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: Jul 22, 2026

The infotainment touchscreen display in my 2017 Mazda 6 is experiencing a "ghost touch" defect, where the screen registers inputs without being touched. The defective touchscreen is available for inspection upon request. While driving, the system randomly changes settings, switches menus, activates functions, and changes audio or navigation screens without driver input. This creates a safety haza... Read more

Incident date: May 28, 2026

Tracking battery default

Incident date: Jun 25, 2026

I own a 2010 Subaru Outback. While parked at a college in Medford, Oregon, it suffered a spontaneous electrical fire that originated inside the driver's door. This is the exact failure described in Subaru Safety Recall Campaign WQE-41. The NHTSA website states the recall was completed on this VIN, meaning the recall repair itself has failed and caused a total loss of the vehicle at this time as we... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Jun 25, 2026

Turned AC on blew out cool air all of sudden the air went out hot air blowing, smelt burning and saw smoke on passenger side (not a lot,but enough to raise concerns) turned AC shut climate off, turned car off tried it again no air just heat blowing. brother in law put it on machine , gave a sensor code, replaced sensor put a can of air in, still blowing out hot air. and if ran too long it will sm... Read more

Incident date: Jul 21, 2026

Recently this vehicle has triggered a check engine light. Upon further examination the code was related to an ignition #3. (CODES: P020C, PO1DO).

Incident date: Jul 26, 2026

An Over-The-Air / Chevrolet Dealership software update removed a physical, hands-on-wheel control function, forcing me to divert my eyes from the road to the central touchscreen to perform a basic driving task (channel surfing) on the radio. Specifically, the right front steering wheel toggle used to allow you to scroll sequentially up or down from one radio station / frequency / SiriusXM channel ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 24, 2026

instrument cluster began failing intermittently (tachometer first, then other gauges), and the dealer determined the entire cluster had to be replaced at a cost of about $3,000. The vehicle had 78,000 miles, so it was outside Kia's 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty.

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE43. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the radio screen went blank. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that there was no recall on the VIN associated with the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

Incident date: Jul 19, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated with the message “Front Camera Error” displayed, and the front camera became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with a front camera failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failu... Read more

Incident date: Jul 20, 2026

While driving in live traffic, the vehicle suffered a catastrophic and total simultaneous mechanical and electrical system failure. Without warning, the vehicle completely lost engine propulsion, braking assistance, and all dashboard displays. Concurrently, the vehicle suffered a complete blackout of all exterior safety lighting, including the brake lights and the emergency hazard flashers rende... Read more

Incident date: May 13, 2026

The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that after turning off the vehicle with a trailer hitched to the vehicle, the trailer brake lights failed to turn off. The contact disconnected the trailer from the vehicle for the trailer brake lights to turn off. Additionally, the electric trailer brakes and turn signals intermittently failed to function properly. The vehicle w... Read more

Incident date: Jul 23, 2026

Purchased a 2023 Ford escape PHEV in May 2023. In January 2025, a safety recall 24S79, Ford explicitly instructed owners to immediately stop plugging in their vehicles and to avoid using external charging cables entirely. Then in February of 2026 after a year not being able to charge, recall 25SC4 was issued, advising owners to limit charging to a maximum of 80% capacity and operate exclusively i... Read more

Incident date: Dec 30, 2025

The contact owns a 2022 Honda Accord. The contact stated that there were persistent failures with the infotainment system. The contact stated that occasionally the screen flickered abnormally, the navigation system zoomed in and out unexpectedly, unintended phone calls were made while driving, and the screen occasionally became frozen or was unresponsive to touch. The vehicle was taken to the deal... Read more

Incident date: May 20, 2026

Water leaking from sunroof drains to interior of cabin. Water getting electronics wet and filling up where the battery sits as well. Both driver side and passenger side. Vehicle has numerous electrical problems such as: Vehicle auto start stop function failing (car not turning back on at traffic light) Emergency indicators not working infotainment crashing

Incident date: Jul 28, 2026

Stellantis issued a STAR service order regarding the digital rearview mirror not operating. I bought my truck in April of 2026 and the mirror was inoperable. Ram dealers have had the truck in the shop for over 10 weeks and cannot fix this safety issue. A STAR number and two claims numbers have been assigned. Stellantis Customer Service cannot understand what is being said and no rental car afforde... Read more

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

While driving down the road, I came to a stop and the vehicle started flashing every light then would not restart or allow the vehicle to be put into neutral. Initially thought maybe a battery issue despite my new battery being only eight months old replaced the battery and all the electronics started going haywire requiring the vehicle to be towed.

