2019 Ford Expedition
The 2019 Ford Expedition is sold in the U.S. as a gas large SUV with 4 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Expedition 2WD, is EPA-rated at 20 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 11 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of D. Owners have filed 519 complaints, most often about the power train. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expedition 2WD | Gas | RWD | 3.5L 6-cyl turbo | 17 | 24 | 20 | $3,350 |
| Expedition 4WD | Gas | 4WD (part-time) | 3.5L 6-cyl turbo | 17 | 22 | 19 | $3,550 |
| Expedition MAX 2WD | Gas | RWD | 3.5L 6-cyl turbo | 17 | 23 | 19 | $3,550 |
| Expedition MAX 4WD | Gas | 4WD (part-time) | 3.5L 6-cyl turbo | 16 | 21 | 18 | $3,700 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 40971, 40978, 40972, 40979.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates| Configuration | Smog rating | Emission standard | Where it can be sold new | SmartWay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expedition 2WD, Expedition 4WD, Expedition MAX 2WD, Expedition MAX 4WD | 5 / 10 | California LEV-III ULEV70 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 | All 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.
Specifications filed with NHTSA
Source: NHTSA vPICDimensions Exterior
| Body style | Sport Utility Vehicle [SUV]/Multipurpose Vehicle [MPV] |
| Doors | 4 |
| GVWR class | Class 2F: 7,001 - 8,000 lb (3,175 - 3,629 kg) |
Engine Basics
| Cylinders | 6 |
| Displacement | 3.5 L |
| Engine configuration | V-Shaped |
Engine Output
| Horsepower | 310 hp |
Fuel Economy
| Fuel | Gasoline |
Seating
| Seat rows | 3 |
| Seating capacity | 8 seats |
Transmission
| Drivetrain | 4WD/4-Wheel Drive/4x4 |
Driver assistance
Standard: Adaptive cruise control, Anti-lock brakes, Automatic emergency braking, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping assist, Parking assist, Pedestrian automatic emergency braking
Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: Limited, Platinum, XLT). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.
Dimensions & weight
Source: Transport Canada| Length | 209.8–222.0 in |
| Width (body, without mirrors) | 79.9 in |
| Height | 76.4 in |
| Wheelbase | 122.4–131.5 in |
| Track, front | 67.7 in |
| Track, rear | 67.3 in |
| Curb weight | 5,624–5,794 lb |
| Weight distribution, front/rear | 50/50 |
Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 2 configurations: 4WD SUV, Max 4WD SUV. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.
Factory warranty running out?
The 2019 Ford Expedition is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.
What to check before you buy →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.
Recalls (11)
Source: NHTSA recall databaseStructure
26S38Seat Belts
26S34Electrical System
25SE8Seat Belts
25S31Equipment
24C39Seat Belts
24S06Equipment
23C20Power Train
20S21Suspension
19S36Seats
19C07These 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
Seat Belts:Pretensioner — Seat Belt Retractor Pretensioner Inadvertent Deployment closed
On November 22, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE) PE23021 to investigate complaints of front seat belt retractor pretensioner inadvertent deployment in model year (MY) 2019 Ford Expedition vehicles manufactured by Ford Motor Company. Some complaints alleged hearing a loud, explosion-like sound immediately followed by the seat belt tightening around the occupant’s torso area. The complaints did not state that a crash occurred that may have resulted in the deployment of the pretensioner system, suggesting that this deployment was inadvertent or otherwise unwarranted. On February 9, 2024, Ford issued safety recall 24V-099, recalling certain MY 2018
Opened Nov 15, 2024 · closed Jul 23, 2025 · action RQ24015 · the investigation’s page →
Seat Belts:Pretensioner — Seat Belt Pretensioner Inadvertent Deployment closed
On November 22, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE23-021 to investigate instances of seat belt pretensioner inadvertent deployment in model year (MY) 2019 Ford Expedition vehicles manufactured by Ford Motor Company. Some complaints allege hearing a loud, explosion-like sound immediately followed by the seatbelt tightening around the occupant’s torso area. The complaints do not allege a crash occurred that may have resulted in the deployment of the pretensioner system. The investigation revealed certain seatbelt pretensioners may develop corroded squib pins where the bridge wire (heating element of pyro-technic device) is welded. Extended corrosion and a partial separat
Opened Nov 22, 2023 · closed Jul 29, 2024 · action PE23021 · the investigation’s page →
Whether any of this applies to one specific Expedition
A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2019 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Ford publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.
