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 18, 2023
Since September 2015 the car Headlamps malfunctioned. I made several trips to the Dealer and was told they are not able to duplicate my complaint. Presently while driving the headlights will go off and by bumping the multi-Function light switch, they would come back on. Please see attached letter & service detail that was sent to Kia without resolution.
Incident date: Jul 19, 2023
Rear brake lights fail due to an issue known by GMC - MULTIPLE GMC YUKON and YUKON XL have this issue. All within the same year. The metal connector in the Brake housing fails and requires it to be soldered or a complete replacement costing consumers $800+ for replacement. A severe safety issue as the Brake Lights quit working!!
VOLKSWAGEN
GOLF SPORTWAGEN
(2015) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jul 18, 2023
Incident date: Jul 17, 2023
Front Headlights are very dim, making it impossible to use without using the brights. Bulbs have been replaced to high intensity, and it still does not help. According to my mechanic and on-line forums, the problem is the reflective material inside the headlight assembly. Other models of Acura's have been recalled for this, but not the above model. It is getting very dangerous to drive and we ... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed at night, the high-beam headlights illuminated extremely bright, causing a blinding affect for other drivers. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the camera sensor was faulty, causing the high-beam headlights to fail to deactivate. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufac... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2023
I bought this vehicle from Nissan Of Queens. I was not able to observed that the Left Headlights were cracked slightly. Luckily for me, I had taken a picture of the Vehicle before I took the vehicle from the Dealer and texted it to a friend; because he wanted to see the color of the vehicle. So I have the proof of the cracked headlights before I took the car. The people of Nissan of Queens has bee... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2019) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jul 18, 2023
Incident date: Jul 11, 2023
The headlight housing is insufficiently opperating and is losing power and not providing safe lighting - it is exceedingly unsafe. this is a common issue among 2015 RDX when doing a search
Incident date: Apr 10, 2023
Driver Side Low beam headlight turns off and on randomly whether the vehicle is off or on. I lose view of the road because lights turn off randomly and others cannot see me at night as well. I've tried taking my vehicle to the shop, but no one can trace down this problem. No warning was shown until recently.
Incident date: Jul 16, 2023
My front left and right headlight assembly went out. Went to take a look to realize all the wiring inside the assembly was exposed and sparking. Come to find out this was a common issue in this year make and model. They are charging $2,500 per assembly for a factory issue that could start a fire. Needs taken care of ASAP
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2019) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jul 17, 2023
Incident date: Jul 15, 2023
headlights are so dim after almost 100k miles. I replaced headlights and they’re still dim. so dim i can’t drive my car at night. went to the dealership and they said others have complained w this issue but no recalls yet. they have to change the entire bulb which would be over $2000.
Incident date: Jul 17, 2023
I was driving down a city street in Sacramento and the car just suddenly stopped- engine and everything was off. I could not get the car to turn back on. Emergency lights would not come on, it was if the entire electrical system was out. I was in the middle of the road, so needed to put hazards on to warn others and I could not. Cops came to place flares to warn other drivers after 35 minutes. No... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact previously received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V054000 (Steering), and the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the recall repair was completed; however, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became stiff and difficult to maneuver. The power steering assist warning light illuminated. The contact turned ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2023
The speedclips which hold the Map Light in place are formed incorrectly. The interior teeth that retain the Map Light's molded retention tabs are bent too aggressively. Over time, in both our 2017 Rogue and 2019 Rogue, road vibrations caused the teeth to gnaw entirely through the plastic. This causes the Map Light to fall down and "deploy" suddenly into the driver's field of vision. When the map ... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2017) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jul 17, 2023
Incident date: Jul 17, 2023
Hi Hope this message finds you well. I am getting "Front right side marker light Defective, see owners Manual" with light bulb signal and I found a recall document "Safety Recall Code: 97CB" on NHTSA.gov which applies to my 2017 Audi Q7depite my marker light is working fine .. I called dealer and they say there are no recalls on my VIN. This is known issue, has many forums has discussion thread... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2023
Hot day (~107f), car started fine but after a mile of driving ALL ELECTRICAL systems appeared to STOP with the following error: "Starter System Faulty. Please Service Vehicle." The engine kept going, and the car was driven home (with no signals, speedo, air conditioning, lights etc.) If this had happened in a more demanding situation (e.g. weather, night or traffic) there could have been an accid... Read more
Incident date: Jun 28, 2023
Ignition system (available for inspection upon request) malfunctioned, which disallowed the engine from starting. After multiple attempts, the engine started and I was able to drive and indicate turns, but there was no dashboard display such as speed, gas level, etc. Since the first incident, this has happened 3 times. At one point while driving with no screen display, I forgot to turn off the opt... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2023
Because the brake stopper or brake switch are messed up and my brake tail light stays on all night causing it to drain the battery If the car is braking while I’m driving it and the traction control light comes on and the speed is decreasing as I’m driving because the car is braking on it’s own it has nothing to do with the lights Nor the battery the root of the issue is the brake line ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2023
The vehicles low beams fail to properly illuminate the road, and create a significant blind spot in your vision. We bought a brand new 2023 Buick Enclave and noticed on the first night drive that the vehicles lighting has a very large blind spot where it fails to properly illuminate the road. When switching too high beams the blind spot is diminished but not eliminated. We immediately took the ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2022
I'm really concerned by the recall notice from Subaru that my chances of a crash are increased due to inadequate headlamps. I've had a handful of instances where other vehicles have not seen me and just stopped before pulling out in front of me. I was notified of this defect last October. It's now July. When will Subaru have a remedy to keep me safe?
