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.

2,192,899 Total Complaints

137,559 Reported Crashes

55,854 Reported Fires

8,555 Reported 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

How to Read NHTSA Consumer Complaints › How NHTSA Investigations Work › Used Car: 7 Recall Checks to Run First › The Takata Airbag Recall: Full Story › OBD-II Codes Explained › All Articles ›

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Showing 127,896 complaints — component: AIR BAGS

Incident date: Jun 27, 2025

Vehicle Information: •Make: Ford •Model: Mach-E •Model Year: 2022 •Vehicle Type: Electric SUV •VIN: [XXX] •Mileage at time of incident: 31114 •Purchased in: California Incident Date: [XXX] Location: Laguna Niguel, CA Injury: Yes Crash: Yes Fire: No Airbags Deployed: No Police Report Filed: Yes Description of Complaint: On or around [XXX], I was driving my 2022 Ford Mach-E when th... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Jun 2, 2025

Airbag readiness lamp does not turn off, steady illumination

Incident date: May 13, 2025

On 01/20/25, I brought my vehicle to Nissan of Downtown L.A , to fix a manufacturer recall of drivers side airbag. The invoice indicates "Inspect Driver Bag Module and Replace Driver Air Bag Cover." "Upon Inspection Performed Recall, Inspect Driver Air Bag And Replace Driver Air Bag Cover And Check Found Vehicle OK." Approximately four months later, the red airbag light on my dashboard was f... Read more

Incident date: May 31, 2025

ON MAY 31ST 2025 CAR HESITATED TO START ABOUT 5MIN BEFORE STARTING BUT NO WARNING SIGNALS. CAR HAS BEEN STRUGGLING TO START MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE THEN AND ON TUESDAY 06/27/2025 CAR DID NOT WANT TO START AGAIN AND HAD A WARNING OF ENGINE MALFUNCTION POWER REDUCED SERVICE NOW WITH A LOT OF BEEPING. I TOOK IT BY AUTOZONE AND WAS TOLD THEY WERE UNABLE TO REACH IT TO CHECK IT ( NOT SURE WHAT THAT MEANT)... Read more

Incident date: Jul 3, 2025

The manufacturer has failed to remedy this safety recall. The recall is dated May 10, 2023, and now over 2 years later there is no remedy. I remain concerned about my safety and the safety of my family, while driving this car. Despite the cost of replacement, but in consideration of the potential seriousness of the issue, time fame involved, and lack of action by the manufacturer, I am requestin... Read more

Incident date: Jul 3, 2025

The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that while the driver was driving at an undisclosed speed, another vehicle attempted to merge near the contact’s vehicle, which caused the passenger front end of the vehicle to collide into a pole. The air bags did not deploy during the incident. The contact also stated that the front driver's door became inoperable, and the contact had ... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Jan 4, 2024

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms part... Read more

Incident date: Jul 3, 2023

Occupant airbag sensor doesn't recognize whether someone is sitting or not. The occupant airbag sensor light goes on and off whether there is a passenger sitting on the seat or not. Kia has extended warranty on this issue however it doesn't let customer know about this part is defected. I was doing my research how to fix the issue and learn that kia had extended warranty for 15 years from the firs... Read more

Incident date: Jul 3, 2025

During acceleration my vehicle had a whinning noise coming from near the transmission. It will buck and then when slowing down to a stop it bucks like being hit in the rear by another vehicle. It also shudders and makes the reduce engine power light come on.

Incident date: Jul 1, 2005

The driver's seat active headrest spontaneously deployed while my wife was operating the van. Luckily this did not cause an accident, but being hit in the back of the head by the headrest certainly can cause an accident in the future. Inspection shows the internal plastic latch mechanism broken, thus the spontaneous, unintentional deployment of the active headrest.

Incident date: Mar 23, 2023

The contact owned a 2023 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle hydroplaned all 3 lanes on the highway. The vehicle hit a retaining wall, the vehicle bounced back, spun around, and faced oncoming traffic head-on. An oversized trailer crashed into the contact's vehicle head-on and pushed the vehicle into the middle lane, where it came to a stop. The driver’s and p... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Oct 11, 2024

The check air bag light has come on in the dash back in the fall of 2024. I took it to Tacoma Dodge in Tacoma Washington to have it repaired on October 11,2024. It was determined that the ORC module was at fault and the part was ordered. I took the vehicle back on October 30, 2024, to have the part installed. I had to bring the vehicle back to Tacoma Dodge on November 5, 2025 because the air bag l... Read more

Incident date: May 31, 2025

The contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle after a rainstorm, the contact became aware that the interior of the vehicle was flooded, and that water had entered the vehicle through the sunroof. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the sunroof drainage sys... Read more

Incident date: Jun 11, 2025

The contact owns a 2001 Honda Accord. The contact purchased the vehicle and was provided a copy of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V182000 (AIR BAGS) by the original owner of the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer refused to release the vehicle because of a "Do not Drive" warning on the vehicle. The contact had to sign a re... Read more

Incident date: Jun 2, 2025

I'm looking to buy this truck from a private sale. If I do, and the recall has not been completed, will the manufacturer still fix it for free?

