How are problem categories assigned?

Categories follow NHTSA's official component classification system. When an owner files a complaint, NHTSA assigns one or more component codes describing the affected system. We aggregate complaints and recalls within each category to surface trouble spots across the fleet.

Which categories have the most documented problems?

electrical, powertrain, engine consistently rank highest by complaint volume. That is partly because these systems affect drivability and partly because failures here are expensive to fix, so owners are more motivated to file complaints with NHTSA.

Can I see which vehicles have the worst problems in a category?

Each category page lists the top vehicles ranked by complaint count for that specific system. Click into any category to see which year/make/model combinations have the most documented issues.

ProblemsByVin Problems / All Categories

16 categories · 871,521 owner complaints

Vehicle problems by category

Every problem category we track, ranked by complaint volume across the fleet. Click into any category to see which vehicles have the worst documented record.

Every category, scaled to volume

Each rectangle is a problem category, sized by total NHTSA owner complaints across the fleet (724,079 total). Click any rectangle for the full ranked list of vehicles in that category.

Source: NHTSA · problemsbyvin.com

Manufacturer × problem area — the whole map at once

Every cell is the total NHTSA owner complaints filed against vehicles from that manufacturer in that problem category. 617,291 complaints summarized across the top 15 manufacturers and 12 categories. Click any cell to drill into the category hub.

Fewer complaintsMoreSource: NHTSA · problemsbyvin.com

All categories ranked

Electrical

117,480 complaints 3300 vehicles affected

Powertrain

111,326 complaints 2921 vehicles affected

Engine

103,406 complaints 2792 vehicles affected

Steering

92,648 complaints 2377 vehicles affected

Airbags

81,209 complaints 2492 vehicles affected

Brakes

51,344 complaints 2193 vehicles affected

Body

35,060 complaints 1838 vehicles affected

Cruise Control

25,246 complaints 1618 vehicles affected

Visibility

24,020 complaints 1527 vehicles affected

Lighting

23,068 complaints 1226 vehicles affected

Suspension

22,315 complaints 1496 vehicles affected

Fuel System

19,583 complaints 1009 vehicles affected

Tires

5,988 complaints 861 vehicles affected

Seatbelts

5,652 complaints 772 vehicles affected

Wheels

4,826 complaints 649 vehicles affected

Equipment

908 complaints 181 vehicles affected

By specific failure mode

Deep-dive hubs on the exact failure patterns buyers search for — the affected platforms, the symptoms, typical failure mileage, and what to check before you buy.

CVT Transmission Failure

Shudder or judder on light-throttle acceleration, typically 30–50 mph

Excessive Oil Consumption

Burning more than a quart of oil per 1,000 miles with no visible leak

Timing Chain Stretch

Rattle on cold start-up, lasting one to a few seconds before quieting

Head Gasket Failure

Coolant level dropping with no visible drip under the car

Spark Plug Ejection (Ford Modular V8)

Sudden loud popping or backfire, often followed by exhaust escaping from under the hood

Theta II Engine Failure (Hyundai / Kia)

Knocking or "marbles in a coffee can" sound from the lower end, especially on cold start

Honda 1.5T Oil Dilution

Oil level on the dipstick rising between oil changes (instead of dropping)

EcoBoost Internal Water Pump Failure

Coolant reservoir level slowly dropping with no visible leak under the truck

GM Ignition Switch Defect

Engine cutting out unexpectedly while driving, sometimes with every dash gauge going dead at once

How to use these pages

Pick a category

Each category aggregates complaints and recalls across every vehicle in our database for that specific system.

See the worst offenders

Vehicles are ranked by complaint count within the category — the ones at the top have the most documented failures.

Drill into a specific vehicle

Click any vehicle to see its full problem profile — recalls, complaints, severity, and our buy/avoid verdict.

All data sourced from NHTSA's recallsByVehicle and complaintsByVehicle public APIs. Categories follow NHTSA's official component classification system. Updated weekly.