Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,215,138 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA — including 138,663 crashes, 56,255 fires, and 8,561 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 2,215,138 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 187,860 complaints — component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Incident date: May 31, 2026
The speedometer/instrument cluster screen went completely black at startup on XXX. I had no ability to see my speed, fuel level, or any dashboard warning lights. I was forced to pull over on a public road and restart the vehicle. This is the second screen to fail on this vehicle — the navigation screen also went black multiple times beginning in February 2026. Capitol Chevrolet dismissed both in... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2023
Radio failure, radio cutting out when music is turn up, safety related because there could be something shorting out and become a fire hazard, dealership and star team can fix and told there nothing they can do for and costumers service didn’t help either. Radio been replace and the amp, no warning lights at all, dealership sent me away and there was no sounding coming out the speaker, they seen... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2024
The vehicle’s secondary Autopilot Processor / car computer is internally faulted and stuck in a continuous wake/shutdown loop. This causes severe standby battery drain (~20 miles of range lost per day while parked) and completely prevents all over-the-air software updates - including federally mandated safety recall remedies. On April 4, 2024, Tesla Service diagnosed the fault and linked it to ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2026
Instrument cluster digital screen went blank. Came on next time vehicle was started and then went blank again and didn’t come back on, no longer displaying warnings, fuel level, etc.
Incident date: Jun 4, 2026
Rear passenger door electronic release did not work. Technician indicated rear door harness corroded making the door inoperable.
Incident date: Jun 3, 2026
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in a parking lot, he noticed the vehicle started smoking heavily from under the hood, and shortly thereafter, the vehicle fully ignited into flames. The vehicle was occupied during the fire. The contact stated that he noticed smoke emerging from the driver-side section of the hood. Furthermore, the contact not... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
I own a 2014 Jeep Wrangler Sahara JKU with approximately 67,000 miles. The vehicle has experienced a failure involving the ABS control module and related braking/stability systems. Current symptoms include: * ABS warning light illuminated * Brake warning light illuminated * Traction control warning light illuminated * Intermittent speedometer malfunction * Brake pedal occasionally vibrates and b... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
My car was in my garage and charging with my home's level-2 charger on June 1 2026 in standard fashion. At 2am the charging was interrupted by the car (per charger log) and stopped at 68% charge (set to fully charge to 100%). Subsequently the car could not charge any more, and I tested this with two independent level-2 charging units. Both of these chargers are confirmed operational with another e... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2026
My Ford Ranger is on a safety recall. They sold it to us on May 9,2025 then kept the truck. June 1 they told use the recall issue was solved. We were not given documents on this. We are now seeing the parts needed are not available until the end of June. A Fedaral and State law was broken in selling us a vehicle on a safety recall. We were not aware of this issue until we research the recall. I a... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
While driving at highway speed on [XXX] I went to put my windows up. Without touching anything else my seat moved backward and I was unable to reach either pedal. Fortunately I was able to maneuver to a point where I was able to regain vehicle control. Obviously this was a life threatening situation which could have been disastrous. There was no auto correction by the vehicle. This was reported to... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
Since 2024/2025 car has been malfunctioning, I’ve had it checked out but it just got worse and nothing was fixed l, it is I driveable and very unsafe. When driving it abruptly stops like it’s crashing Messages that pop up (Multiple ones at one time flashing as well) - service “ESC” -“service power steering drive with care” -“shift to park” -“low fuel” (but car has gas in ... Read more
Incident date: May 29, 2026
I have taken my vehicle or rather had my vehicle towed back to my dealership on three different occasions for repair of a Shift Cable Replacement I can have a very bad accident in my vehicle or lose my life or injure someone else the first time I didn't understand why my vehicle shutdown while I was driving on a very busy highway I was very upset, and I had to pray that none ran into me Lucky for... Read more
CHEVROLET
TRAILBLAZER
(2021) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jun 4, 2026
Incident date: May 27, 2026
Amplifier lost connection, so speakers won’t work, collision warning won’t sound, and turn signal won’t sound.
Incident date: May 31, 2026
I was driving normally, having started my car after leaving a store at the time, while backing up, I received an ad (depicted below) for the SiriusXM limited time offer. This advertisement completely blocked the entirety of the infotainment system, disabling the navigation components completely, disabling my ability to use the backup camera, and did not alert while backing up, nearly causing a ser... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2025
I was told there was a known issue with the electrical system with the front bumper harness and wiring harness need to be replaced due to water damage & Vehicle's horn keeps on going out and has to be replace
LAND ROVER
DISCOVERY
(2021) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jun 4, 2026
Incident date: Jan 20, 2026
2021 Land Rover Discovery 48V mild hybrid (MHEV). Recurring 12V system failures: repeated depleted/dead 12V batteries and no-start events. The 12V battery has failed and been replaced three times during my ownership (two documented at a franchised Land Rover dealer and an independent shop), plus a prior replacement under the previous owner per the vehicle history report. Symptoms: the vehicle wil... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
Engine start/stop feature is not working properly and it nearly caused a few accidents. I am getting rid of this car and going to purchase a Toyota Sienna. Android Auto doesn't work either which is a known issue as well and it is a basic safety feature to keep driver's attention on the road and not on their phones.
