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
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2024) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 22, 2026
Incident date: Jul 22, 2026
On June 3, 2026, my 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 SE Dual Motor AWD (approximately 31,000 miles) experienced a sudden and severe high-voltage battery failure. Prior to complete failure, I noticed “Check Electrical” warning sign occurring simultaneously: a sudden and dramatic drop in driving range, dashboard warning lights illuminating, and the vehicle failing to charge properly at both home and public ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
Vehicle stalls when the car shuts off from the auto engine idle shut off feature. The concern was allegedly resolved twice with an update but the issue persists. My battery died in December 2025, when asked if it was a result of the recall causing repeated start failures, the dealership denied. Recently my vehicle shut off from the auto engine idle stop feature and completely died, I had to push t... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2017) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 22, 2026
Incident date: May 5, 2026
Less than 10 month old Santa Fe Calligraphy suddenly started flashing warning signs like Check Drivers Assistance System, Check Headlight LED, Check door assistance system. It comes on randomly, sometimes when the car is running, sometimes when the car is stopped. It flashes these warnings rapidly. When it is going on, the side view cameras stop working. One time when this was happening, I was at... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2026
While I was driving, my car turned off and on again while the car was in motion. I wasn't in an accident, but I did notice the headlights turn off, my dashboard turn off, and a red light appear on the dashboard before the car turned itself back on.
Incident date: Jul 22, 2026
While driving at highway speeds, the vehicle suffered a sudden, simultaneous failure of multiple electrical and safety systems. Without warning, the Check Engine light, VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) light, Traction Control light, and SRS Airbag light all illuminated simultaneously on the dashboard. Immediately upon illumination of these fault lights, the vehicle lost computer-assisted stability ... Read more
Crash
3 injured
Incident date: May 15, 2026
On or around 6/20/26, I went to drive my 2014 mini countryman. When I got inside, I quickly realized that there was mold growing throughout the vehicle, on the carpet, and in the trunk. The vehicle started, but I was unable to use the drivers side window. I sent the vehicle in for service and was informed that a massive leak after a storm had clogged the drain tubes to the moon roof allowing water... Read more
Incident date: Jun 24, 2026
The seat memory of the vehicle will reset itself every few days. This is while using the same key fob and driver profile. Android auto does not stay connected wired or wireless. This is after the vehicle has been factory reset, new cables used and phone reset. Buzzing/ grinding noise while breaking Blind spot sensors do not beep while the setting is activated to beep
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
2025 Honda Odyssey with approximately 22,000 miles. On multiple occasions while stopped at traffic lights or stop signs, the vehicle's Auto Idle Stop feature shut the engine off normally. When I attempted to accelerate, the engine failed to restart, leaving the vehicle disabled in the travel lane. The battery warning light illuminated, and on one earlier occurrence I believe a "Shift to Park" mess... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2026
Car shifted on its own from drive to park right after warning lights stating Electrical Parking System then Emissions the Transmission came on while in stop and go traffic. Car had just come back from Acura mechanic 4 hours earlier as these warning lights had come when starting car. Immediately had car towed to dealership.
Incident date: May 12, 2026
Recall for faulty rearview camera. Still has no remedy. Mine is giving issues. Glitches, freezes, and displays error message to contact dealership. Has almost caused multiple accidents. Have spoken to dealership. With no remedy from ford they want to charge me a fortune to replace and reprogram the camera system.
