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.

2,245,377 Total Complaints

140,173 Reported Crashes

56,794 Reported Fires

8,580 Reported 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

How to Read NHTSA Consumer Complaints › How NHTSA Investigations Work › Used Car: 7 Recall Checks to Run First › The Takata Airbag Recall: Full Story › OBD-II Codes Explained › All Articles ›

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Showing 129,250 complaints - component: AIR BAGS

Incident date: Mar 15, 2026

My vehicle is unusable due to the 2 recalls, Hyundai has taken control of the vehicle. Recall 292 does not have a fix and the seat belt recall has a shortage of parts. I have been trying for months to get this corrected.

Incident date: Aug 25, 2025

While traveling on a public roadway under wet conditions, the vehicle was unable to stop within a safe distance despite brake application, resulting in a rear-end collision with the vehicle ahead. The primary concern is that the airbags did not deploy during the impact, despite significant front-end damage. The collision caused severe deformation of the hood and extensive damage to the front-left ... Read more

Crash

Incident date: May 1, 2026

The steering wheel airbag has a cut mark, and it feels softer than the rest of the airbag cover. It looks like it may be starting to open.

Crash

Incident date: Jun 2, 2026

The contact owned a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while driving at approximately 58 MPH, the vehicle hydroplaned and the front passenger side crashed into a lamp pole however, the air bags were not deployed. The air bag warning light was illuminated. No injuries were sustained and no medical attention was sought. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that... Read more

Crash

Incident date: May 16, 2026

2017 Subaru Forester with heated seats. Recall WUM-98 / NHTSA Campaign 19V701000 was completed in 2020 by previous owner, replacing the ODS sensor mat harness. The same passenger airbag OFF condition has now returned. Dealer has diagnosed failure of the ODS sensor mat (seat bottom subassembly), quoting $1,800 for repair. This is the same safety defect — same system, same symptom — that the rec... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

An accident occurred in my vehicle on 05/29/2026. It resulted in both air bags deploying even though the passenger side that was involved in the collision and damaged. It was considered a total loss due to the frame and passenger side as well as both air bags deployments. The driver sustained major lacerations on his forearm and was bleeding profusely from his arm during the time of the accident. ... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: May 29, 2026

I was travelling on a two lane surface road with a speed of 45 mph, travelling at or below posted speed and just starting to slow to make a right hand turn when I encountered / wandered over the solid white line into a pothole at the edge of the road where there is no shoulder. Airbags on the passenger side including the sidecurtain and airbag inside the passenger seat deployed instantly. There w... Read more

1 injured

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

We purchased our palisade in October of 2020 brand new from the dealer. On march 5th 2021 @ 7946 miles on the car we took it in to the dealer because the passenger rear seatbelt had released on its own when braking hard with a child buckled in a booster seat. They said they could not verify the problem. Then again on April 22 2022 @ 37,924 miles we again took the palisade back in because the drive... Read more

Incident date: Dec 20, 2025

The contact owned a 2025 Genesis GV70. The contact's spouse stated that while attempting to make a turn, the brake pedal was depressed and the accelerator pedal was inadvertently applied. The contact's spouse was unaware whether any warning lights were illuminated due to the failure. The contact stated that the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated, causing the vehicle to crash into a sidewalk and the... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20-30 mph, the rear passenger side airbags unexpectedly deployed deployed without any impact. The vehicle warning that a collision occurred illuminated after the airbag deployed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The ap... Read more

Incident date: Feb 25, 2026

The factory installed dashboard leather has pealed away. I was informed that the airbag safety issue of it not deploying is a serious concern that needs to be addressed. I have contacted Maserati directly but they weren’t of any assistance in this matter. I have photos showing the issue and clear concern.

Incident date: Mar 13, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 mph a deer ran in front of the vehicle impacting the driver side fender, hood, bumper was impacted , while coming up a hill a deer ran in front of the vehicle. There was no additional property damage. The vehicle came to a stop on the side. The airbags did not deployed. The crash avoidanc... Read more

Crash

Incident date: May 23, 2026

Vehicle Information: 2020 Hyundai Palisades VIN: [XXX] Mileage: 74,212 Hyundai is mishandling Recall 292 (NHTSA 26V034000), which involves a failure to comply with FMVSS 226 and creates an occupant ejection risk. The affected seating position in my vehicle is used by my [XXX] child and is unsafe until a remedy exists. Hyundai has no remedy available and has refused to provide any written safety... Read more

Incident date: Apr 2, 2026

Air bag sensor light is always off even when nobody is sitting in the passenger seat. The sensor has been recalled once before however it’s still having the same issue even after being replaced.

