570 complaints
- Power Train
Power Train
127,919 complaints
- Air Bags
Air Bags
126,744 complaints
- Steering
Steering
113,465 complaints
- Service Brakes
Service Brakes
73,857 complaints
- Vehicle Speed Control 70,970
Vehicle Speed Control
70,970 complaints
- Fuel/Propulsion System 57,927
Fuel/Propulsion System
57,927 complaints
What this shows Electrical System draws the most complaints of any vehicle system, though air-bag complaints turn into crashes at a far higher rate. Browse every system on the components page.
Lab-measured rollover risk vs. real-world deaths, by make
Each point is one make's average NHTSA rollover_risk score against its total recorded deaths across all model-years. The two barely track (r = -0.08) - a make's lab rollover score is a weak predictor of its real-world death total on its own.
Makes with the lowest lab-measured rollover risk are not necessarily the makes with the fewest real-world deaths recorded, the two metrics diverge across several makes in this dataset.
Learn & Explore
Go beyond the data with our in-depth guides on vehicle safety, recalls, and how to make smarter car-buying decisions.
Understanding NHTSA Complaints
How consumer vehicle complaints get filed, what they mean, and how to use them when buying a used car.
Vehicle Recalls Explained
What triggers a vehicle recall, how to check if your car is affected, and what to do next.
Safest Car Brands in 2026
Which automakers have the fewest complaints and recalls per vehicle? A data-driven look at brand safety records.
Download the make-level NHTSA complaint landscape extract: nhtsa-complaint-landscape.csv (same file as /statistics).
Live rankings
Leaderboards rebuilt from the PlainCars database as new NHTSA data arrives. See all rankings →
Most Recalled Brands & Models
All NHTSA vehicle recalls aggregated by brand and model, see which manufacturers face the most safety actions.
SafetyTop Safety-Rated Vehicles
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating leaders across frontal-crash, side-crash, and rollover resistance, sourced live from rated model years.
TrendsRising & Falling Complaints
Models with the biggest change in NHTSA complaint volume, recent filings versus the prior five-year window.
About & data provenance
About PlainCars
PlainCars publishes the federal vehicle-safety record as-is, straight from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) - 2.05 million consumer complaints, 7,787 recalls, NCAP crash-test ratings, and defect investigations for cars, trucks, and SUVs from 65+ major automakers sold in America.
No single number captures a vehicle's safety, so we don't invent a grade. We surface the raw federal counts, complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, recalls, and star ratings, with the context you need to read them, and link every figure back to its source. Free, with no account required. PlainCars is informational only and is not affiliated with NHTSA or the U.S. government.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Where does PlainCars get its vehicle data?
All data comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), including consumer complaints, recall notices, safety ratings, and investigation reports. NHTSA is the federal agency responsible for vehicle safety.
Can I look up recalls for my specific vehicle?
Yes. You can search by make, model, and year to see all relevant recalls, complaints, and safety ratings. You can also use our VIN decoder to get vehicle-specific information.
Is PlainCars free to use?
Yes, PlainCars is completely free. You can search complaints, recalls, and safety data for any vehicle without any account or subscription.
How current is the NHTSA data on PlainCars?
We regularly update our database with the latest NHTSA complaint filings and recall notices. Complaints and recalls from the last 25 years are included, covering vehicles from 2000 to present.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. Homepage totals are live aggregates of NHTSA complaint, recall, investigation, and NCAP source rows; PlainCars does not create a vehicle safety grade. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-08.