Most dependable 2026 nameplates by their 2023–2025 record

Every 2026 best-seller with at least two of the previous three model years on file, none graded D or F, no advisory, and a remedy on file for every recall — ranked by owner complaints per model year.

A nameplate is the model name a manufacturer sells year after year — RAV4, F-150, Civic — as distinct from any one model year of it. Judged on the previous three model years, volume sellers only. 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). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade. 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.