Incident date: Jul 15, 2023
This complaint with the NHTSA is to bring to your attention malfunctioning Sync 3 systems caused by an Over the Air (OTA) update Ford has pushed out to vehicles without permission from owners that has caused the Sync Systems to malfunction. Backup camera screen view while driving in a forward direction and reocurring pop-up screens which require driver interaction are two primary concerns. Loss ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2023
Debra J. Westfall—neighbour—loves controversy, and won’t back down from expressing her anger or bafflement exhibited from half–assed parenting. Funny how she hates us snowflakes for sharing her entitled, materialistic narcissism. Five porch monkeys were using electric scooters on our street when one of them vandalised our driver side taillight. Turnpike commissions can confirm that la... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
When driving at night with the light switch in auto position, headlight will turn off. Sometimes, turning the switch to off and back to auto will make them work. Sometimes wiggles the switch will make them work. Sometimes you have to switch them to on to make them work.
Incident date: Jul 13, 2023
The high beam headlights have stopped working out of the blue. The standard headlights are working. I live in dark rural area and rely on these high beams for night driving. Wondering in there is going to be a recall to repair this issue.
Incident date: Nov 22, 2022
Dashboard screen behind steering wheel and middle dashboard mounted screen are not adjusting for brightness during the day. The only things you can read during the day are the large velocity number in the center on the driver side screen and the blue line for route directions on the middle screen.. At night or very dim driving conditions the screens are bright enough to read, but in full sun it is... Read more
Incident date: Jun 6, 2023
Low beam headlights too dim to Light road. Must use high beams to see at night Nissan will not replace for free. I see there was a settlement but date has passed and I was never notified. The headlights defect is very dangerous
Incident date: Jul 14, 2023
1.We purchased the vehicle (Hyundai Ioniq 5, 2022 Model) on MAY 20, 2022. 2.The vehicle was acceptable until it started to fail on us while we were on the road, and soon after the vehicle crawled home at limited power and came to a stop, it would no longer even turn on. 3.Then started our nightmare with Hyundai USA. We called the service department and they told us, based on our brief description ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2022
There is a distracting pop in the radio which also affects the signal lights, the heater and air conditioner controls, and the controls for the radio itself. There are numerous complaints on the web for this same year vehicle with the same problem. It is very distracting as when the radio pops it makes a loud noise that is similar to running over something or hitting something with your vehicle. A... Read more
Incident date: Nov 23, 2022
Driving towards the bank and suddenly the truck turned off … no warning nothing it turned off while operating .
Incident date: May 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Audi Q7. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver’s side front side marker inoperable was displayed. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V642000 (Electrical System, Exterior Lighting) however, the VIN was not incl... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
While driving the vehicle with the main propulsion battery charged to 85%, a battery failure warning light lit at the time the vehicle lost power, slowed down to a stop and lost all lighting. The fault was a failure of the 12 VDC auxiliary power system which resulted in a loss of vehicle speed, dash board buttons to not function, and vehicle controls including lights to be lost. The vehicle was ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2023
The cluster display on my vehicle is dim too non visible in full sunlight , daylight operating conditions . Automatic display functions turned off and manual brightness adjusted full, yet the dim to non existent backlight does not change. I been told this is a problem and FCA engineers are looking at, but at what priority. It seems that more and more of these complaints are showing up. There needs... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHXSE
(2020) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jul 13, 2023
Incident date: Jul 8, 2023
I was driving down a dark road at night. The vehicle has the auto high beam feature. The high beams never activated while driving. So I am not sure if there is a bad sensor or it is the system. I have seen a lot of complaints about this feature on forums and Facebook pages.
Incident date: Jul 2, 2023
We purchased our 2018 Jeep Compass in December 2022, we started having problems with the headlights in January 2023 only 1 month after purchasing it. The headlights stopped working completely. We took the jeep to our local jeep dealership and they couldn't figure out what was going on with the headlights but confirmed it was the electrical system. They called their Electrical Engineer in and it wa... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2023
The tail light assembly mounting fastener failed and the tail light assembly fell out of the rear bumper assembly. There was no indication of a failure while driving. Apparently this is a known issue with the 991.1 version of the 911. I’ve owned the car since new (MY 2013), have it serviced at a Porsche dealership and have not been notified of the potential safety issue.
