Consumer Safety Complaints

Search 2,245,377 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA, including 140,173 crashes, 56,794 fires, and 8,580 deaths.

2,245,377 Total Complaints

140,173 Reported Crashes

56,794 Reported Fires

8,580 Reported Deaths

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

A consumer complaint is a free-form report filed by a vehicle owner directly to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describing a safety concern about their vehicle. NHTSA collects these reports through its Vehicle Owner Defect Report (VOQ) system and publishes them publicly. Each complaint includes the affected component, the date and circumstances of the incident, whether the failure caused a crash or fire, and any reported injuries or deaths. The owner's full narrative description is included verbatim, NHTSA does not edit or moderate the descriptions.

The database below contains over 2,245,377 individual complaints. NHTSA's investigators monitor it for clusters of similar reports, when enough owners describe the same failure mode on the same vehicle, NHTSA may open a Preliminary Evaluation that can lead to a recall. Many of the largest recalls in U.S. history, including the Takata airbag recall and the Hyundai/Kia engine fire recalls, started as patterns visible in this complaint database years before they became formal recalls.

How to interpret what you read

A few principles for reading consumer complaints usefully:

One complaint is anecdote; a hundred similar complaints is data. NHTSA does not investigate the truthfulness of any individual report, that's the job of the Office of Defects Investigation, which looks at the full pattern. When evaluating a vehicle, look for whether multiple owners describe the same chain of events.
Crash, fire, injury, and death flags are owner-set. They are not verified by NHTSA. They are still useful as a filter, because owners who tick those boxes are typically reporting more serious incidents than those who don't.
Component categories are NHTSA-assigned, not owner-assigned. NHTSA standardizes the component field so that complaints can be aggregated. The owner narrative often goes into more detail than the component category captures.
Complaint volume scales with sales volume. A best-selling model will accumulate more raw complaints than a niche model even at the same defect rate. To compare across vehicles, look at complaints per 100,000 units sold, not raw counts.

If you've experienced a defect

File a complaint. NHTSA's investigators rely on this database to detect emerging defects, and useful complaints, specific, concrete, with dates and mileage and clear descriptions of what happened, feed directly into the agency's pattern detection. The form takes about 10 minutes and is at nhtsa.gov/recalls under "Report a Safety Problem." Your complaint becomes part of the same public record that this page is built from. Owners filing detailed VOQs are how recalls get triggered.

Read more from our blog

How to Read NHTSA Consumer Complaints › How NHTSA Investigations Work › Used Car: 7 Recall Checks to Run First › The Takata Airbag Recall: Full Story › OBD-II Codes Explained › All Articles ›

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Showing 191,761 complaints - component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Incident date: Aug 6, 2026

The contact owns a 2026 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH with the AC unit engaged, the driver’s side window shattered. The contact stated that the window was not impacted to cause the window to shatter. The contact stated that the failure had occurred approximately 15 minutes after the AC unit had been engaged. The contact was able to drive to the nearest B... Read more

Incident date: Aug 9, 2026

I was on the freeway in the fast lane approaching a tunnel and vehicle came with warning vehicle shutting down. Code DL_a063. Vehicle stopped in fast lane would not move to shoulder. No prior warning there was any issue. State police came and had vehicle towed. Lucky the car behind me was able to stop in time.

Incident date: Aug 6, 2026

Three NHTSA safety recalls are open and unremedied on my 2020 Porsche Taycan 4S: 25V896 (high-voltage battery — cell-module short circuit / fire risk), 24V732 (battery inspection, cell-module replacement, software update), and 24V455 (front brake hoses — cracking and brake-fluid leakage). Open status is confirmed by the manufacturer's own lookup at [XXX] as of XXX. The recalls cannot be compl... Read more

Incident date: Aug 8, 2026

NHTSA VEHICLE-DATA MISMATCH: The VIN entered in the vehicle-information field belongs to a Toyota-branded 2023 bZ4X AWD Limited, as shown by the vehicle, Toyota app, factory window sticker, and Toyota dealer records. NHTSA's form incorrectly displays a 2023 Subaru Solterra. NHTSA's VIN decoder identifies the manufacturer as TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION but assigns Subaru/Solterra as the make/model. Pl... Read more

Incident date: Aug 9, 2026

I am reporting a safety concern involving the transmission in my 2022 Ford Bronco Sport equipped with the 1.5L engine and 8-speed automatic transmission (8F35). I purchased this vehicle new in May 2022 with approximately 6 miles on it. At approximately 83,000 miles, the vehicle displayed a “Powertrain Malfunction/Reduced Power” warning through FordPass. The notification stated that a transmis... Read more

