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: Feb 25, 2026
The vehicle's lower front fascia exhibits a design flaw, creating an unsafe gap that permits road debris to impact the condenser, leading to air conditioning system damage. This compromise in the A/C system's functionality results in an inability to adequately cool the vehicle's interior, thereby creating potentially unsafe operating conditions, particularly in high-temperature environments. It ha... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the instrument panel lights were flashing. The vehicle then independently turned off and restarted repeatedly. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was determined that the battery level was low and needed to be replaced. The battery was replaced, and other unknown repairs for shifting fail... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
The passenger front, and both back windows no longer function. This appears to be a common issue when searching the internet. There is also an issue with the keyless start, as it often does not recognize that the fob is in the vehicle, or gives a low batter warning (with a new battery). As there was already a recall on the sensor for the blind spot warnings and such, there appears to be wide sprea... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2026
The DC converter on our 2022 Land Rover Defender 110 failed. We received some electrical fault notices that would come and go inconsistently a few days before the incident. Land Rover told us to drive the car to the dealer to get repaired, even when we asked whether that was safe. On the way to the dealer, the car completely turned off in the middle of traffic and became a brick and had to be towe... Read more
Incident date: Feb 10, 2026
While the vehicle was on the charger, the ICCU failed which then caused then fried my JuiceBox EV40 charger and flipped the dedicated circuit breaker. The car has since been repaired. I am concerned that this is a dangerous failure. If it happened on the road it potentially left me without propulsion. I'm also concerned that but for the circuit breaker functioning as designed it could have caus... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2024
The truck is jumpy during stops. I get a low voltage code but the battery is fine I had it checked out. Reduced acceleration has been activated and after I turn the truck off it is fine. The check engine light comes on and turns off on it's on sometimes same day. I know there is a recall on certain 2022 Silverados but they told me this one wasn't on the recall. It did have one for the brake system... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was a choking sound coming from the vehicle, and brake pedal went to the floorboard. The vehicle was turned off and while restarting the vehicle, the Lane Departure, TPMS, Brake System, Brake Hose, Brake Performance Reduced, and other warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to drive the ve... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
Dash display is delaminating and the issue is slowly spreading across the display. At some point safety information will not be visible. Problem started with what looks like drops of water below the screen layer.
Incident date: Feb 16, 2026
Back-up camera malfunctions periodically. They tried to fix it, but it is still happening. When I put it in reverse, it says "cameras not available." It creates a risk for me as I am used to parallel parking using it, or when I am coming out of my garage, among other places and times. It is unpredictable - sometimes it happens several times a day, then it doesn't happen for a few days. There must ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2024
My 2018 Ford Escape has experienced coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders, a known issue affecting this model year. The vehicle began misfiring and consuming coolant without external leaks. This is an engine defect Ford has known about since 2010, yet they continued to put this engine into their cars. I had bought this car less then a year ago, it had been in the shop more then I have had it... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2024
Bought truck from Carvanna with a open recall. Backup camera listed on description as couldn't remedy and also pictures of it not working. Took to friendship Ford for major repairs and asked them to fix recall. Wouldn't fix back up camera cause couldn't get to duplicate. Contacted my case worker corrina at carvanna executive resolution team told her they wouldn't fix the recall also sent her a vid... Read more
Incident date: Sep 25, 2025
Car shut off while driving, prior have had issues. Have replaces TIPM module, ignition, grounding, etc
Incident date: Feb 25, 2026
One night the tailgate latch began clicking, locking and unlocking itself and then not latching closed, causing the inside light to remain on and the tailgate open indicator to display on the display panel. Then it just went dead and would not open at all, even if using the specific tailgate open key on the key fob. Then a few weeks later while driving on an empty street very slowly as I was turni... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2026
This new 2026 Vehicle faced multiple issues within a few weeks of purchase as stated below. 1. The instrument display panel or the main display screen of the car stopped working. The screen was completely blank and would not turn on. (confirmed and reproduced by Kia dealer, service order attached) 2. An electric short caused the radio to fail (confirmed and reproduced by Kia dealer, service order ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 2022
While entering highway- at highway speeds- truck completely lost power luckily we were able to get the burm. Only hazards worked. Truck was not able to be locked or restarted or anything. Truck was towed to dealer and diagnosis is Radio Frequency Hub.
