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 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Ram Promaster 2500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the message “Power Steering Service” was displayed with a high-pitched whining sound coming from underneath the hood and the dashboard. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the steering gear EPS module and jumper harness needed to be replaced, and the vehicle needed an al... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2026
auto idle stop/start system malfunctions intermittently. The car will shut off at a red light/stop sign then will not automatically restart. Will require shifting to park and restarting the car at the intersection.
Incident date: Jul 9, 2026
Hello I contacted bmw about a recall on my vehicle and made an appointment the gentleman I spoke with at first did the whole recall appointment. He wasn’t there on the day of and the other technician refused to conduct the recall repair and very rudely said to me you either pay $500 for diagnosing or you come pick up your car now otherwise I will charge you $200 daily storage he said the car did... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jul 18, 2026
The Electronic Parking Brake System on my 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500 continuously malfunctions. Chevy/ GM Customer Support has been made aware of this issue and continues to disregard it entirely. The Electronic Parking Brake, which is an automatic function that cannot be turned off or bypassed, fails to fully disengage when the vehicle is taken out of Park. The Electronic Parking Brake remains ver... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2026
purchased a brand new vehicle in 2022 Since purchase I have had multiple issues with said vehicle for which I will list. I understand vehicles will and can have issues but there is no excuse for all the problems I have had to deal with a new vehicle. A. Muffler has fallen off 3 times and replaced all 3 times During the leakage part of why it was not fully disconnected every time I was driving th... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Jul 19, 2026
The 2026 Subaru Trailseeker, Subaru Solterra, and the Toyota Equivalents have a parasitic battery drain issue that will leave you stranded. Something causes the DCM to continue to pull from the battery when the car is off and after a few days will completely drain the 12V Battery System. This can damage the 12V Battery system and poses a safety issue as that is the computer system that maintains t... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2026
You have this… I am informing you that I am moving forward with pursuing legal representation and am onboarding THE SIMON LAW FIRM, P.C. In [XXX] to manage my claim. Moving forward , I request that any upcoming physical inspections as well as the raw Bosch.cdr date generated by [XXX], be coordinated in conjunction with my incoming legal counsel . Thank you [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACT... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 14, 2026
While driving my 2025 Honda Pilot at normal road speeds, multiple warning messages suddenly appeared on the dashboard, including steering system warnings. The steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn and felt as though it had locked, creating a serious safety hazard. I had very limited ability to steer the vehicle and could have lost control, especially if this had occurred at higher spee... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2026
The infotainment system started taking ghost inputs. We replaced the screen and the ghost inputs are still there. The Human interface module has gone bad. There are many reports of this happening to chevys of similar years. Chevy dealership told me we need to replace the whole system for over $1200. I first started having this problem in 2024. It changes radio stations, moves the display screen, a... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2026
I was driving my 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe on a public road when the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of propulsion. Before driving, the check engine light was illuminated, and the air conditioner was blowing hot air instead of cold. Shortly after pulling onto the roadway and while approaching a stoplight, the vehicle lost power while it was still in motion and became inoperable, requiring it to be ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2026
Vehicle Component Affected: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM / FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE / BACK OVER PREVENTION Description of the Safety Defect: The factory infotainment touchscreen in my 2015 Subaru Outback Limited (VIN: [XXX]) has suffered a severe manufacturing defect where the internal chemical gel adhesive has melted, creating large, oily liquid bubbles across the display. This physical degradation caus... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2026
