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Active NHTSA advisory: park outside and away from structures until repaired. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.

Subaru · Compact SUV

2025 Subaru Forester

Hybrid Gas

Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
4 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

71 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

Recalls1 critical 4

Complaints12 crash · 2 fire · 7 injured · 1 died reported 98

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 35 mpg

Starting MSRP9 trims · manufacturer $29,995

2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2025 Subaru Forester is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas compact SUV with 4 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Forester Hybrid AWD, is EPA-rated at 35 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 98 complaints, most often about the visibility/wiper. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall. Manufacturer pricing runs from $29,995 to $43,295 across 9 trims.

Subaru Forester — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Subaru Forester · Photo: Mr.choppers · 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	Seats	Cargo (2nd row)	Wheels
Base	Gas	AWD	$29,995	180 hp	178 lb-ft	29 mpg	5	29.6 cu-ft	17 in
Premium	Gas	AWD	$33,385	180 hp	178 lb-ft	29 mpg	5	27.5 cu-ft	17 in
Sport	Gas	AWD	$36,105	180 hp	178 lb-ft	29 mpg	5	27.5 cu-ft	19 in
Limited	Gas	AWD	$37,695	180 hp	178 lb-ft	29 mpg	5	27.5 cu-ft	18 in
Touring	Gas	AWD	$41,595	180 hp	178 lb-ft	29 mpg	5	27.5 cu-ft	19 in
Premium Hybrid	Hybrid	AWD	$36,595	194 hp	—	35 mpg	5	27.5 cu-ft	18 in
Sport Hybrid	Hybrid	AWD	$39,595	194 hp	—	35 mpg	5	27.5 cu-ft	19 in
Limited Hybrid	Hybrid	AWD	$41,010	194 hp	—	35 mpg	5	27.5 cu-ft	18 in
Touring Hybrid	Hybrid	AWD	$43,295	194 hp	—	35 mpg	5	27.5 cu-ft	19 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*
Forester Hybrid AWD	Hybrid	AWD	2.5L 4-cyl + 259V Li-Ion	35	34	35	$1,900
Forester AWD	Gas	AWD	2.5L 4-cyl	26	33	29	$2,300
Forester Sport/Touring AWD	Gas	AWD	2.5L 4-cyl	25	32	28	$2,400
Forester Wilderness AWD	Gas	AWD	2.5L 4-cyl	25	28	26	$2,600

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 48932, 47740, 47741, 48931.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
Forester Hybrid AWD	7 / 10	Federal Tier 3 Bin 20 / California LEV-IV SULEV20	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—
Forester AWD, Forester Sport/Touring AWD	6 / 10	Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 / Other	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—
Forester Wilderness AWD	6 / 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.

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Recalls (4)

Source: NHTSA recall database

○minor

Equipment

WRH-26

541,237 vehicles

Problem Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid, 2025-2026 Forester Hybrid, Forester, and 2019-2026 Ascent vehicles. These vehicles were manufactured with an incorrect Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) on the certification label. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 110, "Tire selection and rims." Risk An incorrect GAWR label may lead to an overloaded vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Subaru will mail a new certification label to owners, free of charge. Owners may also choose to have a dealer install the new label, free of charge. Letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed August 27, 2026. Additional letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRH-26.

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Interim owner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF Dealer notice PDF

NHTSA campaign 26V436000 reported Jul 7, 2026 Subaru of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

!critical

Fuel System, Gasoline

WRD-26

Park outside 69,870 vehicles 92% reported repaired Hybrid only

Problem Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain 2026 Crosstrek hybrid, and 2025 Forester hybrid vehicles. When the fuel tank is near full capacity, an increase in ambient temperature may cause the fuel to expand and spill out of the filler neck due to an insufficient seal on the fuel cap. Risk A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire. Fix Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures, and to limit the fuel level to 50% until the remedy is completed. Dealers will replace the fuel filler cap gasket, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 25, 2026. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRD-26. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 16, 2026.

