Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,215,138 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA — including 138,663 crashes, 56,255 fires, and 8,561 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 2,215,138 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 187,860 complaints — component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Incident date: May 11, 2026
When turning off the ignition, the key will not go all the way "off" and the key will not release. If I turn the ignition back on and drive forward and backwards and SLOWLY put the vehicle into Park, and then attempt to turn off the vehicle, it will occasionally allow it at that point. It appears to be a disconnect of the system recognizing the vehicle is truly in Park and when it isn't and thereb... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2022) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 14, 2026
Incident date: Dec 26, 2025
On 5 separate occasions the vehicle locked up the brakes while at highway speeds. Nothing around to trigger any systems
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Mazda. The contact stated that the vehicle was braking randomly while driving. There was an unknown malfunction code that flashed quickly. The steering was stiff and failed to turn. The steering wheel adjusted and guided the vehicle into the wrong lane. The RPM was sporadically reeving. The RPM increased, and the vehicle stalled without acceleration. There was smoke emergin... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
My car has put itself into park and shut completely off three times in the last week while driving. The cruise control shut off while driving on the interstate. There was a message pop up twice saying service electronic throttle system. I don’t feel safe driving my jeep wagoneer at all, let alone with my three children. The first time it shut off I was in the middle of a busy intersection with m... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2026
While driving, the vehicle displays a critical “Air pressure in tires very low — pull over safely” alert. When I pull over and inspect, the tire pressure is normal and there is no flat. The alert clears on its own after driving a few more miles. The vehicle has been serviced four times for this issue between February and May 2026 at Tesla service centers in Austin TX, Flower Mound TX, San Di... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER SPORT
(2019) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 14, 2026
Incident date: Mar 5, 2026
Vehicle: 2019 Land Rover Range Rover Sport HSE While driving approximately 65-70 mph, a red battery/charging warning appeared instructing me to pull over immediately. Within approximately 3-5 minutes, the vehicle rapidly lost electrical power and became completely disabled while driving. EVERYTHING in my car started shutting down; no air, no lights, no steering. Steering and vehicle functions beca... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2018
The BCM keeps failing on my truck when it has already been replaced. The lights won’t stop flashing unless the battery is unplugged.
Incident date: Sep 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Jaguar E-Pace. The contact stated that while driving and coming to a stop light or stop sign, the automatic stop start caused the vehicle when stopped and light or stop sign, the vehicle stalled. The issue also occurred while driving on a roadway, the vehicle stalled when stopped. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and did a multi point inspect... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle's rear brakes rub significantly to the point of prematurely wearing out the brake pads. Additionally, the instrument panel is failing and displaying all warning lights, and the side mirrors flicker while driving. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed to be NHTSA ... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
Vehicle was parked and turned off in a residential driveway when a fire spontaneously ignited in the engine compartment. There were no warning lights, unusual sounds, or symptoms prior to the incident. The fire department responded and extinguished the fire using dry chemical suppressant and water. The vehicle was a total loss. The fire appears to have originated in the front engine compartment... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
The front driver door lock/latch actuator is failing. The driver door does not lock or unlock using the key fob or the interior power lock button. The only way to lock or unlock the door is manually with the key or by pushing/pulling the lock from inside the vehicle. This issue started shortly after we had a historic/unusual cold freeze in Florida. The vehicle is kept outside, so it was exposed t... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2026
On April 20th, 2026 I called Genesis of Carmel (Address: [XXX] Phone: [XXX] ) to get a oil change. On the same day I called them I also explained that various warning lights started to appear in the dash (check high beam assist system, check driver attention system, check speed limit system). The next day on the 21st when I wen to t take the car in for service the car would not start. I had t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 2026
The passenger door lock/latch actuator is failing. The passenger door will not open from the outside at all. The door has to be opened from the inside. The power lock button and key fob do not unlock the passenger door. I can hear the lock/actuator trying to operate, but the door does not unlock or release from the outside handle. This issue started shortly after we had a historic/unusual cold fr... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2024) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 14, 2026
Incident date: May 10, 2026
January 10, 2026. My battery abruptly stalled. It was charged drove a few feet in the car just stopped. The car was towed, and the battery was deemed faulty and needed replacement. May 10. The engine coolant light came on. The car would turn on and then abruptly stalled. Mid traffic. The car again was towed and it was deemed had a faulty coolant pump. I asked for the fuel injection system to b... Read more
TESLA
CYBERTRUCK
(2024) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 14, 2026
Incident date: Apr 19, 2026
I have fell victim to the now infamous PCS failure. My truck stopped being able to charge from home, and Tesla requires me to use their Supercharging system in order to drive it. I was actually around the truck when it failed and could smell a potent odor of electrical smoke coming from outside the vehicle. I have observed the same odor every time I’ve charged it since. Tesla will not accept t... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
Between 35 -45 mph transmission seems confused on shifting, sounds like sensor or fluid control issue, also mild periodic vibrations 1-2 sec at random times Also 12v to 120 v transformer constantly faults even when low amp device is connected. Both have been previously reported this to service dept but issue seems to be ignored...
