About Auto Reliability Index

Independent, data-driven vehicle reliability scores built from public safety records — so you can compare any car's track record at a glance.

Vehicles Scored
801
Recalls Tracked
5,071
Complaints Analyzed
119,682

Last updated

Why We Built This

We built Auto Reliability Index because finding trustworthy car reliability data shouldn't require sifting through paywalled reports, anonymous forum posts, or manufacturer-sponsored reviews. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration collects detailed recall and complaint data on every vehicle sold in the United States — but that data is buried in government databases that weren't designed for comparison shopping. We turn that raw data into simple 0–100 scores so you can compare any car's reliability at a glance.

How We Score Every Vehicle

1

Data Collection

We pull recall notices, owner complaints, safety campaigns, and sales figures from NHTSA and public sources.

2

Normalization

Complaint counts are adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, so high-volume models aren't unfairly penalized by sheer scale.

3

Scoring

Four weighted factors — complaint severity (35%), repair costs (30%), recall impact (20%), and issue diversity (15%) — combine into a single 0–100 score with full sub-score transparency.

4

Continuous Updates

Scores are recalculated as new recall and complaint data becomes available from federal databases.

Data Transparency & Independence

  • No manufacturer affiliations or paid placements — scores are never influenced by commercial relationships.
  • All scores are algorithmically generated from public data sources using a consistent methodology across every vehicle.
  • Owner complaints are presented as filed with NHTSA — we don't filter or editorialize.
  • AI-assisted content — some vehicle descriptions and complaint summaries are generated using AI tools and reviewed for accuracy. All underlying data comes from NHTSA and public sources.
  • Full data source documentation — see exactly where our data comes from and how each source contributes to the final score.
  • If you spot incorrect data, contact us to report it.

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