My minivan has had repeated electrical and safety-related failures since shortly after it was leased. The vehicle has died or failed to start five times, including multiple tow events. The first battery failure happened shortly after delivery, but we thought a light may have been left on and did not know to bring it in. The problem continued. The dealer has replaced the battery, recharged the batt... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2026
“Steering assist is reduced, drive with care” is showing up for a couple second and disappearing. When that happens my car seems to shut off and the steering wheel stiffens and pull to either the left of right side. All this happens while driving. After the 3rd time of it happening within 10min, my gas fuel level dropped but when back up to the “original” level
Incident date: Jun 6, 2026
Potential undercounting of safety defects through Volkswagen’s no-DTC/no-repair process. I recently located and reviewed a video recorded on February 18, 2025. It was originally made to document a remote climate-control malfunction, not a GPS problem. While reviewing it because of recurring GPS and SOS failures, I noticed that the same video also captured an incorrect speed-limit display. Whil... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2026
JUST BOUGHT THE CAR AND THE CAR IS RECEIVING ERROR: "SHIFT TO PARK". THIS APPEAR TO BE A KNOW ISSUE FOR 2018 CHEVY MALIBU HYBRID. CAR CUT OFF IN MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC
Incident date: Jul 18, 2026
Started up vehicle, and (all the bashboard warning lights illuminated),tsa,check engine light,power steering, brake lights.....all of them. Doors won't lock, and the raido stays on, even when the vehicle is completely turned off. Vehicle purchased on:12/02/2024. 3 miles on the odometer. Currently 14,000 miles.. honda corporation attempting not honor the warranty. $8400 dollars, to fix,and to conta... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
The clock spring in the steering has failed causing the airbag to no longer work on the driver side. The cruise control turns on and shuts off on its own. Sometimes won’t even let you set it. Volume controls no longer work. Horn no longer works. Steering has a clicking catching sound now when turning. Steering controls no longer light up and none of the buttons work.
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2020) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 19, 2026
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
Honda has a recall on certain vin numbers for the starter. My starter i was told to replace at a $2500 fee from reggie jackson honda in raleigh nc. I had to visit the dealership 3 times, they said its the battery, replaced the battery at my cost, now they said its the starter. They said there is a recall but my vin number was not included in the recall. The starter is worn out from the auto start ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2026
The driver door will not open from the outside. My car only has 38k miles on it. All doors will open other than the driver door. This is a safety feature that needs to be recalled and fixed. The dealership even told me this happens often. I have to climb through my passenger door to get in the driver seat. I am a single woman and do not feel safe unless I’m in a busy parking lot bc I could easil... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
The 2026 Subaru crosstrek was sitting in the garage since 07/17/2026. I went out on 07/19/2026 to go to church. I tried to start it and it clicked rapidly like the battery didn't have enough juice to actually start it.
Incident date: Jun 19, 2026
While out on vacation in [XXX] on XXX at around 11 am I had just finished charging the Tesla at a supercharging station. I was headed to go eat breakfast at the intersection of [XXX] and XXX on the right lane. I stopped briefly prior to making a right onto [XXX]. Upon making the right turn the vehicle kept turning all the way right and making a sharp right turn instead of a soft right. When I noti... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 12, 2026
When stopped at a red light today, our minivan's Auto Idle Stop (AIS) system stopped the engine with the brakes depressed (as advertised). Once the light turned green, the driver released the brake to re-engage the motor, but the starter did no restart the minivan and a battery light flashed on. The start button had to be pressed several (~4) times to get the motor to restart and to turn the batte... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2026
I brought my vehicle to an authorized Subaru dealership (Byers Imports, LLC in Columbus, Ohio) to diagnose the reason for the airbag warning lamp illuminating. The dealer had the manufacturer's WUM-98 Safety Recall (NHTSA Campaign Number 19V701000) performed to remedy a defective Occupant Detection System (ODS) sensor harness.Despite the recall remedy being completed, the Supplemental Restraint Sy... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2026
1)Adaptive Rider Height failure ! 3 times the suspension warning display and on causing the suspension to remain in lower position making the motorcycle unstable at speed. Dealer had vehicle for a while to remedy the issue. Warranty fix 2)Engine control red warning display do not drive vehicle came on and flatbedded to dealer for service. Warranty fix 3)Seat latch broke dealer fix.Out of pocket ch... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2026
