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: Oct 15, 2022
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 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50-55 MPH the steering wheel began aggressively shaking causing them to crash into another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. Both the vehicles received damage to the driver-side view mirror. The vehicle was able to be driven from the scene. There were no warning lights illuminated. A police report was file... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 22, 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 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 con... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 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 contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a fail... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
REDUNDANT EQE 350 4MATIC
(2023) - AIR BAGS
Jan 23, 2024
Incident date: Jan 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) 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 repa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2024
The passenger air bag remains off per the indicator when my 5'3" 100lb wife sits in the seat. The system was inspected at Peoria Subaru in Peoria, AZ and no problem was found. The service manager told me the factory design is 105 lbs minimum before the air bag is on. I find no warning labels in the vehicle and nothing in the owners manual referencing a 105 lb minimum. In fact, the manual states... Read more
Incident date: Sep 25, 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. 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: Jan 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2014 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 contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a fail... Read more
Incident date: Nov 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 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 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 exper... Read more
Incident date: Dec 18, 2023
A serious accident that totaled the car happened. The driver side curtain airbag did not deploy and the driver broke her wrist. Side curtain airbags on passenger side opened even though there was no passenger in the seat. The driver steering wheel airbag did deploy. Car appears to have been hit head on based on the damage that I saw.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 22, 2024
Airbags failed in accident passenger and I were hurt and significantly impacted and then informed about recall after the fact recall number is 23TB15/23TA15
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Aug 15, 2023
I was in an accident with my 2020 Ram 1500 and took a couple horrible hits and the airbags never deployed and the end result was me getting hurt bad and now missing time at work over this incident.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the gear shifter was significantly loosened while shifting gear. Additionally, the contact stated that the air bags warning light and the TPMS warning light were illuminated. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 17, 2024
Airbag recall since May of 2023 issued for my 2015 Chevy Traverse. No one is taking the matter seriously or helping figure out a solution to this serious safety issue.
Incident date: Jan 20, 2024
Was in a car accident in my Acadia. Someone hit me going 55 miles an hour on my front passenger side. My airbag never deployed and my seat belt did not lock causing me to fly around. I didn’t see a recall for either of those things
Crash
Incident date: Jan 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact stated that after repositioning the swiveling driver's seat, the seat became jammed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V410000 (Electrical Sys... Read more
Incident date: Oct 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly jerked and shook abnormally before returning to normal functionality. The contact retrieved the vehicle from the dealer following the repair under NHTSA Campaign Number 20V750000 (Engine) and NHTSA Campaign Number 22V096000 (Air Bags). The contact stated that the check engine warnin... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2023
On 10/26/23 at 5:00 pm I was involved in an accident I was hit on the front passenger side and none of the airbags deployed I do remember that right on impact immediately my chest started hurting I also hit my head on the driver side window now i dont know how fast i should be going or how hard do i need to be hit for the airbags to deploy but they never did. When I first purchased the vehicle bac... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
I would like to file a formal complaint regarding the current recall on this vehicle. This recall has been a known issue since March 29, 2023 and as of today's date there is no found resolution. The suggestion from VW is that no individual ride in the passenger front seat until the issue is resolved. It is completely unrealistic and unreasonable to ask any individual to abide by this suggestion... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 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 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 experience... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 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 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: Oct 30, 2023
The car has parking brake on unable to disable.Have to put in drive force the system to move. Same with reversing the car. Air bags not working. Seat belt restraint on when we are wearing them. Left turn signal failure. Steering limited caution sign on. ESC sign on. Engine light on. Transmission unable to shift soon light on. Traction lights on. ABS brake light on. Temp says -40 degree when 30 o... Read more
GMC
YUKON DENALI
(2017) - AIR BAGS
Jan 22, 2024
Incident date: Jan 21, 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The local dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experie... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2023
Passenger Air bag sensor light has come on and stayed on. Took to AutoZone and have them put it on the code reader and said it was something faulty in the sensor mat under the seat.
Incident date: Dec 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms par... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 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
HYUNDAI
SONATA HYBRID
(2011) - AIR BAGS
Jan 22, 2024
Incident date: Jan 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that he purchased the vehicle and noticed that the dashboard was severely cracked. The air bag and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed about similar failures with 2011-2014 vehicles. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of t... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2019
There have been multiple airbag system warning lights on my Honda Fit over the past couple of months. Initially, the driver side airbag inflator warning illuminated and I was able to reset it. Now the passenger side inflator is setting off the warning and it won't reset.
