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2016 Ford Flex

Gas

Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
3 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

81 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 3

Complaints4 crash · 3 injured reported 101

Crash ratingnot rated by NHTSA —

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 19 mpg

2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2016 Ford Flex is sold in the U.S. as a gas large SUV with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Flex FWD, is EPA-rated at 19 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 101 complaints, most often about the back over prevention.

Ford Flex — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Ford Flex · Photo: IFCAR · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Flex FWD	Gas	FWD	3.5L 6-cyl	16	23	19	$3,550
Flex AWD	Gas	AWD	3.5L 6-cyl	16	22	18	$3,700
Flex AWD	Gas	AWD	3.5L 6-cyl turbo	15	21	17	$3,950

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 37187, 37189, 37190.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
Flex AWD, Flex FWD	5–6 / 10	Bin 5 / LEV-II ULEV	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 vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Sport Utility Vehicle [SUV]/Multipurpose Vehicle [MPV]
Doors	4
GVWR class	Class 1D: 5,001 - 6,000 lb (2,268 - 2,722 kg)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	6
Displacement	3.5 L
Engine configuration	V-Shaped

Engine Output

Horsepower

287 hp

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Transmission

Drivetrain

FWD/Front-Wheel Drive

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, SE, SEL). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	202.0 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	76.0 in
Height	67.7 in
Wheelbase	118.1 in
Track, front	65.7 in
Track, rear	65.7 in
Curb weight	4,469–4,839 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	54/46

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 2 configurations: 5-door Cuv AWD, 5-door Cuv FWD. 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.

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Recalls (3)

Source: NHTSA recall database

●moderate

Back Over Prevention

25SA9

1,448,655 vehicles 1% reported repaired

Problem Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermittent, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse. Risk A rearview camera that fails to properly display an image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on October 25, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Mustang owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford'

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF

NHTSA campaign 25V695000 reported Oct 13, 2025 Ford Motor Company the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

▲high

Suspension

20S04

211,207 vehicles 70% reported repaired built Sep 12, 2011 – Jun 1, 2017

Problem Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Lincoln MKT and Ford Flex and Taurus vehicles with the Police Interceptor or SHO Performance Pack. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension. Risk A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash. Fix Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. Remedy parts are not currently available. Owners were notified about the recall on March 3, 2020. A second notice will be mailed when remedy parts become available, which is currently expected to be the end of September 2020. The recall began October 28, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or Lincoln customer service at 1-800-521-4140. Ford's number for this recall i

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF

NHTSA campaign 20V072000 reported Feb 10, 2020 Ford Motor Company the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

▲high

Engine And Engine Cooling

16S46

1,163 vehicles 88% reported repaired built Oct 18, 2016 – Nov 10, 2016

Problem Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Taurus, 2016-2017 Ford Flex, Lincoln MKT, 2017 Ford Explorer and Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines. Improperly brazed turbocharger oil supply tubes may leak oil on engine components. Risk An oil leak, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire. Fix Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the turbocharger oil supply tubes, free of charge. The recall began on January 31, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S46.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF

NHTSA campaign 16V925000 reported Dec 22, 2016 Ford Motor Company 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.

Whether any of this applies to one specific Flex

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2016 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.

NHTSA VIN check →Ford’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 2016 Ford Flex, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

101complaints filed

4 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 3 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2016: 3 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 5 · 2019: 7 · 2020: 6 · 2021: 6 · 2022: 5 · 2023: 5 · 2024: 11 · 2025: 21 · 2026: 31

Most-cited components

Back Over Prevention 31

Electrical System 23

Unspecified 14

Suspension 10

Engine 9

Structure 9

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 2016 Ford Flex. The contact stated that the passenger’s side front and rear door latches malfunctioned making it difficult to securely close the doors. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered.

Latches/Locks/Linkages at 80,000 miles Dec 6, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11442881

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Flex. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20v072000 (suspension) and had the vehicle serviced at tuscaloosa Ford (5801 mcfarland blvd e, tuscaloosa, al 35405).

Suspension at 66,000 miles Feb 9, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11395387

I noticed one day when I drove to work and got out of my vehicle it smelled like transmission fluid burning took it to the dealer and they said it is a common problem with the Ford Flex that the trans fluid and coolant were getting mixed together because of the design of the A/C condensor etc....

Power Train at 75,000 miles Mar 18, 2020 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11318562

The vehicle was in motion and was turning left from a stop at a stoplight. We were preparing to enter a highway on-ramp. The engine suddenly quit (no warning) and would not restart. Had this happened a few moments later (merging into heavy highway traffic), an accident would have been likely.

Engine at 31,000 miles Apr 8, 2019 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11194529

Power steering would not engage when car was started in morning after two days of long driving. Would not engage with repeated efforts at starting. Had previously failed briefly while car was in motion at less than 10 miles per hour, six months before, but reinstituted when seat belt was fastened

Electronic Stability Control at 25,000 miles Nov 16, 2018 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11152009

Was driving down the road when the car seddenly accelerates. I could feel the petal drop out from under my foot. I pressed the brakes and the car spead up when I took my foot off the break.

