Is Chevrolet as reliable as Toyota?
Toyota comes out ahead: Chevrolet 1.77 vs Toyota 0.94 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022). Chevrolet owners filed 1.9× as many complaints per vehicle sold as Toyota owners.
By CarWhere Research · Updated November 2026 · Method
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022; published U.S. sales). Not a survey, not Consumer Reports' method, and not repair frequency.
Chevrolet vs Toyota at a glance
| Chevrolet | Toyota | |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints per 1,000 sold | 1.77 | 0.94 |
| Serious-safety complaints per 1,000 | 0.10 | 0.10 |
| Rank of 19 brands | #7 | #2 |
| Models covered | 15 | 12 |
| Vehicles sold (rated model years) | 14,288,009 | 15,629,831 |
| Owner complaints | 25,345 | 14,637 |
| Share of brand U.S. sales covered | 95.5% | 96.2% |
| Top complaint areas | Engine 25.8% · Powertrain / transmission 20.8% · Electrical system 18.3% | Powertrain / transmission 16% · Engine 14.6% · Electrical system 13.9% |
| Recall campaigns (vehicles covered) | 266 (2.5 million) | 198 (15.8 million) |
Model years 2015–2022. Lower is better. Serious-safety complaints are those where the owner reported a crash, a fire or at least one injury. Recall campaigns are NHTSA campaigns filed January 2016 to September 2026; vehicles covered counts a vehicle once per campaign.
What drives the numbers
- Chevrolet's count is driven most by 2015–2017 Silverado complaints about brakes and powertrain / transmission (3,310, 13.1% of Chevrolet's complaints). Other models with rates above Chevrolet's overall 1.77: Malibu (2.80), Tahoe (2.55), Suburban (2.97).
- Toyota's count is driven most by 2019–2020 RAV4 complaints about engine and fuel / propulsion (1,563, 10.7% of Toyota's complaints). Other models with rates above Toyota's overall 0.94: Highlander (1.46), Venza (2.00), Tundra (1.06).
Chevrolet vs Toyota complaints per 1,000 sold, by model year
Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are still growing. Compare the two lines within a year, not one year against another.
| Model year | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet | 2.59 | 2.19 | 1.77 | 1.50 | 1.53 | 1.38 | 1.70 | 1.20 |
| Toyota | 0.86 | 0.79 | 0.79 | 1.03 | 1.28 | 1.04 | 0.95 | 0.74 |
What Chevrolet and Toyota owners complain about
Share of each brand's NHTSA complaints naming the area (a complaint can name more than one).
Chevrolet
- Engine25.8% · 6,535
- Powertrain / transmission20.8% · 5,280
- Electrical system18.3% · 4,640
- Brakes14.1% · 3,586
- Steering10.6% · 2,684
- Fuel / propulsion7.4% · 1,886
Toyota
- Powertrain / transmission16% · 2,340
- Engine14.6% · 2,143
- Electrical system13.9% · 2,028
- Fuel / propulsion11.9% · 1,744
- Brakes11.8% · 1,725
- Air bags9.6% · 1,404
Model matchups
Each brand's best-selling model in the classes both sell, on the same per-1,000-sold measure.
Full-size pickups: Chevrolet Silverado vs Toyota Tundra
The Toyota Tundra has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Chevrolet Silverado 1.71 vs Toyota Tundra 1.06 complaints per 1,000 sold. Engine is the most-cited area for both (26.3% and 25.8% of complaints).
Chevrolet Silverado(whole line)
1.71 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 7,794 complaints / 4,566,193 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2009, 2011–2013
- Years to avoid:
- 2014, 2019–2022
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 26.3% · Powertrain / transmission 24.8% · Brakes 19.7%
1.06 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 930 complaints / 874,993 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2021
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2018, 2022–2025
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 25.8% · Fuel / propulsion 20% · Electrical system 14.8%
Compact SUVs: Chevrolet Equinox vs Toyota RAV4
The Toyota RAV4 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Chevrolet Equinox 1.26 vs Toyota RAV4 1.10 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Equinox's most-cited area is engine (36.8%); the RAV4's is electrical system (21.5%).
1.26 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 2,685 complaints / 2,137,303 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2008, 2009
- Years to avoid:
- 2010–2013, 2018, 2020
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 36.8% · Visibility / wipers 16.4% · Brakes 14.1%
1.10 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 3,483 complaints / 3,155,248 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2019–2021, 2023, 2024
- Top complaint areas:
- Electrical system 21.5% · Engine 17.8% · Fuel / propulsion 13.6%
Midsize cars: Chevrolet Malibu vs Toyota Camry
The Toyota Camry has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Chevrolet Malibu 2.80 vs Toyota Camry 0.84 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Malibu's most-cited area is engine (35.2%); the Camry's is powertrain / transmission (18.5%).
