2020 Ford Expedition
The 2020 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 19 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 18 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 425 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 | 23 | 19 | $3,550 |
| 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: 42265, 42269, 42266, 42270.
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 | 4x2 |
| Transmission | Automatic |
| Transmission speeds | 10 |
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, Rear cross-traffic alert
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 2020 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 (18)
Source: NHTSA recall databaseStructure
26S38Seat Belts
26S34Engine
22S36/22S48Back Over Prevention
25S72Seat Belts
25S31Electrical System
25S56Equipment
24C39Seat Belts
24S06Equipment
23C20Visibility
22S26Back Over Prevention
20C19Seat Belts
20S54Seats
20C12Electrical System
20S20Seat Belts
20S17Power Train
20S18Seats
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 →
Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera — Rearview Camera FMVSS 111 Noncompliance open
On September 23, 2020, Ford Motor Company (Ford) filed a noncompliance recall report under 49 CFR Part 573 (NHTSA Recall No. 20V-575), recalling 620,246 Model Year (MY) 2020 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, Explorer, Mustang, Transit, Expedition, Escape, Ranger and Edge, and Lincoln Nautilus and Corsair vehicles for a noncompliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 111, Rear Visibility. Ford's recall described the noncompliance as insufficient electrical conductivity within the printed circuit board (PCB) internal to the camera leading to intermittent rearview camera operation. The supplier of the cameras was Magna Electronics. According to Ford's chronology in the Pa
Opened Aug 3, 2021 · action RQ21002 · 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 2020 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 2020 Ford Expedition, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2020 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 database5 involved a crash · 7 a fire · 27 injuries · 0 deaths reported
48 per 10,000 built · Ford reported 87,797 Expedition built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)
Filed per year: 2020: 7 · 2021: 11 · 2022: 24 · 2023: 70 · 2024: 116 · 2025: 90 · 2026: 107
Most-cited components
In depth: transmission and drivetrain problems → · engine 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 contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at 10-20 MPH a week after purchasing the vehicle brand new, the vehicle started jerking. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact continued driving. However, the failure recurred while driving the entire day.
The Car ELECTRIC 120V 150Watt connector is failing to hold into any plug into the socket thus falling or pulling halfway out and creating a dangerous situation to our children sitting on the back. In trying to plug back in one of our children got an electrical shock.
Can be driving on freeway at 70 mph and all of sudden vehicle stalls or transmission begins to slip or stall. Make this grinding clinking sound.all lights on dash light up. Nearly caused a crash . Vehicle jerks and jumps back into gear and then takes off again. Will also do this at even 35 mph too. This has happened numerous times.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the rear windshield unexpectedly shattered. There was no impact to the rear windshield that could have caused it to shatter. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer.
Forward collision warning, dynamic brake support and automatic emergency braking do not work and the driver menu to to turn on/off and or adjust settings is inaccessible. Although not part of NHTSA recall #20V-262 issued in May 2020, my vehicle matches the exact vehicle configuration and problem(s) outlined in the recall documentation.
The vehicle shakes/vibrates when driving over 65mph, gets worse the faster you go. Seems worse in the middle of the vehicle. Took it to Ford dealer we purchased from and they couldn't find an issue, just said its something with the tires or rims. Took it to local Ford dealer and same thing, said it was rims or tires giving vibration.
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: 11 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 12 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 13 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 100 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 40,000 and 88,000 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 54 | 65,600 | 1.6× |
| Seat Belts | 15 | 66,230 | 1.55× |
| Engine | 12 | 97,000 | 1.94× |
Vs same age is this model year’s median for the system divided by the median of every 2020-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: power train (1.6×), seat belts (1.55×), engine (1.94×). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV 2WD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | 21% |
| SUV 2WD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | 21% |
| SUV 4WD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 19% |
| SUV 4WD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 19% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsMost often about: Electrical System, Equipment, Power Train, Engine, Unknown Or Other.
