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: Jul 6, 2026
I was driving on [XXX] and I noticed the battery meter started going down from 13 and ended at 9 and the vehicle shut of and put itself in Park while the vehicle was still moving. There were other cars behind me and the car would not restart. I had to get a jump and it restarted. The 48volt battery is faulty INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2025
Incident description: While driving, the vehicle’s dashboard illuminated all warning lights (ABS, traction control, battery, check engine, forward safety system) and the engine revved to approximately 8,000 RPM with unintended rapid acceleration. Driver had to apply hard braking to maintain control and avoid a collision. A nearly identical event occurred approximately one month earlier while dri... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2026
On XXX I was traveling with my [XXX] mother who has 2 plates to her hips from a fx. We had stopped at a rest area. I went to get her out of the front passenger side and the door would not open from outside or inside. The other doors were fine. She is not able to climb over the front console so I called the police. They were able to get her over the front seat to the back. Very upsetting for this t... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
ML350
(2011) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 22, 2026
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
Fan motor fuse box quit working and ac/heat no longer operational. First time was around October 21, 2025.
Incident date: Jun 23, 2026
Our 2025 VW Altas had several engine lights come on at the same time after parking and would not shift out of neutral. Towed to the nearest VW for service and they stated it needed a transmission replacement. This vehicle had less than 16k miles.
Incident date: Jul 12, 2026
Air conditioning system blows very warm air constantly , non stop, at start up when parked under sun, afternoons, even with thermostat settings to low/cool. Restarting engine, still same issue.
Incident date: Jun 26, 2026
While driving my 2019 Honda Odyssey at highway speeds on the 60 freeway, the vehicle experienced a sudden and total engine failure/stall without prior warning. I had all my kids in the car as well. CHP advised to call Honda The sudden stalling resulted in an immediate loss of engine power, creating an unsafe scenario on a high-speed freeway. I was forced to navigate the vehicle across traffic ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
An Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) failure halts the vehicle’s ability to charge and power the 12-volt battery. When it fails, the car can no longer keep the 12V battery charged. This drains the 12V system, potentially causing a sudden loss of motive power while driving or a "bricked" car that won't start. The presents a safety problem because it happened while I was driving and the car ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2025) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 22, 2026
Incident date: Jul 12, 2026
After AIS engaged, the engine wouldn’t come back on. This has been at intersections, etc where it was dangerous to have no engine. It is ridiculous that the feature has not been removed after problems going back to the 2018 model. All to game an emission standard. Shameful.
Incident date: May 18, 2026
My 2021 Honda Pilot has a recurring electrical/network communication failure that causes “Network Communication Lost” and “MOST Net Off” messages to appear on the infotainment screen. When this occurs, the infotainment system malfunctions, audio becomes unavailable, and the backup camera display is lost without warning. The problem is intermittent, unpredictable, and has occurred numerous ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
After recall 68C (NHTSA 25V-741), a software-only update applied after my high-voltage battery passed physical inspection, my 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe began severely limiting battery discharge power during normal driving. This was not present before the update. The vehicle limits high-voltage battery output during sustained load, such as climbing grades and highway merging, at states of charge as hi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 3, 2026
The starter/starter solenoid and related engine oil sealing have failed three times. Most recently on 6/18/2026, and previously in 2024 and 2025, the vehicle would not start: the dashboard illuminated but the engine would not crank. The engine then began smoking and a burning electrical smell entered the cabin. My wife and young child were in the vehicle. The vehicle was rendered completely inoper... Read more
Incident date: Jun 6, 2025
I was driving down the highway at around 70 mph, with one passenger. There had been no indications that anything was wrong with the vehicle. Then I noticed the car slowing down though I had not let up on the gas, which I now understand is called 'limp mode'. The screen said 'service vehicle soon'. It kept slowing down while I carefully pulled to the side of the road. Thankfully I had been in the r... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2026
My vehicle has a defect with electric water pump, shorted by its factory connector due to unprotected electrical plug on water pump. BMW issued a recall to cover the defect but refusing to pay for repairs performed. Recall 24V-608 water pump electrical connector. Recall information includes same parts with defects which includes mine, exactly same part and same procedure for repairs. 2013 BMW 33... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2025
Brake grinding constantly Infotainment overheating and shutting down Additional money on car insurance due to android auto failure with infotainment system Odometer doubling milage during infotainment failures Wipers going by themselves Windows go down when pressing up SOS BOX making random beeping noises Driver Chair constantly sinking back down Warning lights constantly coming on
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
multi-component engine failure while being operated under normal driving conditions. Despite rigorous, routine, and fully documented preventive maintenance performed in accordance with manufacturer specifications, the vehicle suffered an instantaneous breakdown of its core mechanical systems. A diagnostic assessment confirmed that a sweeping array of vital engine components—including the cam ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2026
The throttle feels like it’s being pressed even when my foot is ONKY on the brake.