Incident date: May 9, 2026
The shift-by-wire system failed while the vehicle was being parked. The vehicle would not shift out of Drive; repeated attempts to engage Park resulted in Neutral only, with a "PARK malfunction. Engage parking brake when parking vehicle." warning displayed in the instrument cluster. Because this vehicle requires Park to be engaged before it can be powered off, the vehicle also could not be turned ... Read more
Incident date: May 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Honda Passport . The vehicle auto start stop failed when at a traffic light. The vehicle was shut down and restarted and the vehicle was able to be driven again. In another occurrence, The vehicle stopped in the middle of the road at the stop light. After awhile, the vehicle was able to restart and drive without issues. The vehicle was taken to a dealer; however the veh... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2026
Vehicle (2019 Kona) is subject to Recall 203 (piston ring/bore defect). On XXX Puente Hills Hyundai refused the mandatory physcial inspection, instead attempting to charge $1,100 for 'leak repairs.' An independent inspection by Valvoline on XXX confirmed the engine is dry with no leaks, proving the dealer's claim was fraudulent. Following a recent ECU update, the vehicle triggered a P0420 code—... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
EQB 300 4MATIC
(2023) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jun 4, 2026
Incident date: Jun 4, 2026
I am reporting a significant safety concern regarding my 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB. While my specific VIN has not been included in the current high-voltage battery fire risk recall (NHTSA Campaign 26V073000), my vehicle is a 2023 model that shares the identical high-voltage battery architecture, manufacturing window, and platform design as the approximately 12,000 EQB vehicles officially recalled due... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2026
1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Answer: I only have 34,200 miles on my 2022 Buick Encore GX and when I put my car in park, I get a warning message on the dashboard telling me "Shift to Park" but I am already in park and my car won't shut off. Why at 34,000 miles? 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Ans... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2026
My 2017 Honda Pilot Touring has experienced ongoing electrical and battery-related issues for several years and has been in and out of authorized Honda dealerships numerous times. The vehicle has been serviced repeatedly at both Fowler Honda in [XXX], and Pensacola Honda in [XXX]. Due to the inability to diagnose the problem, the issue was escalated by Pensacola Honda to American Honda’s technic... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2017) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jun 4, 2026
Incident date: Sep 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled in the middle of the roadway an dfailed to restart. The contact stated that there was smoke coming from the engine bay. There was not warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to AAMCO Transmissions, where it was diagnosed that the water pump housing had split in half. The... Read more
Incident date: Apr 26, 2025
The vehicle has had breaking issues since I purchased it in September 23, 2023. On April 26, 2025 the car completely shut down while driving it for no apparent reason. Took it to the certified Cadillac dealer (see picture). Said, it was fixed. May 11, 2026 started doing it again while driving, turning, backing up or at a light. Breaks keep saying need to be serviced too. Had it towed in to C... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
Multipurpose camera is defective- broken after only 80,000 miles. No longer functions at all. No automatic emergency braking, no forward collision warning, no lane departure warning, no lane keeping assistance, no adaptive cruise control. Dangerous now without all those computer controlled safety functions. $2400 replacement. I don’t have $2400.
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC 300 4MATIC
(2025) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jun 4, 2026
Incident date: Jun 3, 2026
The instrument cluster display went dark and has not been able to display any information such as speed in miles per hour, fuel gauge, and other important information needed to maintain safe driving.
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC 300
(2022) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jun 4, 2026
Incident date: May 28, 2026
My vehicle got stuck on a EPB(electronic parking brake) and I was unable to disengage it. I tried a few things and none worked. I contacted Mercedes to tow it to the dealer and the tow truck came and driver had to “drag” my vehicle on to the flatbed. My car has been at Mercedes for 5 days now and they gave me a response saying that they are having a hard time trying to disengage the EPB. I’m... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2025
The touchscreen display has failed and has to be replaced according to the dealership service department. This is a known issue with this generation Honda (10th generation) where the digitizer in the screen fails under heat exposure in the cabin.
