Which US car brands draw the most NHTSA complaints?

Background

This dataset tracks US NHTSA complaints by brand and identifies which makes draw the largest complaint totals in the findings provided here. Across the listed field, the dataset covers 25 brands.

On this measure, Ford stands at the top with 90,932 complaints. The next highest totals are Jeep with 48,482 and Honda with 48,201. Chevrolet follows with 35,870, while Hyundai records 30,865 and Kia records 27,790.

Because the findings are organized by brand complaint totals, they can answer a narrow but common reader question: which car brands show up most often in NHTSA complaint records. They cannot, on their own, establish build quality rankings, owner satisfaction, sales-adjusted reliability, or any Consumer Reports standings.

Brands with the most complaints

The leading brands in the complaint count are concentrated near the top, with Ford well ahead of the rest of the list. Jeep and Honda are close to one another, while Chevrolet, Hyundai, and Kia form the next tier in the findings.

Brand	Total complaints	Year count
Ford	90,932	11
Jeep	48,482	11
Honda	48,201	11
Chevrolet	35,870	11
Hyundai	30,865	11
Kia	27,790	11
Nissan	24,381	11
Toyota	23,983	11
Ram	23,495	11
Tesla	20,184	11

For readers asking about the most problematic car brands, this dataset points first to Ford, then Jeep and Honda, based strictly on raw NHTSA complaint totals. It is a complaints ranking, not a verdict on every vehicle sold by those brands.

The broader ranking

Beyond the top 10, the complaint totals continue through a wide mix of mass-market and premium brands. Subaru records 18,626 complaints, followed by Volkswagen at 14,157, Dodge at 13,951, Chrysler at 12,793, and GMC at 11,802.

The lower portion of the listed ranking includes BMW with 6,964, Acura with 6,322, Mazda with 5,824, Audi with 4,756, and [Mercedes-Benz](/cars/mercedes-benz) with 3,946. Cadillac records 3,693, Buick 3,285, Lincoln 2,783, Land Rover 2,084, and Infiniti 1,913.

Brand	Total complaints	Year count
Subaru	18,626	11
Volkswagen	14,157	11
Dodge	13,951	11
Chrysler	12,793	11
GMC	11,802	11
BMW	6,964	11
Acura	6,322	11
Mazda	5,824	11
Audi	4,756	11
Mercedes-Benz	3,946	6
Cadillac	3,693	11
Buick	3,285	11
Lincoln	2,783	11
Land Rover	2,084	11
Infiniti	1,913	9

This ranking is useful for identifying which brands appear most often in complaint records. It does not show which specific defects were most common, nor does it separate severe complaints from less severe owner reports.

What the year coverage shows

Most brands in the findings have a year count of 11. That includes Ford, Jeep, Honda, Chevrolet, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Toyota, Ram, Tesla, Subaru, Volkswagen, Dodge, Chrysler, GMC, BMW, Acura, Mazda, Audi, Cadillac, Buick, Lincoln, and Land Rover.

Two brands stand out for shorter coverage in the findings. Mercedes-Benz has a year count of 6, and Infiniti has a year count of 9.

That matters for interpretation. A brand with 11 years in the dataset is not directly comparable in coverage terms with a brand listed across 6 or 9 years. The findings still show the raw totals, but they do not provide a normalized annual comparison.

American brands in the ranking

Readers often ask about the worst American car brands. In these findings, several US brands appear high on the complaint list. Ford leads the entire ranking with 90,932 complaints, while Chevrolet records 35,870, Ram 23,495, Dodge 13,951, Chrysler 12,793, and GMC 11,802.

Other US luxury and near-luxury brands listed here include Cadillac with 3,693, Buick with 3,285, and Lincoln with 2,783. Jeep, which places near the top with 48,482 complaints, is also one of the most prominent names in the dataset.

American brand	Total complaints	Year count
Ford	90,932	11
Jeep	48,482	11
Chevrolet	35,870	11
Ram	23,495	11
Dodge	13,951	11
Chrysler	12,793	11
GMC	11,802	11
Cadillac	3,693	11
Buick	3,285	11
Lincoln	2,783	11

Within this dataset, Ford is the clearest answer to the question of which American brand draws the most NHTSA complaints. Jeep and Chevrolet also rank prominently.

Asian and European brands in the ranking

Among Asian brands, Honda is the highest-listed name with 48,201 complaints. Hyundai follows with 30,865, Kia with 27,790, Nissan with 24,381, Toyota with 23,983, Subaru with 18,626, Acura with 6,322, Mazda with 5,824, and Infiniti with 1,913.

Tesla appears in the top 10 with 20,184 complaints. The findings list it alongside the other brands but do not break out complaint categories or model-level detail.

Among European brands in the findings, Volkswagen records 14,157 complaints, BMW 6,964, Audi 4,756, Mercedes-Benz 3,946, and Land Rover 2,084. These totals place Volkswagen highest among the listed European makes in this dataset.

What this dataset can and cannot answer

The findings can answer which brands have the highest raw NHTSA complaint totals. They can also show whether a brand appears across 11 years, 9 years, or 6 years in the provided data.

They cannot answer which brands are the most unreliable in 2024, because the findings do not provide a 2024-only breakout. They also cannot answer which brands are the most popular in the USA in 2024, because no sales or registration figures are included.

The same limit applies to questions about Consumer Reports top brands, best brands according to Consumer Reports, or worst brands according to Consumer Reports. No Consumer Reports data appears in the findings. Likewise, the dataset does not identify car brands with the most accidents, because it reports complaints, not crash totals.

Limitations

Complaint counts are not the same thing as defect confirmation, recall volume, vehicle population, or market share. A brand with a large complaint total may also have a large vehicle base, but the findings do not include sales, registrations, or vehicles in operation.

The dataset also does not provide complaint categories, model names, or severity outcomes. That means it cannot show whether a brand’s total is driven by powertrain issues, electrical issues, visibility complaints, or another problem area.

Finally, the findings are brand-level only. They identify Ford as the top brand with 90,932 complaints and show 25 brands overall, but they do not explain which individual models generated those complaints.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Which car brand has the most NHTSA complaints? A: Ford has the highest total in the findings with 90,932 complaints. It is the top brand in the 25-brand dataset.

Q: Which brands rank just behind Ford? A: Jeep is listed with 48,482 complaints and Honda with 48,201. Chevrolet follows with 35,870.

Q: What are the top 10 brands by complaint total? A: The top 10 are Ford, Jeep, Honda, Chevrolet, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Toyota, Ram, and Tesla. Their complaint totals range from 90,932 for Ford to 20,184 for Tesla.

Q: Which American brands appear highest in the complaint ranking? A: Ford leads with 90,932 complaints. Jeep has 48,482 and Chevrolet has 35,870, with Ram at 23,495 also in the top 10.

Q: Does this dataset show the most unreliable car brands in 2024? A: No. The findings provide brand complaint totals and year counts, but they do not provide a 2024-only reliability ranking.

Q: Does this report answer which brands are best or worst according to Consumer Reports? A: No. The findings contain NHTSA complaint totals for 25 brands, not Consumer Reports rankings.