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: Aug 6, 2023
Having trouble with instrument and info screen lighting. Car vin number not covered in first recall. I see today they issued another recall and again my car is not covered in the recall. We have a major problem with Jeep
Incident date: Aug 18, 2023
My high beams just stopped working
Incident date: Aug 14, 2023
WHEN THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL IS APPLIED. HIGH BEAM LIGHTS ARE ACTIVATED. THIS WILL BLIND ON COMING TRAFFIC!
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
High beams stopped working around 60,000 miles, changed the bulb but did not fix it. Had Kia dealer inspect it and said the entire unit would need to be replaced but Kia did not consider it a safety issue so all costs would be bore by me. Clearly this is a safety issue that needs to be remedied by Kia.
Incident date: Aug 4, 2023
The battery run out of charge. After a battery boost the car turn on and work OK except that the signal lights did not work first, then they turn on by itself. Same thing happened with the warning lights. The AC stopped working, The wipers wash pump does not work, the outside lights do not turn to high and stayed on after the car is turn off. I took my car to the dealer 3 days ago and they are no... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
3 weeks after I got my 2022 Jeep compass, I noticed I couldn’t see how fast I was going, if I need gas, or anything on the cluster steering panel (the part that tells you how much gas you have, and how fast you’re going) it’s been taken to Jeep 3 times, I’ve contacted Jeep themselves (corporate) I’ve been told my VIN has no recall but the dealership indicates I’m having the ambient sen... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2023
The digital lights are defective for the US market. The low beam doesn’t provide any light for night driving farther than x feet. It also has jagged edges across the beam that greatly effect night visibility. The adaptive part of the system doesn’t provide adequate lighting in the dark around curves, the car states it has cornering lamps but it does not/ is not activated for us market. When it... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC 300
(2023) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Aug 16, 2023
Incident date: May 1, 2023
My right brake light has melted my housing due to the bulb getting too hot and my cruise control suddenly stopped working one day the light comes on but when I go to hit the set button it doesn't set or activate
TOYOTA
SIENNA HYBRID
(2023) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Aug 16, 2023
Incident date: Aug 6, 2023
I NEVER GOT A RECALL ON THE LIGHT REPAIR. HAS MOISTURE IN HEADLIGHT. YOU CAN NOT SEE AT NIGHT. LIGHTS ARE VERY LOW LIGHTING. IT IS A SAFETY RISK. GOING TO CHURCH AT NIGHT IS IMPOSSIBLE. YOU CANNOT SEE OUT AHEAD. TRYING TO WATCH FOR DEER. I GOT ONE LIGHT FIXED FEW YEARS AGO. I CANNOT AFFORD ANOTHER. IS THERE A RECALL. THE PICTURE LOADED IS WHAT LIGHT LOOKS LIKE ON DRIVERS SIDE. I PRAY THEY STAND B... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2023
Low beam headlights work appropriately for 5 or so minutes before "drooping" or "sagging" so that they only illuminate one car length or so in front of the vehicle. Upon shutting off and restarting the vehicle, the lights return to correct illumination. However, they somehow droop again and within 5-10 minutes, it is not safe to drive the vehicle on low-beam headlights. It is the equivalent of ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 5, 2023
The vehicle headlights intermittently turn off while driving the vehicle.
Incident date: Aug 6, 2023
I have been seeing a warning message which states “Front left side marker light is defective” even though the light seems to be working. There is an open recall for my Audi Q7 model but somehow my VIN is not part of the recall. Audi recall: 97CB Campaign: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2014) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Aug 16, 2023
Incident date: Aug 10, 2023
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The daytime running light (DRL) failed and stopped working. It is available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Other cars won't be able to see my car during the daytime. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent serv... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 GMC Terrain. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V137000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution d... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2022
LED brake light works intermittently.
Incident date: Jul 13, 2023
appointment Aug2022 to take car for recall work of the PODS sensor mat & to update the PODS control module but was told the part was out of stock due to logistics. Why they scheduled appointment without confirming the part was in stock. I was then told before I left that there was a couple hundred cars needing this recall and that there would be a waiting list for recall work and that I would get ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
I purchased my 2022 Jeep Compass on March 26, 2022 and at the time it was functioning correctly, but about 7 months in to owning my vehicle the infotainment screen and gauge clusters (center clusters) went so dim that I could not see those screen anymore during the daylight. I called my dealership to report the issue, but at the time they did not know anything about it, so I had to deal with it ti... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2023
I was driving and the lights on the vehicle went out I thought it was the bulbs but no lights were working I adjusted steering wheel to look to see fuse box and all lights came back on there is an electrical short somewhere then I went to start the truck and it made a funny sound and then I lost all power and truck wouldn't start then the alarm kept going off and I could turn off even with the rem... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2014) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Aug 15, 2023
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
Safety recall for the LCM was repaired by lameroux Ford in Brookfield but the bypass was not preformed and the lcm is still acting up. Called and they want to charge me to look at the work they failed to do properly. Brought it to another mechanic who verified the LCM was not bypassed.
