Methodology

The CarCabin Score combines four federal data points into a single 0-to-100 number so you can rank vehicles on the same scale. Every component is shown on each vehicle profile so you can see what is driving the score.

How the score is built

The CarCabin Score combines four components, weighted as follows:

Safety: 40%— based on NHTSA NCAP five-star rating
Fuel economy: 25%— based on EPA combined MPG
Reliability proxy: 20%— based on normalized NHTSA complaint counts
Recalls: 15%— based on NHTSA recall campaign counts

Each component is normalized to a 0-100 scale, then weighted and summed to produce the final score.

Why these weights

Safety (40%): NHTSA five-star NCAP rating is the most predictive single number for crash outcomes.
Fuel economy (25%): EPA combined MPG drives both ongoing cost and CO2 footprint.
Reliability proxy (20%): normalized NHTSA complaint counts. Not a perfect reliability index (consumer self-reports skew toward high-volume models) but the only public owner-experience signal.
Recalls (15%): recall counts indicate manufacturing issues. Not all recalls are equal, so we show severity (safety, emissions, cosmetic) on the page.

Score interpretation

70-100: Strong on most dimensions; few major concerns.
40-69: Mixed. Read the recall and complaint detail before deciding.
0-39: Multiple concerns. Inspect closely or consider alternatives.

Limits of the score

High-volume models accumulate more raw complaints than low-volume ones, even when their per-vehicle complaint rate is similar.
Crash test ratings exist only for years and trims NHTSA has tested. Vehicles without NCAP data score zero in the safety component, even if they would score well on testing.
Recall severity is inferred from the recall summary text. The severity classification is heuristic, not authoritative.
Reliability is proxied through complaint counts; it is not the same as long-term reliability data from a paid source.

Data sources

Have a methodology question? Reach us via the contact page.