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
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2024) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 9, 2026
Incident date: Feb 7, 2026
When it is hot out, while i am driving the car will say "pull over, shutting down" and then it says "please check the starter system." The car will just shut off This was SOO dangerous. This happened on the highway, with my two kids in the car and nothing worked. everything black and my blinkers and lights werent working and just stopped in the middle of the street and wouldn't turn on. VERY UNSA... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
ICCU failure within three (3) days of buying vehicle. Only 300 miles on it. Failed to charge with known working Level 1 charger on day 1, successfully charged with Level 3 charger on day 2, and then failed to charge at same Level 3 charger on day 3. Simply connecting the Level 3 charger on day 3 had the car emitting "charger errors", and then followed that up with an "On board charger" fault. Vehi... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
The driver’s seat heater malfunctioned and produced excessive heat while activated during normal vehicle operation. The heat became extremely intense at a low temperature and resulted in burns to the driver’s midsection, lower back, and upper buttocks. I, the driver sustained physical injuries including burning sensations, skin irritation, and visible discoloration marks in the affected areas... Read more
Incident date: Apr 9, 2025
Window regulator and window assembly keep failing
Incident date: Nov 8, 2025
I purchased this vehicle new in June 2025. About a month after the dealer service inspection, the vehicle suddenly would not start at all. The key fob sometimes cannot unlock the door, and I have to use the backup key to open it. After entering the vehicle, the engine will not start. I previously brought the car to the dealer for inspection, but they said no issue was found. Now the problem has ha... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2025
12 volt battery keeps dying for normal reason. It was replaced last year. I have to jump it a few times a day. I'm afraid it will die while I'm driving. I was told at the dealer that it was because I was charging my car in the cold and the 12 volt battery will disconnect to avoid a fire. It was winter. Now we have in 80 degree temperature and the 12 volt battery is dying more frequently
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2014) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 9, 2026
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
My 2017 Honda CRV VIN [XXX] AC compressor has completely seized/locked up. This has caused: (1) loss of engine power while driving with AC on, (2) burning smell from engine compartment, (3) loud grinding noise. A seized AC compressor risks snapping the serpentine belt while driving, which causes sudden loss of power steering — a direct safety hazard at highway speeds. This is a known Honda defe... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2026
Car has an NACS charger port, and is advertised by KIA as compatible with Tesla Superchargers and home chargers. The car will not charge at a supercharger nor at home using a Tesla charge cord that works with a Tesla Model 3.
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLS 450 4MATIC
(2025) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 9, 2026
Incident date: Mar 5, 2026
My 2024 Chevy Trailblazer Fully Shutdown the engine and everything at a Stoplight With the Start/stop on leaving me to put pack into park and restart vehicle!!
Incident date: Mar 8, 2026
About every 45 days the car will not turn off. Safety items like the rear view camera will not work. The main viewing screen will go dead. I called the dealership. They said this was a common problem with my car. The only fix is to attempt a full system reboot with a paper clip. This has now happened three times to me. Once the car started without me pushing the start button. Twice while I was dr... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2019
My car is a plug in hybrid and hybrid batteries have molars been replaced prematurely. This car has completely lost all power 3 times while I was driving and I had to have it towed to a Jeep certified dealer and it shat in the shop for 18 weeks. It has been in the shop 6 times and I haven’t even had it a year. It has had multiple recalls on this car and it’s still scary to drive. I don’t fee... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
1)Numerous Gas Cap ‘red warnings’ were fixed each time 2)Driver-side ‘Seat Belt’. Fixed. 3)Check engine light ‘off and on’ will quit after 5-10 minutes 4)Stabilitrak/Traction-control (red light warnings), on and off, finally stayed on: Took back to Parsons of Antigo, WI dealership for repair; they said it was fixed. I left dealership at their closing time, started car, the car was shak... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2026
Car electrical dash lights up, powertrain, strange noises, electrical glitches, engine stalling, carbon monoxide or gasoline smell, makes me dizzy when turn on the ac
Incident date: Feb 16, 2026
The iccu failed on this car rendering the whole vehicle useless. This part is currently a recall and I was using a new ICCU with the software update per their recall solution. My second ICCU failed at approximately 40k miles.
