The record on mid-size sedans is deep, and it is unkind to specific years rather than to specific badges. The Toyota Camry has the fewest complaints of any nameplate with a full record, 3,897, and nine BUY years, yet its 2018 car scores 27. The Hyundai Sonata has 11,270 complaints, 3,374 of them on the 2011 car alone, and has been a BUY every year since 2018. The Nissan Altima goes from 2,308 complaints in 2013 to a score of 95 in 2022. The Honda Accord, Chevrolet Malibu, Kia Optima, Volkswagen Passat and Ford Fusion split the same way: a run to avoid, a run to buy.
The ranking
- Toyota Camry, first: 81 to 93 from 2013 to 2017 and 74 to 89 from 2021 to 2024. Avoid 2018 and 2019.
- Nissan Altima, second: 76 to 95 from 2020 to 2025 and 91 in 2011. Avoid 2013, 2014 and 2015.
- Honda Accord, third: BUY in 2011, 2012, 2015 to 2017 and 2021 to 2024. Avoid 2013, 2018 and 2019.
- Hyundai Sonata, fourth: 82 to 91 every year from 2018 to 2025. Avoid 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015.
- Chevrolet Malibu, fifth: 79 to 89 from 2019 to 2025, plus 2014 and 2015. Avoid 2011 to 2013 and 2016 to 2018.
- Kia Optima, sixth: 86 to 91 from 2017 to 2020. Avoid 2013 and 2015; 2012, 2014 and 2016 are CAUTION.
- Volkswagen Passat, seventh: BUY from 2016 on, on low evidence after 2017. Avoid 2012 to 2015.
- Ford Fusion, eighth: 13,609 complaints, the most here; 82 to 83 from 2018 to 2020. Avoid 2011, 2012 and 2016.
The Camry: five quiet years, then 2018
From 2013 to 2017 the Camry has between 14 and 301 complaints a year and scores 81, 93, 81, 86 and 87; the 2014 figure is on low evidence. Steering at 105 on the 2015 car has a campaign behind it, 15V144000 (13/03/2015), for the electric power steering control unit. The 2018 Camry, the first of a new design, has 734 complaints, 91.8 per year on road, eight recalls, six of them safety-critical, and a score of 27. Power Train is 191, Service Brakes 166, Engine 131. The campaigns speak to two of the three: 18V200000 (28/03/2018) for pistons larger than specified that may stall the engine, and 18V211000 and 21V890000 (17/11/2021) for a brake vacuum pump whose failure can mean a sudden loss of braking assist, the second covering the 2019 car too. The 2019 car has 392 complaints and scores 35; the 2020 is a CAUTION at 55 with 20V064000 for engine casting porosity. From 2021 the record clears: 155, 58, 62 and 47 complaints, scores of 74, 89, 85 and 84.
Toyota Camry: the record, year by year
| Year | Score | Verdict | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 83 | BUY | 50 | 1 |
| 2023 | 85 | BUY | 64 | 2 |
| 2022 | 89 | BUY | 60 | 1 |
| 2021 | 75 | BUY | 157 | 1 |
| 2020 | 56 | CAUTION | 274 | 3 |
| 2019 | 37 | AVOID | 395 | 6 |
| 2018 | 27 | AVOID | 741 | 8 |
| 2017 | 87 | BUY | 148 | 3 |
| 2016 | 86 | BUY | 188 | 2 |
| 2015 | 81 | BUY | 271 | 1 |
| 2014 | 93 | BUY | 14 | 3 |
| 2013 | 82 | BUY | 301 | 2 |
| 2012 | 55 | CAUTION | 644 | 2 |
| 2011 | 59 | CAUTION | 623 | 5 |
Live from the federal record as of 2026-10-04; linked years have their own page. Full table and repair costs on the Toyota Camry model page.
The Accord: 2013 and 2018
The Accord's two AVOID years are its two redesign years. The 2013 car has 1,418 complaints, Steering at 497 and Electrical System at 413; the electrical pattern runs on at 378, 236 and 192 through 2016, and 17V418000 (29/06/2017) covers the 2013 to 2016 cars for a battery sensor case that lets water in and can short. No steering campaign covers the 2013 car. The 2018 Accord has 1,869 complaints, 233.6 per year on road, Engine at 548, Forward Collision Avoidance 335, Fuel/Propulsion System 302 and Service Brakes 258, with a score of 30. Its campaigns are 20V771000 (10/12/2020) for body control module software and 20V314000 for the fuel pump; nothing covers the engine. The 2019 car has 671 complaints and scores 48; the 2021 and 2022 cars score 77 and 71. The 2023 and 2024 cars score 82 and 86 with no complaints on file and low evidence.
Honda Accord: the record, year by year
| Year | Score | Verdict | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | DATA PENDING | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 86 | BUY | 0 | 3 |
| 2023 | 82 | BUY | 0 | 5 |
| 2022 | 69 | CAUTION | 248 | 4 |
| 2021 | 76 | BUY | 231 | 4 |
| 2020 | 68 | CAUTION | 352 | 5 |
| 2019 | 48 | AVOID | 671 | 6 |
| 2018 | 30 | AVOID | 1,869 | 6 |
| 2017 | 73 | BUY | 534 | 3 |
| 2016 | 70 | BUY | 604 | 4 |
| 2015 | 74 | BUY | 599 | 5 |
| 2014 | 65 | CAUTION | 977 | 4 |
| 2013 | 49 | AVOID | 1,418 | 5 |
| 2012 | 73 | BUY | 380 | 8 |
| 2011 | 73 | BUY | 296 | 9 |
Live from the federal record as of 2026-10-04; linked years have their own page. Full table and repair costs on the Honda Accord model page.
