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 191,761 complaints - component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
CHEVROLET
EQUINOX EV
(2025) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 24, 2026
Incident date: Jun 11, 2025
When stopped at a red light & the light turns green & I accelerate, the vehicle does not move. It makes a loud noise and jumps. This happens way too many times. There’s also an issue with the brakes, when you press on them, you can hear something grinding, which should not be happening because I bought the car brand new. Also the brakes have always been super squeaky, which is very frustrating b... Read more
CHEVROLET
EQUINOX EV
(2025) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 24, 2026
Incident date: Jun 11, 2025
On March 21, 2026, I rented a Chevrolet Tahoe (approx. 24,450 mileage driven). While operating the vehicle on a freeway at approximately 40–50 mph, the braking system and ABS failed suddenly without any warning. Barely no brakes were able to apply to stop the vehicle. It also started to show that ECS service (Electronic Stability Control) and Service Brake Pad Monitor. Many faults started to s... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that the battery failed to continue charging while driving or while parked. Additionally, the door opened independently, the Automatic Emergency Braking system (AEB) failed, and while the brake pedal was depressed, there was a delay before the vehicle stopped. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the dealer was unable to duplicate t... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Palisade. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V607000 (SEAT BELTS); however, the dealer kept the vehicle for a week, but the recall repair was not performed. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the technicians were busy and were unable to perform the recall repair. Th... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2026
The vehicle has experienced repeated failures of the integrated telematics system, including loss of GPS location accuracy, loss of data connectivity, navigation malfunction, and intermittent failure of voice command and steering wheel controls. On one occasion, the vehicle experienced a complete display blackout while driving, during which both the infotainment screen and digital instrument clus... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
The vehicle displays inaccurate fuel level and miles-to-empty information, creating a safety risk because the driver cannot reliably determine how much fuel is actually available or how far the vehicle can be driven. The infotainment system also freezes and CarPlay frequently becomes unusable. There was also a key recognition / “key not detected” malfunction. These issues have occurred in a ne... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB 300 4MATIC. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V487000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. Several dealers were made aware of the recall and confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
The issues lies in the Hybrid systems electric only function. When climbing grades, the vehicle experiences severe power loss which can be felt by the driver and is displayed by the vehicle on the dashboard information cluster. Power output from the hybrid system drops to or below 50% output even when pressing the accelerator to maximum. This issue occurs almost every time climbing a steep grade... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2022) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 24, 2026
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
Vehicle: MINI Cooper Clubman (Model R55) VIN: [XXX] Recall: NHTSA 23V-337 Dealer: Flow MINI of Raleigh, NC 1. COMPONENT FAILED: The Junction Box Electronics (JBE) failed due to moisture/water intrusion, producing electrical fault codes across all core systems including airbags, brakes, and a JBE communication fault. The vehicle is located at Flow MINI of Raleigh and is available for inspection. ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
I parked the vehicle in a parking lot. I walked away and it immediately started smoking. Shortly after that, flames appeared coming from the hood. Shortly after that, the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames.
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
I have had numerous safety warning messages display upon startup and also while driving. The messages are usually combined with a cold ambient temperature and do not display during warm temperatures. The FCA dealership has attempted to fix this issue on at least six different occasions so far without any change. To date, FCA has replaced the original battery, they have updated, flashed the ECU mod... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2016) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 24, 2026
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4XE. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted after 30-40 minutes. The SOS warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the communication was inoperable, and the message to take the vehicle to the dealer was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where an unknown diagnosis and repa... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2023) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 24, 2026
Incident date: Dec 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2025 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that the rear-view camera had become inoperable. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was initially unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was later diagnosed, and it was determined that the failure was with the radio and the camera. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The m... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2025
My car failed to connect/stay connected to a charger. When a successful charge started, within 5 minutes , my dash lit up with warning messages to stop moving the car. Place car in park. Battery needs to be replaced. My car was in park at the time. Then the charging session ended and wouldn't reconnect. My car wouldn't start either. Leaving me stranded at the charging station . I called for tow... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2026
There is an electrical malfunction which causes all of the electrical components to flash on/off, glitch. This has occured while driving but primarily when the vehicle is parked and unattended. I’m afraid it can short and cause a fire. The vehicle will turn istelf on and off repeatedly and rapidly while unattended. This has been going on for 2 years with our vehicle and not under warranty.