Incident date: Aug 9, 2026

In my 2015 Honda Accord. The ABS, adaptive cruise control, vehicle stability assist, power steering, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, traction control, hill start assist, and brake system dash lights have all been intermittently coming on and off starting right around 150k miles. Now all of the lights have been on for some time now. I spoke to AutoNation Honda and Chapman Honda h... Read more

Incident date: Jul 25, 2026

2017 Tesla Model S P100D. Vehicle received a paid MCU2 infotainment upgrade (MCU1 to MCU2), which replaced both the center touchscreen computer and the instrument cluster. The original MCU1 architecture used an independent computer for the instrument cluster, providing redundancy. The MCU2 retrofit consolidated both displays onto a single processor with no fallback mode. The first MCU2 replacemen... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2026

The drivetrain warning light came on shortly after I started the vehicle. I noticed acceleration issues both while driving on side streets and on the freeway. I took the X5 45e into the repair center the day after the notice came on especially given the experience on the freeway, which happened during rush hour traffic. Upon inspection, I was told the starter was beginning to fail and that while t... Read more

Incident date: Aug 8, 2026

On two occasions, immediately after re-fueling the vehicle, the engine auto idle stop failed to restart the vehicle. Both times this happened at busy intersections. A series of messages appeared on the display. I was flustered because cars behind me were honking as I was blocking traffic so I don’t exactly remember the error messages. One message said to put the transmission in park. Another sa... Read more

Incident date: Aug 9, 2026

Back up camera malfunctioned, not showing there was a smaller car behind me in my own driveway. Backing up into my driveway at night, it did not pick up or show the smaller car which I back up into, causing $2890 in damages which I had to pay for.

Crash

Incident date: May 15, 2026

On the 26th of April 2026, the transfer Case on my 2020 Grand Cherokee (with less 114,000 miles) failed during highway travel. This resulted in a sudden downshift and temporary deceleration followed by illumination of “Service 4wd” display. A short time after, the “Service Electronic Stability Control” indicator displayed followed by another downshift and the unattended transition of t... Read more

Incident date: Apr 14, 2026

ABS module showing internal electrical failure. Service ABS, trailer brake, and electrical brake warning lights on. Traction control light on. Cruise control not working.

Incident date: Aug 3, 2026

Component/system that failed: The audio/infotainment system (radio), rear DVD entertainment system, and backup camera all fail together while driving. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Description of the problem: While driving, the radio works normally for approximately 10-30 minutes, then begins developing static that gradually worsens until the audio cuts out completely. At ... Read more

Incident date: Feb 6, 2026

Incident date: Aug 9, 2026

The vehicle randomly has seatbelt alerts for seats that are unoccupied and does not have anything on the seat.

Incident date: Aug 8, 2026

My vehicle has 105492 miles and ABS light, Trackion and Brake light went on. I could hear a buzzing sound from the brake actuator every 5 seconds. The brake actuator and master cylinder was failing. According to the dealership failure of brake actuator and master cylinder is a common safety issue with Toyota Prius. The failure of the actuator can lead to failure in the braking system and a crash. ... Read more

Incident date: May 16, 2026

Wife was going to the store engine lost power and died prior to that steering got loose like trying to turn itself, towed to dealer inspected dealer cleaned throttle returned vehicle after cost of 807.00 and drove van to church tailgate would not open without vehicle running, got home turned off windshield washers operated brittle with key off, remote key system problem displayed also hill hold, b... Read more

Incident date: Jul 22, 2026

The electronic door locking system on my 2025 Audi S5 has repeatedly and unpredictably locked me inside the vehicle and, on separate occasions, locked me out of the vehicle, with no consistent trigger. The electronic central door locking system/mechanism (door latch actuators and associated locking control module) has malfunctioned, intermittently failing to unlock (trapping occupants inside) and... Read more

Incident date: Aug 5, 2026

My 2021 Honda Pilot Touring intermittently fails to restart after the Auto Idle Stop system shuts off the engine at a stop. This occurs about 10% of the time. When I release the brake, the engine does not restart, creating a risk of being stranded in traffic. I must shift to Park and press the Start button to restart it. No warning lights or messages were observed. The problem has not yet been ins... Read more

Incident date: May 15, 2026

I own a 2018 Ram 2500 4x4 diesel, VIN [XXX], affected by FCA/Stellantis Safety Recall C4B / NHTSA 24V-896 involving the ABS Hydraulic Control Unit (HCU). My truck is now experiencing the problem. The ABS warning light comes on and the cruise control becomes unavailable. The vehicle and component are available for inspection upon request. I am concerned about safety because this malfunction affect... Read more

Incident date: Aug 6, 2026

Just started the car and the whole dashboard went blank, no speedometer, gas tank, nothing is showing like the whole dashboard died on us while driving

Incident date: Aug 8, 2026

My vehicle reduces speed while driving. Occasionally a red turtle will pop up on the dashboard and it just reduces speed. This has gapped on many occasions. The dealership doesn’t know why this is happening. It has been in the shop for a month and two days with more than one problem. This vehicle is very unsafe and dangerous to drive. Mechanically it’s NO GOOD.

