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 · 854,848 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 (711,011 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. 605,975 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

114,770 complaints 3230 vehicles affected

Powertrain

108,575 complaints 2880 vehicles affected

Engine

100,490 complaints 2756 vehicles affected

Steering

91,461 complaints 2331 vehicles affected

Airbags

80,656 complaints 2459 vehicles affected

Brakes

50,453 complaints 2148 vehicles affected

Body

34,522 complaints 1821 vehicles affected

Cruise Control

25,008 complaints 1591 vehicles affected

Visibility

23,757 complaints 1507 vehicles affected

Lighting

22,834 complaints 1216 vehicles affected

Suspension

21,967 complaints 1470 vehicles affected

Fuel System

19,404 complaints 995 vehicles affected

Tires

5,923 complaints 847 vehicles affected

Seatbelts

5,490 complaints 760 vehicles affected

Wheels

4,804 complaints 649 vehicles affected

Equipment

897 complaints 178 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.