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 6, 2026
The center cluster instrument panel went completely black. This affects seeing any warning lights, tire pressure, speedometer, mileage, fuel amount, etc. The problem has been confirmed by auto shops. No way to fix except replacing the entire thing and my VIN has not been included in any recalls.
Incident date: May 11, 2026
I received an official recall notice from Mercedes-Benz regarding my EQB due to a defect involving the high-voltage battery system. According to the recall notice, the battery may experience an internal failure that could potentially result in a fire while the vehicle is either parked or being driven. Mercedes-Benz has also advised owners to limit charging and park the vehicle outside due to the s... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
VEHICLE SAFETY COMPLAINT STATEMENT Prepared for NHTSA Submission Regarding Recall 26V237 / 26S28 To: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Subject: Report of Accident and Vehicle Control Loss Due to Defect Specified in Recall 26V237 VEHICLE INFORMATION: Year/Make/Model: 2016 Ford F-150 VIN: [XXX] INCIDENT DESCRIPTION: In March, while driving during a snowstorm, the vehicle experi... Read more
Crash
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2020) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 11, 2026
Incident date: Feb 20, 2024
Charging System Fault. Caused multiple error messages like Forward camera not available, collision avoidance not available. Then Radio goes black and reboots. Several cycles later the dash board goes DARK. No speed or RPM anything visible for 5-10 secs, and on some reboots this Dark dash lasted 30 seconds. Thankfully while traveling at midnight the head lights and tail lights remain on, jus... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
The vehicle experienced a sudden and repeated malfunction of the hybrid/electrical system and powertrain, resulting in the vehicle becoming inoperable. The vehicle is currently at the dealership and is available for inspection upon request. While driving in traffic, multiple warning messages appeared, including "Hybrid System Malfunction," "Charging System Malfunction," "Engine Malfunction," "Bra... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2026
Compounded Electrical Failures In addition to the battery defect, this specific vehicle has exhibited recurring electrical malfunctions, including: Total failure of the backup cameras and parking sensors. Intermittent failure of the HVAC system (Air Conditioning), critical in the Florida climate. Erratic Autonomous Braking: The vehicle has repeatedly engaged emergency braking while reversing witho... Read more
Incident date: Jan 24, 2026
Chrysler performed the 73B recall and n my van in August of 2025. Ever since performing this recall the van has a continuous stream of check engine lights and error codes. The van has been at the dealership at least 6 times for well over 100 days. The check engine lights and error codes always return. The hybrid battery recently had a failure code, and was replaced. I didn't even make it home befo... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2026
While driving down the highway 5/10/26, the vehicle completely shut down at 75 MPH. The dash went black, everything shut down, and the steering wheel locked. No warning lights came on. I immediately hit the brakes and tried to veer to the right. Luckily, I was in the right lane and was able to get to the edge of the shoulder. My son and I sat there in shock. A few seconds later, I hit the ignitio... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH on the highway in congestive traffic with the adaptive cruise control activated. The contact then stated that the motorcycle abruptly slow down as an unknown warning message appeared on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the edge of a vehicle may have possibly entered his lane ... Read more
Incident date: May 7, 2026
Windows and doors buzz. The windows and doors will not open or will open very slowly. the alarm will go off. The only way to stop it is to disconnect the battery. Sliding door lock will not lock or will lock and not open.
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
The vehicle has been taken to Tesla multiple times due to ongoing controllability and safety concerns. The Autopilot system will occasionally brake unexpectedly at green lights or when another vehicle is passing on the right side. The vehicle has also experienced repeated drivetrain issues, including the half shafts failing at least four times within a short period. During acceleration, the vehic... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2026
The camera views are all pink or turning pink. Also when getting to 70mph on the interstate, the car begins to shudder. The vehicle has 52,000 miles on it.
