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: Mar 11, 2026
As I was driving down the interstate doing about 75 miles per hour the car lost all power without a warning. It was at night in the middle of no where. I almost had a bad accident but I was able to veer off the road before the car brakes locked. I was unable to use safety flashers.
Incident date: May 11, 2026
While cruising at 36mph, we decided to initiate the cruise control. Upon reaching a slow-down traffic ahead, the brakes were applied to slow the vehicle, however the cruise control did not disengage and the brakes did not stop the vehicle. The brakes were pressed three times and still the car could not stop. We were in a two-lane road with an opposite direction lane on the other side of the grassy... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
This is a very known issue that has been reoccurring with GMC Acadia. The torque converter slipping. That cost alone is over $7.000 for the transmission. I am still making monthly payments for my 2021 Acadia. With rising cost above the board GMC could have resolved this issue before releasing this vehicle to the public for purchase. Only had this vehicle for 2 years and already a new transmission... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2026
Vehicle primarily failed while parked at owner residence [XXX] and remained inoperable for approximately three weeks prior to tow to Cadillac dealership. The ignition key became trapped and could not be removed. A manual override release beneath the driver-side steering column was required to free the key — confirming the lock was held electronically, not mechanically jammed. Fault confirmed by... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
After doing some grocery shopping for about 20–30 minutes, I returned to my vehicle, put it in drive, pressed the accelerator, and received no response for approximately 3 to 4 seconds. I then pressed the brake and experienced the exact same issue — no response from the system for about 3 to 4 seconds. I decided to shut the vehicle down, wait approximately 10 seconds, and restart it. After re... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2019) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 12, 2026
Incident date: May 5, 2026
In multiple incidents, the tailgate has begun to close while I am loading or unloading items from the trunk, hitting me in the head. My natural reaction is to lift up, causing injury to my neck. The dealer unsuccessfully "fixed" the problem. Additionally, and unrelated to the closing problem, on multiple occasions, upon pushing the close button on the tailgate when it was in an open position, t... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Audi Q5. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact replaced the battery. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechan... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2025
Within two years of owning this jeep, the rear differential has failed, the battery has failed twice, they didn’t include the extra battery in this jeep that EVERY other model has so it needs a new battery every two years like clockwork to keep the power systems running normally. It’s needed new spark plugs after four failed at once. Now it has the service 4WD light back on even though suppose... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
The high-voltage battery on my 2022 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: Apr 24, 2026
On the day of the incident, I was driving my vehicle at a very low speed while approaching a red traffic light. I applied the brakes normally behind another vehicle that was already stopped. It should be noted that it had rained earlier and the road surface was wet. After stopping, the vehicle’s “Auto Hold” or automatic brake hold system activated properly, as it normally does when the vehi... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
Vehicle driving at highway speeds and put itself into park while at speed without operator intervention. Vehicle became uncontrollable and an extreme hazard.
