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2017 Honda Odyssey

Gas

Minivan - 2WD
1 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

85 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 2

Complaints3 crash · 2 injured reported 39

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 22 mpg

2027 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2017 Honda Odyssey is sold in the U.S. as a gas minivan. The most efficient version, the Odyssey, is EPA-rated at 22 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 39 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Honda Odyssey — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Honda Odyssey · Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Odyssey	Gas	FWD	3.5L 6-cyl	19	27	22	$3,050

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 38509.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
Odyssey	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	5
GVWR class	Class 1C: 4,001 - 5,000 lb (1,814 - 2,268 kg)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	4
Displacement	2.4 L
Engine configuration	In-Line

Engine Output

Horsepower

184 hp

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Seating

Seat rows	2
Seating capacity	5 seats

Transmission

Drivetrain	4WD/4-Wheel Drive/4x4
Transmission	Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
Transmission speeds	6

Driver assistance

Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning

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: EX, EXL/EXL-N/EXL-R, LX, SE). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	202.8 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	79.1 in
Height	68.5 in
Wheelbase	118.1 in
Track, front	67.7 in
Track, rear	68.1 in
Curb weight	4,400–4,557 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	56/44

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 2 configurations: 4-door Minivan Ex-L Res/Ex-L Navi/Touring, 4-door Minivan Lx/Se/Ex/Ex Res. 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.

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 (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Fuel System, Gasoline

KGC, KGD

2,490,460 vehicles 79% reported repaired

Problem Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail. Risk Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 23V858000 reported Dec 18, 2023 Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

▲high

Seats

P0Q

806,936 vehicles 80% reported repaired

Problem Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Honda Odyssey vehicles. The second row outboard seats can slide sideways to one of two positions. If a seat is placed between either of the two positions when attaching the seat to the vehicle floor, the seat will not latch properly to the seat striker, allowing the seat to tip forward unexpectedly during braking. Risk If the seat tips forward during braking, it can increase the risk of injury. Fix Honda will notify owners, and dealers will install a bracket to the second row outboard floor strikers, free of charge. The recall began April 2, 2018. Owners may contact American Honda Customer Support & Campaign Center at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is S0G.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF

NHTSA campaign 17V725000 reported Nov 17, 2017 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

Air Bags — Inadvertent Deployment of Air Bags closed

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has completed its review of a Petition dated May 30, 2026. The Petition requested an investigation into inadvertent air bag deployment in model year (MY) 2011-2017 Honda Odyssey vehicles. The Petition contended that air bags can deploy absent a sufficiently severe event to trigger a deployment, such as an impact, rollover event, or G-force threshold breach. The Petition further alleged that the Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) and Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) conflict and inaccurate data is being recorded for the air bag system. An air bag is a supplemental vehicle occupant restraint system that deploys a cushion designed to inflate in millisec

Opened Jul 13, 2026 · closed Sep 24, 2026 · action DP26005 · the investigation’s page →

Whether any of this applies to one specific Odyssey

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2017 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Honda 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 →Honda’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 2017 Honda Odyssey, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

39complaints filed

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

14 per 10,000 built · Honda reported 27,131 Odyssey built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2017: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2019: 7 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 4 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2025: 9 · 2026: 4

Most-cited components

Engine 10

Power Train 7

Unspecified 6

Electrical System 6

Service Brakes 3

Visibility/Wiper 3

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.

I own a 2017 Honda Odyssey that is currently covered under an extended warranty related to the torque converter, specifically addressing Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P0741. I experienced symptoms twice—once in January 2025 and again in May 2025—using an OBD-II scanner.

Power Train Jul 8, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11671987

On two separate occasions, while unattended and sitting in my garage, the vehicle seemed to be attempting to start by itself. Instrument panel warning lights were all flashing on and off with ignition clicking. The key fob was nowhere near the vehicle.

Electrical System Jun 5, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11665032

While driving, the battery indicator light illuminated. Suddenly, the power turned off. The vehicle could be steered and brakes used, only. Then, as quickly as the power turned off, it restored and momentarily powered the accelerator. Then the power stopped again.