Incident date: Sep 12, 2018
Manufacturer failed to provide an adequate remedy for Safety Recall 17V-435 (T36). On 09/12/2018, the dealer "inspected" the 180-AMP alternator (Part 4801833AB) and cleared it as safe. On 09/25/2019, this exact component suffered a total fatigue failure, causing a "no-start" condition and electrical collapse. Safety Risk: This vehicle is equipped with Electro-Hydraulic Power Steering (EHPS). The ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 21, 2025
Unknown. It just happened in November and i called Hyundai but they didn't want to fix it. I haven't been able to use my car properly since then.
Incident date: May 11, 2026
CMBS error again now having lane assist error
Incident date: May 12, 2026
The vehicle exhibits multiple, unresolved safety-critical defects across software and mechanical systems that create an unpredictable and dangerous driving environment. Despite multiple repair attempts, the manufacturer has failed to certify the vehicle as safe for operation. 1. Critical ADAS Failures (Forward Collision/Lane Keeping): Automatic Emergency Braking (Pre-Sense): The vehicle suffers f... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
While driving on the highway at 60 mph, warning on dash came on saying “engine power reduced” and drop down speed to around 25 mph and I could not accelerate more than 25 mph on the highway which could have caused an accident because of the traffic flow behind me. I put a code scanner under the dash and it read code P2138, Throttle pedal position sensor switch.
Incident date: Aug 29, 2025
2022 Tesla Model S Plaid purchased CPO from Tesla Florida Inc. Jacksonville on 8/29/2025 for $75,533.19. Multiple unresolved safety defects. (1) Trunk closure obstacle-detection failure 10/15/2025: key fob fell in gap between liftgate and roof; powered liftgate continued upward opening cycle and compressed fob against fixed roof glass until rear glass shattered. $4,100 repair. Same cycle on a chil... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
The light component above the dash completely just fell out while i was on the highway, hanging by wires and obscuring my vision. Also there is a Bluetooth audio issue where no one can hear me when my phone is connected via Bluetooth or wired.
Incident date: May 11, 2026
The contact owned a 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH occupied with his sister-in-law and her children, the contact smelled smoke coming from the driver seat of the vehicle the contact mention he pulled to the right side of the road, exiting everyone out the vehicle when he noticed that the drive seat caught fire. No warning lights illuminated. The contact menti... Read more
Fire
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2024) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 13, 2026
Incident date: May 13, 2026
Transmission control module light comes on and the light states safely pull car over and put in park. It’s tried to been fixed multiple times, they are waiting on a software update. I’ll drive the car and have to pull over because the TCM light comes on and can’t drive/ accelerate. The dealership told me to drive the car and deal with it until it gets fixed. The issue first appeared in Nov o... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
RA1250S
(2021) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 13, 2026
Incident date: Sep 4, 2025
The ignition kill switch is a known problem all over the internet. When the kill switch is switched the bike continues to run. The more the switch has worn, the longer the delay. I'm afraid at some point it's just not going to kill the engine at all which is a major safety hazard.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
The auto idle stop feature will kick in at red lights, shutting the engine down. However, every approximate 1 out of 10 times the engine and electrical system fully shut down when I try to start the car moving again. The car can then not be restarted for close to a minute. This results in not being able to move when the light turns green and is dangerous is heavy traffic areas.
Incident date: Sep 19, 2024
The vehicle is affected by an unrepaired safety recall involving the high-voltage battery during Level 3 quick charging. The recall states that affected vehicles may develop excessive lithium deposits in battery cells, increasing electrical resistance and potentially causing rapid battery heating while Level 3 quick charging. The recall also states that if quick charging continues, a battery fire ... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2024
The vehicle’s low-voltage battery system failed unexpectedly, causing a complete loss of electrical power and preventing normal vehicle access and operation. The failure resulted in my [XXX] child becoming trapped inside the vehicle. The malfunction appears related to the 12V/low-voltage battery and/or associated power management system. The vehicles inspection invoice is available upon request... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2026
Vehicle suddenly starts having multiple lights and warnings come up such as road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise problem, collision mitigation, auto high beam, etc. reading online it seems multiple people with honda oddysey are experiencing the same issues.
Incident date: May 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V056000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not ex... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
The rear backup camera has been intermittently failing for over one year on this 2020 RAM ProMaster 2500. The failure has now become more frequent and extended. When the fault occurs, the infotainment screen displays a permanent "Camera System Unavailable" message that blocks access to all other functions including radio, phone, and navigation. The failure occurs in all gear positions and persists... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2019) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 13, 2026
Incident date: May 11, 2026
When it is really hot outside 90 and above my car does messes up. As I'm driving my car will throw the code pull over and Check starter system. Everything turns off, and then it takes minutes from my car to restart. It has happened multiple times when I'm in traffic at a stop light or driving and it throws the code as my car is moving. I have taken it to shops and still no auto shop can figure out... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 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 dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that the remedy parts were not yet available and referred the contact to the manufacturer for further assistance. The ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 19, 2024
My electric vehicle is subject to an active battery recall (NHTSA ID: 24V-700) involving excessive lithium deposits within battery cells, which may increase electrical resistance, cause dangerous battery overheating, and create fire risk during Level 3 DC fast charging. Due to this defect, Nissan has instructed owners not to use Level 3 quick charging (CHAdeMO), removing a core function of the ve... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2017) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 13, 2026
Incident date: May 13, 2026
Truck was started using auto start and I drove roughly a mile down the road smelt burning and looked in the back seat, I saw smoke and promptly pulled to the side of the road shut the vehicle off then I heard a loud pop and saw the back drivers side window shattered.