Incident date: Oct 15, 2025
Driving down the NJ Turnpike the dashboard started displaying lane assist no longer available along with a check engine light. Once stopped the front of the car had been burned with parts of the bumper melted. No visible fire at that time. Had the vehicle towed to Holman Ford. They assessed the damage to the Explorer and it was determined that the front facing camera had shorted causing an electr... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
Car lost charge quickly, went into limp mode while I was driving on the highway. I had to pull of the road several times and try to get it to a charging station. It barely made it after the lose of power. Charged it to 80% and it would only go up to a range of 100 miles. Took it to the dealership and they confirmed it needed a whole new main battery. ICCU had already been replaced. Had to wait ove... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
Rear backup camera screen goes blank when car put into reverse. This occurs intermittently.
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
On March 20, 2026, while my 2022 Audi Q4 e-tron (VIN: [XXX] ) was parked in my private garage at approximately 98% battery charge, I attempted to start the vehicle and experienced a complete electrical system failure. All electronic systems failed simultaneously, including: brake system (Brake System Failure warning displayed), parking brake sensor, traffic/charging system, power windows, and side... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2021) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 24, 2026
Incident date: Mar 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB 300 4Matic. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V073000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that after heavy snowfall covered the wheels, the vehicle failed to function as intended. The contact was unable to steer the vehicle. The contact stated that while using ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLE 400 E
(2024) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 24, 2026
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
My 2020 Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring Plug‑In Hybrid has experienced multiple high‑voltage powertrain failures that create an immediate safety hazard. The vehicle has twice lost propulsion while driving, displaying “Powertrain Malfunction / Reduced Power” and “Service Engine Soon” before shutting down completely. During the first failure, the vehicle stopped in active traffic and would... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2023) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 24, 2026
Incident date: Mar 22, 2026
Drivers door latch is failing to engage properly making it so the door can not closed right away. No matter how you close the door it always pushes right back open sometimes the door will semi latch but still poses the hazard of opening while driving. It has been inspected by the dealer to confirm the issue. There has been a recall for this exact issue however my vin number was not included and up... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2008
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact stated that while charging the vehicle at a charging station, the charging port started smoking. Upon removing the charger, the contact became aware of a loose pin and melted plastic. The vehicle was driven to a dealer, but the dealer declined to service the vehicle without providing a reason for declining to service the vehicle. The vehicle was... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
We purchased a new 2025 Coachmen Nova class B camper van on August 28th, 2025 from Olathe Ford RV Center in Kansas. On the drive home from the dealership, the van suffered a complete mechanical failure, shutting down while traveling 70 miles per hour at night on a busy highway. The engine, steering, brakes, lights and emergency blinkers failed, causing the vehicle to lose all control and stop sudd... Read more
Incident date: Nov 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the radio went black, with the message "Re-insert USB" displayed. The contact was unable to use the radio. Additionally, the rear-view camera, the AC/HEAT settings, and other safety features were inoperable and unavailable. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a breach in communication with the OnStar system. The contact believed that the brakes failed, and several other safety systems became inoperable due to a failure with the OnStar system. The dealer was notified of the failure, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufact... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
Seeing the intermittent shift to park messages when the vehicle has been shifted into park and the ignition is turned to the off position. Shifter wire harness jumper & transmission controls A malfunctioning shifter raises fears of potential rollaway accidents, even if such cases remain rare. For anyone who has to park on a slope, this fear can cause serious worry. Yes, there is a service bullet... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
When the F-150 would be turned off after driving for a while, the truck would not Start for a few hours until it cooled down. I had it checked out at Gator Ford and they saif they could not determine the proble. I drove it to [XXX] and had it check out at Two Rivers Ford in [XXX] and they said the truck clearly had a problem and that they "Believed it eas the 10 gear trsnission getting hot and t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML350. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH on the parkway, the contact heard a noise and several warning lights illuminated. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the Signal Acquisition Module (SAM) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The co... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Ram 2500. The contact stated that while driving with a trailer hitched to the vehicle, the manual brake controller flashed an unknown error message on the instrument panel. Due to the failure, the tires on the trailer locked up and failed to operate as needed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V059000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); howev... Read more
Incident date: Feb 10, 2026
I purchased this 2021 Jeep Cherokee, and it has developed a life-threatening defect where it performs an uncommanded braking while driving at speed. Without any warning the car slams on the brakes creating an immediate risk of a Rear end collision. Diagnostic scans show multiple critical failures: PO128 (the initial warning of a computer communication issues). Dealership (Echo Park) refuses to fix... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
HONDA CASE 16244298. HONDA SERVICE BULLETIN 20-030. 2014 Honda CRZ Ex. They used the EXACT SAME PART in 2014 with the honda civic and the honda crz. The problem is INSIDE THE PART with a bad solder. I get the exact same problem, exact same code. The problem is INSIDE the inverter used on both cars, but Bulletin only applies to the hybrid civic, and not my car. They want $3044 dollars to... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
The vehicle has experienced two critical drivetrain failures. The first occurred in December 2025 at approximately 2,000 miles. The transmission failed, leaving the vehicle undriveable and requiring a tow. After repair, the vehicle was returned still displaying brake-system service warnings and had to go back to the dealer a second time. The second failure occurred on March 23, 2026 at 3,471 miles... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2026
2021 Hybrid CR-V - within the last 10 months the vehicle has twice lost engine power while driving on expressways with just enough time to pull off the road. In the same period of time, at least 6 times, when initially starting the engine, the engine runs roughly and will not accellerate. So far, this has happened in cold or cool weather but not extremely cold weather. In an effort to restart th... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
The vehicle unexpectedly shifts into Park while driving. Each time this occurs, I have to turn off the car, use the “Push to Start” feature to restart it, and then shift back into Drive. This issue has happened multiple times, creating a safety concern while on the road.