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
I own a 2026 Toyota Corolla purchased in November 2025. The recurring problems began on December 8, 2025, when multiple warning lights appeared on the dashboard along with the message “System Malfunction – Visit Your Dealer.” The warning indicators involved several vehicle safety and driver-assistance systems. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Toyota dealership for inspection and repair... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
My 2015 Chevrolet Camaro has developed a recurring issue where the ignition key becomes stuck and cannot be removed. The vehicle appears to believe it is still in gear even though the transmission has been placed in Park. The key jams in the ignition, making it difficult or impossible to remove. This occurs intermittently and raises concerns that the vehicle may not be properly recognizing that it... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2026
My vehicle's infotainment system both center console and dashbboard went completely black 2 weeks after I purchased the car in August of 2025. The vehicle was in the shop for a week and a half, and they finally fixed the issue. The vehicle at the time was bought used with about 2,200 miles on it at time of purchase. Now in July of 2026, exactly one year from the day i bought the car, with only 9,5... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
In the past month 4 times I had a Software, Module malfunction. All lights in in the dash are on like a Christmas Tree. Believe is related to the PGM. When to the Honda dealer in Winter Haven explained what happened and show a short video and they said that because my Vin [XXX] have no recall I have to pay $89.99 for an inspection and other charges to fix the problem. I told the service department... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
The vehicle experiences a sudden engine stall shortly after starting, accompanied by an immediate dashboard error message stating: "Starter system faulty, please service vehicle." An OBD-II diagnostic scan confirms active fault code P253200 (Ignition Switch Run Position Circuit High). This failure mirrors Volkswagen Safety Recall 28H7 / NHTSA Campaign 23V604 exactly, but my specific VIN is current... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
Rear camera intermittently does not work properly. Multiple incidents of the rear camera flickering off and on when in reverse, image is sometimes upside down, or the rear camera doesn't work at all.
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS CROSS SPORT
(2021) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 21, 2026
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
They radio screen and radio navigation system. It will run batteries down replaced 2 Batteries this year. Radio goes haywire changes channels, makes dinging sound, navigation goes off. Screen moves jumps changes volume. Hard to drive very distracting and navigation stops working. None of this will stop until the vehicle is turned off and generally on restart it starts back up. Makes for very unsaf... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
The car has lost power on the highway multiple times and gone into Limp mode with no warnings on the dashboard. The Rex engine has failed to start as well. Very dangerous on the highway going 20 mph trying to make the next exit. The car has been back to the BMW dealer multiple times (over 2.5 months at the dealer ) with no repair. They are now offering to take the car in trade. The car is stil... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2026
I bought a new 2024 Mustang in 11/2024 from Town & Country Ford in Port Arthur, Tx. Days after the purchase, I recieved a voicemail to return asap and was told by the owner that I would recieve a gift card if I did. I didn't understand why at the time, as it wasn't explained. Unfortunately, I was unable to return because the dealership is 4 hours drive from my residence. That was the last I hea... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
My 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid experienced a severe total electrical failure that required a complete battery replacement. This massive electrical surge permanently damaged and corrupted the vehicle's infotainment head unit hardware. Ever since this power surge, the vehicle suffers from continuous, dangerous electronic malfunctions. Specifically, the Apple CarPlay and complete audio system intermittent... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that there was a strong mildew odor coming from the vehicle while entering the vehicle, and there was moisture around the trunk near the wiring harness. The vehicle was taken to Modern Auto Company (6224 MO-100, Washington, MO 63090), but the cause of the failure was not found. O'Fallon Buick GMC (2150 Technology Dr, O'Fallon, MO 63368) diagnos... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Jul 3, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Honda Prologue. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at undisclosed speeds and removing the foot off the accelerator pedal, the vehicle unexpectedly came to an immediate stop. The Auto Hold, service brake assist, service stability link, high voltage light, and ABS warning lights remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the ve... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2026
The engine starter failed on my 2020 BMW Z4 M40i. The vehicle experienced starting failures and the repair shop diagnosed a faulty/shorted engine starter assembly. The symptoms and component failure match the exact defect description of active safety recalls NHTSA 24V-576 and 25V-636 (Starter Motor Fire Risk due to electrical short circuit/overheating). However, when checking my specific 17-digit ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2026
This Toyota Corolla hatchback is experiencing an issue where it is constantly giving an “ENGINE MAINTENANCE REQUIRED” light and when scanned, it says “coolant bypass valve malfunction”. There is already a recall for many Toyota Corolla Sedans experiencing this issue of this bypass valve being defective, but because this is a hatchback, it is not part of the recall when it should be. The... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
The electric oil pump circuit board for the transmission failed, causing motive power loss. The vehicle is currently located at Ourisman Chantilly Kia and is available for inspection. Safety was compromised due to sudden loss of drive power while operating on public roads, creating a severe crash hazard. The failure was diagnosed and confirmed by Ourisman Chantilly Kia service department, which re... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2013) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 21, 2026
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
