Which cars have the most transmission problems
Owners have filed 217,883 complaints with NHTSA about the transmission & drivetrain. 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 transmission problems
| Vehicle | Complaints | Share of that year | Median miles | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 Ford Focus | 1,588 | 44% | 41,000 | F |
| 2002 Ford Explorer | 1,584 | 39% | 80,000 | F |
| 2014 Jeep Cherokee | 1,469 | 37% | 33,914 | F |
| 2012 Ford Focus | 1,460 | 29% | 55,000 | D |
| 2013 Ford F-150 | 1,348 | 34% | 94,350 | F |
| 2013 Ford Focus | 1,110 | 38% | 39,000 | F |
| 2018 Ford F-150 | 1,004 | 35% | 60,000 | D |
| 2015 Jeep Cherokee | 1,002 | 38% | 24,000 | F |
| 2004 Nissan Maxima | 942 | 55% | 84,000 | F |
| 2003 Honda Accord | 933 | 39% | 98,063 | F |
| 1995 Ford Windstar | 924 | 19% | 93,586 | C |
| 2010 Ford Fusion | 898 | 13% | 51,000 | B |
| 2004 Ford Freestar | 873 | 55% | 85,000 | F |
| 2011 Ford F-150 | 828 | 28% | 97,000 | D |
| 2019 Jeep Cherokee | 799 | 33% | 50,000 | D |
| 2005 Nissan Maxima | 782 | 68% | 85,424 | F |
| 2019 Ford F-150 | 729 | 43% | 66,500 | F |
| 2015 Chrysler 200 | 696 | 20% | 37,311 | C |
| 2005 Ford Freestar | 690 | 63% | 81,000 | F |
| 2012 Ford F-150 | 680 | 28% | 90,000 | D |
| 2016 Ford Focus | 676 | 43% | 64,500 | F |
| 2017 Jeep Cherokee | 649 | 34% | 46,683 | D |
| 2016 Jeep Cherokee | 631 | 31% | 48,157 | D |
| 2002 Honda Odyssey | 613 | 55% | 85,000 | F |
| 2005 Dodge RAM 1500 | 597 | 37% | 110,967 | F |
Transmission problems by brand
Every brand's record for this part, across its whole range.
Ford transmission problems
53,209
Chevrolet transmission problems
18,506
Nissan transmission problems
16,458
Jeep transmission problems
15,984
Dodge transmission problems
15,642
Honda transmission problems
12,789
Toyota transmission problems
9,866
Chrysler transmission problems
6,817
Hyundai transmission problems
6,048
GMC transmission problems
5,986
Volkswagen transmission problems
4,364
Mazda transmission problems
4,363
KIA transmission problems
4,227
BMW transmission problems
3,554
Subaru transmission problems
3,150
Acura transmission problems
2,992
Mercury transmission problems
2,987
RAM transmission problems
2,436
Saturn transmission problems
2,122
Pontiac transmission problems
1,998
Mitsubishi transmission problems
1,946
Buick transmission problems
1,768
Mercedes Benz transmission problems
1,757
Cadillac transmission problems
1,658
Plymouth transmission problems
1,647
Lexus transmission problems
1,391
Lincoln transmission problems
1,282
Volvo transmission problems
1,185
Audi transmission problems
1,154
Suzuki transmission problems
1,098
Yamaha transmission problems
859
Land Rover transmission problems
848
Infiniti transmission problems
799
Oldsmobile transmission problems
757
Fiat transmission problems
586
Mini transmission problems
488
Harley-Davidson transmission problems
429
Eagle transmission problems
425
Isuzu transmission problems
408
Tesla transmission problems
406
Models with the most transmission problems
Exactly what failed
NHTSA files each complaint against a specific sub-assembly. These are the ones named most often inside transmission & drivetrain.
Power Train
136,964
64.3%
Automatic Transmission
48,206
22.6%
Manual Transmission
6,222
2.9%
Axle Assembly
2,667
1.3%
Clutch Assembly
2,573
1.2%
Differential Unit
2,513
1.2%
Park/Neutral Start Interlock Switch
2,427
1.1%
Driveline
1,768
0.8%
Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm)
1,651
0.8%
Driveshaft
1,568
0.7%
Column Shift
1,518
0.7%
Torque Converter
1,420
0.7%
Transfer Case (4-WHEEL Drive)
1,319
0.6%
Gear Position Indication (Prndl)
1,165
0.5%
Cooling Unit AND Lines
1,017
0.5%