2019 Nissan Rogue
The 2019 Nissan Rogue is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas compact SUV with 4 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Rogue Hybrid FWD, is EPA-rated at 34 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 339 complaints, most often about the service brakes. NHTSA crash-tested it at 4 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rogue Hybrid FWD | Hybrid | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl + 202V Li-Ion | 33 | 35 | 34 | $1,950 |
| Rogue Hybrid AWD | Hybrid | AWD | 2.0L 4-cyl + 202V Li-Ion | 31 | 34 | 33 | $2,050 |
| Rogue FWD | Gas | FWD | 2.5L 4-cyl | 26 | 33 | 29 | $2,300 |
| Rogue AWD | Gas | AWD | 2.5L 4-cyl | 25 | 31 | 27 | $2,500 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 40798, 40801, 40797, 40800.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates| Configuration | Smog rating | Emission standard | Where it can be sold new | SmartWay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rogue Hybrid AWD, Rogue Hybrid FWD | 3 / 10 | Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 / California LEV-II ULEV | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | SmartWay |
| Rogue AWD, Rogue FWD | 7 / 10 | California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | — |
Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.
The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.
Specifications filed with NHTSA
Source: NHTSA vPICDimensions Exterior
| Body style | Sport Utility Vehicle [SUV]/Multipurpose Vehicle [MPV] |
| Doors | 4 |
| GVWR class | Class 1C: 4,001 - 5,000 lb (1,814 - 2,268 kg) |
Engine Basics
| Displacement | 2.5 L |
Fuel Economy
| Fuel | Gasoline |
Transmission
| Drivetrain | 4x2 |
Driver assistance
Standard: Anti-lock brakes
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. Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.
Dimensions & weight
Source: Transport Canada| Length | 184.6 in |
| Width (body, without mirrors) | 72.4 in |
| Height | 68.5 in |
| Wheelbase | 106.3 in |
| Track, front | 63.0 in |
| Track, rear | 63.0 in |
| Curb weight | 3,417–3,549 lb |
| Weight distribution, front/rear | 57/43 |
Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 2 configurations: 4-door SUV AWD, 4-door SUV 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.
Factory warranty running out?
The 2019 Nissan Rogue is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.
What to check before you buy →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Recalls (4)
Source: NHTSA recall databaseService Brakes, Hydraulic
R22A6Engine And Engine Cooling
R21B6Back Over Prevention
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
Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds closed
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021. On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject mat
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005 · the investigation’s page →
Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking — False Automatic Emergency Braking open
NHTSA received a defect petition (DP19-001) from the Center for Auto Safety (CAS) on March 21, 2019 alleging that the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system on Model Year (MY) 2017-2018 Nissan Rogue and Rogue Sport vehicles was engaging in cases where there was no obstruction in the path of the vehicle. The CAS petition additionally alleges that, based on Nissan's actions, the manufacturer is aware of the issue due to issuing a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) launching two "Quality Actions," and initiating a "Customer Service Initiative" in relation to it. CAS contends that Nissan's actions do not represent an adequate long-term solution to the problem, as the action is only available dur
Opened Sep 9, 2019 · action PE19010 · the investigation’s page →
Whether any of this applies to one specific Rogue
A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2019 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Nissan publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.
Hear about a recall before the letter does
The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2019 Nissan Rogue, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2019 Nissan Rogue
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 Rogue →Owner complaints
Source: NHTSA complaint database29 involved a crash · 1 a fire · 29 injuries · 0 deaths reported
15 per 10,000 built · Nissan reported 231,878 Rogue built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)
Filed per year: 2019: 76 · 2020: 72 · 2021: 40 · 2022: 35 · 2023: 35 · 2024: 32 · 2025: 23 · 2026: 26
Most-cited components
In depth: brake problems → · automatic emergency braking problems → · electrical problems →
In owners' own words
Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.
The camera that controls the automatic breaking system as well as the lane warnings keeps saying there is an obstruction but there isn't one. I owned the vehicle about 1 hour when the warning light appeared and they said it was a simple software update but now they are saying it needs a new sensor.
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Rogue. While driving various speeds, the auto emergency braking system erroneously activated and caused the vehicle to abruptly decelerate although a second vehicle was not present ahead.
The contact rented a 2019 Nissan Rogue. While driving approximately 6 MPH and making a right turn, the front passenger side axle fractured. As a result, the driver lost control of the steering and crashed into a parked vehicle. The driver sustained muscle spasms and an injured back. Medical attention was not received.