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 26V106000 reported Feb 23, 2026 Subaru of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

▲high

Child Seat

WRC-25

2,938 vehicles 95% reported repaired built Nov 28, 2024 – Mar 5, 2025

Problem Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2025 Forester vehicles. The child seat anchor bolts may have been improperly tightened, allowing the bolts to come loose. Risk A loose child seat anchor bolt increases the risk of injury to a child during a crash. Fix Dealers will inspect the child seat anchor bolts and, if necessary, tighten the bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 15, 2025. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRC-25.

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 25V419000 reported Jun 19, 2025 Subaru of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

▲high

Wheels

WRB-25

20,366 vehicles 97% reported repaired built Apr 5, 2024 – Oct 15, 2024

Problem Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2025 Forester vehicles equipped with 18" aluminum alloy wheels. The wheels may have been manufactured with an incorrectly specified lug seat surface, which can result in the wheel being improperly attached and cause a loss of vehicle stability. Risk A loss of vehicle stability increases the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers will inspect and replace the wheels, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 28, 2025. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRB-25.

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF

NHTSA campaign 25V033000 reported Jan 23, 2025 Subaru of 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 Forester

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

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

98complaints filed

12 involved a crash · 2 a fire · 7 injuries · 1 deaths reported

3.9 per 10,000 built · Subaru reported 251,125 Forester built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2024: 7 · 2025: 37 · 2026: 54

Most-cited components

Visibility/Wiper 20

Forward Collision Avoidance 20

Unspecified 19

Fuel/Propulsion System 17

Exterior Lighting 8

Electrical System 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 involved in an accident. My car was moving at less than 10 MPH and the other driver hit the front drivers side, at the driver side wheel area, at about a 90 degree (t bone direction) angle while traveling an estimated 30-35 MPH.

Air Bags Jul 27, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11676507

The contact stated that while pulling into a parking spot with the brake pedal pressed, the vehicle displayed unintended acceleration, crashing into the wall of the building in front of the parking space. The air bags did not deploy.

Service Brakes Jul 18, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11674528

Driver side mirror and rearview mirror vibrate, visibility affected - especially at night with vibrating headlights. Confirmed by dealer. Rearview mirror replaced and continues with same vibration issue (actually a little more vibration). Driver side mirror continues to be on back order. No warning lights or such - driver notices issue

Visibility/Wiper Jul 8, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11671997

I purchased a brand new 2025 Subaru Forester Wilderness and immediately noticed a persistent vibration in the steering wheel, seat, and footwell area. The vibration is present at all times — while driving at various speeds and even while idling. It is very distracting and uncomfortable.

Suspension Jun 9, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11665933

Both headlights have a shadow of the light bulb at the top center of both headlights causing a distraction/confusion under certain conditions at night. I have never had a shadow show up in my line of sight in all the many vehicles I have owned in the past from my headlights.

Exterior Lighting May 30, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11664035

Bought 2025 Subaru Forester in January 2025. Within 300 miles of driving brought it back to place I bought it, complained about constant vibraton in Sterring wheel at high speeds around 55 - 65 MPH. They said the wheels were out of balance, they re balanced them and the problem was resolved, BUT IT WASN'T.

Wheels Apr 23, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11656309

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 Subaru itself: 25 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 33 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 10.0 per 100,000 built. Every Forester 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
SUV AWD	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★☆	17%
SUV AWD	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★☆	17%
SUV AWD	not rated	★★★★★	★★★★★	not rated	17%

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

Driver-assist crash reports (2)

Source: NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01

2reports filed

1 moderate · 1 severity unknown

Jun 2025 to Oct 2025 · 2 with an air bag deployment · 2 towed

What was engaged, and what was hit

System named: not named in the filings

Crash partner: Other 2

Filed by: Subaru of America, Inc.

Incident	System	Struck	Injury alleged	State	Speed	Report
Oct 2025	Level 2	Other	moderate	ID	58 mph	1243-12006
Jun 2025	Level 2	Other	unknown	OK	80 mph	1243-11292

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 233

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-10-05

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 171 service bulletins, 62 others

Most often about: Electrical System, Unknown Or Other, Engine, Power Train, Structure.

