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: Sep 13, 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 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 wa... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
In Sept 2022 my airbag light came on and dealer charged me $1,200 for a senor issue to fix, then in December 2022 it came on again they said it was a different issue related to vehicle safety and charged me for part. Then in June 2023 i received the recall notice for my airbag - I've tried multiple times to see when this can be fixed hopefully prior to shards of metal impaling me - told parts no... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 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 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 parts... Read more
Incident date: Sep 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 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 ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
Airbag / SRS light came on. Took vehicle to the dealer service center for diagnostics. They found the issue is the Air Bag - Clockspring Assembly / Spiral Cable: 51K1Z01 : BODY ELECT CONCERN. With the airbag light on none of the airbags will deploy in the event of an accident. So the clock spring assembly must be replaced and is currently not under any manufacturer warranty.
MITSUBISHI
OUTLANDER SPORT
(2013) - AIR BAGS
Nov 15, 2023
Incident date: Apr 9, 2022
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 15, 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 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 ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 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. 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 ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that an abnormal odor was coming from inside the cabin of the vehicle with the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a technician discovered that the carpet underneath the front passenger’s side floor mat was wet. The mechanic stated that the air conditioner drain had leaked inside the vehicle and o... Read more
HYUNDAI
ELANTRA TOURING
(2010) - AIR BAGS
Nov 14, 2023
Incident date: Jul 17, 2023
My airbag malfunction light came on randomly. Never have I been involved in an accident. I have only had this vehicle for 2 years. I took it to Nissan dealership in Chandler AZ to have it inspected. They told me the recalls for Nissan Altimas only go up to 2016, mine is a 2017. This puts me, my passenger and my children at risk and it is not safe to drive. I have a teenager that was trying to lea... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2023
Had the Takata Air Bag Recall completed at VW dealership in CC, Tx. Shortly after the Air Bag kept giving Errors and then it would include Low Air Pressure, ABS and Anti Skid Warnings.. Contacted the dealership, had the system check with no issues.. Had the system checked locally at repair shop with no issues.. went to leave and Air Bag Warning stated Error,, they rechecked and found no Issues.. C... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2023
Vehicle displays alert "Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault." Tesla repaired my vehicle last year for this same alert and now it has returned. Tesla claims the Occupant Classification System and passenger airbag must now be replaced. These critical safety components should not fail only 5 years after I purchased this vehicle. Many other Tesla owners report this same issue indicating it is a sa... Read more
Incident date: Feb 17, 2023
Passenger airbag sensor showing warning. There was a previous recall that shows active but my VIN says it does not have an unaddressed recall which I think is inaccurate.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
1.Air bag-control module :P&A RCM failed. 2.control module not working that's mean upon impact the sensors will send the signal to the control module ,but the module will not be able to initiate the deployment of the airbags,putting the passengers of the vehicles at risk. 3.yes the component been inspected by ford dealership . 4.yes airbag lamp is on. a month ago the lamp is on.
Incident date: Nov 6, 2023
I received my vehicle on 10/14. At that time, I noticed a warning light on the dashboard that I identified in the owner’s manual as “airbag fault.” I emailed Fisker support about this problem on 10/30. After receiving no response from Fisker, I finally called them today and was told that my issue had been “escalated” on 10/30 and that the representative would contact another department a... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2023
In 2010, the air bag control module went out on my vehicle. There were no replacement units available, and I was forced to disconnect the system to prevent the dangerous possibility of a malfunction. I also had to build a dummy unit to turn the air bag status light on and off on the dashboard so that the vehicle would pass inspection. Several years later, I was able to buy what might have been ... Read more
CHEVROLET
TRAILBLAZER
(2022) - AIR BAGS
Nov 14, 2023
Incident date: Dec 31, 2022
Over this summer I went to start my truck and all the airbags pop out expect for the steering wheel air bag and dashboard air bag
Incident date: May 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 Buick Enclave. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who related the failure to an unknown recall. The mechanic contacted an unknown dealer and was informed that they could not assist because vehicle had previously been repaired under TSB Number: 15536. The vehicle was not repa... Read more
Incident date: Sep 13, 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: Jan 18, 2022
2004 HONDA Civic Cracked Block TSB [XXXX] Honda settled in a class-action lawsuit that covers 2008 - 2009 Civic engine block failures with unlimited miles for an extended 10-year warranty period. Covered Civics will receive an engine repair or replacement at no cost. The covered Civic engine castings were built using thinner aluminum and the cracked block will leak coolant causing the engine to ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2023
Took vehicle to dealership for recall. Air bag light on dashboard was flashing. Dealer said air bag was ok and they did not go any further to find the problem. The light is still flashing, so I do not know if my air bags are safely operative. Thank you very much.1031
Incident date: Sep 1, 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2023
Airbags deployed randomly while driving. Nothing hit the car.