Incident date: Feb 20, 2026
The ICCU failed at approximately 14,000 miles. I was driving on a residential street and was able to park on the side of the road, so there was no danger, but the car became undriveable
Incident date: Feb 12, 2026
(FIX INFO BELOW) The Issue: The ignition intermittently fails to rotate to the "OFF" position, locking the key fob in the column despite the vehicle being in "Park." This is a known flaw in the Dart’s sensitive electrical/shifter interface that can lead to total battery drain and theft risk. <>Quick Fixes to Release the Fob<> I. The "Re-Park" Movement: Simply shifting gears is of... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2019) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Feb 25, 2026
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
While driving into town, the dashboard illuminated with every warning light before the vehicle suffered a total electronic and engine shutdown. This happened twice—the second time while I was mid-turn in an intersection. Several vehicles had to slam on their brakes to avoid a high-speed collision with my stalled truck. I had to get the vehicle towed as it is fundamentally unsafe to operate.
MERCEDES-BENZ
EQE 350+
(2024) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Feb 25, 2026
Incident date: Feb 24, 2026
Vehicle shutdown while driving causing total power loss and hitting a parked vehicle. No alerts or notifications were present at the time.
Crash
POLESTAR
POLESTAR 2
(2022) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Feb 25, 2026
Incident date: Feb 25, 2026
Experienced water leaks due to improperly routed sun roof drains. Experienced air bag electrical malfunctions, locking doors and unlocking doors, and air bag sensor/wiring harness inside passenger door.
Incident date: May 1, 2025
This my [XXX] mother's car, she would have panicked had she witnessed this incident. Upon starting vehicle in morning after cleaning off light dusting of snow, the driver's side mirror started to smoke for almost a minute with an electrical and plastic burn smell. I was able to video some of the smoking and took a picture afterwards that seems to show a burn mark at the bottom of the mirror housi... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2025
While driving the car we heard a loud pop in the cabin. That was followed by electrical warning lights on the dash. WE were only about a mile from home and did make it back safely at greatly reduced speed. The ICCU was confirmed to have failed by the dealership. The part was replaced. If we had been traveling on the highway it might have been difficult to find a safe place to exit the roadway.
Incident date: Feb 25, 2026
AIRBAG SYSTEM UNIT, AIRBAG SENSOR, VOLTAGE CRONIC MALFUNCTIONING POWER SUPPLY
Incident date: Dec 21, 2025
The truck will shut off a short period of time after starting and often won't restart. It displays a message stating "Vehicle may not start/restart. Service now". Sometimes this message will pop up even without the vehicle shutting off. This has occurred in park, drive, and reverse. My wife was backing out of a parking spot when the vehicle shut off, leaving her in the middle of the parking lot un... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2026
After taking my Jeep in on January 16th for the 68 C recall I’ve had multiple issues with the jeep hybrid/engine. While driving the Jeep it suddenly becomes unresponsive even when pushing the gas pedal to the floor. After a minute the engine will start up and lurch forward. I’ve almost caused an accident multiple times. This is a huge issue and needs to be addressed. I’ve taken my Jeep back ... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2016) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Feb 25, 2026
Incident date: Feb 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2025 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light, the gear shifter was shifted to park(P) and the vehicle stalled. The message "START Engine" was displayed. The vehicle was restarted, and the Auto START/STOP feature was disabled by pressing the "A" inside an orange circle. The contact stated that on another occasion while reversing into the driveway... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
In and out of the shop for the last 3.5 years (Warranty is expired now) with multiple engin codes (CEL). Most having to do with the fuel delivery systems. Most common P026D, and P1089. It has been in the shop at least 6 or more times. GM won't stand by their product. Since the warranty ended I've put mor than $4,000 in to repairs for this and now I'm told it will cost me anouther $6000 to $7000 to... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 2026
Vehicle experienced sudden loss of power while driving. Transmission warning and ABS warning lights appeared at the same time. The vehicle would not shift properly and began skipping and dropping gears. Smoke was visibly coming from the center underside of the vehicle near the transmission area. There was a strong burning oil or rubber smell inside and outside the vehicle. This created a serious ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2026
ICCU failure after ~16k miles of ownership. Car cannot charge via AC charging and cannot charge the 12V battery.
Incident date: Feb 14, 2026
ICCU failure at 5308 miles. heard a loud pop while driving and 12v warning system errors
Incident date: Feb 25, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Leaf. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V700000 (Electrical System) and 24V071000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repairs. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable a... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2026
PHEV sometimes fails to "start". That is, vehicle will not enter "Ready" mode when brake is depressed and Start button is pressed. Instead, 'Refuel Error', 'Stop Safely Now', 'Service AdvancTrac', 'PreCollision Assist Not Available', and several other warnings appear. This only occurs on the first 'start' of the day, when the EV battery has been recharged overnight, indoors. Outdoor use/charging d... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE L
(2024) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Feb 25, 2026
Incident date: Oct 16, 2024
In the middle of a cold snowstorm the screen froze and started glitching. As I was trying to change the drive mode to all wheel drive the ESC off button triggered and ESC stayed off without AWD mode and screen was unresponsive. Had to pull over and turn car off and back on for screen to reset.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
ICCU failure. The vehicle would no longer charge via AC and tripped the circuit breaker whenever plugged in. All necessary software updates related to the ICCU issue were completed timely before its failure.