Incident date: Mar 7, 2023
My 2025 Tesla Cybertruck AWD (VIN: [XXX] ) was returned to me after the first service visit (Invoice XXX Tesla Palo Alto, 8/22/2025) with the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) speaker disconnected. The disconnection occurred during front-end service work at that visit, which included front fascia inspection and removal. The technician did not reconnect the PWS speaker before returning the vehi... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
I am reporting Certification Fraud and severe safety violations by Central Florida Toyota. This vehicle was sold as "Toyota Gold Certified" on March 28, 2026, while having an active safety recall (NHTSA 26V203) with no available remedy. Furthermore, a professional inspection revealed a high-voltage hybrid system leak and structural damage (bondo/rust) on engine mounts, indicating a hidden prior co... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
My 2024 Volkswagen Atlas began displaying multiple warning messages involving the engine, drive system, and powertrain. Warning messages included “Engine: error start/stop,” “Drive system, please service vehicle,” and other engine/powertrain alerts. The vehicle has had intermittent check engine lights, shaking, rough operation, abnormal noises, and repeated warning messages that disappear ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
On 12/20/25, the car - a Sonata plug-in hybrid - failed to start. When I pushed the "start" button, the dashboard display lit up w many clearly irrelevant error messages. Each time I pressed start, somewhat fewer error messages blasted toward me, and finally, no response at all. On 12/21/2026, the tow driver said it was the 12-volt battery. He gave us a jump start and we drove a few blocks. Howe... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2026
Subject: Urgent Safety Concern — 2000 BMW 328 Ci — Error Codes P1622, P0304, P0301 — Second Airbag Recall 21V-401 — Request for Engineering Investigation BMW of North America, LLC 300 Chestnut Ridge Road Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677 May 9, 2026
RE: 2000 BMW 328 Ci (VIN: [insert VIN]) — Multiple DME Fault Codes — Second Airbag Recall (21V-401) — Suspected Electronic Interference
... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
While driving 2020 Crosstrek Hybrid, the dashboard lights suddenly flashed and then engine stalled, leaving me with no brakes and no steering. I rolled through straight through an intersection with four stop signs and I could not stop. Luckily no one was driving or walking at the time. I couldn't start car, even with a jump start. I bought a new Interstate battery with higher specs. Three days... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2026
I am contacting you regarding my 2020 Chevy Blazer with approx $55,580 Miles. the vehicle is experiencing multiple issues consistent with the know thermostat problem reported on many 2020 Blazer, including the P0128 code, cooling fans running at high speed and "steering Assist Reduced" warnings. The Steering wheel has now become hard to turn while driving, creating a serious safety concern for me ... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2026
I have encountered several instances where the vehicle goes idle at a spot light as expected. However the vehicle fails to restart when letting off the brake. Instead, the vehicle shifts into park. Once the vehicle shifts into park, I am unable to shift into drive. I must restart the vehicle and try en shift into drive. This is extremely dangerous and has happened multiple times. This vehicle is o... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2026
On several occasions, the car alarm starts randomly sounding. When my son went to the vehicle, the lights on the dash board were flashing on and off and there was a clicking sound. We replaced the batteries in the key fobs. The battery was low so we had that recharged but the problem continued. We replaced the car battery and that appeared to solve the problem for about 6 months. The same problem ... Read more
Incident date: May 3, 2026
I was driving and noticed a very strong smell of an electrical fire. The truck popped up a High Voltage Battery warning and several warning lights came on. We stopped, restarted the truck and the lights came on again, the smell returned as soon as we started driving. We drove the truck to Cable Dahmer GMC in Kansas City, MO. Service advisor Kracinda asked us to exit the vehicle as quickly as po... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
I was stopping by my house to quickly pick up something so I pulled into my driveway and clicked the Park button. I heard the reassuring click from the button which usually indicates that I had successfully clicked the button and that the parking brake was engaged. I let go of the brake and looked down at my phone but I felt like the vehicle was starting to creep toward. I looked up just in time t... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLE 350
(2018) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 11, 2026
Incident date: May 1, 2019
My vehicle has abrupt unintended downshifts straight down to first gear at fast speeds, which is causing rear-wheel lockage near heart attack and near-loss of control spinout. The sudden downshifting causes a loud violent high extreme RPM engine over rev. sounding as if it is about to blow up or an internal explosion. This is occurring at highway speeds up to 70 mph. At these speeds, is an immedia... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2026
Instrument cluster anti-glare film or delamination on center and left instrument cluster. The film is wearing away in certain irregular sport and shapes. The overall wear is impacting the visibility to the center cluster under certain conditions leading to obscure visibility to important information, including vehicle speed or other warning light. It has been raised to the dealer, then to Porsch... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2026
In the middle of driving car stuttered, engine light went on, and car stalled. Unable to restart, Engine cranks but would not turn over. Had car towed for repair. Diagnostic shows engine coil short causing blown fuse. Subaru has an active recall for this identical issue for my same year and model 2019 Crosstrek but the recall does not cover my VIN.
