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: May 3, 2026
Purchased this vehicle used from dealership after reviewing the carfax and receiving reassurance from dealer that airbags were never deployed. 4 days after purchase passenger window needed to be reset into the track and upon removing plastic around front pillars, discovered vehicle had airbags cut out of it. Also found other SRS components of vehicle tampered with or non functional.
GOODYEAR
WRANGLER SRA
(9999) - AIR BAGS
May 3, 2026
Incident date: Mar 28, 2026
The clock spring system failed, rendering all of the cars' steering wheel functions non-functional. The airbag light is on and the steering wheels airbag does not operate as well as the cars horn and auto cruise controls. The instrument cluster is malfunctioning as well. The safety risks associated with the malfunctions could result in great harm to the driver and passengers in the vehicle.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
Dear Hyundai Customer Care, I am writing to report a safety concern with my 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The dashboard has developed significant cracking near the passenger-side airbag, which raises concerns about proper airbag deployment in the event of an accident. This level of deterioration seems premature and not consistent with normal wear and tear. I would like to know if there are any recalls, s... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2025
The warning light on the dash is indicating that there is a problem with the airbag. I took it to a Nissan Dealership and was told that the side airbag needed to be replaced. I was quoted $3,241.41labor only. I was told there was no recall. I certainly don't want there to be a collision and it doesn't deploy as it should. So I would like to report this issue in the event this has happened to othe... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
The car was giving me a warning "Front Left Restraint System Fault" (RCM_a021) approximately for 4 months (Jan 2026?) - I brought the car in for service April 2026 and after researching, the technician found that there was a failure in the wiring harness - this is the wiring harness that is responsible for the seatbelt pretension mechanism that activates in a accident. The technician had to r... Read more
Incident date: Sep 25, 2025
My 2007 Pontiac G6 GT 3.9 l convertible has the same issue that a lot of the other g6s had with the Passenger Airbag Sensor (NHTSA 07V-146).
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
I was involved in a car accident on 4/30/26 but my airbags did not deploy.
Crash
Incident date: May 1, 2026
I've contacted 4 separate Hyundai dealerships on carrying out this recall to correct the issue, and all of them have told me they can't fulfill the recall because the car is too old and they use tablets, but the recalls requires a computer. I've contacted Hyundai and they've been no help. They've told me in their words "As much as we'd like to assist, transactions between the dealership and the co... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
My sons who is a new driver and has a 2008 Pontiac torrent recently has had the passenger air bag light come on saying passenger airbag off when someone is sitting in the seat so I brought it in and was told that it could possibly be fixed but it’s not a guarantee that it will fix the problem and it will cost over $2500 for a maybe it’ll fix it and they had also indicated that if he was to get... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 HYUNDAI Palisade. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: (26V034000 (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 expe... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Palisade. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V607000 (Seat Belts) and NHTSA Campaign: 26V034000 (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... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
My 2021 VENZA has had an issue with the airbag light coming on. The SRS Airbag Malfunction notification is on when starting the vehicle. Within the first year of having the car I paid to have the system checked and the tensioner and airbag replaced. Three months later the light came back on. I was told the seatbelt got twisted again. Other vehicles under Toyota have active recalls on Airbag issue... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
My vehicle is subject to Recall 292 (NHTSA 24V-034). Hyundai has admitted in writing that this vehicle violates Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 226 because the third-row side curtain airbags fail to meet ejection mitigation requirements. I routinely transport minor children in the third row. Hyundai's official notice confirms this defect increases the risk of injury or death t... Read more
MERCEDES BENZ
GLE 450E 4MATIC
(2026) - AIR BAGS
May 1, 2026
Incident date: Apr 9, 2026
I am a consumer protection attorney representing Ms. [XXX] . This vehicle was sold to my client with an open safety recall and the dealership refuses to take it back without imposing onerous terms. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: May 1, 2026
Driving at 65 mph without warning car adaptive steering and airbag light comes on. Found there is a clock spring failure. There clockspring failures reported in 2020s. Ford haven’t achieved function of clocksprings
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2022) - AIR BAGS
May 1, 2026
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
PKSB malfunction, LTA system malfunction, SRS system malfunction, Per-Collision system malfunction, Headlight system malfunction and Front camera unavailable.