Incident date: Feb 2, 2024
Date: March 9, 2026 FORMAL COMPLAINT: Safety Concern Regarding Unintended Acceleration** Vehicle Information: Year/Make/Model: 2021 Volkswagen Arteon VIN: [XXX] Purchased From: Clay Cooley Volkswagen (October 2024) To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally report a series of escalating electrical and mechanical failures regarding my 2021 Volkswagen Arteon. While the vehicle initially pr... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2025
The 12.3 in multi media display keeps going blank while driving I have taking it back a couple of times and still does it on the way back from a trip this year the screen went blank while I was using the map in a city and about got into a accident
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Mazda CX-90. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle at an undisclosed speed, there was a very strong gasoline odor coming from the vehicle, and the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, the battery charge was low. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, but was not diagnosed. The contact stated that the vehicle was a new vehicle. The ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4XE. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V710000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) and 25V766000 (ENGINE). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked abnormally. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the infotainment screen displayed a black screen. Additionally, the rearview camera displayed a bla... Read more
Incident date: Aug 21, 2025
1. Component: The engine head gasket and the combustion system (specifically Cylinder 2). Specifics: A leak-down test confirmed a failure in Cylinder 2, leading to coolant intrusion. This was initially masked by a water pump code, but after the water pump was replaced and the code returned, a borescope confirmed "clean" pistons (steam-cleaned by coolant) and tap scarring. Availability: Yes, the ve... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2025
Complaint Description: This complaint involves a 2014 Ford Focus with VIN [XXX] . The vehicle experiences severe transmission shuddering, slipping, delayed acceleration, and hesitation when attempting to accelerate from a stop. The vehicle sometimes struggles to move forward normally when entering traffic or crossing intersections. These symptoms appear consistent with the widely documented PowerS... Read more
B.F.GOODRICH
BF GOODRICH
(9999) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 9, 2026
Incident date: Feb 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle stalled. A passerby helped the contact to push the vehicle into a parking lot. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact left the vehicle in the parking lot. The following day, the v... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2026
Tailgate opens randomly on numerous occasions. Sometimes it won't open after pressing the button.
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
I can not gain speed. The dealership says it’s the catalytic converter and there is an active recall for this on Kia souls. They previously did recall work to my car but now the catalytic converters not showing as a recall
Incident date: Mar 5, 2026
On July 3rd I was driving on the highway, and the Jeep went into limp mode. When it ran out of the electric charge, it didn’t switch over to the gas engine and became un-drivable. I brought it to a Jeep service center and they kept it until July 7th. They were not able to figure out why that happened, but obviously it is part of the recall.
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
I started the car and put down all 4 windows simultaneously. I heard a pop and a dash warning "Check electrical system". I knew this is symptomatic of an ICCU failure and the car will not be driveable for very far. This happened despite having recall work performed for this specific issue in September. That recall work was just a software update, but it is a hardware problem. Hyundai needs to fix ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Insight. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while driving on a busy highway. The vehicle was driven onto the off-ramp and turned off the vehicle. The vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
Within 10 days of purchasing this vehicle a certified Subaru dealership documented the following safety defects. Both front CV axles failing and clicking on turns creating loss of vehicle control risk. EPS electronic power steering fault codes creating safety critical steering concern. CAN bus communication fault U0073 affecting multiple vehicle safety systems simultaneously. CVT transmission flui... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
I was unable to charge this electric vehicle which I normally do almost once or twice a week using my home level 2 charger. It also did not speak the message that "your vehicle is being charged" which it normally does when I charge the vehicle. I tried multiple times. Then I got into the vehicle and saw that it was giving me the following error messages (pics included below) upon trying to star... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2021) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 9, 2026
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
the car will shut off at stop lights and randomly not start back up when the light turns green, then it will take a few minutes to start back up using the push button, this ONLY occurs with the automatic start stop feature of the car my wife drives the car with our two young children and being stuck in intersections randomly is not safe for anyone ,. we have told the dealer about the issue an... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2026
The vehicle (2020 GLS 450) suffers from terminal infrastructure "Electronic Rot," resulting in a consistent Breach of FMVSS 111 (Rearview Visibility) and dangerous Automatic Emergency Braking hallucinations. On 03/08/2026, a routine car wash triggered multiple system failures, including "Camera View Restricted" and "Adaptive Highbeam Assist Currently Unavailable," proving the electrical architectu... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2026
- What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The rearview backup camera system seems to be misaligned or improperly calibrated or connecting to the wrong camera when put into reverse. When the vehicle is placed in reverse, the camera image points downward and primarily shows the rear bumper rather than the area behind the vehicle. This signif... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Leaf. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V700000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the recall had been open for 18-months, which was unacceptable. The contact stated that due to the unrepaired recall, the vehicle could not be charged using the quick charge, which wa... Read more
TOYOTA
RAV4 HYBRID
(2026) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 9, 2026
