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Midsize SUV — what actually breaks

2015–2025 · 80 models · 128 engines · 68,860 federal complaints

Every figure below is computed from federal complaint records decoded to the exact engine, aggregated across the whole segment. Where this segment differs from the all-vehicle average, it says so — where it doesn't, no claim is made.

What complaints in this segment are about

Share of component mentions across all midsize suvs in the database, with the all-vehicle average below it for comparison.

This segment
All vehicles
Transmission & drivetrainEngineBrakesElectricalSteeringBody & structureFuel systemEverything else

Body & structure complaints run 1.3× their all-vehicle share in this segment.

How often those complaints involve a fire, crash or injury

Share of this segment's complaints. The vertical mark is the all-vehicle average — these shares can be compared because sales volume cancels out of a within-group ratio.

Fire1.1%
Crash3.7%
Injury2.5%

all vehicles — Fire 1.1% · Crash 4.4% · Injury 2.6%

The engines with the biggest complaint records

Largest complaint samples in the segment — not a worst-list: complaint totals track sales volume, not failure rate. Each links to the full engine-level breakdown.

Honda Pilot — J35Y6 · 3.5L V64,858 complaintsEngine 25% · Electrical 21%
Ford Explorer — TI-VCT · 3.5L V64,381 complaintsBody & structure 26% · Steering 12%
Ford Edge — GTDI · 2.0L I43,944 complaintsEngine 32% · Transmission & drivetrain 20%
Jeep Grand Cherokee — 3.6L V63,860 complaintsElectrical 17% · Transmission & drivetrain 11%
Jeep Wrangler — 3.6L V63,846 complaintsSteering 28% · Electrical 11%
Jeep Wrangler — 2.0L I4 375hp1,810 complaintsElectrical 31% · Engine 24%
Volkswagen Atlas — FSI · 3.6L V61,717 complaintsElectrical 16% · Brakes 12%
Toyota Highlander — 2GR-FKS · 3.5L V61,636 complaintsTransmission & drivetrain 32% · Engine 8%

Engines that break differently from their class

Across this segment, complaints lead with Engine. These engines don't follow that pattern — their complaint mix points somewhere else, which is worth knowing before buying one.

Mazda CX-9 — LOW · 3.3L V6Steering leads at 33%
Toyota Highlander — 2GR-FKS · 3.5L V6Transmission & drivetrain leads at 32%
Jeep Grand Cherokee — 2.0L I4Electrical leads at 32%
Ford Transit — 3.7L V6Transmission & drivetrain leads at 32%
Jeep Wrangler — 2.0L I4 270hpSteering leads at 32%

Severity outliers in this segment

Engines whose Crash / Fire / Injury share sits at least twice the all-vehicle average, by the conservative bound of a 95% confidence interval. A share of complaints, not of cars on the road.

BMW iX — ElectricCrash ≥ 21.8%

The recalls that matter in this segment

Recalls where NHTSA told owners to stop driving or park outside. Model-level, manufacturer-confirmed. Recall repairs are always free, whatever the car's age.

  • Ford Transit — Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Pedals And Linkages (stop driving, 2025–2025) 26V090000
  • Porsche Cayenne — Suspension › Front › Control Arm › Upper Arm (stop driving, 2024–2024) 24V533000
  • Mercedes-Benz AMG G63 — Power Train › Driveline › Differential Unit (stop driving, 2022–2023) 23V851000
  • Mercedes-Benz AMG G63 — Power Train › Driveline › Differential Unit (stop driving, 2022–2022) 22V937000
  • BMW iX — Electrical System › Propulsion System › Traction Battery (stop driving, 2022–2023) 22V541000
  • Cadillac SRX — Suspension › Rear (stop driving, 2015–2016) 21V473000
  • Volkswagen Atlas — Steering (stop driving, 2021–2021) 20V712000
  • Jeep Wrangler — Air Bags › Frontal › Passenger Side › Inflator Module (stop driving, 2015–2016) 19V018000
  • Mazda CX-9 — Air Bags › Frontal › Passenger Side › Inflator Module (stop driving, 2015–2015) 18V717000
  • Volkswagen Atlas — Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Caliper (stop driving, 2018–2018) 18V369000

All the midsize suvs we cover

Method and limits
  • Complaints: NHTSA public complaint database, model years 2015–2025, each decoded to its exact engine through the partial VIN it carries.
  • Do not compare complaint totals between engines or models — totals track sales. Only within-group shares (component mix, severity rates) are comparable, because volume cancels out.
  • Claims on this page only appear when they clear preset thresholds (deviation ≥1.25×, samples ≥500 mentions or ≥80 complaints). Absence of a claim means the data didn't support one, not that we didn't look.