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: Jan 15, 2024
Water leaks and streams from along the top, driver’s side, just above the window where the felt meets and connects to the hard plastic structure labeled, “ABS Curtain Airbag”, Water, drips from the top ceiling just below the pull down mirror on the driver side. * see attached pictures I love my 2009 Venza. Please fix this problem for me. Thank you so much for any consideration given my ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 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 a message indicating an air bag failure was displayed. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 16, 2023
Hyundai recall [XXX], since there is no remedy available, how will Hyundai compensate me? I purchased my 2014 Veloster Turbo Jan 20[15 for $23,500, dealer tells me its safe to drive, however recall tells me not to park it in my garage as it can cause a fire. If it can start a fire when it is parked, what can it do when I am driving it? [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2022) - AIR BAGS
Mar 6, 2024
Incident date: Jan 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the "Service Air Bag System" message was displayed. The contact also stated that the seat belt warning light was also illuminated despite all occupants in the vehicle having the seat belts properly fastened. The dealer was notified of the failure and provided the contact an estimate for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was als... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 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. VIN tool confirms pa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 5, 2024
This air bag and seatbelt both malfunctioned clearly the air bag malfunctioned while I was about to cross over a bridge on an interstate .. Ciasing a projectile to shoot me in my eye knocking me unconcouiss and I wasn’t sure wht happened until hind sight and clearly the foremsic evidence supports this .. I woke up hitting.my head on window roof I was in a ditch barreling down a hill twords the... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
The car's main screen displayed an error message, "front passenger safety restraint fault. service required." According to on line user groups this same safety system fault has occurred in many Tesla Model 3 cars. In my case, Tesla replaced the occupancy sensor harness in the seat and replaced the passenger side air bag, for a total price of $1800. Replacing the air bag was by far the most expe... Read more
Incident date: Mar 5, 2024
I am writing to express my concerns regarding the delay in the repair of a recall affecting my 2018 Volkswagen Atlas SEL. The recall (Manufacturer Recall Number 69FB, NHTSA Recall Number 23V215) was issued on March 29th, 2023, due to a fault in the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS), which may result in the passenger airbag being switched off erroneously. This poses an increased risk of in... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 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 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 was m... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 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, 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 manufacture... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Traverse. 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... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Titan. The contact received notification of a Nissan internal air bag recall before which the air bag warning light was flashing on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to complete the recall and diagnosed a failure with the air bag inflator and air bag control module. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure,... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2024
My passenger restraint system randomly faults. Problem with passenger seat mat. Many BMW owners have reported the issue. Should be recalled by BMW.
Incident date: Feb 10, 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 and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not ma... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2024
See attached document for complaint
Incident date: Oct 15, 2023
Air bag light came on the dash board Headed to dealer to see why Code B141C Cost to repair the problem was very high not covered by warranty The problem seems to me a poor design. Because of this weak design I feel this puts passengers in danger.
Incident date: Oct 15, 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 5, 2024
I received a letter that my vehicle is subject to a recall for "passenger airbag may not deploy". I contacted my dealer and they said there is not a remedy at they do not know when the remedy will be available. Possibly not until 3rd quarter of 2024. I asked what if the airbag is needed to deploy while they figure out a remedy, they stated. "We HOPE this does not happen". Offering me nothing but h... Read more
FORD
MAVERICK HYBRID
(2022) - AIR BAGS
Mar 4, 2024
Incident date: Dec 28, 2022
5/10/2023 Recall reported: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death. 1/13/2024 My vehicle was brought to a Chevrolet dealership and I was told there was no solution or repair available for this recall as of now. Chevrolet still has not scheduled repair and I continue to drive at risk.
Incident date: Feb 3, 2024
The steering wheel clock spring has gone bad leaving no power to the electronics of the steering wheel making me question if the driver airbag works at all now. my passenger air bag is a bomb according to that recall and my driver is now faulty because of clock spring if I get in a wreck I'd be seriously injured or dead. do better jeep
Incident date: Feb 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver's side air bag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was acquired and equipped with air bags. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently and now the warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was scheduled for a service appointment in s... Read more
Incident date: Jan 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4. 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution dis... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
Passenger air bag lite does not detect person in seat. Have seen this recall but told by vin number doesn't qualify even though it is same problem. $3100 to fix
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2018) - AIR BAGS
Mar 4, 2024
Incident date: Feb 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. Af... Read more
Incident date: Dec 18, 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 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 was m... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V050000 (Air Bags). The dealer was made aware of the issue but denied the recall repair due to the vehicle having a Salvage Title. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and a case was opened. The contact was informed to have the DMV remove the branded title from the vehicle. The c... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
Power train, transmission output shaft fracture could result in a loss of power, increasing the risk of a crash. if the parking brake is not applied before exiting the vehicle, the vehicle may roll away despite the transmission being placed in park. The vehicle has been inspected. There are warning lights. They appeared 02/29/2024
Crash
FORD
FUSION HYBRID
(2019) - AIR BAGS
Mar 3, 2024
Incident date: May 13, 2022
My car had been sitting across the street from my house for about 3 weeks after i had gotten it back from the body shop. It had been hit on the drivers side by a drunk driver when parked in front of my house. He took out six cars in a row. Heard a loud noise about 2 am - looked out the window and saw nothing. But then the fire trucks showed up after someone called them when they heard the ban... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jan 10, 2024
Airbag constantly flashing.. Purchased vehicle a week ago and dealership will not fix issue. This 2013 should've been included with airbag defect.
