NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation collects complaints directly from vehicle owners. This launch edition covers 93,153 complaints across 148 model-years. Of them, 4,079 report a crash, 1,627 report a fire, and complaints together record 3,363 injuries and 64 deaths. Those outcome figures are as reported by complainants to NHTSA and are not independently investigated in every case. Complaint volume is not adjusted for sales, so treat it as a map of what owners report — and where — rather than a defect rate.
Components Owners Complain About Most
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 22,506 | 24.2% |
| Electrical System | 14,595 | 15.7% |
| Power Train | 12,645 | 13.6% |
| Unknown Or Other | 12,476 | 13.4% |
| Steering | 10,561 | 11.3% |
| Service Brakes | 7,741 | 8.3% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 5,691 | 6.1% |
| Structure | 5,427 | 5.8% |
| Air Bags | 5,283 | 5.7% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 4,124 | 4.4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3,906 | 4.2% |
| Visibility/wiper | 3,337 | 3.6% |
Model-Years With the Most Complaints
| Model-Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 Ford Escape | 2,755 | 18 |
| 2017 Ford Escape | 2,698 | 4 |
| 2013 Nissan Altima | 2,313 | 12 |
| 2013 Ford Explorer | 2,237 | 12 |
| 2013 Ford Fusion | 1,957 | 19 |
| 2013 Hyundai Sonata | 1,915 | 9 |
| 2015 Ford Explorer | 1,811 | 9 |
| 2017 Honda CR-V | 1,776 | 7 |
| 2017 Ford Explorer | 1,712 | 14 |
| 2019 Ram 1500 | 1,494 | 30 |
| 2015 Ram 1500 | 1,459 | 18 |
| 2013 Honda Accord | 1,427 | 5 |
| 2013 Kia Optima | 1,386 | 9 |
| 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee | 1,367 | 10 |
| 2013 Hyundai Elantra | 1,330 | 4 |
| 2013 Ram 1500 | 1,281 | 12 |
| 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | 1,192 | 11 |
| 2015 Hyundai Sonata | 1,153 | 9 |
| 2015 Ford Escape | 1,129 | 9 |
| 2017 Ford Fusion | 1,114 | 4 |
| 2019 Honda CR-V | 1,107 | 8 |
| 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | 1,096 | 10 |
| 2017 Hyundai Tucson | 1,093 | 3 |
| 2015 Ford Fusion | 1,066 | 13 |
| 2019 Subaru Outback | 1,036 | 3 |
| 2018 Tesla Model 3 | 1,032 | 19 |
| 2015 Kia Optima | 1,009 | 4 |
| 2013 Kia Sorento | 982 | 5 |
| 2015 Nissan Altima | 955 | 10 |
| 2021 Jeep Wrangler | 954 | 15 |
Each model-year page breaks its complaints down by component with counts and shares, shows how filings spread across calendar years, and counts the complaints that mention a crash, a fire or an injury. Comparing the component profile of two model-years of the same model is the fastest way to see whether a redesign actually fixed what owners were reporting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do these complaints come from?
Owners file them directly with NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation by phone or online. NHTSA publishes every filing, and we reproduce the counts and component breakdowns exactly.
Are complaint counts a reliability score?
Not directly. Counts are raw and unadjusted for sales volume or vehicle age. They are most useful for seeing which components owners report and how a model-year compares with other years of the same model.
How many complaints mention crashes or fires?
Across the tracked range, 4,079 complaints report a crash and 1,627 report a fire, as recorded in NHTSA's database extract of October 2026.