Is this car worth buying?

Recalls, owner complaints and crash ratings for every model year, with a plain verdict on each one.

89popular models

1021model years judged

362,893owner complaints read

1730recalls tracked

Most checked cars

Good yearAverageWatch outToo new

Red flag rankings

Best years by car

Most complaints per car sold

Owner complaints per 100,000 sold

Most recalls in one year

Separate recall campaigns

Most fire reports

Owner complaints that mention a fire

Fewest complaints per car sold

Per 100,000 sold, at least 100,000 sold

Complaints by brand

Owner complaints per 100,000 cars sold, 2012 to 2022, for the models we cover

Lexus60

Toyota103

Buick158

Mazda162

Nissan186

Chevrolet223

Honda254

Subaru261

Volkswagen272

Ram297

Acura332

GMC332

Dodge348

Hyundai390

Kia429

Jeep436

Ford480

Chrysler654

Brands are judged only on the 89 models on this site, so a brand with one or two models here can swing a lot.

Are newer cars better?

Owner complaints per 100,000 sold, all 89 models, by model year

37212

40713

34914

28515

31116

29817

27018

23319

20120

16421

15422

Model years 2012 to 2022. Newer cars have had less time for complaints to build up, so the drop is partly time. 2023 and 2024 are left out as too new to judge.

35 of 40redesigned first years drew more complaints than the next two years

+72%median jump in complaints in a redesign's first year

89recalls on these cars in the last 12 months

$0what a recall repair costs at any dealer

Read the redesign study

Guides

All guides

Bright Red Car On Display At New York International Auto Show

Data studies

Should you buy the first year of a redesign? What 40 redesigns show

In 35 of 40 recent redesigns, the first model year drew more owner complaints than the two years after it. Here is how big the gap is and when it matters.

Data studies

Used car years to avoid: the worst years for 89 popular models

The model years that drew the most owner complaints per car, what went wrong in each, and what to do if you already own one.

Buying a used car

Are car recalls free? What used car buyers should know

Recall repairs are free at any dealer, even for the third owner. Here is how to check a car and get the work done.

Hand photographing the VIN plate through a windshield with a phone

Buying a used car

How to check a car for open recalls by VIN

A two-minute check that every used car buyer should do. Where to find the VIN, how to run it and what the results mean.

Auto Repair Shop, Biggs (November 2023)-L1003968

Buying a used car

Recall remedy not yet available: what it means and what to do

When a recall lookup says the remedy is not yet available, the carmaker has admitted the defect but does not have a fix ready. Here is what to do in the meantime.