Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,245,377 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA, including 140,173 crashes, 56,794 fires, and 8,580 deaths.
What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?
A consumer complaint is a free-form report filed by a vehicle owner directly to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describing a safety concern about their vehicle. NHTSA collects these reports through its Vehicle Owner Defect Report (VOQ) system and publishes them publicly. Each complaint includes the affected component, the date and circumstances of the incident, whether the failure caused a crash or fire, and any reported injuries or deaths. The owner's full narrative description is included verbatim, NHTSA does not edit or moderate the descriptions.
The database below contains over 2,245,377 individual complaints. NHTSA's investigators monitor it for clusters of similar reports, when enough owners describe the same failure mode on the same vehicle, NHTSA may open a Preliminary Evaluation that can lead to a recall. Many of the largest recalls in U.S. history, including the Takata airbag recall and the Hyundai/Kia engine fire recalls, started as patterns visible in this complaint database years before they became formal recalls.
How to interpret what you read
A few principles for reading consumer complaints usefully:
- One complaint is anecdote; a hundred similar complaints is data. NHTSA does not investigate the truthfulness of any individual report, that's the job of the Office of Defects Investigation, which looks at the full pattern. When evaluating a vehicle, look for whether multiple owners describe the same chain of events.
- Crash, fire, injury, and death flags are owner-set. They are not verified by NHTSA. They are still useful as a filter, because owners who tick those boxes are typically reporting more serious incidents than those who don't.
- Component categories are NHTSA-assigned, not owner-assigned. NHTSA standardizes the component field so that complaints can be aggregated. The owner narrative often goes into more detail than the component category captures.
- Complaint volume scales with sales volume. A best-selling model will accumulate more raw complaints than a niche model even at the same defect rate. To compare across vehicles, look at complaints per 100,000 units sold, not raw counts.
If you've experienced a defect
File a complaint. NHTSA's investigators rely on this database to detect emerging defects, and useful complaints, specific, concrete, with dates and mileage and clear descriptions of what happened, feed directly into the agency's pattern detection. The form takes about 10 minutes and is at nhtsa.gov/recalls under "Report a Safety Problem." Your complaint becomes part of the same public record that this page is built from. Owners filing detailed VOQs are how recalls get triggered.
Read more from our blog
Showing 129,250 complaints - component: AIR BAGS
Incident date: Jun 28, 2022
The passenger car door unlocks for no reason. It used to automatically lock when I start driving , now it starts to open and will not remain locked while driving, or when I lock my car door when I park. When I use the key fob the car alarm goes off and the door is still unlocked. This car has had a recall on the airbags. The light comes on once in a while. It was fixed by the Honda Dealership bu... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Acadia. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the ... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2015) - AIR BAGS
Jun 17, 2024
Incident date: Jun 29, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2011) - AIR BAGS
Jun 17, 2024
Incident date: Aug 17, 2022
I have 2015 Nissan Rouge Select for almost 9 year and I haven’t get in any accident with this car . But my air bag light keep turn off twice within a year . Last year it happened on driver side , I replaced it at dealership and the same issue happened just 10 months later . The passenger air bag is off this time . But the dealership said the reason that I can’t accept it. First the mechanic g... Read more
Incident date: Jun 16, 2024
Driver-side Airbags deployed for no reason. While my husband was driving, the Tesla screen showed that the crash had been detected, so airbags were deployed, and he was asked to call 911. However, no collision occurred. Attaching photos of the towed car. Police came and didn’t make a report since no collision was present. After the tow truck towed the car, and a couple of hours later, we went to... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Jun 16, 2024
I was at a complete stop and was rear ended. The person who hit me was going over 45mph, and the impact caused me to hit the car in front of me, which crushed my car at both ends. My (driver) airbag did not deploy, and my head struck the steering wheel. It is available for inspection, and has not been confirmed by a dealer - it is at the insurance company’s tow lot. The police officer at the sc... Read more
Crash
3 injured
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
SRS-Air Bag codes B1476, B1558, B1631 repeated triggering since 2020. History: - 9/30/20 - Dealer read code B1631 (DR Knee ABG Squib Short) & U0154 (OCM CAN Timeout), did not diagnose cause, erased codes - 4/12/21 ~0920 - check airbag light illuminated - 7/30/21 ~0800 & ~0920 - check airbag light illuminated -- called dealer; was informed since light extinguished I would be liable for diagnost... Read more
Incident date: Jun 14, 2024