Vehicle Speed Control at 10,960 miles Mar 5, 2018 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11076234

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): 13 injured, as claimed, not verified. Every Flex model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

When owners reported it

Reported at 66k

miles, typically

Half the 49 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 32,000 and 115,000 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.

under 10k 1

10k–20k 4

20k–30k 4

30k–40k 7

40k–50k 4

50k–60k 2

60k–70k 7

70k–80k 1

80k–90k 4

90k–100k 0

100k–150k 9

150k + 6

Median mileage by component

Component	Reports	Median miles	Vs same age
Back Over Prevention	16	80,000	1.0×

Vs same age is this model year’s median for the system divided by the median of every 2016-model-year complaint about the same system, all makes: under 1× means owners of this car reported it at lower mileage. Which systems go early across the whole fleet: the component study.

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 AWD	not rated	not rated	not rated	★★★★☆	15%
SUV FWD	not rated	not rated	not rated	★★★★☆	16%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 87

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-09-30

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 85 service bulletins, 1 emissions, 1 other

Most often about: Equipment, Electrical System, Engine, Power Train, Unknown Or Other.

25E10-S1 Other
2026-09-30 · Power Train
25E10-S1 Owner letter
25E10-S1 Emissions
2026-07-02 · Unknown Or Other
NEW VEHICLE DELIVERY HOLD - Emissions Recall 25E10 - Supplement #1 Certain 2018-2020 Model Year F-150 Vehicles With 3.3L Engines and 2016-2019 Model Year Explorer, Taurus, and Flex Vehicles With 3.5L Engines Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Reprogramming
SSM 54601 Service bulletin
2026-02-24 · Electrical System
Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated wired keypad, the accessory wireless keypad master code cannot be retrieved from the vehicle using a diagnostic scan tool or from the label printed on the body control module (BCM). Th
TSB 25-2570 Service bulletin
2025-11-26 · 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 bulletin
2025-11-12 · 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.
SSM 53040 Service bulletin
2024-10-10 · Unknown Or Other
While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions.
TSB 24-2165 Service bulletin
2024-05-27 · Unknown Or Other
This article supersedes TSB 21-2175 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some 2016 MKS, 2016-2017 Navigator, 2016-2018 F-150/Focus/C-MAX/Edge/Fiesta/MKX/Transit Connect/Mustang, 2017-2018 Continental/Fusion/MKZ, 2017-2019 Explorer, 2016-2019 Escape/MKC/Flex/MKT/Taurus/Transit/Expedition/F-Super Duty, and 2018-2019 EcoSport vehicles equipped with SYNC 3 may experience various SYNC performance relat
SSM 52476 Service bulletin
2024-04-24 · Equipment
All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the vehicles owner during initial delivery. Unlike the integrated (wired) factory keypad, the accessory keypad master code cannot be retrieved from the vehicle using a diagnostic scan tool.

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.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
P0011 P0011 on Ford →	Camshaft timing on bank 1 is more advanced than commanded.	Power Train	5 bulletins
P0015 P0015 on Ford →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	5 bulletins
P0016 P0016 on Ford →	The crankshaft and camshaft are not where they should be relative to each other — timing, chain or phaser.	Power Train	5 bulletins
P0017 P0017 on Ford →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	5 bulletins
P0018 P0018 on Ford →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	5 bulletins
P0019 P0019 on Ford →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	5 bulletins
P0021 P0021 on Ford →	Camshaft timing on bank 2 is more advanced than commanded.	Power Train	5 bulletins
P0025 P0025 on Ford →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	5 bulletins
P0012 P0012 on Ford →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	4 bulletins
P0014 P0014 on Ford →	The second camshaft on bank 1 is timed further advanced than commanded.	Power Train	4 bulletins
P0022 P0022 on Ford →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	4 bulletins
P0024 P0024 on Ford →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	4 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.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 4.5%

failed emissions

271 initial inspections of 253 vehicles.

Measure	The 2016 Flex	Every 2016 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	4.5%	4.2%	269
Failed the safety inspection	1.8%	2.2%	271
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0%	0.27%	271
Miles driven a year	10,903	10,028	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	112,082	103,109	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 2016 vehicle” is every 2016 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).

Flex by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2019 C 4 257 19 mpg 2018 B 3 69 19 mpg 2017 C 4 42 19 mpg 2016 this page B 3 101 19 mpg

Common questions about the 2016 Flex

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2016 Ford Flex have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 3 recall campaigns for the 2016 Ford Flex. The most serious on file is 20V072000, covering Suspension. 2 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. 1 campaign is phased, so the repair reached some model years before others. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2016 Ford Flex?

NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2016 Ford Flex yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it B (81/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2016 Ford Flex?

Across the 3 EPA-rated configurations of the 2016 Ford Flex, 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 2016 Ford Flex?

Transport Canada measured it at 202.0 in long, 76.0 in wide (body, without mirrors), 67.7 in tall, on a 118.1 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 4,469–4,839 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 2016 Ford Flex?

Owners have filed 101 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Ford Flex, most often about back over prevention, electrical system, unspecified. Of those, 4 involved a crash, 3 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 2016 Ford Flex?

The EPA smog rating for the 2016 Ford Flex runs 5 to 6 out of 10 across its configurations. 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 — Bin 5, LEV-II ULEV — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2016 Ford Flex?

The manufacturer has filed 87 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2016 Ford Flex, most often covering equipment, electrical system, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-09-30. 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 2016 Ford Flex do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2016 Ford Flex failed the emissions check on 4.5% of first inspections — close to the 4.2% for every 2016 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.8% (every 2016 vehicle: 2.2%). 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	3 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	3 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	3	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	101	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	2 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	87	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	none	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	No defect investigation has been opened.
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	9 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.

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