Which cars have the most transmission problems
Owners have filed 216,960 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 | 1,585 | 44% | 40,500 | F |
| 2002 Ford Explorer | 1,584 | 39% | 80,000 | F |
| 2014 Jeep Cherokee | 1,465 | 37% | 33,914 | F |
| 2012 Ford Focus | 1,457 | 29% | 55,000 | D |
| 2013 Ford F-150 | 1,346 | 34% | 94,350 | F |
| 2013 Ford Focus | 1,108 | 38% | 39,000 | F |
| 2015 Jeep Cherokee | 1,001 | 38% | 24,000 | F |
| 2018 Ford F-150 | 990 | 35% | 60,000 | D |
| 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 | 826 | 28% | 96,267 | D |
| 2019 Jeep Cherokee | 783 | 32% | 49,050 | D |
| 2005 Nissan Maxima | 782 | 68% | 85,424 | F |
| 2019 Ford F-150 | 722 | 43% | 66,750 | F |
| 2015 Chrysler 200 | 696 | 20% | 37,311 | C |
| 2005 Ford Freestar | 690 | 63% | 81,000 | F |
| 2012 Ford F-150 | 679 | 28% | 90,000 | D |
| 2016 Ford Focus | 676 | 43% | 64,500 | F |
| 2017 Jeep Cherokee | 647 | 34% | 46,319 | D |
| 2016 Jeep Cherokee | 630 | 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
52,970
Chevrolet transmission problems
18,401
Nissan transmission problems
16,432
Jeep transmission problems
15,912
Dodge transmission problems
15,629
Honda transmission problems
12,735
Toyota transmission problems
9,786
Chrysler transmission problems
6,809
Hyundai transmission problems
6,002
GMC transmission problems
5,911
Volkswagen transmission problems
4,353
Mazda transmission problems
4,353
KIA transmission problems
4,195
BMW transmission problems
3,537
Subaru transmission problems
3,140
Mercury transmission problems
2,986
Acura transmission problems
2,977
RAM transmission problems
2,414
Saturn transmission problems
2,120
Pontiac transmission problems
1,996
Mitsubishi transmission problems
1,945
Buick transmission problems
1,761
Mercedes Benz transmission problems
1,747
Plymouth transmission problems
1,647
Cadillac transmission problems
1,644
Lexus transmission problems
1,388
Lincoln transmission problems
1,267
Volvo transmission problems
1,180
Audi transmission problems
1,147
Suzuki transmission problems
1,098
Yamaha transmission problems
858
Land Rover transmission problems
846
Infiniti transmission problems
796
Oldsmobile transmission problems
757
Fiat transmission problems
586
Mini transmission problems
487
Harley-Davidson transmission problems
429
Eagle transmission problems
425
Isuzu transmission problems
408
Tesla transmission problems
403
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
136,051
64.2%
Automatic Transmission
48,205
22.7%
Manual Transmission
6,222
2.9%
Axle Assembly
2,667
1.3%
Clutch Assembly
2,572
1.2%
Differential Unit
2,509
1.2%
Park/Neutral Start Interlock Switch
2,427
1.1%
Driveline
1,768
0.8%
Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm)
1,650
0.8%
Driveshaft
1,568
0.7%
Column Shift
1,518
0.7%
Torque Converter
1,419
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%