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2025 Kia K4

Gas

Midsize Cars
3 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

89 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 2

Complaints10 crash · 8 injured reported 47

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 34 mpg

Starting MSRP5 trims · manufacturer $21,990

2027 2026 2025

The 2025 Kia K4 is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize sedan with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the K4, is EPA-rated at 34 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 47 complaints, most often about the electrical system. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall. Manufacturer pricing runs from $21,990 to $28,090 across 5 trims.

Kia K4 — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Kia K4 · Photo: Kevauto · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Trims & pricing

Source: manufacturer press kitWhich trim should I buy? → Compare a trim →

Trim	Powertrain	Drive	MSRP	HP	Torque	MPG comb	Cargo (2nd row)	Wheels
LX	Gas	FWD	$21,990	147 hp	132 lb-ft	34 mpg	14.6 cu-ft	16 in
LXS	Gas	FWD	$22,990	147 hp	132 lb-ft	33 mpg	14.6 cu-ft	16 in
EX	Gas	FWD	$23,990	147 hp	132 lb-ft	33 mpg	14.6 cu-ft	17 in
GT-LINE	Gas	FWD	$25,190	147 hp	132 lb-ft	33 mpg	14.6 cu-ft	18 in
GT-LINE TURBO	Gas	FWD	$28,090	190 hp	195 lb-ft	29 mpg	14.6 cu-ft	18 in

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

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
K4	Gas	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl	30	40	34	$1,950
K4	Gas	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl	29	39	33	$2,050
K4	Gas	FWD	1.6L 4-cyl turbo	26	36	29	$2,300

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 48180, 48179, 48852.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
K4	6 / 10	California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—
K4	6 / 10	Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 / California LEV-III SULEV30	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.

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Recalls (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database

○minor

Electrical System

SC361

42,677 vehicles 92% reported repaired built Aug 4, 2025 – Dec 12, 2025

Problem Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 Kia K4, 2025-2026 Sorento, Sorento Hybrid, Sorento Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage PHEV, K5, EV9, Carnival, and Carnival Hybrid vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 101, "Controls and Displays" and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring System." Risk An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer, tire pressure, or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash. Fix The instrument panel display software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 26, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC361. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 9, 2026.

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF Chronology PDF

NHTSA campaign 26V046000 reported Jan 26, 2026 Kia America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

▲high

Engine And Engine Cooling

SC349

30 vehicles 90% reported repaired built Jan 15, 2025 – Aug 1, 2025

Problem Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 K4 and Sorento vehicles. The connecting rod bolts in the engine may have been improperly tightened, which can cause a loss of drive power. Risk A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers will replace the sub engine assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 12, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC349.

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF Chronology PDF

NHTSA campaign 25V548000 reported Aug 25, 2025 Kia America, Inc. 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 K4

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2025 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Kia 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 →Kia’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2025 Kia K4, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

47complaints filed

10 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 8 injuries · 0 deaths reported

2.5 per 10,000 built · Kia reported 186,239 K4 built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2025: 19 · 2026: 28

Most-cited components

Electrical System 15

Unspecified 12

Forward Collision Avoidance 9

Lane Departure 9

Engine 9

Power Train 8

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 was hit on the driver side of the car infront of the driver door side of the hood and it took out my wheel and the car is totaled with how hard the hit was made my car bounce but the air bags never deployed and the fireman and the police officer said with as hard as I was hit it should have deployed

Air Bags Apr 25, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11733814

As I entered onto i4 reaching the speed of 60 miles an hour my vehicle began to make a high pitched whining noise that got louder as I pressed on the gas pedal, noise dissipated when I let off the gas pedal.

Power Train Apr 6, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11729395

While driving my 2025 Kia K4, the steering system failed and became unresponsive. I was unable to steer the vehicle as intended. The exact cause of the steering failure is UNKNOWN at this time. The vehicle and steering components are available for inspection upon request.

Steering Apr 6, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11729402

When parked and cutting the car on check driver assistance system come on, check and, and esc comes on. The parking brake does not go off and malfunction. When trying to move the car sometimes it still drives and sometimes the parking brake will not allow you to move until the system resets its self. There are 6 codes that appear.

Forward Collision Avoidance Feb 16, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11718311

The digital instrument panel (including infotainment screen) has occasionally turned off and back on. An article showed Kia and Hyundai were going to have a recall at the end of March for this problem, but noted only 2025 K4 vehicles built after Aug 4, 2025 were involved, while the door frame shows my vehicle built 7/2025.

Electrical System Feb 3, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11715310

There are times my vehicle keeps accelerating even though I’m hitting the brakes. Once stopped, it then doesn’t want to accelerate. I’ve reported to the dealership and they try to tell me it’s the type of transmission it has and that it’s normal. Continuing to accelerate while braking is extremely unsafe.

