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Name: PlainCars model-year hub: NHTSA complaint landscape extract
Creator: PlainCars
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

NHTSA vehicle safety complaints organized by model year, from 1970 through the most recent reporting year. Click any year to see the most complained-about vehicles and components in context.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 2,000,000 consumer complaints have been filed against U.S. vehicles (2,054,142 as of August 2026). The table below breaks that record down by vehicle model year, from 1970 to the present, so you can see how complaint, crash, and recall volume tracks each cohort. Read our methodology for how the federal records are compiled and why older model years tend to carry more cumulative complaints.

Download the make-level NHTSA complaint landscape extract: nhtsa-complaint-landscape.csv (same extract as /statistics).

Year	Complaints	Models	Crashes	Fires	Deaths
2026	971	114	85	9	0
2025	9,205	335	723	60	10
2024	18,969	383	1,224	159	23
2023	27,666	434	1,999	206	24
2022	31,757	428	1,760	384	24
2021	33,804	410	1,901	434	32
2020	36,398	435	1,854	500	52
2019	52,003	443	2,425	617	30
2018	62,803	452	2,833	769	43
2017	65,686	474	3,147	981	112
2016	66,886	493	3,460	1,177	65
2015	69,381	505	3,919	1,535	116
2014	74,949	501	4,364	1,632	111
2013	82,124	490	3,845	2,031	94
2012	72,547	473	3,830	1,782	82
2011	72,544	506	3,500	1,585	107
2010	67,458	478	3,448	961	241
2009	58,267	548	3,290	1,025	108
2008	85,865	593	4,630	1,845	160
2007	93,701	626	5,274	2,167	161
2006	94,544	602	5,394	1,625	200
2005	90,987	556	5,487	1,635	173
2004	77,954	563	5,150	1,900	238
2003	71,524	613	5,181	1,764	200
2002	72,172	632	5,658	2,238	307
2001	66,025	662	5,437	2,332	309
2000	73,120	653	5,842	2,923	259
1999	66,670	633	5,253	1,968	236
1998	56,077	579	4,396	1,810	283
1997	50,534	545	3,927	2,160	268
1996	48,891	536	3,994	1,594	263
1995	54,258	599	5,583	1,768	251
1994	36,737	537	4,005	1,315	205
1993	30,029	473	2,445	1,230	94
1992	22,102	420	1,714	1,102	118
1991	17,375	428	1,304	1,004	62
1990	12,437	416	930	871	37
1989	9,769	386	638	1,081	72
1988	7,055	357	419	911	47
1987	4,622	310	298	748	156
1986	3,121	284	207	491	40
1985	1,887	248	132	358	21
1984	1,250	217	90	190	18
1983	465	140	16	60	4
1982	252	104	18	22	7
1981	194	90	14	22	3
1980	119	56	14	7	0
1979	139	75	14	12	7
1978	135	76	10	4	0
1977	127	61	9	10	2
1976	64	33	4	4	0
1975	39	23	3	3	1
1974	41	24	6	3	1
1973	30	22	2	3	0
1972	22	16	4	0	0
1971	16	14	1	1	0
1970	13	11	0	1	0

Source: NHTSA Vehicle Complaints Database

Frequently Asked Questions

Which model years have the most vehicle complaints?

Model years with the highest production volumes and the most time on the road typically accumulate the most complaints. The table above ranks every model year from 1970 to present by total NHTSA complaints, crashes, fires, and deaths.

How does PlainCars organize complaints by year?

PlainCars groups NHTSA complaint data by the vehicle model year reported in each filing. Each year page shows the total complaint count, number of affected models, and safety statistics including crashes, fires, and fatalities for that model year.

Can I compare complaint trends across years?

Yes. The table above lets you compare complaint counts, crash reports, and fatality numbers side by side for every model year. Click any year to drill into the specific makes and models that generated the most complaints.

Compiled by PlainCars