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 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the charging port, bluetooth feature, and the navigation system was inoperative. The low tire pressure, air bag and another unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to get a diagnosis however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact did research and was ma... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
The vehicle is experiencing an intermittent and unpredictable loss of power steering assist. The steering becomes extremely stiff and difficult to turn, often immediately upon startup or while at a standstill, then randomly becomes loose again before returning to a stiff state. This creates a significant safety hazard as the effort required to steer changes without warning during operation. Upon i... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2024
Since purchasing my 2024 Odyssey EX-L I have experienced on multiple occasions where the idle stop engages but upon releasing the brake the vehicle fails to restart, dash lights up and vehicle is shifted automatically into park while sitting in traffic and vehicles moving all around me as well as honking as I am unable to restart the vehicle immediately. I have to push the start button multiple ti... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that on several occasions while stopped and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle reversed inadvertently and then jerked forward to accelerate. The contact added that the battery was drained but the failure was not the most important to report at this time. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the starter needed to b... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2026
Vehicle: 2024 Honda Prologue Touring AWD The vehicle has an ongoing clicking/noise issue coming from the driver-side front CV joint/axle area, especially during turns, acceleration, and low-speed maneuvering. The clicking noise appears to be progressively worsening and raises concerns about premature CV joint failure and potential drivetrain safety issues. The issue has persisted despite service ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2021
The Auto High-Beam system activates the high beams inappropriately during operation. The system triggers the high beams directly into the eyes of oncoming traffic and activates during early dusk conditions. The sudden, intense illumination blinds oncoming drivers. This creates an immediate glare hazard and significantly increases the risk of a head-on collision. I reported this specific failure t... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2026
My infotainment screen randomly blacks out about once every two days, and my HuD fails to appear sometimes and then will be back the next day. This never happened before the recall with the software update, only since the recall was done
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
I am submitting this complaint regarding my 2021 Kia Telluride experiencing repeated and dangerous electronic system failures while driving. Kia of East Syracuse (NY) diagnosed the issue as related to the backup camera assembly and communication/network failures. While driving, the vehicle experienced loss of power steering assist, instrument cluster failure, speedometer malfunction, incorrect gea... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2024
The vehicle has encountered repeated hybrid system and battery-related issues. Symptoms have included stalling, sudden loss of power, hybrid warning messages, charging/battery malfunction warnings, electrical system irregularities, and unsafe driving behavior. The exact root cause is currently UNKNOWN. However, based on the recurring issues and vehicle behavior, the concern appears related to the ... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2026
Vehicle Door Locks: -driver door lock failed to unlock. All other doors locks remained functional - 2 days later or 450+ miles later all doors locked, then when attempting to unlock all doors whether key fob or door lock/unlock buttons on both driver and passenger doors, door locks failed to respond to any button attempt. -manual lock/unlocking is needed to lock/unlock any doors. If i needed to... Read more
POLESTAR
POLESTAR 2
(2022) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 12, 2026
Incident date: May 11, 2026
A new software update was recently released to fix a previous recall of the backup camera. Ever since that version 5 of the software was released, the display unit computer randomly resets during the drive. During the report, all blind spot, cruise control, lane sensing, sensors, etc are not working and take multiple minutes to turn on and the activate.
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS CROSS SPORT
(2021) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 12, 2026
Incident date: May 6, 2026
Many times the rear tailgate fails to open completely or close completely when the button is pressed. This has caused me to bump my head on the partially opened tailgate. The dealer has replaced the tailgate motor but it has not fixed the problem.
Incident date: May 12, 2026
The 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 experienced a high-voltage battery system failure yesterday while DC fast charging, about two weeks after the vehicle underwent recall/campaign service related to high-voltage battery monitoring and software updates associated with NHTSA Recall 26V030. During charging, I heard a loud popping sound from the charging port/high-voltage battery area. After disconnecting from... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2026
I am filing a safety complaint regarding my 2018 Honda Accord equipped with the 1.5L turbocharged engine. The vehicle has experienced repeated engine-related failures despite multiple repair attempts by an authorized Honda dealership. Problems have included dashboard warning lights, engine misfires, loss of power, fuel odor, and suspected head gasket failure. Most concerning, on September 20, 20... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2019) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 12, 2026
Incident date: May 11, 2026
BCM module failure. Car controls flash on and off. Vehicle won’t start. Alarm goes off randomly.
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2019) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 12, 2026
Incident date: May 11, 2026
My 2018 ford f150 rear back up camera is out and shows a blue screen. Other models around my year has had a recalls for it.
Incident date: Jun 30, 2024
1 - Parking Brake inoperative - Unable to disengage parking brake: Recalled part for same year/make/model (Different production MONTH in recall) NHTSA safety recall OMB Control No: 2127-0004 2 - Air conditioner (Evaporator failure) - Releasing chemicals from enclosed HVAC system: Common knowledge failure point, requires entire dashboard disassembly w/High Labor cost Unsafe driving conditions in e... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2026
Supplement / update to prior NHTSA complaints regarding my 2021 Land Rover Discovery MHEV (VIN: [XXX] y prior complaints, Jaguar Land Rover has issued Recall 26V248 for DC/DC converter failure leading to loss of propulsion in 2021–2024 Land Rover Discovery MHEV vehicles. My vehicle experienced the same real-world failure condition: sudden loss of propulsion in traffic with my children in the veh... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2026
Relay box underneath drivers side headlight prone to corrosion, causes jeeps from this era to stall and die randomly.
