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: Sep 5, 2023
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 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 not made ... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 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 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 part... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 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 unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made awar... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2020
BEFORE THE 3 YEAR WARRANTY ON CAR RAN OUT. WHEN WE BROUGHT CAR INTO DEALERSHIP FOR OIL CHANGES AND CHECKUPS WE MENTIONED THAT PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS GOING ON AND OFF. BROUGHT BACK INTO DEALERSHIP AFTER 3 YEARS AND ASKED THEM TO REPAIR PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG THAT WAS STAYING ON CONSTANTLY...THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THEY WANTED AT LEAST $600 TO REPAIR OR TRY TO FIX IT AND THEY SAID THEY HAD... Read more
Incident date: Sep 4, 2023
I received a recall for my vehicle months ago due to an airbag issue. The recall states there may be metal fragments in my airbag. This makes the car unsafe to drive. GMC still has no estimated time frame for when the parts will be available. I can’t afford to go out and buy another car while this one just sits. I don’t know how I’m getting my child to and from school starting the day after ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 4, 2023
The air bag light randomly comes on while I’m driving
Incident date: Aug 9, 2023
New in 2007 Pontiac Solstice. In May of 2018 the recall 17036 was completed at 28,000 after waiting several months for the solution and then several months for the part to arrive. PPS passenger seat weighted sensor module failed again August 2023 at 36,000 miles. Repair only lasted 8,000 miles. I was told this module controls the passenger seat air bag. I was also told that if module fails the pa... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 3500
(2021) — AIR BAGS
Sep 4, 2023
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
Bought the truck in 2021. Replaced both outside mirrors during warranty. At about 44000 miles the passenger mirror malfunctioned again. The mirror resets to downward position and when you restart vehicle you need to readjust mirror each time. This is very dangerous especially while pulling the 5th wheel. Received a warning lite for a safety restraint failure. Took the truck to the dealer an... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
Was notified of Safety recall in June of 2023 for "In these vehicles, the front-driver airbag inflator may contain a supplier manufacturing defect that may result in inflator rupture during deployment. An inflator rupture may cause metal fragments to pass through the airbag and into the vehicle interior, which may result in injury or death to vehicle occupants".
CHEVROLET
MALIBU CLASSIC
(2005) — AIR BAGS
Sep 4, 2023
Incident date: Sep 2, 2023
driving the car it just shuts off which results in no power no steering and no brakes possibly an ignition switch problem.
Incident date: Aug 10, 2023
Passenger airbag light continues to flash and shows disabled
Incident date: Aug 16, 2023
Unknown? Air bag light blinks all the time when vehicle is running. Steering controls on steering wheel does not WORK. Might be a malfunction. Not sure.
Incident date: Aug 24, 2023
AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ON. DEALER VERIFIED AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ON. CONNECTED TO VIDA AND RECEIVED CODE (SRS-BB15381B HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY POWER SUPPLY DISCONNECT DEPLOYMENT LOOP CONTROL. GENERAL ELECTRICAL FAILURES. CIRCUIT RESISTANCE ABOVE THRESHOLD ). THEY REPLACED TERMINALS 11 & 12 IN THE LOW VOLTAGE CONNECTOR AT THE HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY. REFERENCING TJ 37119-0. MY VOLVO FACTORY EXTENDED WARRANTY WO... Read more
Incident date: Aug 30, 2023
My car has around 74k miles on it. I had the following service request warning present itself this last week, 'Passenger restraint system malfunction:' on my drive into work in the morning. At first I dismissed the message and closed it to see if it would clear itself. It did not clear. It came back up a couple of minutes later. This time I left it alone. It proceeded to close itself and reo... Read more
Incident date: Sep 3, 2023
We were hit on the passenger side of our car. Another car ran a red light and slammed into that side of our car. The front passenger sustained damage to their head, neck, back, shoulder and knee from the impact. The air bags did not deploy in the front or back seats, on the passenger side or the drivers side. The front passenger’s knee was bruised and scraped from the door colliding with their l... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Oct 3, 2019
Airbags failed to deploy after rear end collision.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 3, 2022
The airbag clockspring is defective. I know other years have a recall on the defective part. The cost of labor and the cost of the part is too expensive. I consider this a safety issue and feel like it should be under a recall like the previous model years.
Incident date: May 10, 2023
BUICK/GM STILL HASNT PROVIDED A REPAIR! ALMOST 4 MONTHS LATER! VERY DISAPPOINTED AND SCARED TO DRIVE MY CAR.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
Hi , I came on here to see if there was an issue with airbags deploying on the gmxlc sierra 2022. A cow hobbled out into the route 11 , mooers , NY and I impacted with It well over 45mph . My chest hit the steering wheel and my neck was jerked forward and no airbag. Not sure if something is wrong woth the sensor or what. Also be advised the fatality in this incident was the cow annoyed down below.
