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.
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
Showing 191,761 complaints - component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
My 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport has experienced intermittent electrical failures while driving, including at highway speeds. The infotainment system first began shutting off intermittently around April 2026. At times, I had to pull over, place the vehicle in Park, turn it off, and restart it multiple times before the system would function again. On approximately XXX while traveling from [XX... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving and making a right turn, the vehicle hesitated and jerked while depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, the contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a complete stop, the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was turned off and restarted and responded as intended upon shifting into drive(D). No warn... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2025
Center brake light fails intermittently when outside temperature is hot (115). Tesla is aware of the issue and has no fix. Side brake lights still seem to work when center fails.
Incident date: Jul 28, 2026
Shift to park sensor Shift to park warning. It was reported to dealer
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
November 1, 2024 (46,750 Miles): Vehicle suffered an initial internal high-voltage electric A/C compressor meltdown (Diagnostic Trouble Code B14721C). The authorized dealership replaced the compressor under warranty but left the original, contaminated micro-channel condenser assembly in the vehicle, attempting to clear it via a basic fluid flush. January 15, 2026 (121,269 miles): Vehicle was brou... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2026
A software error in 1.5L turbo model disable fuel injectors, preventing the engine from starting or causing a sudden stall while driving. It’s been confirmed to be an previously opened recall that was fixed by previous owner. But, is happening again to me. Yet I’m being told It has been closed and cannot be fixed unless I pay out of pocket. There are warning signs that pop up like reduced spee... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2026
While driving my 2026 Mercedes-Benz E350 (rear-wheel drive) at approximately 40 mph, I began slowing for a traffic light. As I approached the intersection, the vehicle suddenly experienced what appeared to be a catastrophic electronic failure. Without warning, the vehicle became almost completely inoperable while the engine continued to run. The vehicle abruptly came to a stop and became immobil... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2026
I bought my car in April, it is now July. My SUV has been in the shop twice for engine failures. My car will die while I’m driving, and will not restart. The check engine light, oil light and battery light come on. The brake locks up and I am unable to restart until after anywhere from 5-20 minutes. It has happened a total of 7 times, the first time being one week after purchase. I have been tra... Read more
DODGE
CHALLENGER
(2023) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 30, 2026
Incident date: Jun 8, 2026
The faulty wiring of the battery caused it to catch fire. The vehicle is currently available for inspection, at the dealership. We have the fire report, the independent fire inspection report, and the recall that was mailed to us by the manufacturer, as well as the inspection and estimate from the insurance company. My husband and infant daughter were inside when it caught fire directly under the ... Read more
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: May 1, 2026
PCS2 Failure alerts on the screen left the vehicle unable to charge at any level except supercharge. The vehicle can be stranded due to unavailibility of supercharges and inability to charge at any Level 1 or level 2 chrgers.
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
*Brake system failure, complete shut down of vehicle. *Vehicle unable to start. *Vehicle was taken directly to Peoria Ford ( 9130 W Bell Rd, Peoria, AZ 85382) via tow truck on XXX Confirmed when dropped off of brake system failure and vehicle not functioning. *Vehicle was inspected on XXX which we were originally told it was the battery. Although the vehicle was in for trailer software recall on ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2026
HVAC water tubing has leaked on to the airbag control module causing airbag errors and many other electrical faults. This is a known safety problem under recall 87H4, NHTSA campaign 21V892. However, Volkswagen stated my VIN is not eligible for this recall. Note: this diagnostic was not performed at a dealership but at an independent German car repair shop.