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 2500
(2021) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 22, 2026
Incident date: Jun 29, 2026
Recently my car has had a series lights come on including 4wd fault, pre-colliosion assist not available, service advance trac, hill start assist warning, and something with the brakes when in reverse. I took it to the dealer and they said it's something electrical that will need parts, and further investigation with removing the seats. That will be another day. Today, while driving with my son in... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2025
My 2023 Toyota Camry has developed an intermittent defect where the ignition key becomes stuck and cannot be removed even though the dashboard shows the vehicle is in Park. The only way to remove the key is to disconnect the vehicle's battery, which is not a normal or safe operating procedure. The problem occurs intermittently and has happened multiple times. I believe there may be a defect involv... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2026
I am submitting this complaint regarding several serious mechanical and electrical issues with my 2020 Buick Encore GX that raise significant concerns about the vehicle's reliability and safety. Most concerning, I was recently informed by the dealership that my vehicle requires another transmission replacement, despite having the transmission replaced in 2024. I was also advised that I would need ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2026
The recall 25v467 was filed july 2025. Since then there has been no fix and my car has no steering due to this recall. Ford will not fix it or do anything. The escape has 106,000 miles. I am still paying payments and have no way to drive my vechile for the last year.
Incident date: Jul 18, 2026
Radio does not emit sound also canceling all warning noises for fuel level, turn signals, seat belts, open door in motion. This problem is not only a saftey hazard for drivers its a major annoyance. Honestly find it quite distracting. Have reached out to gm multiple times and the issue hasn't been corrected. Really concerned this is going to plage my vehicle its whole life. This issue has happened... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2026
Hello, We have 46224 miles on the car currently. A couple of weeks back the whole battery died. Tesla replaced the battery and we picked up the car this past Friday, the XXX. After picking up the car the driver's seat does not slide. I looked it up online on the Tesla website as well as on the app and at both the places it was strongly recommended to bring the car back to Tesla as the problem wa... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2026
My 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S AWD (approximately 40,000 miles) has a persistent GPS navigation system failure where the vehicle displays an incorrect location. This is a safety concern as the navigation system cannot be relied upon for accurate directions or location awareness. The following repair attempts have been made at the dealership: - TSB 91-24-05 was performed and was unsuccessful - The ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2026
2019 Ford Fusion Hybrid SE. Vehicle experienced a “Stop Safely Now” warning with hybrid system shutdown, occurring both while driving and while parked/idling, causing jerking symptoms. This puts driver and other roadway users at risk, as loss of power/propulsion can occur without warning while in motion. Vehicle also set a P0073 (ambient air temperature sensor circuit high) fault code. The amb... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Lincoln Corsair. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V091000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 24, 2025
I was stopped at a drive thru window and as I reached out to get my food, the window rose up by itself. As I drove home over the next ten minutes, the locks locked and unlocked by themselves and the windows rolled down and up by themselves. Warning lights came on and then went off, including "Fault: Electronic parking brake," and "Error:Airbag." The dash screen went off for a few seconds and then ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
When driving in rainy, snowy/icy, or wet conditions, water/slush impacts the front sensors/MAF sensor, causing the engine to shudder, stall, and shut off completely while in drive. The ABS, battery, and oil lights instantly flash on the dashboard, and the Automatic Emergency Braking system triggers/faults, creating a severe stall and safety hazard on active roads.
Incident date: Jul 22, 2026
My 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport Elite has twice applied its brakes on its own, with no obstacle, vehicle, or hazard in front of me to justify braking. On July 13, 2026, at approximately 5:36 p.m., I was driving in evening traffic when the vehicle suddenly braked hard on its own. Nothing was in front of me. The car behind me nearly rear-ended me and had to brake sharply to avoid a collision, and ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2026
I was locked inside my tesla model 3 two stories down in a parking garage with no internet access to find out where the emergency release was for my door. I KICKED my driver side window to survive. It wasn't until after I was told that the doors are tied to a 12v battery that had died without warning. I did not know the doors tied to that nor that there was a secret emergency release. There are no... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2010 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the battery warning light illuminated, and smoke was coming from under the front passenger’s side hood. The vehicle was driven to the residence and parked. The contact stated that moments later, smoke and flames were coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle, and the Fire Department was cal... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jul 17, 2026
I was stuck on the Hot way for 45 minutes cause my car was heating up. It’s been in shop four times for heating up on the fourth time I took it in. I was stocked because my electrical started going out. The speedometer started just going around my electrical on my dash started going from heat to cold my seat controls then it started of the dash panel are going to ABS and going to different thing... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2026
My vehicle is losing power from the battery showing battery needs to recharge and its full charged have to turn interior lights off
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE L
(2026) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 22, 2026
Incident date: Apr 21, 2026
2021 Odyssey EXL shuts off completely at a traffic stop light. Happened 2 times in a 2 week period. Without warning the engine switches off completely and puts itself in "P" mode, all light comes on as if in accessory mode, radio switches off, all doors unlocked. To get going, the driver had to press brake pedal and start the car again (via Engine Start /Stop button). This issue started in my car... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
When I stop at traffic lights, my car does not immediately turn back on (it has the auto stop feature). It flashes "parking brake released" on the dashboard. Then, it starts back up. Sometimes, it has not started back up right away & the steering wheel seizes. It has also said, "Assisted Steering Reduced" & "Stabilitrack Not Engaged (or something to that effect)." When the issue started, I tried ... Read more
NISSAN
ROGUE SPORT
(2022) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 22, 2026
Incident date: Jul 2, 2026
While Driving the car shuts off without warning. Then a check engine light comes on.