Vehicle Speed Control Jan 16, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11711366

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 Kia itself: 15 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 2 killed, 19 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 8.1 per 100,000 built. Every K4 model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
4 DR FWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★★	10%

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

Driver-assist crash reports (4)

Source: NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01

4reports filed

3 moderate · 1 severity unknown

Jul 2025 to Jun 2026 · 1 with an air bag deployment · 4 towed

What was engaged, and what was hit

System named: LFA + SCC (2), Due to multiple ECU's no version can be described (1), SCC + LFA (1)

Crash partner: Other 2 · Passenger Car 2

Filed by: Kia America, Inc.

Incident	System	Struck	Injury alleged	State	Speed	Report
Jun 2026	Level 2 · LFA + SCC	Other	moderate	GA	65 mph	753-15556
Apr 2026	Level 2 · SCC + LFA	Passenger Car	moderate	VA	50 mph	753-14851
Dec 2025	Level 2 · LFA + SCC	Passenger Car	moderate	AZ	55 mph	753-13580
Jul 2025	Level 2 · Due to multiple ECU's no version can be described	Other	unknown	TX	75 mph	753-11834

From the manufacturer’s own filing

The reporting entity’s narrative as NHTSA published it, with anything identifying removed and nothing added. A narrative is a notice, written before the entity had verified what happened.

On June [redacted], 2026, the customer called Kia’s Customer Care Center to report that his 2025MY Kia K4 was involved in an incident where “Lane Keep Assist” and Driver Warning Assist” had failed. Specifically, the customer indicated that he was driving on[redacted] and was behind an 18-wheeler with the cruise control set at 70 mph.

Kia America, Inc. report 753-15556 Jun 2026 NHTSA SGO filing

On April [redacted], 2026, the customer called Kia’s Customer Care Center to report that her 2025MY Kia K4 was involved in an incident, the airbags did not deploy, and the cruise control allegedly “failed.” Specifically, the customer indicated that she was asleep and her husband was driving the vehicle when “the cruise control was set for safe driving and…

Kia America, Inc. report 753-14851 Apr 2026 NHTSA SGO filing

On January 2, 2026, the customer called Kia's Customer Care Center regarding his 2025MY Kia K4, indicating that, on December [redacted], 2025, he was in "an accident because cruise control would not disengage." The customer also indicated that Lane Following Assist was also on.

Kia America, Inc. report 753-13580 Dec 2025 NHTSA SGO filing

A report under the General Order is a notice the manufacturer or operator must file within days of hearing of a crash in which a Level 2 driver-assist or automated-driving system was engaged within 30 seconds of impact. It is filed before anything is verified, and entities with telematics hear of far more crashes than entities that rely on complaints, so counts say as much about the reporting as about the car and are not comparable across makes. Nothing is normalised by fleet size. Every report on file, by make and year → · NHTSA’s page and files

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 19

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-07-22

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 15 service bulletins, 3 others, 1 over-the-air update

Most often about: Electrical System, Visibility/Wiper, Engine, Power Train, Exterior Lighting.

TSB_ELE414_R1 Service bulletin
2026-07-22 · Electrical System
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: BODY DOMAIN CONTROLLER (BDC) REPLACEMENT (CA2515 Revision 1) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information regarding the Body Domain Control unit ‘BDC’ on certain 2025MY and 2026MY K4 (CL4) vehicles manufactured from May 1, 2025
TSB_ELE422 Service bulletin
2026-05-28 · Electrical System
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM SOFTWARE UPDATE USING UPDATE. KIA. COM - This bulletin provides information and service procedures for updating the infotainment systems on applicable Kia vehicles using the Kia Navigation Updater available at update.kia.com. The software update may improve system performance, enhance existing features, and apply the latest operating software for sup
TSB_ELE417 Service bulletin
2026-04-14 · Electrical System
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFOTAINMENT SOFTWARE UPDATE PROCEDURE - This bulletin provides information on the process for downloading infotainment software updates and preparing USB for installation on applicable Kia vehicles. The software downloads and USB preparation process is similar across all supported platforms; however, in‑vehicle installation procedures vary by head unit type.
TSB_ELE413 Service bulletin
2026-03-20 · Electrical System
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: DCU COMMUNICATION LOGIC IMPROVEMENT - This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the Data Connectivity Unit (DCU) system software on some 2025–2026MY vehicles listed in the table below. Kia has identified that Connected Car Services (CCS) functionality may intermittently fail due to temporary DCU communication issues. This condition can impact convenience and conne
PS797 Other
2025-12-09 · Back Over Prevention — Warnings
PITSTOP: TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop provides information related to Parking Distance Warning (PDW) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. The PDW system alerts the driver while parking, by calculating distance based on the difference in signal transmission and reception times between the vehicle (ultrasonic sensor) and an object. The membrane
OTA_SA621 Over-the-air update
2025-12-02 · Engine
RELEASE NOTES: OVER-THE-AIR: SERVICE ACTION SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR WARNING LIGHTS (SA621) - This Over-the-Air (OTA) software update is designed to update the Engine Control Unit (ECU) logic of certain 2025 K4 vehicles. This update improves the processing logic of the Engine Control Unit (ECU) to reduce the unintended display of warning lights.
OTA_SA620 Other
2025-09-12 · Electrical System
RELEASE NOTES: OVER-THE-AIR: SERVICE ACTION: SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR RCM (SA620) - This Over-the-Air (OTA) software update is designed to update the Roof Control Module (RCM) of certain 2025 K4 vehicles. This update is designed to improve software logic for a smoother sunroof response during one-touch actuation.
PS791 Other
2025-08-22 · Electrical System
PITSTOP: TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: DCU IDENTIFICATION AND DAIGNOSTIC AID - This Pitstop provides information on identifying the Data Connectivity Unit (DCU) in Kia vehicles equipped with Connected Car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) and ccNC Lite head units, as well as a diagnostic aid when diagnosing Kia Connect concerns. When diagnosing non-operational Kia Connect concerns, under no circumstance should th

