Powertrain complaints by model (NHTSA)

NHTSA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, takes complaints from vehicle owners, and each one names the part that is involved. This table counts the complaints that name POWER TRAIN, by model, for model years 2012 to 2022, with the model year that drew the most.

• 6,212powertrain complaints, Ford Focus
• 242,208total complaints, 42 models
• 46,156power train complaints
• 19%share naming the power train

Source: NHTSA vehicle owner complaints database (api.nhtsa.gov), model years 2012 to 2022, read October 18, 2026.

Owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defect findings. Popular models draw more complaints because more of them are on the road.

On a phone the table shows the key columns. Turn the phone sideways or use a computer to see every column.

What the table shows

Each row has the make and model, all complaints for model years 2012 to 2022, the power train complaints, the power train share and the model year with the most power train complaints. The largest counts belong to the Ford Focus (6,212), Ford F-150 (5,330) and Jeep Cherokee (5,193), and the highest shares to the Cherokee (51%), Focus (49%) and Expedition (38%). Across all 42 models, model year 2014 has the most power train complaints (6,918) and 2022 the fewest (1,528), which partly reflects how little time newer vehicles have had to collect reports.

How it was made

The counts come from NHTSA's public complaint data through its programming interface, pulled in October 2026. Model names were matched across the spelling variants NHTSA uses, such as F-150 Regular Cab and Super Crew, and complaints were counted once by their ODI number. The Silverado and Sierra rows include all weights, and the Cherokee row excludes the Grand Cherokee. The power train count includes every complaint whose components list POWER TRAIN, a category wider than the transmission that also takes in related driveline parts.

Limits of the data

A complaint is a report by an owner, not a finding by NHTSA that a part is defective. Counts rise with the number of vehicles sold, so a popular model will lead any ranking. The table does not show the number of vehicles in use, so it cannot give a rate. The table cannot say why a model year draws more reports. Newer model years have had less time to collect reports. None of this says why a part failed or whether it was repaired.

For these reasons the table is a way to see where owner reports are concentrated, not to compare reliability. For recalls and service bulletins that apply to your own vehicle, enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall page.

Where to read more

Make pages explain the rows in more detail: Ford, Chevrolet and GMC, Dodge and Ram, Toyota and Lexus, Jeep, Honda, Subaru and Nissan. The guide to signs your transmission needs attention covers what to watch for.