NHTSA tire complaints & recalls by tire size

We take two public-domain files from the U.S. government — the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Consumer Complaints (FLAT_CMPL) and Recalls (FLAT_RCL) flat files — and aggregate every record to its canonical tire size (e.g. 215/55R17). For each size we count total complaints, rank the reported failure types, sum the reported crashes, injuries, deaths and fires, and attach the recall campaigns on record. Sizes below a small-sample noise floor (fewer than three complaints and no recall) are dropped, which is why 271 sizes appear here. The per-size aggregation is the original work this dataset publishes; the underlying records are U.S. public domain.

Important limits. These are unverified consumer reports and manufacturer recalls filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — not validated failure rates, and not adjusted for how many tires of this size are in service. Popular sizes naturally accumulate more reports. Use this as a research signal, not a verdict on any specific tire. Complaints through 2021. Recall campaigns continue to be added as manufacturers file them, so the recall figures may reflect dates after the complaint cut-off. Always confirm the current status of any recall campaign at NHTSA.gov/recalls, and treat this as a research signal — not a verdict on any specific tire. This is general information, not safety or purchasing advice.

Source: NHTSA ODI — Consumer Complaints (FLAT_CMPL) + Recalls (FLAT_RCL), U.S. DOT public domain (nhtsa.gov). Reviewed June 2026. Complaints through 2021.