NHTSA complaint data is made of owner complaints: reports that drivers file with the federal government about problems with their vehicles. They are useful for seeing which parts owners report most for a model year, but they are not proof of a defect, and a higher count can simply mean more of that model was sold. Use complaint data to decide what a mechanic should inspect and which questions to ask, alongside recall records and crash ratings.
What an NHTSA complaint is
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) collects safety complaints from the public through its website and its Vehicle Safety Hotline. Each complaint is a short report: the vehicle, the component involved, whether there was a crash, fire or injury, and the owner's description of what happened.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) uses these reports as one input when it decides whether to look into a possible safety defect. According to NHTSA's description of its defect analysis process, consumer complaints are one of ODI's primary sources of information. Staff screen complaints with other data to decide whether to open an investigation, and they compare complaint counts and severity with how many vehicles were made and how long they have been on the road.
A complaint is the start of that process, not the end. A safety defect is established through investigation or when a manufacturer issues a recall.
Why complaint counts need context
Complaints are unverified
A complaint reflects what an owner reported. NHTSA does not confirm each one as a defect before it appears in the data. Some reports describe the same problem in different words, some name several components, and some turn out to have other causes.
More cars sold means more complaints
A popular model with large sales will usually collect more complaints than a model few people bought, even if both are equally reliable. That is why NHTSA staff look at complaints against production volume. You cannot do that precisely without sales data, so:
- Compare model years of the same model, not one brand against another.
- Treat a sharp jump between neighboring years as a signal worth asking about.
- Do not read a raw count as a reliability ranking.
Newer cars have had less time
A model year that came out recently has had fewer years on the road for owners to report problems. A low count for a new model year may change as the cars age.
Reports cluster around news
Complaints can rise after a recall or news coverage, because owners learn about a problem and report it. That is not a reason to ignore them, but it is a reason to read the descriptions, not just the totals.
Complaints vs. recalls vs. crash ratings
| Record | What it is | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Owner complaint | An unverified report filed by a member of the public | What owners report most, and what to inspect |
| Recall | A manufacturer or NHTSA action on a confirmed safety defect, covering a range of VINs | A known problem that must be fixed free at a franchised dealer |
| NCAP rating | NHTSA crash and rollover test results | How a tested version performed in standardized tests |
Recalls are the strongest signal of a known safety problem. Always check the specific car by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, because a recall covers a range of VINs and many cars are already repaired. See how to check recalls before buying a used car.
How this site's /cars/ pages present complaints
The /cars/ pages summarize NHTSA's public data for popular used models, pulled from the NHTSA recalls, complaints and NCAP ratings API at api.nhtsa.gov. Each page shows when the data was last updated.
Model pages
A model page, such as the Ford F-150 page, shows:
- A table by model year with the number of recall campaigns, the number of owner complaints, the component owners named most often, and the best NCAP overall rating among tested versions.
- A short summary naming the year with the fewest recall campaigns plus complaints and the year with the most complaints, with a reminder that complaint counts rise with sales.
- "What owners report most," a bar chart of the components named most often across all years on the page. One complaint can name more than one component, so the bars can add up to more than the complaint total.
- A pre-purchase checklist for that model in Texas.
Model-year pages
A model-year page lists each recall campaign with its campaign number, component, report date and NHTSA's summary. It then shows the top components named in owner complaints for that year, and how many of those complaints mention a crash or a fire. It also shows the NCAP ratings on file for tested versions. Some versions are not tested, which the page notes as "Not rated."
How to use NHTSA complaint data when you shop
- Find the model year. Open the model on the /cars/ pages and pick the exact year.
- Read the top components. If owners of that year report one component far more than others, note it.
- Compare neighboring years. A redesign can change which parts owners report. Look at the years on either side.
- Check recalls for the component. If a recall covers the part owners report most, confirm the repair was done on the specific car by VIN.
- Look for warranty extensions. Manufacturers sometimes extend coverage on a part after customer concerns. Ask a franchised dealer with the VIN. See CVT transmissions: what used buyers should know for an example.
- Turn it into an inspection request. Ask your mechanic to look closely at the top components during the pre-purchase inspection.
- Ask the seller. Has that part been repaired or replaced? Are there receipts?
Common mistakes when reading complaint data
- Comparing brands by raw totals. A best-selling truck and a low-volume sedan will never have comparable counts. Compare model years of the same model instead.
- Calling a complaint a defect. Until an investigation or a recall, a complaint is one owner's report.
- Ignoring the newest model years. A low count on a recent year can mean fewer years of use, not a better car.
- Reading totals and skipping the text. The descriptions tell you whether owners report the same symptom at similar mileage, which matters more than the number.