Incident date: May 4, 2026
First incident April 9 2024 not even a month after purchased. Vehicle dashboard lit up light a Christmas tree all warning lights while driving on highway. Vehicle shook and sputtered and turned off. The vehicle was serviced explanation given was loose spark plugs on a new vehicle. 2nd incident roughly month after recall repair for engine propulsion campaign. February 26 and 27 2026 . While dr... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2026
While driving on the interstate over 2 hours from home the car put itself into neutral and almost caused us to get into a collision. While accelerating after a construction zone, the lights on the dash of the vehicle lit up with transmission, emissions, electronic parking brake, and more codes. The car shifted itself into neutral while running between 65-70 mph on the interstate. Multiple vehicles... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
Lost power while driving down the highway. All the dash lights and windshield wipers turned on and lost power steering. The steering gear assembly failed without warning.
Incident date: May 9, 2026
Open safety recall on brake controller, parts unavailable for nearly 2 months, vehicle actively used for towing a 7,800 lb travel trailer
Incident date: Jan 18, 2026
My 2022 Honda Pilot failed to engage Drive after reversing, despite the Drive button being pressed. This resulted in an unintended backward motion & a collision with another vehicle. 1.What component or system failed or malfunctioned…? The Electronic Transmission Shift-by-Wire system (push-button shifter) failed to respond to a gear change request. Additionally, related electrical systems includ... Read more
Crash
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2021) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 11, 2026
Incident date: May 10, 2026
The ICCU failed just before the vehicle had 20k miles on it. It failed on a warm afternoon with about 77% SOC after not being charged for more than 24 hours. Immediately after starting the car with the push button ignition, I heard an audible "pop" come from the back of the passenger cabin followed up by a "Check Vehicle Electrical System" message on the dashboard. There was no warning prior to th... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2021) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 11, 2026
Incident date: Apr 9, 2026
Car failing to start. Stating vehicle not in park while actually being in park. Also vehicle states that engine is warming wait to start no matter the temperature outside. Waited this morning for 2hrs for the vehicle to start it did not start. This is an emergency hazard for a vehicle to not start due to a computer issue. The current recall i attempted to go to the manufacturer however the manufac... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
I am filing a safety complaint regarding a 2020 Lincoln Aviator Reserve VIN [XXX] involving recurring safety-related electrical and visibility concerns. The vehicle has experienced repeated service-related issues involving suspension systems, electrical inspections, camera/display concerns, and manufacturer customer satisfaction programs. Most significantly, the vehicle is subject to an active ... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2019) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 11, 2026
Incident date: May 11, 2026
To Whom It May Concern, Please see attached formal notice regarding recurring defects, safety-related recall issues, Certified Pre-Owned representations, and financing concerns associated with my 2020 Lincoln Aviator Reserve VIN [XXX] . This matter involves: • recurring suspension and electrical concerns; • safety-related rearview camera/SYNC recall issues; • repeated dealership repair act... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2026
When those error codes appear, those safety features become unavailable during driving. These error usually come up when I just start the car.
Incident date: Apr 7, 2026
The windows do not roll down or up from any of the switches. this was taken in for a warranty repair and after i received the vehicle back. it worked for a day and has now began to do the same intermittent working and not working. where more often than not i am unable to roll the windows down. Along with the memory seat function not recognizing any presses. On vehicle pickup, the memory seat func... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2026
Driving home from church this morning, the vehicle experiences a sudden loss of power and the car went into “limp mode”. Even the pedal floored and the engine rpms high, the car would barely go about 25 or 30 mph. A message from the dash board told me to pull over and leave the engine running to charge the EV batteries. The batteries would charge enough for what I thought would get me home but... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
The sliding doors have a rubber piece that over time, gets stuck and causes the door to not latch and close, leaving the door to come open as you are driving. This has been a known issue with these sliding doors on my Kia Sedona. This is highly unsafe due to the ability of the door to come open as you are driving and potentially causing harm for someone to fall out and or be injured.
Incident date: May 15, 2025
Was driving down the highway when Check: electric vehicle system warning came on and car slowed suddenly and wouldnt go past 41MPH. Within a min, the car slowed down further and just as I was pulling on the shoulder. Car didnt have power to move after.
