Consumer Safety Complaints

Search 2,245,377 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA, including 140,173 crashes, 56,794 fires, and 8,580 deaths.

2,245,377 Total Complaints

140,173 Reported Crashes

56,794 Reported Fires

8,580 Reported Deaths

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

A consumer complaint is a free-form report filed by a vehicle owner directly to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describing a safety concern about their vehicle. NHTSA collects these reports through its Vehicle Owner Defect Report (VOQ) system and publishes them publicly. Each complaint includes the affected component, the date and circumstances of the incident, whether the failure caused a crash or fire, and any reported injuries or deaths. The owner's full narrative description is included verbatim, NHTSA does not edit or moderate the descriptions.

The database below contains over 2,245,377 individual complaints. NHTSA's investigators monitor it for clusters of similar reports, when enough owners describe the same failure mode on the same vehicle, NHTSA may open a Preliminary Evaluation that can lead to a recall. Many of the largest recalls in U.S. history, including the Takata airbag recall and the Hyundai/Kia engine fire recalls, started as patterns visible in this complaint database years before they became formal recalls.

How to interpret what you read

A few principles for reading consumer complaints usefully:

One complaint is anecdote; a hundred similar complaints is data. NHTSA does not investigate the truthfulness of any individual report, that's the job of the Office of Defects Investigation, which looks at the full pattern. When evaluating a vehicle, look for whether multiple owners describe the same chain of events.
Crash, fire, injury, and death flags are owner-set. They are not verified by NHTSA. They are still useful as a filter, because owners who tick those boxes are typically reporting more serious incidents than those who don't.
Component categories are NHTSA-assigned, not owner-assigned. NHTSA standardizes the component field so that complaints can be aggregated. The owner narrative often goes into more detail than the component category captures.
Complaint volume scales with sales volume. A best-selling model will accumulate more raw complaints than a niche model even at the same defect rate. To compare across vehicles, look at complaints per 100,000 units sold, not raw counts.

If you've experienced a defect

File a complaint. NHTSA's investigators rely on this database to detect emerging defects, and useful complaints, specific, concrete, with dates and mileage and clear descriptions of what happened, feed directly into the agency's pattern detection. The form takes about 10 minutes and is at nhtsa.gov/recalls under "Report a Safety Problem." Your complaint becomes part of the same public record that this page is built from. Owners filing detailed VOQs are how recalls get triggered.

Read more from our blog

How to Read NHTSA Consumer Complaints › How NHTSA Investigations Work › Used Car: 7 Recall Checks to Run First › The Takata Airbag Recall: Full Story › OBD-II Codes Explained › All Articles ›

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Showing 191,761 complaints - component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Incident date: Aug 30, 2026

Twice under 3200 miles while pulling into driveway on an incline the vehicle shifted to neutral then turned off and began to roll backwards down my driveway. No codes or CEL came on the display read press start to restart engine so I did that and it started and ran normally until it happened again while pulling into driveway. I took vehicle to my local chevy dealer they pulled history codes and ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 31, 2026

On XXX, my 2017 Chrysler Pacifica suffered a catastrophic malfunction on [XXX], only 3.4 miles after I picked it up from Mall of Georgia Chrysler. The dealership had kept it for over two weeks to diagnose an intermittent “Service Shifter” warning and communication fault codes. While driving in traffic, the gear indicator unexpectedly cycled among Drive, Neutral, and Park. The vehicle stalled,... Read more

Incident date: Jan 4, 2025

The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on several occasions, the vehicle experienced a temporary loss of motive power while accelerating and turning. The contact stated that the failure w... Read more

Incident date: Mar 20, 2026

PRIMARY SAFETY DEFECT — SUDDEN STOP IN ACTIVE TRAFFIC: The vehicle suffers from severe, uncommanded electrical/drive-system shutdowns. While driving in live traffic, the ID.4 panics, flashes error alerts on the display, and abruptly stops within seconds. This sudden, violent stopping in active lanes creates an extreme safety hazard, leaving the EV dead in traffic with no warning and creating an ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 30, 2026

- SUNROOF CHANNEL REAR DRAIN TUBES CORRODED/FAILED, CAUSING WATER INGRESS INTO CABIN, FILLING FLOOR WITH APPROXIMATELY 2 INCHES OF STANDING WATER. - TECHNICIAN FOUND IMC AND AUDIO AMPLIFIER TO HAVE DAMAGE DUE TO WATER INFILTRATION. NO COMMUNICATION WITH AUDIO AMPLIFIER, SATELLITE DIGITAL AUDIO SERVICES MODULE WITHIN IMC IS NOT RESPONDING. - CORRODED SUNROOF DRAIN CHANNEL FITTINGS LEADING TO WATER... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2026