- Forgetting the VIN. Complaint data describes a model year. Recalls and repairs are tracked by VIN, so the specific car can be better or worse than its year.
- Using complaints to skip an inspection. A clean-looking complaint history does not tell you how this car was driven or maintained.
Turn complaint data into an inspection request
Here is a simple way to take what you read and hand it to a mechanic.
| What you see | What to ask the mechanic | What to ask the seller |
|---|---|---|
| One component named far more than others for that year | Check that component closely and scan for related fault codes | Has it been repaired or replaced? Receipts? |
| Several reports mentioning a crash or fire | Look at the parts those reports name, and confirm any recall repair by VIN | Any warning lights, smells or smoke you have noticed? |
| A recall on the same component | Confirm the recall repair was done | Do you have the dealer's recall repair invoice? |
| A jump in complaints after a redesign year | Focus on parts that changed in the redesign | Why are you selling, and what has the car needed? |
| Few complaints for a recent year | Do the standard inspection; the record is still short | Full service history to date |
Bring the list to your pre-purchase inspection and use it on your test drive too.
Local notes for Texas buyers
Texas use patterns are worth a closer look. Long summers between Austin and San Antonio mean heavy AC use and hot stop-and-go traffic. If complaints for a model year name the air conditioning, cooling or electrical systems, give those extra attention during your inspection, and test the AC from a hot start on your drive.
No state inspector is checking for you. Texas dropped the safety inspection for non-commercial vehicles on January 1, 2025 (Texas DPS). Registration will not catch a worn or recalled part, so the work of reading complaint data and checking recalls falls on you.
Recall repairs are local. Recall repairs are normally free at a franchised dealer of that brand, and Austin and San Antonio both have franchised dealers for the major brands. Federal law does not require a dealer to fix recalls on a used car before selling it (FTC), so check the VIN before you buy and book the repair if one is open.
What I would do with complaint data
If I were shopping for a used car, I would use complaint data to narrow my list, not to make the final call. I would open the model on the /cars/ pages, look at three or four model years in a row, and favor a year where the top components are things I can inspect and price, such as brakes or suspension, over a year where owners keep reporting engine or transmission problems.
Then I would check the specific car's VIN for open recalls, ask the seller about the top components by name, and pay for an inspection that targets them. If the seller has receipts showing the most-reported part was already replaced, that car moves up my list. If the most-reported problem is expensive and the seller has no records, I would keep looking.
Reading individual complaints
On NHTSA's own site you can read the text of complaints for a vehicle through the lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls. When you read them:
- Look for repeated, specific descriptions of the same symptom at similar mileage.
- Note whether reports mention a crash, fire or injury.
- Separate safety problems from annoyances. A failed infotainment screen and a loss of braking are not the same kind of risk.
- Remember that you are reading one side of each story.
When to file your own complaint
If you buy a car and experience a safety problem, you can file a complaint with NHTSA online or by calling the Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236. Your report becomes part of the data that helps NHTSA spot trends. For problems with the seller rather than the car, see the Texas complaint options in does Texas have a used car lemon law.
Sources
- NHTSA: Risk-Based Processes for Safety Defect Analysis and Management of Recalls (DOT HS 812 984)
- NHTSA: Check for Recalls
- NHTSA: Recalls, complaints and NCAP ratings API
- Texas DPS - Vehicle safety inspection program changes
- FTC - Buying a Used Car (PDF)
Frequently asked questions
Are NHTSA complaints verified?
No. Complaints are reports filed by owners, and NHTSA does not confirm each one. NHTSA staff screen them for patterns and compare them with how many vehicles were built, as described in NHTSA's defect analysis process.
Does a high complaint count mean I should avoid a car?
Not by itself. A high count can reflect high sales. Use the components listed to decide what to inspect, and check recalls and the car's own records.
What is the difference between a complaint and a recall?
A complaint is an unverified owner report. A recall is an action on a safety defect that covers a range of VINs, and the repair is normally free at a franchised dealer of the brand.
Why does one complaint count toward more than one component?
Owners can name several components in one report. On the /cars/ pages, the component bars count each mention, so their total can be higher than the number of complaints.
Can I look up complaints by VIN?
NHTSA's VIN search at nhtsa.gov/recalls shows open recalls for one car. Complaints are grouped by year, make and model, so they describe the model year, not that specific car.
Where does the /cars/ data come from?
The pages use NHTSA's public recalls, complaints and NCAP ratings API at api.nhtsa.gov. Each page shows when it was last updated.
Educational content. Anthony does not sell, broker or arrange vehicle sales in Texas. Confirm fees and rules with the office named in each source before you pay anything.