Incident date: May 10, 2026
My Nissan Rogue Platinum 2021 not want to start I call a AAA they check the batery but the batery was new 3 months I have to call a tow truck and bring it to Nissan dealer on university dr in hunstville Alabama they keep the car for 3 days the call me and said that was the starter and also that the coolant get in to the motor that the car need a new motor that cost 9,000 dollars plus the starter 1... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2010) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 10, 2026
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
While driving the steering wheel will intermittently lock up or make it where you cannot turn the steering wheel at all. The collision sensors will go off and cause vehicle to lock the brakes up when you’re not even close to anything. Also, random messages will appear in dash as shift to neutral while driving ect. See pictures.
Incident date: May 2, 2026
THIS IS AN UPDATE TO EXISTING NHTSA ODI COMPLAINT #11735718 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, TXXI Theta II engine defect. UPDATE: On May 7, 2026, Hyundai Case Manager acknowledged in writing "Your case is important to us" and "2.4L THETA concerns" for Case #42623761. This is written admission the vehicle has the TXXI defect covered by warranty extension to 120,000 miles. I gave Hyundai 48 hours to... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2026
The truck had about 7400 miles on it. It gave a warning that the DPF was near full and take it to dealer, about 20 minutes late it said DPF full power reduced. Two days later it cleared that code and began flashing the turn signal intermittently and giving warnings that the trailer brakes were not working, then that the tailgate was down. Shortly after that the instrument cluster went completely... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2026
03/17/26: Kia Soul 2022 was brought into the dealership to have the safety recall (NHTSA: 25V099; Kia: SC336) addressed. There is a description of the service that says, “Piston Oil Ring.” Dealership stated everything was "good to go" upon completion of this service. Per dealership document, causal part says “Ring Set-Piston”, Issue number SC336. Issue Type: Safety Recall; Description: Pi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2025
The Infotainment Head Unit (IHU) on my 2024 Volvo XC90 has experienced repeated total system blackouts, spontaneous power-cycles, and critical thermal failures while operating at highway speeds (46–77 MPH). The IHU displays a "Cooling Infotainment System" critical warning and fails completely, resulting in total loss of the federally mandated rearview/backup camera (FMVSS 111 violation), GPS nav... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2026
Stopped at a convenience store in [XXX] . Upon return to vehicle, it would not start. A check engine light and steering alert came on. According to ChatGPT it appeared to be an electrical problem. AI recommended that the vehicle be "rebooted". That entailed putting the car in Park, turning the ignition off, turning off all accessories, getting out of the car, locking it with the FOB, and walking a... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
Does not ac charge and no codes present
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
3 times now, I am driving and the vehicle goes into limp mode, the "D" on the dash is flashing but the vehicle sends no codes. The tech said the vehicle can immediately delete the code and they can't fix it if they can't duplicate it. It also hesitates when accelerating and is dangerous to myself, my 4 children and anyone driving around me when it goes into limp mode. There is no code, therefore t... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2026
The relay for the fan at the top of the fuse/relay box on the right side when facing the front of the vehicle. (under the hood) Gets hot and blows the relay and melts the spot where the relay prongs plug in. Causing the need for a new fuse box and circuit problems within the fuse box connectors. The fans, specifically the a/c fan does not kick on when turning on the a/c and the low speed fan does ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: May 5, 2026
The vehicle's LCD screen has become delaminated which causes the control of the radio, air conditioning, navigation, and other features controlled by the "radio" portion of the car to become dysfunctional. The car will randomly beep, change air temperatures, start radio channels to scramble and back up camera works only sporadically. This is a safety hazard as it causes the driver to be distracted... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2026
Car engine turns off at a red light, by turn off I mean completely turned off, not just silent. And takes a couple of attempts to restart the car before the engine turns on again. This has happened over 5 or 6 times over the last 3 months, however yesterday (May 9, 2026) it happened twice within the hour. Luckily, I have not been involved in an accident because of this, but I'm concerned that it's... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2026
