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Your vehicleHome›Acura›MDX› 2025
Acura · Compact SUV

2025 Acura MDX

Gas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
3 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26
C
Safety Signal
75 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns 4
Complaints2 crash · 5 injured reported 112
Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA 22 mpg
20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016

The 2025 Acura MDX is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the MDX FWD, is EPA-rated at 22 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 112 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Acura MDX — photograph via Wikimedia Commons
Acura MDX (2000 generation) · Photo: Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Trims & pricing

Source: manufacturer press kitCompare a trim →
TrimPowertrainDriveMSRPHPTorqueMPG combCargo (2nd row)Wheels
MDXGasFWD—290 hp267 lb-ft22 mpg39.1 cu-ft19 in
MDXGasAWD—290 hp267 lb-ft21 mpg39.1 cu-ft19 in
TechnologyGasFWD—290 hp267 lb-ft22 mpg39.1 cu-ft20 in
TechnologyGasAWD—290 hp267 lb-ft21 mpg39.1 cu-ft20 in
A-SpecGasAWD—290 hp267 lb-ft21 mpg39.1 cu-ft20 in
AdvanceGasAWD—290 hp267 lb-ft21 mpg39.1 cu-ft20 in
A-Spec AdvanceGasAWD—290 hp267 lb-ft21 mpg39.1 cu-ft20 in
Type S AdvanceGasAWD—355 hp354 lb-ft19 mpg39.1 cu-ft21 in

MSRP excludes destination. Open a trim for the complete spec sheet and standard/optional equipment. Have the car in front of you? Decode its VIN to see which of these trims it is and what it was priced at.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
MDX FWDGasFWD3.5L 6-cyl192622$3,750
MDX AWDGasAWD3.5L 6-cyl192521$3,900
MDX AWD Type-SGasAWD3.0L 6-cyl turbo172119$4,350

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 48055, 48070, 48113.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates
ConfigurationSmog ratingEmission standardWhere it can be sold newSmartWay
MDX AWD, MDX FWD4 / 10California LEV-III ULEV70 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 70All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards—
MDX AWD Type-S4 / 10Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 / California LEV-III ULEV70All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Also on file Beside the 2025 MDX
Other years The 2021 MDX Lineup The 2025 lineup Recalls Acura recalls
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The cheapest ownership win

Insurers price the 2025 MDX very differently, and the gap between the best and worst quote on the same car and driver is usually larger than any option you are weighing on this page.

How to compare cover →

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Recalls (4)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Air Bags

98,892 vehicles 32% reported repaired
Problem Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash. Risk Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury. Fix Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
Filed with NHTSADefect report PDFOwner letter PDFDealer notice PDF
NHTSA campaign 26V332000 reported May 21, 2026 Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
▲high

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

FLX, XLY
259,033 vehicles 93% reported repaired built May 3, 2023 – Nov 13, 2024
Problem Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Acura TLX, 2023-2025 Acura MDX, and 2023-2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin was not secured properly, which can cause the pedal to shift out of position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems." Risk A brake pedal that shifts out of position can prevent the driver from applying the brakes as intended, increasing the risk of a crash or injury. Fix Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pedal assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 29, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are FLX and XLY.
Filed with NHTSADefect report PDFOwner letter PDF
NHTSA campaign 25V391000 reported Jun 12, 2025 Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
▲high

Back Over Prevention

RKZ
9,221 vehicles 97% reported repaired built Oct 26, 2023 – Dec 13, 2024
Problem Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2025 Acura MDX vehicles. The touchscreen in the center console may go blank, resulting in the rearview camera image not displaying as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility." Risk A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers will replace the center information display unit, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is RKZ.
Filed with NHTSADefect report PDFOwner letter PDFRemedy instructions PDF
NHTSA campaign 25V032000 reported Jan 23, 2025 Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
▲high

Fuel System, Gasoline

EL1, AL0
294,612 vehicles 95% reported repaired
Problem Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2022-2025 Acura MDX Type-S, 2023-2025 Honda Pilot, and 2021-2025 Acura TLX Type-S vehicles. A software error in the fuel injection electronic control unit (FI-ECU) may cause an engine stall or a loss of power. Risk An engine stall or loss of power can increase the risk of a crash or injury. Fix Dealers will reprogram the FI-ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are EL1 and AL0.
Filed with NHTSADefect report PDFOwner letter PDFRemedy instructions PDF
NHTSA campaign 25V031000 reported Jan 23, 2025 Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