Incident date: Jul 2, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the passenger's side air bag. The contact was informed that the air bag needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to N... Read more

Incident date: Jul 2, 2025

The contact owns a 2006 Chrysler 300C. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 15V313000 (AIR BAGS) and 16V352000 (AIR BAGS); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were 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 issu... Read more

Incident date: Jul 2, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (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 a... Read more

Incident date: Mar 2, 2025

The contact owns a 1994 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the air bag warning light was flashing on and off. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mi... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2025

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 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 on backorder. The manufacturer was ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 25, 2025

I brought my vehicle in for a recall to replace the airbags and headliner. When I received my car back from the dealership (Union City Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram), the vehicle was returned with a broken windshield, water intrusion leading to mold, corroded and missing components, and now both rear doors do not function properly. These issues are safety concerns and were not present before the service... Read more

Incident date: Jun 7, 2025

While driving at a moderate speed (june 7, 2025), multiple critical systems of the vehicle suddenly failed. Both dashboard screens (driver and center display) went black, and numerous warning lights appeared afterward, including oil pressure, engine, lane departure, tire pressure, and airbag (SRS) system malfunction. The vehicle accelerated involuntarily, the brakes did not respond, the steering b... Read more

Crash 2 injured

Incident date: Jun 27, 2025

Airbag failure 6/27/2025 auto accident Driver hit my vehicle right at the start of passenger side door. My vehicles rear went counter clockwise nearly tipping over before being hit again passenger side front Damages extensive. Zero airbags deployed Car not drivable. Place were notified report was made insurance companies. Notified car was taking to a tow lot as it was not drivable.

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Jul 1, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (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 ma... Read more

Incident date: Jun 10, 2025

As I was stopped on [XXX] waiting to turn left onto [XXX] , another vehicle struck mine from the rear, at approximately 50mph. The seat belt did not immediately lock, compromising my safety. I slid upward, partially out of the seat belt striking my head on the headliner and the belt caused a large bruise on my upper left arm. Additionally, the air bags did not deploy, but a spray of chemical ca... Read more

Crash 2 injured

Incident date: Jun 1, 2025

The contact owned a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the contact's son was driving at 20 MPH, the contact's son noticed an unusual sound. The steering wheel did not turn in the intended direction. No warning lights illuminated. The contact stated the steering wheel was detached and loose. The vehicle crashed into a nearby tree. The contact's son did not sustain any injuries. In addi... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Jun 29, 2025

Our vehicle was in an accident with extensive damage to the entire front end. The accident warning senors did not go off and the air bags did not deploy. The insurance adjuster said the entire engine was pushed back towards the driver area so it's surprising the air bags did not deploy. In our Kia Access app, only the "passenger turn signal" has a critical error detected. The car has been deemed t... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Jun 28, 2025

I was in an accident, going about 40mph (about 30mph at time of impact), and no airbags were deployed. Police officer reported that he also did not see that the tension of the seat belt remained tense after the crash. Seems that there was a problem with both systems. The other vehicle had all their airbags deploy.

Crash 2 injured

Incident date: May 31, 2025

Rear drivers side seat belt/airbag combo locked in place and will not retract.

Incident date: Jun 5, 2025

On [XXX], I purchased a 2023 Jeep Gladiator from Lakeland Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep Ram in Lakeland, Florida. At the time of purchase. I purchased a 36K/3 Year Bumper to Bumper warranty on the vehicle. After purchasing the vehicle, I noticed that several lights would come on in the vehicle. So I took the vehicle to the shop. The vehicle was taken to Posner Park Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep , RAM. A diagnos... Read more

Incident date: May 29, 2025

On [XXX] I was driving my 2015 Nissan Sentra S (manual transmission) in Los Angeles, CA. While traveling at a moderate speed on a city street, another vehicle crossed into my lane, resulting in a direct, head-on collision. The impact caused severe damage to the entire front end of my vehicle: the hood crumpled, the front bumper and grille detached, and internal components such as the radiator supp... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Sep 14, 2024

My 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid has had squeaky brakes for many months (from 4,000 miles onward and consistently continues to be an annoyance, nuisance, and safety hazard while intensifying in frequency), but despite taking the vehicle to the Toyota dealer more than 4 times, they have been unable to repair the issue. At least twice the air bag sensors have come on for the backseat when there was nobody... Read more

Incident date: Feb 2, 2024

Airbag light flashing, won’t go off! Lights under dash started blinking n radio only works on steering wheel sometimes, light blinks saying light bulb out but isn’t

Incident date: Jun 19, 2025

Drivers Air Bag and Cable Reel defective

Incident date: Mar 12, 2025

My airbag warning light comes on intermittently. My mechanic found it is due to a recalled part but my vin number is not listed on the recall even though it meets the criteria. Subaru Safety Recall WUM-98 NHTSA Recall ID 19V 70. The person in the passenger seat's safety is at risk if the airbags don't deploy in the event of a crash.

