Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,192,899 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA — including 137,559 crashes, 55,854 fires, and 8,555 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 2,192,899 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 127,896 complaints — component: AIR BAGS
Incident date: May 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while attempting to turn the steering wheel to the left or the right, the steering wheel seized and failed to operate as needed. The contact aggressively maneuvered the steering wheel to regain normal functionality. The air bag warning light was also illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be di... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2017) — AIR BAGS
Sep 22, 2023
Incident date: Sep 21, 2023
Faulty airbag module. Error Code DTC-B0020-13. Requires replacement of the left front seat back assembly.
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2019) — AIR BAGS
Sep 22, 2023
Incident date: Apr 5, 2023
There is an open recall that they have not yet fixed.
Incident date: Sep 7, 2023
Context: My wife replaced the driver’s side airbag per the 2019 Toyota Corolla recall at a Columbia, MO dealership. We’ve since moved to North Carolina. The airbag light and maintenance light came on, and we took it to the mechanic close to our new home. They ran a diagnostics report to determine the airbag on the driver’s side needed to be replaced. I have documentation of this report ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
in July of 2022 the buttons on the steering wheel like cruise control trip/reset button as well as radio controls eventually all quit working did not become fully aware of this until I was on the interstate and was driving with the cruise control set and when I needed to turn off cruise control it wouldn't turn off by the steering wheel thankfully I know can hit the brakes and the car will s... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2023
Side Air bags deployed while crossing a railroad crossing.
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2019) — AIR BAGS
Sep 21, 2023
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
Our FAMILY car cannot be USED due to this air bag recall!! No one can sit in the front seat due to this issue, because may or may not go off in accident - Volkswagen has no solution other than, just don’t let anyone sit in the front passenger seat!! This recall appears to follow the electrical issues everyone is complaining of. The amount of recalls this vehicle has had since 2019 , needs to i... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2023
The contact owned a 2021 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously involved in a crash, and the air bags had failed to deploy. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, in severe stormy weather, the vehicle hydroplaned, and he lost control of the vehicle. The contact stated that the passenger's side quarter panel of the vehicle struck a po... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Sep 21, 2023
Air bag light goes on and mostly when driver seat is adjusted
Incident date: Sep 21, 2023
Was going 25mph on a straight dry road, 2 traction control lights popped up and an alert saying Advancetrac is off, which is a feature you have to be in park with your foot on the brake and hold the traction control button for 8 seconds to turn off, when the light turned on the car downshift and turned sideways causing me to go into a barrier, steering wheel airbag and passenger airbag both only b... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
The vehicle engine stalled while driving in motion at approximately 65 miles per hour, and occasionally would stall without warning while waiting at a traffic light stop. The vehicle occasionally would not allow for the key to turn its ignition and would remain locked unpredictably and would require extended amounts of time to lock/unlock via security key fob repeatedly to allow for the key to tur... Read more
Incident date: Sep 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2024 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 75-80 MPH, the contact rear-ended another vehicle in front. The air bags did not deploy. The impact caused soreness in her chest and lower back; however, medical attention was not received. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the collision center but was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The veh... Read more
Crash
1 injured
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2020) — AIR BAGS
Sep 21, 2023
Incident date: Sep 4, 2023
The contact owned a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle in front of the contact had lost control and ended across the lane. The contact stated that the road was a gravel road and the driver of the other vehicle had created a dust cloud that obscured the vehicle. The contact stated that her vehicle crashed into the other vehicle on their pass... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Sep 21, 2023
The contact owned a 2007 Pontiac Vibe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V627000 (Air Bags) and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list since the vehicle was totaled. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted.
Incident date: Sep 21, 2023
My truck has had an open recall for some time. The dealership (Coon Rapids Chrylser, Coon Rapids, MN) is putting me and my 4 children at risk by not diligently repairing my vehicles and ordering parts properly. I had service appointment scheduled to correct the recall. They only let you schedule the appointment when they receive the parts in stock. They confirmed they had the parts and I was... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2006) — AIR BAGS
Sep 21, 2023
Incident date: May 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that on several occasions, the air bag warning light illuminated for two minutes and then disappeared. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 146,032.
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2019) — AIR BAGS
Sep 21, 2023
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V215000 (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 manu... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was previously repaired by the dealer under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V018000 (Air Bags), and the contact was informed that the clockspring needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the clockspring ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2023
For the already known air bag recall for my vehicle, I have called GM and clearly stated how uncomfortable and unsafe I feel driving my vehicle with such a dangerous malfunction that is meant to save my life, not take it. They told me there was no way they could help, but for me to be patient. I live in a bumpy and windy area, and from other reports, I know can set off the airbags. As for the a... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
The passenger airbag sensor is malfunctioning. When a passenger weighing 115 pounds is seated in the front passenger seat with the seatbelt connected, the vehicle disables the airbag. This has been documented with pictures and video multiple times to Rivian. They had the vehicle at their service center recently and informed me that the sensor was working properly. I implored them to road test it w... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
The passenger safety restraint system fault message pops up when driving normally. The diagnostic came up to replace the whole airbag after communicating with service center.
