Owner-reported complaints by category
Every complaint filed with NHTSA names one or more vehicle components. Rolling those components up into categories shows which systems owners are reporting across the whole database, rather than one vehicle at a time.
Complaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
No trend is shown yet — we do not have enough snapshot history
A change over time needs at least two daily snapshots to subtract one from the other. We currently hold 2 days of per-category history (snapshot of Aug 15, 2026), so there is nothing to compare against. The list below is therefore the current total per category, not a trend. Deltas appear here automatically once a second snapshot has been taken.
Categories by current complaint volume
Each category shows the vehicles behind the largest share of its reports
Rank 1: Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
277,833
complaints total
277,833 complaints across 14,829 model years
Most reports in this category
Rank 2: Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
239,032
complaints total
239,032 complaints across 14,836 model years
Most reports in this category
Rank 3: Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
185,658
complaints total
185,658 complaints across 13,965 model years
Most reports in this category
Rank 4: Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
152,818
complaints total
152,818 complaints across 9,367 model years
Most reports in this category
Rank 5: Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
145,931
complaints total
145,931 complaints across 10,660 model years
Most reports in this category
Rank 6: Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
140,543
complaints total
140,543 complaints across 10,159 model years
Most reports in this category
Rank 7: Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
131,336
complaints total
131,336 complaints across 11,115 model years
Most reports in this category
Rank 8: Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
123,284
complaints total
123,284 complaints across 11,944 model years
Most reports in this category
Rank 9: Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
100,561
complaints total
100,561 complaints across 12,031 model years
Most reports in this category
Rank 10: Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
83,762
complaints total
83,762 complaints across 10,010 model years
Most reports in this category
Rank 11: Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
73,574
complaints total
73,574 complaints across 9,143 model years
Most reports in this category
Rank 12: Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
66,212
complaints total
66,212 complaints across 6,956 model years
Most reports in this category
Rank 13: Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
57,111
complaints total
57,111 complaints across 7,395 model years
Most reports in this category
Rank 14: Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
52,321
complaints total
52,321 complaints across 8,084 model years
Most reports in this category
Rank 15: Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
40,404
complaints total
40,404 complaints across 9,716 model years
Most reports in this category
Rank 16: Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
40,070
complaints total
40,070 complaints across 7,764 model years
Most reports in this category
Rank 17: Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
38,379
complaints total
38,379 complaints across 10,088 model years
Most reports in this category
Rank 18: Heating & air conditioning
Reports naming the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.
7,900
complaints total
7,900 complaints across 2,869 model years
Most reports in this category
A single complaint can name several components and is therefore counted in every category it touches; category totals sum to more than the number of distinct complaints. Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.