BRIDGESTONE
ALL SEASON
(9999) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jul 12, 2023
Incident date: Jul 10, 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 manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contac... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2019) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jul 12, 2023
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
My car randomly starts itself if I leave the keys in it. Tge auto lights stopped working one night while driving. Hasn't done it again since. While my son and I were driving it decided to shut off at 50 mph. There was no warning at all. It has not been inspected as it has nit happened again to be seen.
Incident date: Feb 7, 2023
Headlight automatic sensor is failing. When lights are switched to auto mode, the headlights will randomly turn on and off while driving, regardless of outside lighting conditions. Alternatively, the lights will come on without prompting when the car is turned off & parked in a driveway at night.
Incident date: Jun 30, 2023
Regularly the head light’s randomly turn off as well as the tail lights and break lights. This is absolutely terrifying! It has been happening for over a year and know one can fix it. This is a huge problem across 2017 & 2018 Sorrentos. There are multiple forms for it as well as mechanic discussion groups trying to solve the problem. This NEEDS to be a recall and fixed immediately before some g... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2014) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jul 11, 2023
Incident date: Apr 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the low beam headlights were extremely dim. The contact stated that the low beam headlights were too dim to safely drive at nighttime. The contact replaced the headlight bulbs twice, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the headlight housings needed to be... Read more
Incident date: Jul 11, 2023
My 2012 Mini Countryman has had failed signal lighting. My dealer has diagnosed the issue as a failed FRM module which I have been informed that NHTSA issued in conjunction with Mini USA a warranty extension to service this module's failure. While as an owner of this car for the past 9 years, I received not notice from Mini. I recently appealed for warranty coverage of this part. Mini USA has den... Read more
Crash
GMC
SIERRA 2500
(2016) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jul 11, 2023
Incident date: Jul 4, 2023
My Honda civic sedan 2017 does not turn on all the lights on the dash turn on and I can not push my breaks to turn the vehicle on
Incident date: May 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Can-Am Ryker. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V175000 (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 manufactur... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2015) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jul 10, 2023
Incident date: Jul 10, 2023
The hid headlights. Specifically low beams go dim.They are so dim you can not drive safely at night. Change the bulbs and still the same issue.My understanding the reflector housing on the projector gets worn out and does reduce the light output of low beams. This is a driving hazard at night.this issue affecting the sx and sxl models with hid projector headlights.
Incident date: Jul 2, 2023
Got a recall notice about my headlamps almost a year ago, everytime I go on nhtsa.gov it always says "Remedy not yet available". It also says "Recall data refreshed on Aug 17,2022"--have there been any updates to this data since then? Seems like this recall was put out there and then forgotten about.
Incident date: Jul 8, 2023
I stopped to fill up with gas and when I started my Jeep all my instruments are dead. No speedometer no tachometer no fuel no temp. Everything else works fine. I checked all fuses and they are good. I also replaced my auxiliary battery and still everything is dead.
Incident date: Jun 30, 2023
The brake lights intermittently come on and off. Not reliable and the entire assembly has to be replaced per light in order to work. Sometimes if you hit a bump it will work for a bit then go back out. They have been removed, cleaned, but there is no way to fix them without replacing them. This is a known problem with GMC and they will not warranty or recall this issue.
Incident date: Jul 7, 2023
Head light housing retains moisture on the inside of the lens both headlights on truck. May be causing shortage of the wires
Incident date: Jun 27, 2023
The cluster digital display on the 2022 Jeep Compass appears dim in full sunlight and during the day when there is “minimum backlighting.” The car has been to the dealer multiple times and has been reported to the manufacturer. I’m being told there is no fix at this and the engineers are working on it. I was told I would be notified with an “update” when it becomes available. I’ve exp... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2023
My passenger side low beam Headlamp stopped working in Nov 2022. I had a "check headlamp" warning light. I took it to the dealer on 12/09/22. They stated that they found code B155A:96 requiring replacement of the LED control module, requiring part #JX7Z-13C788-L (total cost $1112.25). Headlamp was operational approx 1 week. Returned to the dealership 12/16 with a non-functioning light. They insta... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2023
Since 2020 the headlights on my car have gotten dimmer, to the point that it does not even look like they are on or illuminate anything at night. If I have to drive when it’s dark I have to rely on my high beams when it’s safe to use them on the road. I have changed lightbulbs and cleaned the exterior of the headlights as suggested by dealership with no change. The only remaining option I was ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2023
The taillights started to randomly go in and out. The driver side taillight stopped working but the passenger side taillight still worked. Then a day later the driver side taillight worked, but the passenger side taillight didn’t work. The next day we were going to look into this issue, and the driver and passenger side taillights were working, so we halted. We kept an eye on it and they seemed ... Read more