Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,215,138 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA — including 138,663 crashes, 56,255 fires, and 8,561 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 2,215,138 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 187,860 complaints — component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Incident date: May 28, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the HVAC blower motor became inoperable with no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the blower motor fuse had melted and failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The ... Read more
Incident date: May 28, 2026
Component/System: The fire department determined the cause of the fire to be accidental due to an electrical malfunction within the vehicle. The most extensive damage was located in the engine compartment, though damage spread to the passenger compartment as well. The vehicle is available on request. The vehicle caught fire while parked on a street. No injuries or displacements occured. However, ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Apr 19, 2026
Without any warning or physical impact, the central infotainment screen completely blanked out and suffered an irreversible hardware failure. This screen acts as the mandatory display terminal for the vehicle's rear-visibility backup camera, as well as the audio generation module for the vehicle's driver alerts. Because of this component failure, the vehicle is in direct non-compliance with Feder... Read more
Incident date: May 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. While driving at an undisclosed speed on the highway, the vehicle suddenly veered to the left on its own. The contact continued driving for a short distance before the vehicle pulled hard to the left a second time. The contact pulled over safely and contacted law enforcement, and the vehicle was subsequently escorted off the highway. The contact then obse... Read more
Incident date: May 27, 2026
Engine Idle at Stop light or Start & Stop at Traffic Stop Light doesn't work. It does stop completely; however, it didn't start after releasing the brake. You have to put the vehicle back in the parking gear, put the brake to restart the engine. This has happened three times in the last week.
Incident date: May 28, 2026
The vehicle's infotainment, driver gauge cluster and on display safety systems all fully lock up and reboot after about 30 minutes of driving. If you have highway ADAS engaged, warning sounds will occur but no display explaining the warnings. If you're using the vehicle's safety systems you suddenly do no have blindspot monitoring, or enabled ADAS. Additionally, navigation will not be available ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
Bought used in 2026. Twice the car lost power while driving. A turtle warning light shows. Taken to Jeep dealer for repairs twice. We stopped using the electric function of the car.
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2024) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 28, 2026
Incident date: May 26, 2026
My truck has completely shut down/ loss power on several occasions. Happened when I was l slowing down or completely stopped. Everything goes dark. Had to wait several minutes before truck would start.
Incident date: Dec 10, 2025
The contact owns a (YMM) 2010 Hyundai Elantra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: (example: 20V315000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was/was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was/was not made awar... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
Severe, chronic rainwater intrusion through the vehicle's front cowl and body seams, resulting in catastrophic flooding of the passenger-side cabin floorboards. This issue occurs even when all sunroof drains are completely clear and functional. Toyota has issued Technical Service Bulletin 0055-24 acknowledging body seam and cowl leaks for this vehicle type. The passenger-side floorboard houses cri... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2023) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 28, 2026
Incident date: May 14, 2026
Loss of propulsion while driving Yes it is available for inspection upon request Complete and total loss of propulsion/acceleration when pressing on gas pedal while driving and going into a left turn across oncoming traffic; driver and five year old passenger in the vehicle at the time of incident. Safely maneuvered the vehicle to the side of the roadway. Dealership has not been able to recreate t... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2023) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 28, 2026
Incident date: May 20, 2026
12-volt onboard battery error codes, stating battery charge is low, and to safely park the vehicle. Alternatively, drive the vehicle to charge the battery. Or charge the vehicle. The car has been to the dealer for testing, and they say that the on-board battery checks out without any problems, yet I continue to get the battery error codes. We don't feel safe to driving the car in fear of complet... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
Our 2024 Rivian came to a stop at a light with three cars in front of it. We have the video from a home on the street. ABout 12-15 feet behind the next car. Rivian comes to a complete stop. Sits about 5 seconds. Then car surges forward to rear end the car in front. that car hits another car and another car. THe rivian only makes direct contact to the car in front then hits aa parked car nex... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2026
The starter on a new 2026 Chevrolet Equinox RS failed at approximately 6,500 miles. While the vehicle was being driven home during evening rush hour, it shut off at a red light and would not restart. The vehicle was stranded in the left lane of a four-lane highway. It could not be moved because the engine would not start, and the vehicle would not even roll in neutral, as the wheels were locked an... Read more
Incident date: May 28, 2026
service rear view camera message on randomly and then the camera goes blank. Independent service center diagnostic scan reported: FAULT B127B Rearview camera input signal circuit missing reference (Symptom 2B) - History DTC.
Incident date: Oct 24, 2024
Multiple attempts to have car repaired for a year and a half with no resolution. See attached docs. Included is a letter to Hyundai, timeline of subsequent events, warranty info. Invoices were too large to upload, there are 7 of them.