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE L
(2025) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 13, 2026
Incident date: Mar 25, 2026
The Uconnect infotainment system is glitchy, blacks out, and has restarted itself. The dealership I purchased it from has currently had now for a 3rd time and over 30 days. The 2nd visit the screen was replaced and the same issues still exist. This is a huge safety concern, because the system has malfunctioned while in reverse which obstructs the rearview camera view. I can’t trust that rear sen... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
The Onstar service will not operate. The Onstar system drains the batter so the car will not start. Cadillac cant get the operative part for the Onstar, the telematic module. So the car is sitting at the Cadillac dealer and cant be repaired..
Incident date: May 2, 2026
I was driving at night when my wipers activated at full speed on there own causing my trucks horn and blinkers to stop working. I was with my wife and 2 children when this occurred causing my wife and I to feel very uncomfortable. Driving with this issue for an extended period. This is not the first time it has occurred Anna my truck only has 38,000 miles but this is the first time of it activa... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
Car makes a whining noise Toyota Pinellas park said it was normal but the transmission is jolting/slipping not accelerating vs the first test drive. Both cv axles were bad tires were bald when sold to me tps sensors were bad. Had to get a new set of tires and paid the Toyota for work on the vehicle
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
RA1250S
(2021) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 13, 2026
Incident date: May 13, 2026
While going through an intersection at 50 mph the dashboard goes black and resets just like you switched the motor cycle off. This has happened to me three times in last 6 months. Dealer says it’s a bad switch and has since been redesigned and he will sell me one for $406.00, for an extra $100.00 they will install it for me. Plus towing to get my job working motorcycle to the dealer.
Incident date: May 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Honda Prologue. The contact received notice of Manufacturer Recall Number : 26056 6mh00. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, infotainment screen and instrument panel went black and did not work as intended. The vehicle was turned off for approximately five minutes and then turned on the infotainment screen and instrument panel began... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
Component Failing: Telematics Control Unit (TCU) / SOS Emergency Call System This vehicle is experiencing an intermittent, total failure of the factory-installed SOS/Emergency Call System due to a known manufacturing defect. BMW has documented this issue in Technical Service Bulletin SIB 65 12 22, admitting that an improper factory paint and sealing process causes the roof-mounted shark fin antenn... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 2026
The dealer has completed a reduction in battery charging to 90 percent. But has not remedied the possibility of overheating or fire. I now have a vehicle that I can not fully charge, and as per manufacturer instructions cannot charge or even store in a garage. The value of my vehicle has been negatively affected due to these unresolved serious safety concerns. I therefore want Jaguar to fix th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
I was trying to turn and the wheel kept kicking back the other direction. About a week prior to this as I was driving down the road all of a sudden the wheel threw me across a median and into incoming traffic almost causing multiple accidents. I have a video of it but it won’t allow me to upload it. [XXX] However this link should play it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INF... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
Exhaust manifold bolt broke cause extra heat coming from that broken bolt cause the crank shaft position sensor wires to melt cause the vehicle to stall while driving down the road and it not to restart just cranks and throws the code for crank shaft position sensor
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
At approximately 1,700 miles, my brand-new 2026 Ford Explorer ST (3.0L EcoBoost) suffered a sudden, catastrophic engine failure while driving, causing an immediate and dangerous loss of motive power. Prior to the failure, the engine experienced severe misfires. Following manufacturer Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) guidance regarding EcoBoost engine misfires, a step-colder spark plug heat range (... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
I own a 2022 Kia Sorento that was manufactured on January 13, 2022. My vehicle experienced a failure involving the electronic oil pump within the transmission system. While driving, a transmission error message appeared prior to the failure. Shortly after, the vehicle unexpectedly entered a limited-mobility condition and significantly slowed down, operating only at a reduced speed. This created a ... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2025) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 13, 2026
Incident date: May 11, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle at approximately 40 MPH, every single warning light illuminated on the dashboard. Concurrently, the vehicle was unable to decelerate or brake, and the brakes became completely non-operational. The vehicle was towed to a dealer but has not been diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacture... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2026
Heard a pop sound, drove three-mile back to house, with car throttled speed to 20 MPH on 35 MPH roads. Leased 2025 Ioniq 5 at 4553 mi. Once back, completely died, vehicle wouldn't lock, start or move. We had vehicle towed to Dealer (20 miles away). No warning lights, no notices. The vehicle needs a new ICCU, the associated fuse and a new 12-volt battery. This is a known recall for the Ioniq 5 20... Read more