While driving, the Instrument Cluster Display completely blanked out and ceased functioning. This sudden failure immediately disabled the digital speedometer, fuel gauge, engine temperature readings, oil gauge, and critical safety warning lights. In order to check my fuel levels, I have to log into an app on my phone, which is both unsafe and illegal to do while driving. The panel beeps a warnin... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Starter System Failure" was displayed and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with ignition failure. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V604000 (Electrical System); however, the V... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2026
Theses templates dosent recognize the key and kicks on the security system which stops the motor from turning on. So you are stuck for 10 minutes then you can try again all so sometimes the motor tries to turn on by just sticking the key in the ignition before you even turn it. By looking at youtube alot of the H3s and the Colorados do this
Incident date: May 3, 2026
Intermittent Electronic issues are: 1) Rear view backup camera malfunction. Works sporadically. Camera some times clear as bell, and stays on when in drive moving forward. Other days camera fails to blue screen, then turns gray with message that camera is unavailable, contact dealership. Defect is not currently not listed for this vehicle as a recall. Definite safety hazard with camera staying on ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 BMW 530E. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and starter failure warning lights illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that parts were unavailable to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact later received notification of NH... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2026
I went to charge my car Sunday morning, and throughout the day it kept showing on the dashboard that the charge door was open. I stopped several times to check, and the charge door was actually closed, which was really strange. Later, I went into a store for less than 10 minutes. I locked my car before going inside, but when I came back out, all the windows were down. It honestly scared me becaus... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
The vehicle's Indirect TPMS showed a "Pressure Sensor Fault (may clear next drive)" without issuing any "Low Tire Pressure" alert. On July 20, 2026, while driving, the rear right tire lost pressure and disintegrated over a 10-minute drive. Despite severe tire failure that triggered multiple safety system alerts (Traction Control, Stability Control, Automatic Emergency Braking, and Lane Departure... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2026
The front and rear brake pressure switch does not allow the brake light to come on unless the brake is pressed extremely hard. Slowing down without the brake light activating is extremely dangerous. I could get rear ended and killed. I called a KTM dealer, they told me that is was not under warranty
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2018) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 21, 2026
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 BMW 330I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V056000 (Electrical System). The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Incident date: Jul 2, 2026
Shortly after purchasing this truck, the ABS, Traction Control, Electronic braking system, and trailer brake system lights all came on. Back then I did some research and learned it was just something I will have to live with. Fast forward 2 years and the other day I drove to work like normal but when I came back out to my truck the electronic power steering had gone out. Some research told me that... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the battery failed to remain charged. During the failure, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. No further information was available. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 100.
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
The HVAC manual heater control unit in my 2014 Veloster Turbo failed, causing extreme electrical resistance that melted, blackened, and discolored the factory wiring harness connector plug behind the dashboard. This caused an active thermal incident and a direct fire hazard inside the cabin. Hyundai is aware of this exact safety defect and is running Service Campaign TY6 (TSB 16-01-070) to fix it,... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
The infotainment screen randomly shuts off and displays the errors "Network communication lost" and "MOST Net Off". This has happened numerous times while in the middle of backing up and using the backup camera that normally displays on that screen. We took it to the dealership for repairs of the problem in 2025 and after changing a wiring harness, the screen itself, and then the harness again, th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Camaro. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a left turn, the contact’s knee hit the ignition key and the vehicle shutoff and drove over into an oncoming lane. The contact was able to restart the vehicle, and the vehicle was driven back into the intended lane. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under N... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
Vehicle purchased late March. Since then, the 12V gets completely drained to 0% over the weekend. This is a biweekly problem. Vehicle taken to dealership, they were not able to replicate problem. Dealership claims battery and vehicle perfectly fine. 12V battery continues to get discharged. This issue puts the customer at risk of being stranded on trips. No warning lamps or symptoms before battery ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
I am writing to report a direct violation of the Theta II Class Action Settlement terms by Hyundai Motor America. This morning , I emailed an Executive Case Manager explicitly explaining that my 2017 Sonata has an active P1326 code, has the 2019 KSDS update, and requires a mandatory diagnostic under NHTSA Recall 17V226 that cannot be denied due to a salvage title. Instead of replying to my fact... Read more
Incident date: Jul 11, 2026
Overall, we've been very happy with the EX90, but it's clear the vehicle is in desperate need of a comprehensive software update from Volvo. The issues we're experiencing don't appear to be hardware failures so much as recurring software-related problems. We've received intermittent propulsion system warnings, headlight system warnings, delayed accelerator response at times, and general electrica... Read more
Incident date: Jul 11, 2026
This is the 2nd time I’m reporting that I was severely burnt on my thigh from my drivers seat heater, overheating. There are on going glass action law suits against Mazda for this issue. My 2024 CX-50 has not been in service at Olympia Mazda with no updates on repairs and when I will get my car back. Please help me!