NHTSA defect investigations

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages open

On June 3, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE22005 after the agency received VOQs and several field reports concerning the Auto Idle Stop (AIS) feature on 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles. The complaints allege that the engine fails to restart on its own from a complete stop at a traffic light or road intersection with the AIS function engaged. The subject vehicles are equipped with a 3.5L engine with a 9-speed automatic transmission. On January 6, 2023, Honda released service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009. These service bulletins address the failure to restart issue in the 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles, as well as the 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020

Opened Mar 26, 2025 · action EA25004 · the investigation’s page →

Whether any of this applies to one specific MDX

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2025 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Acura publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Acura’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2025 Acura MDX, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

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Parts & accessories for the 2025 Acura MDX

Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.

Find parts for this MDX →

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
112complaints filed

2 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 5 injuries · 0 deaths reported

23 per 10,000 built · Acura reported 47,826 MDX built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2024: 1 · 2025: 26 · 2026: 85

Most-cited components

Engine → 69
Electrical System → 52
Unspecified 27
Fuel/Propulsion System 13
Service Brakes 5
Forward Collision Avoidance 5

In depth: engine problems → · electrical problems →

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

Auto Idle Stop/Auto Start-Stop Issue- On multiple occasions, occurring randomly, the vehicle will not start at stoplights after auto-idle stop is engaged. Sometimes this happens after the vehicle has been running for over an hour. Currently, the vehicle must be completely powered down and then restarted to revive engine
Engine Feb 4, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11715662
Autostart (stop/start) stopped engine but failed to restart car. Had to shut down computer and restart computer and then car started. Cars were coming around blind corner serving to avoid us. Has since happened multiple times just starting up vehicle (not involving autostart).
Electrical System Jan 3, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11708571
I am a three-time Acura owner currently leasing a 2025 Acura MDX through Honda/Acura. On or about 12/02/2025, at approximately 16,297 miles, a front parking sensor fell out of the front bumper while I was driving.
Back Over Prevention Dec 16, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11705339
When the car comes to a stop, the engine will shut down after idling. This is by design. The problem is that the engine shuts off and does not start up again. This is very dangers when turning across traffic. I took the car in for maintenance and they said this is a known issue but there is no fix.
Fuel/Propulsion System Nov 23, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11701103
The auto start/stop system failed to restart at a stop light. This was an issue on the older MDX and TLX vehicles with the 3.5L V6 which resulted in a large recall. The recall has not been extended to cover the 2025 MDX and the dealership is refusing to fix the issue or acknowledge it despite having a video to prove it occurred.
Power Train Aug 6, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11678817
The car sometimes brakes on its own, and sometimes it brakes more or less than normal. Also, sometimes when I try to turn it on, it struggles to do so
Service Brakes Jul 22, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11675459

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by Acura itself: 4 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 6 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 8.4 per 100,000 built. Every MDX model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆15%
SUV AWDnot rated★★★★☆★★★★★not rated15%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications
Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 29
Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-07-18
Kindsas classified by NHTSA 24 others, 3 service bulletins, 2 over-the-air updates

Most often about: Engine, Visibility/Wiper, Electrical System, Suspension, Wheels.

  • BBTS28851 Service bulletin
    2026-07-18 · Steering
  • Tech Line Summary Article - Customers are complaining of a clicking noise from front of vehicle while turning at low speeds. This is a temporary solution to address the issue.
  • 2026-05-13 · Engine
  • Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2024-2026 MDXs with a client complaint of the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) on with the DTC P0441 (EVAP System Purge Flow Malfunction) stored. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
  • 2026-04-29 · Engine
  • Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2024-2026 MDXs with a client complaint of the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) on with the DTC P0441 (EVAP System Purge Flow Malfunction) stored. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
  • 2026-04-20 · Engine
  • Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2024-2026 MDXs with a client complaint of the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) on with the DTC P0441 (EVAP System Purge Flow Malfunction) stored. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
  • BBTS30565 Other
    2026-04-07 · Electrical System
  • Tech Line Summary - The vehicle's infotainment system displays previously viewed SMS messages upon each ignition cycle, when the customer's Android phone is connected via Bluetooth.
  • BB28518 Over-the-air update
    2026-03-10 · Electrical System
  • Over The Air System Updates - Vehicles equipped with the System Updates application are capable of downloading and installing Over the Air System updates (OTA). A connection to a Wi-Fi network is needed to perform the update over the air. System updates contain upgrades that fix operational errors and/or provide a variety of enhancements, which adds new functionality. Information about the various
  • B28518 Over-the-air update
    2026-01-17 · Electrical System
  • Over the Air System Update - System updates contain upgrades that fix operational errors and/or provide a variety of enhancements, which adds new functionality. Information about the various software releases can be found in this document.
  • 2026-01-14 · Suspension
  • Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2022-2025 MDX Type S’s with a client complaint of a stuck stroke sensor failure DTC C164X-2A (Stroke Sensor Failure) stored. Clients may notice the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) on with error messages “Air suspension problem. Vehicle height cannot be adjusted. See your dealer.”, or “Electronic Air Suspension Problem

