Vehicle problems, recalls, and years to avoid — from official NHTSA data
Every used car has a federal paper trail. Read it before you buy.
VehicleVerdict joins NHTSA consumer complaints, safety recalls, defect investigations, and crash-test ratings — current through June 2026 — into one verdict per model year: is this a year to buy, or a year to avoid?
Which vehicles have the worst records?
The ten most complained-about model years in NHTSA's files.
| # | Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2010 Ford Fusion | 7,021 | |
| 2 | 2000 Ford Focus | 5,152 | |
| 3 | 2012 Ford Focus | 4,967 | |
| 4 | 1995 Ford Windstar | 4,799 | |
| 5 | 2011 Hyundai Sonata | 4,608 | |
| 6 | 2002 Ford Explorer | 4,096 | |
| 7 | 2014 Jeep Cherokee | 3,958 | |
| 8 | 2013 Ford F-150 | 3,920 | |
| 9 | 2018 Ram 2500 | 3,680 | |
| 10 | 2013 Ford Escape | 3,670 |
Browse by make
- Ford379,293 complaints
- Chevrolet250,304 complaints
- Dodge154,126 complaints
- Toyota138,208 complaints
- Jeep123,153 complaints
- Honda122,550 complaints
- Nissan96,231 complaints
- Hyundai76,349 complaints
- Chrysler66,607 complaints
- GMC63,313 complaints
- Kia60,814 complaints
- Volkswagen48,903 complaints
- BMW40,402 complaints
- Pontiac39,035 complaints
- Subaru34,432 complaints
- Mercedes-Benz33,125 complaints
Rankings
- The Most Complained-About Model Years
- The Most Complained-About Vehicles of All Time
- The Most Recalled Vehicles
- Model Years With the Most Recalls
- Vehicles With the Most Transmission Complaints
- Vehicles With the Most Engine Complaints
- Vehicles With the Most Electrical System Complaints
- Vehicles With the Most Brake Complaints
Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 28, 2026.
Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.