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2021) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 30, 2026
Incident date: Jul 28, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start while attempting to start it. There were no warning lights illuminated. A tow truck company successfully jump-started the vehicle, and the vehicle was towed to the local dealer. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact returned to retrieve the vehicle, and the key fob failed to operate, a... Read more
Incident date: Jul 26, 2026
While actively moving at highway speeds on July 13, 2026, the vehicle suffered an instantant, total loss of all 12V electrical auxiliary power. The dashboard flashed 'Hybrid System Malfunction' and 'Drive-Start Control Malfunction' before all digital instrument clusters, center infotainment displays, and cabin lights went completely dark. Power steering and braking assist dropped to emergency back... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2025
I received a factory recall notice from Volkswagen regarding the high-voltage battery in my ID.4 (Recall 93EA). I brought the vehicle to Volkswagen South Coast ([XXX]) for the recall repair on XXX completed XXX where the dealer found the battery testing "not OK" and replaced Modules 1, 5, and 12. On XXX — less than three months later — a battery warning light returned. The dealer found fault c... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2026
On 7/29/2026, the vehicle experienced a critical safety failure involving the electronic transmission shift-by-wire system, resulting in an unintended rollaway after the ignition was turned off. While parked on an incline, the driver depressed the brake pedal and pressed the Engine Start/Stop button while the vehicle was still positioned in Drive (D). The engine shut off completely. According to f... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2026
I currently own a 2020 Nissan Altima with 49,186 miles and I am reporting a recurring power door lock failure. This vehicle was inspected at the Nissan of Cumming location this morning to confirm the issue. Three of the passenger-side door lock actuators have failed within a short period of time. The two rear door locks stopped working at the same time, and approximately two weeks later the front... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2015) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 30, 2026
Incident date: Apr 15, 2026
High voltage battery pack failed. It is available for inspection. No one was affected by the issue when it occurred. Tesla has inspected it and stated it has imbalance, and entire high voltage battery pack needs to be replaced. Yes, there is a warning messages on the screen. (BMS_a079 - Unable to charge - Maximum charge level reached) ...but only shows 50% State of Charge The issue happened random... Read more
Incident date: Jul 26, 2026
1) The infotainment system/8-inch LCD touch screen that controls the system settings is exhibiting ghost/phantom touches and is faulty since July 7th 2026. I tried to self-diagnose it but could not fix it. Yes, the vehicle is available for inspection provided I get a loaner car to drive that day. 2) These random touches are constant and are very distracting and when a driver is distracted, it coul... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2026
•XXX: Purchased new 2025 Audi Q5. •XXX Dashboard displayed "Check Tire Pressure" warning for all tires. •XXX: Service at Audi Marin - Reported hatch malfunction, tire pressure concerns, and repeated rollback after brake release during service visit. •XXX: Vehicle displayed "P Not Possible. Risk of Rolling Away" warning. Vehicle could not be placed into PARK, required roadside assistance (n... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2026
Loss of power steering, Truck repaired by GM dealer, he stated it was the same failure mode described in Recall notice N2023254 10. The repair even though the same as the previous failures was not covered by GM because my VIN was not in GMs recall notice. Looking at this website there a number of reports of power steering failures for later model Colorado and Canyons that were not covered by the... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
On XXX at approximately 4:30pm, while driving through a parking lot (between 5-10mph), I tapped my brakes and then the parking brake activated and caused several errors on my dash, such as the ABS light, a brake failure error, a service Advance-Trac error, and others. The brakes became incredibly stiff and would not work when I pressed them. The car would continue to roll and stop randomly. I was ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2026
The vehicle has experienced an issue with its power conversion system (PCS2) that leaves AC charging unavailable. Based upon online forums and social media, this issue is clearly widespread amongst early VIN model Cybertrucks. The scope of the issue has lead to delays with repair. My vehicle has experienced this issue since early June 2026, and I am still awaiting repair. This is a safety concer... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2026
The A/C vent actuating solenoids under the dash have all failed. They don't allow the cool air to be routed properly. We have had the dealers service center check each time as they would fail, and they found replacement is needed at each visit. The actuators began failing at 6,000 miles, and continued dropping off one by one at various mileage until all three are now not functioning. My car has 11... Read more
TESLA
CYBERTRUCK
(2024) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 30, 2026
Incident date: Jul 29, 2026
The contact owned a 2021 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 45 MPH, the instrument panel cluster went out and the vehicle experienced a slight loss of automotive power, and the front headlights failed, the contact was then involved in a head on collision, where the front passenger side was impacted. The vehicle came to a stop upon impact. The air bags were deplo... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Jun 11, 2019
Went in to get a service done for my vehicle and all the highlighted areas were the problem. They stated models from 2019-2022 The Camrys all have had transmission issues. I still have my car and it’s working, but I don’t want to pay for a new transmission when Toyal manufacturing has been aware of these models and issues.
