How it works

Everything on this site comes from the public data files of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which we download every day.

Recalls

Each recall campaign is a defect or safety-standard report a manufacturer files with NHTSA. We show the manufacturer's description of the problem, the risk and the fix, and every model year listed in the campaign. 20,410 campaigns in total.

Owner complaints

Complaints are reports owners file with NHTSA. They are not verified by NHTSA or by us. A complaint can name several areas of the car, so counts per area add up to more than the number of complaints. We count each complaint once per vehicle. We never publish owners' names, locations, VINs or dealer details; quotes are shortened and contact details are removed.

Reading the numbers

More complaints do not by themselves mean a worse car: popular models sell more and older cars have had more time to collect reports. Compare model years of the same model, and read what owners report.

Updates

Data last updated October 27, 2026. To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.