Incident date: Aug 7, 2023
Instrumentation not bright enough during daylight. Per NHTSA campaign ID number 23v058000. Mine was not included in the recall. They say they can’t repair Jeep engineering working on it. How did they fix the recall cars?
Incident date: Jun 8, 2023
Brake lights are too low on vehicle - middle lights are only running lights. Drivers behind vehicle in stop and go traffic must rely on high mounted third brake light mounted at peak of vehicle roof line, especially difficult for larger vehicles (SUVs, Trucks) to see low mounted brakes, with expectation that the middle lights will indicate braking. Multiple reports and complains regarding this i... Read more
Incident date: Aug 10, 2023
Driver side headlight stopped working, including low beam, high beam, turn signal. Dealer replaced whole headlight assembly under warrenty.
Incident date: Aug 15, 2023
Motorcycle is equipped with an Adaptive headlight. The main reflector that is a part of the moving adaptive headlight has broken off inside the headlight assembly and is obstructing the headlight beam pattern. It also does not allow the headlight to aim properly. The broken reflector is not permitting the adaptive headlight to function as intended and has the moving part wedged out of alignment. H... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2023
Headlights, blinker, windows, power steering,not working!!!
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
Headlights I been calling GM for years that you can’t drive with the low beam headlights at night it’s like having no headlights on . They say nothing no safety recall and I have read up on this issue and they say the halogen bulb gets so hot it burn the inside of headlight assembly and I would think this would be a safety recall . I hope you can help thanks [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDAC... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2018) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Aug 14, 2023
Incident date: Aug 8, 2023
Driving at night on an unlit rural road with the high beam lights engaged, a car was coming in the opposite direction, at which point the headlights were switched to low-beams to not impact the visibility of that driver. The headlights and lighting of the cluster turned completely off for a few moments before the low-beam headlights re-engaged and remained on for the remainder of the trip. The hea... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2021
The lighting system on 2014 Nissan Altima completely failed to the point where we couldn't drive the vehicle at night. We were unable to see the road. While searching Internet for potential issues, we found out that Nissan settled a lawsuit regarding the issues related to failing headlight/delamination issue (Suarrez vs. Nissan, 1-855-786-0996). We were never notified of the issue or the opportuni... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2023
Two days in a row - the jeep didn't start in the morning. After I started it with a starter. The first day, the buttons on the steering wheel and the safety system control stopped working. Incorrectly shows the fuel level. The second day when the car started with the help of a starter, the dashboard stopped working (completely went out). The battery was checked - it is 100% working The dashboar... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
2019 Audi SQ5 Tail Lights, Brake Lights and rear blinker failure. All lights inoperable with errors and warnings appearing on the dashboard display. Failed while driving home from a weekend trip in the evening approximately 1 hour from home. Had a friend follow behind me to reduce risk of any issues with other drivers colliding with my vehicle. The dealership inspected the vehicle and found numer... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
The vehicle has, on numerous occasions, gone into a "Check Right Front Turn Lamp" or "Check Left Front Turn Lamp" while operating the turn signals. Vehicle then goes into "hyperflash" on the turn signal indicating a fault when the error message appears and renders the signal non-functional. Vehicle does not return to normal until it is shut off and restarted. Vehicle was taken to dealer for ser... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC300
(2017) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Aug 14, 2023
Incident date: Jun 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 22V165000 (Visibility) and 22V137000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were 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... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2023
Passenger side lights flashes and flickers on / off after firmware update. This has been confirmed by Tesla Service as a “known issue” of the most recent software update 2023.26.7. I have a video of this flickering. There was no warning prior to the failure. This has been reported to Tesla. Representative said they won’t come out to service the vehicle because “there is nothing for them... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2023
There has been no accident- the vehicle is my mother in laws vehicle- my concern is while at work she has at times loaded our daughter into the vehicle- I inspected the vehicle one day while as an employee of Les Schwab- the driver cvc axle vibrates so bad from the boot being torn and having no lubrication- these axles power the vehicle forward and if not maintained can snap and cause damage- the ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2022) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Aug 12, 2023
Incident date: May 10, 2023