I am experiencing multiple safety and performance issues with my 2015 Kia Soul: 1.Vibration at Idle: Significant vibration when the vehicle is idling at a red light. Possible causes include worn engine mounts, faulty spark plugs or ignition coils, issues with the idle control valve or throttle body, or vacuum leaks. 2.Electrical Issues: • Codes: B111216 (Ignition Voltage Low), B17672F (OCS Algo... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
What component or system failed or malfunctioned? Airbag. Not sure about the available for inspection. How was your safety or safety of others put at risk? In accident airbag did not deploy and both driver and passenger were injured. Driver suffered head injuries and concussion. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Car is totaled out by insuranc... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 8, 2024
I was involved in an accident where a car pulled out in front of me causing my truck to T-bone them. I estimate I was traveling at 40 mph or so at the time of impact. My airbags did not deploy during this impact. I have never had an issue with the air bag system on this vehicle, but believe the dealership had performed a recall or flashed some software within the last 3 years pertaining to the air... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jun 15, 2024
I have a recall on my vehicle which there's no remedy for it yet. My California registration was due and I wasn't able to complete my renewal until I had my recall certificate saying it was fixed. Now I'm unable to drive my vehicle in feared to be ticketed or being towed. Toyota needs to do better why am I paying for a car I can't drive. Please help!!!!!
Incident date: Jun 14, 2024
My steering wheel is clicking and hard to turn all the sudden then my airbag light popped on, they recalled the 2016 year models for this problem but not the 2015
Incident date: Jun 14, 2024
Driving on Interstate, heard a loud noise. Nothing on roadway. MotorHome mechanic noticed that driver’s side was not pumping up. The loud noise was the driver’s side air bag exploding. The steering column was affected by the explosion. The turn signal box has slipped down. Scheduled to be taken to shop on Monday 6/17/2024.
Incident date: Jun 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side air bag inadvertently deployed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed failures with both the seat belt and driver's side air bags. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to ... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER
(2015) - AIR BAGS
Jun 14, 2024
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while her fiancé was driving 45 MPH, the driver’s side and passenger’s side air bags inadvertently deployed without an impact or a crash, causing the contact’s fiancé to swerve and drive down into a ditch. No warning lights were illuminated. The front bumper, windshield, and passenger’s side taillight were cracked. No injurie... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2024
Car was left inside garage for about 20-24 hrs. Car was locked and turned off with no one in it. Upon going to use the vehicle after this amount of time had passed, it was found the passenger side dash airbag had deployed at some point in time since last parked.
Incident date: Jun 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Acadia. The contact was notified of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aw... Read more
Incident date: Jun 11, 2024
About 2 weeks ago airbag censor light came on dash and stays on now indicating something wrong with one of our airbags, we just got our car back on March 8th 2024, it only has a little over 44,000 miles on our car, the dealership we got it at is supposed to look at it and see what's wrong with it, I've read about all the recalls for this year and model our car has, we didn't know anything about an... Read more
CONTINENTAL
VANCONTACT A/S
(9999) - AIR BAGS
Jun 14, 2024
Incident date: Oct 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not exp... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Chrysler 200. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the instrument panel went dim and the radio became inoperable. The contact also stated that the headlights were flickering while driving. The contact related the failure with the NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V282000 (Electrical System, Air Bags) however, the vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle was... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Buick Enclave. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was... Read more
Incident date: Feb 19, 2024
Passenger side air bag inoperable,have been told it was sensor in seat
Incident date: Jun 3, 2024
We received a "important safety recall" notification letter from GMC in June 2023, informing us that there is a safety issue with the driver's side airbag. The recall reference number is N232404980. This recall calls out a potential hazard for metal fragments to pass through the airbag, which may result in injury or death. As of today, June 13, 2024, it has been over a year since we have received ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2024
Airbag light stays on but no safety recall issued on this 1999, only Taketa recalls starting in the year 2002
Incident date: Jun 9, 2024
Air bag on passenger side. transmission stared vibration brought in they repair it . This was still under warranty at the time. Now it doing it again. Seat they want change driver side motor . I fix it myself .it was the switch.
