Owners have filed 93,153 complaints across the tracked range. The 2013 Ford Escape tops the list with 2,755 filings, and its owners most often name Engine (1,269 complaints). Raw counts favour high-selling, older vehicles — they have more owners and more years to accumulate filings — so read this table as a map of reporting volume, and use each model-year's component breakdown to judge severity.
| Model-Year | Complaints | Top component | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 Ford Escape | 2,755 | Engine | 18 |
| 2017 Ford Escape | 2,698 | Engine | 4 |
| 2013 Nissan Altima | 2,313 | Air Bags | 12 |
| 2013 Ford Explorer | 2,237 | Steering | 12 |
| 2013 Ford Fusion | 1,957 | Steering | 19 |
| 2013 Hyundai Sonata | 1,915 | Engine | 9 |
| 2015 Ford Explorer | 1,811 | Structure | 9 |
| 2017 Honda CR-V | 1,776 | Engine | 7 |
| 2017 Ford Explorer | 1,712 | Structure | 14 |
| 2019 Ram 1500 | 1,494 | Electrical System | 30 |
| 2015 Ram 1500 | 1,459 | Steering | 18 |
| 2013 Honda Accord | 1,427 | Steering | 5 |
| 2013 Kia Optima | 1,386 | Engine | 9 |
| 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee | 1,367 | Power Train | 10 |
| 2013 Hyundai Elantra | 1,330 | Service Brakes | 4 |
Across all 93,153 complaints, the most-named components are Engine (22,506), Electrical System (14,595) and Power Train (12,645). Complaints reporting a crash number 4,079 across the range and those reporting a fire 1,627 — outcomes as reported by owners in their filings.
The fifteen vehicles above account for 29.7% of all tracked filings — reporting is concentrated in the best-selling nameplates, exactly as raw counts would predict. The average tracked model-year carries about 629 complaints. Where a vehicle's total is high but its filings spread thinly across many components, age and fleet size are the likely story; where one component dominates — as with the leader's Engine — the pattern points at a specific system, and the model-year page shows the full breakdown. Neither reading is available from the total alone, which is why every row above links to the page where the breakdown lives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which vehicle has the most NHTSA complaints?
In the tracked range, the 2013 Ford Escape leads with 2,755 owner complaints in the data accessed in October 2026.
Do more complaints mean a worse car?
Not necessarily. Counts are not adjusted for sales or age. The component breakdown on each model-year page — which parts owners name, and how many filings mention crashes or fires — is more informative than the headline total.
Can I file a complaint about my car?
Yes, free, at nhtsa.gov or by phone. Owner filings are the raw material NHTSA uses to open defect investigations.