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2023) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 11, 2026
Incident date: May 11, 2026
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Titan. The contact stated that after unbuckling her front driver side seat belt and standing outside of the vehicle, she reached over to grab her purse. The contact seatbelt had not fully retracted as she reached over for the purse and as a result, the seat belt's latch plate hit the contact in her abdomen. After the failure occurred, the seat belt no longer fastened... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated. In addition, the failure was persistent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, however the failure was not duplicated. The contact referenced a recall, NHTSA Campai... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Kia Carnival. The contact’s daughter stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly lost motive power with no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer. The dealer informed the contact that the battery solenoid needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2026
Failed emissions test.engine control module error codes,U0129 lost communication with brake system control module,codeU0146 lost communication with serial data gateway module,codeU101lost communication with transmission control module…next failure brake control system module,code U146 lost communication with serial data module, U0100 lost communication with engine control module, U101 lost commu... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2026
My vehicle OnStar telematic module has shorted out the complete electrical system. This module is backordered. No time frame was told it could be months. Many GM vehicle have the same problem. The vehicle can stop while sitting or driving. This vehicle is unsafe to drive i traded it to the dealership. They will hold on to it until(if & when) they get the part.
JEEP
WRANGLER 4XE
(2024) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 11, 2026
Incident date: Jun 9, 2025
The instrument cluster went black when I was driving. This prevents the driver from seeing warning lights, digital speedometer, the fuel gauge and the odometer. The car was examined by my private mechanic, and he stated he could not fix it. He advised me to go to the Jeep dealership. The car was then examined by the dealership, and they stated it would need a new instrument cluster at a cost of $1... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2025
The incomplete recall 26V238 is a concern. They say in the letter from Ford that it could be a fire issue. It seems the harness in the A pillar gets pinched and could short out causing the overhead lighting or mirror lighting to either cause a smoke issue or fire. BUT THE ANSWER IS NOT GOING TO BE AVAILABLE UNTIL LATE JULY MAYBE!! Why send a letter and state you have no answer yet or will ... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2019) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 11, 2026
Incident date: May 4, 2026
June 2025: I proactively replaced the battery October 2025: Left the car parked for 17 days. Dead battery. Got a jump, drove for 2 hours. May 2026: Left the car parked for 10 days. Dead battery. Got a jump, drove to mechanic who replaced it under warranty. Saw article about Subaru class action lawsuit about this issue, so I'm reporting it. I will visit the Subaru dealer where I purchased to car ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
The car thinks the key fob is inside the vehicle when it is not. If you get out of the vehicle it will not self lock even if you have that feature set up. It will also beep consistently for about 10 seconds when you press the lock button on the key fob when your outside of the car, indicating that there is a key fob in the car....but there is not. The most concerning thing is you can get into the... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2023) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 11, 2026
Incident date: May 9, 2026
My 2020 Dodge Durango experienced a severe interior dashboard fire that appeared to originate in the center dash/radio area while the vehicle was parkedin driveway. The fire caused extensive melting and burn damage throughout the dashboard, center console, wiring, and surrounding interior components. The infotainment/radio area and electrical wiring sustained significant destruction, resulting in ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: May 7, 2026
while i was driving my vehicle put the parking brake on and then i was unable to get it deactivated at first, after a few seconds i got it and moved forward in traffic. after a few feet the vehicle put the parking brake on and i was unable to move once again. this was in the middle of traffic and i ended up blocking the single lane road. I called a family member who was near by and they came and s... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2026
I recently discovered that the brake light does not activate when applying the front brake lever. I became aware of the issue only after noticing that the motorcycle’s cruise control system would no longer engage. Upon researching the cruise control malfunction, I found numerous reports from owners indicating that failed front or rear brake pressure switches were the root cause. In almost all c... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2026
SUBJECT: URGENT COMPLAINT: Deceptive Practices/Misrepresentation & Services Not Rendered (Woodhouse Ford of Omaha) I. Actionable Safety Issue Summary This complaint concerns fraudulent billing and dangerous misrepresentation by Woodhouse Ford of Omaha, which claimed a vehicle's 3rd rack and pinion system was "safe" on 2/19/2026 after a known safety issue, following a previous failure. They further... Read more
3 injured
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
Special coverage programs for the 2018 Chevy Traverse front exhaust pipe mounting bracket failure. GM has focused on coverage specifically on 2019-2021 models, but 2018 models are affected as well. I'm being forced to pay for a new exhaust when 2018 models should have been included for the Specific special coverage (e.g., N212356540, N222385510) exists for 2019–2021 vehicles, offering repairs (s... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2026
Ignition key not releasing after turning engine off. Put shifter in park, foot on brakeii, turn Ignition key off. Key will not release. Have to cycle multiple times to get key released.