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2022) - AIR BAGS
Jun 13, 2024
Incident date: Oct 10, 2023
The contact owned a 2023 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed he began to lose control of the vehicle in which he stated the vehicle would swerve uncontrollably. The contact also stated that his trailer had detached from the tailgate which caused the trailer to jackknife the rear end of the vehicle which cause his rear tire to blow out which caused the vehicle t... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a f... Read more
Incident date: Oct 24, 2023
Passenger restraint system malfunction
Incident date: May 30, 2024
My right front passenger seat does not detect adult occupants reliably, and therefore does not enable the airbags. My wife is approximately 105 pounds and sits in the seat in a standard upright fashion without leaning back. Her legs are not crossed and are just resting on the floor. it is rare that the vehicle detects her presence and therefore she is rarely protected by the safety restraint syste... Read more
Incident date: May 30, 2024
DEFECTIVE AIRBAG. BUICK HAS NOT REPAIRED IN A TIMELY MANNER. RECALL WAS ISSUED OVER ONE YEAR AGO (05/10/2023), AND BUICK CAN PROVIDE NO INFORMATION WHEN THEY WILL HAVE THE PARTS AVAILABLE TO DO REPAIR. STATUE IS "REMEDY NOT YET AVAILABLE". THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITH THIS DEFECT.
Incident date: Jun 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V053000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The dealer informed the contact that should the dashboard get cracked, replacing the dashboard would be at his expens... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2024
My BMW i528 was parked on May 23, 2024, and the driver airbag deflated without being tampered with. The incident is on surveillance camera. Since the car was manufactured in 2008, the insurance company will not cover the cost of the incident because it was not the result of a collision. There was no light that came on prior to the incident. A diagnostic check was performed and there was no indicat... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Buick Enclave. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experien... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Buick Enclave. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experien... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 GMC Sierra 3500 equipped with Michelin Tires, Tire Line: Primacy, Tire Size: LT235/80/R18, DOT Number: (Not Available). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger’s side front tire tread was separating, and the vehicle was vibrating. The contact stated that the inner rim was bent, and additionally, the steering gear box was leaking. The s... Read more
Incident date: Mar 5, 2024
While driving on the highway the airbag sensor light came on. I did not hit anything and air bags did not deploy but the light is on showing some issue but I can not get into dealership to check for sometime. There are other recalls on this issue for this same car but not for my particular VIN. Sure seems like a safety issue that Toyota should check out for free to owners.
Incident date: Jun 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Acadia. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution d... Read more
PONTIAC
GRAND PRIX
(2008) - AIR BAGS
Jun 13, 2024
Incident date: Jun 11, 2024
We have been given repeated notices and warnings since May 2013 that the airbags in this vehicle have been recalled and need to be replaced, but each time we check we are told that their is "no remedy available." So far, we have not had an incident related to these, but more warnings roll in without any available resolution along with notices that this vehicle, along with others, are most at risk ... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2024) - AIR BAGS
Jun 12, 2024
Incident date: May 1, 2024
My 2018 Model 3 started giving me the error "RCM_a056_passengerFrontOCS" today. This is caused by a faulty passenger occupancy weight sensor. This has been an ongoing issue in these models evidenced by SB-23-20-002 being revised 6 times. Tesla has resisted fixing this safety issue because the air bag also needs to be replaced to maintain compatibility with the redesigned Occupant Classification Sy... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2024
Honda is delaying the safety recall and because of that I am loosing money ! Honda is costing my business to loose money ! How this can be handled ? This car also ended up in the crash and now my car value is not the same and I am in negative equity
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: May 1, 2024
The clock spring went bad with no warning
Incident date: May 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was not made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed th... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
Front passenger safety restraint system fault error Received. Airbag icons appeared and apparently safety airbags disabled. No passengers were sitting when error received. Contacted Tesla to report safety concern and was advised charges were due to vehicle outside of 50k warranty. Is safety equipment only valid to work under the warranty?
Incident date: Jun 12, 2024
I recently saw there was a recall update issued by Tesla regarding the seatbelt alert. My driver seat does not sense I’m in the seat, and allows me to drive with out a belt on. Even if they send an update to my car, I won’t be alerted. Someone could use the lack of sensor to not remain in their seat. Inflatable doll with sunglasses could take my spot. My question is, is this included in the ... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Acadia. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a f... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 2023
On around 5/8/24 I lost the use of horn, have an air bag warning failure, ADS warning, loss of controls on steering wheel.