How many vehicles and records does the database cover?

The database covers 40 popular vehicles across the 2010-2014, 2015-2019, 2020-2024 generations, totaling 609 NHTSA recalls and 43,439 owner-reported complaints.

Does a high complaint count mean a vehicle is unreliable?

Not necessarily. High-volume models accumulate more complaints simply because more of them are on the road, and a recall means a known defect was identified and a free remedy is available. Use the per-component breakdown to see which systems actually drive the reports.

Vehicle recalls & common problems database

Q: Where does this recall and complaint data come from?

All recall and owner-complaint figures are sourced from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public recalls and complaints databases. We summarize and aggregate that public data by vehicle and component.

A free, government-sourced look at NHTSA safety recalls and owner-reported complaints across 40 of the most common vehicles on U.S. roads. Find out how many problems owners have actually reported on your car — and which systems they report most.

609 NHTSA recalls

43,439 owner complaints

40 vehicles covered

2,072 complaints citing a crash

773 complaints citing a fire

1,823 complaints citing an injury

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public recalls and complaints databases. Figures cover the 2010-2014, 2015-2019, 2020-2024 generations of each vehicle. A recall is a manufacturer- or NHTSA-initiated safety action with a free remedy; a complaint is an unverified owner report.

Most-reported systems across the dataset

The component categories owners file the most complaints about, summed across every vehicle and generation covered here.

Engine 11,223
Electrical System 6,865
Power Train 5,276
Unknown Or Other 5,252
Steering 2,959
Air Bags 2,763
Service Brakes 2,545
Fuel/Propulsion System 1,873

Recalls & complaints by vehicle

Sorted by total owner complaints. Click any vehicle for its recall summary, top problem systems, and a per-model-year breakdown.

Vehicle	Recalls	Complaints
Ford Escape	24	3,364
Ford Explorer	43	2,694
Jeep Grand Cherokee	28	2,339
Honda CR-V	13	2,324
Honda Civic	13	1,894
Kia Sorento	15	1,828
Chevrolet Malibu	8	1,697
Hyundai Tucson	9	1,671
Subaru Outback	24	1,651
Chevrolet Silverado 1500	14	1,648
Ram 1500	35	1,537
Hyundai Elantra	13	1,515
Jeep Wrangler	29	1,477
Hyundai Santa Fe	12	1,450
Honda Pilot	16	1,176
Nissan Rogue	13	1,132
Chevrolet Equinox	8	1,100
Honda Accord	15	1,078
GMC Sierra 1500	14	988
Toyota Camry	6	842
Nissan Altima	7	823
Kia Sportage	10	819
Chevrolet Traverse	9	795
Ford Mustang	22	771
Subaru Forester	17	765
Toyota Corolla	8	721
Toyota RAV4	9	691
Toyota Highlander	11	650
Kia Forte	8	607
Toyota Tacoma	15	583
Chevrolet Tahoe	11	518
Nissan Sentra	5	484
Honda Odyssey	16	402
Toyota Sienna	22	393
Ford Bronco	21	328
Mazda CX-5	1	206
Honda HR-V	3	191
Toyota 4Runner	16	170
Chevrolet Trax	3	117
Ford F-150	43	0

Free to use, cite, and embed

This recall data is built from public U.S. NHTSA records and is free to use, cite, and embed — no signup, no API key. If it's useful for your readers, drop the interactive checker on your own site:

Embed the recall checker

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<iframe src="https://mechai.app/diagnose/recalls/widget/" title="Vehicle recall checker by MECH AI" loading="lazy"
  style="border:0;width:100%;max-width:560px;height:560px;overflow:hidden"
  data-mechai-recall-widget></iframe>
<p style="font-size:12px;margin:6px 0 0">
  <a href="https://mechai.app/diagnose/recalls/">Vehicle Recalls &amp; Common Problems Database</a> by
  <a href="https://mechai.app/">MECH AI</a> — data from public NHTSA records.
</p>
<script>
/* optional: auto-size the widget to its content */
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  }
});
</script>

Paste anywhere HTML is allowed. Includes a visible credit link (please keep it). The widget pulls live from this page's data.

Just want to cite it?

Vehicle Recalls & Common Problems Database, MECH AI — https://mechai.app/diagnose/recalls/ (source: NHTSA).

How to read this data

A high complaint count usually tracks sales volume — there are more Ford F-150s on the road than almost anything else, so they generate more reports. A complaint is an unverified owner submission, while a recall is an official safety action with a free fix. The per-component breakdown on each vehicle page is the more useful signal: it shows which systems owners actually report, which is what you want before chasing a check-engine code.

Working a specific trouble code? Cross-reference these reports with our OBD2 diagnostic code library, then open AI Mechanic for a diagnosis tuned to your exact year and model.