- SSM 55100 Service bulletin2026-08-22 · Seats
- For Various Ford and Lincoln vehicles, if diagnostics lead to the replacement of the front seat cushion cover J-clips, lower-level service parts are now available. Use service part W709919-S901 if the J-clip is completely detached from the seat cover and W715386-S424 if the clip is still partially attached. It is not necessary to replace the seat cover if only the J-clip is separating from the cov
- SSM 54720 Service bulletin2026-04-02 · Lane Departure — Blind Spot Detection
- Various 2020-2026 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with blind spot information system (BLIS) may experience an inoperative blind spot monitoring with a "Blind Spot System Fault" message displayed in the instrument panel cluster (IPC). This may also be accompanied by diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) B118C:11 and/or B118C:15 stored in the driver door module (DDM), and/or B118D:11 and/or B118D:15 st
- 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
- SSM 54589 Other2026-02-17 · Electrical System
- Some 2019-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with SYNC3 may experience various connectivity concerns with The Ford App Lincoln App including but not limited to: missing activation prompt pop-upon the vehicle's center display screen when attempting to activate vehicle through The Ford App Lincoln App, incorrect location global positioning system GPS reported through The Ford App Lincoln App,
- 25L02 Other2025-12-02 · Unknown Or Other
- Special Field Action 25L02 Certain 2017-2024 Model Year California Emissions-Certified Vehicles Transmission Control Assembly Reimbursement
- 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
- SSM 54313 Service bulletin2025-10-21 · Lane Departure — Blind Spot Detection
- Some 2020-2025 various Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with blind spot information system (BLIS) may experience an inoperative blind spot monitoring with a "Blind Spot System Fault" message displayed in the instrument panel cluster (IPC). This may also be accompanied by diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) B118C:11 and/or B118C:15 stored in the driver door module (DDM), and/or B118D:11 and/or B118D:
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| P07F7 P07F7 on Ford → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 11 bulletins · 2 owner reports |
| 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 |
| P0732 P0732 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 |
| P0736 P0736 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 |
| P0757 P0757 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 2020 Ford Expedition failed the emissions check on 2.2% of first inspections — close to the 2.2% for every 2020 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.7% (every 2020 vehicle: 1.6%).
failed emissions
1,097 initial inspections of 1,083 vehicles.
| Measure | The 2020 Expedition | Every 2020 vehicle | Behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failed the emissions check | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1,093 |
| Failed the safety inspection | 1.7% | 1.6% | 1,097 |
| Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit | 0.18% | 0.19% | 1,097 |
| Miles driven a year | 12,210 | 9,980 | odometer at inspection |
| Average odometer | 76,765 | 62,630 | 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 2020 vehicle” is every 2020 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 2020 Expedition
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsDoes the 2020 Ford Expedition have any recalls?
NHTSA has posted 18 recall campaigns for the 2020 Ford Expedition, 1 of them rated critical. The most serious on file is 25V628000, covering Engine. 4 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. There is an active park outside advisory — act on it before driving. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.
How safe is the 2020 Ford Expedition?
NHTSA gave the 2020 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 F (44/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2020 Ford Expedition?
Across the 4 EPA-rated configurations of the 2020 Ford Expedition, the best EPA combined figure is 19 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What are the dimensions of the 2020 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 2020 Ford Expedition?
Owners have filed 425 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Ford Expedition, most often about power train, unspecified, engine. Of those, 5 involved a crash, 7 a fire, 27 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 2020 Ford Expedition?
The EPA smog rating for the 2020 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 2020 Ford Expedition?
The manufacturer has filed 176 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2020 Ford Expedition, most often covering electrical system, equipment, power train. The most recent is dated 2026-08-22. 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 2020 Ford Expedition do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2020 Ford Expedition failed the emissions check on 2.2% of first inspections — close to the 2.2% for every 2020 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.7% (every 2020 vehicle: 1.6%). 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 | 18 | NHTSA recall campaigns | A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags. |
| Owner complaints | 425 | 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 | 176 | 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 | 13 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.