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: Oct 3, 2023
2018 Jeep Compass Limited has the OEM Bi-Xenon option equipped. The issue is with both headlights operating intermittently. It does not matter what position the headlight switch is in (Auto, On) they continue to alternate turning on and off. Sometimes one will come on and the other will be extremely delayed (15-20 minutes), sometimes both are delayed, and sometimes they do not come on at all. Shu... Read more
Incident date: Oct 8, 2023
On Monday, October 10, 2023, I started my truck in the morning when the temperature was 60-65 degrees. The truck turned the rear defroster on and after 10 minutes I put my two boys in the backseat and smelt a burning smell. There was nothing smoking, so I told myself I would look at it once I got back from dropping them off. I pulled out of my driveway and within a minute my back window shattered ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2023
The rear back light in my dodge Durango went out on it own and I've seen multiple Durango with the same issue . I’ve attached example . Ive seen multiple cars with this same issue so there has be manufacturers issue
Incident date: Sep 6, 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 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 h... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2022
Headlamps stay lit even in auto lamp mode. Indicator on the dial does not display which mode or setting the lights are in. This has occurred numerous times and seems to have increased frequency
Incident date: Oct 9, 2023
Our High voltage battery died on the side of a highway, stranding us until a tow arrived at 4am. During this time, the onboard hazard lights were activated, and no other vehicle systems besides the standard interior features were active. The low voltage battery died within 35 minutes of the high voltage battery. After the low voltage battery died, we were left on the side of the highway at 4am wi... Read more
Incident date: Oct 5, 2023
On 04/26/23 a lamp assy-rear comb outside Qty: 1 installed 92402-K5000, was replaced due to condensation inside the taillight. On 09/22/23 both taillights, lamp assy-rear comb outside Qty: 1 installed 92401-K5000, was replaced and lamp assy-rear comb outside Qty: 1 installed 92402-K5000, were replaced due to condensation inside the taillights. Should the condensation in the taillights cause the ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
I have had trouble with both my right and left taillight blinkers failing at various times. In the first instance, I took the car into BMW of Seattle to get a new bulb, but this did not fix the problem. After talking with the parts department, the man informed me that it might be an issue with the bulb socket. We tried replacing this but it still didn't work. The technician ended up scraping corro... Read more
Incident date: Oct 6, 2023
When it rains water leaks into my cargo area filling up my spare tire well. it also soakes the insulation in the sides of vehicle. It has cause a short in the rear ligts on vehicle which I am not sure but could cause a fire or electrical failure. Has there been any recalls for such . Last occured on or about
VOLKSWAGEN
TAOS
(2022) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Oct 7, 2023
Incident date: Sep 21, 2023
All electrical gauges randomly go on and off, there is a continuous beeping to go along with it, the windshield wipers will go on and off. It seems to happen more in the summer or if it’s raining. It will occasionally stall while doing this, especially in a stationary position (like at a drive through).
Incident date: Jun 30, 2023
Passenger headlight light fills up with moisture resulting in the HID module filling up with water and shorting out. The high beam starts flashing when you try to use your turn signal and eventually the headlights completely stop working. Is a known problem, but GM won’t do anything to help if you’re outside of the 3year/36,000 mile warranty. Currently unable to get a new headlight because of ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 5, 2023
Adaptive headlight does not work and the low beam reflector is completely loose. With the reflector loose the headlight will occasionally blind oncoming traffic, point to the sky or side of the road. It is unsafe to ride unless riding with high beams, which is not safe for oncoming traffic.
Incident date: Oct 7, 2023
Intermittent issue occurs where my radio screen looses power or displays code error please restart system, blinkers stop working, thermometer on display shows 2 dashes, climate controls stop working, hazards won’t work, directional buttons on steering wheel and ok button do not work to change display on dash. all of these happen at same time intermittently
FORD
ESCAPE HYBRID
(2020) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Oct 6, 2023
Incident date: Sep 4, 2023
The headlights are very dull and fail to illuminate the road at night. Thus, night driving is a hazard and using high beams blind other drivers.
