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Your vehicleHome›Kia›Telluride› 2025
Kia · Large SUV

2025 Kia Telluride

Gas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26
C
Safety Signal
79 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns 3
Complaints3 crash · 2 fire · 5 injured reported 122
Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA 22 mpg
Starting MSRP13 trims · manufacturer $36,390
2027202520242023202220212020

The 2025 Kia Telluride is sold in the U.S. as a gas large SUV with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Telluride FWD, is EPA-rated at 22 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 122 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall. Manufacturer pricing runs from $36,390 to $53,685 across 13 trims.

Kia Telluride — photograph via Wikimedia Commons
Kia Telluride (2019 generation) · Photo: MercurySable99 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Trims & pricing

Source: manufacturer press kitWhich trim should I buy? → Compare a trim →
TrimPowertrainDriveMSRPHPTorqueMPG combSeatsCargo (2nd row)Wheels
LXGasFWD$36,390291 hp262 lb-ft22 mpg846 cu-ft18 in
SGasFWD$39,390291 hp262 lb-ft22 mpg746 cu-ft20 in
SGasAWD$41,390291 hp262 lb-ft20 mpg746 cu-ft20 in
EXGasFWD$42,090291 hp262 lb-ft22 mpg846 cu-ft20 in
EXGasAWD$44,090291 hp262 lb-ft20 mpg846 cu-ft20 in
EX X-LINEGasAWD$46,485291 hp262 lb-ft20 mpg746 cu-ft20 in
EX X-PROGasAWD$47,385291 hp262 lb-ft20 mpg746 cu-ft18 in
SXGasFWD$46,190291 hp262 lb-ft22 mpg846 cu-ft20 in
SXGasAWD$48,190291 hp262 lb-ft20 mpg846 cu-ft20 in
SX X-LINEGasAWD$49,885291 hp262 lb-ft20 mpg746 cu-ft20 in
SXPGasAWD$51,390291 hp262 lb-ft20 mpg746 cu-ft20 in
SXP X-LINEGasAWD$52,785291 hp262 lb-ft20 mpg746 cu-ft20 in
SXP X-PROGasAWD$53,685291 hp262 lb-ft20 mpg746 cu-ft18 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
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Telluride FWDGasFWD3.8L 6-cyl202622$3,050
Telluride AWDGasAWD3.8L 6-cyl182320$3,350

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 48521, 48534.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates
ConfigurationSmog ratingEmission standardWhere it can be sold newSmartWay
Telluride AWD, Telluride FWD5 / 10California LEV-III ULEV50 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 50All 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.

Also on file Beside the 2025 Telluride
Head to head vs the 2025 Toyota 4Runner Other years The 2027 Telluride Lineup The 2025 lineup Recalls Kia recalls
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The cheapest ownership win

Insurers price the 2025 Telluride very differently, and the gap between the best and worst quote on the same car and driver is usually larger than any option you are weighing on this page.

How to compare cover →

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 (3)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Seats

SC362
85,515 vehicles 61% reported repaired built Nov 1, 2024 – Aug 8, 2025
Problem Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 Telluride vehicles, equipped with power front seat(s). Due to a manufacturing error, the driver and passenger seat back frame assemblies may fail to properly restrain occupants in a crash. Risk A seat back frame that fails to properly restrain an occupant during a crash increases the risk of injury. Fix Dealers will inspect and replace the front seat back frame assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning April 24, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC362. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 9, 2026.
Filed with NHTSADefect report PDFOwner letter PDFRemedy instructions PDFChronology PDF
NHTSA campaign 26V105000 reported Feb 23, 2026 Kia America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
▲high

Tires

SC355
45 vehicles 82% reported repaired built Aug 28, 2025 – Sep 10, 2025
Problem Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 Telluride and 2026 Sorento vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with an incorrect spare tire which, when installed, can impair the anti-lock braking system (ABS) and the traction control system (TCS). As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims." Risk Anti-lock braking or traction control systems that do not function properly can increase the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers will replace the spare wheel and tire assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 3, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC355. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning November 13, 2025.
Filed with NHTSADefect report PDFOwner letter PDFRemedy instructions PDFChronology PDF
NHTSA campaign 25V745000 reported Oct 30, 2025 Kia America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
▲high

Structure

SC347
201,149 vehicles 68% reported repaired
Problem Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Telluride vehicles. The door belt molding trim can delaminate and detach from the vehicle. Risk A detached trim piece can become a road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers will inspect and replace the belt molding trim assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 19, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC347.
Filed with NHTSADefect report PDFOwner letter PDFRemedy instructions PDFChronology PDF
NHTSA campaign 25V494000 reported Jul 28, 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 Telluride

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 Telluride, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

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Parts & accessories for the 2025 Kia Telluride

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 Telluride →

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
122complaints filed

3 involved a crash · 2 a fire · 5 injuries · 0 deaths reported

7.3 per 10,000 built · Kia reported 167,060 Telluride built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2024: 2 · 2025: 23 · 2026: 97

Most-cited components

Engine 48
Visibility/Wiper 22
Unspecified 22
Electrical System 22
Power Train 8
Steering 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.

