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 42,929 complaints - component: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Incident date: Nov 19, 2023
Left headlight went out in July 2023 while traveling in Oklahoma. I had it replaced at a NAPA shop in Kansas shortly after. The headlight went out again while home in Charleston, SC in November 2023. I had it replaced again. 2 weeks later around roughly November 15th 2023 the light went out again.
Incident date: May 10, 2023
THE AUTO DIM FEATURE DOES NOT WORK, THE DISPLAY AND DASH LIGHTS STAY BRIGHT EVEN AT NIGHT WHEN ITS SET TO AUTO MODE. MAKING IT VERY DESTRACTING AND BLINDING AT NIGHT. A RECALL UPDATE HAS BEEN PERFORMED ON 11/17 BUT IT DID NOT FIX THE ISSUE.
Incident date: Oct 20, 2023
My brake lights are not going off when I take my foot off of the brake pedal. I have had to start disconnecting the battery cable so it will not drain the battery. I stop lamp switch replaced when it was recalled. And the steering wheel tilt does not stay in the high spot it falls to the lowest position.
Incident date: Nov 20, 2023
My 16 year old son was at a church function until after dark because daylight savings time means it is dark earlier. When he began to drive home he could not see the roadway because the low beam headlights provided close to zero illumination. He lost visibility and drove off the road into someone’s yard. There were children outside and they could have been killed. Only minor damage to the grass ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
High beam headlights stopped working without warning
Incident date: Nov 16, 2023
Turn signal indicator on front passenger side has already failed and the vehicle has less than 4000 miles on it
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
This is the 4th time it's happened and also the 2nd time iv almost been killed!! I have a 2014 ram 1500 which iv grown to love. Iv have alot of issues but never complained and just took care of ... yet the gauge cluster display decides to go into a party mode (strobing) and flickering or just flat out going black!!! I have bad eyes and twice now within 2 months driving at night iv gone off the roa... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 17, 2023
We keep on having to replace our headlights. We just got one replaced 5 months ago and it’s out again. This will be the fourth time in three years. No one can figure out why the headlights keep burning out.
Incident date: Nov 5, 2023
Brake Lights, constantly on. The vehicle, while driving, the brake lights come on and do not turn off. you must force the pedal all the way down, to, sometimes, turn them off. while driving, the lights being on, disables the ECS system, and Cruise Control. while the vehicle is parked and off the lights stay on, unless you depress the pedal, this causes power drains and dead batteries. if the light... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
1.) Headlights are yellowing. 2.) Hard to see at night. 3.) Everyone has the same problem. The government should mandate going back to glass headlights for safety reasons. Buffing them only lasts a short period of time and the elderly can't afford to buy new OEM headlights every 6 years as they are very, very expensive. This is a safety issue, as yellow lenses equal more nighttime accidents, ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2023
It is obvious that this 2019 Chrysler 300 has the defects that a recall was issued by the NHSTA about. My electrical systems have malfunctioned multiple times causing the vehicle to lock up and die in traffic. The power steering would go out. The car wouldn’t want to shift. Anything and everything that could read information out wrong was going off. The check engine light. The brake system. Tran... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2020
When i purchased this vehicle, I had to replace all 4 rear led tail lights. Now 2 years later I have to replace the right rear led side tail light. These led lights should not be going out this soon. Why can't Kia recall this part. This is a safety issue that i should not be replacing this soon.
Incident date: Nov 17, 2023
1. Both headlights on dim are so dim that you cannot drive safely, they do not project in front of the car far enough to see at night, dawn or dusk. I am concerned if other cars I meet can even see me approaching. My flashlight shines brighter and farther. I have replaced the bulbs for the dim lights and it did no good. 2. Drove to California and was in west Texas after dark, could not see the roa... Read more
FORD
F-150 HYBRID
(2022) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Nov 17, 2023
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
Upon many vehicles flashing headlights coming towards me, and the driver in front of me pulling over, I investigated once I reached my destination. It soon was evident that the water inside my driver's side headlamp had frozen and was creating a prismatic effect and reflecting light all over the road. This created significant safety risks to my family and other motorist. Honda investigated and ac... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufact... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
The dim headlights dont work right so u cant see driving. It is very dangerous it could cause a accident. So you have to drive with your brights on so that you can see and then that could also cause accident because you're blinding the people coming towards you
Incident date: Nov 17, 2023
Headlights work fine, but the High Beams don't. The light in the car shows them on, but they do not turn on outside the vehicle. I can't confirm how long they haven't worked since this was the vehicle my wife drove but very rarely at night. Now that I'm driving it in the dark in the mornings and evenings, I noticed it.