Incident date: Jan 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Acura TLX. The contact stated that while being at a complete stop in standstill traffic on a highway, they were rear-ended and pushed into the rear of a Chevrolet Tahoe in front. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy. The contact was unaware if the air bag warning light was illuminated after the accident. The contact sustained injuries to their arm and back ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 1, 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. 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 and confirmed that par... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 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 local dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. VIN tool confirms parts not avai... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2024
Airbag light on dashboard constantly on
Incident date: Dec 9, 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 contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a fail... Read more
FORD
MUSTANG MACH E
(2023) - AIR BAGS
Jan 22, 2024
Incident date: Jan 22, 2024
Upon driving out of my school parking lot at approximately 15 to 20 miles per hour I noticed a cushiony filled with a brakes and all of a sudden I heard a shhh all of my lights popped up on my dashboard. When I took my vehicle in to be able to find out what was going on with it I was told that I need a master cylinder and a brake booster. This was after having my vehicle for only 3 years where I ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 10, 2022
Around May 2023, I received a passenger airbag safety recall for my Volkswagen Atlas. The letter states that the Passenger Occupancy Detection System (PODS) is faulty and that in the event of an accident, the passenger airbag would likely not work. They said that no one can sit in the passenger seat until this recall is fixed. The issue is that they have no way to repair it, no set time of when it... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2023) - AIR BAGS
Jan 21, 2024
Incident date: Feb 7, 2023
the airbag light shows
Incident date: Nov 10, 2023
Air bags did not go off during the crash and the seats belt tensioner didn't lock up the seat belt resulting in injury to my self. Radio keeps rebooting
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 18, 2024
POWER STEERING light shows on indicator panel sometimes without any problems steering. Sometimes it appears along with SERVICE ESC and some times power steering is lost. Turning the car off and back on usually resets the problem. It is extremley difficult to steer the car when this happens. It began intermittently about 3 years ago when a local mechanic looked at it but he couldn't find anythi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2024
In July 2023 we started receiving airbag fault messages on the main screen, “Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault". Based on our research this meant that in the event of an accident the airbag would most likely not deploy. We tried to schedule service and due to a "bug with the recent update" we could not get the invoice through their app or schedule the actual service for over a week.... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2024
Vehical randomly shuts off, it all safety systems warning lamps come on l, like ABS, Airbag, and traction control. Found wiring harness laying in a pool of water in the rear right cargo compartment. Rain water leaking from sunroof collected in compartment. The harness contains wires for the the vehicles CAN buss systems the water causes corrosion in the harness, which causes all so... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE HYBRID
(2023) - AIR BAGS
Jan 20, 2024
Incident date: Jan 20, 2024
Airbags didn’t deploy in a front end collision that totaled the car. The driver hit their forehead on the steering wheel. Driver had bruising from the seatbelt. There were no warning lights or indications of any issues.
Crash
Incident date: Jan 12, 2024
The airbags failed to deploy in my 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe after being involved in an accident where another vehicle t-boned my vehicle on the passenger side front end to rear end causing severe damage and pushing my vehicle with great force. A police report was taken by officers that responded to the traffic accident. A claim was filed with my auto insurance and my 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe is currently ... Read more
Crash
3 injured
Incident date: Jan 18, 2024
We noticed that we had our airbag light was on in our dashboard along with that we also notice that the buttons and horn did not work in to the steering wheel. When we took the car to get checked by the Hyundai dealership in Lakewood. We were told that the clock spring was the cause of this problem to the airbag, horn, and the buttons not working. They told us that this clock spring part it was br... Read more
KIA
SORENTO HYBRID
(2023) - AIR BAGS
Jan 20, 2024
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
The passenger side seat airbag sensor is malfunctioning. A message displaying “Service Airbag” comes up and the airbag light comes on. This happens numerous times during a typical drive (around 20 minutes) The airbag is turned off while the message and light is displayed. This issue has been occurring for about a year or two now. Starting around 90k miles, currently has 111k miles. I’ve done... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
The airbag stopped working. The mechanic said it stopped working because of water damage in the seat. Why doesn’t Nissan inform their consumers about the airbags? I wonder if other people are experiencing the same problem.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
Front Passenger Seat Headrest deployed from broken plastic that failed and released the headrest while parked and car is off. Concussion risk while driving No inspection yet by dealer or police/insurance No prior warning
Incident date: Jan 5, 2024
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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The local dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. VIN tool confirms parts not a... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2020
A recall was issued in June 2023 for the airbag and parts are still not available to address the recall. It seems like this is a pretty long time for a component defect that can result in death.
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
The contact’s father owns a 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while his dad was driving 25 MPH, he heard a loud explosion coming the front driver’s side air bag. The air bag warning light was illuminated prior to the explosion. The air bag did not deploy because there was no crash. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer and was not repaired. The manufacturer was made awar... Read more