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
FORD
F-150 HYBRID
(2023) - AIR BAGS
Dec 21, 2023
Incident date: Nov 7, 2023
Awhile back my horn stopped working as if it was stuck down. I found out this was because of a problem with this cars airbag breaking down that causes this - and that there is a recall because these airbags are dangerous if they go off. I received a letter at one point from Mitsubishi about this. I filled out a form a long time ago when I got that, I also emailed them before, I also have tried cal... Read more
Incident date: Dec 18, 2023
Airbag Sensor Service light keeps going off. Passenger side.
Incident date: Dec 14, 2023
air bag warning light repeatedly goes on and off. code B1764, B1490, sometime both.
Incident date: Dec 12, 2023
My Audi a3 got the recall for PODS done 5/2022 which the sensors and air bag in the passenger side weren’t working and I got the same lights come up 2 weeks ago. My Dealership says since this was a recalled item and is a massive safety concern and should be covered by AUDI USA. Instead they want to charge me $1400. I have 3 kids and one sits in the front, and need my car to take them to school a... Read more
TRANSPORT TRAILER
TRANSPORT TRAILER
(9999) - AIR BAGS
Dec 21, 2023
Incident date: Dec 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number:23V334000 (Airbags) 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 experienced a... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2022
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 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: Jul 9, 2023
Air bag sensor malfunction alert on the dash. Toyota dealership maintenance determined the issue was sensor in the passenger seat was bad and is aware that the entire system will not work because of one sensor that would cost me almost $2000 to repair. Why would the entire system not work because of one sensor? This is not safe as the vehicle still needs to be driven and Toyota customer care does ... Read more
Incident date: May 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while stopped at an intersection to make a left turn, the contact's vehicle was crashed into the rear end of the vehicle by another vehicle. The contact stated that her vehicle was pushed further into the intersection and had stalled. The contact stated she was able to restart the vehicle and move it off of the road. The contact stated that... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jun 14, 2023
I was traveling on a road with light snow. There was a bend in the road. I lost steering and manual breaking causing the vehicle to strike a telephone pole head on. My air bags did not deploy.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Oct 2, 2023
Manufacturer has failed or is unable to remedy this safety recall for your vehicle in a timely manner. Vehicle is rendered unsafe with shrapnel potential from crash. Car can't be sold and there has been no compensatory considerations for vehicle owners who now own a vehicle deemed unsafe. Chevrolet customer service nor dealer have updated timelines or assistance programs to help consumers.
Incident date: Aug 11, 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 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. The contact had not... Read more
HONDA
CR-V HYBRID
(2023) - AIR BAGS
Dec 21, 2023
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
The airbags were supposed to have been fixed per recall by carriage house Mercedes in new London ct. my son was in a horrible front in collision and they did not deploy. None of them did. Accident happened 3 days ago insurance will pick up car today. I’d like this noted incase they need evidence
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: May 7, 2023
Starlink notification to the dealership that there was a problem with the airbag system. The “seat bottom” that contained the the passenger detector sensor was defective and the entire airbag system is disabled.
Incident date: Dec 20, 2023
The contact owned a 2009 Nissan Quest. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, she did not notice that the traffic light had turned red and continued driving. Another oncoming vehicle made a left turn in front of her. The contact stated that she swerved and the front end of the vehicle hit a pole. The contact saw smoke coming from underneath the hood. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact hi... Read more
Crash
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: Dec 19, 2023
A water leak was identified in the front left pillar from the support handle. It was sent in to Olympia Toyota who believed that body work was needed. The vehicle was then transferred to Titus Toyota in Tacoma. The assessment in Tacoma was very different than that in Olympia, and the vehicle was sent in to repair without first making contact with the owner. The assumption is that water is leaking ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 25, 2023
AIR BAG LIGHT ON, LIGHT ON GEAR SHIFT REAL DIM
DUNLOP
GRANDTREK PT21
(9999) - AIR BAGS
Dec 20, 2023
Incident date: Oct 31, 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 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
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2019) - AIR BAGS
Dec 20, 2023
Incident date: Apr 5, 2023
No incident, not a timely remedy for recall. Recall from March 2023, no remedy available in December 2023, 9 months later.