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

For several months before the failure, the Auto Idle Stop (engine stop-start) system became progressively slower to restart the engine after stopping. Each restart sounded sluggish, as though the starter was dragging, and the vehicle would remain stopped for several extra seconds before moving. This occurred repeatedly at traffic lights and other stops creating a safety concern as drivers behind m... Read more

Incident date: Jun 30, 2026

My 2017 Kia Niro exhibits a dangerous low-speed engine surging hazard matching Safety Recall SC276. An authorized Kia dealership technician inspected the vehicle under RO #6115244 and formally documented 'seeping fluid residue' inside the clutch actuator housing. However, the dealership and Kia Corporate are refusing to honor the recall remedy and have released the car at a $0.00 balance while exp... Read more

Incident date: Oct 13, 2025

The contact owns a 2013 Audi A5. The contact stated that after activating the AC system, there was hot air and a burning odor coming from the passenger’s side vents. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V002000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact called an independent mechanic and referenced the recall campaign. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was... Read more

Incident date: Jul 28, 2026

Major electrical issues, including rear view camera not working, vehicle starting when no key fob is in or near the vehicle, tail lights burning out even after replacement, one taillight blinking faster than the other, screen for infotainment not turning on, all of a sudden vehicle not starting with complete battery drainage even after vehicle was just charged. And too many other issues to name, m... Read more

Incident date: Jul 26, 2026

my 2023 Santa Cruz had 7500 miles when purchased 4/25/26. I have had issues with the screen blackening/fading which cuts of electronics; ex; safety features. This was taken in twice. Then the truck loses power. Going 55 or 75, suddenly truck drops to 20mph. Car's honk, brake & swerve not to hit us. It has been at dealers three times now for same issue. Since I've owned vehicle, it has been at deal... Read more

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

Back up camera is STILL not working as intended. When backing up camera goes blank. This already an existing recall, but its been a long time since its been issued and I dont think they are trying to remedy it.

Incident date: Jul 24, 2026

automatic start-stop system causing actual engine stalls instead of a smooth restart is commonly triggered by failing auxiliary/main batteries, a dirty throttle body, or faulty charging sensors It has stalled on highway in stand still traffic. Issues with getting it to go. Have to turn off the car and restart. Has occurred 3 times - downtown of a major city in traffic, on a busy highway and at an... Read more

Incident date: Jan 1, 2026

The stereo/infotainment system starts making an extremely loud static sound which comes through the speakers. It can be ear piercing at times. Sometimes this triggers the infotainmnet system controls not to work. I have to stop the car, turn off the engine and open the door to hopefully reset the system. This can be extremely dangerous in traffic.

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

The 12-volt auxiliary battery on this 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-in hybrid repeatedly discharges to a completely dead state while the vehicle is parked and switched off. The vehicle has failed three times in approximately 30 days. First failure, June 26, 2026: the vehicle would not start. Numerous fault codes were stored across multiple modules, including P0562 (system voltage low). The od... Read more

Incident date: Jul 24, 2026

Truck turns off

Incident date: Jul 3, 2026

This has happened to me a total of three times now And I have had the car one month. It stopped on me again in the middle of traffic Just driving without warning without any indicating lights on on June 25th. It stopped on me prior on July 21st and I just got it out of the shop July 24th. This is very dangerous and a dangerous situation especially to be driving one minute and the car just stop on ... Read more

Incident date: Apr 1, 2026

my BSD sensor would go on and off for the last several months when no one was around me. I work early and even when I was alone on the road the BSD would flash for 2-3 mins and go off.. then my fan for my air conditioner stopped. When I removed the glove compartment to see the wire connecting to the fan is "melted". When i called bob king hyundai, I was informed there was no recall. So, I attempte... Read more

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

Shifter does not recognize its in park, from what I read this affects thousands. Why am I having to sit in my car for minutes at a time? is Chevy not required to handle the fixing of that switch. What a subpar design team they have. I just had to cough up over $800 to fix rusting because of shit wheel design that doesn't protect those components. Absolutely unacceptable to have consumers not onl... Read more

Incident date: Jul 17, 2024

The contact owned a 2024 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving into the driveway and coming to a complete stop, the contact became aware of steam coming from underneath the hood and believed that the engine was overheating. No warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel prior to the vehicle catching on fire. The contact and his wife were inside the vehicle were in the ... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

The infotainment screen in my car plus the menu control went completely dead. With the screen dead completely this mean you cannot see the speedomoter, rear camera feeds, warning symbols on the dash. You cannot see current speed, you cannot hear any sound so all alerting systems are down. You are completely blind in a vehicle built around this screen. Dealership has already confirmed faulty comput... Read more

Incident date: Jun 11, 2026

The Telluride was parked in my driveway on a hill. When the car was started by pushing the ignition all of the lights on the dash panel started flashing. The car was shifted into reverse to back down the driveway however the brakes didn’t work. We captured this on video via CCTV footage. You can see the vehicle reversing and the brake lights are on as the pedal was pushed but not responding. As ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 24, 2026

The dealer replaced the brake tow module the end of June and I was still getting trailer warning lights afterwards and took it back to the dealer and they said everything is fine found no problems that it was possible the trailer hitch was sticking out to far and maybe the sensors were randomly picking up the trailer hitch so I have been driving with no trailer connected and sensors turned off and... Read more

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

Three days before leaving for a trip from [XXX] to [XXX] my Land Rover Defender gave me a Low Battery warning. There was no time to take it to the dealership so I bought a new battery and put it in myself, then drove the 700 miles to [XXX]. My family and I were traveling in a remote area 6 miles from our vacation rental, with no cellular service, when our Defender suddenly threw an electrical fau... Read more