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 2019 Ford Expedition, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2019 Ford Expedition
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 Expedition →Owner complaints
Source: NHTSA complaint database8 involved a crash · 3 a fire · 42 injuries · 0 deaths reported
64 per 10,000 built · Ford reported 81,248 Expedition built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)
Filed per year: 2019: 9 · 2020: 10 · 2021: 8 · 2022: 33 · 2023: 92 · 2024: 138 · 2025: 112 · 2026: 117
Most-cited components
In depth: transmission and drivetrain problems → · engine problems → · seat belt 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.
The ecoboost 3.5 engine has a common issue with the cam phasers. My vehicle has had oil changes done, every 9,000 miles and now needs the cam phasers to be replaces. It has 83,000 miles. I believe this is a known defect that Ford is trying to remedy with customer satisfaction campaigns, rather than a recall.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated a rattling sound was heard coming from the engine compartment after starting the vehicle. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The independent mechanic was called and stated that the failure was related to the cam phaser, which needed replacement.
The rear lift gate randomly opens on the vehicle. Dealership has said it is a defective wiring harness. The lift gate close with people standing at the rear bumper loading items in the back and will continue to fight to continue closing operations. It does the same with opening.
Ford is aware of a design defect that causes the vct system to wear out within a short amount of time in brand new expeditions. When the vct system wears out, the vehicle immediately transitions into "limp mode" , which causes the vehicle to immediately (unsafely) decelerate to a speed of 15mph (or less on hills), creating dangerous…
Vehicle was bought new from a dealership mid december, due to second set of twins due mid march. Attempted to have graco 4ever child car seats installed by safe kids (organization to keep kids safe) but inspection failed due to 3rd row seating headrest engineering design major defect.
Projector halogen headlights are unsafe and dangerous, unable to see adequately at night. Light output is extremely poor, lighting color is very yellow and beam projection is not far enough to see at any speed above 40mph. Unable to properly see street signs or objects on either side of vehicle that may cross in path.
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 Ford itself: 24 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 31 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 30 per 100,000 built. Every Expedition model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.
When owners reported it
miles, typically
Half the 191 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 55,000 and 95,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.
Median mileage by component
| Component | Reports | Median miles | Vs same age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 85 | 74,000 | 1.76× |
| Power Train | 59 | 77,000 | 2.85× |
| Seat Belts | 45 | 89,000 | 2.23× |
Vs same age is this model year’s median for the system divided by the median of every 2019-model-year complaint about the same system, all makes: under 1× means owners of this car reported it at lower mileage. Here, owners reported later: engine (1.76×), power train (2.85×), seat belts (2.23×). Which systems go early across the whole fleet: the component study.
Across 2018–2021 model years the Ford Expedition ranks 78 of 79 nameplates in the odometer-at-first-complaint study: owners reported problems at 3.3× the mileage of vehicles the same age (median 67,000 miles against a fleet 23,512).
Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAP| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTENDED SUV 4x2 | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | 21% |
| EXTENDED SUV 4x4 | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 19% |
| SUV 4x2 | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | 21% |
| SUV 4x4 | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 19% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsMost often about: Electrical System, Power Train, Equipment, Engine, Unknown Or Other.
- 25N17 Other2026-03-25 · Back Over Prevention — Rearview System Braking
- Advance Notice – Customer Satisfaction Program 25N17 Certain 2015-2025 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Rear View Camera Replacement If Required After Dealer Evaluation
- TSB 25-2570 Service bulletin2025-11-26 · Electrical System
- This article supersedes TSB 24-2165 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit various SYNC performance related concerns including but not limited to: Display operation concerns Navigation inoperative Voice recognition concerns Phone connection issues Dropped phone connections Applink related performance Travel Link not present
- SSM 54366 Service bulletin2025-11-12 · Power Train
- Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. Pinpoint test HK in the Powertrain Control and Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) or in Section 303-14 of the Workshop Manual (WSM) has been updated to address this concern.
- TSB 25-2476 Service bulletin2025-10-30 · Power Train
- This bulletin supersedes TSB 25-2132. Reason for update: update the Part List Description and Labor Times Description Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit at least one of the following conditions: * Harsh engagement * Delayed engagement * Harsh shift * Delayed shift * Illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P0751, P0752, P075
- 24E13 Emissions2025-05-05 · Unknown Or Other
- On your vehicle, the OBD monitoring system for the catalytic converter may not be operating as intended. The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) may illuminate on the instrument panel even though a catalytic converter repair may not be necessary.