Incident date: Mar 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that on three separate occasions while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering assist functionality. Several warning lights were illuminated, and the headlights and turn signals became inoperable. The contact stopped the vehicle and shifted into reverse (R); however, the rear-view camera failed to operate as intended. The vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
Something is happening when I get gas, the vehicle has trouble starting. It often times feels like it's going to die when it idles. Electrical issues have started to occur where I cant switch off the air or my lights wont turn off.
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Maverick. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake lights and turn signals failed to function as intended. In addition, the message “Brake Light Failure” was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure, and the contact was informed that the parts ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
I am the owner of a 2026 Hyundai Palisade, purchased new less than 60 days ago. This vehicle is currently subject to a safety recall involving the 2nd and 3rd row power seat assemblies, which reportedly lack sufficient anti-pinch protection during certain seat adjustment functions, including automatic power-folding (stow) and the one-touch tilt-and-slide (“walk-in”) feature. We experienced th... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2026
Water began accumulating in the front footwell area of the vehicle, resulting in a soaked carpet and persistent musty odor. The condition developed during normal operation of the air conditioning system, without any external water intrusion (no flooding or open windows). The issue appears to be caused by a failure of the A/C condensate drain system, which is not properly draining water outside th... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 BMW 330I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V636000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50-65 MPH on an incline, the contact believed that the transmission was slipping or there was a misfire coming from the engine. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart automatically after the engine AUTO Start/Stop system was engaged after a complete stop. Additionally, the contact stated tha... Read more
TOYOTA
SIENNA HYBRID
(2025) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 24, 2026
Incident date: Dec 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Jaguar I-Pace. The contact stated that one of the batteries overheated and damaged the other batteries. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V067000 (Electrical System). There was an abnormal burning odor coming from the vehicle. The traction control warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted for the vehicle to be diagnosed. The c... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2026
I am filing a complaint regarding my 2022 Acura MDX Type S with approximately 70,700 miles. The vehicle developed a suspension system warning, and upon inspection by an Acura dealership, I was informed that the suspension stroke sensor and floor wiring harness are corroded and require replacement. I was quoted approximately $12,000 for the repair. This failure is extremely concerning because the v... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER
(2019) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 24, 2026
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
My 2023 Ioniq 5 had the ICCU replacedin 2025 and then it failed again in late January 2026. The car has been at the dealership since then awaiting a new part.
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
I was driving on the highway during heavy rain and there was a huge leak coming through the window in the backseat started dripping all over the seat and all over the seatbelts spreading above head into the front. I immediately pulled over because it scared me. I was scared it was going to continual leaking into the front steering and airbags
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Rav4 Prime. The contact parked the vehicle and the vehicle remained at the parking lot for one week. The contact returned and started the vehicle and the instrument cluster was black. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V595000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact had taken the veh... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
I am reporting a recurring safety-critical failure. On two separate occasions, the vehicle has experienced a total electrical and mechanical shutdown while in operation. During these events, the 12V power system fails completely, turning off all instrumentation and, most critically, the electronic power brake assist. This results in a 'hard pedal' condition where the vehicle is nearly impossible t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
I was driving on the highway when all of a sudden my gas pedal stopped propelling the car and the engine seemed to be off. I looked at the dash board and saw that the car was indicating it was off and that I needed to step on the brake and hit the ignition button to turn it back on. I barely had control of the car but was able to pull off to the side of the road. I then had to wait several minutes... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2026
Restraints indicator lamp warning. Air bag warning is on due to a problem with the front passenger side airbag. The front passenger airbag may not function.