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 3, 2025
I am having issues with the main window switch for the second time. 1 out of 3 windows goes down but not back up. Also I took it for a check up and found nothing but the engine is making a loud noise and shakes the car when in drive. I don’t feel safe driving this car sometimes.
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2020) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Feb 3, 2026
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
Onstage control module fail and drains batteries leading to power failure.
Incident date: Jul 12, 2025
Vehicle not starting after sitting for extended period of time and it’s not a battery issue
Incident date: Jan 2, 2026
I purchased the 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Limited edition car on 12/20/2025. On 01/03/2026, a warning light came on and said I needed to check my electrical system. I drove 3 miles home and made an appointment with the Hyundai dealership on 01/05/26. On the morning of 01/05/26, as I was attempting to drive the car to the dealership, a turtle symbol appeared on the dashboard and said power limited. Thre... Read more
Incident date: Oct 14, 2025
On last Feb-2025, Car stopped while driving, message pop up electrical problem, stop the car immediately, it did not have time to properly park, stopped in middle of the road and have to wait 3 hours for tow truck, car wont open or move, all electric dead. (ICCU, fuse and 12V battery replaced) on last week 01/26/26 at 64K miles, message pop up again on screen dash, electrical problem, stop car. i... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2025
DRIVING DOWN ROAD, APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH THE JEEP ABRUPTLY STOPPED, NOTHING NO POWER TO ANY PART OF THE VEHICLE , LOSS OF DRIVE POWER. THANKFULLY NO ONE WAS BEHIND ME FOR SURE I WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT IN THE REAR, I AM SO AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE , AS THIS HAS HAPPENED ON TWO OCCASIONS LATE SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER 14 2025. ALREADY. THE DEALER CONFIRMED IT AS I SENT A PICTURE OF THE DASH BOARD THAT ... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2015) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Feb 3, 2026
Incident date: Dec 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that after arriving at the intended destination and turning off the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart. There was no warning light illuminated; however, the OnStar App notified the contact that the battery voltage was low. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but the cause of the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the instrument cluster started flickering, and the vehicle stalled. During several failures, the check engine warning light illuminated, and during other failures, there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated on several occasions that the vehicle restarted independently. The fai... Read more
Incident date: Jun 11, 2022
The vehicle experienced intermittent electrical failures, including screen blackouts/reboots during startup and while driving. These events affected visibility of vehicle information and settings. The drive mode selector malfunctioned, limiting the ability to select Eco, Normal, Sport, or Off-Road modes. Drive modes directly affect throttle response, braking behavior, and vehicle control. On mul... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start up as needed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 2,600.
MINI
COOPER COUPE
(2012) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Feb 3, 2026
Incident date: Feb 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 BMW X5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign: 25V644000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair not available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue; however, no assistance was provided. The contact had not exper... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
The ICCU has failed twice in my EV6. It is a fairly common issue for this vehicle. I had the ICCU replaced after the first failure, but it has failed again. There was no indication something was wrong with the car until I heard a pop and then the dash indicated "Check Electrical System"
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
Instrument cluster blank screen unable to view speed of vehicle. Vehicle serviced for recall of cluster, recall performed yet trouble reoccurred after repair.
LAND ROVER
DEFENDER
(2022) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Feb 3, 2026
Incident date: Jan 31, 2026
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Horn How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My horn stopped working - cannot use it when driving to warn other drivers - safety issue Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Not reproduced, but dealership has confirmed the horn stopped... Read more
Incident date: Jan 24, 2026
8/25/2023 18,118 miles, vehicle purchased. Warranty 48 months or 50,000 miles. Factory warranty remaining 31 months or 31,905 miles. 1/8/2024 26,536 miles, L Headlight failure, electric door lock malfunction, air suspension failure. Headlight = warranty replacement. Service Department = no solution, diagnostic code or replication of electric lock or suspension issue. 3/26/2024 30,285 miles, ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2026
Multiple warning lights coming on for no reason Car not charging Dealer ship not able to detect issue
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
ICCU blew along with the fuse
Incident date: Jan 31, 2026
The digital instrument panel (including infotainment screen) has occasionally turned off and back on. An article showed Kia and Hyundai were going to have a recall at the end of March for this problem, but noted only 2025 K4 vehicles built after Aug 4, 2025 were involved, while the door frame shows my vehicle built 7/2025. Please include my vehicle VIN in the planned software update for the proble... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
RITICAL BRAKING FAILURE & DEALER NEGLIGENCE: The vehicle exhibits a violent shudder and loss of deceleration during the hand-off between regenerative and friction braking. This defect was first reported to the dealer (Rich Ford) at 35,399 miles (RO #[XXX]) within the Bumper-to-Bumper warranty but was not repaired. THE INCIDENT: On [Insert Date], the braking system failed to decelerate the vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
