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Your vehicleHome›Volkswagen›Tiguan› 2020
Volkswagen · Compact SUV

2020 Volkswagen Tiguan

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
Complaints5 crash · 7 injured reported 141
Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA 25 mpg
202720262025202420232022202120202019201820172016

The 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Tiguan, is EPA-rated at 25 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 141 complaints, most often about the electrical system. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Volkswagen Tiguan — photograph via Wikimedia Commons
Volkswagen Tiguan (2007 generation) · Photo: Alexander-93 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
TiguanGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo222925$2,700
Tiguan 4motionGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo202723$2,900

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 42101, 42104.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates
ConfigurationSmog ratingEmission standardWhere it can be sold newSmartWay
Tiguan, Tiguan 4motion7 / 10California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30All 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 styleSport Utility Vehicle [SUV]/Multipurpose Vehicle [MPV]
Doors4
GVWR classClass 1D: 5,001 - 6,000 lb (2,268 - 2,722 kg)

Engine Basics

Cylinders4
Displacement2 L

Engine Output

Horsepower184 hp

Fuel Economy

FuelGasoline

Seating

Seat rows2
Seating capacity5 seats

Transmission

DrivetrainAWD/All-Wheel Drive
TransmissionAutomatic
Transmission speeds8

Driver assistance

Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Automatic emergency braking, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Pedestrian automatic emergency braking, Rear cross-traffic alert

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 (seen: 4Motion S, 4Motion SE, 4Motion SEL, 4Motion SEL Premium R-Line, S). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada
Length185.8 in
Width (body, without mirrors)72.0 in
Height66.5 in
Wheelbase109.8 in
Track, front62.6 in
Track, rear61.8 in
Curb weight3,777–3,856 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear56/44

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 4Motion, 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.

Also on file Beside the 2020 Tiguan
Other years The 2027 Tiguan Recalls Volkswagen recalls
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Factory warranty running out?

The 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan 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 (3)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Structure

66N5
6,553 vehicles 79% reported repaired
Problem Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Tiguan and 2018-2021 Tiguan long wheel base (LWB) vehicles. Due to incorrect installation instructions, the accessory rear hatch spoiler may be insufficiently attached to the vehicle. Risk An insufficiently attached spoiler may separate from the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers will replace the spoiler, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 3, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 66N5.
Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDFRemedy instructions PDF
NHTSA campaign 22V226000 reported Apr 6, 2022 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
▲high

Seat Belts

69BA
6 vehicles 67% reported repaired
Problem Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2020 Tiguan LWB vehicles. The third row seat belt anchor bolts may not have been properly torqued. Risk Improperly torqued bolts may prevent the third row seat belt from performing as designed in a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the occupant. Fix Volkswagen will notify owners and will repurchase the vehicles. Owners are advised: No one should occupy the third row seat due to the safety risk. The recall began October 7, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen number for this recall is 69BA.
Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDFRemedy instructions PDF
NHTSA campaign 20V579000 reported Sep 23, 2020 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
▲high

Seats

72L1, 72K8, 72K9
5,376 vehicles 98% reported repaired
Problem Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen ) is recalling certain 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, Jetta, Jetta GLI and Tiguan and Audi Q5 and SQ5 and 2021 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. Parts of the front seat frame and backrest adjuster may not have been welded properly. Risk In the event of a rear-end crash, the backrest adjustment could break, possibly reducing the amount of occupant restraint, thus increasing risk of injury. Fix Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seats, and, as necessary, replace the seatback frames, free of charge. The recall began September 11, 2020. Volkswagen owners may contact their customer service at 1-888-241-2289. Audi owners may contact their customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 72L1, 72K8, and 72K9.
Filed with NHTSADefect report PDFRemedy instructions PDF
NHTSA campaign 20V505000 reported Aug 26, 2020 Volkswagen Group 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 Tiguan

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2020 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Volkswagen 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 →Volkswagen’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 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan, 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 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan

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 Tiguan →

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
141complaints filed

5 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 7 injuries · 0 deaths reported

15 per 10,000 built · Volkswagen reported 95,053 Tiguan built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2020: 10 · 2021: 10 · 2022: 18 · 2023: 24 · 2024: 36 · 2025: 16 · 2026: 27

Most-cited components

Unspecified 52
Electrical System 34
Engine 30
Forward Collision Avoidance 22
Structure 16
Service Brakes 11

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 front assist emergency braking system activates for no reason. On all occasions, the last incident happened July 1, 2022, there were no obstacles in the road to warrant the car to come to a near stop. I’ve brought the car to the dealership for inspection and was informed the car is “sensitive”
Forward Collision Avoidance Jul 2, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11472085
My 2020 volkswagon Tiguan stalls while idling in traffic. The engine makes a grinding noise and there is no power. I have to put it in park and turn it off and then back on.
Engine Jun 6, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11467710
Automatic emergency brakes engage when pulling into/out of slightly sloped ground. My vehicle has come to a halt while in the middle of a highway multiple times after pulling out of a parking lot where it is slightly sloped. The most recent time was 5/3/22, but it has happened on 5 previous occasions.
Service Brakes May 3, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11463284
Water coming in through sunroof and pooling in the back seat foot pans. Only reason I was aware was first because someone with the same vehicle told me it happened to them and second I began to see moisture and ice on the inside of the windshield. Also began to have a mold odor.
Seats Mar 9, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11455800
On three separate occasions the power steering unit lost power, after restarting the car it would work again
Steering Jul 15, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11425001
Good evening, I would like to know the best person to communicate with regarding the discrepancies I have recently found on my title, registration, and inspection form. My names seem to be inconsistent on the forms. The inspection form also indicates that the left wheel and right wheel have been removed according to the inspection form.
Wheels Sep 2, 2020 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11352690

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 Volkswagen itself: 34 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 2 killed, 38 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 36 per 100,000 built. Every Tiguan model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

When owners reported it

Reported at 35k

miles, typically

Half the 28 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 5,000 and 63,000 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.