Sonata and Optima: the engine years
The 2011 Sonata is the worst single year in this comparison: 3,374 complaints, 224.9 per year on road, twelve recalls, a score of 24. Steering is 1170 and Engine 965, and both have campaigns: 16V190000 (05/04/2016) for an electric power steering circuit board that can cause a loss of assist, 10V457000 for the steering column joints, and 15V568000 (10/09/2015) for the 2011 and 2012 engines. Engine leads every year from 2012 to 2019, at 567, 735, 301, 618, 444, 382, 208 and 85, and 17V226000 (31/03/2017) covers the 2013 and 2014 cars for machining errors that cause premature bearing wear; the 2015 and 2016 cars, at 618 and 444, have no engine campaign of their own. The 2018 car scores 82 on 368 complaints, the 2019 scores 91 on 160 with no recalls, and every year since is a BUY.
Hyundai Sonata: the record, year by year
| Year | Score | Verdict | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 90 | BUY | 16 | 0 |
| 2024 | 88 | BUY | 45 | 1 |
| 2023 | 87 | BUY | 87 | 2 |
| 2022 | 84 | BUY | 93 | 3 |
| 2021 | 83 | BUY | 130 | 4 |
| 2020 | 82 | BUY | 175 | 4 |
| 2019 | 91 | BUY | 160 | 0 |
| 2018 | 82 | BUY | 372 | 1 |
| 2017 | 56 | CAUTION | 763 | 3 |
| 2016 | 54 | CAUTION | 723 | 6 |
| 2015 | 28 | AVOID | 1,144 | 9 |
| 2014 | 59 | CAUTION | 746 | 7 |
| 2013 | 25 | AVOID | 1,908 | 9 |
| 2012 | 28 | AVOID | 1,556 | 8 |
| 2011 | 24 | AVOID | 3,374 | 12 |
Live from the federal record as of 2026-10-04; linked years have their own page. Full table and repair costs on the Hyundai Sonata model page.
The Optima shares the pattern and the campaign. Engine is its top component in all ten years, from 256 on the 2011 car to 612 on the 2013 and 620 on the 2015, and 17V224000 (31/03/2017) covers the 2011 to 2014 cars for the same bearing wear; 18V907000 covers 2011 to 2017 cars that received a replacement engine. The 2017 to 2020 cars score 86, 89, 89 and 91 on 254, 230, 206 and 138 complaints.
Altima and Malibu
The 2013 Altima has 2,308 complaints and twelve recalls. Air Bags at 513 matches five occupant detection and air bag campaigns on the 2013 to 2015 cars; Power Train at 505 and Exterior Lighting at 441 match nothing, and stand as reported patterns. The 2014 and 2015 cars score 29 and 27 on 1,112 and 947 complaints. The 2018 car scores 83 on 224; the 2019, a CAUTION at 68, carries 25V437000 for the engine bearings in its turbocharged engine. From 2020 the Altima has 178, 69, 20, 29, 41 and 6 complaints; the 2024 car's one safety-critical campaign, 23V882000, is for power steering bolts that may loosen.
The Malibu has two bad runs. Electrical System leads the 2011 to 2013 cars at 235, 290 and 424, with 14V252000 and 13V566000 for wiring; the 2014 and 2015 score 72 and 82. The 2016 Malibu has 1,671 complaints, nine recalls, Engine at 601 and Electrical System at 450, and scores 27; 18V358000 covers the 2016 to 2018 high-pressure fuel pump, and 19V642000 (06/09/2019) the 2018 car for engine software that can disable the fuel injectors. The 2017 and 2018 cars score 35 and 31. From 2019 every year is a BUY, 79 to 89, on 195 complaints or fewer.
Fusion and Passat
The Fusion's 2011 and 2012 cars have 2,783 and 2,612 complaints, with Steering at 1426 and 1509, and 15V340000 (02/06/2015) covers them for electric power steering; 15V250000 and 19V632000 extend the steering campaigns to 2013 to 2016. The 2016 car has 1,686 complaints and Engine at 460 with no engine campaign. The 2018 to 2020 cars score 83, 82 and 83 on 436, 371 and 178.
The Passat's 2012 to 2014 cars have Air Bags at 295, 382 and 354, and the driver air bag inflator campaigns 16V078000, 18V148000 and 19V862000 account for them; all three score 26. The 2016 and 2017 cars score 81 and 72 on medium evidence. The 2018 to 2022 cars score 87 to 95 on 45 complaints or fewer, but every one is low evidence, so they are promising rather than proven.
What to check before you buy
- Confirm by VIN: 18V200000 and 21V890000 on a 2018 or 2019 Camry; 17V418000 on a 2013 to 2016 Accord; 15V568000 or 17V226000 on a 2011 to 2014 Sonata; 17V224000 and 18V907000 on a 2011 to 2017 Optima; the air bag campaigns on a 2013 to 2015 Altima; 19V642000 on a 2018 Malibu; 15V340000 on a 2011 or 2012 Fusion; the inflator campaigns on a 2012 to 2015 Passat.
- On a Sonata or Optima from 2011 to 2016, ask whether the engine was replaced and see the paperwork; the fuel-line follow-up campaign applies only to replaced engines.
- On a 2018 Accord or a 2016 Fusion, no campaign covers the Engine counts; the service history is the evidence.
Summary
Buy a 2013 to 2017 or 2021 to 2024 Camry, a 2020 to 2025 Altima, a 2015 to 2017 or 2021 to 2024 Accord, a 2018 to 2025 Sonata, a 2019 to 2025 Malibu, a 2017 to 2020 Optima, a 2016 or 2017 Passat, or a 2018 to 2020 Fusion. The AVOID years are in the ranking above; the 2011 Sonata, 2013 Altima and 2011 and 2012 Fusion are the four with more than 2,000 complaints each. The rest are CAUTION.