May 28, 2013—Mini Cooper was the most complained-about automotive brand in 2012, according to a new report by 24/7 Wall St.
The report said that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received 427 safety complaints about the carmaker in 2012, and almost 700 complaints per 100,000 cars sold from 2005 through 2012.
The most common complaint with the Mini was related to the powertrain, although problems with steering, airbags and seat belts were also listed.
Jeep came in second with more than 2,000 complaints in 2012, with complaints including powertrains, interior electronics, chassis suspensions, exhaust systems and steering complaints.
The most complained-about cars also included some of the most purchased cars in the U.S.: Dodge and Nissan, which both sold more than 5 million vehicles from 2005 through 2012, had the fifth and sixth most complaints per 100,000 vehicles sold.
In most instances, the number of complaints in 2012 rose compared to previous years, although the number of vehicle sales has also increased during that time.
To determine the 10 car brands with the most complaints, 24/7 Wall St. used sales figures and information on complaint submissions to the NHTSA, and then calculated the complaints made in 2012 per 100,000 vehicles sold by the brand between 2005 and 2012.