Incident date: Apr 27, 2026

Subject: Manufacturer and Dealer Non-Compliance / Obstruction of Federal Safety Recalls Vehicle: 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan Description of Problem: I am filing a formal complaint against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA)/Mopar and its authorized dealer network for active non-compliance, negligence, and obstruction regarding 7 open federal safety recalls on my vehicle. Authorized franchise dealerships... Read more

Incident date: Jun 19, 2026

The horn is intermittenly failing and was verified by a Weimer Hyundai in Morgantown, WV on XXX. This is a known defect in 2023 Hyundai Elantras and they have issued an extended warranty to address the problem. An absence of a horn is a safety issue as you cannot signal other drivers in emergency situations. It is unlawful to have a horn that does not operate in most states including WV ([XXX]) wh... Read more

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

The telematics module for the OnStar system continues to stop working, I have had this truck in a dealership service center multiple times for them to reset the system (instead of replacing the defective parts). Along with the infotainment system not working properly (cuts in and out, blinks on/off, delay in actions) Doors unlock while driving, front/rear cameras come on when I stopping at an inte... Read more

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

Since 2023, this car’s auto start/stop feature has malfunctioned. Honda keeps replacing the battery and saying nothing else is wrong. It has had 4 battery replacements since 2023. Now they are saying I need to replace the starter. I no longer use the start/stop feature, but if I forget and it engages, my car will not restart leaving me in an intersection trying to get the car to restart, which i... Read more

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

Internal starter failure.

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

This issue began after I brought unrepaired recall concerns to the dealership’s General Manager and was told I would need to sign an NDA and failed to provide the recall part numbers as agreed. When I received my vehicle back, I immediately noticed physical changes to my instrument panel. I then reviewed four years of photos and videos stored on my original devices and discovered approximately t... Read more

Incident date: Jun 5, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that the blower motor functioned intermittently, turning on and off unexpectedly. The contact stated that the A/C functioned as intended during the cooler months but was intermittently inoperable in the warmer months, requiring that the wires that were overheating be repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired un... Read more

Incident date: Jun 3, 2025

The contact owns a 2025 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that on four occasions while stopped at an intersection with the engine idling, the idle stop feature activated, and the vehicle unexpectedly shut off. The mechanic was able to restart the vehicle. There were other drivers behind the vehicle who started honking their horns. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated on the instrument p... Read more

Incident date: Jul 2, 2026

The vehicle is currently at Kayser Automotive Group located at 2303 West Beltline Hwy Madison, WI 53713, their direct line is [XXX], since the diagnoses of the corrosion of the DCN. SYSTEMS & COMPONENTS THAT FAILED: A faulty or clogged engine bay drain plug failed to divert water, causing significant water accumulation that routed into the interior cabin. This water intrusion directly soaked inte... Read more

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

My wife was driving and the horn started blowing and the rear wiper started ejecting all the wiper fluid. When I showed up to assist, it smelled super hot and I had to pull the fuse and negative lead to make the wiper pump and horn stop. It was towed to a Ford dealer, who found the main engine harness had MELTED going into the engine compartment fuse box. The horn and wiper fluid pump also had to ... Read more

Incident date: May 21, 2026

Due to the loss of power steering the tech at Rainier Dodge of Olympia performed electrical testing per diagnostic chart and found water intrusion into steering harness that has corroded wiring from the body harness into electric steering gear motor/module unit. The electric power steering gear assembly and harnesses must be replaced. The vehicle recieved a fault code U0140 stating loss of communi... Read more

Incident date: Jun 6, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Porsche Cayenne. The contact stated that the vehicle was hacked. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's assistance safety features malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to swerve despite the driver's efforts to drive straight. Infotainment settings confirmed that the Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) system was engaged. Additionally, the message... Read more

Incident date: Jun 2, 2026

Electrical screen fail. Makes backup camera turn black and turns off while using. off and on repeatedly while in use. Very dangerous.

Incident date: Jul 27, 2023

2021 GLE350 - 4JGFB4KB7MA355768 purchased December 30, 2024 with 35,000. miles. Current milage 61,933. There is a critical electrical/software defect in the MBUX system which has completely blacked out. This VIN# has not been placed on recall but it is suffering the same failure as previous models (Including NHTSA campaign #21V354 and #26V281000 and I believe it warrants further investigation. ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 29, 2026

My 2024 Kia Seltos (leased, approximately 19,800 miles) received an over-the-air (OTA) software update on [07/03/2026]. The vehicle's screen prompted me to approve the update and stated it would complete with the ignition off. I approved it and exited the vehicle as instructed by Kia's on-screen directions and owner's manual. Immediately after this update, the vehicle developed an intermittent no... Read more

Incident date: Jul 7, 2026

Clockspring Recall. Horn not working, buttons on steering column not working, when turning steering wheel it makes a clicking noise, sounds like spring being pulled, driver side air bag light is illuminated on dash.

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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

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