Federal complaint databases give a rough picture of which vehicles frustrate owners, though raw counts favor models that sell in huge numbers. Some of the entries below top the totals outright, while others stand out once complaints are measured per 100,000 sales. Here are eleven cars, trucks and SUVs that drew an outsized share of owner complaints.
1. Ford Fusion: Complaint Count Champion
The midsize sedan sits at the very top of an AAA Club Alliance tally analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration filings, with 16,335 NHTSA complaints from 2015 to 2024, the most of any model.
A total that large reflects a long production run and heavy sales as well as problems, so owners of a used example should still check recall records and open complaints for the exact model year before buying. A sedan leading the field outright is a signal worth taking seriously, and a pre-purchase inspection is a sensible response.
2. Ford F-150: Truck Volume Brings Complaints
America’s best-known pickup follows close behind, logging 15,378 NHTSA complaints between 2015 and 2024, according to the same AAA-published ranking covering that decade.
A truck that sells in such large numbers will naturally generate a large pile of paperwork, so the figure says more about scale than about any single defect. Shoppers considering a used pickup from those years should look up complaints for the specific year, cab and engine, rather than relying on the nameplate alone.
3. Ford Edge: Midsize Crossover Piles Up Filings
With 9,871 NHTSA complaints from 2015 to 2024, the crossover lands among the heaviest-filed vehicles in the Tires Easy ranking published through AAA, a count that places it well inside the leaders for the period.
Used-car buyers can treat that tally as a prompt to dig deeper. Searching the federal complaint database by model year shows whether grievances cluster around one component, and a seller who can document repairs or recall work offers a more reassuring starting point than one who cannot.
4. Honda CR-V: Best Seller, Big Complaint Pile
The compact SUV drew 10,016 NHTSA complaints from 2015 to 2024, edging past the Edge in the same AAA-hosted complaint ranking of the decade’s most-reported vehicles.
Its place on the list owes plenty to being among the country’s most common crossovers, which means more owners and more chances to file. Even so, a count above ten thousand justifies a look at recall notices and service history before a purchase, especially when the asking price assumes a flawless reputation.
5. Chrysler Town & Country: Minivan Tops The Rate Chart
Measured against sales rather than raw totals, the minivan recorded 2,309 complaints per 100,000 sales, and Lemon Law Experts’ analysis puts its overall count at more than 9,500 complaints.
A rate that high matters because it removes the advantage of volume: fewer vehicles sold, yet a heavy share of complaints. Families shopping for an older minivan should weigh that ratio carefully, request maintenance records, and compare against competing models before committing to a high mileage example.
6. Ford Focus: Compact Hatch With A Rate Problem
The compact car logged 1,427 complaints per 100,000 sales, a figure drawn from a Lemon Law Experts study ranking which vehicles Americans complain about most.
Because the measure is tied to sales, it reflects how often complaints occur relative to how many cars were sold, not merely how popular the model was. Anyone eyeing a used example should pair that ratio with a model-year check for recalls and a thorough test drive, since the number alone does not identify which owners were affected.
7. Hyundai Sonata: Sixth On The Overall List
The midsize sedan registered 1,114 complaints per 100,000 sales, a rate that ranked it sixth overall in the Lemon Law Experts ranking of the cars Americans complain about most.
A sixth place finish among every model measured is a notable result for a mainstream family sedan. Buyers should read it as one data point rather than a verdict, then look at the specific year, engine and service record of any used car, because complaint rates can differ sharply from one model year to the next.
8. GMC Yukon: Full Size SUV Cracks The Top Ten
The large SUV recorded 1,065 complaints per 100,000 sales, which placed it eighth in the same Lemon Law Experts list of the most complained about vehicles.
Appearing at all among that field is noteworthy for a vehicle that carries a premium price, since expensive models tend to be assumed trouble free. Owners and shoppers can use the ranking as a reason to confirm warranty coverage, review recall history and ask for service records instead of trusting the badge.
9. Ford Escape: One Model Year, Heavy Filings
A single model year accounts for much of the damage here, since the 2020 model has 1,516 complaints in NHTSA’s own database of owner reports for that year.
The figure comes straight from the regulator, which makes it harder to wave away than a third party summary. Anyone considering a 2020 example should search the database for the particular complaint topics, compare them with open recalls, and weigh that history against the price a seller is asking.
10. Chevrolet Malibu: Engine Trouble Leads The List
The 2016 model carries 861 complaints, with engine problems the most common, according to NHTSA complaint records kept for that model year.
Engine trouble is among the costlier categories for an owner to face, so the pattern deserves attention from anyone shopping for a used sedan from that year. A pre-purchase inspection, a check of service records and a search of the federal database for the exact year are sensible steps before agreeing to a price.
11. Chevrolet Equinox: Newest Entry, Top Of Its Class
Among recent vehicles, the 2025 model has 327 owner complaints on file with NHTSA, the most among the 2025 SUVs covered by CarFactSheet’s 2025 roundup of the most complained about SUVs.
That count comes early in the model’s life, which suggests complaints could keep rising as more owners rack up miles. Shoppers weighing a new or nearly new example should watch for recalls and software updates, read the warranty terms, and check the federal database again before and after buying.
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