Incident date: Dec 20, 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 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 manufac... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the passenger’s seat air bag would display a deactivate... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2023
Vehicle recall in May 2023 for 2016 Chevrolet Traverse (GM recall # N232404980 - NHTSA 23V334) for exploding driver airbag inflator causing metal shrapnel to fly into the cabin. Letters from General Motors should have been sent by June 26, 2023. To date I have not received a letter or instructions on how to remedy situation. Multiple local Chevrolet dealerships have been contacted (Stonebriar Chev... Read more
Incident date: Jun 6, 2023
No use of the airbags in the front passenger seat in my atlas it makes it soo that my seven seater is really a 6 seater that doesn’t have a front passenger seat it’s unbelievable
Incident date: Nov 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2010 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to restart. 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 ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 20, 2023
The contact's daughter had rented a 2023 Mazda Mazda 3. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle veered off to the left side of the highway and side-swiped a cable system; the vehicle then crashed into the end cap of a guardrail. The vehicle then hydroplaned and hit a bridge pillar. The vehicle flipped as the contact's daughter was ejected from th... Read more
Crash
Fire
1 deaths
Incident date: Jun 12, 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 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 ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 - 50 MPH, there was an explosion on the passenger’s side of the vehicle followed by a cloud of white smoke. The driver's side seat belt had loosened and failed to retract. The contact noticed a message on the instrument panel stating "Service Restraint System" at the time of the explosion. The con... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2023
I received a recall notice in June 2023, contacted the local dealer, Donaldson Buick on August 17, 2023. Donaldson Buick, Silsbee, Texas 409-978-8662, told me the recall part was not available. Today, December 20, 2023, I called the Buick Customer Assistance Center, 1-800-521-7300, and spoke with Stephanie in Michigan, again I was told the part was not available. I am [XXX] of age and fear th... Read more
Incident date: Nov 20, 2023
Vehicle routinely (>90% of the time) fails to detect occupancy of front passenger seat resulting in disabled airbags and other related safety systems. Our particular vehicle experiences the issue with passengers ranging from 150-425lbs resulting in a significant safety concern. Searching online indicates this is a common issue and repair requests are routinely denied with claims that it is operati... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2023
Roof rails are leaking onto A pillar curtain air bags and causing headliner to become saturated above the A pillers on both sides of the car. Water is also getting onto electrical lighting in vanity mirrors. Found a TSB on this, but also found there is a massive problem with this and it should be a recall. Multiple people who own rogues from this year are having this issue. Water could cause damag... Read more
Incident date: Jun 16, 2023
October 2017 I purchased a 2017 Hyundai Accent. During my very first month driving this car right bumper clip broke. As I was under warranty took car in complained to the dealership. A tech came out and basically wacked it back in place. So now I notice both left and right sides of bumper are off track. My son is a licensed mechanic. Before I took it back to dealership he had checked and said mom... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2023
Airbags malfunctioned "SRS Airbag System Malfunction Visit Your Dealer" error message after head on collision. No warning lights before crash. Car is transferred ownership to progressive.
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Dec 17, 2023
My vehicle was recalled 3/29/23, and no attempt has been made to fix the problem. At this time, the dealer has no remedy. I do not have full use of my vehicle as the manufacturer suggests that no one ride in the front passenger seat due to the potential fault in the system. The extended wait to have a fix for the problem is unacceptable. No dealership will want to purchase this car with the cu... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2023
Took my SUV for an airbag recall and when it was completed my truck AirBag light was left on. My truck did not have that light on when I arrived at the location. Dealer mentioned not knowing what to do about it. I made a complaint and nothing was done by the dealer.
Incident date: Jul 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2008 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not under recall. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with a defective air bag module. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
Passenger seat does not detect my 5'4" 110lb wife, thus preventing the airbags from activating. This is the first car we've encountered with this problem. Is Rivian accounting for the fact that the weight occupancy sensor account for the weight of the legs placed on the floor? Please let us know if there will be a recall or a software update to address this.
Incident date: Dec 19, 2020
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. 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 parts not av... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2016) - AIR BAGS
Dec 19, 2023
Incident date: Dec 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the check air bag warning light illuminated. Additionally, all the buttons on the steering wheel became inoperable. The contact stated that he was unable cycle through the service screen options due to the steering wheel buttons not functioning. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, whe... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2022) - AIR BAGS
Dec 19, 2023
Incident date: Dec 15, 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 contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehi... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that the message "Air Bag Off" was displayed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle made an abnormally loud grinding sound and vibra... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2023
GM safety recall N232404980 received in June, 2023, states that fragments could may pass through the air bag which may result in injury or death to the occupants. As of 12/19/2023, GM is still saying that the parts to repair aren't available. Not acceptable.
Incident date: Dec 17, 2023
Passenger airbag warning light is blinking Took to repair shop and tech said OCS is bad and needs replacing Code B1018 comes up I do not understand why there is not a recall because this is a safety Issue
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2021) - AIR BAGS
Dec 19, 2023
Incident date: Jul 15, 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 dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 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 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 manufac... Read more
Incident date: Nov 29, 2023
I have Grand Cherokee SRT 2014 I am from Saudi Arabia. I was driving my vehicle in the right lane at a speed of 40 miles. There was a vehicle in the second lane that swerved onto my vehicle and forced me to crash into a light pole. The airbags did not deploy as the vehicle stopped due to the impact and not the brakes. I was hit while driving, and because I was wearing the seat belt, my rib cage ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Nov 25, 2023
My entire passenger side airbags deployed with no passenger present in car. The car has a sensor stating when someone is not there they should be off.
Crash
Incident date: Dec 18, 2023
I had a seat weight sensor error. Took into repair and the replaced sensor and then informed me they need to replace airbag because it’s not compatible with the new sensor. Then was told that it would cost $1100 more than estimate to replace an airbag that is in working condition. Tesla purposely replaced sensor that was not compatible with the way they built the car and expect consumer to pay f... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2020
While driving the headrest exploded into the back of my head. It felt like someone had just punched me in the back of the head. This happened yesterday, and I have not yet had it inspected by anyone.
1 injured
Incident date: Nov 12, 2023
SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG CONNECTOR,FRONT SAFETY BELT ANCHOR, POWER LIFT GATE PROP ROD RECOVERY
Incident date: Dec 16, 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 unavailable. The manufacturer 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 local dealer was made awa... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an unknown part in the front passenger's side seat was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V215000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The l... Read more