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: Jul 25, 2023
The interior lights like dashboard/radio/a.c lights flicker while I'm driving. Its seems like some kind of short cause my the bulb on my right tail light seems to go out a lot more than any other light. When im parked and any door gets opened the dome lights flicker on and off even when I have it to be off when when the doors open. Also my headlights look like moist of some sort, dont see any crac... Read more
FREIGHTLINER
CASCADIA
(2023) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jul 29, 2023
Incident date: Jul 28, 2023
The high beam does not work even after bulb replacement on the 2019 Elantra(the low beams work just fine). A sound of an actuator trying to work is heard coming from the engine with a slight flicker of light but no successful high beam is shown after engaging the high beam actuator on the wheel. This is detrimental to the safety of drivers at night which could lead to a crash, injury, or fatality.
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2019) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jul 29, 2023
Incident date: Jul 29, 2023
The headlights failed and yes it can be inspected . The headlights while my 16 year old daughter was driving at night. She could not see the road there were no streetlights. She had to hit her brakes turn the car off and restart and the lights came back on . This put her life in danger I cannot believe there are no recalls . We have called numerous mechanics to fix and they have not heard of the p... Read more
Incident date: Jul 26, 2023
My 2019 Dodge Challenger GT harness has been compromised. The electrical system in a vehicle, including the headlight circuit, is designed to operate within specific parameters to ensure safety and reliability. When a harness is compromised it can cause an electrical short circuit. In my case, this short circuit is causing a fuse to melt. A fuse is a safety device designed to protect electrical ci... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2023
When head lights are in Auto mode occasionally all of the exterior and interior lights go out. Including dash lights. I cannot make it repeat at will so nothing ever gets done with it. There is no warning when it happens just complete darkness inside and out. Obviously I can’t see where I’m going when it happens they typically come back on after a few seconds. This has been happening for over ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
Every morning the instrument panel and the radio/navigation screen are very dark. All of a sudden it will turn on. Sometimes a mile down the road and sometimes 5 miles down the road. Sometimes it never turns on. If I need to use the gps/navigation directions this is a big issue as I cannot see the screen. I cannot see the gas guage or instrument warnings. I cannot see the spedometer.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2018
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the driver's and passenger’s side rear brake lights malfunctioned and were replaced on several occasions. While replacing the brake light bulbs, the contact discovered that the light bulb sockets were charred and melted. Additionally, the vehicle had experienced excessive oil consumption. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. T... Read more
Incident date: Sep 7, 2022
During night driving, the instrument cluster does not dim, staying bright and I am unable to manually lower the brightness, this produces a glare around the car which makes it extremely difficult to drive at night, I have also had instances where the instrument cluster dims during the day for a brief period of time where I can hardly read my current speed, then it returns to being bright after a f... Read more
Incident date: Jul 27, 2023
I am the original owner of a 2014 Acura RDX, and I've been facing headlight issues since hitting 70,000 miles. The problem has worsened, making it extremely dangerous to drive at night due to the excessively dim headlights. I've nearly been in two car accidents because of this visibility problem. I've ruled out lens clouding as the cause and discovered that the issue lies with the coating inside t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 29, 2023
My tail lights, brake lights and head lights continue to go out. I have replaced them many times myself and have taken it to the Hyundai dealership. They temporarily fixed them but couldn’t promise how long they would work. They said to fix them would cost over 1000$. This is a safety hazard as not having brake lights could cause serious accidents. This doesn’t seem Normal as I have never In ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2022
Screen started to delaminate two years ago. Slowly started glitching. It now glitches constantly while driving. It randomly turns on and off, calls people, turns seat heaters on and off, changes channel, turns back up camera on and off etc. This is a major safety concern while driving. When I researched this online it appears to be a very widespread issue for all 2018 Jeeps. I have also had ... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2018) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jul 27, 2023
Incident date: Jul 1, 2021
I was stopped at a light and the car flashed all its lights and shifted me into park. After it started right back up but the check engine light came on and stayed on. It did this another two times as well and is very dangerous for me driving with my kids. prior to this issue I had to replace shutter and head gasket (Coolant leak). This car has so far cost 6K in repairs.
Incident date: Feb 27, 2023
Tail lights constantly burn out. I have now replaced the same taillight harness 3 times and each time it is burned. This is a serious fire hazard
Incident date: Jan 1, 2020
On hot days in the summer, when I start driving the car, a notice that states “systems start failure” appears. The air conditioning turns off. The speedometer turns off. The brake lights don’t work, and the turn signals do not work. The car still drives, but due to the brake lights turning off and turn signals not working, I believe this poses a safety risk to myself and others. I believe th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 26, 2023
The contact owned a 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously stolen, and she related the failure to Hyundai Campaign Number: 993. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly to approximately 45 MPH. The contact depressed the brake pedal and the vehicle decelerated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while drivin... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2023
When something is hit (or pot hole/ rough road etc.)stabiltrak warning and check engine lights flickers, all panel lights go out, and vehicle seems to shut down briefly because you can notice AC go warmer. This is a safety issue.