I’m concerned about the power brakes I’ve received these faults a few times. DTC DTC System DTC Sub System C184987 CHASSIS LKAS Also there are reports online that other owners have experienced this issue with their Santa Cruz’s Some reporting dealers lack of concern. Diagnostics History My vehicle Last Reported Original Date Mileage Status DTC DTC System DTC Sub System 02/23/26 02/... Read more
HYUNDAI
ELANTRA GT
(2017) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 19, 2026
Incident date: May 21, 2026
There is a recall associated with this model that causes catastrophic stoppage without any ability to drive. My vehicle VIN does not have a recall according to your site. Despite this, my vehicle catastrophically stopped multiple times. It was repaired at least three times and still stopped in the middle of the highway. My partner and I were stopped on I-85S with no ability to move, honk, put on h... Read more
Incident date: Jul 11, 2026
I am filing a Recall Remedy Failure complaint regarding NHTSA Recall No. 26V-363 for my 2024 Jeep Wrangler Sahara. This safety recall was issued in June 2026 due to a fire risk that can occur while the vehicle is parked. Despite the recall having been announced, the recall status continues to state, “Recall incomplete, remedy not yet available.” I have contacted Stellantis on multiple occasi... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
EQB 300 4MATIC
(2023) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 19, 2026
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
Hybrid battery has a failed cell. It was confirmed by BMW diagnostics but BMW refused to repair/replace failed cell even though it was under full 8yr/80k mile warranty. BMW claimed it as wear and tear, even though 1 out of 5 cells completely failed. The failure caused the car to run at reduced speeds causing others cars around me on the freeway to be in danger as all of sudden I am unable to rea... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2026
I have been having problems with my 2025 Subaru Forester since I purchased it. It has failed multiple times to alert me of people and cars when I am backing up. I have RCTW on my vehicle .Sometimes it alerts me when there is a car or person is coming behind me ,sometimes it doesn't. I have a video dated June 4th 2026. Three times people walked right behind my car when I was backing up. I almost h... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO EV
(2026) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 19, 2026
Incident date: Jul 16, 2026
I have been having problems with my 2025 Subaru Forester since I purchased it. It has failed multiple times to alert me of people and cars when I am backing up. I have RCTW on my vehicle .Sometimes it alerts me when there is a car or person is coming behind me ,sometimes it doesn't. I have a video dated June 4th 2026. Three times people walked right behind my car when I was backing up. I almost h... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2026
At 40,000 miles the Service Power Steering light came on solid red with "!". Hill Kelly Ram Dealership in Pensacola done a diagnostic test and stated Steering gear/EPS Module and jumper harness needs replaced with an alignment. There is an investigation going on or has been with this same issue. My original warranty says it is not covered, my extended warranty with ProGuard is not helping to fix t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2026
GPS has stopped working. This affects navigation safety. Also, creates clock error and compass error. It's dangerous to get lost and disoriented. This is a common problem in many Acuras. Needs to be a recall.
Incident date: Jul 4, 2026
The primary Dashboard of the vehicle stopped working (while driving the car) and i lost access to all important information such as speed, RPM, current cruise setting, milage, visual alerts for any driver assistance warnings. The entire screen went black and showed “NO SIGNAL” in red text in the middle. It later came back after a few minutes. This issue has occurred 5 times so far and 4 of th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2026
This has been addressed by the dealer once before and the starter was replaced, however the problem is happening again. The auto start/idle feature will not start the car back up while stopped on occasion. For instance, yesterday while stopped at a red light the auto idle/start feature kicked in, as expected. When releasing the brake to drive when the light turned green the car beeped and would no... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2026
The speakers will suddenly blast an extremely loud static noise, even when the radio is turned off. The only way to stop it is to pull over and turn the vehicle off. Eventually, the problem became so severe that even after turning the car off and restarting it, the speakers would continue blasting the static noise. The sound is so loud that it makes it difficult to think clearly and creates a seri... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
I was in an active car wash and the truck stalled and engaged Auto-park and I was nearly hit by the car behind me in the car wash.