many times a year, without warning, vehicle dash lights turn off and light up like a christmas tree, followed by fca warning sound and lights going off, and a loud mechanical thud. Lose engine throttle going highway speeds. This can occur at nearly any speed without warning. Car must be powered off and back on to get normalcy. This puts me, everyone in the car and everyone on the highway at risk... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
On Feb. 2, While driving slowly in a school zone, with no cars in front of me, my car proceeded to abruptly brake over and over 5 times. The warning came on the dash "front end collision". I also had NO CONTROL over the car! I was extremely fortunate not to be rear ended during this event. At that time I immediately called my Genesis dealer who asked if it was snowing and often this can occur! Wh... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 2500
(2021) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Feb 3, 2026
Incident date: Jan 26, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that after having a software update to the ECM following the notice of an unknown recall, on several occasions while in reverse, the vehicle failed to reverse as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle seemed like it would accelerate forward. The contact had to push the vehicle for the vehicle to reverse. The contact that while pr... Read more
Incident date: Sep 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 428I. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, while attempting to start the vehicle, it failed to start. The contact stated that the vehicle eventually started. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant pump failure. The contact was informed that the coolant had been continuously running, causing the battery to c... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to turn to the left or right before the vehicle stalled. The steering assist warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was pulled over and restart and driven to the residence. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
While driving under normal conditions on a dry road (no snow or ice), the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of braking performance while in motion. The vehicle was traveling approximately 10–15 mph and approaching an intersection with a red traffic light. A warning message appeared stating: “Brake system problem. Brake performance may be reduced. See your dealer.” Immediately after this mes... Read more
Incident date: May 16, 2025
The 12v battery system failed in November 2025. Battery was replaced by dealer. Then on February 2, 2026 the ICCU failed while driving. Complete and unsafe loss of power while driving.
Incident date: Jul 10, 2025
The ICCU went out in my car. Fortunately I was at home charging and not on the road.
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
Car gave an error in the middle of the trip and displayed 'Stop Safely Now'. Will not start and run after this warning. The extended battery was fully charged before the trip and after 100 miles of driving it showed this message with 54% battery left.
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2015) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Feb 3, 2026
Incident date: Oct 15, 2025
Vehicle Safety Complaint – Instrument Cluster Failure Component/System Failed: The instrument cluster (dashboard display), part number 68522503AD, malfunctioned and intermittently went completely black while the vehicle was in operation. The vehicle and component were available for inspection and were inspected and repaired at Tomball DCJR. Safety Risk: When the instrument cluster malfunctioned,... Read more
GRAND DESIGN
SOLITUDE
(2023) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Feb 3, 2026
Incident date: Nov 17, 2025
My vehicle is included in BMW Recall Campaign No. 25V 644 – Engine Starter. It has repeatedly failed to start, and on two separate occasions the engine completely stalled while I was stopped at a traffic light. Each time, it took multiple attempts before the car would restart. I have also been stranded in numerous parking lots—during both extreme heat and freezing temperatures—with my childr... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
The red light (Electrical Failure) popped up. Next the car essentially shut down - while on the road - luckily it was on a side road so no collision / personal injury occured although it could have been a disaster. After waiting in 10 degree cold, i towed the vehicle to Range Rover and upon testing next day, i was notified that its a defective DC/DC converter. There is no ETA on when the vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Sep 13, 2025
I own a 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe that is currently subject to an active safety recall involving a fire hazard. I have been advised that the vehicle should not be parked in a residential garage due to risk of fire. At this time, no permanent repair or remedy has been made available. This significantly limits safe residential use of the vehicle. I previously notified the manufacturer, FCA US L... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that the messages "Service Advancetrac", "Hill Start Assist Not Available", "System Off - To Save Battery Please Turn Off Ignition or Start Engine" were displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the battery and the battery monitor sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The parts were ord... Read more
Incident date: Jan 24, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLE450 4-Matic. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the heads-up display was continuously flashing and failed to operate as designed. The contact stated that the failure had occurred two days after purchasing the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a dashboard mat coating failure. The dealer informed t... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 3500
(2019) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Feb 3, 2026
Incident date: Jan 23, 2026
Ever since I bought that vehicle, it's had system malfunctions. I received three letters directly from Ford explaining the problems this vehicle had or could have. But he and the dealerships, where I took my vehicle for repairs, never did them. They always denied that it had any problems and said that my vehicle was new and had nothing wrong with it.
