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.

2,245,377 Total Complaints

140,173 Reported Crashes

56,794 Reported Fires

8,580 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 2,245,377 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

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 129,250 complaints - component: AIR BAGS

Incident date: Jul 19, 2026

I think my vehicle is apart of this recall: March 17, 2014 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V118000 Side Impact Air Bags Wiring Connections Failure of the side impact air bags and seat belt pretensioners to deploy in a crash increase the risk of injury to the driver and front seat occupant.

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Infiniti QX30. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the air bag warning light remained illuminated. Additionally, while reversing into the garage there was a popping sound coming from the steering column and the horn became inoperable. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was not yet contacted. The manufacturer was notified of th... Read more

Incident date: Jul 29, 2026

The leather covering on the instrument panel top pad of my 2022 F-250 Limited has shrunk and pulled away from its substrate on both the driver and passenger sides. On the passenger side, the covering has contracted enough that it has separated at the seam and lifted at the A-pillar corner, leaving an open gap and exposed backing material. The affected passenger-side panel is the airbag deployment... Read more

Incident date: Sep 4, 2025

Hey I run over a pothole and. My tire went flat and then the air bag just came out that’s not supposed to happen just from a flat tire that’s a safety hazard

Incident date: Jul 29, 2026

The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Magnum. The contact stated that while the contact's son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side air bag deployed without a crash. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was made aware of the failure. In addition, the contact was informed that an unknown recall repair with a similar failure description was performed on the vehicle in 2016. Th... Read more

Incident date: Apr 1, 2026

while vehicle is driving multiple dash alarms will start cycling through including stop/start, service electronic stability control, speed control messaging unavailable, service airbag system, service 4WD, engine light and ABS light, anti skid lights all come on, the speedometer goes to zero, and the power steering goes out. Driving highway speeds and suddenly having no power steering is a safety ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 26, 2026

The contact owned a 2025 Ford Bronco Sport. While the contact’s brother-in-law was driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle crashed into the rear of another vehicle, causing the vehicle to flip over and slide between 50 and 75 yards. During the crash, the Forward Collision Avoidance system failed to activate, and the front driver’s side air bags did not deploy. The driver was later taken to t... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Jul 26, 2026

Car accident and all left side airbags deployed but not the drivers airbag which we had the recall repaired on.

Crash

Incident date: Jul 3, 2026

This diagnostic code B00C0-11 Passenger Seat Occupant Classification Sensor A - Circuit Short to Ground - Not Current DTC came up when I took it to the transmission service center for another issue. I was not aware of this until then. I bought this car about 4 months ago from a private owner who did not disclose this issue either.

Incident date: Jun 30, 2026

I was rear ended at a high rate of speed airbags didn’t deploy

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Jul 1, 2025

The Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) light illuminated on the dashboard. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Chevrolet dealership (Goodwin Chevrolet in Oxford, ME) for diagnostic testing on July 22, 2026. The certified technician diagnosed a catastrophic component failure within the primary safety restraint system, noting that the driver's seat side airbag has failed and must be completely r... Read more

Incident date: Jul 19, 2026

Passenger airbag weight sensor (light next to radio goes on/off) intermittently not sensing adult passenger in passenger seat. Airbag may not work properly in case of accident and could cause severe injury or death of passenger. Indicator light inconsistently goes on and off. This is an active known recall issue. The VIN for my vehicle is not included in the recall.

Incident date: Nov 19, 2025

Turn signal lever wouldn’t return to neutral position after completing a left turn. There was already a recall for this but my truck somehow passed inspection and so the component was never replaced. Since it ‘passed’ the recall was closed. I will have to pay out of pocket ($1,099) to replace. The component is the clock spring. According to dealer’s diagnosis: Air Bag - Clockspring Assembl... Read more

Incident date: Jul 21, 2026

The Front Passenger Safety Restraint System failed prematurely on my 2019 Tesla Model 3 at only 23,105 miles, triggering the alert 'Alerts - Seats - Front passenger safety restraint system issue/Service is required' and disabling passenger airbag functionality. Upon inspection, Tesla Service quoted $1,285.13 out-of-pocket to repair the system. While the root failure involves a $12 occupant occupan... Read more

Incident date: Jul 9, 2026

The contact owned a 2007 Ford Ranger. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 19V001000 (Air Bags) and 21V158000 (Air Bags) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list because the vehicle was totaled. The manufacturer was contacted.

Incident date: Jul 16, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Lexus LS 600. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V767000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), 26V18000 (SEATS, AIR BAGS); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were 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... Read more

Incident date: Feb 17, 2026

Without an impact or collision, my car's passenger seat headrest shot out. I've been checking and others have done this as well. This morning, the driver's side headrest shot out without impact or collision. There is something wrong with the mechanism or airbags for the headrests. This can be extremely dangerous when in motion....