Incident date: Jan 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Palisade. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V034000 (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 experien... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
The contact owned a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle in a parking lot, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the accelerator was inadvertently depressed, causing the vehicle to unintendedly accelerate. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle accelerated and crashed into the wall. After the vehicle crashed into the wall, there was an... Read more
Crash
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLB 250 4MATIC
(2020) - AIR BAGS
May 1, 2026
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
I have a passenger malfunction with airbags warning coming. I also just experienced getting gas. My milage counted down to zero which it never has before and my engine light came on. I went and got gas 3 times spending around $70 and my gas mileage still says 0 and my engine light is on.
Incident date: Apr 29, 2026
Impact with deer on I-79 in WV at 70mph Air bags did not deploy. I was not injured but had it been a vehicle I would have been. Not inspected or confirmed by anyone. No messages or warning before collision.
Crash
Incident date: Feb 16, 2026
The car has two safety recalls and Hyundai has not bee able to provide us with a safe vehicle to drive. NHTSA Recall Number 26V034000 does not have a remedy and NHTSA Recall Number 25V607000 we are still awaiting parts. We have called our dealership and Hyundai Customer care for a solution. We are told they have no available seat belts to make the repairs. We have asked multiple times for a loaner... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
Air bags did not deploy at all on passenger side after collision with a utility pole. Once vehicle stopped drivers side air bag was release but did not deploy the way it should to prevent injury. SUV was totaled per insurance company due to extensive damage on passenger side
Crash
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
My daughter was in a accident on the freeway which was pretty bad the car is totaled and she was injured because the air bags never came out.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
Recall for seatbealts and third row airbags. Car has been at the dealership currently for a month with no parts for the seatbelts and no remedy at this time for the air bags.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
Seat belt and airbag indication lights and sound alarms remain on and notifying on the dashboard regardless of buckling. It will intermittently stop and start as the car is in motion. In the beginning, notification was present then resolved day-to-day. More recently, the alarm is present every drive. Driver was unsure whether or not the notifications were valid or not as the pattern of notificatio... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2026
The "Passenger Airbag Off" light is illuminated, meaning the primary safety restraint system is disabled. The failed component is the "Occupancy Classification System (OCS) / OC3 Sensor Mat." I purchased a very well-maintained 2014 MINI in March 2026 and the failure occurred shortly after the 10-year warranty window expired. BMW Group has similar BMW models using the very same technology, and th... Read more
TOYOTA
CAMRY HYBRID
(2026) - AIR BAGS
Apr 29, 2026
Incident date: Mar 31, 2026
I was in a car accident on the hwy and ran into the back of a 18 wheeler and the none of the air bags deployed
Crash
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
Iam having numerous problems with the start stop function of my 2022 MDX. See attached letter and documentation for full details. I also attached the documentation from my dealership for the repair order history. There have been numerous of times that this problem occurred that I didn't bring it in for service. The dealership acknowledges that there is a problem, but they are unable to correct. ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Palisade. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V607000 (Seats) and 26V034000 (Air Bags). The contact stated there was an undisclosed failure with the suspension. The local dealer was contacted on several occasions, and the vehicle was diagnosed with suspension failure. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
My vehicle hyuandai pallasade 2024 was stopped behind a white car. My vehicle was struck from behind. The vehicle was a large truck that hit at approximately 55-60 mph per highway patrol. This pushed my Hyundai into the white car in front of me and flipping my vehicle front down into a ditch with rear tires suspended in the air. The airbags did not deploy, the entire third row collapsed up to the ... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Jan 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that while her daughter was entering the third row, the lever was pulled to fold the seat for access, and the seat collapsed, nearly crushing her grandson. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V034000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
I've had my car for 3 years now and it randomly decided to throw a SRS airbag malfunction warning that will not go away. I know most of the last gen es350 had airbag recalls but the 2019 model year really didn't and I think its something similar. The car runs fine but the fact that my airbags wont deploy because of this warning makes it very unsafe.