Incident date: Jun 30, 2025

I had my truck serviced for the airbag recall in 2021 at Clint Newell auto in Roseburg Oregon, they did not have a necessary part to complete the job at the moment and I had moved out of town by the time they got it in. I just today brought it in and they said they did the second half of the recall but the component was not communicating. I was informed they would charge me to investigate why. I a... Read more

Incident date: Jun 29, 2025

On [XXX] [XXX] was operating her 2017 BMW X1 traveling northbound on [XXX]. While driving in the middle lane, her vehicle was struck on the right side. The point of impact was the right front passenger side, extending toward the rear passenger area. The force of the collision was significant enough to eject the right front passenger tire from the vehicle. Despite the severity of the impact, the ... Read more

Crash 4 injured

Incident date: Dec 1, 2024

The "SRS" dashboard red light illuminated and stays on. On May 19, 2029 Acura "Replaced Driver S/B." Acura Dealer and Manufacturer are both telling me that my "Inflator" and "Airbag Module" is not covered again since there has been no recall by Acura or NHTSA. Please advise me as to warranty a second time at no cost to me?

Incident date: Dec 15, 2023

Recall on my vehicle has been out for 1.5 years. Dealer states no parts yet & that I should be fine. But I don’t feel safe if my passenger air bag won’t deploy in any emergency.

Incident date: Jun 26, 2025

On Jun 26, 2025 I was driving down a residential street when I heard a loud bang - it sounded like something hit my car. I stopped, got out and looked all over the outside of my car but found nothing wrong. As I re-entered the drivers side of the car, I saw the passenger side headrest...it had exploded!!! I immediately called my brother who is an auto mechanic and he told me that the headrest i... Read more

Incident date: Apr 22, 2022

This vehicle had just passed a inspection for me to get it licensed and Kentucky. There was no light showing that the airbags would not work. Unfortunately, this vehicle is not available.I had reached out to kia multiple times. My fears I have another Kia the same year.

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Jun 30, 2025

Airbag Breaks

Crash

Incident date: Jan 15, 2025

The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Passat. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V834000 (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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirm... Read more

Incident date: Nov 30, 2012

The contact's daughter owned a 2010 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed on a rainy night, there was another unoccupied vehicle stopped side ways in the middle of the highway with no hazards lights activated. The contact stated that the front driver's side of the vehicle crashed into the other vehicle. The contact stated that the driver's si... Read more

Crash 3 injured

Incident date: Jun 29, 2025

My airbag light always is on and my cruise control revs my car and I have to break

Incident date: Jun 28, 2025

I had a collision and rear ended a truck. My front left bumper was completely damaged. My chest hit the steering wheel. My airbags did not deploy.

Crash

Incident date: Jun 13, 2025

Sometime after performing the B9A recall (NHTSA 23V-787) repair (my vehicle passed), my check engine light came on. Dealer felt there was faulty Airbag ORC sensor and this was replaced. Despite replacement the vehicle continues to throw check engine list with error DTC B273C. We opened a STAR case 6/16/25 and my local dealership kept the Jeep for a week. They stated Stellantis said there was no... Read more

Incident date: Sep 12, 2023

I was driving down the road and my right side curtain airbag deployed. I did let my insurance company know but was told that they couldn’t do anything for me since it was not an accident. I called the local Mazda dealership and they told me that they could inspect the vehicle but it would not be on them. That it could have been a rat that chewed on something to cause it to deploy because I was n... Read more

Incident date: Jun 29, 2025

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to report a serious issue concerning the recall history of my vehicle and to request an investigation into what appears to be unresolved and inaccurately closed recalls. Vehicle Information: •Make/Model/Year: 2018 Chevy Malibu hybrid •Date of Purchase: 2018 (I have been the sole owner since) Several safety recalls were previously listed for my vehicle o... Read more

Incident date: Jun 28, 2025

The dash pad in the 2005 to 2009 Subaru Legacy and Outback models have a very common problem of deteriorating to where they become sticky and then sections start cracking and falling off. My concern is that this is happening in the area of the passenger air bag. There is a portion of the dash bad which says SRS AIRBAG imprinted in the pad material and mines actually about to fall off. If the air ... Read more

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