VOLKSWAGEN
GOLF
(2017) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Oct 6, 2023
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
Unable to see speedometer between 30 and 100 mph.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
Auto high beams are too sensitive and cause a safety concern as driver is not able to read street signs and visibility is impaired. Constant light changes are also distraction to oncoming traffic.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
My hi beams don’t work. I replaced the fuse and the bulbs and still nothing. It shows the indicator on the dash when I switch to hi beams but the function itself doesn’t work.
Incident date: Oct 5, 2021
Vehicle Hard Steering when drove Ford-from lot- Always something wrong with brakes-wheel bearings- wheels- Alignment Electrical Lightning for entire vehicle- Sunroof also included in malfunctions *Main SAFETY concern Front end / tranny Grinding amongst other noises
Incident date: Oct 5, 2023
LOWBEAM HEADLIGHTS: I have noticed myself and others have told me my RDX headlights do not light your driving as much as other cars. I been told this for couple year but I rarely drive at dark these days. On Monday Oct 2 I was driving home in Naples Florida at 8p and realized I could hardly see the road if there wasn't street lights aiding my view. Then on one stretch of road where there are n... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
Trailer brakes continuously go out on multiple trailers with an associated right turn lamp fault. There was a related recall but did not cover all of the vehicles this is happening to. Manufacturer Recall Number: 22S17 NHTSA Recall Number: 22v193
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
Factory low beam headlights do not adequately light the road to ride safely. Lights are adjusted according to owners manual. The amount of light is dangerously weak if rider is forced to ride at night. This bike should not be ridden at night with no city lights to assist visibility. High beams are far too narrow and only serve as warning lights during daylight hours.
Incident date: Sep 8, 2023
Low beam lights have a shadow that moves as car turns or goes up/down hills. When driving in dark back roads I see a line of shadow about 30’ ahead of me blacking out entire view. When high beams are on the shadow disappears. Bought car yesterday. Advised salesman. Will make appt to have it looked at. I have a video but it is failing to download.
Incident date: Sep 28, 2023
Air bag on the steering wheel has oozing glue that oozed/leaked out of the airbag and has hardened on outer cover! Lights and radio don’t disconnect or turn off when car is turned off and drain battery.
Incident date: Oct 2, 2023
Front side marker light it'd by canbus system as failed. Still illuminated, but resistance changed. 25 cent led, Audi says headlamp Assy need to be replaced ro $5100. Oh, and other side is about to go too. Design is non-compliant with NHTSA requirements for lighting (very early failures, often at.70k miles), places undo burden on consumers to comply to meet regulations of NHTSA. This consumer asks... Read more
Incident date: Sep 28, 2023
driving in the dark, my auto headlight selector only works when it wants to. like it’ll just just my headlights off at random no matter how dark it is
Incident date: Oct 4, 2023
Shifter alarm and need to stop the car to reset. Terrible on the highway engine will shut down. Temperature overheating stopped car working.
Incident date: Sep 29, 2023
Low beam headlight. Not turning on. Not yet. No.
Incident date: Jun 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Kia K900. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver’s and passenger side headlights intermittently flickered then turned off and turned on. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not notified of the failure. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V210000 (Exterior Lighting). The m... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2022
The high beams no longer work at all. The blue indicator light on the dash will appear, but the high beams are not working. The low beams work just fine as well as the daytime running lights. Bulb replacement did not fix the issue. It is a major safety concern not having access to high beams.