Incident date: Nov 15, 2024
My vehicle gave my a check engine light after acceleration.I had it towed to a shop they checked everything in said they didn't see anything.So I drove it with no issues for about 5 months.I was driving to work in the truck lost power.I had it towed home.I has a crank no start.That's where I am with.
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2018) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 22, 2026
Incident date: Jul 12, 2026
Electrical system problems that create unsafe driving conditions!! Vehicle has electrical glitches. Internal warning lights flicker on and off. Battery drains. Car randomly will not start. Multiple incidents. Car stalled on roadway without warning and would not crank. Luckily I was in a residential neighborhood with little to no traffic when this happened. I have had crank sensors replaced, fuel... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
The alternator gave out, and yes it was confirmed by concord Nissan, I have 4 kids in the car this was dangerous as to the car stopped on the freeway in a merging lane therefore the car kept shaking as we were waiting for help, we missed our flight to the airport. We could have gotten hit by a moving vehicle mean while we were waiting for the police to arrive. There were no warning signals prior t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2025
The vehicle has experienced a pattern of recurring electrical failures beginning shortly after purchase, involving driver door controls (window, lock, mirror, and interior lighting functions), which have required four separate repair attempts over approximately three years, including replacement of a door module, a wiring harness, and a door switch assembly. Despite these repairs, the same driver ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
This model of Jeep has a documented history of having software problems that occur resulting in huge safety issues. I am filing this report because Jeep has not successfully solved this issue leading to regular ongoing safety concerns. Jeep themselves have issued several STAR reports on this, and a simple internet search will show thousands upon thousands of posts of owners with recurring issues... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
From a cold start my vehicle starts fine, but from a warm engine start the van would have trouble starting. Took it to Navarre Honda in Lake Charles, La and they found that the starter solenoid and 2 relays were bad and had to be replaced.