Incident date: Jul 30, 2026

While driving my Audi Q6 e-tron on the highway, the vehicle experienced a sudden and complete loss of propulsion and nearly all vehicle electrical/display functions. The instrument cluster and dashboard went completely black, and the vehicle would no longer respond to accelerator input. I was able to get the vehicle to the side of the highway. After the failure, the vehicle could not be restarted... Read more

Incident date: Aug 8, 2026

My 2023 GNC Sierra 1500 has experienced a recurring electrical and safety-related malfunction on multiple occasions while driving. The dashboard and warning lights intermittently flash on, and off and numerous warning messages appear simultaneously. During previous occurrences, warnings included power steering service, safety restraint system, check engine and transmission related messages, incl... Read more

Incident date: Aug 8, 2026

I purchased my 2018 Audi SQ5 on September 12, 2025, from Audi Denver (McDonald Automotive Group). On XXX, at 114,145 miles, the vehicle suffered a sudden, catastrophic engine failure while driving on the highway near [XXX], caused by defective rocker arm needle bearings in the 3.0T EA839 V6 engine. The early-design needle bearings disintegrated within the cylinder head, scattering loose metal r... Read more

Incident date: Aug 9, 2026

Purchased vehicle in question on 9/11/25 as a lease through the local Jeep dealership near my residence. Sometime around 4/26 to 5/26 my vehicle started to display odd operational patterns which were brought to my local dealerships attention. The first event where I was able to record any type of documentation was around 5/25/26. While driving, the vehicle would suddenly go into "limp mode" and ra... Read more

Incident date: Aug 7, 2026

I purchased my vehicle in March 2026 from the.dealership with a known active recall from November 2025 with fire risk, now there is an additional fire hazard recall and my vehicle is currently undriveable due to these recalls.

Incident date: May 25, 2026

Almost got into an accident twice. Complete steering loss while driving. Replaced my rack n pinion per the bhph dealership i bought it from and still having issues. Complete steering loss while driving.

Incident date: May 25, 2026

I came to a complete stop at a red light. The car went into neutral and shut off completely. In order to restart the car, I had to put it in park to completely restart it in traffic. This same thing has now happened multiple times and each time it does, it comes shortly before the battery fails and will not start the car at all. I have been through 3 AGM Platinum batteries in the past year. S... Read more

Incident date: Jul 14, 2026

I took my 2003 Saturn ion to my local Chevrolet dealership in Lincoln Illinois and they refused to complete the recall issues (2) both are to do with the ignition and keys.thwy told me it was not fixable it needed a whole steering column that would cost me they said around $800.so it has now been 2 weeks my car has been there at Graue Chevrolet Dealership unfixed and they refused to fix please hel... Read more

Incident date: Jul 10, 2026

electrical, drivetrain, powertrain. While driving the vehicle a message popped up on the speedometer saying service battery chargeing system and battery saver mode. the is the second time that those messages have come up in the four years of ownership with the first time being in 2024. The second issue we have had with this vehicle was injectors going bad and causing a bad misfire making driveabi... Read more

Incident date: Jul 20, 2026

• July 19 (PM): While driving, the vehicle displayed: ◦ Service Hybrid Electric System (red wrench) ◦ Check Engine Light • July 20 (AM): All warning lights had cleared. • July 20 (PM): While driving, the following warnings appeared simultaneously: ◦ Service Hybrid Electric System (red wrench) ◦ Check Engine Light ◦ Service Electronic ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 20, 2026

When the outside temperature rises, even with sun visor coverage, the vehicle starts making a weird screeching high pitch noise. You can unplug the car chargers turn off radio, and it still continues, very daunting and dangerous, unable to hear paramedics siren until visible. Unable to have toddler in vehicle noise is loud, Apple Watch states noise decibel too loud.

Incident date: Jul 20, 2026

While merging onto the freeway and accelerating, the center touchscreen detached from its mount. The screen has two components: a rear housing fixed to the dash and a glass front panel that sits on top of it — the glass panel came loose on its own; I have never attempted to remove or pry it. The panel remained connected only by internal wiring and hung loose from the dash while the vehicle was i... Read more

Incident date: Aug 8, 2026

My vehicle is currently being recalled for the recall 52D, I have reached out twice in a thirty day span asking about a fix and been told both times there are no parts for this fix. The risk of this recall includes fire, while charging or while parked and off.

Incident date: Aug 8, 2026

Driver information display has not been turning on when car wakes from sleep on hot days, typically over 105 degrees and parked for over five hours. Driver unable to see current speed, current state of charge, etc. Display turns on, with no issues, the next morning or after the car is parked in the shade for more than 30 mins.