Incident date: Jul 9, 2023
Passenger headlight caught fire while driving
Fire
Incident date: Jul 26, 2023
I parked my car in the garage and 15 minutes later my garage is up in flames.The fire department did an investigation then came to the conclusion that the fire started from my cars front passenger side headlamp area. Doing a little research I find out that I’m not the only one that has had that same expierence.
Fire
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
Passenger seat belt stopped working out of the blue. I've had tire sensor thing on my dash since I've bought it an I'm not sure what is happening. The horn stopped working recently. And the overhead dome light doesn't work.
Incident date: Jul 18, 2023
My 2014 Acura RDX only has 24,000 miles on it and the headlight are so dim I cannot even tell if they’re on at night!!! This is extremely dangerous!!! To replace these headlights through my local dealer cost over $850! I’ve found on the internet that this is a very common problem that thousands have had! I cannot believe that the government has not forced Acura to recall for this problem!!!
Incident date: Jul 14, 2023
On Monday 7-24-2023 5:00pm rush hour in Downtown Gainesville Fl at a red light in the left lane about to turn left my car completely shutoff with no warning. It was if someone disconnected the battery completely from the car. No lights, No screen, No ignition. The traffic light turned green and I immediately pressed my foot on the brake and tried to start the engine. I noticed there were not ligh... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 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: Jul 23, 2023
Middle cluster of dashboard is extremely dim and unresponsive to attempts in settings to alter/fix it. We have 2 additional 2022 Compass models in our family, and all three have this issue. We are submitting separate reports for each VIN.
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC 300
(2020) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jul 25, 2023
Incident date: Jul 19, 2020
Passenger side daytime running light LED has gone dim. This reduces the visibility of the vehicle in daytime conditions. The dealer has confirmed that the light is bad but the manufacturer says since there is no active recall for it, it is not covered.
Incident date: Jul 24, 2023
The auxiliary battery located underneath the interior glove compartment went dead and the car was inoperable. I called Infinity and they would not help me. There was no information relating to this small battery either on internet or Infinity website. I finally had to have a friend drive me to the Coconut Creek Infinity service where they could not give me information but could repair only. Th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2023
The headlight setting changes on its own, it will change when using the blinker or it'll just change on its own. By change I mean the headlights turn off. Even if it's set to auto, they still go completely off. My bulbs don't need to be replaced. It's been happening for a few months now. I can't recall a specific date
Incident date: Dec 3, 2022
I've had two problems both dealing with the truck's infotainment system. The first problem was that the software "glitched" and the screen became unusable (see attached pictures). The headlight controls are exclusively accessed through this screen and I had to remove the negative battery cable for 10+ minutes to recover this screen and access my headlight controls. The second problem was an ove... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2023
I noticed some staining in my vehicle head liner and a nasty musky smell about an hour after I washed my vehicle. I do know there is a recall on the third brake high stop lamp for same model different Vin associated. My vehicle has the same problem and this can cause malfunctioning to the rear of the vehicle due to the water leaking into the car and on the wiring ov the vehicle. Seats get wet, hea... Read more
Incident date: Jun 19, 2023
Hyndai recalled our vehicle for a tow hitch wiring problem last year. Instead of resolving the issue, they simply pulled the fuse and told us that we cannot tow with lights until they resolve the recall. My understanding is that this recall has been on the books for over a year now. This is extremely frustrating as I am not able to use the tow capability that I paid for when purchasing this vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that after turning the vehicle off, the rear brake lights remained illuminated. The contact had to disconnect the battery to turn off the lights. The contact stated that eventually the brake lights became inoperable. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 19, 2023
Vehicle chrome trim on the inside dash blinds driver between 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM. The bright chrome is blinding and becomes a safety issue while driving. The design and placement of the chrome is burns my eyes while driving. Perhaps not using chrome on the interior when sending vehicles to places where it is sunny 95% of the time would prevent safety issues with visibility.
MITSUBISHI
OUTLANDER
(2023) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jul 22, 2023
Incident date: Jul 22, 2023
The headlights are extremely dim making night driving unsafe. The Acura of Chattanooga attempted to deglaze the exterior of the light housing, but the problem is inside the round bulb cover. It is easily visible to see the glaze covering the inside of the bulb. This low light/visibility problem is constant at any speed.
