Blog
Reliability and safety guides grounded in the same NHTSA data behind our vehicle pages.
How We Turn NHTSA Data Into a Verdict
Sharon Ben-Moshe · July 18, 2026
A plain-language walkthrough of how VehicleVerdict turns raw NHTSA complaint, recall, investigation, and crash-test data into a years-to-avoid verdict for every model.
Ram 1500: Years to Avoid & Common Problems
Sharon Ben-Moshe · July 17, 2026
The 2014 Ram 1500 logged 2,374 NHTSA complaints — 2.69x the model average — making it the truck's worst year on record. Here's which Ram 1500 years to skip and why.
Nissan Altima: Years to Avoid & Common Problems
Sharon Ben-Moshe · July 16, 2026
The 2013 Nissan Altima logged 2,976 complaints — 9.3x the model average — the worst year to avoid, alongside 2009 steering failures and 2013-2016 CVT transmission problems.
Ford Explorer: Years to Avoid & Common Problems
Sharon Ben-Moshe · July 15, 2026
The 2002 Ford Explorer logged 4,096 complaints — 5.28x the model's average complaint rate — making it the worst year to avoid. See which other years made the list and why.
Toyota Tacoma: Years to Avoid & Common Problems
Sharon Ben-Moshe · July 14, 2026
NHTSA data flags eight Toyota Tacoma model years for elevated complaint rates. The worst, 2006, logged 977 complaints — 3.25x the model average. Here's exactly which years and why.
The Takata Airbag Recall, Explained: Is Your Used Car Still Affected?
Sharon Ben-Moshe · July 13, 2026
The Takata airbag recall reshaped auto safety for over a decade, covering tens of millions of vehicles. Here is what caused it and how to check if your used car is still affected.