Vehicle shows 25 to 32 MPG. Upon purchase received 23 MPG on flat highway contacted dealership went back in they said it was missing an engine update. While it was in the shop they gave a loaner 2018 Rogue it was getting an average of 28 MPG in the city.
I was driving a rental vehicle, 2019 Nissan Rogue, 65 MPH and when I applied the brakes they failed, causing me to go across the intersection, through a fence, into a ditch. The front end was totaled. The airbags did not deploy.
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Rogue. While driving approximately 30 MPH, "roadway narrow" appeared on the instrument panel and the vehicle stopped, but continued to idle. A few seconds later, the vehicle accelerated normally.
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 Nissan itself: 19 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 3 killed, 21 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 8.2 per 100,000 built. Every Rogue model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.
When owners reported it
miles, typically
Half the 169 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 3,000 and 22,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.
Median mileage by component
| Component | Reports | Median miles | Vs same age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 82 | 4,450 | 0.45× |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 33 | 18,000 | 0.99× |
| Electrical System | 24 | 8,005 | 0.52× |
| Unspecified | 24 | 5,000 | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 17 | 5,600 | 0.64× |
| Power Train | 12 | 24,500 | 0.91× |
Vs same age is this model year’s median for the system divided by the median of every 2019-model-year complaint about the same system, all makes: under 1× means owners of this car reported it at lower mileage. Here, owners reported earlier than same-age vehicles: service brakes (0.45×), electrical system (0.52×), vehicle speed control (0.64×). Which systems go early across the whole fleet: the component study.
Across 2018–2022 model years the Nissan Rogue ranks 27 of 79 nameplates in the odometer-at-first-complaint study: owners reported problems at 0.69× the mileage of vehicles the same age (median 16,700 miles against a fleet 23,512).
Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAP| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV AWD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 16% |
| SUV FWD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 17% |
| SUV AWD | not rated | ★★★★☆ | not rated | ★★★★☆ | 16% |
| SUV FWD | not rated | ★★★★☆ | not rated | ★★★★☆ | 17% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsMost often about: Electrical System, Equipment, Power Train, Engine, Forward Collision Avoidance.
- NTB09-131C Service bulletin2026-04-13 · Structure — Body
- CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides
- NTB09-131C Service bulletin2026-04-13 · Structure — Body
- CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides
- NTB15-049CC Service bulletin2026-03-30 · Electrical System
- TELEMATICS SERVICE INFORMATION HINT: This bulletin applies to vehicles equipped with a 4G network compatible TCU. TCUs compatible with 3G network only are no longer supported. SERVICE INFORMATION The APPLIED VEHICLES that come equipped with a factory installed SOS switch, located near the overhead map lamp, also come equipped with a wireless communication device called a Telematics Communication U
- NTB19-042F Service bulletin2025-02-20 · Electrical System
- AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING WARNING LIGHT BLINKING APPLIED SYSTEMS: Vehicles equipped with a lane camera (see Figure 1) SERVICE INFORMATION If the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) warning light or is blinking (but not illuminated steadily) or the customer states it is blinking, and there are no related DTCs, inspect the windshield. A blinking AEB warning light may occur under the following condit
- NTB19-033G Service bulletin2025-02-20 · Electrical System
- INTELLIGENT CRUISE CONTROL INOPERATIVE AND AEB/FEB WARNING LIGHT ON OR RADAR OBSTRUCTION MESSAGE DISPLAYED WITH DTC C1A16 OR C2582 IF YOU CONFIRM IMPORTANT: The purpose of ACTION (on the next page) is to give you a quick idea of the work you will be performing. You MUST closely follow the entire SERVICE PROCEDURE as it contains information that is essential to successfully completing this repair.
- NTB20-066C Service bulletin2024-10-04 · Electrical System
- LANE CAMERA AIMING VEHICLE REFERENCE VALUES NOT IN ESM SERVICE INFORMATION If the lane camera requires aiming, the values in Table A on page 4 must be used. For all other models/model years, consult the Electronic Service Manual (ESM).
- NTB19-071D Service bulletin2024-09-19 · Air Bags
- DTC B00A0-00 STORED This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. IF YOU CONFIRM DTC B00A0-00 (OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR UNIT) is stored, AND OCS zero point reset cannot be performed, (continued on the next page)
- NTB22-080 Service bulletin2024-09-18 · Service Brakes
- CAMPAIGN BULLETIN Hydraulic Brake Booster Voluntary Safety Recall Campaign Reference: R22A6 Date: September 18, 2024 Attention: Dealer Principal, Sales, Service & Parts Managers SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN ID: R22A6 | REVISION 3 ***** Campaign Summary ***** Nissan is committed to the safety and security of our customers and their passengers. Nissan has notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Admin
A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.