Service Brakes Jun 4, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11664844

Driver side rear sliding door fell off after cables snapped when opening. This puts my kids at risk of falling out of the car. This happened spontaneously without any accidents or force

Structure Jun 2, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11664250

2017 Honda Odyssey Piston ring failure leading to stop spark plug working while driving. This makes car shake heavily and can’t drive more than 20mph, sound from engine is loud. Had been happening every 1000 miles or so, changing spark plug temporary fix it. Spark plug starts failing one after another.

Engine Jan 31, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11639830

While the original owner of the vehicle was driving on a side road at approximately 40 MPH with a child in the rear seat, there was an abnormal noise. Upon investigation, the sunroof was found shattered with glass on top of the sun shade and a hole in the glass.

Visibility/Wiper at 50,000 miles Feb 23, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11397496

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 Honda itself: 16 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 23 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 59 per 100,000 built. Every Odyssey model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

When owners reported it

Reported at 25k

miles, typically

Half the 14 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 14,000 and 59,000 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.

Too few readings for a curve — the 14 on file: 2 under 10k, 3 10k–20k, 2 20k–30k, 2 30k–40k, 2 50k–60k, 1 60k–70k, 1 80k–90k, 1 90k–100k.

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
VAN FWD	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★☆	13%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Extended coverage on file 3 filings by the manufacturer with NHTSA naming this model year

Term not in NHTSA’s summary · Honda bulletin A25-061The piston ring function deteriorates due to ring wear and sticking from sludge.
Term not in NHTSA’s summary · Honda bulletin ONL6Z6072025Owner Notification Letter - the piston ring function can deteriorate due to ring low wear toughness and sticking from sludge.
Term not in NHTSA’s summary · Honda bulletin ONL6T806032025 Odyssey LeOwner Notification Letter - Under certain circumstances, the torque converter lock-up clutch cannot provide adequate holding force due to pressure bleeding down through a crack in the lock-up piston.

The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every Honda warranty extension (66) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 68

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-02-01

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 62 service bulletins, 6 others

Most often about: Engine, Power Train, Electrical System, Equipment, Fuel/Propulsion System.

A26-001 Service bulletin
2026-02-01 · Engine
Service Bulletin - The piston ring function deteriorates due to ring low wear toughness and sticking from sludge. Oil adheres to the spark plug leading to carbon fouling and misfire. This can set DTCs P0301 No. 1 cylinder misfire detected, P0302 No. 2 cylinder misfire detected, P0303 No. 3 cylinder misfire detected, P0304 No. 4 cylinder misfire detected, and cause the MIL to come on.
A25-061 Service bulletin
2025-08-29 · Engine
Service Bulletin - The piston ring function deteriorates due to ring low wear toughness and sticking from sludge. Oil adheres to the spark plug leading to carbon fouling and misfire. This can set DTCs P0301 No. 1 cylinder misfire detected, P0302 No. 2 cylinder misfire detected, P0303 No. 3 cylinder misfire detected, P0304 No. 4 cylinder misfire detected, and cause the MIL to come on.
ONL6Z6072025 Other
2025-07-29 · Engine
Owner Notification Letter - the piston ring function can deteriorate due to ring low wear toughness and sticking from sludge. Oil adheres to the spark plug leading to carbon fouling and misfire. This can set DTCs P0301 No. 1 cylinder misfire detected, P0302 No. 2 cylinder misfire detected, P0303 No. 3 cylinder misfire detected, P0304 No. 4 cylinder misfire detected, and cause the Malfunction Indic
A25-061 Service bulletin
2025-07-18 · Engine
Service Bulletin - The piston ring function deteriorates due to ring wear and sticking from sludge. Oil from the crankcase adheres to the spark plug leading to carbon fouling and misfire. This can set DTCs P0301 No. 1 cylinder misfire detected, P0302 No. 2 cylinder misfire detected, P0303 No. 3 cylinder misfire detected, P0304 No. 4 cylinder misfire detected, and cause the MIL to come on.
AEBM06172025901 Other
2025-06-17 · Engine
Dealer Message - Piston ring effectiveness may be reduced due to excessive wear and oil sludge build-up, which can cause oil to adhere to the spark plug, potentially leading to carbon fouling and misfire triggering DTCs P0301 through P0304 and cause the MIL to come on.
A25-061 Service bulletin
2025-06-17 · Engine
Service Bulletin - The piston ring function deteriorates due to ring low wear toughness and sticking from sludge. Oil adheres to the spark plug leading to carbon fouling and misfire.
ONL6T806032025 Honda Lett Other
2025-06-04 · Power Train
Owner Notification Letter - Under certain circumstances, the torque converter lock-up clutch cannot provide adequate holding force due to pressure bleeding down through a crack in the lock-up piston. The reduced lock-up clutch capacity results in the transmission indicator flashing “D” and sets DTC P0741 Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Performance or Stuck Off.
ONL6T806032025 Odyssey Le Other
2025-06-04 · Power Train
Owner Notification Letter - Under certain circumstances, the torque converter lock-up clutch cannot provide adequate holding force due to pressure bleeding down through a crack in the lock-up piston. The reduced lock-up clutch capacity results in the transmission indicator flashing “D” and sets DTC P0741 Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Performance or Stuck Off.

