The Older Cars Budget Buyers Are Being Pushed Into: We Counted NHTSA Complaints on Every 7-Year-Old Model
We counted 40,297 NHTSA owner complaints on model-year-2019 cars, then normalized by units sold. Among high-volume 2019 models the per-owner 'worst' list reverses the raw-count one.
Stolen Car, Fake VIN: How to Check If a Used Car Was Reported Stolen Before You Buy
A Florida buyer lost her 2019 Nissan Rogue when it turned out to carry three VINs. Here is how to screen a used car for theft and salvage records before you buy.
Used Hybrids With the Most Brake Complaints (NHTSA ODI Analysis)
We ranked used hybrids and EVs by their share of NHTSA brake complaints (MY2016-2024). Sienna Hybrid leads at 29%; what to check before buying.
Are Used EVs a Bigger Fire Risk Than Gas Cars? We Split Every 'Park Outside' Recall by Powertrain
We split every NHTSA park-outside fire-risk recall since 2015 by powertrain: 52% are gas-only, but per registered vehicle EVs draw ~30x more campaigns.
Does a Completed Recall Mean a Used Car Is Fixed? What NHTSA Complaint Data Shows About Repairs That Failed Again
We counted 3,457 NHTSA complaints of defects returning after a completed recall repair, and the used models with the most. A completed recall isn't proof the fix held.
Used Cars With the Most Transmission-Failure Complaints? We Counted the NHTSA Data
We counted 201,869 NHTSA transmission complaints by model: the Ford F-150, Focus and Jeep Cherokee lead by raw count — but the order reverses once you adjust for exposure.
Which Used Vehicles Draw the Most Brake Complaints? We Counted the NHTSA Data on GM's eBoost Cohort
We counted 2,560 NHTSA complaints across GM's eBoost cohort (probe EA26006): 55.5% of Chevy Traverse complaints are coded SERVICE BRAKES, against 4.8% for the non-eBoost Silverado.
Which Used Cars Have the Most Engine-Failure Complaints? We Counted the NHTSA Data
We counted NHTSA engine complaints by model: the Ford EcoSport (86%) and Kia/Hyundai Theta II cars top the engine-complaint share, not the GM 6.2L trucks.
1 in 7 Vehicle Fire Complaints Describes a Car That Was Parked and Switched Off. We Counted All 51,587
We classified every fire-flagged complaint in NHTSA's ODI file by what the vehicle was doing. 7,269 of 51,587 (14.1%) describe a fire that started while the car was parked and shut off. The share is rising again in 2020-2022 model years — but model year 2000 was worse.
China Just Recalled 4.3 Million Cars Because Drivers Can't Find the Door Release. We Counted Every US Complaint From Someone Who Couldn't Get Out
Across 1,552,176 NHTSA complaints, 4,324 describe an occupant who could not get out of the vehicle — about 1 in 359. Only two in the entire 30-year file say the driver could not find the emergency door release, and both are Teslas.
GM's 6.2L V8 Recall Fix Is Now Itself Under Investigation: 499 Engines Failed After the Repair — and GM Logged 6,953
NHTSA opened EA26005 on 2026-08-20 into GM's L87 6.2L V8 remedy. 499 engines failed after the recall repair; GM reported 6,953. What it means for used Silverado, Sierra, Tahoe, Yukon, Suburban and Escalade buyers.
How Many 2026 Recalls Are for a Part That Can Fall Off Your Car? We Audited All 523
We classified every 2026 US vehicle recall in the NHTSA flat file: 56 of 523 (about 1 in 10) involve a part that can detach. Most of those campaigns are not passenger cars — but 89% of the affected vehicles are.
Only 1 in 9 Three-Year-Old Used Cars Now Costs Under $20K — You Have to Buy a 7-Year-Old Car to Beat It
A typical 3-year-old used car now averages about $32,651, and only 1 in 9 costs under $20,000 — to beat that price you must step back to a ~7-year-old car.
At What Mileage Do Cars Actually Fail? We Checked 1,110,092 NHTSA Complaints — and the Obvious Answer Was Wrong
The median NHTSA complaint reports a failure at 62,540 miles, and 29.4% report one under 36,000. We ranked 35 component groups by mileage at failure — then broke our own headline finding with a fleet-age check.
Every Active 'Park Outside' Fire Recall, Enumerated: 68 Campaigns, 10.35M Vehicles, and How to VIN-Check One
A VIN-checkable census of every active park-outside fire recall: 68 NHTSA campaigns, 10,346,189 vehicles, 15 makes — the models, and how to screen one by VIN.
Which Used Cars Have the Most Backup-Camera Failure Complaints? We Counted the NHTSA Data
We counted NHTSA ODI backup-camera complaints by model: the Polestar 2 leads with 393, far ahead of the Ford Explorer (103). See the full ranking and how to check by VIN.
How to Spot a Cloned VIN When Buying a Used Car
Learn how to check if a used car has a cloned VIN: match every VIN stamp, verify the title, and run the VIN to surface theft, salvage-auction and cross-state red flags.
Used Cars With the Most Dashboard Display Failure Complaints (NHTSA Data): The 2003-2005 GM Cluster Problem the Camry Recall Just Put Back in the Spotlight
We ranked 7,382 NHTSA instrument-cluster complaints. The Chevy TrailBlazer is worst per 100,000 sold — a gauge defect you cannot catch on a test drive.
The Biggest Recalls Are the Least Likely to Be Fixed — What NHTSA Completion Data Says Before You Buy
NHTSA data shows recalls over 1,000,000 vehicles are repaired least often (median 67.7%). Why a headline recall may still be open on the used car you buy.
America's Car-Mart Collapse: How to Vet a Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Before You Sign a Subprime Loan
America's Car-Mart shut ~42 of 136 stores and flagged going-concern doubt. Before you sign a subprime buy-here-pay-here loan, run the VIN and vet the car yourself.
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