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 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V054000 (Air Bags), but the VIN was not incl... Read more
Incident date: Oct 19, 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 a dump truck had struck the front driver's side of the vehicle while in a parking a lot. The contact stated that it was a minor collision; however, the inc... Read more
HONDA
CR-V HYBRID
(2022) - AIR BAGS
Oct 26, 2023
Incident date: Oct 13, 2023
I have Airbag failure. I had it diagnosed by a local mechanic. My Jeep had Airbag failure in the past and the repair was done by Jeep. Jeep refused to pay for it, although the same year of Wrangler was recalled for the Airbag failures. They returned my money almost 2 yrs later. The current Code is B1B02 (Clockspring). In addition to my Airbag light being on, due to failure (defect), my other ga... Read more
Incident date: Oct 26, 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 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 26, 2023
Instrument panel (dashboard) cracked at airbag. Upon deployment shrapnel from dash panel could enter passenger compartment causing injury.
Incident date: Oct 25, 2023
2021 X5 M50i: The driver's knee airbag deployed in a crash and lacerated my left lower leg down to the muscle and abraded most of the layers of skin on my right shin. I was taken to the ER by ambulance. The laceration could only be partially sutured together. There was no shrapnel in the wounds. I have to go to a wound care center to treat the mentioned injuries. Everything else on me was fine, ju... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the air bag warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed and determined that the passenger’s side seat belt pretensioner was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Later, while driving approximately 55 MPH, the front passenger’s s... Read more
Incident date: Nov 12, 2020
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 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: May 1, 2023
It is unreasonable that the safety recall on the airbags has not yet been resolved. The recall was issued in April 2023 and there is still no resolution coming. For passengers, this is a critical safety hazard.
Incident date: Oct 10, 2023
The front passenger seat driver occupancy system started sporadically malfunctioning and showing the "air bags disabled" warning even while the seat was occupied. This would put the passenger at risk in the event of a crash. The manufacturer's technician arrived to inspect the vehicle and upon hearing the description of the problem said it was likely that a cable in the seat's wire harness probabl... Read more
Incident date: Oct 21, 2023
The airbag sensors for my passenger seat do not work. Regardless of if there is someone sitting in the passenger seat, buckled it, the system indicates that there is no one sitting in the seat and that they are not buckled in. This is of course a safety issue since the airbags would likely not go off even if someone was sitting in the seat. My vehicle is available for inspection upon request. They... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
I am writing regarding an ongoing issue I am having with BMW North America and their dealerships concerning a faulty airbag in my 2014 BMW i3 electric vehicle (VIN #: [XXX] ). On multiple occasions in October 2023, BMW North America informed me that the "Driver Restraint System Malfunction" alert in my vehicle could be repaired under a Service Action extension (code SIB010818/DC3234908400) that c... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2022) - AIR BAGS
Oct 25, 2023
Incident date: Oct 25, 2023
Rear shock holder rusted through cross member on frame making top of shock stay forced against bottom of the bed of the truck.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
Was backing our of a parking spot when the driver's airbag went off. I was looking to the back right as I was slowly turning the wheel clockwise when the airbag triggered. At such low speeds I was able to safely hit the brake and park the vehicle. As a result my left hand was minorly injured, while my front passenger only reported his ears ringing. My vehicle never made any contact with another ve... Read more
1 injured
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2014) - AIR BAGS
Oct 25, 2023
Incident date: Sep 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V337000 (Air Bags), and the vehicle was repaired under recall. Upon retrieving the vehicle, the contact became aware that none of the buttons on the steering wheel were functioning, including the horn. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the failure was unrelated to the recall but... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2023
airbag exploded while driving cancelling the navigation and seat memory jeep refuses to replace the radio which was destroyed by the air bag failure AND BRING THE VEHICLE BACK TO PRE AIRBAG EXPLOSION
HONDA
CR-V HYBRID
(2023) - AIR BAGS
Oct 25, 2023
Incident date: Sep 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet HHR. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the air bag warning light illuminated. The service air bag soon message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that two unknown modules were defective and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the modules were no longer manufactured. The v... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 19, 2023
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 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 awa... Read more
FORD
ESCAPE HYBRID
(2020) - AIR BAGS
Oct 25, 2023
Incident date: Jun 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 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 manufactu... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2023
WARNING LIGHTS AND ALARMS KEEP GOING OFF IN MY CAR! The car was sold to mf like this by Carvana and these problems are not listed in the car fax’s!
Incident date: Oct 24, 2023
My wife was in an accident. She was doing 35 mph and hit a Honda Accord. The airbags in the Honda deployed, but the air bags in our Hyundai did not deploy.