11037943 Other
2026-10-05 · Electrical System
This announcement provides information on a new software update for the Midtronics Dss and DCA machines.
12-259-26 Service bulletin
2026-09-29 · Structure — Body
This bulletin announces the repair procedures to be followed when encountering cases of excessive gap reported between the left and right rear D-pillar and headliner.
11037942 Other
2026-09-28 · Power Train
This announcement provides information on an enhancement of the TechShare CVT diagnostic assitance application.
13-109-26 Service bulletin
2026-09-18 · Unknown Or Other
This bulletin provides paint code information for 2027 model year vehicles.
18-244-26 Service bulletin
2026-09-18 · Electrical System
"This Bulletin announces additional troubleshooting steps for the following DTCs: DTC C1956: RH Actuator Circuit DTC C1957: LH Actuator Circuit"
11037930 Other
2026-09-15 · Unknown Or Other
This announcement provides an update to all 2027 model year Subaru warranty coverages for wear items and adjustments.
15-333-25R Service bulletin
2026-09-14 · Unknown Or Other
This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
15-304-22R Service bulletin
2026-09-14 · Electrical System
This bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concerns. This is an revised version of the original 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
B2A16 B2A16 on Subaru →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	7 bulletins
B2A20	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	4 bulletins
C1C40	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	3 bulletins
C1956	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	2 bulletins
C1957	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	2 bulletins
P0851	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	2 bulletins
P0852	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	2 bulletins
P2096 P2096 on Subaru →	After the catalyst, the mixture on bank 1 is reading lean.	Engine	2 bulletins
P2097 P2097 on Subaru →	After the catalyst, the mixture on bank 1 is reading rich.	Engine	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 0.29%

failed the safety inspection

17,460 initial inspections of 17,198 vehicles.

Measure	The 2025 Forester	Every 2025 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the safety inspection	0.29%	0.36%	17,460
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.14%	0.16%	17,460
Miles driven a year	8,566	8,354	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	12,419	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 Forester with

Any vehicle, your weights →

Head-to-head	Verdict
2025 Toyota RAV4 · Compact SUV · grade B	RAV4 +8.7

Forester by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2026 C 4 30 Do not drive 2025 this page C 4 98 Park outside 2024 B 2 31 29 mpg 2023 A 1 74 29 mpg 2022 A 1 100 29 mpg 2021 A 0 211 29 mpg 2020 A 0 603 29 mpg 2019 C 3 834 29 mpg 2018 B 3 498 28 mpg 2017 A 1 592 28 mpg 2016 C 3 416 27 mpg

Common questions about the 2025 Forester

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

How much does the 2025 Subaru Forester cost?

Manufacturer pricing runs from $29,995 for the Base AWD to $43,295 for the Touring Hybrid AWD, across 9 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 Subaru Forester have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 4 recall campaigns for the 2025 Subaru Forester, 1 of them rated critical. The most serious on file is 26V106000, covering Fuel System, Gasoline. 1 of them was 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. There is an active park outside advisory — act on it before driving. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2025 Subaru Forester?

NHTSA gave the 2025 Subaru Forester 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 5-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it C (71/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2025 Subaru Forester?

Across the 4 EPA-rated configurations of the 2025 Subaru Forester, the best EPA combined figure is 35 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What do owners complain about on the 2025 Subaru Forester?

Owners have filed 98 complaints with NHTSA about the 2025 Subaru Forester, most often about visibility/wiper, forward collision avoidance, unspecified. Of those, 12 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 7 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 Subaru Forester?

The EPA smog rating for the 2025 Subaru Forester runs 6 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-III SULEV30, California LEV-IV SULEV20, Federal Tier 3 Bin 20, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30, Other — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2025 Subaru Forester?

The manufacturer has filed 233 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2025 Subaru Forester, most often covering electrical system, unknown or other, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-10-05. 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 Subaru Forester do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2025 Subaru Forester failed the safety inspection on 0.29% 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 Subaru Forester trim is the best value?

$13,300 separates the cheapest of the 9 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 Subaru Forester better than the 2025 Toyota RAV4?

The Toyota RAV4 wins clearly, 95.4 to 86.7, on safety, tech & comfort, performance. The Subaru Forester is ahead on fuel & range. We publish a full side-by-side of the 2025 Subaru Forester against the 2025 Toyota RAV4 — 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	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	98	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	3 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	233	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	2	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	9 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.

JSON for this page · API