Incident date: Sep 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Charger. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V198000 (Air Bags) and 21V516000 (Visibility). The dealer was contacted to perform the recall repairs; however, the dealer refused to complete the recall repairs. The contact stated that the sound was audible through the window, which the contact associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V516000 ... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER EVOQUE
(2020) - AIR BAGS
Apr 29, 2026
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
Driver steering wheel air bag cartridge separated from steering wheel mount plate during a accident airbag cartridge deployed on impact and is Protruding 3-4inches from outside the steering wheel
Crash
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER EVOQUE
(2020) - AIR BAGS
Apr 29, 2026
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
I am the owner of a 2012 Ford Mustang GT currently located in Kuwait. My vehicle has an open Takata airbag safety recall, which is a life-threatening defect. I contacted the authorized Ford dealer in Kuwait and Ford Middle East, but both refused to perform the recall repair, stating that the vehicle is a “gray market import” and not eligible. They also attempted to condition the repair on p... Read more
Incident date: Nov 27, 2024
Dear National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, I am submitting a formal safety complaint regarding an unresolved airbag system failure in my Acura vehicle, and the lack of a timely or safe remedy despite the issue being acknowledged and covered under a manufacturer warranty extension. The airbag system in my vehicle was first diagnosed as failed in September 2025 by my local mechanic and s... Read more
TOYOTA
GRAND HIGHLANDER
(2024) - AIR BAGS
Apr 28, 2026
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
My airbag light on the driver side is on. Isn't this a recall part
Incident date: Dec 8, 2025
Hyundai has refused to correct recall 292 and 283. I do not feel safe driving my children in the third row with the open recall. I have requested a loaner while the recalls are fixed. Since recall 292 has no timeline on repair, I feel Hyundai should issue a buy back.
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
my car has only 24533 miles and Air bag malfunction message is showing up
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
Passenger Occupant Detection System is malfunctioning. It is not registering a passenger in the seat, and in turn not turning the passenger airbag on when the seat is occupied. This puts any passnger who sit in this seat at risk of the airbag not deploying. This issue has been confirmed by the dealer. There was a recall for the Passenger ODS harness (WUM-98R) that the harness was replaced. Si... Read more
Incident date: Apr 19, 2026
While driving on freeway , vehicle suddenly stopped without warning and came from 65 mph to 5mph in few secs. Driver seat airbags popped up. Couldn’t able to stop the vehicle and high clunky sounds while moving on freway.Oil got leaked during this incident. Incident happened on freeway 101 exit 59 in Arizona. No crash or hit.
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
I am writing to formally report a serious safety concern regarding my vehicle’s airbag system following a recent accident. On April 22, 2026, I was involved in a significant collision while driving my Toyota Corolla 2022. The impact was severe enough that the other vehicle involved deployed its airbags. However, despite the force of the crash, the airbags in my vehicle did not deploy. I am ex... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 26, 2026
My Ford was involved in a frontal accident where my airbag didn't deploy and it caused serious head and bodily injury.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 26, 2026
Driving in a snow storm and slid in to a rail ,no damage but the back light,airbag deployed,. My regular headlights on the driver side went out three years ago , neighbor got it to work ,now both headlights are not working.
Incident date: May 4, 2021
I purchased a 2015 BMW i8 (salvage title) from Parkline Motors. The vehicle history (Carfax) disclosed prior front/right damage, which I accepted. However, the dealership failed to disclose critical safety-related defects associated with that damage. Shortly after taking possession of the vehicle, I experienced a malfunction in the SRS (Supplemental Restraint System), which controls the airbag sys... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2026
The contact owned a 2022 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, another vehicle, driving approximately 75 MPH, crashed into the rear and front passenger's side of the vehicle. The vehicle was then pushed into another lane, where another vehicle crashed into the front driver's side of the vehicle, from the fender-bender to the driver's side door. The seat belt failed to unbuckl... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
I was at a complete stop and a car rear ended me going 45 MPH. The airbags did NOT go off. Causing me to hit my head on the steering wheel. The car then gave warning on the Ford app saying " Your air bag warning is on due to an issue with the front passenger air bag system. The front passenger airbag may not work properly." Another notification says " Your air ab warning is on because the syst... Read more
Crash
1 injured
VOLKSWAGEN
TAOS
(2022) - AIR BAGS
Apr 27, 2026
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
My Honda civic 2014 has a notice coming often in dashboard saying "Check airbag system". This car do not have major accident (only sight bumper hit on year 2022 on backside) and airbag never went off . Now the dealer was saying I need to pay for airbag change costing about $2,000. I think this airbag is defective and need further investigation.
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, it failed to start with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was jump-started. The dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. Additionally, the contact stated that the air bag warning light continuously remained illuminated. T... Read more
Incident date: Apr 25, 2026
The clock spring needs fixed no features including the horn is working in my airbag light is staying on. Also I now have a loud knock in my motor I understand this should fall under the extended 15 yr 150k warranty; 2012 Kia vehicles (specifically the Sorento) with V6 engines are covered under major safety recalls for engine failure and fire risks. The primary issue involves metal debris from man... Read more