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2018 Nissan Sentra

Gas

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

Safety Signal

89 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 2

Complaints17 crash · 3 fire · 10 injured · 1 died reported 185

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 4★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 32 mpg

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

The 2018 Nissan Sentra is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize sedan with 6 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Sentra, is EPA-rated at 32 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 185 complaints, most often about the power train. NHTSA crash-tested it at 4 stars overall.

Nissan Sentra — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Nissan Sentra · Photo: Deathpallie325 · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Sentra	Gas	FWD	1.8L 4-cyl	29	37	32	$2,100
Sentra	Gas	FWD	1.8L 4-cyl	27	35	30	$2,250
Sentra	Gas	FWD	1.6L 4-cyl turbo	27	33	29	$2,850
Sentra	Gas	FWD	1.6L 4-cyl turbo	26	32	28	$2,950
Sentra Nismo	Gas	FWD	1.6L 4-cyl turbo	25	31	27	$3,050
Sentra Nismo	Gas	FWD	1.6L 4-cyl turbo	25	30	27	$3,050

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 39657, 39656, 39660, 39658, 39659, 39661.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
Sentra	7 / 10	California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	SmartWay
Sentra	1 / 10	Federal Tier 3 Bin 160 / California LEV-II LEV	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—
Sentra, Sentra Nismo	3 / 10	California LEV-II ULEV / Federal Tier 3 Bin 125	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—
Sentra Nismo	3 / 10	Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 / California 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	Sedan/Saloon
Doors	4
GVWR class	Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	4
Displacement	1.8 L
Engine configuration	In-Line

Engine Output

Horsepower

130 hp

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Seating

Seat rows	2
Seating capacity	5 seats

Transmission

Drivetrain

4x2

Driver assistance

Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Backup camera, Electronic stability control

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	182.3–182.7 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	69.3 in
Height	59.1 in
Wheelbase	106.3 in
Track, front	60.2 in
Track, rear	60.2 in
Curb weight	2,866–3,020 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	60/40

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 2 configurations: 4-door Sedan, Turbo 4-door Sedan. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

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Recalls (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Exterior Lighting

PM971

807,376 vehicles 61% reported repaired

Problem Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Nissan Sentra vehicles. The brake light switch may become contaminated, preventing the circuit from closing and the brake lights from illuminating. Risk The brake lights may not illuminate, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers will replace the brake light switch and install a protective grommet, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 1, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800867-7769. Nissan's number for this recall is PM971.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 21V135000 reported Mar 3, 2021 Nissan North America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

○minor

Back Over Prevention

1,228,830 vehicles 80% reported repaired built Apr 1, 2018 – May 30, 2019

Problem Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additionally included are 2019 Nissan GT-R and Taxi and Infiniti QX50, QX60, Q70, Q70L vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) num Risk The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash. Fix Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or INFINITI customer service at 1-800-662-6200.

Filed with NHTSARemedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 19V654000 reported Sep 12, 2019 Nissan North 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 Sentra

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2018 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.

NHTSA VIN check →Nissan’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 2018 Nissan Sentra, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

185complaints filed

17 involved a crash · 3 a fire · 10 injuries · 1 deaths reported

11 per 10,000 built · Nissan reported 168,288 Sentra built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2018: 7 · 2019: 24 · 2020: 38 · 2021: 24 · 2022: 29 · 2023: 20 · 2024: 21 · 2025: 17 · 2026: 5

Most-cited components

Power Train 46

Service Brakes 40

Unspecified 38

Electrical System 32

Forward Collision Avoidance 31

Engine 22

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 driving my vehicle about 30 MPH, before I even approached another vehicle my sensors began beeping quicker as if I were about to hit another car. No vehicle near me close enough for sensor to begin alerting me.

Service Brakes at 41,000 miles Jan 21, 2020 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11300743

I hit a deer head on. My passenger 16yr old. Had her seatbelt on. It didnt latch and keep her from hitting the windshield. The airbag went off and it didn't stop her from hitting the windshield either. We was on an interstate doing 70mph. In a 70mph zone.

Seat Belts at 19,000 miles Oct 23, 2019 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11270487

Purchased car new and one week into ownership had the front proximity sensor go bad, which disables vehicle safety systems including cruise control. After waiting a month on a back ordered part it was installed and the vehicle operated normally.

Electrical System at 7,436 miles Sep 21, 2019 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11257073

Car has 14,000 miles on it and is under warranty. The front radar camera is constantly acting like the car is in a wreck and it lights up the dash with various crash emblems..

Electronic Stability Control at 14,000 miles May 22, 2019 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11209363

Emergency brake assist has been acting from. The day I purchased the vehicle...then I was in a car accident then it got worse, they replaced the bracket and sensor and they problem still remains... Actually I worse then before everytime I use my signal ot goes off when i'm approaching a hill it goes off

Forward Collision Avoidance May 18, 2019 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11208384

The contact owned a 2018 Nissan Sentra. While driving approximately 20 MPH, a second vehicle traveling approximately 65 MPH crashed into the front of the contact's vehicle. All the air bags deployed except the driver side curtain air bag.