Rodent damage to floor harness of brand new car. Per service advisor this is a common issue with newer cars due to the use of soy based wiring which attracts rodents
Electrical System Feb 5, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11715784
There were two very loud cracking noises. Nothing had hit the car at all. The following day a crack emerged on the windshield. There’s no point of impact and the glass is smooth but the crack is now 1/3 of the windshield. I took it to the dealership where I bought it last month.
Visibility/Wiper Feb 2, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11714879
The contact rented a 2025 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that there was damage to the rear bumper upon retrieval. While using lane assist, traveling around a curve at 55 MPH, the steering wheel was pushing and pulling, and failed to turn and continued going straight; the vehicle crossed the highway and crashed into a ditch.
Lane Departure at 33,000 miles Dec 15, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11705157
The contact owns a 2025 Kia Telluride. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V494000 (Structure) and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure
Structure Dec 10, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11704264
When I was driving in a parking lot on 10/03/25 my car displayed a warning light that my engine was off and I needed to shift to neutral or park. This occurred 2 other times. I was parked at a light on 10/10 and when we left dinner and turned at a light it also shut off.
Engine Oct 16, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11693774
Front lights gets foggy when it gets hand wash, contacted the dealership and they are willing to replace the “Gasket” because the headlights must have “ventilation”. While driving with nobody in front the collision warning went off non stop, the road was completely clear
Exterior Lighting Oct 8, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11692101

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: 4 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 4 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 2.4 per 100,000 built. Every Telluride model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆14%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆16%

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

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications
Extended coverage on file 1 filing by the manufacturer with NHTSA naming this model year

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 Kia warranty extension (28) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 26
Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-09-25
Kindsas classified by NHTSA 13 service bulletins, 6 emissionss, 6 warranty extensions

Most often about: Engine, Electrical System, Power Train, Structure, Back Over Prevention.

  • TSB_ENG270 Service bulletin
    2026-09-25 · Engine
  • TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: EXCESSIVE ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION: This bulletin provides information on diagnosing and/or repairing a 2020-2025MY Telluride (ON) vehicle's engine, which may exhibit a symptom of excessive oil consumption. Follow the flowchart on page 2 in this procedure to repair a vehicle exhibiting excessive oil consumption.
  • TSB_CHA129_R1 Service bulletin
    2026-09-23 · Power Train
  • TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AWD COUPLER NOISE/VIBRATION LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (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 to upgrade the 4-Wheel Drive ‘4WD’ system software on some 2020-2025MY Telluride (ON) vehicles produced from January 08, 20
  • TSB_ELE328_R1 Service bulletin
    2026-09-16 · Electrical System
  • TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CLUSTER SOFTWARE LOGIC IMPROVEMENT FOR LOWER THAN ACTUAL FUEL LEVEL INDICATION - 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 to upgrade the software on the instrument cluster ‘CLU’ on some 2023-2025MY Telluride (ON) vehicles equ
  • PS815 Service bulletin
    2026-09-11 · Engine
  • This Pitstop provides diagnostic guidance information for technicians to replace certain components for Kia’s further analysis and investigation in cases where customers allege vehicle stalling at low speeds on some 2025MY Telluride (ON) vehicles and where no warning light or DTC is found upon the vehicle’s arrival at the dealer. In addition, customers may report the warning message, “Engine OFF!
  • TSB_ELE426 Service bulletin
    2026-08-19 · Electrical System
  • TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN GEN 5.0 WIDE SOFTWARE UPDATE - This bulletin provides information on the Audio Video Navigation (AVN) system software update for certain vehicles equipped with AVN5W and Navigation System listed in the table below. Affected vehicles may overestimate travel times during route calculation.
  • WTY045_TSB Warranty extension
    2026-06-04 · Engine
  • TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN: OIL FILTER HOUSING GASKET REPLACEMENT (WTY045) - This bulletin provides information regarding the ‘Warranty Extension Program (WTY045)’ for the inspection and, if necessary, replacement of the oil filter housing gasket on certain 2020–2025 MY Telluride (ON) vehicles produced from January 9, 2019, through June 12, 2025. Under this program, th
  • 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_CHA129 Service bulletin
    2026-05-23 · Power Train
  • TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AWD COUPLER NOISE/VIBRATION LOGIC IMPROVEMENT - This bulletin provides information to upgrade the 4-Wheel Drive ‘4WD’ system software on some 2020-2025MY Telluride (ON) vehicles produced from January 08, 2019 through December 17, 2025. The affected vehicles may exhibit a noise and/or a vibration, shudder, jerking, binding, or chattering sensation while turning at low sp

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.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2025 Kia Telluride failed the safety inspection on 0.30% of first inspections — close to the 0.36% for every 2025 model-year vehicle inspected.