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
Walked out to the garage where the vehicle had been shut off for a number of minutes to conduct another day’s personal investigation (can’t leave it outside when it rains unfortunately - moonroof leaks). This time: exterior lights on & found the interior lights in what looked to be an odd cycling. Video can be provided, no pictures taken. The price for honesty? Dealers: $500. I can live with... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2022) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Nov 16, 2023
Incident date: Oct 27, 2023
Driver's side A-Pillar trim fell off while driving at highway speed
Incident date: Nov 12, 2023
Activating FSD Beta Version 2023.27.7 switches the Display brightness to AUTO and to a brightness that is higher then the level set by the driver. In a darkened vehicle at night the Auto setting was too bright and a distraction to safe driving at night. I then spent 2-3 seconds with my attention away from the road ahead as I reset the brightness on the display screen to the comfortable level. Aft... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
FSD Beta Firmware Version 2023.27.7. -- When operating with FSD Beta in control of the vehicle, the turn signal is activated and the appropriate left or right side blind spot video is brought upon the driver's display automatically. This works perfectly for city street lane changes and turns at intersections or driveways, etc. When operating on a controlled access highway the systems works in the ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
After driving the vehicle at night and turning the engine off certain exterior lighting components would not shut off. Turn signals and reverse lights and brake lamps we stuck in a static on position even when not being activate by turn signal switch or brake pedal being depressed
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
My headlights blank on and off like a christmas tree. I put them on auto or the running lights and they do the same things. The dashboard lights do the same things inside the car. It also happen when I turn my turn signal on or put my car on bright or dim them.
HYUNDAI
TUCSON HYBRID
(2022) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Nov 16, 2023
Incident date: Nov 4, 2023
The vehicle components started failing first with lighting and electrical malfunctions. Due to the concerns I was on the way to the mechanic on 9/16/23 when the air bags deployed on the passengers side without any impact. The Vehicle is at Chrysler dealer on central avenue Albany, NY and available for inspection. I had just dropped off my grandchildren this could have severely had a horrible impa... Read more
Incident date: Nov 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the low-beam headlights and the high-beam headlights were extremely dim while driving, causing a reduced visibility of the roadway while driving. The local dealer was contacted. The... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2023
When using my blinkers my headlights go out while the lights are in Auto mode. This is very dangerous as my headlights have gone out several times while driving in the dark.
Incident date: Nov 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufact... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2015) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Nov 15, 2023
Incident date: Jun 9, 2022
Low beam on Both headlights failed without any explanation. Everything was checked. The bulbs, the fuses, the relay, and the cause of the issue is still not known.
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2016) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Nov 14, 2023
Incident date: Dec 15, 2021
The auto high beam head light function on the 2022 Honda Ridgeline does not work as expected and is a safety issue. They do not always dim for oncoming vehicles therefore "blinding" the person in the oncoming vehicle. This could potentially cause an accident. Please note they will sometimes dim from glare on a road sign but not always from an oncoming vehicle. Basically the functionality is err... Read more
Incident date: Oct 3, 2023
The back inner tail light on my car is not working, which is the following recall, however, according to acura, my vin does not apply and does not show a recall. I believe this is an error since I am having the exact issue and my vin should be included in this recall. NHTSA RECALL NUMBER:19V-256 MFR CAMPAIGN ID:M49 CAMPAIGN DESCRIPTION:2014-19 MDX Tailgate Inner Taillight Safety Recall RECALL DAT... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
Rivian pushed a software update to owners on the evening of 11/13/2023. This update made the driver information and infotainment screens non-functional and also disabled all driver saftey aids and any ability to turn exterior lights or windshield wipers off or on. As of 11:24 am CST on 11/14/2023, owners have still not been officially notified or provided any status updates aside from a reddit pos... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2023
At approximately 76k I started noticing that my low beam headlights were very dim at night and was having a hard time seeing the street/lines and signs while driving. The distance I should have been able to see was declining. It continued to decline over time, and now at 80k literally the only light my vehicle is projecting at night is the front running lights, so I cannot see barely more that 5 f... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2023
The headlights turn themselves off while I’m driving at night. It’s very scary for a minute or two but I manage to get them back on by manipulating the switch. I mentioned this to the service rep at the Jaguar dealership and his response was “ that’s typical of that car”. It’s been doing this since a purchased the car but is getting worse and dangerous.
