PlainCars is a free informational resource that makes public NHTSA vehicle safety data easier to read. It is not safety, purchase, legal, or repair advice, and it does not certify any vehicle as safe or unsafe. Use it as a starting point for your own research, not as the final word on whether to buy, sell, or keep driving a particular vehicle.

Informational only, not professional advice

Nothing on PlainCars constitutes safety, mechanical, legal, or financial advice, and using the site does not create any professional relationship. Decisions about buying a used car, acting on a recall, or responding to a suspected defect can have real safety and financial consequences. For guidance on a specific vehicle, consult a qualified mechanic, the manufacturer, or an attorney as appropriate. For official safety information and open-recall lookups, rely on NHTSA directly.

What complaint and recall data is, and is not

The complaint counts on PlainCars are self-reported, unverified consumer reports — not confirmed defects or a measured failure rate. Anyone can file an NHTSA complaint, and a complaint describes what one owner experienced; it does not prove a defect exists or that a manufacturer is at fault. Complaint volume is also not a reliability score: a vehicle that sold in large numbers will accumulate more complaints in absolute terms than a rare one, regardless of how it performs. Recall records describe a campaign and its remedy, not whether a specific vehicle has been repaired. Crash-test star ratings reflect controlled laboratory tests for the model years NHTSA chose to test, not every trim or real-world outcome.

Data freshness and accuracy

Complaint and recall records accumulate over a vehicle's life, and NCAP ratings are added as new model years are tested, so totals reflect everything reported through our most recent data load from NHTSA. Some model years are never crash-tested, and the absence of complaints about a specific issue does not guarantee the issue does not exist. We work to keep the data accurate and aligned with the source, but we cannot guarantee it is complete, current, or free of upstream limitations. If you spot a figure that looks wrong, please report it through our corrections process.

Before you buy or act on a recall

Treat PlainCars as one input among several. Before you act on what you read here, we recommend you also:

• Look up the specific VIN for open recalls on the official NHTSA recalls tool, which is authoritative for whether a recall is unrepaired.
• Have a used vehicle inspected by a qualified independent mechanic before purchase.
• Read the actual complaint narratives, not just the count — context matters more than volume.
• Account for the model year, trim, and mileage of the specific vehicle, since safety records vary across a model's production run.

No affiliation

PlainCars is an independent publisher. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by NHTSA, the U.S. Department of Transportation, or any vehicle manufacturer or dealer. Outbound links to official sources are provided for verification and do not imply any partnership.

Questions

Questions about how to use this data, or about a specific figure, are welcome at hello@plaincars.com. See also our editorial & corrections policy and methodology. For urgent vehicle safety concerns, contact NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.