New York inspections 0.30%

failed the safety inspection

4,601 initial inspections of 4,558 vehicles.

MeasureThe 2025 TellurideEvery 2025 vehicleBehind it
Failed the safety inspection0.30%0.36%4,601
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit0.11%0.16%4,601
Miles driven a year8,6128,354odometer at inspection
Average odometer12,65412,194odometer 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 Telluride with

Any vehicle, your weights →
Head-to-headVerdict
2025 Toyota 4Runner · Large SUV · grade ATelluride +11.8
2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee · Large SUV · grade FTelluride +23.2
2025 Toyota Highlander · Large SUV · grade CTelluride +6.3
2025 Toyota Sequoia · Large SUV · grade ATelluride +8.6
2025 Toyota Grand Highlander · Large SUV · grade BTelluride +4.9
2025 Jeep Wagoneer · Large SUV · grade DWagoneer +27.6

Telluride by model year

all years, side by side →
Year Safety Recalls Complaints
2027 C 3 43 35 mpg2025 this page C 3 122 22 mpg2024 F 5 223 Park outside2023 F 6 209 Park outside2022 F 7 327 Park outside2021 F 5 373 Park outside2020 F 7 776 Park outside

Common questions about the 2025 Telluride

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

How much does the 2025 Kia Telluride cost?

Manufacturer pricing runs from $36,390 for the LX FWD to $53,685 for the SXP X-PRO AWD, across 13 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 Telluride have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 3 recall campaigns for the 2025 Kia Telluride. The most serious on file is 26V105000, covering Seats. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2025 Kia Telluride?

NHTSA gave the 2025 Kia Telluride 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it C (79/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2025 Kia Telluride?

Across the 2 EPA-rated configurations of the 2025 Kia Telluride, the best EPA combined figure is 22 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What do owners complain about on the 2025 Kia Telluride?

Owners have filed 122 complaints with NHTSA about the 2025 Kia Telluride, most often about engine, visibility/wiper, unspecified. Of those, 3 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 5 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 Telluride?

The EPA smog rating for the 2025 Kia Telluride 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 ULEV50, Federal Tier 3 Bin 50 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2025 Kia Telluride?

The manufacturer has filed 26 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2025 Kia Telluride, most often covering engine, electrical system, power train. The most recent is dated 2026-09-25. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2025 Kia Telluride do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2025 Kia Telluride failed the safety inspection on 0.30% of first inspections — close to 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 Telluride trim is the best value?

$17,295 separates the cheapest of the 13 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 Telluride better than the 2025 Toyota 4Runner?

The Kia Telluride wins clearly, 95.3 to 83.5, on tech & comfort, price, space & cargo. The Toyota 4Runner is ahead on fuel & range. We publish a full side-by-side of the 2025 Kia Telluride against the 2025 Toyota 4Runner — 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.

DataHeldSourceWhat it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations2 configurationsEPA certification recordsEvery configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates2 configurationsEPA emission certificatesSmog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls3NHTSA recall campaignsA complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints122NHTSA complaint databaseAlso complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings2 testedNHTSA NCAPOnly the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins26NHTSA manufacturer communicationsEverything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
InvestigationsnoneNHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationNo defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reportsnoneNHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01No 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 NHTSAnoneNHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patternsWe had no VIN pattern to decode for this model year, or the manufacturer filed nothing usable.
Trims, pricing & equipment13 trimsManufacturer press kitTranscribed 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.

Where to go next

pages beside this one
Head to head 2025 Kia Telluride vs 2025 Toyota 4Runner Scored on price, fuel, safety, space, performance and warranty — the weights are yours.Other years The 2027 Telluride The Telluride model year with the cleanest record on file — grade C, 3 recalls.Lineup Every 2025 model on file, by price Each 2025 nameplate whose press kit we hold, ranked by the maker's announced starting MSRP — this one among them.Recall Watch Watch this Telluride by VIN Give it the VIN and you hear the night a campaign is filed — from $29 a month for a lot, free for ten.

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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