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
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
Vehicle failed to restart after Auto Idle Stop engaged while stopped in traffic. The engine shut off as expected but did not restart when releasing the brake pedal. A warning message appeared briefly on the dashboard but could not be fully read due to traffic conditions. The vehicle remained unresponsive until I shifted into Park and manually restarted the engine. This has occurred intermittently... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2026
I have not had an issue as of yet...but my insurance company has warned me of 4 recalls that are apparently active on my vehicle and told me to come to your site to verify, but it says there are zero recalls on my vehicle, so I am wary of what to do. I was told by a local mechanic that one of the things listed in the recalls was potentially a issue for me but I would need to take my vehicle to the... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
My vehicle, a 2023 Lexus RZ 450e, has been out of service for over 30 days due to an unresolved HVAC system failure affecting cabin heating. The issue significantly impacts the safe operation of the vehicle, particularly in cold weather conditions where adequate heat is necessary for driver visibility and occupant safety. Despite the vehicle remaining under the manufacturer’s warranty, the deale... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
The infotainment screen in my 2021 Jeep Compass has developed a display failure where the screen is glitching and unusable. The issue persists after restarting the vehicle and appears to be a hardware malfunction. This affects visibility of navigation, backup camera, and vehicle settings, which creates a potential safety concern while driving.
Incident date: Jan 9, 2026
Our alternator is bad in a 2021 Ram. There are 10,000 on back order and up to a 9 -12 month wait list. There is obviously something wrong with this brand and should be recalled.
Incident date: Feb 10, 2026
While I am driving the vehicle it shuts off and the key seems to be loose. It has shut off multiple times while operating driving down the highway making it unsafe to get to the side of the road
Incident date: Sep 4, 2025
The vehicle constantly says “ keyless start system problem” I’ve only had the car for a year, it also says “ break system problem and won’t let me start the car often”
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
My 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan experienced a failure of the airbag control module caused by water intrusion through the HVAC access area and failed seam seal tape at the cowl support. The dealership confirmed that water leaked through a factory seam, accumulated at the airbag module, and caused the module to fail. The airbag warning light is illuminated, and the system is inoperable. This failure matc... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
The vehicle flashed a critical low battery warning while in operation driving. After traveling approximately 2 miles further, the vehicle warning lights started flashing and the vehicle shifted into park and shut off. In the middle of the road the vehicle could not be shifted into neutral and was stuck in a dangerous place. The emergency flashers shut off after 15 minutes while waiting for a tow t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
CVT has failed....Drive goes forward reverse goes forward neutral goes forward always gives see drivers warning call maintenance and check manual ... transmission is burning so high the transmission fluid is evaporating.... I've called so many times to have fixed but when it has a warranty they wanted $115 times 3 because of three components in the tranny needed to be checked and I couldn't pay t... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2023) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 23, 2026
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
On Friday, 1/30/26, My daughter, granddaughter and grandson were heading out of town and tried to lower the 3rd row seat on the driver's side to put our luggage in the back. My [XXX] granddaughter was buckled in the second row seat. The 2nd row seat button was pushed. My granddaughter started screaming about the seat coming down on her. We kept trying to stop it, it finally stopped (we were l... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
The rear vision safety camera failed. A Red Triangle with a camera icon appeared on the infotainment screen when the vehicle was put in reverse. After testing and diagnosing the issue, the dealership determined that the rear camera suffered an internal failure and had to be replaced. The part was replaced on 3/23/26 but the dealership did not give me the failed camera back. There was no advance no... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
Component/System Failure: The hybrid/electric propulsion system intermittently loses power while driving. Electric output is progressively reduced to approximately 50%, then 25%, and then fully disabled, even when sufficient battery charge remains. The condition appears to involve the hybrid control/electric drive system. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. What Happened / Safet... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
The problem first appeared after I bought my car to the dealership to replace an amplifier. Since then, my car has been there twice and they have not been able to identify the problem. I’m going back-and-forth with the dealership and hyundai corporation. after numerous incidents with my other vehicles, I no longer trust this place to repair and at this time it’s a safety issue while I’m dri... Read more
POLESTAR
POLESTAR 2
(2022) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 23, 2026
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
My 2024 Toyota Tundra Platinum (VIN [XXX] ) had multiple times where I had delayed throttle response which created close call of accident while turning. I researched my VIN and it is subject to Safety Recall 25TA14 for V35A engine stall due to manufacturing machining debris causing main bearing failure. Toyota has issued this recall but NO repair remedy is currently available. The authorized dea... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2024
My 2025 Buick Encore GX has experienced an ongoing failure of the rear backup camera system. The issue began intermittently in February 2026, and earlier this month (March) it has progressively worsened. The camera now does not function at all. When shifting into reverse, the display often shows a black screen with a “camera unavailable” warning message. On some occasions, the camera briefly ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
Component/System: Fuel System – Fuel Filler / Left-Side Radiator and Cooling Fan Assembly (subject to NHTSA Recall 25V536). What happened: On June 15, 2024, I was refueling my 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 at a BP gas station in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. As I removed the fuel pump nozzle from the vehicle, a violent explosion occurred. I was immediately engulfed in a fireball. My clothing caught fi... Read more
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: Feb 7, 2026
First off the service shifter keeps coming on and off every time I take it to the dealership it’s off so they can’t read the code. Then the parking sensors keep coming on saying unavailable. Today when the service shifter came on, it went right back off and then when I went to turn onto the highway it felt like the truck stalled for a second then it started driving normal again and down the ro... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Rav4 Prime. 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 stated that when the vehicle was started, the instrument panel failed to function as intended, and a blank screen was displayed. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts to d... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
The rear backup camera on my 2019 Ford Mustang intermittently stops working. At times the screen shows a blue screen or displays a “backup camera not available” message. The issue comes and goes without warning. This creates a safety concern when reversing, as visibility is reduced and the camera cannot be relied upon. The problem appears to be electrical and is not consistently functioning.