Incident date: Jan 4, 2026

The contact owns a The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: (example: 20V315000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was/was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was/was not made aware of the issue. The contact... Read more

Incident date: Dec 17, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 23V865000 (Airbags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was/was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was/was not made aware of the issue. The contact had no... Read more

Incident date: Dec 17, 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the airbag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with an error code associated with the airbag. The vehicle was repaired at the consumer expense. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was appr... Read more

Incident date: May 26, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle crashed into a pothole and the front driver side, front passenger side, and side curtain air bags deployed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the air bags needed to be replaced however, the dealer stated that the manufacturer o... Read more

Incident date: May 26, 2026

The passenger airbag sensor does not sense when I have a passenger in the vehicle. This was a recalled issue and was fixed. However, the fix did not work and Subaru dealership says that they already fixed it and it is because water probably got on the seat. I have not let water get on the seat, and even if I did that would be a very poor design for a safety feature. I imagine people would spil... Read more

Incident date: Feb 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while occupying the front driver's seat of the parked vehicle, the air bag suddenly deployed without impact. The contact stated that the air bag warning light might have been illuminated. The air bag hit the contact's face. The contact sustained a stinging sensation from the right side of the face and forehead, headaches and moderate neck ... Read more

1 injured

Incident date: May 31, 2026

The Ford dealership completed repairs on my vehicle and returned it by parking it in front of my garage. I have a long driveway and additional parking and needed to park the vehicle somewhere else (maybe 20-30 feet away). I reversed the truck ~20 feet and when I tapped the gas lightly to turn the car left to pull into the parking space it accelerated rapidly. I pressed the brakes repeatedly and th... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: May 22, 2026

Getting air bag warning for passenger side airbag not working

Incident date: May 31, 2026

Left Side Airbag Deployment control circuit - B0020 Right Side Airbag Deployment control circuit - B0028 Driver Seat Belt Sensor - Circuit open B0050 Occupant Classification System- missing message - BOOAO Driver Seat Track Position - BOOB5 Passenger Seat Belt Sensor - B0052

Incident date: May 6, 2026

While traveling at highway speeds with adaptive cruise control safety systems engaged, the vehicle failed to detect a hazard immediately ahead in its lane. The Forward Collision Warning failed to alert the driver, and the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) failed to initiate automated emergency deceleration. Manual emergency braking was attempted by the driver in the final milliseconds, but the veh... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: May 26, 2026

I have 2 issues and not sure if they are related 1.SRS system light came on and says see dealership. This one happened about 2 weeks ago. 2. While driving today all the lights on my dash came on including the check engine and all warning notices were going off. I was driving when this happened and it was alarming because I didn’t know if my car was going to die while I was driving. Neither ... Read more

Incident date: May 2, 2026

All the airbags in the car deployed from a minor impact; it is available for inspection.

Crash

Incident date: May 30, 2026

Dear NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, I am filing this formal safety defect complaint regarding the complete failure of the airbag system to deploy during a serious motor vehicle collision on [XXX], involving a 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Altitude (VIN: [XXX] ). This failure occurred in direct connection with a known manufacturer defect covered under NHTSA Recall #26V-328. The driver, [XXX] ... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Apr 18, 2025

SRS light has been showing up on the dashboard, off and on for 3 weeks. Diagnostic reader completed by the dealership states it is an airbag module malfunction of the 2nd row left passenger seat. The seat has never been removed, there have been zero accidents and no damage to the seat or wiring.

Incident date: May 30, 2026

I was dive down the road and it sound like a gun go off I seen the right side air bag was out and that scared me I did not comperhend what had hppen and I end up sliding down a ditch in bake ment

Incident date: May 29, 2026

1. The front passenger airbag light is continuously on. 2. Fasten seat belt audible alarm, and fasten seat belt dash light are continuously on when front passenger seat is NOT occupied.

Incident date: Sep 1, 2025

The SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) warning light is lit up on dashboard. Does not go away. Mentioned it to the dealership and I was told having items in the seat could trigger it or if there not enough weight. But even if there nothing or someone in my passenger seat the SRS aways come up.

Incident date: Jan 10, 2025

The occupant detection system for all five rear seats is erratic, frequently reporting seats as occupied and unbuckled when they are empty or folded flat. Once the vehicle reaches 10 mph, audible alerts trigger and recur up to three times for 30 to 60 seconds each, even if no passengers are present. Because these sensors are integral to the restraint system, there is a critical concern that the ai... Read more

Incident date: May 29, 2026

25 to 30 MPH front end collision with no air bag deployment. During repair it showed airbags deployed although none were out.

