Vehicle Reliability & Recall Center
Reliability data is the single best predictor of how much a car will actually cost you after the sticker price — more than horsepower, more than trim level, more than badge prestige. This hub explains how we read reliability data, what a recall actually means for you as a buyer, and how both factor into every vehicle's Buy Score.
What PP100 means (and why the industry average keeps climbing)
PP100 — problems per 100 vehicles — is the core metric behind studies like J.D. Power's Vehicle Dependability Study, measuring how many issues owners report per 100 vehicles after three years of ownership. A lower number is better. The industry-wide average has been climbing recently, driven largely by increasingly complex infotainment systems, software glitches, and over-the-air update issues — not classic mechanical failures like engines or transmissions. That shift matters for buyers: a vehicle can have a rock-solid engine and still frustrate its owner constantly through software.
Reliability by brand: a consistent pattern across sources
Independent reliability sources — RepairPal, Consumer Reports, and J.D. Power — consistently agree on the broad shape of the market even when their exact rankings differ in the details. Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Acura, Mazda, Subaru, Hyundai, and Kia repeatedly cluster near the top on both reliability scores and average annual repair costs. A second tier — Volkswagen, Buick, Chevrolet, Ford, Volvo — is generally solid but rewards more careful model-by-model shopping. Higher average repair costs and lower reliability scores tend to cluster around certain domestic trucks/SUVs and much of the European luxury segment, particularly when bought used without remaining warranty coverage.
How to check recalls before you buy
Every vehicle sold in the U.S. can have its recall history checked by VIN through NHTSA's free tools — this is a five-minute step that costs nothing and can catch a serious unresolved safety issue before you buy. We don't yet have a live recall-lookup feed built into this site (that's a planned feature), so in the meantime, always run the specific VIN of any car you're seriously considering through NHTSA's VIN lookup tool directly before finalizing a purchase, whether new or used.
How reliability and recalls factor into our Buy Score
Our Buy Score weighs reliability history at 25% of the total score — the single largest factor — because it's the best available predictor of what a vehicle will actually cost you to keep running. Recall severity and frequency at the brand level make up another 15%, reflecting that some manufacturers have historically issued dramatically more safety recalls than others. Neither factor alone tells the whole story, which is why we also weigh ownership cost burden, longevity, depreciation, and safety ratings — see our Vehicle Reviews hub for the full breakdown of how the score is built.
Frequently asked questions
What does PP100 mean?
PP100 stands for "problems per 100 vehicles" — it's the core metric behind studies like J.D. Power's Vehicle Dependability Study, measuring how many issues owners report per 100 vehicles after three years of ownership. A lower PP100 score means fewer reported problems and generally indicates a more dependable vehicle. Recently, industry-wide PP100 has been rising, driven mostly by software and infotainment issues rather than traditional mechanical failures.
Which car brands are generally most reliable?
Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Acura, Mazda, Subaru, Hyundai, and Kia consistently rank near the top across independent sources like RepairPal, Consumer Reports, and J.D. Power, both for reliability scores and lower average annual repair costs. A solid second tier includes Volkswagen, Buick, Chevrolet, Ford, and Volvo, where model-specific research matters more. Higher-cost, higher-risk ownership tends to cluster around certain domestic trucks/SUVs and much of the European luxury segment when bought used without remaining warranty coverage.
How do I check if a car has an open recall?
Run the vehicle's VIN through NHTSA's free VIN lookup tool — it will show any open safety recalls for that specific vehicle. Do this before finalizing any purchase, new or used, since an unresolved recall can be a genuine safety issue and is usually fixed free of charge by a dealer once you know about it.
Why do EVs and PHEVs tend to show up as less reliable in recent studies?
Recent independent data shows EVs and especially plug-in hybrids reporting more owner-experienced problems than conventional gas vehicles, driven largely by software, infotainment, and the added complexity of managing two powertrains (in the case of PHEVs) rather than classic mechanical failure. This is a real, current pattern worth knowing — not a reason to avoid EVs outright, but a reason to budget for potential software-related service visits and to weigh a manufacturer's EV track record specifically.