HYUNDAI
ELANTRA TOURING
(2010) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Nov 14, 2023
Incident date: Jul 17, 2023
My front headlights stopped working and I was driving in the dark.
Incident date: Mar 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The ma... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2023
Passenger side headlight turns off in random, and then goes off completely. Happened in 2019 and then again in 2023, for my 2015 Dodge Charger. Repair is expensive,
Incident date: May 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, at night the low-beam headlights were extremely dim. The contact used the high-beam headlights to properly see the roadway. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was recommended to replace the headlights with newer LED lights. Th... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
The blue link on all older models is not being supported which cause the screen to become stuck on loading screen. This is a visibility and safety issue because it cause blue link to reload and bright lights to flash as you are driving at night every time it reloads. It is a distraction from the road if you shut it off completely you have no access to radio or sound. The issue it cannot be fixed u... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2023
The HID headlights on this car degrade and fail to produce sufficient light. The reflectors lose their coating. This is a widely known issue [XXX] I have discussed this with my mechanic. The headlights are so dim as to be unsafe. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Sep 5, 2023
Car showed “electrical system malfunction” while driving. Said that the start/stop system failed. Proceeded to say that the rear brake light not functioning while driving, which would pose a safety risk to all drivers and myself.
Incident date: Jul 18, 2023
Complete loss of high beams during vehicle operation. This problem is intermittent.This has caused reduced visibility and can increase risk of a crash resulting in injury and or property damage. Kia has knowledge of the problem and has sent me a letter that extended the warranty to 15 years/ 150,000 miles. It is very difficult to get the headlights replaced under warranty because of the i... Read more
Incident date: Oct 21, 2023
When reversing the vehicle the brake pedal jumps with your feet on the brake pedal and a nose rattles,when driving and you have a sudden stop motion the vehicle brakes pedal with your feet on it it’s very hard to push the brake Pedal . Reversing the vehicle very strong nose and the vehicle doesn’t stop right away
Incident date: Sep 25, 2023
Headlights are extremely dangerous on this model vehicle, the cut off is very sharp and the beam range very restrictive. When going up or down hills vision is almost completely lost. Drivers are lucky to see 10 yards in front of the vehicle at times. Lights are so bright there are also numerous dark/blind spots in the road when driving. When in a 55/65 mph zone, there are times I have to slow dow... Read more
Incident date: Aug 2, 2020
Headlights are so dim almost impossible to drive at night. Dealership says nothing is wrong with them.
HYUNDAI
SONATA HYBRID
(2016) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Nov 10, 2023
Incident date: Sep 7, 2023
The lights spontaneously turned off while driving on a cloudy night on an unlit section of interstate. While slowing the car down, it went onto gravel, semi-circled around and flipped over onto the lower median. No air bag deployed. No protection from shoulder seat belt. Head hit steering wheel, and I briefly lost consciousness. Tests showed skull and cervical fractures. The car was "totaled... Read more
Crash
1 injured
FORD
FUSION HYBRID
(2010) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Nov 10, 2023
Incident date: Nov 10, 2023
Headlight aim is too high, blinding oncoming drivers. Dealer says that the headlight aim on this vehicle is not adjustable. When I am driving at night oncoming drivers are constantly flashing their lights at me, but my lights are on low beam.
Incident date: Nov 9, 2023
The headlight reflector has been burned by the halogen lamp. After doing some research it’s a very common problem. Replacing the halogen bulb does nothing as the reflector does not work. Honda/ Acura is denying any responsibility. The car has ZERO visibility at night. The light power is equivalent to a candle light
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2018) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Nov 10, 2023
Incident date: Nov 10, 2023
Passenger side low beam headlight suddenly stopped working on the highway. Symptoms same as Toyota recall 19TA20, however vehicle is not part of the recall campaign. Vehicle displayed error "Right low beam malfunction". Dealership is not willing to investigate under recall coverage.
Incident date: Nov 10, 2023
My 2023 Compass instrument panel and center display panel flashes erratically at night when passing under overhead street lighting. It is very distracting and dangerous, causing visibility issues. Driving speed does not matter. The Auto/Manual choices in the vehicle settings do not seem to matter. I was told my vehicle was not part of the recent related recall, but I see other complaints exact... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 2023
The headlights on my vehicle do not provide adequate light. Also, the bright headlight option does not work. The blue indicator on the dash illuminates but neither of the headlights produce bright lights, only the standard lights.