Incident date: Mar 7, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Honda Ridgeline. The contact had received notification of an unknown recall regarding the Auto START/STOP feature. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the contact was advised that the vehicle could not be repaired. The battery on the vehicle was replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue; however, no assistance was provided. The contact had not experie... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2026
The car engine autorestart causes all sorts of problems. We have repeatedly had the warning come on and the engine stop while at a light or paused in moving traffic. We have replaced the battery and other parts. The safety issue is that the car totally stops while in traffic and we have almost been hit multiple times as we try to restart the car. You have to put the car in park and restart the e... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V059000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The contact noticed the failure on the drive back after the vehicle was purchased. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake lights and turn signals failed to function as intended. The contact lived in... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V045000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SEAT BELTS); and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were contacted.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
2026 Cadillac LYRIQ experienced multiple complete electrical failures. INCIDENT 1: Vehicle broke down on the road. Waited 3 hours for roadside assistance. Roadside team did not know where to take the vehicle. Owner was taken home and told to call again for a tow. INCIDENT 2: Vehicle towed to Massey Cadillac South Orlando. Owner was told repair would be free. After 6 days with no communication, own... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2023) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 9, 2026
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
Driver side mirror starts moving on its own without any physical buttons being pressed. Accident notification system has failed and has produced a CEL
Incident date: Feb 24, 2026
Getting error message that the "Front Left Side Marker Light Defective". The light appears to be operational. Service shop looked to read the errors with ODB2 and both light modules (left and right) are not communicating any info. In same time the warning in dashboard is continuous and can impede gauges visibility during night. Audible warning noise can also activate at random times. Searched for ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
My infotainment screen went black while I was driving at night and it will not come back on. There was no warning. I took it to the dealer and they said that the system had failed. I saw on line that there was a recall for this very issue but my car is a '22 and not included in the recall, but I think it should be. This poses a safety hazard and I don't believe that this should happen under normal... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2026
The vehicle has experienced repeated mechanical failures involving the engine, cooling system, drivetrain, and electronic systems. Documented failures include the navigation/APIM module, transmission jerking and drivability issues, transmission valve body concerns, cam phaser failure, driveshaft repair, front wheel bearing/IWE failure, coolant leaks from heater core hoses, and engine vibration req... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2026
Rear camera stopped working
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2023) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 9, 2026
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
The brakes, turn signals, and hazards do not trigger the associated components and the controls for these do not work. The check engine light intermittently comes on and off with these symptoms. The front clutch cable has work through the protective housing at the front of the motorcycle against the electrical components.
Incident date: Mar 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Jaguar I-Pace. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V067000 (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 manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that parts were not yet availabl... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2026
The car on 3/5 blanked out on all screens. shut car off and then came back on, no warnings came up. The car on 3/7 came up with “Check Electric Vehicle System” reverted to page 1-46 of Manual and advised do not drive, tow to nearest dealership. We drove car 4 miles home and the car had next to no acceleration, extremely dangerous and people nearing to back end us. To try and charge vehicle re... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
My 2019 Nissan Leaf has a charging safety issue that prevents safe use of Level 3 DC fast charging. Nissan has instructed owners not to use Level 3 fast charging because of a potential battery overheating condition. Nissan representatives stated that engineers are working on a remedy, but no repair is currently available. Level 3 charging is a normal and necessary charging method for this vehicl... Read more
DEXTERO
ALL-SEASON
(9999) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 9, 2026
Incident date: Oct 8, 2024
On February 16 I started my vehicle to drive home from work and the vehicle threw multiple error codes and shutdown while driving and would not start again. It was towed to the dealership. The dealership advised the problem was remedied. 11 days later the same problem occurred, vehicle threw multiple error codes and shutdown while driving. Vehicle needed to be towed again to the dealership.
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2019) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 9, 2026
Incident date: Jan 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado1500. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle in the driveway, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was jump-started, and the instrument panel was black. The contact was unable to see the speed, fuel gauge, and other important information. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with battery failure. The batt... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2025) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 9, 2026
Incident date: Jan 3, 2025
My vehicle has the idle stop feature. When at a red light, the vehicle shut off and went into idle mode. However, when the light turned green, and I removed my foot from the brake and pressed the gas, nothing happened. The vehicle had shut off entirely and when I turned it back on, it was in neutral. I had to put the vehicle in drive. I had 2 children in the car with me and it was very nerve racki... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2026
Vehicle: Dodge Charger GT Recall: SABIC Side Airbag Inflator Replacement Dealer: ourisman chrysler dodge jeep ram of clarksville, maryland Date of Recall Repair: feb 27, 2026 Complaint Description: After the dealer performed the SABIC inflator recall on my Dodge Charger GT, the vehicle immediately developed new electrical failures that were not present before the repair. As soon as I picked up th... Read more