Using complaint data when buying a used car

A practical checklist: read the model trend, find the years to avoid, check problem areas and recall completion, and what to test on the drive.

Complaint data will not tell you whether one specific car is good. It tells you where to look. Here is how to use this site in the hour before you go to see a vehicle.

1. Start with the model page

Read the trend: is the model improving or worsening across model years, measured on early-life complaints against same-age peers? Note the years flagged as running well above the model's own average. If the car you are considering is one of those years, budget extra time for the rest of this list.

2. Open the model-year page

Check the complaint index against the brand, the model year and the segment. Look at when incidents happen: if most reports come in the first two years and the car is older, the early problems may already have been fixed under warranty; if reports keep climbing after year three, expect them during your ownership.

3. Read the problem areas

The problem pages list what owners actually describe: oil consumption, shuddering transmissions, cracked windshields, phantom braking. Turn each one into a test. Cold-start the engine and listen. Drive at the speeds owners mention. Try every driver-assistance feature on a highway. Check the windshield and paint in daylight.

4. Check the recalls, by VIN

Every model-year page lists recalls on record. Run the VIN through NHTSA's lookup to see which ones are still open on that specific car. An open park-outside or do-not-drive recall is a reason to walk away until it is fixed. A completed recall is a plus: the known defect has been addressed.

5. Look for investigations

An open NHTSA investigation means the agency suspects a defect but has not decided on a recall. If the car has one, read the subject line and ask the seller directly whether the symptom has appeared.

6. Ask for records

Service history showing the recall repairs and the common problems addressed is worth more than any single statistic. For models with known engine or transmission issues, a recent repair invoice from the dealer is exactly what you want to see.

7. Weigh, don't count

Popular models have more complaints because more people own them. Compare the per-year figure and the index, not the raw count, and compare within the segment. A vehicle with a typical index and one well-documented, already-recalled problem is often a better buy than one with fewer complaints and no history.