Incident date: Jun 4, 2026
The cam carriers for my vehicle are leaking oil. This is an incredible common, seemingly almost guaranteed, issue with these vehicles from Subaru at the 75-90k mile mark. The carrier are dripping oil, so worse than seeping, but not pouring. This runs the risk of the engine bleeding oil fast and running dry without checking oil levels every week or so and carrying extra emergency oil. This is a hug... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER SPORT
(2016) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jun 4, 2026
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
Rear surround camera has blurry and hazy image upon activation of reverse gear. There is noticeable water ingress in camera lens. Vehicle had issue addressed in 2022 by replacement with part LR060915. Blurry/hazy issue was observed intermittently and now camera is inoperable with visible water in camera housing. I believe this is an extension of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTS... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2026
Beginning on 04/17/2026, my vehicle began displaying multiple safety-related dashboard warnings simultaneously, accompanied by audible alerts. The warnings included the Forward Collision Safety System, Blind-Spot Monitoring, Electronic Parking Brake (EPB), Stability and Traction Control, Lane Keep Assist, and AUTO HOLD — all activating at the same time. These warnings reappeared on several occas... Read more
FORD
F-150 HYBRID
(2023) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jun 4, 2026
Incident date: May 20, 2026
tried to get ford to install Heated Steering Wheel Performance Upgrade 22G06 on this and they claim the case was closed and denied because of the credit on my window sticker they closed my case ID without even notifying me about it. (Ford CASE ID for heated steering module. XXX). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
The reason for the recall on this make and model is what I'm experiencing now. The whole car will shutdown power while driving with no warnings. In traffic the car will just roll to a stop with cars closely behind me. I bought the call September 2016 yet I just saw a recall when I signed up for triple a. The last 12 months I have been on n and out of shops trying to find the reason. Starter was fi... Read more
KIA
SORENTO PHEV
(2022) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jun 4, 2026
Incident date: May 30, 2026
Engine wiring is covered in soy based products which attract rodents as a source of food. Rodents then chew various wires and damage the electrical system. The check engine light has popped on twice in one year with both times requiring service repair for the chewed wires. There is a potential for electrical fires or other various failures due to rodents chewing through the wires. Kia has known ab... Read more
Incident date: May 7, 2026
Driver side sliding door is can not open/ failed to open. Life gate door failed to operate.
BMW
K 1600 GTL
(2018) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jun 4, 2026
Incident date: Apr 29, 2026
At the end of April, 2026, I was using the 'Reverse Gear' function to assist with parking the motorcycle. I needed to move back about 15 feet into the parking spot. As I was moving backward, at approximately 3 to 5 feet, the reverse function suddenly stopped propelling the motorcycle backward causing me to loose balance. I tipped and had to lay the bike down to prevent injury. The lay down ... Read more
Incident date: May 26, 2026
The display goes black and then will restart. It foes this over and over. The navigation and other features can’t be used and it will not stay on long enough to try and update.
Incident date: Jul 3, 2025
The horn will honk sporadically and will not start at times then wipers will malfunction. Had tipm looked at was told it is normal for this to go out, bad design.
Incident date: Jun 4, 2026
The Transmission Controm Module (TCM) has gone bad on my car. Ford has recalled other cars of the same Make, Model and Year, but they refuse to repair the same problem on mine, because my VIN was not included in the initial recall
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2023) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jun 4, 2026
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
We have been waiting for this solution to this recall and it’s made my family nervous to have vehicles that can catch fire at any point Our mental health has suffered
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
Dashboard lights for speedometer blink and half the side has gone dark
Incident date: Jun 2, 2026
I pulled into a parking spot with a concrete barrier pole at a pharmacy to pick up my sister. I had my foot on the brake while she was getting into the vehicle when the vehicle suddenly accelerated forward crashing into the pole. I have also had an incident where I tried to start the vehicle and could not get the vehicle to go from park to reverse. This is concerning that there could be some fault... Read more
Crash
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC 300
(2025) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jun 4, 2026
Incident date: May 26, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at 5 to 10 MPH attempting to park the vehilce lunged forward traveling 20 feet and crashed into the house. The air bags deployed. No warning lights were illuminated , There was no injuries or fire. A police report was filed. The gas company was on the scene due to a gas leak. Additionally the... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jun 4, 2026
Engine shuts off while idling and also while driving. While driving, the condition most commonly occurs at speeds under 10 mph, but it has occurred on public roads and highways. When the engine shuts off, the truck violently engages Auto Park while the vehicle is still in motion. The condition occurs multiple times per day. There are no warning lights or messages prior to the shutdown. The condit... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2026
I own a 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4XE High Altitude (VIN: [XXX]) with three open safety recalls, two of which involve fire hazards: NHTSA ID 25V741000 – High Voltage Battery May Fail and Cause Fire (parts available) NHTSA ID 25V766000 – Engine Failure May Cause Fire or Loss of Drive Power (parts not available) 2.0L PHEV Engine recall (parts not available) I have been trying to schedule a recall rep... Read more
TOYOTA
GRAND HIGHLANDER
(2025) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jun 4, 2026
Incident date: Jun 2, 2026
While I was driving using the screen for the GPS the screen become black just sound. The volume got stuck and no image was displayed. Try to use manual control on steering wheel and they didn’t respond neither. Is not the first time that the screen freezes glows black or just glitches.
Incident date: May 25, 2026
Back up camera quit working. Stated intermittently not working for about 2 days then completely stopped working. No warning lights
Incident date: Jun 4, 2026
Infotainment center had popup ad about Sirius xm trial ending soon and a phone number to call to extend. Had to hit small x in the corner to disable while vehicle in motion or have no access to air, radio controls, or see map.
Incident date: Aug 27, 2024
I am reporting recurring safety-related defects on my 2018 Audi A4 involving Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, Audi pre sense/front-collision functionality, and related electrical/driver-assistance reliability. The AEB/forward-collision system has shown two unsafe intermittent behaviors. At times it has failed to activate as expected when crash-mitigation assistance appeared... Read more