Most Reliable Used sedans (2015–2022)

Ranked by NHTSA owner-complaint rate per 1,000 sold · 18 sedans

By CarWhere Research · Published Jul 14, 2026 · Updated September 2026 · NHTSA source data

Across 18 used sedans from 2015–2022, ranked by NHTSA owner-complaint rate per 1,000 vehicles sold, the Toyota Camry, Toyota Corolla, Subaru Impreza have the lowest rates — the Toyota Camry is lowest at 0.156 complaints per 1,000 sold per year of vehicle age. This adjusts federal complaint volume for how many were sold; it is not a holistic dependability score. Data as of September 2026.

How to read this. This ranks the federal complaint rate — NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold — not overall dependability. It is a different lens than Consumer Reports or J.D. Power, which weigh many systems and owner surveys. A model can place differently here than on those lists. Counts are severity-weighted; sales figures are cited per model. How we score complaints.

About this study

Models ranked
18
Complaints analyzed
97,359
U.S. units represented
19,946,595
Model-years
143 (2015–2022)

Method. For each model, NHTSA owner complaints (severe complaints — crash, fire, injury — weighted double) are divided by U.S. units sold (per 1,000) and by years of vehicle age, then the model's median across years is taken. Calendar-year sales are used as each model-year's cohort size. Complaint records are matched to NHTSA's body-style/trim model names and de-duplicated by complaint ID; where a sales figure covers a whole line (marked *), complaints are aggregated across the same variants. NHTSA data extracted September 2026.

Scope. 18 high-volume sedans with a cited U.S. sales figure and enough complaint volume to rank; models with too few units or complaints to be statistically stable are excluded. This is a used-vehicle complaint-rate study (2015–2022 model years), not a ranking of new sedans.

Used sedans ranked by complaint rate

#ModelComplaints / 1k sold / yrRating
1Toyota Camry0.156Lowest complaint rateYears to avoid →
2Toyota Corolla0.18Lowest complaint rateYears to avoid →
3Subaru Impreza0.286Lowest complaint rateYears to avoid →
4Mazda Mazda30.291Lowest complaint rateYears to avoid →
5Dodge Charger0.295Below-average complaint rateYears to avoid →
6Nissan Altima0.331Below-average complaint rateYears to avoid →
7Volkswagen Jetta0.336Below-average complaint rateYears to avoid →
8Volkswagen Passat0.337Average complaint rateYears to avoid →
9Mazda Mazda60.343Average complaint rateYears to avoid →
10Hyundai Elantra0.364Average complaint rateYears to avoid →
11Kia Forte0.368Average complaint rateYears to avoid →
12Nissan Sentra0.369Above-average complaint rateYears to avoid →
13Chrysler 3000.372Above-average complaint rateYears to avoid →
14Honda Civic0.406Above-average complaint rateYears to avoid →
15Honda Accord0.463Highest complaint rateYears to avoid →
16Hyundai Sonata0.97Highest complaint rateYears to avoid →
17Kia Optima1.005Highest complaint rateYears to avoid →
18Chrysler 2001.267Highest complaint rateYears to avoid →

Lower is better. Rate = severity-weighted NHTSA complaints ÷ (U.S. units sold ÷ 1,000) ÷ years of vehicle age, median across a model's years. 18 of 21 curated sedans have sales data; 3 awaiting data. A * marks a model whose sales figure covers the whole line — complaints are aggregated across the same variants to match. Complaint data: NHTSA. Sales: cited per model below.

Five used sedans with the lowest complaint rates (2015–2022)

  1. Toyota Camry — 0.156 complaints per 1,000 sold per year of vehicle age.
  2. Toyota Corolla — 0.18 complaints per 1,000 sold per year of vehicle age.
  3. Subaru Impreza — 0.286 complaints per 1,000 sold per year of vehicle age.
  4. Mazda Mazda3 — 0.291 complaints per 1,000 sold per year of vehicle age.
  5. Dodge Charger — 0.295 complaints per 1,000 sold per year of vehicle age.

What this measures: how often owners file federal safety/defect complaints, adjusted for how many were sold. It does not measure repair cost, breakdown frequency, or the survey-based dependability that Consumer Reports and J.D. Power report — use it alongside those.

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Frequently asked

What is the most reliable used sedan by complaint rate?

Among the 18 used sedans (2015–2022) we analyze, the Toyota Camry has the lowest NHTSA owner-complaint rate — 0.156 complaints per 1,000 sold per year of vehicle age — followed by the Toyota Corolla and Subaru Impreza. It adjusts federal complaint volume for units sold, so it rewards models owners complain about least relative to how many were sold.

How is this sedan ranking calculated?

For each model we take its NHTSA owner complaints, weight severe (crash/fire/injury) complaints double, and divide by U.S. units sold (per 1,000) and years of vehicle age. That yields a complaint rate comparable across models regardless of how many were sold — a best-seller is no longer penalized just for volume. Where a sales figure covers a whole model line, complaints are aggregated across the same variants. Sales figures are cited per model; complaints are the federal record.

Does this match Consumer Reports or J.D. Power reliability?

Not necessarily. Consumer Reports and J.D. Power measure owner-reported problems and predicted dependability across many systems. This ranks only NHTSA safety/defect complaint rate — a narrower, public, federal signal. A model can rank differently here than on those lists; both are valid, they measure different things. Use this alongside them, then check the specific VIN.

Sales sources