The inflation screen keeps going on and off
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
Coke spill in cup holders caused a leak to the wiring harness below the center console. It drained the battery, shut down all of the buttons on the steering wheel and shut the infotainment system down. It finally died and had to be towed to Vann York Hyundai in Highpoint NC. They told me that because it was cased by an outside influence it's not covered by the warranty and estimated $800 labor... Read more
Incident date: May 3, 2026
The rear view camera on my 2016 Ford Fusion activates randomly while driving and displays blank or distorted images when the vehicle is in reverse. This is a known defect covered under Ford Recall 25SA9 / NHTSA 25v695, issued October 2025. I have contacted Koons Ford in Falls Church, VA multiple times requesting repair. The dealer stated the replacement part is only available for Mustangs. As of M... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
The engine wiring harness insulation near the ignition coil connectors prematurely deteriorated due to prolonged exposure to engine heat in the turbocharger/exhaust area. Multiple wiring connectors exhibited brittle, cracked insulation with exposed conductors. The degraded wiring began shorting within the ignition system, causing engine misfires, ignition circuit faults, and eventual loss of engi... Read more
Fire
CADILLAC
ESCALADE ESV
(2022) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 10, 2026
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
4-28-2026 - Service ABS illuminated, Emergency Brake Warning Light Stays Illuminated, and Electronic Stability Control Warning stays Illuminated. Had it at dealer on 4-30-2026. They tested system and said ABS CONTROL MODULE was working but sensor was bad and there was a backlog or over 20,000 customers waiting for replacement OEM parts. Engineers developed a replacement in 2023 but the replacement... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLS 450
(2020) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 10, 2026
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
When we brought it in for first oil change at the dealership ; when we got it back it had a broken axle which they tried to say we just needed new tires , after contacting service manager and he and I go for a ride in it they kept it for several weeks and put over 300 miles on it and got ford engineering involved to determine the cause was broken axle. It has been replaced again since then suppos... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2025
dash lights do not come on, the turn signals do not operate the horn does not sound. There's no display for speedometer or tachometer or odometer no reading for anything.
Incident date: Feb 20, 2026
GM Duramax L5P diesel engine electrical connector for #4 fuel injector. This failure caused the Diesel exhaust brake, which controls downhill speed, to disengage, extreme shaking of the vehicle, emissions system warning and speed limiting. This occurred while descending a steep grade while towing a 34 feet long, 10,000 pound trailer. This is a known issue with this diesel engine and documented... Read more
Incident date: May 3, 2026
The 2026 Ford Mustang was off and rolled away out of the driveway colliding with tree, The incident was caught on my Ring Camera, the electrical system vehicle had acting strangely and kept giving warning the trunk was open and had to go open and close it multiple times. once i parked the vehicle at my house the car rolled away, according to Ford manual the vehicle is equipped this is a failure ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: May 8, 2026
ICCU failure. I received a message that said "Check electric vehicle system." Then seconds later another message that said "Stop vehicle and check power supply." Vehicle became nonfunctional (with my [XXX] daughter in the car) and had to have it towed to the nearest Hyundai dealership. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2018) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 9, 2026
Incident date: May 4, 2026
On three different occasions this car’s engine shuts off on me sometimes at highway speeds. It is terrifying being in the left lane and losing all propulsion and power steering. I have to quickly put the car in park (in the middle of the highway) and then restart the car to go again. When it starts failing it keeps shutting off when we come to a stop in stop and go traffic. It’s like the auto ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 14, 2025
The suspension module failed due to water accumulation on floorboards. Suspect other electronics may be at risk. Water ingress cause by a combination of what dealer said was a worn out sunroof gasket and two of four drains that became plugged. Further examination from dealer found the plugged drains were crimped from when the vehicle was manufactured. The dealer blamed the excessive water ingress ... Read more