MERCEDES-BENZ
ML350
(2011) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Oct 4, 2023
Incident date: Nov 27, 2022
While on a multi-state trip I noticed that two pieces of the headlight have come loose inside the lens distorting the beam. On September 19, 2023 I took the bike in for a warranty claim and it was approved. Now two weeks later the dealer is still unable to give me a time frame for replacement due to the number of theses that have failed. I cannot ride the bike for fear of it going out entirely for... Read more
FORD
TRANSIT CONNECT
(2019) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Oct 4, 2023
Incident date: Aug 2, 2023
Tail lights cracked on their own during summer possibly due to high heat index. Adaptive cruise control system has given me an error/failure to start up several times when starting my vehicle.
Incident date: Oct 4, 2021
Low beam headlights have shadows that prevent me from seeing all roadway at night. vehicle has presented at the dealership in 6/07/23, but they failed to correct this potentially safety hazard issue. The issue did cause me to hit a piece of wood in the HYW causing an accident with a result of 2 damage tires and 1ring. I will present the vehicle again in 10-11 -23, but in advance one of the guys to... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2023
Right headlight and turn signal stopped working within approximately 110 miles on the odometer. Tesla did not make it a priority to fix the light and turn signal which poses a safety hazard to the driver and other vehicles on the road.
Incident date: Aug 16, 2023
Front left turn signal doesn't work all the time
Incident date: Aug 20, 2023
Intermittently when you turn the left turn signal, it will be a delay of 2-3 seconds to actually turn on the lights. Usually it happens in the morning when cold.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
My lights turn on and off randomly while driving or while parked in my driveway hours after parking while my car is in auto lights
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2014) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Oct 2, 2023
Incident date: Aug 1, 2019
My vehicle headlights are very dim when driving. I have replace the bulbs and still it is very dim when driving at night. I did not receive a recall for the headlights for my vehicle and when I called the dealership, they said that I received an extension, but I don’t recall getting one. Now that my headlights are very dim when driving at night I’m very concerned for my safety and I had asked ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2023
Light in trunk exploded and melted. This was the original light that came with the car. Thankfully the trunk was empty and it did not catch fire.
Fire
Incident date: Oct 2, 2023
My 2022 Tesla Model X is equipped with yoke steering wheel with capacitive turn signal buttons integrated, and there's no turn signal stalk. While I like the simplicity, the turn signal buttons sometimes do not respond. It happened about 10x in the past 12 months / 10k miles of ownership. I took the vehicle to Tesla service center twice in the last a few weeks and they couldn't do anything other t... Read more
Incident date: Sep 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact stated he was following behind in another vehicle and noticed that the taillights were out. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with a failed exterior lighting assembly. The exterior lighting assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repair... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
With headlights set to “auto”, the high beams will intermittently turn on and off even when the headlight switch is not pushed forward to activate high beams. When headlight switch is in the high beam position and set to “auto”, the high beams will not deactivate with on coming traffic. Both scenarios could blind on coming traffic potentially causing a collision. No No Vehicle purch... Read more
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
My front headlights have gradually become so dim my car is unsafe to drive at night. I have had them checked and they are on - they have become so sim it is dangerous. This is an ongoing issue - I am posting the date that I had a friend in the car who kept asking if my lights were on and was freaking out that we were driving without lights.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
No matter the bulbs I use, the headlights are always dim. This is incredibly unsafe for night driving.
Incident date: Sep 25, 2023
headlight assembly has failed, reflective material has deteriorated and the low beam is now so faint it is not safe to drive at night. can isnt even 10 years old and cant be driven at night due to headlight failure
Incident date: Sep 9, 2023
Adaptive forward lighting malfunctions. Lights point upward sometimes while driving and will not change. It blinds on coming vehicles.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
Tail lamps on this car are very small and dim compared to other vehicles. Have been told by other drivers that they are not very visible. Tail lamps are working correctly, this seems to be a problem with the design of the tail lamps.
Incident date: Jul 20, 2023
Break line, have to continue to fill break fluid, the smell of something burning when stopping or stopped , passenger right light keeps going out , continues need to be replaced
Incident date: Jul 17, 2023
Often times high beam lights will come on when left turn signal is applied. This can cause danger especially at night for on coming traffic if turning left.