Research · NHTSA owner complaints
The 25 Most Complained-About Cars in America
By the YearToAvoid Editorial Team · Published · NHTSA data through
We counted every safety complaint that owners filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for 642 models from 32 brands, model years 2005–2025 — 924,623 reports in all — and ranked each model year by how many it drew. The 2010 Ford Fusion is at the top with 5,129.
Key findings
- The 2010 Ford Fusion has 5,129 complaints on file, 36% more than the runner-up, the 2012 Ford Focus (3,768).
- Ford accounts for 39 of the 100 most complained-about model years; Jeep is next with 14.
- Among the top 25, the most common leading problem area is transmission & powertrain (7 of 25 model years).
- Among newer vehicles (model years 2015–2025), the 2017 Ford Escape leads with 2,684 complaints.
- The 2013 Kia Optima has the most complaints that mention a fire: 114.
Read this before quoting it. These are raw counts. NHTSA does not publish sales figures, so the ranking is not adjusted for how many of each vehicle were sold: best-sellers have more owners who can file a complaint, and older model years have had more time to collect them. A high position means many owners reported a safety-related problem to the government — it is not a reliability rating. To compare the years of one model against each other on a level footing, use the Complaint Index on each model page.
Top 25 model years by NHTSA complaints
Model years 2005–2025. Complaints are unique reports; crashes, fires and injuries are the numbers owners stated in those reports.
| # | Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Recalls | Top problem area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2010 Ford Fusion | 5,129 | 122 | 9 | 74 | 11 | Steering |
| 2 | 2012 Ford Focus | 3,768 | 107 | 15 | 88 | 7 | Transmission & Powertrain |
| 3 | 2011 Hyundai Sonata | 3,376 | 116 | 112 | 85 | 14 | Steering |
| 4 | 2013 Ford F-150 | 2,981 | 77 | 35 | 64 | 3 | Transmission & Powertrain |
| 5 | 2007 Toyota Camry | 2,886 | 270 | 64 | 178 | 9 | Engine |
| 6 | 2010 Toyota Prius | 2,822 | 183 | 13 | 65 | 10 | Brakes |
| 7 | 2011 Ford Fusion | 2,786 | 80 | 10 | 46 | 7 | Steering |
| 8 | 2013 Ford Escape | 2,749 | 49 | 90 | 54 | 18 | Engine |
| 9 | 2017 Ford Escape | 2,684 | 39 | 15 | 56 | 4 | Engine |
| 10 | 2014 Jeep Cherokee | 2,646 | 56 | 16 | 39 | 13 | Transmission & Powertrain |
| 11 | 2014 Ford Focus | 2,601 | 68 | 9 | 46 | 12 | Transmission & Powertrain |
| 12 | 2018 Ram 2500 | 2,590 | 38 | 5 | 12 | 9 | Brakes |
| 13 | 2012 Ford Fusion | 2,516 | 107 | 9 | 64 | 5 | Steering |
| 14 | 2016 Ford Explorer | 2,451 | 39 | 14 | 59 | 14 | Structure & Body |
| 15 | 2013 Ford Edge | 2,444 | 33 | 7 | 40 | 2 | Electrical System |
| 16 | 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee | 2,375 | 150 | 40 | 138 | 18 | Engine |
| 17 | 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt | 2,330 | 164 | 14 | 196 | 5 | Steering |
| 18 | 2013 Nissan Altima | 2,312 | 63 | 9 | 48 | 12 | Electrical System |
| 19 | 2018 Ford F-150 | 2,308 | 64 | 33 | 52 | 18 | Transmission & Powertrain |
| 20 | 2013 Ford Explorer | 2,234 | 44 | 11 | 61 | 11 | Steering |
| 21 | 2011 Ford F-150 | 2,189 | 46 | 18 | 35 | 6 | Transmission & Powertrain |
| 22 | 2018 Honda CR-V | 2,141 | 46 | 2 | 47 | 5 | Fuel System |
| 23 | 2013 Ford Focus | 2,111 | 49 | 12 | 28 | 11 | Transmission & Powertrain |
| 24 | 2014 Ford Escape | 2,084 | 47 | 103 | 41 | 16 | Engine |
| 25 | 2010 Ford Escape | 2,069 | 29 | 3 | 23 | 3 | Engine |
Newer vehicles: model years 2015–2025
The same ranking limited to the last decade of model years — the ones most used-car shoppers are choosing between today.
| # | Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Recalls | Top problem area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017 Ford Escape | 2,684 | 39 | 15 | 56 | 4 | Engine |
| 2 | 2018 Ram 2500 | 2,590 | 38 | 5 | 12 | 9 | Brakes |
| 3 | 2016 Ford Explorer | 2,451 | 39 | 14 | 59 | 14 | Structure & Body |
| 4 | 2018 Ford F-150 | 2,308 | 64 | 33 | 52 | 18 | Transmission & Powertrain |
| 5 | 2018 Honda CR-V | 2,141 | 46 | 2 | 47 | 5 | Fuel System |
| 6 | 2016 Ford F-150 | 2,053 | 56 | 25 | 48 | 13 | Transmission & Powertrain |
| 7 | 2015 Chrysler 200 | 1,987 | 99 | 24 | 58 | 8 | Electrical System |
| 8 | 2018 Honda Accord | 1,881 | 35 | 4 | 39 | 6 | Engine |
| 9 | 2018 Jeep Wrangler | 1,820 | 22 | 25 | 13 | 14 | Steering |
| 10 | 2018 Ford Escape | 1,797 | 25 | 5 | 30 | 4 | Engine |
| 11 | 2015 Ford Explorer | 1,791 | 37 | 1 | 98 | 8 | Structure & Body |
| 12 | 2015 Jeep Cherokee | 1,787 | 45 | 28 | 32 | 11 | Transmission & Powertrain |
| 13 | 2017 Honda CR-V | 1,768 | 42 | 4 | 36 | 7 | Engine |
| 14 | 2015 Ford F-150 | 1,710 | 50 | 13 | 80 | 13 | Transmission & Powertrain |
| 15 | 2016 Honda Pilot | 1,703 | 23 | 10 | 20 | 8 | Engine |
The most complained-about model year in each problem area
NHTSA tags every complaint with the components involved. A complaint can name more than one, so these counts overlap.
| Problem area | Model year | Complaints naming it | All complaints for that year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 2018 Ram 2500 | 2,331 | 2,590 |
| Engine | 2017 Ford Escape | 1,991 | 2,684 |
| Steering | 2010 Ford Fusion | 1,661 | 5,129 |
| Transmission & Powertrain | 2014 Ford Focus | 1,576 | 2,601 |
| Electrical System | 2008 Chrysler Town and Country | 1,255 | 1,939 |
| Fuel System | 2005 Dodge Durango | 751 | 1,567 |
| Structure & Body | 2020 Ford Escape | 719 | 1,599 |
| Suspension, Wheels & Tires | 2019 Ford F-250 | 698 | 1,164 |
| Airbags | 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | 656 | 1,076 |
| Collision Avoidance & Cameras | 2021 Tesla Model Y | 594 | 1,076 |
| Visibility & Wipers | 2007 Toyota Camry | 538 | 2,886 |
| Seat Belts | 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee | 187 | 2,375 |
| Lane Departure | 2019 Honda Odyssey | 159 | 966 |
| HVAC | 2006 Chevrolet Equinox | 158 | 695 |
Model years with the most fire reports
Complaints in which the owner reported a fire. Unverified, like all NHTSA complaints.
| # | Model year | Fire reports | All complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2013 Kia Optima | 114 | 1,383 | 9 |
| 2 | 2011 Hyundai Sonata | 112 | 3,376 | 14 |
| 3 | 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee | 105 | 1,642 | 10 |
| 4 | 2014 Ford Escape | 103 | 2,084 | 16 |
| 5 | 2013 Hyundai Sonata | 97 | 1,910 | 9 |
| 6 | 2012 Hyundai Sonata | 95 | 1,556 | 8 |
| 7 | 2013 Ford Fusion | 91 | 1,791 | 19 |
| 8 | 2013 Ford Escape | 90 | 2,749 | 18 |
| 9 | 2015 Kia Soul | 83 | 898 | 4 |
| 10 | 2012 Kia Optima | 77 | 919 | 5 |
Which brands fill the top 100
Number of model years each brand has among the 100 with the most complaints.
Method and limits
- Source. The NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, loaded in full for model years 2005–2025. Each complaint is counted once per make, model and model year, by its ODI number.
- Scope. 32 makes sold in the United States and 642 models with at least 50 complaints across all years — 6,189 model years in total. Hybrid and plug-in variants that NHTSA lists separately are ranked separately.
- Not adjusted for sales or age. NHTSA publishes no sales data. A vehicle that sold a million units will out-complain one that sold fifty thousand even if it is less troublesome per car, and a 2010 model has had far longer to accumulate reports than a 2022.
- Unverified reports. Complaints are written by owners and are not checked by NHTSA. Crash, fire and injury figures are what owners stated.
- Recalls are the number of distinct NHTSA campaigns that list the model year.
The full method, including how we build the within-model Complaint Index, is on the methodology page; file-level details are under data sources.
Use this data
You are welcome to quote these figures and reproduce the tables in articles, videos and posts. Please credit YearToAvoid and link to this page so readers can check the numbers and the method.
Suggested citation:
YearToAvoid, “The 25 Most Complained-About Cars in America,” analysis of NHTSA data through Sep 24, 2026. https://yeartoavoid.com/research/most-complained-about-cars/
Download the full table (CSV) · Questions or a custom cut of the data? Contact us.
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