Incident date: Feb 25, 2026
ICCU failure. Put vehicle in gear and heard a pop from the back. Dash said something about check vehicle soon. approximately 5 minutes later chimes went off and dash said another electrical warning that sounded more serious. Towed to dealership. Said ICCU was bad
Incident date: Feb 16, 2026
My Onstar module is draining my battery. I have to constantly get my car jumped to get to and from. It's a danger to my job as a rideshare driver. I went to the chevy dealership today and they told me that the part I needed to order is on back order. How can a piece like that be on back order. This could potentially mess people's alternators and starters up in their cars.
Incident date: Feb 16, 2026
Seems to be electrical / speaker related (forums state its the noise canceling system) This is a safety issue as around 20% of the time at cold start the car emits an extremely loud booming base sound that lasts 20-30 seconds. Despite only happening at startup anything that can impair a drivers senses is extremely dangerous as it impacts the driver and anything with noise happening around them. ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2026
While driving, the instrument cluster/odometer intermittently flashed and became difficult to read for ~15 minutes. After parking, the odometer continued flashing for ~10 additional minutes. After the flashing stopped, the vehicle displayed “ParkSense Unavailable – Service Required.” On a separate date, with no trailer connected and without pressing steering wheel buttons, the cluster displa... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2025) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Feb 25, 2026
Incident date: Feb 24, 2026
The ICCU and fuse failed, rendering the vehicle unusable and stranding my wife and child. The problem has been confirmed by the dealer. The component was inspected and confirmed to have failed. There were no warnings or indications of any kind prior to failure. My wife heard a pop from the back of the vehicle, then all sorts of warning lights lit up and the vehicle stopped.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
Description of the Problem: •Component/system that failed: The engine starter, which is subject to an open recall issued September 23, 2025. The starter was not replaced during a service visit. The vehicle no longer exists due to the fire, but the VIN and service records are available for inspection. •Safety risk: The starter malfunction caused the vehicle to catch fire while parked, creating ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Feb 13, 2026
The rearview backup camera system malfunctioned. The camera was replaced under a safety recall on my 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. Within four days of the recall repair, the camera continued to fail intermittently, displaying a blank/black screen and not providing a rearview image when the vehicle was placed in reverse. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I also have video documentation... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2024
While driving at road speed, the vehicle unexpectedly shifted itself into Neutral (N) without driver input. The engine continued running, but the vehicle lost drive power. Simultaneously, the dashboard displayed multiple warning indicators including: “Exhaust System Malfunction” warning Semi-Automated Driving Assistance warning SOS / emergency system warning The driver safely pulled to th... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2026
When approaching a light, the car will completely shut off and my steering wheel will lock, and the emergency break will engage. I will be unable to use any part of my car for at least 1-2 minutes before the break releases and allows me to start my car again.
Incident date: Feb 25, 2026
I took my car in for a safety recall for the bushing on the transmission. A short time after getting it back my cabin filled with smoke when I used the remote start. I had never had this problem until it came back from the dealer. so I stopped using the remote start! but after that the car's cabin began filling with acrid smoke whenever it idled for more than a minute. It now fills with smoke wh... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2026
The contact owned a 2015 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the interior of the vehicle was filled with smoke. No warning lights were illuminated before the failure. The vehicle was driven to the rear of a local gas station. The contact noticed the fire coming from the rear passenger side area of the vehicle. The contact and staff at the station began to ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Sep 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4XE. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that after disconnecting and removing the battery for approximately 15 minutes, the vehicle was able to restart; however, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The contact received ... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2018) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Feb 25, 2026
Incident date: Feb 16, 2026
The ICCU unit failed. Limited speed and no charging capabilities. The Dealer has been informed and an appointment has been made 3 weeks out as they are too busy. The ICCU has not been inspected yet. No warning lamps or messages appeared before the problem started. After a loud POP or bang in the rear of the car 1 warning light appeared and 1 message. (See Attached) POP happened at 16:15 hrs on the... Read more
Incident date: Feb 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled inadvertently on several occasions. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road on several occasions. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted, and the contact continued driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was dia... Read more