Incident date: Jul 27, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the lights on the instrument panel became dark and the vehicle stalled. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken back to the residence; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was appro... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2026
Failure of the forward-looking multipurpose camera after a simple battery change. Many safety features are now inoperative including emergency braking, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, among others. Ultimately, a routine maintenance item (battery replacement) is causing the failure of vehicle safety systems.
Incident date: Jul 26, 2026
I am submitting this complaint because I believe my Volvo electric vehicle has a serious and recurring safety-related defect that has not been permanently repaired despite multiple repair attempts. Since purchasing the vehicle new, it has repeatedly failed to operate as intended, left me stranded multiple times, and continues to display warning messages while driving. I purchased the vehicle new ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
I am a fire investigator for the Olathe (KS) Fire Department. On July 3, 2026 at 1255 hrs our crews were called to a vehicle fire for the above listed car. The vehicle was reportedly being driven when smoke entered the passenger compartment causing the driver to pull over. He opened the rear tailgate and saw flames coming from the base of the rear cargo area. He called 911. Olathe PD utilized... Read more
Fire
MERCEDES-BENZ
E 400 4MATIC
(2018) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 30, 2026
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2007 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that while his son was in the driveway about to drive off, the vehicle started smoking. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V088000 (Electrical System, Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact would replace the parts. The contact stated that the manufacturer was delaying the... Read more
Incident date: Jul 30, 2026
The vehicle experienced transmission drive issues accompanied by a Check Engine Light. An independent repair facility scanned the vehicle and confirmed diagnostic trouble code P0717 for a transmission speed sensor open circuit. The failure causes unexpected loss of acceleration and erratic power delivery while driving, redlining at 45 mph, malfunctioning of the gear selection display, and creating... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2026
The passenger sliding door randomly will not close with close button. The door will get 1/2-2/3 closed and then re-open. This happens intermittently and under no particular circumstances. There is occasionally a "door problem" light that flashes on the dash while driving.
Incident date: Jul 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the seat belt, ABS, check engine, and other unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the messages “Service Transmission – Continue in D – Do Not Shift or Turn off Engine until You Reach a Desired Location”, "Service Power Steering", "Service Parking Brake", "Pa... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2026
My 2026 Ram 1500 Bighorn Crew Cab After vehicle startup, approximately five seconds, after initiating forward,, the vehicle experience and abrupt engine shut down while in motion. Concurrently the vehicles, electronic parking brake forcefully self engages without driver command due to an automated safety conflict. This severe powertrain, and electrical failure completely strands the vehicle and ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2026
Day Running Lights in headlights fail. The side LED fails completely requiring the entire headlight housing needing to be replaced. This is a common failure and Ford is not doing anything to help the thousands of customers this is affecting. This failure is widely reported online, in forums and chat rooms. Dealer acknowledges it is a part failure but Ford will not pay for replacement even though i... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 2500
(2021) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 30, 2026
Incident date: Jul 26, 2026
While driving on an interstate during a heavy summer thunderstorm, the vehicle suddenly displayed a warning stating, "There may be a problem with the Battery Management System," along with a "Check Hybrid System" message. At the same time, the check engine light illuminated and the hybrid system stopped functioning without any prior warning. Approximately 10–15 minutes before the incident, I had... Read more
Incident date: Jul 11, 2026
The vehicle randomly stalls and shuts down. This can happen while pulling out in traffic. It has happened 5 times or more.