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
Def pump and heater module had burned terminals. This caused failure to the def pump and heater module. This was the second instance of this happening on this truck in roughly 40,000 miles. Burned terminals can start electrical fires that are a danger to occupants and others in the vicinity. Failure of this system forces a drop in speed after so many miles that make you a danger on the r... Read more
JEEP
WRANGLER 4XE
(2021) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Feb 3, 2026
Incident date: Dec 11, 2025
[XXX] is subject to Safety Recall 20V-755 Hyundai Recall 251 for a defective ABS module that may leak brake fluid, cause an electrical short, and increase the risk of an engine compartment fire. The recall remains open and has not been performed. On Feb 2, I brought the vehicle to McGovern Hyundai of Arlington and disclosed an active brake fluid leak consistent with Recall 251. I also stated that... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2025
I bought a used 2019 Ford Ecosport SE in January 2022. I received a recall notice (#23S64: “ENGINE OIL PUMP BELT AND TENSIONER REPLACEMENT FINAL REPAIR”). A paper notice I received from Ford dated June 2024 mentioned a remedy expected in Q1 2025. The estimation was pushed back, and parts were eventually ready in Q3, some time in August. Before I could take my vehicle to a dealership, on [XXX]... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
Vehicle Safety Incident & Recall Case Summary In approximately October 2025, while my son was driving the vehicle on Highway 85 at approximately 70 mph, the car suddenly shut off and lost power without warning. He was able to safely pull over to the side of the road and had to restart the vehicle in order to continue driving. At the time of this incident, the vehicle had only a few thousand miles... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
Passenger seat belt doesn’t click in. Miss fire Poor acceleration Exhaust leak Power lost Mechanic can’t find the problem Check engine light on
Incident date: Jul 15, 2022
Fuel pump stopped working prematurely and had to be replaced prior to 57k miles. Satelite/Antenna/Module failure. Headlight DRL have failed prematurely. Taillights burned out due to constant water buildup. Yes vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
As prior reported I am the owner of a 2024 Chrysler Pacifica that has a known safety defect in the rear sliding doors that is impossible to disable. This issue also cases parasitic draw strain on the battery that can completely disable the vehicle. The affected system can not be isolated and triggers even without the vehicle in use even effecting the way that the engine runs when in use due to vol... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
I have noticed puddles under/near rear side door/tire, the smell of gas after filling up tank. And a reduced MPG lower than normal with same driving habits.
Incident date: Jan 2, 2026
ESL emulator is bad. Keeps no crank Steering lock Also sunroof water spouts are not working as they should they do no open to release water.
Incident date: Jan 19, 2026
While operating a 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, the vehicle suddenly caught fire with flames originating from the rear seat/rear passenger compartment area. There was no crash involved. Smoke and flames rapidly spread inside the vehicle, creating an immediate safety hazard and risk of serious injury. I evacuated immediately and emergency services were contacted. The fire department responded and extingu... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Dec 29, 2025
This vehicle has been returned to service 5 times. It is currently in service for the same 4 issues that it was taken to service for the very first time on 12/10/2025. This includes inappropriate braking on the interstate, driver window malfunction, the key intermittently stops working, and the connectivity does not regularly work. In addition to these 4 issues, the main screen in the car stop... Read more
Incident date: Jan 24, 2026
ICCU failed 12/29/25, car inoperable and towed to dealer. Luckily this was in my garage , had it been on the freeway it would have been very dangerous and car goes into limp mode. Car red battery light and made chimes. Only has 25,000 miles on it. Has been at dealer since then with no resolution update.
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
When cabin heat is enabled, visible vapor/smoke emits from the front trunk area under the windshield cowl and is pulled directly into the cabin through the HVAC intake. The vapor has a chemical/sweet odor consistent with coolant or refrigerant. Smoke enters the passenger compartment, especially when stopped or idling. This occurs repeatedly in cold temperatures and stops immediately when HVAC heat... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
The high-voltage battery on my 2020 Nissan Leaf is subject to Recall 25V655. The recall notice states that the battery cells can develop excessive lithium deposits, which increases electrical resistance and can cause rapid battery heating during Level 3 fast charging. Nissan instructs owners not to use Level 3 charging at all until a “remedy” is available. The issue is that the remedy describ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 24, 2025
ICCU needs to be replaced and is faulty.I had a warning on Friday and was able to jump my car, then a complete engine failure Sunday 2.1. The part is on back order, replacedment estimate not given (internet research says 1 week to 3 months) and I am in line for a loaner car even thought all parts are under warranty. The car is less than 2 years old and has less than 24k miles.