Incident date: May 7, 2026
While operating our vehicle on traveling at approx. 45 mph during mid-day traffic, the engine on our vehicle died and would not restart. we had no power steering and had to wrestle the vehicle off the road The check engine light was on and we tried repeatedly to restart the engine without any luck. We had the vehicle towed to the dealership for diagnosis and repair, it was determined that a Fue... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado1500. The contact stated while driving the vehicle he felt shuttering and noticed his automatic start does not start. The contact also experienced engine reduced power issues, preceded by a warning sign on the dashboard stating "Engine Power is Reduced" while driving. Additionally, the contact noticed a significant loss of mileage per gallon and a loss of... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
Turned ignition off car computer read car not in park. All lights were on yellow ignition light on and door chime kept ringing. Started car moved car forward then backed up. Shut car off car still not working properly in park same problem. Moved shifter to park and bumped it a few times. Message went off. Tires make a grinder noise.
Incident date: Apr 7, 2026
All of my display screens went blank at 108 miles. I had no speedometer, no fuel level gauge, no warning indicators, and no audio alerts including turn signals. The vehicle was towed to the dealership since it was a safety issue for me to drive. It has been there since November 2025.
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
The control unit in my 2024 Mercedes 2580e triggers an increased number of system resets as part of fallback behavior. The increased number of resets resulted in the digital instrument cluster's display temporarily cutting out, and I had an entirely blank cluster. It came back on only after I stopped the vehicle, locked it, and waited approximately one hour to restart the car. A recall was just i... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2026
I bought the 2024 Santa Fe XRT Pro new off the lot Sept. 2024. Brought it in for 3 different recalls but the electronic system panel is new: The panel lit up with every warning sign it can convey: from the engine light to the coffee break, to the emergency warnings. This has happened twice; once a few weeks ago and again a few days ago. My car is back at the dealership for repair to the electron... Read more
Incident date: May 2, 2026
My name is [XXX] and I am filing a complaint against The Auto Factory in [XXX] . In December 2024 I purchased a 2013 Hyundai Accent (VIN: [XXX] ) from this dealership. I financed the vehicle and have been making my payments on time every month. Recently the car developed a serious engine problem and is no longer drivable. While looking into the situation I discovered that my vehicle has been unde... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the infotainment center display blinked on and off. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed instrument cluster panel. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer. In addition, the contact was informed of a recall... Read more
Incident date: Feb 10, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that an unknown, sticky fluid had spilled through the slits of the mode selector which was a dial that can be selected for driving during different road conditions. Upon start of the vehicle, the 4WD mode selector would intermittently flash on the instrument panel. In addition, the contact stated the mode selector would remain stuck in eco dr... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2026
I was driving vehicle and it all of a sudden get stuck in gear in either park gear or some other gear that wont allow me to turn engine off. Sometimes it just slow down to a stop and will not go into gear again for a while or appears the gears are not engaging putting me at risk for accident on highway. Once it slowed down in traffic and I nearly got hit trying to drive it off the highway. The gea... Read more