Failure file 01 of 03 · NHTSA ODI complaint records
Transmission complaint signals
An editorial file on how this pattern shows up in consumer complaint records, built from 3 linked model-year records with 9,638 reports between them.
The analysis · MotorCensus data desk
What the records show
This file compares three published model-year records whose leading component is powertrain: the 2014 Ford Focus, 2002 Ford Explorer, and 2012 Ford Focus. Together they contain 9,638 deduplicated matched complaint incidents. Their publishable mileage medians are 47,816, 79,000, and 67,000 miles, based on mileage samples of 1,926, 2,521, and 3,094 reports.
Transmission behavior is the largest narrative cluster in all three records. It contains 998 reports for the 2014 Focus, 987 for the 2002 Explorer, and 973 for the 2012 Focus. These cluster counts describe recurring report themes. They do not establish a shared defect, supplier, or cause.
Source: NHTSA ODI consumer complaint records processed in the MotorCensus snapshot dated 2026-07-19. Complaint counts are submitted reports, not verified failures. Reported-mileage medians and denominator-backed vehicle-year rates are estimates subject to the published sample and VIO suppression rules.
This file is editorial context for the linked records below. The complaint-signal index summarizes complaint records only. It is not a mechanical failure rate and not a complete measure of vehicle reliability.
The docket · 3 linked model-years
Every record in this file
Linked model-year records3 published
Rows link to the full model-year record when it is published. Records that have not cleared the publication gate stay listed without a link.
731 published model-years · free · no login
Trace an aggregate pattern back to a record
Browse NHTSA complaint-signal records with visible sample sizes, intervals, and limitations. The current data snapshot is dated 2026-07-19.