Incident date: Jul 9, 2026

Auto Idle Restart failed three times in traffic at red light. Have to shift to Park and push Start button. Nothing happens for several seconds, then engine starts.

Incident date: Aug 6, 2026

My infotainment system has completely blacked out. I have no navigation, no rear view camera or warning signals. I have no phone and no SOS 🆘 emergency calls. I have no music no lane merging alerts. My charging station does not work in the front of the vehicle.

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

New vehicle, only 900 miles on it had to get it jumped twice so far. The 12v battery has parasitic draining.

Incident date: Aug 7, 2026

Liftgate Latch Assembly Failure: The vehicle experienced an internal electrical short circuit and hardware failure within the power liftgate latch assembly. This defective latch caused a severe parasitic 12V battery drain that repeatedly rendered the vehicle completely dead, leaving it unexpectedly stranded. The hardware failure also triggered a software error loop that locked the power liftgate i... Read more

Incident date: Dec 1, 2024

The high-voltage battery failed unexpectedly shortly after the warranty expired (with only 9,000 miles past warranty). Tesla Service confirmed a main high-voltage battery defect and quoted a full battery replacement. A sudden high-voltage battery failure causes a complete loss of propulsion/power, creating a severe collision and safety hazard on public roads. There were no prior warnings until the... Read more

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

I was in an automatic car wash, approaching the end of the tunnel. The car was running but in neutral. I put my foot on the brake pedal and shifted into drive. As I moved the shifter, I heard a scraping sound followed by a clink sound, then the car surged forward and accelerated toward a stone wall directly ahead. I turned hard right as I hit and held the brakes. I missed the wall but hit a p... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Jul 16, 2026

The vehicle auxiliary battery keeps discharging and has to be jumped all the time. First time the car was towed to the dealership at 800 miles on it and on August 7th had to jump the car after getting off work and on August 8th had to jump the car after getting off work to get home. First time the battery had 89% charge on August 7th it had 73% charge and August 8th it had 68% charge. Total miles ... Read more

Incident date: Jan 27, 2026

I am writing to report a safety concern with my 2025 Kia Sorento plug-in hybrid. On multiple occasions, after starting the vehicle, the instrument panel appears normal, but the vehicle does not enter the ready state. The ready indicator does not illuminate and the vehicle will not shift into drive or reverse. The vehicle will however, unfortunately, shift into neutral and roll, but with no power.... Read more

Incident date: Aug 7, 2026

Tesla released a new version of FSD: 2026.20.6.11 V14 Lite for my 2022 Model Y Long Range. I installed it overnight and the next morning, several systems become intermittent. The backup camera stopped working immediately, and FSD would drop out, with the message "Take control immediately". I would then lose traffic visualization and other advanced features. Eventually the system would recover and... Read more

Incident date: Aug 8, 2026

There were no warning lights prior to driving and the vehicle stopping on the highway 2 times. Now the warning lights is constant and referencing the recall from 09/2025. Still no remedy for the recall. Mopar and the Alfa Romeo dealership have not contacted me regarding fixing the problem. A class action lawsuit needs to be filed

Incident date: Jul 22, 2026

On August 8, 2026, at approximately 23,959 miles, my 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe experienced a significant loss of propulsion while accelerating in Hybrid mode to merge onto a highway. During acceleration, the check engine light began flashing, then remained illuminated, and the vehicle displayed a “Service Hybrid System Required” warning. The vehicle then provided little to no effective moti... Read more

Incident date: Aug 8, 2026

when driving our 2023 honda pilot we stopped at traffic light the car shut off would not restart our front doors would open and close our back doors would not operate back tale gate door would not operate we had no4 way blinkers no lights totally dead auto. we were in middle of four lanes bumper to bumper traffic with no way to warn other drivers of our car break down. after short time a help... Read more

Incident date: Mar 3, 2025

Headlight Issue While driving at night on a dark country road the headlights all of a sudden reduced visibility to about 5 feet and had a blacked out dead spot (like a dark shelf). We had to drive roughly 25 miles with this limited visibility which was extremely dangerous and nerve racking. The visibility range improved the next day but the dead spot (shelf) is still visible and visibility is sti... Read more

Incident date: Aug 5, 2026

Related recall: NHTSA 25V720000 / Chrysler 67C — "The electrical circuit for the radiator fan may overheat." Fire/injury: No fire / no injuries; component overheated and burned/melted. Complaint narrative (paste this into the form) The radiator cooling fan on my 2020 Ram ProMaster 3500 (3.6L gasoline V6) repeatedly became stuck running / would not shut off on multiple occasions. The cooling f... Read more

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Vehicle Safety

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Consumer Safety Complaints

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

How to interpret what you read

If you've experienced a defect

Read more from our blog