Incident date: Jul 17, 2026
When vehicle is completely stopped at a traffic light there have been numerous occasions in which all electrical components fail and the vehicle turns off and fails to restart. This only occurs when the auto idle start is engaged. A few times I’ve had to completely jump the vehicle. I have replaced the battery and also had the car examined at the dealership. They stated they had previously updat... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2026
2020 Honda Ridgeline-Internal failure, multi purpose camera. Multiple lights on dashboard and codes associated with driving support system, Collision Mitigation, Braking System, Lane keeping assist system, Road departure mitigation, Transmission System error. All these are showing up because of the front camera going out due to overheating. Dealership quoted $1197.20 for replacement. Multiple safe... Read more
Incident date: Mar 31, 2024
The back passenger seat exploded and caught fire, burning the back of the seat in front and burning the ceilings. Inside the whole vehicle is black from smoke damage. Incident assessed by fire marshal who has ruled as electrical issue. No warning lights or systems displayed anything.
Fire
Incident date: Jun 26, 2026
My 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe has been subject to four safety recalls in the ten months I have owned it, three involving vehicle fire risk: 56C/25V-527 (TPMS, completed), 68C/25V-741 (high-voltage battery cell separator damage/fire risk, completed), 78C/25V-766 (casting sand contamination of the engine), and 21D/26V-363 (electric hydraulic power steering pump overheating/fire risk). Recall 78C was an... Read more
Incident date: Jul 2, 2026
PAWS system component failure causing the steering angle to misalign, throttle response to decrease, and drivability to decrease severely
Incident date: Jul 16, 2026
Caught fire while driving
Fire
Incident date: Jul 17, 2026
Systemic failure of the electrical architecture and Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) resulting in a sudden, catastrophic loss of motive power. Over 14 months of ownership, this vehicle has suffered four distinct, electrical and charging failures. On June 6, 2026, the vehicle experienced a total ICCU failure. All lights in the car went dark and lost all power without warning, creating an i... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2026
The vehicle experiences dangerous, unexpected engine stalling immediately following an Auto Idle Stop event. Upon coming to a complete stop at intersections, the engine shuts off as designed, but fails to automatically restart when the brake pedal is released. The vehicle completely locks up, leaving my family stranded in live traffic and requiring a manual reset of the ignition, which takes time ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2026
I am submitting this complaint regarding the positive battery terminal fuse block (battery terminal/fusible link assembly) on my 2022 Kia Sportage. The component is currently installed on the vehicle and is available for inspection upon request. I purchased this vehicle in 2024, when it was only about two years old. Because of the vehicle's age, I did not expect to experience major electrical prob... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
I was heading to work when suddenly smoke started pouring from the air conditioning vents, and the ABS and traction control warning lights came on. I hit the brakes to pull over, only to realize I had lost braking power. I managed to steer to the side of the road as carefully as possible and bring the car to a stop—despite having no brakes and a fire burning under the hood. I tried downshifting ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Sep 20, 2024
I have been having issues with my breaks sticking when applied. To the point that it’s completely stopping my car and i need to use my foot to release the brake from behind. I have had the dealership look at this issue and they can’t seem to find the problem. They also broke my car and claimed they did not feel the sticking. I’ve had the dealership look at my vehicle twice for this issue. It... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2026
Vehicle: 2024 Chevrolet Traverse Z71 Mileage at first incident: 25,821 My 2024 Chevrolet Traverse Z71 experienced multiple safety‑critical electrical and ADAS failures. The vehicle had a Reduced Acceleration / limp‑mode event, accompanied by a strong antifreeze odor inside and outside the vehicle. Dealer diagnostics on 06/29/2026 and 07/16/2026 confirmed several trouble codes affecting the eng... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2026
The contact owned a 2025 Buick Encore GX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the GPS failed to operate properly. Additionally, the air conditioning system was inoperable. The contact stated that while driving in the heat, the contact to briefly became unconscious. Due to the failure, OnStar was contacted to providing GPS assistance. After arriving to the destination, th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Jeep Wrangler 4XE. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V710000 (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 not made aware of the issue. The contact ha... Read more