Crash
Incident date: Oct 24, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Acadia. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had experienced a failure. The contact stated that while driving at 40 M... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 24, 2023
Entire electrical system went out while driving causing check engine light to come on after the failure of system; there was no dashboard working at all when the system went out; without the dashboard out it was not certain if the vehicle was safe to drive anymore; the dealer has not been able to reproduce the problem; the vehicle has been with the dealer repair system for several weeks and have n... Read more
Incident date: Oct 22, 2023
The contact owned a 2019 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the vehicle was rear-ended by another driver. The damage was on the rear driver's side of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained whiplash and was monitoring his pain. No medical attention was received as on yet. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle w... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Oct 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Ranger. The contact had taken the vehicle to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V125000 (Air Bags). The contact stated that while the vehicle was having the air bag replaced, the contact became aware that the passenger’s side air bag had not been seated correctly. The contact asked the Service Manager to return the vehicle to have the mechanic properly seat t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2023
The contact owned a 2020 Buick Encore. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH and attempting to make a right turn, the vehicle lost power steering and drove straight into a deep ditch. The contact did not recall whether a warning light illuminated. The front driver's side and passenger's side air bags exploded while deploying and propelled fragments that burned the skin near the con... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
The contact owned a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while his wife was driving at approximately 25 MPH, and moving into an intersection following a traffic sign stop, the contact's vehicle was crashed into by another vehicle that ran a stop sign. The other vehicle crashed the contact's vehicle on the passenger side front door. The contact stated that all the air bags had deployed. The con... Read more
Crash
2 injured
YOKOHAMA
AVID ASCEND LX
(9999) - AIR BAGS
Oct 24, 2023
Incident date: Oct 4, 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 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
Incident date: Oct 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Beetle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V945000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. A 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 experience... Read more
Incident date: Oct 21, 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 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
THOR MOTOR COACH
SCOPE
(2022) - AIR BAGS
Oct 23, 2023
Incident date: Oct 22, 2023
Vehicle has had a call some match 2023. There still is no remedy for repair.
Incident date: Oct 4, 2023
This recall has been out for months with no remedy. The website says, " An inflator rupture may cause sharp metal fragments to pass through the airbag and into the vehicle interior at high speed, striking you or your loved ones, which may result in injury or death to passengers." This is unacceptable. It is dangerous to drive my car right now. I need someone (GM or Takata) to provide a loaner... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2023
Rear restraint system malfunction. BMW states it’s a faulty airbag that is not under warranty. Car has never been in an accident and only 4 years old so there should not have been any issues. It is a safety issue for passengers.
Incident date: Oct 19, 2023
Passenger Airbag light on seatbelt light on passenger front airbags inactive
Incident date: Jun 3, 1996
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 experienced... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2019) - AIR BAGS
Oct 23, 2023
Incident date: Sep 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. An undisclosed dealer was contacted and 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 manufacturer w... Read more
Incident date: Oct 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Volkswagen Beetle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V945000 (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 ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the Service Air Bag message was intermittently displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall associated w... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
The recall on airbags is not able to be done. I do not feel safe using my vehicle until work is done to drivers side airbag. I need a rental car to use in place of my 2015 Enclave. Help is needed with this issue immediately.
Incident date: Oct 19, 2023
I was traveling on a nearby road at approximately 40mph when another vehicle ran a stop sign causing me to t-bone his vehicle and spin around. There was no time for evasive measures so the vehicles collided at full speed. I hit my head on the left side as a result of the collision. The point of impact on my car was the entire front end. Neither my front nor side airbags deployed during the coll... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Oct 21, 2023
Passenger restraint system malfunction alert when car is turned on. Air bag and passenger seatbelt warning lights are on. Passenger seat belt light will never turn off even with no passengers in the car. Air bags for passenger are off when there is a passenger in the car causing a safety concern. BMW wants $1000 to diagnose what the issue is for the airbag light only but not to fix it or check the... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
The front head rest employed because the part broke inside
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
There seems to be a common problem with these vehicles according to similar complaints being discussed in forums. My steering wheel is malfunctioning and creating a safety concern. While driving straight my horn and electrical controls do not function. If I turn the steering wheel to one side then the horn and electrical components work. I am also afraid that the airbag may not function proper... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2023
On my way to work when the I hit the brakes... brakes locked up causing me to be unable to come to a complete stop.. Driver side airbag deployed but the passenger side airbag caused the dash to explode causing a fire in the dash. With the dash exploding and the passenger side airbag not deploying correctly it cause the passenger to hit windshield! Unknown Unknown Just a check engine light fo... Read more
Crash
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: Oct 10, 2023
I was hit yesterday and my airbags didn't deploy. WHY???
Crash
Incident date: Oct 21, 2023
Headrest saftey mechanism deployed due to the tension pin breaking internally while sitting in a driveway. Nothing caused deployment other than random device faliure
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
Live in Indiana where the weather is super salty in the winters and all of the salt in Indiana has really really affected the whole underside of my car. The whole subframe is falling apart and the rust has gotten to everything under the car. I have spent about 4 thousand dollars into this car doing all the work myself to make this car run In pristine conditions. I am very very worried that my whol... Read more
Incident date: Jun 28, 2023
Brake felt like it was sticking. Dealership looked at it and changed rubber piece. 10/16/2023 accident occurred. Air bags did not deplore. Car was totalled.
Crash
Incident date: Oct 19, 2023
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 made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer ... Read more