LEMONYEARS NHTSA complaints and recalls, year by year

Home About the data

About the data

This page doesn't rate vehicles; it shows NHTSA complaint and recall counts by model year.

Sources

Complaint and recall records are read from api.nhtsa.gov. Make and model names are used to identify those records.

Methods

A complaint count is the number of NHTSA complaint records for that make, model, and model year whose product list names that model, taken from the complaintsByVehicle response. When a record lists more than one component, each component is counted once. The most-reported component is the one with the highest count. If two components tie, the one earlier in the alphabet is shown. A recall count for one model year is the number of distinct NHTSA campaign numbers in the recallsByVehicle response for that make, model, and model year. The recall count for the whole model counts each of those campaign numbers once, so a campaign that names several model years is not added again for each year. That recalls response does not include a units-affected field, so affected-unit figures are not printed. A model year is listed only when it has at least one complaint or one recall. Years with no complaints are left out of the fewest-complaints list and out of the answer to that question. Counts are not divided by vehicles sold or by years on the road. A model year with fewer complaints may also have had fewer vehicles sold or fewer years on the road. Complaints are owner-reported and are not verified by NHTSA. Counts for a newer model year can rise as more complaints are filed.

What a model page shows

A model page is generated only when NHTSA has complaints in at least 8 model years and the complaints total at least 200. A make page is generated only when at least two of its models pass. A model year is listed only when it has at least one complaint or one recall. Years with no complaints are left out of the fewest-complaints list. Years are anchors on the model page, not separate URLs.

The recalls API response used here has no affected-unit field, so pages do not print affected-unit figures. This site does not check a VIN. Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.