FaultScore

Which cars have the most child seat problems

Owners have filed 1,525 complaints with NHTSA about the child seats. These are the models and model years that account for most of them.

Read these as volume, not as a reliability ranking: a model that sold in millions appears near the top for that reason alone.

Worst model years for child seat problems

Vehicle Complaints Share of that year Median miles Grade
1996 Dodge Caravan 47 2% A
1996 Dodge Grand Caravan 34 2% B
1996 Plymouth Voyager 27 2% A
1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager 21 2% A
1997 Dodge Caravan 13 1% 74,000 A
2023 Tesla Model Y 11 1% A
1996 Chrysler Town AND Country 10 1% A
2000 Chevrolet Venture 10 2% 67,000 C

Child seat problems by brand

Every brand's record for this part, across its whole range.

Models with the most child seat problems

Dodge Caravan 97 19.8%

Worst in 1996

Worst in 1996

Worst in 1996

Worst in 1996

Honda Odyssey 43 8.8%

Worst in 2008

Ford Explorer 35 7.1%

Worst in 1996

Worst in 1996

Toyota Camry 27 5.5%

Worst in 1997

Worst in 2000

Ford Windstar 26 5.3%

Worst in 1996

Honda Accord 25 5.1%

Worst in 1996

Toyota Sienna 25 5.1%

Worst in 2015

Exactly what failed

NHTSA files each complaint against a specific sub-assembly. These are the ones named most often inside child seats.

Child Seat 838 57.4%
Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness 149 10.2%
Strap/Webbing 93 6.4%
Carry Handle, Shell, Base 85 5.8%
Harness Retainer/Chest Clip 47 3.2%
Infant 46 3.2%
Tether, Lower Anchor (on car Seat or Vehicle) 41 2.8%
Insert, Padding 37 2.5%
Base 26 1.8%
Handle (Infant) 20 1.4%
Latch Connector/Clip 20 1.4%
Harness/Crotch Buckle 19 1.3%
Retractor 13 0.9%
Booster 13 0.9%
Material/Padding 13 0.9%