Incident date: Mar 2, 2024
My vehicle encountered a severe loss of control, resulting in a collision with a concrete wall on I-90 west towards Seattle at 19,877 miles. This critical event, leading to non-deployment of airbags and subsequent hospitalization, occurred shortly after two prior services addressing a Rear Drive Motor unit malfunction, first at 14,768 miles and again at 14,820 miles. These incidents underscore a t... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 3, 2024
Front passenger airbag and Seat sensor issues. The safety of front seat passenger was at risk due to faulty airbag or sensor. Tesla did confirmed that an alert was trigger on the car an they proceeded to replaced the airbag and sensor. Tesla verified the equipment after the repairs were done and everything since to be fine. We did get a warning on or around Feb 5th, 2024 and that when we proc... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
Hello, I bought my Nissan Rogue in 2015 and I’m the original owner. I had parked my car at Lowe’s and upon returning from store, my dashboard showed the Air bag alert sign that didn’t go away and remains turned ON my driver-side dashboard. I wasn’t in an accident or didn’t have other issues, and car was simply just parked when alert popped up and remained ON. VIN# [XXX] . Nissan dealer... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2024
I am filing a complaint as the recall for the air bag module was first issued in May 2023. It's been10 months and there is still no remedy to fix the air bag issue. I drive with kids in my car everyday. I fear of getting into an accident and possible metal fragments come out of the airbag and into the interior of my car.
Incident date: Mar 2, 2024
The Airbag lights were lit, the person sitting with seatbelt on (flashing) and the person sitting with an inflated airbag in front of them. I ran an OBD2 scan on SRS and got code B1656. Driver seat belt buckle Left Hand. I Investigated the latch and found one wire was snapped off and a couple of inches shorter that the wire that was still connected. I have included 2 pictures of the back end of t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2024
We received a letter from General Motors in June of 2023 advising us of the recall associated with our vehicle (airbags that could inflate and kill occupants) and promising to remedy the issue at no charge. However, it has now been 9 months since we received notice and still there are no parts available to fix this issue. It is clear that General Motors is not trying to remedy this matter and si... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2024
While backing out of a short driveway and placed t to drive, the vehicle revved and started speeding out of control with brakes applied. The vehicle sideswiped a neighbors vehicle before crashing head on into a tree causing it to stop. I had jerked up the emergency brake and ripped the key out of the ignition. The replaced airbags did not deploy.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 2, 2024
Driver side window panel flew off during my drive on the interstate directly after I noticed it being loose for the first time. 3rd row seatbelts leak when it rains on both sides. Rear backup camera is opposite/flipped and goes in and out. Trunk will close on you after opening it up with the car not running. It will not sense movement when the car is off and continues to shut resulting in harm.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
seat belt and air bag warning light on, had dealer check stated problem in the passenger seat cushion and notofied factory but no satisfaction.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
Passenger airbag is indicated to remain on when no one is in the passenger seat. The airbag off light comes on during warning light check but then shuts off and remains off. I do not confidence that the accurate weight is being accounted for when a passenger is in the front seat.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
I got this car like 5 months ago and after driving it for 2 months I had to get a new engine for 4500 dollars. There is no way it can go bad in 2 months. The car only had 52,000 miles on it and it went bad when it reached 54,000 miles. After fixing that it went bad again after 4 months. I was also told that Hyundai Elantras are known for their engine problems. It would be great if there is an engi... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2024
I am writing a complaint in reference to the already issued recall number 23v334, for the acadia's and their airbags. It states that if the remedy is not taken care of or whatever the wording about a timely manner, to reach out and this recall was issued in May after already being aware for some time, and now we are approaching the one-year Mark and they still have absolutely no remedy available f... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA CRUZ
(2022) - AIR BAGS
Mar 1, 2024
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
Longstanding issue with R1S and R1T’s not recognizing a front passenger is present. Many reports in online forums regarding the same problem and ours does not even see a 6’4” 450lb passenger regularly. Other complainants are reporting feedback that it’s ‘within spec’, ‘it’s safer for smaller passengers’, and that ‘you need to sit in the seat properly’(?!). Please do something... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
My vehicle was stolen and crashed but the air bags did not deploy.
Crash
Incident date: Feb 3, 2024
Car has intermittent electrical issue that causes ECUs to reboot often times disabling safety systems such as ABS, Airbags, Collision Avoidance, Adaptive Cruise Control, power steering and power brakes. Ford dealer believes that it's a short in a wiring harness. They claim this issue has been seen in several vehicles like mine. Ford was able to reproduce the problem and recommends replacement of a... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 08V161000 (Air Bags) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
Hello, my name is [XXX] , i just had a 2017 kia forte car accident on [XXX]. I was hit by the driver's side in my door and in the door behind me. the airbag are supposed to be released upon impact. The would have to open because i was going over 25 miles per hour the airbags supposedly release when you go over 25 miles this caused me to break my wrist of my left hand I hit my knees and hurt my ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
BRIDGESTONE
ECOPIA H/L 422 PLUS
(9999) - AIR BAGS
Mar 1, 2024
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH and making a right turn, the vehicle crashed into the passenger's side door of an oncoming truck that was hidden behind a box truck and had suddenly intruded into his lane. The front end of the vehicle was damaged. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained neck pain, back pain, and bruises on... Read more
Crash
1 injured