- CORRODED SUNROOF DRAIN CHANNEL FITTINGS LEADING TO WATER INTRUSION INTO THE VEHICLE - CORROSION AND RUST IN THE SUNROOF OPENING PANEL FRAME WATER DRAIN. - SUNROOF WATER DRAIN TUBES HAVE A NOTABLE AMOUNT OF CORROSION AND RUST IN DRAIN TUBE OUTLET AND RUBBER HOSE. - SAFETY HAS BEEN PUT AT RISK FROM THE WATER INTRUSION DISABLING ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS IN THE VEHICLE - PROBLEM HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 17, 2026

The contact owns a 2022 Jeep Wagoneer. The contact stated that while driving under 5 MPH, the vehicle shut off and was rear-ended by a pickup truck. The vehicle was towed to an undisclosed location. The low battery reserve message was displayed afterwards on two occasions. The contact stated the failure was like the failure listed in NHTSA Action Number: PE24018 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, HYBRID PROPULSI... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Aug 20, 2026

The vehicle has experienced intermittent stalling and near-stalling while driving. The problem began after a prior Kia engine replacement related to DTC P1327/P132700. After the engine replacement, the vehicle developed additional drivability and warning-light concerns, including P0420 and communication/CAN faults. An authorized Kia dealer later documented that the vehicle had stalled a few times,... Read more

Incident date: Sep 4, 2026

The vehicle suffered an Auto Idle Stop failure at a red light. The engine shut down normally, but failed to automatically restart when the brake was released. There were no dashboard warning lights, and I was forced to manually shift the vehicle into Park to restart the engine in active traffic.

Incident date: Aug 1, 2026

Ford completed OTA for software update. After that happened, wireless phone calls no longer work.

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

CRITICAL VEHICLE SYSTEM SAFETY & TELEMATICS FAILURES: 1.ELECTRICAL & ELICTRICAL DEFECTS: The vehicle's primary infotainment and factory navigation display module suffers a total software and hardware failure. module suffers a total software and hardware failure. While operating on public roadway, including [XXX] entering [XXX], the tracking telemetry completely losses spatial orientation. mapping ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 20, 2026

2026 Genesis G70 2.5T RWD. The navigation system is completely gone. There is absolutely no way to get the maps or even the navigation settings menu up. On every startup, you can see a part of the screen which shows it tries to load navigation, but fails every time. There are a few critical safety issues with this. To start, a main feature of the Adaptive Cruise Control is relying on GPS map da... Read more

Incident date: Sep 3, 2026

While my 2026 Honda Odyssey was parked and stationary, I operated the driver-side power sliding door normally. The door began opening but became stuck. When I activated the power sliding door again, there was a sudden mechanical failure involving the sliding-door mechanism. The sliding-door rail was severely damaged/deformed, the mechanism appeared to disengage from its normal track/rail path, and... Read more

Incident date: Aug 20, 2026

Engine seized per Kia Inspected by Kia after AAA TOWED AND COULD NOT START CAR warning lamps have been on for over 6 months. Kia inspected and ran diagnostics at that time and said it was nothing to fix just an annoying dashboard malfunction.

Incident date: Aug 29, 2026

Failure of the onboard AC charging component, known as the Grid to High Voltage Converter A (GHCA) or onboard charger module. This vehicle would not charge on AC current, but could only be charged on DC current. This is a safety issue, as you may get stranded without access to a DC capable charger, since AC is the primary source for a majority of EV owners. Problem has been confirmed by the dealer... Read more

Incident date: Jun 20, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while at a complete stop in traffic, the idle stop system failed to restart the vehicle, nearly causing the vehicle to be rear-ended. The vehicle was restarted after several attempts. The check engine and battery warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the battery was replaced; however, the failure recurr... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2026

On XXX, during a 13 hour return trip from [XXX], while traveling at speeds of approximately 80 mph on the interstate in mountainous terrain with my family in the vehicle, the instrument cluster displayed a message instructing me to stop driving and take the vehicle to service due to a battery problem. After the message cleared, a warning light remained illuminated until the vehicle was shut off an... Read more

Incident date: Sep 3, 2026

ICCU failure. Car went into limp mode then towed to dealership.

Incident date: Sep 1, 2026

The back up camera, Bluetooth and radio system has all gone black.