Incident date: Jul 21, 2023
No incident yet. Have LED projection lights which are supposed to prevent glare to oncoming drivers. Live in rural area where there is little lighting. Even on dim, lights apparently are too bright & other drivers flash their brights as if I have them on bright. Don't understand how this helps safety. The projection prevents me from seeing the top 2/3 of screen at night the dark cut off line allow... Read more
CHRYSLER
TOWN AND COUNTRY
(2013) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jul 22, 2023
Incident date: Jul 22, 2023
The vehicle has a brake light over the hatch but no bottom brake lights. Replaced bulbs and fuses and brake light switch and still no brake lights. Took it to a shop and they don't know what's wrong. After getting gas I crunk car, put it in drive and car started going in reverse and front air wouldn't work either but back air did. It seems to be an electrical issue. Just got vehicle in June of 202... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2023
Front left headlight has no power going to it. Rear right tail light has no power going to it. Third, brake light has no power going to it. Wind shield washer pump has no power going to it. Both rear doors do not lock. This issue is all connected with each other because it fixed itself. Once and they all came back on together and then it went back out.
Incident date: Jul 13, 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 unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was 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... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2023
The headlights are so dim that I have to use bright lights to see.
Incident date: Jun 18, 2023
There is condensation and moisture present inside the high definition front headlight assemblies, which causes the headlight illumination to be diminished and created a visibility hazard while driving at night. The vehicle was taken to the Ganley Chevrolet dealership who diagnosed that the front headlight assemblies were faulty and needed to be replaced. The cost to replace both is about $3,000.... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2023
Greetings, There is day time dash dimming issues, and unable to adjust manually. Anti collision feature randomly turns off while driving. Auto on and off feature for fuel economy has not worked in 14 months. Finally, a hard gear jerking event occurs when traveling at slow speed that feels like being rear ended by another vehicle. Not feeling safe with this Jeep. Dealer had the vehicle for week to ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2023
I live in the desert where there isn't any light at night. I was driving home as usual and my highbeams would not turn on. I couldn't see very well because it was so dark and had to go really slow and way under the speed limit. I was so nervous due to the lack of visibility. It put myself and my young kids in danger. I don't feel safe driving at night now. There was no warning indication on the da... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2023
3rd break lights start loosen by the nuts inside the break lights. The third brake light may become loose, possibly allowing the light to detach from the vehicle. Trying to contact BMW of North American and they said even the same model and years but not under the same production line and they won’t cover. The same issues happened with different production line means the car design has problem n... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2021
Bcm body control module is faulty so far my brights no longer work my fog lights no longer work and my left rear turn signal no longer works it is slowly getting worse taking out more and more components on the truck part is backorder with over 2070 of them requested threw ford with no update on when the part will be available
Incident date: May 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the brake lights remained illuminated without the brake pedal being depressed. An undisclosed dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that an appointment could be scheduled in August. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V759000 (Exterior Lighting). The cont... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2023
I, and many other owners of Chevy Bolts are having our speed suddenly reduced without warning. The vehicle immediately drops to a max speed of 30 mph and gives an error message "Propulsion Power is Reduced". One common cause seems to be defective transmission fluid pumps, although other electrical and mechanical components also seem to cause this problem. One common error code seems to be P2797,... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2023
Approximately a month ago I notice that my passenger side low beam head light was not working on my 2012 Hyundai Sonata so I purchased a replacement H7 halogen bulb thinking it was simply a burned out bulb. I replace the bulb with the new bulb only to find the low beam was still not working. I tried the new bulb in the drivers side to rule out a bad new bulb. The bulb worked fine in the drivers si... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Sentra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V135000 (Exterior Lights) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not 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 had n... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. The contact stated that while his sister was driving 55 MPH at night, the headlights became inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact who is an independent mechanic, stated that he diagnosed that the Light Control Module (LCM) had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and a... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2022
I purchased the vehicle January 19, 2023 and have experienced issues with engine belts breaking, oil pan leak, engine sign constantly coming on, AC system not working properly, battery smoking, electrical lighting (lights not going off), def system and tires and rims. I have been exposed to life threatening situations by my engine belt breaking caused my vehicle to go out of control while driving.... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
Head Lamps (Lights) stop working properly. New ballast and lights where installed after detected the Malfunction and still no lighting. I no longer can see when I'm driving at night. Yes vehicle have been inspected by police and dealer.
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2016) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jul 19, 2023
Incident date: Jul 7, 2023
Dash lights, hazard button, radio stuck in night mode. Fuel gauge, speedometer, engine temperature and check engine/ tire pressure gauge are not visible in daylight. Creates a hazard when unable to see viable information like a flat tire, engine overheating, or low on gas. Tried to get it fixed but was told jeep currently has not issued a solution to fix it.