Air Bags at 13,000 miles Aug 29, 2018 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11123272

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: 13 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 1 killed, 16 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 7.7 per 100,000 built. Every Sentra model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

When owners reported it

Reported at 42k

miles, typically

Half the 92 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 24,000 and 62,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.

under 10k 13

10k–20k 7

20k–30k 10

30k–40k 11

40k–50k 16

50k–60k 9

60k–70k 8

70k–80k 5

80k–90k 3

90k–100k 1

100k–150k 7

150k + 2

Median mileage by component

Component	Reports	Median miles	Vs same age
Service Brakes	27	30,500	1.07×
Electrical System	23	39,000	1.73×
Power Train	18	80,000	2.31×
Unspecified	17	23,500	—

Vs same age is this model year’s median for the system divided by the median of every 2018-model-year complaint about the same system, all makes: under 1× means owners of this car reported it at lower mileage. Here, owners reported later: electrical system (1.73×), power train (2.31×). Which systems go early across the whole fleet: the component study.

Across 2018–2020 model years the Nissan Sentra ranks 65 of 79 nameplates in the odometer-at-first-complaint study: owners reported problems at 1.8× the mileage of vehicles the same age (median 38,000 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
4 DR FWD	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	12%
4 DR FWD	not rated	not rated	not rated	★★★★☆	12%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 145

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-04-13

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 145 service bulletins

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

NTB09-131C Service bulletin
2026-04-13 · 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 bulletin
2026-04-13 · 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
NTB19-033G Service bulletin
2025-02-20 · 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.
NTB19-071D Service bulletin
2024-09-19 · 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)
NTB12-103I Service bulletin
2024-06-07 · Power Train
CVT/TCM CALIBRATION DATA “WRITE” PROCEDURE This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB13-107G Service bulletin
2024-05-21 · Electrical System
VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB13-027D Service bulletin
2024-05-21 · Electrical System
CAN COMMUNICATION – NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC FLOW CHART This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB10-066C Service bulletin
2024-05-21 · Electrical System
CAN COMMUNICATION CODES – DIAGNOSTIC TIPS AND GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

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
P0448 P0448 on Nissan →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Engine	5 bulletins
P0101 P0101 on Nissan →	The mass air flow sensor is reporting a figure the engine computer does not believe for the conditions.	Engine · Mass air flow sensor →	4 bulletins
P0456 P0456 on Nissan →	A very small leak in the evaporative emissions system.	Fuel/Propulsion System · Gas cap →	4 bulletins
P0776 P0776 on Nissan →	Pressure control solenoid B is not holding the pressure it was commanded.	Power Train	4 bulletins
P1715 P1715 on Nissan →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	4 bulletins
B130C B130C on Nissan →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	3 bulletins
B2EF0 B2EF0 on Nissan →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	3 bulletins
P0087 P0087 on Nissan →	Fuel rail pressure is below what the system commanded.	Engine · Fuel pump →	3 bulletins
P2008 P2008 on Nissan →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Engine	3 bulletins
C1A03 C1A03 on Nissan →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	2 bulletins
C1A04 C1A04 on Nissan →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	2 bulletins
C1B01 C1B01 on Nissan →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	2 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 4.4%

failed emissions

3,671 initial inspections of 3,596 vehicles.

Measure	The 2018 Sentra	Every 2018 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	4.4%	3.0%	3,665
Failed the safety inspection	2.9%	1.9%	3,671
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.46%	0.22%	3,671
Miles driven a year	9,801	10,002	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	81,106	82,833	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 2018 vehicle” is every 2018 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).

Sentra by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2027 A^* 0 0 33 mpg 2026 A 1 19 33 mpg 2025 C 4 31 34 mpg 2024 B 3 41 34 mpg 2023 A 1 20 33 mpg 2022 B 2 81 33 mpg 2021 B 3 132 33 mpg 2020 C 4 206 33 mpg 2019 B 2 223 32 mpg 2018 this page B 2 185 32 mpg 2017 C 3 231 32 mpg 2016 D 6 270 33 mpg

Common questions about the 2018 Sentra

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2018 Nissan Sentra have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 2 recall campaigns for the 2018 Nissan Sentra. The most serious on file is 21V135000, covering Exterior Lighting. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2018 Nissan Sentra?

NHTSA gave the 2018 Nissan Sentra 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 B (89/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2018 Nissan Sentra?

Across the 6 EPA-rated configurations of the 2018 Nissan Sentra, the best EPA combined figure is 32 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2018 Nissan Sentra?

Transport Canada measured it at 182.3–182.7 in long, 69.3 in wide (body, without mirrors), 59.1 in tall, on a 106.3 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 2,866–3,020 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 2018 Nissan Sentra?

Owners have filed 185 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Nissan Sentra, most often about power train, service brakes, unspecified. Of those, 17 involved a crash, 3 a fire, 10 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 2018 Nissan Sentra?

The EPA smog rating for the 2018 Nissan Sentra runs 1 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 LEV, California LEV-II ULEV, California LEV-III SULEV30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 125, Federal Tier 3 Bin 160, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2018 Nissan Sentra?

The manufacturer has filed 145 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2018 Nissan Sentra, most often covering equipment, electrical system, 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 2018 Nissan Sentra do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2018 Nissan Sentra failed the emissions check on 4.4% of first inspections — higher than the 3.0% for every 2018 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 2.9% (every 2018 vehicle: 1.9%). 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	6 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	6 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	185	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	2 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	145	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	none	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	No defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	11 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.

JSON for this page · API