PIRELLI
P ZERO ALL SEASON
(9999) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 23, 2026
Incident date: Jan 10, 2026
We narrowly avoided what could have been serious injuries or death. Entering our garage the vehicle would not stop even with the front brakes locked and the foot off the accelerator. It continued forward even with front wheels locked trying to brake. Only by turning off the ignition did the vehicle stop. (The Electric Brake engaged). Vehicle impacted the end of the garage. We can only surmise ... Read more
Crash
PIRELLI
P ZERO ALL SEASON
(9999) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 23, 2026
Incident date: Jan 10, 2026
On December 17, 2022, I purchased a new 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E, VIN [XXX] -Lewis of Hoover Inc. for $48,665.00. Seven months later, the vehicle suffered a complete loss of drive power at highway speed — a near-serious injury (if not fatal) incident on a vehicle Ford had already identified as defective and subject to recall. In approximately July-August 2023 — seven months after purchase with... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
Car gave a "electrical error" message and would no longer charge at any charger. It slowly lost power and eventually stopped driving fully on the highway. The dealer says the ICCU is responsible. I inquired if this recall was not fixed already, they said it was but can still happen and the ICCU is not resolved truly, the software is just a temporary fix according to them. The vehicle will need a n... Read more
TOYOTA
SIENNA HYBRID
(2025) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 23, 2026
Incident date: Oct 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Lincoln Corsair. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V091000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the unrepaired recall was an inconvenience because a feature was be... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2025
2023 Ram 1500 V6 eTorque, 40,000 miles. Two stalling incidents have occurred under different conditions. Incident 1: While towing approximately 4,000 lbs, the 12V battery began slowly draining while the vehicle was in motion. Battery voltage gradually dropped below 10 volts until the engine shut off completely while driving. No warning lights appeared prior to shutdown. Jump start restored normal... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2025
TIPM. Faulty Module, causing ignition/run power loss while driving.
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2018) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 23, 2026
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
Vehicle lost all power and shut off on two occasions during operation. Luckily steering and breaks were not impacted. Dealership was unaware what could have caused the incident. However, a local shop identified the alternator/power generator as being faulty. Ram 1500 owners forums show this is a widespread issue. So widespread there is a 8000 part backorder to order an OEM replacement part. ... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2018) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 23, 2026
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
On one occasion, the car automatically applied the breaks and parked itself while driving on a main road. On another occasion, while parking the car at the home it accelerated aggressively and almost crashed into the garage- driver lost complete control of the car. On a separate occasion, the gauge console (screen behind the steering wheel) became morphed and could not show the MPH- an electri... Read more
Incident date: Oct 12, 2025
Driving and lost power in vehicle it wasn't able to accelerate and resulted in getting stranded. Power would then be restored and then lost randomly. Dealer said it was the ICCU that was faulty.
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2011) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 23, 2026
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB 250+. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V073000 (Electrical System). The contact was concerned about parking in the garage and driving the vehicle due to a potential fire. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part for the recall repair was on back order. The dealer suggested a Trade-In. The manufacturer was not ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
Component(s) Involved: Electrical System, Visibility/Wiper, Structure: Body: Door: Power Access/Locks. Description of the Defect: The front and rear center console "Command Centers" (touchscreens) have suffered a total electrical failure and are completely black. On the 2025 Escalade, these screens have replaced nearly all physical buttons. Consequently, there is no manual override or physical ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2026
Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) Failure. The central Instrument cluster display went blank without warning unable to see fuel gauge, Temps and other gauges and warning lights are normally illuminated while the vehicle is in operation.