Crash 2 injured

Incident date: Apr 24, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated while driving at 20 MPH, a another vehicle collied with the right passenger side. The contact stated that no air bags were deployed in his vehicle. The contact stated sustained injuries brushing to the lower stomach, her right breast and within her chest no visible brushing, however she does suffer from on going chest pains . Medical attenti... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Jun 26, 2024

The contact owned a 2025 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed through an intersection, the vehicle collided with another vehicle that was towing a trailer. The contact stated that during the crash, the driver's air bag, located in the steering wheel, deployed; however, the air bag became inoperable and deflated. The contact further stated that smoke emitted f... Read more

Crash

Incident date: May 29, 2026

Porsche dashboard leather shrunk and staples pulled out. I was told that if the vehicle was in an accident the airbag might not deploy correctly. The Porsche dealer looked at it and recommended replacing the entire dashboard which costs over $10,000. This is apparently a very common issue.

Incident date: Oct 1, 2025

The weight detection is failing to recognize a child in the passenger seat.

Incident date: May 14, 2026

Was involved in an MVA at @ 40 MPH no air bags were deployed

Crash

Incident date: Aug 1, 2024

I was driving home, on my way while driving I approached a curve on my way around the curve my vehicle continued to accelerate to the right as I was going around the curve. I tried to redirect the vehicle back to the left by trying to turn the steering wheel towards the left but I could not control the direction of the way the vehicle continued on. Still trying to turn the steering wheel back towa... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: May 29, 2026

The contact owns a 2004 Dodge Ram. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers 16V352000 (Air Bags) and 15V313000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted; however the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The... Read more

Incident date: May 19, 2026

The airbag warning light and the ABS warning light turned on simultaneously while driving. This is a severe safety hazard as both critical, life-saving safety features are currently compromised. I have already contacted Kia Customer Care regarding this issue, but I am filing this official complaint with the NHTSA to ensure a proper safety investigation is documented for this vehicle.

Incident date: Apr 30, 2026

I am very certain that I have proof that from the dealership a Cable Dahmer and Kansas City Missouri did break work concerning the brake master cylinder booster was replaced and it still has problem which should have been under a recall and I would like to get that corrected and received my service funds back

Incident date: May 28, 2026

The contact owns a 2026 Kia Seltos. While driving across an intersection, another vehicle ran a stop sign and collided with the contact's vehicle. The impact occurred on the driver-side door, causing extensive damage to the vehicle. No property damage reported. The vehicle came to a complete stop after being struck. The contact stated no air bags were deployed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard ... Read more

Crash 2 injured

Incident date: Nov 28, 2025

We were driving on interstate 49 going south near Chester Arkansas when traffic came to a stop. I was rear ended by a vehicle driving 75 mph. My car hit the car in front of me where there was damage to both the passenger and driver side front area of the car. No airbags deployed in spite of the severity of the front and rear impact of the vehicle. I sustained three compression fractures to my back... Read more

Crash 3 injured

Incident date: May 28, 2026

The contact owns a 2013 Buick Verano. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Service Air Bag warning light unexpectedly illuminated. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for further assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

Incident date: May 20, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Acura ILX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle. The contact stated that the airbags did not deploy during the crash. The contact did not sustain injuries at the scene and no medical attention was provided immediately following the crash. However, the contact later experienced lower back and neck injuri... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Apr 21, 2026

Nylon isolator in air bag fractures and horn blows all the time or does not blow at all or sounds when not activated and no repair part number exists in honda so entire air bag must be replaced at very high cost of $950. If not repaired the air bag must be removed and vehicle has no horn and no air bag. If you buy used air bag no idea if works as air bag and most often the used air bag has fractur... Read more

Incident date: Apr 16, 2025

The contact owned a 2014 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that while idle at a stop sign, a nearby aggressive driver had lost control attempting to pass another nearby vehicle; however, lost control and T-boned the front Driver-side door. No warning lights illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the impact of the crash was approximately 40 MPH; however, the air bags did not deploy, but ha... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: May 21, 2026

While driving, I swerved slightly to avoid a dog and went into a shallow ditch less than one foot deep. There was no collision, no structural damage, and no repairs needed to the vehicle. Despite the extremely minor impact, both airbags deployed unexpectedly. This deployment was violent and occurred without a qualifying crash. I believe this indicates a faulty airbag sensor, airbag control module ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2025

The airbag warning light illuminated on the dashboard and has stayed on permanently. This indicates a malfunction in the supplemental restraint system (SRS). Because the warning light is active, there is a severe safety risk that the airbags may not deploy correctly or at all in the event of a crash, putting the driver and passengers at risk of serious injury. The vehicle is available for inspecti... Read more

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Consumer Safety Complaints

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

How to interpret what you read

If you've experienced a defect

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