Check Right low beam error messsage. Beam decreased light output, lightbulb out. Adaptive high beam not working and neither is the intelligent light system/active lights.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
High beam lights just stopped working as soon as my warranty was up. Went to Kia they said i would have to replace my entire light housing
Incident date: Aug 7, 2023
Passenger brake light assembly issues
Incident date: May 31, 2022
We were traveling across the country from CA, MN , KY, WV, VA, PA, NY, MN, WY, ID, NV. CA. 21 July 2023. RR passenger window rolled down and will not roll up -taken to Greenbrier Ford in Lewisburg,WV. They verified “RRWindow won’t roll up. Took door panel apart & tested for power. Both wires going to up circuit & down circuit for RR window gets 12V, either way you push or pull switch. Shoul... Read more
FORD
MAVERICK HYBRID
(2023) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Aug 12, 2023
Incident date: Jul 21, 2023
It has been over a year since the recall was issued for my vehicle. Subaru has yet to make the remedy available in my area. It’s been over a year now and Subaru dealerships near me say that they still have no idea of when the remedy will become available. I replaced my driver side headlight assembly shortly before the recall was issued. Subaru informed me that I could receive a refund for the p... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2022
Low beam headlights have gotten dimmer and dimmer over time, and represent a significant safety risk when driving at night. We have replaced the bulbs with the brightest, most expensive options possible, and no difference. We had the dealer check the problem, and they told us that they could "recondition" the headlight covers (which didn't look to me to be the problem, but we were desperate to m... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2023
Head lights automatically shut off while driving at night: 1) The vehicle senses it is after dusk and automatically turns on headlights while starting the engine (Manual head light switch is in off position). 2) Driver therefore doesn't use manual switch to turn on head lights and proceeds to drive. 3) Approximately 10 minutes later, while driving in the dark, the vehicle automatically turns off ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
The OEM LED taillights can fail due to a manufacturing deficiency. A metal strip that connects the LED's to the cars taillight circuit develops a crack and interrupts current flow to the taillight LED's. The above is common knowledge to the car community and is searchable on line. Concerns: 1) If both taillights are failed at the same time the vehicle doesn't have any of the required visible mark... Read more
FORD
F-150 HYBRID
(2021) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Aug 11, 2023
Incident date: Jul 12, 2023
Switching from low to high beam does not operate. Vehicle no longer allows high beams.
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
I purchased the vehicle used on July 4, 2023. I've noticed that the low beam lights are very dim to the point they are a safety hazard. My daughters both have Honda CR-V models and both of their low beam lights are much brighter than mine. I looked online, and there are a lot of people with the same issue. I took it to the dealer, and they said nothing was wrong with it. However, there is def... Read more
Incident date: Jul 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 unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was mad... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2021) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Aug 10, 2023
Incident date: Aug 18, 2021
While driving at night, the headlights flicker and then just turn off automatically. When I tried to manually turn them on, they will flicker again and then turn off automatically again. There is a recall on this exact thing happening to the same year, make and model as my car but I am told it doesn't apply to my VIN #. I am a single woman on a major highway (I 75 in Florida) with children, at ni... Read more
Incident date: Aug 10, 2023
The headlight reflectors are so bad that it has become dangerous to drive in the night. The dealership agreed that its Acura's defect for that year and asked about $2500 to replace the whole headlight unit. No use in changing just the bulb.
Incident date: Aug 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was parked, the passenger’s side rear taillight failed to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was determined that the full assembly light kit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The failure mileage was app... Read more
Incident date: Aug 10, 2023
low beam headlights are extremely dim. It is not possible to drive at night on any roads that are dark. Replaced the light bulbs, had it polished, nothing works.
Incident date: Aug 4, 2023
Unconnect screen is faulty causing lines down the screen and causes the screen to go completely black. Issue has been noted by hundreds of other jeep owners available online and dating back to 2018. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This issue puts me and others at risk due to the possibility of loss of visual location on the screen while using navigation, poses possible distractio... Read more
Incident date: Aug 7, 2023
"Auto" mode on headlights sometimes causes the headlights to turn off while in use in dark conditions. Auto mode also sometimes causes the lights not to turn on automatically or turn on randomly, even when the car is not in use and key is not in the ignition. Lights can turn on randomly when not occupied or being driven.