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
Got into a front end collision, vehicle was totaled. Front airbags didn't deploy. Steering wheel and side airbags deployed about 5 minutes after the accident. My head hit the driver side window, cracking the whole window. Had a concussion from that.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Oct 17, 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 unavailable. 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 parts... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2008 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The contact used an OBD scanner and retrieved a DTC regarding the passenger seat occupant detection sensor. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related t... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2023
Passenger side front headrest airbag deployed without incident. There were no warning lights, messages or symptoms prior to deployment. The vehicle was inspected and certified upon purchase. This could have caused injury to myself or my children. My biggest concern is the same incident happening without warning to the driver’s side while I’m driving and causing an accident which results in inj... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 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 the... Read more
Incident date: Oct 28, 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 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 experie... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2018) - AIR BAGS
Nov 13, 2023
Incident date: Jul 23, 2023
Drivers side, side-curtain airbag spontaneously deployed.
Incident date: Oct 13, 2022
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 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... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 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 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... Read more
Incident date: Nov 2, 2017
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 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: Oct 1, 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. 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 experien... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2023) - AIR BAGS
Nov 13, 2023
Incident date: Oct 3, 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: Oct 1, 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 local dealer was contacted and stated 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 aw... Read more
Incident date: May 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 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 not ma... Read more
Incident date: May 25, 2023
I was in an accident hit from left driver side and no deployment of airbags
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Oct 16, 2023
Hit head in passengers side into a cement pole, car was a total loss. No airbags deployed causing bodily injury to driver and passenger from impact and seatbelt , stopping us . Chest cavity injury’s
Crash
2 injured
MERCEDES-BENZ
SPRINTER 2500
(2021) - AIR BAGS
Nov 12, 2023
Incident date: Nov 10, 2023
PURCHASED CAR USED FROM CAR DEALER. DEALER STATES HIS MECHANIC INSPECTED VEHICLE. I DROVE OFF THE LOT WITH NO ISSUES. LESS THAN 48 HRS LATER, SERVICE AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, IGNITION TURNED ON WHEN LIGHT CAME ON. LIGHT COMES ON, GOES OFF AND REPEATS THIS...
Incident date: Oct 18, 2023
I was braking pulling forward into a parking place, going approximately 10 mph. The brakes did not work , the car accelerated jumped a curb ran over a parking sign and did not stop. I attempted to turn to the left on the island so as not to go into the busy street. I scraped/ran into a small tree while trying to put the car in park. I heard a large bang, 3 airbags deployed. I do not know if I ran ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Nov 11, 2023
I got a recall letter in the mail and Burns Hyundai does not want to give me a service or loaner vehicle.
Incident date: Oct 15, 2023
Car was t-boned a intersection and passenger side airbags didn't deploy
Crash
Incident date: Nov 9, 2023
Dashboard shows service passenger air bag. Yes available for inspection Passenger safety at risk. Not confirmed by dealer Has not been inspected
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC300
(2016) - AIR BAGS
Nov 10, 2023
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
DRIVER SIDE FRONT DOOR SENSOR SAYS CAR DOOR IS OPEN EVEN WHEN DOOR IS FIRMLY SHUT. CAUSES DOORS NOT TO LOCK, INTERIOR AND PUDDLE LIGHTS REMAIN ON, DRAINS BATTERY, DOORS WON'T LOCK EVEN WITH CAR IN MOTION. Severe Rust problems under carriage Air Bag light remains on
Incident date: Nov 10, 2023
On 9/4/2023, both airbags in my daughter’s 2015 Nissan 370-Z violently exploded open erroneously at a stop-sign, when my daughter had, unknowingly, slowly rolled into the protruding hitch of the truck in front of her; the imperceptible impact of which my (driver) daughter and (passenger) son didn’t feel, nor even known had happened (until after they escaped the traumatizing horror). None of th... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Oct 5, 2023
The lights spontaneously turned off while driving on a cloudy night on an unlit section of interstate. While slowing the car down, it went onto gravel, semi-circled around and flipped over onto the lower median. No air bag deployed. No protection from shoulder seat belt. Head hit steering wheel, and I briefly lost consciousness. Tests showed skull and cervical fractures. The car was "totaled... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 24, 2023
I struck the back of a semi truck on the freeway at an estimated 35-40 miles per hour. I did not apply my brakes. Extensive damage to the entire front of my vehicle.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
I was involved in an accident which rendered my Mitsubishi Mirage a total loss. There was severe damage to the front driver's side of my vehicle. I am concerned because none of the air bags deployed. I was traveling at approximately 40 mph when a large pickup truck with a brush guard on the front ran a red light and collided with my vehicle.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 9, 2023
Recently purchased a 2017 Chevrolet Traverse LT. Learned that there is an Airbag recall. However the manufacturer states that they are unable to remedy this recall.