Incident date: Sep 20, 2025
Driving down road started to smell smoke like burning electricity. Pulled over and opened hood. Secondary alternator smoking and inside vents there was red-hot burning of medal and near combustion. Belt running secondary alternator also split in two and denigrated. Very dangerous. I already preformed recall to lower amperage but his still happened. Many owners for same model Winnabago Ekko 22a wit... Read more
Fire
FOREST RIVER
CARGO MATE
(2022) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 23, 2026
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Wrangler. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V741000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where an engine oil replacement was performed, and the High-Voltage Battery was replaced. Upon further inspection, the local dealer diagnose... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
The contact owned a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, turned off, and unoccupied, the vehicle caught fire. The contact was in her residence, and a neighbor knocked on her door, making her aware that the vehicle had caught fire. The fire has been extinguished by the local fire department. The fire department indicated that the failure may have occurred due to... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
The end of February was driving and I noticed white smoke blowing from my exaust, then my car lost power.
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
For the HYUNDAI Ioniq 5 XRT, the ICCU, fuse and perhaps hybrid battery malfunctioned. We were in a disabled car on a 4 lane highway with traffic: On February 10, 2026, as we drove out of our home we heard a loud pop. As we got out onto a large 4 lane road near our house, the notice “Check Electrical System” came on and the car’s power was drastically reduced. We made a U turn and drove (20 ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
Shift to park indicator comes on after shifting parking gear to park. Car fails to detect that it is in park even when it is.
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
This is ongoing from the purchase of the car. 1) Infotainment computer screen daytime illumination is so dark as to be a major safety issue as it causes too much time looking away from the road to operate the system. If you wear sunglasses you cannot see the screen at all. The dealer says nothing can be done to improve the problem. 2) Right rear tail light stopped working after 500 miles. Replace... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 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 the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact was advised to only charge the vehicle to a maximum of 80% battery capaci... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2025
I am writing to formally report a serious and ongoing safety issue involving the Telematics / Data Communication Module (DCM) installed in Toyota vehicles. This issue presents a clear risk to driver and passenger safety and warrants immediate corrective action. The DCM is responsible for critical telematics and safety systems, including SOS Emergency Assistance, Safety Connect, and Remote Connect... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2025
While towing a loaded horse trailer, I received a red "trailer brake" warning light on the instrument cluster indicating that the trailer brakes were no longer connected. I confirmed that the trailer brakes were not working by attempting to activate them manually with the trailer brake controller. There was no response from the controller and no brakes on the trailer functioned. Within about 3-4 m... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
I am writing regarding the diagnosis provided for my vehicle [XXX] . I was informed today that the engine failure is being attributed to a "water hose failure" rather than the engine defects covered under the active safety recall/settlement regarding Connecting Rod Bearing failure. As there were no coolant leaks before or after the vehicle was towed to your dealership. I am formally requesting a... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2026
I am reporting a serious and unresolved safety defect involving a 2024 Jeep Wagoneer Series II 4x4 (VIN: [XXX] ) with approximately 34,000 miles. The vehicle has experienced repeated power steering warnings and functionality issues, and on multiple occasions (approximately three incidents) has unexpectedly shifted itself into park while actively driving. These incidents have occurred since Fall 2... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2026
Vehicle Has Experienced all Dash waring lights & noises going on and off while driving Threw multiple codes saying the PCM was not connecting with the ODB2 reader , Vehicle would not crank or start 2 times did a Hard reset and it started, the end result is all Dash Lights luminated when Key is on , No crank & No communication with the PCM, No Code visible any more I replaced the PCM same issue No... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2026
In approximately August 2023 — approximately seven months after purchase — the vehicle’s battery stalled completely while I was driving a few miles from my house on a surface road. The vehicle lost all drive power without warning. I was fortunate that no vehicle was following me or they might have slammed into the vehicle’s rear if they were unable to suddenly quickly stop. I turned on the... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
This is a Post-Remedy Failure of Recall 25V-274 (GMC 6.2L L87 Engine). Following a full engine replacement performed by the dealer under this safety recall, the vehicle has suffered a catastrophic electrical compromise. The vehicle is currently throwing codes P2534 (Low Ignition Voltage) and U3018 (BCM Communication). Safety Hazards: The vehicle experiences sudden loss of power, engine stalling a... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2017) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 23, 2026
Incident date: Sep 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2024 Ford F-150. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V512000 (Power Train) and 25V104000 (Electrical System, Exterior Lighting); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasona... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2021) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 23, 2026
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
2019 Chevy Blazer. Car would not turn off the electrical components when parked. Put car in park and walked away and there is a warning note that says, "Shift to Park." But the car was in park. Called Chevy and they know about the issue on the 2019-2023 vehicles. They sent me the Technical Service Bulletin. Back in 2020, the car had the shifting harness and button replaced and we just had to have ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
At various times key can not be removed from the ignition. I understand this to be a common problem on these trucks, but dealer does not agree.