Incident date: Jan 4, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that the instrument cluster was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with instrument cluster failure; however, the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V652000 (Electrical System); because the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact notified the manufact... Read more

Incident date: Jun 2, 2026

I own a Lincoln Mkc 2017 - purchased on 2/19/19 with 12miles I have replaced 4 batteries over the years so far. I drive every day. I am never sure if the car will start. Multiple times i have a dead battery. Lincoln has a problem with this module and the electrical system. parasitic drainage issues on the battery. I don't feel safe, because there is an "unknown" draining the battery, therefore ... Read more

Incident date: May 9, 2026

I am filing this complaint regarding NHTSA Safety Recall 26V214 for my 2021 BMW K1600GTL. The reverse gear system on my motorcycle has completely failed and is currently inoperative. Recall 26V214 concerns the reverse gear control unit. According to the recall, moisture may enter the unit, causing internal corrosion and loss of reverse function. The condition may also cause overheating and, in rar... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2025

Honda 2018 crv with approx 56,000 miles began to have a sticky steering issue. It feels like it causes the car to wander in the driving lane, especially at highway speeds. Making the driver constantly correct the vehicle to keep a strait line. But in reality it seems to over-correct the steering which makes it feel impossible keep a strait line while driving. The steering is not smooth during ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2022 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the ABS, brake, and other unknown warning lights illuminated, and the messages "Traction Control Disengaged", "Shift Knob Required Servicing", "Cruise Control Disconnected", "Video Display Need Servicing," and other unknown messages were displayed. The steering wheel was firm and difficu... Read more

Incident date: Sep 3, 2026

Vehicle: 2021 BMW X5 xDrive40i (G05) Mileage: 54,423 miles Component: Central Information Display (CID)/ MGU (Media Graphics Unit) Head Unit Safety Defect: The CID intermittently goes completely blank without warning. When this occurs, the backup camera is unavailable, creating a safety hazard when reversing. Navigation, radio, Apple CarPlay, and vehicle settings are also unavailable. Failure Hi... Read more

Incident date: Aug 27, 2026

2014 Jeep JK with 53,000 miles has a code C2200 abs module internal failure. The ABS module needs to be replaced. Part cannot be located as there is a national backorder. This is a known safety issue with no resolution by Stellantis.

Incident date: Sep 1, 2026

We had the battery die about 2 weeks ago. We replaced that. Then this week the power steering just went out. The vehicle has no power steering. The mechanic "thinks" the power steering control module is bad but he cannot be sure till he replces it.

Incident date: Sep 3, 2026

This is a supplemental complaint to my earlier report regarding NHTSA Campaign 26V237 / Ford Safety Recall 26S28. The recall remedy (PCM software update) was performed at W.C. Sanderson Ford in Healdsburg, CA on XXX. The original downshift defect recurred within weeks, including a near-miss where I nearly lost control of the vehicle with my [XXX] son inside. Since then, I have had the vehicle ind... Read more

Incident date: Feb 1, 2025

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The vehicle bucks and runs really rough. I believe it has to do with the open recall that has NOT yet been fixed. The fuel MPGs, xxx miles to empty, etc seems to all be affected. The dealer won't do anything about it. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I'd say it's safe to dri... Read more

Incident date: Aug 19, 2026

On August 19, 2026, I was involved in a collision in my 2025 Ford F-150 Lightning after a suspected malfunction involving the automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and/or acceleration controls. Cruise control was on; BlueCruise was not. While on an exit ramp, I heard a loud warning beep, experienced automatic braking, and then felt the truck suddenly accelerate into the vehicle ahe... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Apr 8, 2026

We had bought this vehicle from the dealership in March 2026, it had seemed like they were trying to get rid of it. Within under a month of purchase, it flashed a malfunction error and broke down. Sent to dealership, they had fixed the relay. Problem has since worsened. Car runs extremely rough and I get two malfunction errors. During long periods of driving with extensive starting and stopping, I... Read more

Incident date: Apr 1, 2026

Collision warning sensor alarm randomly comes on my dash and my car slams on the breaks. Very dangerous, I’m scared to drive down the highway going 60mph. 80,109 miles 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. I have not brought it in to a Hyundai dealership because they want a diagnosis fee and everything else. Hyundai should fix it. This alarm has happened several times than it will go away and come on like 3 ti... Read more

Incident date: Sep 3, 2026

While driving, the center console and its corresponding section of the instrument cluster will freeze and then completely turn off and become black screens. Then a message stating “the system is restarting” comes on the screen and after a minute or two it will turn back on. This happens at random times in random intervals; I have not been able to detect a pattern in the time between incidents... Read more

Incident date: Apr 11, 2025

I was driving down the road going the speed limit and all of a sudden it felt like I hit a brick wall my car staked out and I was stuck in the middle of the road for about 20 minutes and finally I got it to start and drove home it did it again 2 months later

Incident date: Aug 7, 2026

The vehicle was purchased Aug 7th and since delivery date the car has been having issues. The primary issue is the infotainment system, the monitor sometimes disconnects from apple CarPlay abruptly. During the use of this feature the navigation system will also disconnect making it unsafe when using navigation. The vehicle has a persistent problem with squeaking and tapping noise coming from the e... Read more

Incident date: Sep 3, 2026

Back up camera is inverted. Parking guidelines do not work with inverted image. Almost hit a child due to inverted image

Incident date: Sep 3, 2026

Back up camera is inverted. Parking guidelines do not work with inverted image. Almost hit a child due to inverted image

Incident date: Apr 10, 2025

My kia niro 2018 backup camera takes a few seconds to start up when the vehicle is put in reverse. the time it takes differs from a second to sometimes 5 seconds. I know of accident caused in a McDonalds drive through where someone was backing up but the cam didn't turn on right away and they got in a small accident.