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
P0741 P0741 on Honda →	The torque converter clutch is not locking up when commanded.	Engine	7 bulletins · 1 owner report
P0301 P0301 on Honda →	Cylinder 1 is misfiring.	Engine · Ignition coils →	5 bulletins
P0304 P0304 on Honda →	Cylinder 4 is misfiring.	Engine · Ignition coils →	5 bulletins
P0302 P0302 on Honda →	Cylinder 2 is misfiring.	Engine · Ignition coils →	4 bulletins
P0303 P0303 on Honda →	Cylinder 3 is misfiring.	Engine · Ignition coils →	4 bulletins
P2652	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Engine	4 bulletins
P3400	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Engine	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 3.4%

failed emissions

856 initial inspections of 844 vehicles.

Measure	The 2017 Odyssey	Every 2017 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	3.4%	3.7%	853
Failed the safety inspection	1.6%	2.1%	856
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.23%	0.25%	856
Miles driven a year	10,847	10,048	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	101,094	93,238	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 2017 vehicle” is every 2017 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).

Odyssey by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2027 A 0 0 22 mpg 2026 B 2 52 22 mpg 2025 B 2 435 22 mpg 2024 C 3 121 22 mpg 2023 C 5 105 22 mpg 2022 F 9 141 22 mpg 2021 F 8 147 22 mpg 2020 F 14 487 22 mpg 2019 F 20 993 22 mpg 2018 F 16 1,007 22 mpg 2017 this page B 2 39 22 mpg 2016 D 6 271 22 mpg

Common questions about the 2017 Odyssey

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2017 Honda Odyssey have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 2 recall campaigns for the 2017 Honda Odyssey. The most serious on file is 23V858000, covering Fuel System, Gasoline. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2017 Honda Odyssey?

NHTSA gave the 2017 Honda Odyssey 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 5-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it B (85/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2017 Honda Odyssey?

For the 2017 Honda Odyssey, the best EPA combined figure is 22 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2017 Honda Odyssey?

Transport Canada measured it at 202.8 in long, 79.1 in wide (body, without mirrors), 68.5 in tall, on a 118.1 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 4,400–4,557 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 2017 Honda Odyssey?

Owners have filed 39 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Honda Odyssey, most often about engine, power train, unspecified. Of those, 3 involved a crash, 2 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 2017 Honda Odyssey?

The EPA smog rating for the 2017 Honda Odyssey 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 2017 Honda Odyssey?

The manufacturer has filed 68 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2017 Honda Odyssey, most often covering engine, power train, electrical system. The most recent is dated 2026-02-01. 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 2017 Honda Odyssey do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2017 Honda Odyssey failed the emissions check on 3.4% of first inspections — close to the 3.7% for every 2017 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.6% (every 2017 vehicle: 2.1%). 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	1 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	1 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	2	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	39	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	1 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	68	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	1	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.

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