Crash
1 injured
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2022) — AIR BAGS
Sep 2, 2023
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
Hi , I came on here to see if there was an issue with airbags deploying on the gmxlc sierra 2022. A cow hobbled out into the route 11 , mooers , NY and I impacted with It well over 45mph . My chest hit the steering wheel and my neck was jerked forward and no airbag. Not sure if something is wrong woth the sensor or what. Also be advised the fatality in this incident was the cow annoyed down below.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
Unsure to what's causing the issue, dealership will look at it but feel it is a customer issue not a truck issue however among further investigation this seems to be a common issue amongst these model trucks, I have spoken with other people who have experience the same issues as well as researched it online where many people have also experienced the issue. The seatbelt light alongside the airbag ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2023
I was driving my vehicle and out of nowhere the airbag in the driver's seat exploded. The vehicle is available for inspection. I almost wrecked. The vehicle has not been inspected by thr manufacturer yet. I left a message for the service manager at my local jeep dealership. There were no warning lights on prior to deployment.
1 injured
CADILLAC
ESCALADE ESV
(2017) — AIR BAGS
Sep 2, 2023
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
We were hit from the side, in the front part of the drivers door at between 35-45 mph, by someone who ran a red light as we were turning right. The force rammed us head on into a telephone pole. The impact of the pole was just shy of the middle of the front bumper. None of the airbags deployed.Emergency personnel were shocked they hadn’t given the severity of the case and the double impact.
Crash
3 injured
Incident date: Sep 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 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 awar... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2019) — AIR BAGS
Sep 1, 2023
Incident date: Sep 1, 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 and confirmed that parts w... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
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 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: Sep 1, 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 unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made awa... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 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: Aug 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Titan. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 to 60 mph, the vehicle in front of him braked abruptly, and he crashed into the rear of a hauling trailer. The front end was damaged. There were no warning lights illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. There were no reported injuries or fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the towin... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 30, 2023
I learned of airbag recall, and have tried to get something done. No one will help me. Guess I'm stuck with a killer vehicle
Incident date: Aug 30, 2023
I learned of airbag recall, and have tried to get something done. No one will help me. Guess I'm stuck with a killer vehicle
Incident date: Jun 10, 2023
I have contacted GM several times and they refuse to even loan me a rental I don't feel safe in my car and it's not right there's no remedy!
Incident date: Aug 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the vehicle collided head-on with another vehicle that failed to stop at a red light. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. The contact stated that he had suffered minor injuries to his jaw but had not sought medical attention. No warning lights were illuminated. The v... Read more
Crash
1 injured
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2021) — AIR BAGS
Aug 31, 2023
Incident date: Aug 28, 2023
The contact called on behalf of her mother who owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while her mother was driving at an undisclosed speed, she lost consciousness, and the vehicle veered off the road. The vehicle hit the fence, then crashed into a tree, and the tree fell on the vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact's mother was assisted out of the vehicle by emergency se... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: May 10, 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 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 mad... Read more
Incident date: Aug 30, 2023
Occupant Restraint Control (ORC) module failure. Existing Recall for other 2014 Dodge Durangos
Incident date: Jul 24, 2023
Deer run out in front of me. Airbags did not deploy.
Crash
4 injured
Incident date: Jul 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, while the vehicle was idling in park, the driver’s and passenger’s side curtain air bags deployed. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who was unable to find the cause of the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case regarding the ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 550I. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the front passenger’s side air bag warning light remained illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V428000 (Air ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2019) — AIR BAGS
Aug 31, 2023
Incident date: Jun 22, 2023
I Bought the SUV on 6-22-23 Tried to get the recall fixed on 8-11-23 And according to Volkswagen the recall came out on 4-4-23. This means I was sold a vehicle with a known safety recall with no current fix as was not alerted. I bought the vehicle to earn a living by renting it on Turo and they will not let it be rented with an open safety recall. I need to file a complaint.
Incident date: Aug 20, 2023
Airbags deployed unexpectedly while I was driving on the freeway.
Incident date: Aug 16, 2023
I had all 3 recalls completed from the Chrysler dealer but only 2 now show complete on NHTSA and Carfax. Could you please check on this for me See attached service record from the dealer for the recalls that were completed.
Incident date: May 10, 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 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: Aug 31, 2023
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 unavailable. 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 failure... Read more
Incident date: Jul 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the seat belt and air bag warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the seat belt wiring harness located in the second-row seat had failed. The wiring harness was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact was informed that the seat belt wiring harn... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2005) — AIR BAGS
Aug 31, 2023
Incident date: Jan 6, 2017
Instrument panel stops working from time to time. My Guages go crazy. My rpm and speedometer mess up and can't tell how fast I'm going. This has been going on for a few years now. My airbag sensor light is on and was In a light wreck few months ago. Hit pretty hard on front end of truck and yet neither one of my airbags deployed.