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
B1652	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Air Bags	1 owner report

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 0.81%

failed the safety inspection

2,952 initial inspections of 2,933 vehicles.

Measure	The 2025 K4	Every 2025 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the safety inspection	0.81%	0.36%	2,952
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.14%	0.16%	2,952
Miles driven a year	7,487	8,354	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	11,119	12,194	odometer at inspection

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

Compare the 2025 K4 with

Any vehicle, your weights →

Head-to-head	Verdict
2025 Honda Civic · Midsize Sedan · grade B	Civic +3.4
2025 Hyundai Elantra · Midsize Sedan · grade C	K4 +2.3
2025 Nissan Sentra · Midsize Sedan · grade C	Toss-up
2025 Tesla Model 3 · Midsize Sedan · grade B	Model 3 +20.7
2025 Toyota Camry · Midsize Sedan · grade D	K4 +6.5

K4 by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2027 A^* 0 0 33 mpg 2026 A 1 13 33 mpg 2025 this page B 2 47 34 mpg

Common questions about the 2025 K4

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

How much does the 2025 Kia K4 cost?

Manufacturer pricing runs from $21,990 for the LX FWD to $28,090 for the GT-LINE TURBO FWD, across 5 trims. Those are MSRPs from the manufacturer's own press material; they exclude destination, options, taxes and whatever the dealer adds. Every trim and price is listed above.

Does the 2025 Kia K4 have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 2 recall campaigns for the 2025 Kia K4. The most serious on file is 25V548000, covering Engine And Engine Cooling. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2025 Kia K4?

NHTSA gave the 2025 Kia K4 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 5-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it B (89/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2025 Kia K4?

Across the 3 EPA-rated configurations of the 2025 Kia K4, the best EPA combined figure is 34 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What do owners complain about on the 2025 Kia K4?

Owners have filed 47 complaints with NHTSA about the 2025 Kia K4, most often about electrical system, unspecified, forward collision avoidance. Of those, 10 involved a crash, 8 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2025 Kia K4?

The EPA smog rating for the 2025 Kia K4 is 6 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 SULEV30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2025 Kia K4?

The manufacturer has filed 19 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2025 Kia K4, most often covering electrical system, visibility/wiper, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-07-22. 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 2025 Kia K4 do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2025 Kia K4 failed the safety inspection on 0.81% of first inspections — higher than the 0.36% for every 2025 model-year vehicle inspected. The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

Which 2025 Kia K4 trim is the best value?

$6,100 separates the cheapest of the 5 trims from the most expensive, so the answer depends on which of the differences you would actually use. Every trim has its own page here with the manufacturer's full specification and equipment list, plus a short summary of exactly what it adds over the base trim — worth reading before a dealer frames the walk-up for you. The trim-by-trim ladder shows what every step up costs and what it makes standard.

Is the 2025 Kia K4 better than the 2025 Honda Civic?

The Honda Civic edges it, 94.8 to 91.4, on fuel & range, performance, space & cargo. The Kia K4 is ahead on safety and tech & comfort. We publish a full side-by-side of the 2025 Kia K4 against the 2025 Honda Civic — specifications by family, equipment feature by feature, safety record and ownership costs. You can re-weight what matters to you and the verdict recalculates.

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	2	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	47	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	19	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	4	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	Crashes the manufacturer or operator reported with a Level 2 or automated-driving system engaged. Notices, filed before verification; not comparable across makes.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	none	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	We had no VIN pattern to decode for this model year, or the manufacturer filed nothing usable.
Trims, pricing & equipment	5 trims	Manufacturer press kit	Transcribed from the manufacturer's own press material, every value carrying the document it came from.

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

Sources & method

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

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

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