Incident date: Jul 28, 2026

The contact owns a 2013 BMW 328I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The drivetrain and passenger’s side air bag warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure reoccurre... Read more

Incident date: Jul 28, 2026

The dash board has a little split where the air bag is located. The split is in a line of or a crease of the outline of the air bag. I took it to the dealership and they were clueless. They recommended someone to fix it, but since it was closely related to the airbag I can't find anybody to work on it. This happened about a year ago it just appeared and each year I think it's getting larger.

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

This malfunction started in August of 2025 within 12 months of buying this new vehicle. A airbag sensor was replaced, then a national bbb case found the same malfunction only this time it includes the whole safty system failure. I gave the manufacturer a year and they have not corrected the malfunction. I am forced to drive a unsafe car *if I get hit my airbags will NOT DEPLOY*

Incident date: Jul 25, 2026

We are the sole owners of the 2015 Hyundai Sonata. Over the years the dashboard has deteriorated and developed cracks along the entire length, including over the area of the passenger airbag. We are currently concerned as to what would happen in the event of an accident that would trigger the air bag causing the dashboard to explode and send splinters all over the place, possibly causing severe ... Read more

Incident date: May 29, 2026

The contact owns a 2008 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver’s side air bags deployed; however, the vehicle was not involved in a crash. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact attempted to start the vehicle and the starter was inoperable. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle remained at the residence, and the ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

Active head restraint on driver seat deployed today for no reason. No collision, just deployed on its own.

Incident date: Jul 16, 2026

Was in collision - front impact- vehicle was a total loss, airbags did not deploy for driver or passenger side

Crash 2 injured

Incident date: Jul 20, 2026

Subject: Manufacturer and Dealer Non-Compliance / Obstruction of Federal Safety Recalls Vehicle: 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan Description of Problem: I am filing a formal complaint against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA)/Mopar and its authorized dealer network for active non-compliance, negligence, and obstruction regarding 7 open federal safety recalls on my vehicle. Authorized franchise dealerships... Read more

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

I was broadsided at the front end of the drivers side on Saturday 07/25/2026 by a wayward vehicle drifting into my lane. After the crash, the airbags deployed and then I could not open the driver seat door. Three other passer-bys who kindly stopped to check on me could not open the door from outside either. Finally, after being stuck for at least 10 minutes in the car, the police arrived, who some... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

these cars require a seat calibration after a deer collision. they say your seat sensors are shot and want $900 to fix your seat and recalibrate the system. they also say your passenger airbags will not work without fixing the seat. pure safety for ransome. two seat belts also exploded and the deer walked away. zero body damage to car. this stuff is a joke.

Crash

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

I had the recall #09184 regarding the faulty air bag for my Chevy Silverado. I took my truck to Chevy dealership in Marshfield mo. They were supposed to fix the airbags and bc the air bags deployed without an accident the seat belts locked up. They did not fix the seat belts. Making my Trunk unable to pass state inspection. They refused to fix the full issue.

Incident date: Oct 9, 2025

This issue began after I brought unrepaired recall concerns to the dealership’s General Manager and was told I would need to sign an NDA and failed to provide the recall part numbers as agreed. When I received my vehicle back, I immediately noticed physical changes to my instrument panel. I then reviewed four years of photos and videos stored on my original devices and discovered approximately t... Read more

Incident date: Jul 7, 2026

Clockspring Recall. Horn not working, buttons on steering column not working, when turning steering wheel it makes a clicking noise, sounds like spring being pulled, driver side air bag light is illuminated on dash.

Incident date: Apr 1, 2025

Recall issued. Kelly Nissan of 275 Broadway, Lynnfield MA 01940 told me to check back in a month to see if the parts were then available then a month later told me the parts were no longer being manufactured and were unavailable.

Incident date: Jul 26, 2026

The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Versa. The contact stated that while driving 3 MPH, the front driver’s side air bag unexpectedly deployed. The contact was left with a bruised face and a nosebleed from the air bag deployment. The contact used tissues to stop the nosebleed, but no medical attention was sought. The contact stated that after the failure, while starting the vehicle, the horn would ac... Read more

Incident date: Jul 13, 2026

Air bag did not deploy, yes High Risk Yes Yes No Hit a street sign. Went through radiator, bent frame in front on passenger side, busted windshield, punctured roof. Car is totaled

Incident date: Jan 1, 2025

The contact owns a 2014 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The message “Fuel Supply Malfunction” was displayed. Additionally, the contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V527000 (Air Bags) and stated that the passenger’s side air bag was not replaced. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. T... Read more

Incident date: Jul 11, 2026

Component/system: The front passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) in my 2018 Tesla Model 3. The vehicle is available for inspection on request. Description of the failure: The vehicle intermittently displays "Front passenger safety restraint system fault — service required]" on the center touchscreen. The alert first appeared on or about 4 years ago and has recurred approximately ~50 ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 25, 2026

On Saturday June 18th, I was in a 4 car pile up accident. My kia soul was totaled, and the airbag did not deploy. Following the event, I am seeking medical attention for follow up. Research on the cause for failure to deploy has shown me there was a recall on these car for air bag issues. Please advise if there is a claim to file regarding this recall and accident.