Incident date: May 1, 2026
When backing up the rear camera went to black screen and wouldnt display the rear view. Almost hit a pedestrian because they were directly behind the car. This problem happens sometimes and I am not sure how to replicate it except for putting the car in reverse and seeing if it is going to display the rear view or not. I need this recall to be completed ASAP, it has been released since October and... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2026
2019 Audi q5 drive system malfunction/start stop malfunction. Error code will come on randomly in traffic and when you try to put your foot on the gas it hesitates and you need to push harder on the gas. Car will also lose acceleration power and take longer to reach desired speed. Drive system malfunction light will come on as well as an error stating start/stop system malfunction. Have had multip... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
Dash said look for safe place to pull over. When turned engine off, it would not start again. Had to wait hours to get it towed to dealership. Been there over 5 weeks and they still don't know what's wrong but suspect hybrid battery problem. Only about 21k miles and 18 mo old. No loaner provided.
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Niro. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle intermittently entered limp mode and loss automotive power while the vehicle was still at full battery. No warning lights were illuminated. The failure occurred on several different occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to get a diagnosis however, the dealer stated that the failure was no... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
Vehicle experienced ongoing safety-related driver assistance system failures beginning at delivery. The vehicle initially could not be delivered due to unresolved windshield and sensor concerns affecting driver assistance features. After delivery, the vehicle continued experiencing intermittent failures involving adaptive cruise control, lane assist, cameras, and related driver assistance systems... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
Battery went dead after 4 days of being parked. Preceded by car not charging fully after driving. Dealer had to replace battery at 60,000 miles with no other fault detected. After market battery did not fix problem. Needed to be replaced by OEM battery. Still noticed not charging fully after driving. High current drain while off and parked detected. One dark night noticed dash screen came on w... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2022
Took my 2020 kia telluride for emission software update after being notified by the the dealership. Two days later my check engine light keeps coming on and off. I called the dealership and the said to bring it in only if the light is on. The next day my engine light once again keeps going on and off but now also my battery light keeps flickering on and off as well. My car is also slow to idle a... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact contact received a recall notification, NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V741000 (Electrical System). The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a service appointment. The contact was informed that the recall would be completed while the vehicle was at the dealer. The contact was informed that the software update rendered the vehicle to be undriveable.... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
* This complaint concerns a catastrophic failure of the transmission in my vehicle. This defect was first reported to a Ford dealer while still within the 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty (Jan 3, 2023, at 58,679 miles; Invoice #XXX). * The condition worsened. Between July 2024 - Jan. 2026, I received 7 digital "Service Engine Soon" warnings via the Ford App. My dealer advised that the vehicl... Read more
ALFA ROMEO
STELVIO
(2018) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 12, 2026
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
Re: Demand for repurchase or replacement under warranty — VIN [XXX] Vehicle: 2022 Volvo XC60 (pre‑certified) Purchase date: 08/19/2024 Dealer: [Dealer name, [XXX] ] Dear Volvo Cars USA Customer Care: I am the owner of the above-referenced vehicle. Since the date of purchase (08/19/2024) the vehicle’s infotainment system has repeatedly failed: it shuts down and reboots frequently (as often a... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
My 2018 Nissan Armada has had SO MANY issues (probably 15-20) with not starting when cranked. Something is draining its battery. We have had to change the battery so many times (usually 2-3 times every year or two.) This happens without any notice! We have been stranded in other cities, stores, &/or at work. We have tried having it checked out by different repair shops, replacing batteries in key ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2020
Manufacturer Recall NumberR24B2 NHTSA Recall Number24V-700 Recall StatusRecall Incomplete, remedy not yet available Summary AFFECTED VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE EXCESSIVE LITHIUM DEPOSITS WITHIN BATTERY CELLS, INCREASING THE ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE AND POTENTIALLY CAUSING A FLUCTUATION IN THE STATE OF CHARGE. WHILE AN AFFECTED VEHICLE IS LEVEL 3 QUICK CHARGING, THE INCREASED ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE COULD ... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2026
1. An ATP connector on a solar charging system experienced a high resistance event and started a smoldering fire. It melted the connector and about 24" of 10 gauge wiring. It also melted the fiberglass roof material under the connector. The event was observed on Sunday morning, April 19, 2026 at approximately 9:30 am. It occurred while parked in our driveway. We disconnected the solar panel t... Read more
Fire
Incident date: May 8, 2026
Intermittent trailer disconnect and loss of electric trailer brake output while towing Airstream. The truck is connected to the trailer through the seven Way plug. There are no modifications to the truck. This is a safety hazard as I pull a 9000+ lb trailer. Trailer connection drops momentarily and integrated trailer brake controller loses communication with trailer brakes. I went on a 5000 mile... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
Starter started smoking at start up! And clutch failure at traffic light!!!! No accident occurred because of experienced driver!