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

CodeWhat it meansMost often filed underWhere it appears
P0441
P0441 on Acura →		The evaporative purge is not flowing the way it should.Engine · EVAP purge valve →3 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2025 Acura MDX failed the safety inspection on 0.19% of first inspections — lower than the 0.36% for every 2025 model-year vehicle inspected.

New York inspections 0.19%

failed the safety inspection

4,235 initial inspections of 4,187 vehicles.

MeasureThe 2025 MDXEvery 2025 vehicleBehind it
Failed the safety inspection0.19%0.36%4,235
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit0.28%0.16%4,235
Miles driven a year9,5698,354odometer at inspection
Average odometer13,65812,194odometer at inspection

New York does not emissions-test model years this new, so the safety inspection is the record here. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2025 vehicle” is every 2025 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

MDX by model year

all years, side by side →
Year Safety Recalls Complaints
2026 A 1 9 22 mpg2025 this page C 4 112 22 mpg2024 C 3 43 22 mpg2023 C 3 48 22 mpg2022 C 3 180 22 mpg2021 A 0 0 27 mpg2020 F 8 230 27 mpg2019 D 9 198 27 mpg2018 F 10 170 27 mpg2017 D 9 268 27 mpg2016 D 7 377 23 mpg

Common questions about the 2025 MDX

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2025 Acura MDX have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 4 recall campaigns for the 2025 Acura MDX. The most serious on file is 26V332000, covering Air Bags. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2025 Acura MDX?

NHTSA gave the 2025 Acura MDX 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it C (75/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2025 Acura MDX?

Across the 3 EPA-rated configurations of the 2025 Acura MDX, the best EPA combined figure is 22 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What do owners complain about on the 2025 Acura MDX?

Owners have filed 112 complaints with NHTSA about the 2025 Acura MDX, most often about engine, electrical system, unspecified. Of those, 2 involved a crash, 5 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2025 Acura MDX?

The EPA smog rating for the 2025 Acura MDX is 4 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III ULEV70, Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2025 Acura MDX?

The manufacturer has filed 29 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2025 Acura MDX, most often covering engine, visibility/wiper, electrical system. The most recent is dated 2026-07-18. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2025 Acura MDX do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2025 Acura MDX failed the safety inspection on 0.19% of first inspections — lower than the 0.36% for every 2025 model-year vehicle inspected. The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

DataHeldSourceWhat it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations3 configurationsEPA certification recordsEvery configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates3 configurationsEPA emission certificatesSmog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls4NHTSA recall campaignsA complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints112NHTSA complaint databaseAlso complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings2 testedNHTSA NCAPOnly the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins29NHTSA manufacturer communicationsEverything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations1NHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationOpen and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative.
Driver-assist crash reportsnoneNHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSAnoneNHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patternsWe had no VIN pattern to decode for this model year, or the manufacturer filed nothing usable.
Trims, pricing & equipment8 trimsManufacturer press kitTranscribed from the manufacturer's own press material, every value carrying the document it came from.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Where to go next

pages beside this one
Other years The 2021 MDX The MDX model year with the cleanest record on file — grade A, 0 recalls.Lineup Every 2025 model on file, by price Each 2025 nameplate whose press kit we hold, ranked by the maker's announced starting MSRP — this one among them.Recalls Every Acura recall on file All campaigns filed against Acura vehicles, newest first, with the manufacturer's own number.Recall Watch Watch this MDX by VIN Give it the VIN and you hear the night a campaign is filed — from $29 a month for a lot, free for ten.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly. Trim-level specifications and pricing are transcribed from the manufacturer's official press kit; every value carries its source in the data file.

JSON for this page · API