Incident date: Sep 4, 2023
In 2022 Ford issued a recall for my 2016 F250 for the clockspring. In mid 2023 for said sent me a letter telling me the parts are in stock contact a local dealer for repair. I dropped off my tuck and 2 day later I was told by deal it’s fixed come pick it up. I got in my truck and all the same issues were there. Airbag light is on, steering is sticking, no horn or other electrical working on stee... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the seat sensor unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Aft... Read more
Incident date: Sep 20, 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. An unknown local dealer was made aware of the issue. 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 con... Read more
Incident date: Sep 17, 2023
The car Hydroplaned while driving on the interstate, spun out of control and slammed into a tree in the rear end. My son was going approximately 65 mph and upon impact no airbags deployed and the steering wheel was in his hands after impact. His seat broke and collapsed into a laying position. His head sustained a huge blow to the interior side of the car in addition to another head injury in the ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The power train and air bag warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer but was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 107,000.
Incident date: Sep 20, 2023
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 not 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 experien... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while her son was driving at 40 MPH, he ran a red light at an intersection and T-boned another vehicle. The impact bent the frame into the front tires. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries, and medical attention was not received. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the body shop; however, the vehicle was no... Read more
Crash
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2018) — AIR BAGS
Sep 20, 2023
Incident date: Sep 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V215000 (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 exper... Read more
Incident date: Sep 20, 2023
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 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 wa... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V567000 (Air Bags, Electrical System) 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.... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2016) — AIR BAGS
Sep 20, 2023
Incident date: Aug 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure due to the warning light no longer being illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. On another occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning l... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
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. An undisclosed dealer was contacted 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: Jun 9, 2023
Purchased new in March 2023 -Repair Safety Restraint System failed (alert signal) failed late June 2023. Inspected at the Dealer/mechanic on July 11 2023, and it was determined the Safety Restraint System panel was defective. Part ordered late June early July 2023 (estimate). Part was backordered and not available for installation August 31 2023. Service department failed to notify me that the ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Passenger Restraint System Malfunction" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that the passenger restraint system had failed, and an unknown repair needed to be completed. The contact was ... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2005) — AIR BAGS
Sep 20, 2023
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
Air bag impact sensor under radiator cracked and is no bad
Incident date: Sep 20, 2023
"Supplemental restraint system failure" warning is intermittently illuminated in the dashboard. It comes on when the car is in drive, moving down the road, and when the car is in park. Warning goes on and off randomly. Dealership couldn't tell me what the problem was. Just suggested I replace the (very expensive) module to see if that works. On 4 different occasions the emergency brake system has... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2012) — AIR BAGS
Sep 20, 2023
Incident date: Dec 15, 2020
On or about December 15 2020 my wife was on her way to work and hit a water puddle and hydroplaned at 60 miles per hour and lost control and hit the wall head on at 55 mph and no airbags deployed I have the car in my front yard
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Aug 9, 2017
The airbag light is on. The clocksprin is the failure and is very expensive at the dealer.
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2019) — AIR BAGS
Sep 19, 2023
Incident date: Sep 18, 2023
Vehicle was purchased from Volkswagen Marin Dealership As Certified Pre-owned 2019 model year Tiguan SE 4motion Turbo Color Red on August 24, 2021 and has 18,664 mileage already upon delivery. We have received a recall letter for the water pump & made an appointment to the Dealership& brought the car there In VW Sunnyvale, Ca.. According to the service advisor (Tanya) that the recall we are acqui... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2005 BMW 325I. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the passenger’s side air bag warning illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V018000 (Air Bags) and related the failure to the recall. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired... Read more
Incident date: May 25, 2023
Driving down the highway and another car turned into my lane. I turned/swerved to the left to avoid collision and all side and curtain airbags deployed in the vehicle. I did not crash into anything. There was zero damage to the exterior of my vehicle. The manufacturer (Stellantis) claims there is nothing wrong with the vehicle, and that it detected the vehicle was going to roll over, and that i... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2018) — AIR BAGS
Sep 19, 2023
Incident date: Sep 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V215000 (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 amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made a... Read more
Incident date: Sep 7, 2023
Airbag light came on, had tested by local mechanic, informed left rear airbag and to take to dealer, dealer charged $252 to disagnose air bag in left rear shoulder strap. Since already replaced wiring harnesses under TSB 16-0001 back on 11/1/7/16 thought best to clean contacts of harness connectors and apply dielectric grease for an extra 1/2 labor for an addtitional $99 bringing the total to over... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
Three separate reports from car to Tesla: Traction Control Disabled Stability Control Disabled Automatic Emergency Braking Disabled Two hours later my car caught on fire while parked at my home. It was declared a total loss.
Fire
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
I totalled my car. The steering wheel airbag failed to inflate
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 19, 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 unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The man... Read more
Incident date: Jun 27, 2023
If you look up the GM Recall and the Vin# of my car, you will know that I am writing to you because I received the notice about my 2014 Buick Enclave has a Safety Recall. My name is [XXX] and I am very concerned about all of this. I called my car dealer today after I read the letter, and basically which Im sure you already know that there are no parts available to fix this problem. A problem that... Read more