Incident date: Apr 9, 2026
Vehicle would not start/drive. Vehicle was parked in garage at time of failure. Kia dealership said the ICCU needed to be replaced along with the 12V battery. Prior to the failure, audio was not working in the car for several weeks. Kia stated that was due to the ICCU issues and that the 12V was most likely also failing due to the ICCU. ICCU was covered by KIA, but owner of the vehicle had to... Read more
Incident date: Apr 9, 2026
Had a vehicle update for my 2023 Chevrolet Silverado and now my Onstar Module is toast and no longer under warranty bc I have 37,000 miles. Many reports of this happening to 2023 models but no recalls for this. Why should I have to pay $1000.00 for a part that is failing in many vehicles of the same year.
Incident date: May 8, 2026
While traveling at 75MPH on the highway, the vehicle shut down. No propulsion at all and the error message "Pull Over Safely - Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon" was displayed. Was able to coast to a nearby exit and have the car taken to a dealer for service. Very unnerving at 75MPH and a significant safety hazard to me and other drivers.
Incident date: May 2, 2026
Please see attached complaint letter. Overall, this is related to the 2022 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid electronic hybrid system. This issue related to campaign 25TD01. The issue can cause the car to not start at any time because of the vehicle's start/stop hybrid system. If this happens in traffic, you could cause a safety issue that could lead to an accident and possibly fatalities.
Incident date: May 11, 2026
Hello I am so sick of the recall on the high voltage battery. When I first got in in april of last year it had 126 miles on it and was told by [XXX] at the time and ford Auffenburg used cars that it had no recalls at all. Low and behold months later after charging the plug in portion found out there was a recall and I couldn't plug it in which was the reason I bought it. So I had no choice mostl... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2026
I am filing this safety complaint regarding my 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE 300, VIN [XXX] , license plate [XXX] . My vehicle is currently affected by an active safety recall: NHTSA Recall 26V281 / Mercedes-Benz recall campaign 2025060014. The recall concerns the instrument cluster / infotainment control unit software. According to the recall information, the instrument cluster display may briefly inte... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2020) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 12, 2026
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
For the last couple of years I've had a problem with the backup camera it goes out randomly sometimes the picture turns upside down sometimes it's just a black screen sometimes there is a thing that says see the dealer. It's intermittent it's unexpected and other Ford years have been recalled for the same problem but for whatever reason they're not including my 2014 in the recall. I just had someo... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2020) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 12, 2026
Incident date: May 6, 2026
Vehicle stalled approximately 15 times between April 17 and May 4, 2026, including once on Interstate XXX at approximately 50mph with minor children ages [XXX] and [XXX] in the vehicle. The oil and battery lights illuminated simultaneously at each stall. Diagnosed as ABS module failure first, then left front wheel speed sensor failure on the 2nd occasion, both confirmed by a Hyundai dealership. ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Ram 2500. The contact stated that on three occasions while driving, the vehicle lost power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to her residence. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. A computer update was previously completed, but the failure recurred. The dealer later informed her the failure was due to the battery. The manufacturer wa... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
ongoing electrical and ECM communication issues with my 2018 Nissan NV2500. The vehicle is experiencing serious fault codes involving loss of communication with the ECM/PCM and transmission control systems, creating a potential safety concern and reliability issue. The diagnostic scan produced the following active codes: U0100 – Lost Communication With ECM/PCM A U1000 – CAN Communication Circu... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2026
While attempting a slow right turn from a complete stop at an intersection, I heard a loud thunk sound followed by an immediate loss of power steering response. The steering wheel spun freely with little resistance while the front tires did not respond proportionally. I was able to safely pull over. Upon restarting the vehicle it produced an abnormal wheezing sound suggesting additional mechanical... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2026
On March 21st, while driving my Hyundai vehicle, I noticed the vehicle began making a ticking sound. After stopping the vehicle, it slowly began catching on fire. The fire ultimately spread and resulted in the vehicle becoming a total loss. This created a serious safety concern and placed me at risk. I later learned there was a recall associated with the vehicle. However, I never received any rec... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was released, the auto start feature failed to function as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed engine starter. The contact was informed that the engine starter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced a recall, N... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2026
My body control module (BCM) seems to have failed on my 2018 Honda CRV, my first indication was my alarm going off and me being unable to enter my vehicle with my key fob. Once I manually unlocked the car with the embedded key inside the key fob, I was unable to turn off my instrument cluster or lights by hitting the start switch of the car. I then turned on the car and was unable to turn off the ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
The ICCU unit failed. The message "Check Electrical System" appeared on the instrument cluster. Low-voltage battery voltage was 12.0V and vehicle speed was limited to 60 mph. Maximum speed was gradually reduced to 30 mph over a period of 40 minutes (voltage was 11.5 V) with minimal 12V loads. I pulled over and called a tow truck to the nearest service center. Kia confirmed the ICCU was defective ... Read more
PONTIAC
GRAND PRIX
(2003) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 12, 2026
Incident date: May 11, 2026
OnStar module not working