Incident date: Jul 30, 2026
RTSCM FAILED TO BE REPAIRED resulting in life long issue. Recall Y80 from December 2021 was performed and then erased from my vin history. 14a associated with same failing part was completed and issue never went away.
Incident date: Jul 17, 2021
1. Vehicle sat in a storage unit for 2 weeks. Battery registered adequate voltage when picking up vehicle 2. Started vehicle, engaged 4 Auto due to rain 3. Drove 16 miles in light to moderate rain at speeds of 30-60MPH 4. Made multiple stops at stoplight in town. When waiting at a red light, my foot was on the brake pedal for about 20 seconds, the pedal then jolted up a small amount. The dash imme... Read more
Incident date: Sep 4, 2025
I paid Tesla to perform a safety inspection of my Tesla Cybertruck after I purchased it. During that inspection, Tesla determined that the vehicle's as built configuration was **not safe** and required me to purchase a newer revision of the Power Conversion System (PCS). The required PCS revision did not exist when my vehicle was originally manufactured, meaning the vehicle could not have been bui... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2026
Annotated § 55-24-101 et seq. that my 2026 Toyota Camry is a "lemon" due to a substantial safety defect that remains unremedied. Specifically, the vehicle is subject to a safety recall regarding "loss of drive power while driving at higher speeds or a vehicle fire could increase the risk of a crash or an injury.", which substantially impairs the safety and use of the vehicle. As of the date of th... Read more
TOYOTA
CAMRY HYBRID
(2026) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 29, 2026
Incident date: Jul 29, 2026
Falsification and/or alteration of repair logs, service dates, and/or mileage records across dealership diagnostic networks and third parties. Evasion of warranty and/or other maintenance requirements. Poor dealership and corporate treatment/harassment of military veterans. Suspected unauthorized non-factory wiring harness splices and/or other devices tapped directly into primary Controller Area N... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2026
Flat towing a 2025 Bronco behind a 2025 Newmar Dutchstar using a Blue Ox tow bar with Demco AirForce Braking System. Ford has a setting called neutral towing. It allows you to tow behind a motorhome with brake lights, braking, etc. When the Ford is in neutral tow, and in neutral gear, all 4 wheel roll freely and you can tow safely. What's happening is the Ford is waking up out of neutral tow when ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 3500. The contact stated that while attempting to switch lanes, the side-view cameras failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with a disconnected wire from the side-view cameras. The wire had poor connection, which caused the cameras to fail due to low voltage. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notifi... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2026
Falsification and/or alteration of repair logs, service dates, and/or mileage records across dealership diagnostic networks and third parties. Evasion of warranty and/or other maintenance requirements. Poor dealership and corporate treatment of military veterans. Suspected unauthorized non-factory wiring harness splices and/or other devices tapped directly into primary Controller Area Network (CAN... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2026
I was driving on a road around 30 mph when the engine cut off and shifted itself into park. No warning, no power, no movement. Car was dead in the road and I was unable to move it to the curb. I tried to press the drive button. Nothing. i pressed the starter button. Nothing. Parkway Honda said they could find nothing wrong other than replacing the battery. Car is brand new. Bought used at 6,000 mi... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 3500
(2019) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 29, 2026
Incident date: Jul 8, 2026
Water was detected. NHTSA Case (#11742618)
Incident date: Jul 29, 2026
A manufacturer defect caused connector pin corrosion and thus the head unit dash stopped working completely and needs to be replaced. The head unit is what the back up camera comes through causing safety concern. It is no longer under warranty because of the miles, otherwise yearwise it would be. BMW won’t provide any good will assistance. This happened in 2026 on a 2023 model year. It has bee... Read more
Incident date: Jul 3, 2026
Drove home vehicle under 20,000 miles 2025, got to drove way parked and car stalled shaking amd stated steering power low, and shut off. Tried to re start it and did the same thing stalled shook amd shut off with the same warning. No previous issues