- SSM 53661 Service bulletin2025-04-24 · Unknown Or Other
- Some 2018-2024 Expedition/Navigator vehicles equipped with 22 inch wheels, may exhibit an increased level of vibrations which can be felt while driving on a smooth road at speeds at or above 75 mph (120 km/h). Pinpoint Test G located in Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 204-04 has been developed to assist with diagnosis of this condition. When submitting a warranty claim, include all results from the
- TSB 25-2132 Service bulletin2025-04-18 · Unknown Or Other
- This bulletin supersedes TSB 25-2023. Reason for update: update the Part List and Service Procedure Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit at least one of the following conditions: * Harsh engagement * Delayed engagement * Harsh shift * Delayed shift * Illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P0751, P0752, P0756, P0757, P0761, P
- 24E13 Emissions2025-04-17 · Unknown Or Other
- Certain 2018-2021 Model Year Expedition Vehicles equipped with a 3.5L EcoBoost Engine Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Reprograming
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 complaintsCodes 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.
| Code | What it means | Most often filed under | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| P0732 P0732 on Ford → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 11 bulletins · 1 owner report |
| P0736 P0736 on Ford → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 11 bulletins · 1 owner report |
| P07F7 P07F7 on Ford → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 11 bulletins · 1 owner report |
| P2701 P2701 on Ford → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 11 bulletins · 1 owner report |
| P0729 P0729 on Ford → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 11 bulletins |
| P0731 P0731 on Ford → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 11 bulletins |
| P0733 P0733 on Ford → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 11 bulletins |
| P0734 P0734 on Ford → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 11 bulletins |
| P0735 P0735 on Ford → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 11 bulletins |
| P0751 P0751 on Ford → | Shift solenoid A is not responding — stuck off. | Power Train | 11 bulletins |
| P0752 P0752 on Ford → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 11 bulletins |
| P0756 P0756 on Ford → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 11 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 DMVIn New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2019 Ford Expedition failed the emissions check on 2.8% of first inspections — close to the 2.7% for every 2019 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.6% (every 2019 vehicle: 1.7%).
failed emissions
1,233 initial inspections of 1,205 vehicles.
| Measure | The 2019 Expedition | Every 2019 vehicle | Behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failed the emissions check | 2.8% | 2.7% | 1,226 |
| Failed the safety inspection | 1.6% | 1.7% | 1,233 |
| Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit | 0.08% | 0.20% | 1,233 |
| Miles driven a year | 12,161 | 9,904 | odometer at inspection |
| Average odometer | 88,362 | 72,084 | odometer at inspection |
New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. 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 2019 vehicle” is every 2019 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).
Expedition by model year
all years, side by side →Common questions about the 2019 Expedition
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsDoes the 2019 Ford Expedition have any recalls?
NHTSA has posted 11 recall campaigns for the 2019 Ford Expedition. The most serious on file is 26V402000, covering Power Train. 3 of them were filed with no repair available at the time — NHTSA's file records what the manufacturer had in hand on the filing date, not what exists today. The manufacturer's own estimate for when a fix would be ready: April 2027, August 2026, January 2027. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.
How safe is the 2019 Ford Expedition?
NHTSA gave the 2019 Ford Expedition 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 5-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 3-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it D (60/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2019 Ford Expedition?
Across the 4 EPA-rated configurations of the 2019 Ford Expedition, the best EPA combined figure is 20 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What are the dimensions of the 2019 Ford Expedition?
Transport Canada measured it at 209.8–222.0 in long, 79.9 in wide (body, without mirrors), 76.4 in tall, on a 122.4–131.5 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 5,624–5,794 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.
What do owners complain about on the 2019 Ford Expedition?
Owners have filed 519 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Ford Expedition, most often about power train, engine, seat belts. Of those, 8 involved a crash, 3 a fire, 42 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 2019 Ford Expedition?
The EPA smog rating for the 2019 Ford Expedition is 5 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 2019 Ford Expedition?
The manufacturer has filed 150 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2019 Ford Expedition, most often covering electrical system, power train, equipment. The most recent is dated 2026-03-25. 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 2019 Ford Expedition do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2019 Ford Expedition failed the emissions check on 2.8% of first inspections — close to the 2.7% for every 2019 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.6% (every 2019 vehicle: 1.7%). 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.
| Data | Held | Source | What it covers — or what empty means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy & configurations | 4 configurations | EPA certification records | Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures. |
| Emission certificates | 4 configurations | EPA emission certificates | Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new. |
| Recalls | 11 | NHTSA recall campaigns | A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags. |
| Owner complaints | 519 | NHTSA complaint database | Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold. |
| Crash ratings | 4 tested | NHTSA NCAP | Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them. |
| Service bulletins | 150 | NHTSA manufacturer communications | Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall. |
| Investigations | 2 | NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation | Open and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative. |
| Driver-assist crash reports | none | NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01 | No 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 NHTSA | 11 fields | NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns | What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder. |
| Measured dimensions | 7 fields | Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications | Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions. |
| Trims, pricing & equipment | none | Manufacturer press kit | We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind. |
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.
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.