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE L
(2022) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 22, 2026
Incident date: Jul 13, 2026
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? - Failed ABS Module....yes, the vehicle is available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? - Without a functioning ABS Module, the vehicle has no Anti-Lock brakes or Traction control...in addition to no functioning cruise control and some 4WD features. The main ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2026
My 2020 Volvo XC90 T8 plug-in hybrid has been out of service for 78+ days due to a hybrid battery defect covered under an active manufacturer warranty (Claim Type XXX, valid through XXX). The vehicle was towed to Volvo Cars Arrowhead (Glendale, AZ) on XXX after a hybrid battery failure. The dealer confirmed in writing on XXX that multiple hybrid components require replacement and that parts are on... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 3500
(2022) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 22, 2026
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
Outside door handle/pads stopped working. Car has 30K miles and 2 door handles stopped working and others are starting to be intermittent. Understanding is the pad and electronic switch gets gunked out and wouldn’t make connection. Only way you can open the door is via inside door latch. Seems like a really bad situation if you get into an accident and can’t open thru door from the outsi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2026
This is a manufacturer safety recall (NHTSA #25V869) for a loose bolt inside the hybrid inverter that could cause loss of motive power or a vehicle fire. The vehicle was sold to me as new with the recall already open and unrepaired. As of this date, Toyota has not made the remedy available, more than 6 months after the recall was announced. I am concerned about driving the vehicle given the fire/p... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2025
My Tesla wouldn’t charge at Level 3, 2, or 1 charger resulting in the need for the tow and further service hours. Following the service I was told it was a software issue and that a power cycle resolved the issue which locked out the charging. It’s deeply concerning and baffling that this could happen at anytime resulting in days or weeks or down time for what is ultimately a software issue. T... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2026
Multiple lights and warnings on dashboard of 2019 Honda CRV. Car would not reverse. Warnings were all at once and included, Emissions system problem, braking problem, power steering problem, collision mitigation system problem, electric parking brake problem and many others. Honda mechanic stated this is a very known problem with 2019 CRV and it’s the fuel injectors and head gasket.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
I bought this car brand new and since I purchased it in December of 2021. Every summer this car leaves me stranded everytime I shut the car off and its hot outside I took it to several kia dealerships while in warranty but because it was not showing a code they couldn't fix it. The warranty ran out and this car still won't start if its hot outside but has no issues in the winter. After 3 yrs of de... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Honda Insight. The contact stated that while shifted into reverse, the rear-view camera failed to display a clear view image on the screen. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the center display made random selections without the screen being touched. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the screen needed... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2026
I own a 2021 Audi e-tron with approximately 58000 miles. Beginning in March 2026, the vehicle developed intermittent Virtual Cockpit/instrument-cluster problems with blank display. I reported the condition to Audi dealer of Princeton NJ. The vehicle subsequently experienced two dead 12-volt battery incidents and became inoperable. The second 12 volt battery was new. Following the most recent inci... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2019
My primary safety complaint is that the automatic emergency-call function failed during an actual airbag-deployment collision even though the SOS indicator was green and appeared to show that the system was operational. The vehicle is a 2023 Volkswagen ID.4, VIN [XXX]. On XXX, at approximately 8:04 a.m., while traveling southbound on Columbia Pike near Trader Joe’s, the vehicle was involved in ... Read more
Crash
3 injured
Incident date: Jun 15, 2026
SAFETY DEFECT REPORT: Sudden Power Loss & Falsified Records 1. INCIDENT & 5-HR TOWING (XXX): On XXX at ~16:30, while executing a low-speed (<10 mph) left turn in Cambridge, MA, the vehicle had a sudden, total high-voltage failure mid-turn, losing all motive power and power steering without warning or error codes. Photos/videos were taken on-scene confirming ZERO physical impact or undercarriage c... Read more
Incident date: Oct 22, 2025
A/C shuts off after 30-45 minutes of running cold. It’s clear from the amount of condensation after I park, that the evaporator core is freezing due to a faulty temperature sensor
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2023) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 22, 2026
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
Wife had car sitting over night from doing a EMS shift. Went out to car in morning to start to return home and when car started ABS light, ECS light, Brake Light, and Collision light came on. This has resulted in no ABS or safety features. Called dealer and can't look at car for over a month. There was no mention about not driving. If the wife needs ABS or front radar, she will not have it resulti... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2026
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 111 regulates rear visibility systems. It requires backup cameras to shut off within a specific time or distance after moving forward to prevent driver distraction. A screen stuck on the reverse camera means the vehicle failed to comply with federal safety safety standards in that moment, actively flashing an illegal, high-contrast visual distraction w... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
I bought the vehicle new in November 2025. 2026 Toyota Tubdra TRD SR5. In the first week I noticed a lot of jerking and shaking. I brought it to the dealer and was told it was a break in period and it should go away. I’ve had the truck in the shop 5-6 times since and the jerking and shaking hasn’t gone away. I’m at 6300 miles now. The dealer won’t even respond to me anymore. The only way t... Read more