Crash

Incident date: Sep 1, 2026

"Stop vehicle and check power supply" warning lights accompanied and panic alarm goes off on new 2027 palisade hybrid calligraphy with 72 miles. The passenger rear brake grabs much more than the others which you can barely feel. Johnson Hyundia of Apex,NC, where we purchased the vehicle tell us not to bother bringing it to them because unless it has a fault code or constant message, they can't d... Read more

Incident date: Jun 13, 2026

At 15,000 miles the check engine light came on while going to a store. At the store, the vehicle was put in park and tried to shut off engine. The dash said "shift to park". Took to the dealer, was told sensor went out on transmission. They said it was the electronic controle module. They didn't think that was part of the drive train warranty. When I looked online I found many other Buick owners c... Read more

Incident date: Jun 5, 2026

On June 5 2026, my wife drove the vehicle into the garage. While she was exiting the vehicle with the driver's door open, the vehicle unexpectedly continued moving backward. My wife had to move out of the vehicle's path to avoid being struck or potentially crushed. The vehicle continued moving with the driver's door open, and the open door ultimately became lodged against a structural portion of t... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Sep 3, 2026

I am submitting a formal complaint regarding my 2022 Lincoln Navigator, VIN [XXX], which I purchased new from a Lincoln dealership in [XXX]. Since purchasing the vehicle, it has experienced multiple significant mechanical, safety, and reliability problems: The transmission required repair, and the vehicle remained at the repair facility for more than one month while the work was completed. The o... Read more

Incident date: Aug 20, 2026

I am reporting a severe safety defect regarding a failed engine coolant bypass valve on my 2022 Toyota Corolla Apex SE (VIN: [XXX], Mileage: 54,700). An authorized Toyota dealership has scanned the vehicle and confirmed active Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P268115 ("Engine Coolant Bypass Valve Circuit Open"). This mechanical and electrical failure triggers an immediate dashboard warning and create... Read more

Incident date: Jun 8, 2026

The contact owns a 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4XE. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V710000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power and the check engine warning light remained illuminated during the failure. Additionally, the message, "Please See Dealer for... Read more

Incident date: Aug 14, 2026

The 48-Volt Belt-Driven Hybrid Starter Generator / Motor Generator Unit (MGU / eTorque Alternator) suffered a catastrophic failure on my vehicle at approximately [Insert Mileage, e.g., 140,000] miles. The failure occurred while traveling out of state away from home, causing a sudden loss of vehicle charging, dashboard electrical errors ("Battery Saver Mode"), and creating an imminent threat of a... Read more

Incident date: Aug 30, 2026

My 2022 Nissan Rogue 1.5L VC-Turbo is experiencing repeated limp-mode/reduced-power events, severe hesitation, poor acceleration, rough/shaking idle, and recurring DTC U0652 after Nissan marked recall 25V-437 complete. The vehicle is available for inspection. Reduced-power symptoms were documented as early as Dec. 2024 and significantly worsened by Oct. 3, 2025 at approximately 100,400 miles, inc... Read more

Incident date: Sep 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Niro. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the coolant system warning light illuminated. The contact stated that after entering the vehicle following a charging session, there was a burning odor coming from the vehicle while the coolant system warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the 12-volt battery voltage decreased from 12 v... Read more

Incident date: Aug 10, 2026

The contact leased a 2024 Honda Prologue. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked outside in the driveway, unoccupied, suddenly there was a loud explosion, and the vehicle caught on fire. The contact stated that the fire spread to the garage and a vehicle parked nearby. The local fire department arrived on scene to extinguish the fire. The source of the fire remained under investigati... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Aug 10, 2026

The contact's spouse owns a 2013 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the steering wheel turned to the left independently and failed to remain straight. The contact stated that while turning the vehicle, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with charging system fa... Read more

Incident date: Aug 22, 2026

The ABS/brake warning lights illuminated on my 2017 Ram 1500. I have not noticed a difference in normal braking performance. Diagnostic testing identified codes C2200-49 related to an internal ABS module electronic failure and C0020-01, ABS pump motor control/general electrical failure. I was advised that the ABS module and/or hydraulic control unit may require replacement. I am concerned that the... Read more

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Consumer Safety Complaints

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

How to interpret what you read

If you've experienced a defect

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