How we score each car
Each model year gets one of three verdicts: Good buy, Watch out or Skip this year. The verdict is written by a person after looking at four things.
1. Complaints per 100,000 cars sold
Raw complaint counts make best-sellers look worse simply because there are more of them on the road. So we divide each model year's complaints by the number of that model sold in the U.S. in the same calendar year, and show the result per 100,000 cars. A year is marked green when it is at least 25% below that model's own average and also low in absolute terms (250 or fewer per 100,000). It is marked red when it is at least 50% above the model's average, or above 600 per 100,000 whatever the model.
For full-size pickups, published sales include the heavy-duty versions, so we count only the estimated light-duty share (about two thirds to three quarters) to keep the rate fair.
2. What the complaints say
Numbers alone do not tell you whether owners are reporting a rattling trim piece or a transmission that quits. We group complaints by the part involved and read through the most common ones to name the real problem in plain words. Complaints that mention a crash, fire or injury weigh more heavily.
3. Recalls
Recalls are listed for every year. A recall is not automatically a bad sign: it means a fix exists and is free at any dealer. What matters for a used car is whether the recall work was done, so every page includes a check list for that.
4. Crash ratings
We show the federal 5-star overall crash rating for the tested version of each model year, when one exists.
What we cannot see
- Newer years have had less time. A two-year-old car has had far fewer miles to break than a ten-year-old one. Model years from 2023 on are marked too new to judge and are never called a best year.
- Very small numbers are not scored. A year with fewer than 25 complaints on file is marked few reports, because a handful of complaints can swing the rate either way.
- Complaints are self-reported and not verified, and some owners never file one. They are a signal of patterns, not a count of every failure.
- Model year and calendar year differ. Sales are reported by calendar year, so the rate for a model year that went on sale early is an estimate.
- Repair costs are typical ranges for U.S. parts and labor, not quotes. Prices vary with region, shop and the exact version of the car.