Incident date: Jul 22, 2026

SRS - Airbag LF Side Impact: B0020-13 Error 2,000.00 to replace faulty air bag

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

SRS airbag error warning appears randomly when driving. It turns off passenger side airbags with a passenger in the seat and makes it unsafe to drive. Narrowing it down to the wiring harness seems to be an issue with a loose connection in the airbag seat sensor. Unplugging and re-plugging plus restarting the car seems to fix it at least temporarily. Others have posted about this issue online as we... Read more

Incident date: Mar 12, 2026

At I-66 East and 495 Exit in Fairfax/Vienna, another car hit my Tesla car from the side at around 40-50 MPH. My car driver side had a heavy impact - Door scratched badly, rear window broke, rear tail lamp broke, rear tire got damaged, components on top of the front tire came off. Even the car was hit with this heavy force and had heavy damage, Airbags never deployed. Luckily THe driver didn't have... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Jul 22, 2026

Vehicle under mandatory recall for defective air bags. Called to get appt. with local dealer Fred Martin Motors. Have failed to call me back to set an appt. The dealer says they are waiting for parts. It has been 3 months. Still waiting. Concerned about safety if my vehicle.

Incident date: Oct 24, 2024

SRS airbag panel has detached on the windshield side and top.

Incident date: Mar 16, 2026

I was on the highway and the truck escalated in speed then it would decreased In speed . (61 mph to 45-41mph. Then it decreased speed all the way to a complete stop. Then burst into flames in front of truck. Truck made crackling sounds and proceeded to burn all the way back to the back seats of truck.

Fire

Incident date: Dec 1, 2025

It was heavy rain traffic came and when I slowed down the anti lock breaks effected me from stopping fast enough and were made me just slid into back off vehicle in front off me giving me injury's to my kneck due to the air bags did NOT deploy.

Crash 2 injured

Incident date: May 21, 2026

When I started my car I heard a “ding” and saw that my airbag light was on. I called the local dealership to ask about it and they said that in the case of a crash that light usually indicates that there is something wrong with the sensors to the airbags and if I was to get into an accident, they wouldn’t deploy; which could cause loss of life if there is failure to deploy. My vehicle also r... Read more

Incident date: Jul 19, 2026

I have waited years to get the air bags repaired. My wife is scared to ride in the truck. Now the electronics have started messing up. Ford should have to pay me back some of what this vehicle cost because of poor quality workmanship.

Incident date: Jul 14, 2026

A nagging seat belt monitoring fault occurred with this vehicle. After researching this particular problem, I found that it is a well known issue to Ford (over several forums and owners websites), which is caused by a seat belt sensor. This fault comes up as a rear seat belt fault, but it is actually the driver's front seat belt sensor that is the problem. This fault causes the airbags to be turne... Read more

Incident date: Jul 21, 2026

The contact's sister owns a 2015 Audi A6. The contact stated that while his sister was driving 35 MPH, the vehicle crashed into the rear of a Toyota 4Runner. The driver sustained injuries to the chest and neck and had back pain. Medical attention was not provided. The front bumper and frame, and hood were damaged. The air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. There was no Poli... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Jul 24, 2026

I was working, and as I was on my way to a location a lady in front of me came to a complete stop since a couple of ducks were crossing causing me to come to a complete stop as well. As I stopped I looked into my rearview mirror I noticed the lady behind me was not stopping and then smashed into the back of me launching me into the car in front of me. My passenger air bag went off, however my driv... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Jul 14, 2026

The contact owned a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact experienced a medical emergency and the vehicle crashed into a tree. The air bags deployed as needed. The contact and wife who was seated in the front passenger seat, were transported to the local medical center. The contact was unconscious when transported. The contact sustained inju... Read more

Crash 2 injured

Incident date: Dec 1, 2025

I was rear ended on the freeway that l caused my car to hit a guard rail, head on. I remember getting rear ended and then blacked out on hitting the guard rail. I then had chest pain. My driver's side airbags deployed with the driver's side front foot area airbags deploying. The airbags on the steering wheel did not deploy. There's a dash cam footage of this below that shows my car hitting head... Read more

Crash 3 injured 1 deaths

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Consumer Safety Complaints

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

How to interpret what you read

If you've experienced a defect

Read more from our blog