Too few readings for a curve — the 28 on file: 12 under 10k, 1 10k–20k, 1 20k–30k, 1 30k–40k, 2 40k–50k, 1 50k–60k, 5 60k–70k, 3 70k–80k, 1 90k–100k, 1 100k–150k.

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
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆—
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆—

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications
Extended coverage on file 2 filings 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 Volkswagen warranty extension (9) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 517
Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-09-17
Kindsas classified by NHTSA 501 service bulletins, 13 others, 3 warranty extensions

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

  • V0116152014815_20 Service bulletin
    2026-09-17 · Engine
  • Suggested fuel additive
  • 2026-09-09 · Unknown Or Other
  • This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.
  • V4622022067177_5 Service bulletin
    2026-08-27 · Service Brakes
  • Repair or Replace Information
  • VOS-26-47 Service bulletin
    2026-08-14 · Electrical System
  • This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A software fix is needed to correct the issue: Part number 3Q0-959-435N software version number 1307 has incorrect coding.
  • V4015022033347_8 Service bulletin
    2026-08-10 · Power Train
  • Replacement instruction
  • 2026-08-06 · Unknown Or Other
  • Permission to change Daily Order upgraded to RED Order
  • V0026012081638_2 Service bulletin
    2026-08-04 · Unknown Or Other
  • Differences between a leak and seepage
  • VOS-26-42 Service bulletin
    2026-07-15 · Electrical System
  • This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A software fix is needed to correct the issue: DA 0019 - Hotfix 12-V battery test(s) – No battery diagnosis - Inconclusive test result.

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.

CodeWhat it meansMost often filed underWhere it appears
P0496
P0496 on Volkswagen →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Equipment29 bulletins
P0463
P0463 on Volkswagen →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Engine19 bulletins
P11A1
P11A1 on Volkswagen →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Equipment18 bulletins
P11A2
P11A2 on Volkswagen →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Equipment18 bulletins
P11A3
P11A3 on Volkswagen →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Equipment18 bulletins
P11A4
P11A4 on Volkswagen →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Equipment18 bulletins
P11A5
P11A5 on Volkswagen →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Equipment18 bulletins
P11A6
P11A6 on Volkswagen →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Equipment18 bulletins
P11A7
P11A7 on Volkswagen →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Equipment18 bulletins
P11A8
P11A8 on Volkswagen →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Equipment18 bulletins
P11A9
P11A9 on Volkswagen →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Equipment18 bulletins
P11AA
P11AA on Volkswagen →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Equipment18 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.

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 DMV

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan failed the emissions check on 3.7% of first inspections — higher than the 2.2% for every 2020 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 2.2% (every 2020 vehicle: 1.6%).

New York inspections 3.7%

failed emissions

4,437 initial inspections of 4,341 vehicles.

MeasureThe 2020 TiguanEvery 2020 vehicleBehind it
Failed the emissions check3.7%2.2%4,411
Failed the safety inspection2.2%1.6%4,437
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit0.18%0.19%4,437
Miles driven a year10,4259,980odometer at inspection
Average odometer65,49262,630odometer 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 2020 vehicle” is every 2020 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).

Tiguan by model year

all years, side by side →
Year Safety Recalls Complaints
2027 A 0 0 29 mpg2026 A 0 37 29 mpg2025 C 3 53 29 mpg2024 B 2 76 27 mpg2023 A 1 70 27 mpg2022 C 5 272 26 mpg2021 C 5 144 25 mpg2020 this page C 3 141 25 mpg2019 B 5 194 25 mpg2018 F 14 293 Do not drive2017 C 4 76 22 mpg2016 B 2 97 23 mpg

Common questions about the 2020 Tiguan

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 3 recall campaigns for the 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan. The most serious on file is 22V226000, covering Structure. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan?

NHTSA gave the 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan 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 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan?

Across the 2 EPA-rated configurations of the 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan, the best EPA combined figure is 25 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan?

Transport Canada measured it at 185.8 in long, 72.0 in wide (body, without mirrors), 66.5 in tall, on a 109.8 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,777–3,856 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 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan?

Owners have filed 141 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan, most often about unspecified, electrical system, engine. Of those, 5 involved a crash, 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 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan?

The EPA smog rating for the 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan is 7 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 SULEV30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan?

The manufacturer has filed 517 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan, most often covering equipment, engine, electrical system. The most recent is dated 2026-09-17. 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 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan failed the emissions check on 3.7% of first inspections — higher than the 2.2% for every 2020 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 2.2% (every 2020 vehicle: 1.6%). 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.

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 complaints141NHTSA 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 bulletins517NHTSA 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 NHTSA12 fieldsNHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patternsWhat the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions7 fieldsTransport Canada, Canadian Vehicle SpecificationsLength, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipmentnoneManufacturer press kitWe 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.

Where to go next

pages beside this one
Other years The 2027 Tiguan The Tiguan model year with the cleanest record on file — grade A, 0 recalls.Recalls Every Volkswagen recall on file All campaigns filed against Volkswagen vehicles, newest first, with the manufacturer's own number.Recall Watch Watch this Tiguan 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.

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