I built a free tool that scores every car’s reliability 0-100 so you can pick the most reliable car
I was shopping for a used SUV a while back and I was spending way too much time on reviews. CR-V vs RAV4 articles, the usual and got annoyed that there's no single place to check common issues, red flags and how often a specific year actually breaks down.
Everything's scattered across forum threads, YouTube videos and "reviews" that are basically ads.
So I built it myself: Auto Reliability Index
It scores every model year 0–100 based on actual data:
- NHTSA recalls and complaints, weighted by severity (engine fire ≠ squeaky seat)
- Repair cost data from independent sources
- Numbers are normalized by sales so popular cars aren't punished for just selling more units
Covers 170 models, 30+ brands, 2018 to now.
For each year you get the score, complaint breakdown by system (engine, transmission, electrical, etc.), full recall history with severity flags, year-over-year comparison so you can spot the bad years, and buyer red flags.
Site's 3 months old, ~1,600 visitors / day, all SEO, zero ads, just one affiliate for VIN lookup.
Free, no signup.
Would genuinely love feedback: what's missing?
What would actually help you on your next car hunt?
Thank you!