Incident date: Oct 3, 2023
The informational digital panel that shows how much gas I have left in the tank comes off and on, doesn't come on at all and randomly shows crazy lights all while driving down the road! This has been happening since around 43,000 miles and I'm almost at 100,000 miles. It started right after the first software update on my suv. I reported the problem to my Honda dealer but was told they had never s... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2025
High voltage battery pack, Power Inverter Module (PIM), and HV charging system. PIM replaced twice (p/n 68381781AD, 8/4/25 and 8/18/25) after being found melted with arcing damage at HV connections. Battery pack has active BPCM fault codes and a recorded cell voltage excursion. Vehicle available for inspection. Vehicle lost all motive power without warning at highway speed on multiple occasions,... Read more
JEEP
WRANGLER 4XE
(2024) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 28, 2026
Incident date: Jan 14, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Apr 26, 2026
We have been having persistent safety issues with this vehicle. The issues have ranged from unsecured gas cap to loss of power. We’ve also had severe transmission issues where the car will not shift out of first gear. This happened on the Garden State Parkway and nearly caused an accident as the car wasn’t able to go above 27 mph safely.
Incident date: May 6, 2025
Im constantly having to put coolant in. My car won’t let me update. I have to pay at a dealership which is too expensive . Also, the two plug in to charge your phone doesn’t work.
Incident date: May 9, 2026
EHICLE: 2023 Kia Sorento, VIN [XXX] , currently 48,000 miles. Vehicle has never been in a collision. DEFECT: MASTER POWER WINDOW SWITCH / WIRING HARNESS — OCCUPANT EGRESS HAZARD The driver's master power window switch fails intermittently, causing simultaneous loss of all window operation and electric door lock function. When this occurs, occupants cannot operate any window or unlock any door el... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2026
On Feb 25, 2026 My 2022 Tesla model Y with only 25k miles on it suddenly stopped knowing where it was and almost drove me into a ditch. All cameras stopped working and the gps was stuck in the same wrong location. (Service Mode showed Primary DAS ECU shows "AP IN COREBOOT" and "Status: INIT." Secondary B shows nominal. Features unavailable. GNSS shows 0 satellites in open sky.) Tesla service said ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2026
The instrument cluster panel goes black and stays blacked out for driving from startup to shutdown. This does not occur consistently, but it occurs often and unpredictably and is occurring more and more often. Attempted to have dealership fix and they want to replace the instrument cluster panel. This is a safety issue for basic functionality of the vehicle. Ford has had this issue identified ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
The contact owned a 2018 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced a defect with the key fob and the door locks for the passenger doors. When starting the vehicle, the brake locking mechanism could not detect the key, and a message was displayed indicating that the key was not found. The contact stated that he had to open and close the door for the vehicle to engage and recogniz... Read more
Incident date: May 21, 2026
The Honda Auto Idle Stop Start isn't working properly. I applied brake and car turned off, when I released the brake the vehicle did not start. Also vehicle seems hesitant to start at times.
Incident date: Feb 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Jaguar I-Pace. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, warning messaged had displayed and the vehicle was later driven to the local dealer. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: ( ). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced that same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 38,700.
Incident date: May 27, 2026
SHIFT SYS FAULT SERVICE REQUIRED
Incident date: Apr 16, 2025
ABS / VSA module failed at 90k miles causing spongy brakes. Acura quoted me $3500 for a new module which is more than the value of the car.
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: May 15, 2026
On [XXX], our car was parked for 5 hours at a public marina. [XXX], Miami, Fl 33138. At 316 pm the MIami Dade Fire Rescue arrived promptly to put out the car fire. There is a fire station on scene. It seems to have started at center console. We serviced the car 1/19/2026, a thermostat in the engine. The engine was not the source of the fire. We also recieved a "green" clean check list on the car... Read more
Fire
HONDA
CLARITY PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2019) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 27, 2026
Incident date: May 16, 2026
I am writing to report an unresolved high-voltage safety defect involving the Motor Power Inverter Module on my 2019 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid. The vehicle's high-voltage hybrid propulsion inverter is emitting a severe, high-pitched mechanical squealing noise during acceleration and regenerative braking.The high-voltage inverter serves as the foundational link regulating current between the lit... Read more
HONDA
CLARITY PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2019) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 27, 2026
Incident date: May 16, 2026
Currently the high voltage inverter is squealing, it is currently at the dealership. They have verified it is the inverter that is malfunctioning but they will not warrenty the repair because they are saying it needs to completely fail and throw a code. This is the right time to fix it prior to catastrophic failure, can you please help.