Chevrolet Malibu
2.80 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 3,162 complaints / 1,130,932 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- None flagged
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 35.2% · Electrical system 27% · Powertrain / transmission 22.3%
0.84 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 2,348 complaints / 2,788,813 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2016, 2017, 2022
- Years to avoid:
- 2008–2012, 2018–2020
- Top complaint areas:
- Powertrain / transmission 18.5% · Engine 15.4% · Brakes 14.4%
Compact cars: Chevrolet Cruze vs Toyota Corolla
The Toyota Corolla has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Chevrolet Cruze 1.06 vs Toyota Corolla 0.68 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Cruze's most-cited area is engine (38.4%); the Corolla's is air bags (20.9%).
Chevrolet Cruze
1.06 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 839 complaints / 792,822 sold, MY 2015–2019 NHTSA
- Too few sold to rate:
- 2020
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- None flagged
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 38.4% · Electrical system 19.1% · Powertrain / transmission 16.7%
0.68 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 1,586 complaints / 2,339,849 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2009–2011, 2019, 2020
- Top complaint areas:
- Air bags 20.9% · Engine 16.8% · Powertrain / transmission 13.7%
Three-row SUVs: Chevrolet Traverse vs Toyota Highlander
The Toyota Highlander has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Chevrolet Traverse 2.30 vs Toyota Highlander 1.46 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Traverse's most-cited area is air bags (27%); the Highlander's is powertrain / transmission (31.1%).
Chevrolet Traverse
2.30 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 2,278 complaints / 992,299 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- None flagged
- Top complaint areas:
- Air bags 27% · Powertrain / transmission 23.9% · Engine 17.2%
1.46 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 2,546 complaints / 1,749,226 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2008, 2017–2023
- Top complaint areas:
- Powertrain / transmission 31.1% · Brakes 11.8% · Electrical system 10.5%
How these numbers are calculated
complaints per 1,000 sold = NHTSA owner complaints filed for model years 2015–2022 ÷ U.S. vehicles sold in calendar years 2015–2022 × 1,000
Complaints come from NHTSA's public owner-complaint database (NHTSA data), counted once per complaint and matched across NHTSA's trim and body-style names. Vehicles sold are published U.S. calendar-year sales per nameplate. Model years with fewer than 5,000 sold are too few to rate and are left out. A brand gets a score only when its covered models number at least 3 and make up at least 70% of its U.S. sales; rates under 10% apart are called close.
This is the federal complaint rate, not an owner survey or repair-frequency figure. Consumer Reports publishes a survey-based ranking that measures something different. Full method and brand ranking.
Questions
Is Chevrolet as reliable as Toyota?
Toyota comes out ahead: Chevrolet 1.77 vs Toyota 0.94 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022). Chevrolet owners filed 1.9× as many complaints per vehicle sold as Toyota owners.
Which has more serious complaints, Chevrolet or Toyota?
Counting only complaints that report a crash, fire or injury, Chevrolet logs 0.10 per 1,000 sold and Toyota 0.10, within 10% of each other. Those are 6% of Chevrolet's complaints and 11% of Toyota's.
Where do Chevrolet and Toyota rank overall?
Chevrolet ranks #7 and Toyota #2 of the 19 brands with enough sales data, ranked by NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold for model years 2015–2022.
What do Chevrolet and Toyota owners complain about most?
Chevrolet: engine (25.8%), powertrain / transmission (20.8%), electrical system (18.3%). Toyota: powertrain / transmission (16%), engine (14.6%), electrical system (13.9%). Shares are of each brand's complaints for model years 2015–2022; one complaint can name more than one area.
Which has more recalls, Chevrolet or Toyota?
From January 2016 to September 2026, NHTSA lists 266 Chevrolet recall campaigns covering 2,542,618 vehicles and 198 Toyota campaigns covering 15,819,237. Vehicles covered counts each vehicle once per campaign, so one car in three recalls counts three times. Recalls are fixes the maker files, a different signal from owner complaints.
Is the Chevrolet Silverado more reliable than the Toyota Tundra?
The Toyota Tundra has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Chevrolet Silverado 1.71 vs Toyota Tundra 1.06 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 4,566,193 and 874,993 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the Silverado: 2014, 2019–2022. Years to avoid on the Tundra: 2008, 2018, 2022–2025.
Is the Chevrolet Equinox more reliable than the Toyota RAV4?
The Toyota RAV4 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Chevrolet Equinox 1.26 vs Toyota RAV4 1.10 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 2,137,303 and 3,155,248 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the Equinox: 2010–2013, 2018, 2020. Years to avoid on the RAV4: 2008, 2019–2021, 2023, 2024.