Diagnostic trouble codes on file
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaintsCodes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.
| Code | What it means | Most often filed under | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| P0456 P0456 on Nissan → | A very small leak in the evaporative emissions system. | Engine · Gas cap → | 6 bulletins |
| P161D P161D on Nissan → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Electrical System · Battery → | 6 bulletins |
| P0776 P0776 on Nissan → | Pressure control solenoid B is not holding the pressure it was commanded. | Power Train | 3 bulletins · 1 owner report |
| P0442 P0442 on Nissan → | A small leak in the evaporative emissions system. | Engine · Gas cap → | 3 bulletins |
| P0455 P0455 on Nissan → | A large leak in the evaporative emissions system — often a fuel cap left off. | Engine · Gas cap → | 3 bulletins |
| P0603 P0603 on Nissan → | The engine control module has lost its keep-alive memory. | Electrical System · Battery → | 3 bulletins |
| P0841 P0841 on Nissan → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 3 bulletins |
| P1715 P1715 on Nissan → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 3 bulletins |
| P17F0 P17F0 on Nissan → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 3 bulletins |
| P17F1 P17F1 on Nissan → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 3 bulletins |
| P2813 P2813 on Nissan → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 3 bulletins |
| P0181 P0181 on Nissan → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Electrical System · Battery → | 1 bulletin · 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.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
At the New York inspection station
Source: New York State DMVIn New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2019 Nissan Rogue failed the emissions check on 1.9% of first inspections — lower than the 2.7% for every 2019 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 2.2% (every 2019 vehicle: 1.7%).
failed emissions
14,923 initial inspections of 14,633 vehicles.
| Measure | The 2019 Rogue | Every 2019 vehicle | Behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failed the emissions check | 1.9% | 2.7% | 14,882 |
| Failed the safety inspection | 2.2% | 1.7% | 14,923 |
| Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit | 0.33% | 0.20% | 14,923 |
| Miles driven a year | 9,932 | 9,904 | odometer at inspection |
| Average odometer | 72,370 | 72,084 | 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 2019 vehicle” is every 2019 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).
Rogue by model year
all years, side by side →Common questions about the 2019 Rogue
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsDoes the 2019 Nissan Rogue have any recalls?
NHTSA has posted 4 recall campaigns for the 2019 Nissan Rogue. The most serious on file is 23V093000, covering Electrical System. 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. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.
How safe is the 2019 Nissan Rogue?
NHTSA gave the 2019 Nissan Rogue 4 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 (78/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2019 Nissan Rogue?
Across the 4 EPA-rated configurations of the 2019 Nissan Rogue, the best EPA combined figure is 34 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What are the dimensions of the 2019 Nissan Rogue?
Transport Canada measured it at 184.6 in long, 72.4 in wide (body, without mirrors), 68.5 in tall, on a 106.3 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,417–3,549 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 2019 Nissan Rogue?
Owners have filed 339 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Nissan Rogue, most often about service brakes, forward collision avoidance, electrical system. Of those, 29 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 29 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 2019 Nissan Rogue?
The EPA smog rating for the 2019 Nissan Rogue runs 3 to 7 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 — California LEV-II ULEV, California LEV-III SULEV30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 125, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 — which the table above lists per configuration.
Are there service bulletins for the 2019 Nissan Rogue?
The manufacturer has filed 261 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2019 Nissan Rogue, most often covering electrical system, equipment, power train. The most recent is dated 2026-04-13. 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 2019 Nissan Rogue do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2019 Nissan Rogue failed the emissions check on 1.9% of first inspections — lower than the 2.7% for every 2019 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 2.2% (every 2019 vehicle: 1.7%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.
What we hold, and what an empty row means
Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.
| Data | Held | Source | What it covers — or what empty means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy & configurations | 4 configurations | EPA certification records | Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures. |
| Emission certificates | 4 configurations | EPA emission certificates | Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new. |
| Recalls | 4 | NHTSA recall campaigns | A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags. |
| Owner complaints | 339 | NHTSA complaint database | Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold. |
| Crash ratings | 4 tested | NHTSA NCAP | Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them. |
| Service bulletins | 261 | NHTSA manufacturer communications | Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall. |
| Investigations | 2 | NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation | Open and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative. |
| Driver-assist crash reports | none | NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01 | No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like. |
| Specifications filed with NHTSA | 6 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.