Incident date: May 26, 2026
Tried to turn on vehicle one morning and it would not start due a parking brake error message & a warning light on the dashboard. The message on the screen behind the steering wheel stated “park brake fault service now” and there was a clicking noise heard coming from underneath the truck. I tried to reset the parking brake by pressing and holding the button as indicated online but it didn’t... Read more
Incident date: May 27, 2026
While driving the stereo went off, the ac, the car stopped in middle of the road and I lost all electrical. I tried turning back on and the emergency brake light was on and the dash said "Steering Assist is Reduced, Drive with Care.” I was able to put it in neutral and get it out of the way. Battery is good Fuses were all checked 350 replaced Car isn’t starting or Turing over, but some of ... Read more
JEEP
GRAND WAGONEER
(2024) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 27, 2026
Incident date: May 22, 2026
This issue has happened three times. I am on the highway going 70mph, the RPMs fluctuate, the headlights go out and then I lose propulsion/unable to maintain or increase speed. This is a safety concern as it has happened 3 times on the highway with no warning and limited time to pull over to safety. The dealership is unable to replicate the problem or diagnose an issue.
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
Total brake failure and all electrical systems shut down and went offline while driving at 65 mph on highway.had to swerve back and forth across road for a mile before coming to a hill and slowing enough to stop on side of road.
Incident date: May 27, 2026
While attempting to operate the sunroof on my Kia Telluride, the sunroof mechanism failed and became completely stuck in the open position. The sunroof will not close, bypass, or reset, leaving the cabin fully exposed. Upon inspection, it appears the internal mechanism arms or wind deflector components have failed/broken, which prevents the glass from sliding forward back into its sealed, closed ... Read more
Incident date: May 26, 2026
2025 Mazda CX-30 experienced a sudden complete loss of power while driving at highway speed with no prior warning lights or indications of malfunction. Immediately before shutdown, steering became extremely stiff due to loss of power steering assist. Vehicle was steered towards the shoulder during highway speed of 65mph and was electrically inoperable while rolling, this includes the loss of hazar... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
UNKNOWN, The car lose electricity, shutting down by itself, when I press start engine, or when I shut down engine, recently car shuts off while I drive it on highway, it didn't start until I jump start it, also it shows lights of ABS, and brakes auto hold, cruise control not working.
Incident date: May 27, 2026
Complete and total failure of the telematics module resulting in loss of self driving, onstar, WiFi, gps, and all connected services. Severe battery drain due to module forcing the vehicle to completely shut down while driving, resulting in loss of power steering and brakes.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2020
Problem: Recall for passenger side airbag malfunction in heated seats for my model year. Manufacturer has said they addressed the recall but they have not. My car and thousands of others are unsafe for passengers to ride in because the airbag system does not work. Warning light is the airbag symbol and message that alerts driver that SRS system is not working. Manufacturer and dealers want to char... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
GTI
(2014) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 27, 2026
Incident date: May 22, 2026
I started my car and drove to a local 7-11 on my way to work and could not turn the key to shut the engine off. I proceeded to work and asked my friend to help me. After a struggle he got the key out,and 3 days later parked my car at a clients only to not be able to start the car. My steering wheel locking was random and was afraid it would lock up while driving. Was told at the dealership there w... Read more
JEEP
GRAND WAGONEER
(2024) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 27, 2026
Incident date: May 15, 2026
Car engine completely shuts down at highway speeds sudden loss of throttle/power at highway speed * RPM surging or erratic behavior * dashboard/light flickering * vehicle entering limp mode or shutting down * no-start condition afterward * then the vehicle “magically” works again later * dealership unable to reproduce it * sometimes no stored codes
Incident date: May 23, 2026
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The alternator snap off while driving on the highway. The snap was clean all bolts are still in the engine block. While driving all kinds of dashboard lights and overheating indicators turned on. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? This happens with warning or actions prior to t... Read more
Incident date: May 27, 2026
My driver airbags have been deactivated for quite some time. My radio touchscreen doesn't work, and the electrical issue has drifted all the way into my steering wheel where I can't control any type of cruise control properly.
Incident date: May 26, 2026
My 2022 Kia Seltos out of nowhere started smoking, losing power, total control and braking. There were no lights on the dashboard warning of any kind complete stall than a little bit of power hesitation stall no brakes. I managed to coast it into a parking space at a hotel with it smoking so bad I couldn’t see. It then burst into flames and golfing the entire Engine bay and melting the front of ... Read more
Fire
MERCEDES-BENZ
E 350 4MATIC
(2026) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 27, 2026
Incident date: May 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Mercedes-Benz. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an SRS warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed as having an electrical issue that needed an SRS replacement. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2026
2024 Crown Hybrid system keeps popping up on dash saying warm lamp came on twice: third time Warning lamp turned. Vehicle has been serviced twice at same dealer and then taken to another for same problem. The problem has not been resolved. Dealership indicates cannot duplicate problem. I have even shown the dealership from photo and not able to resolve.