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: Apr 26, 2023
The car had been going on several local stops. Car was in the middle of a main thoroughfare ready to turn on to interstate ramp when the car completely stopped functioning. Battery light came on briefly before the vehicle became completely non-responsive. Among other things non-functioning, Emergency lights would not work, electric park brake would not engage. Could not get out of car to flee ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 26, 2023
When the rear of my vehicle is directly facing the sun slightly after sunrise or before sunset (when the angle of the sun is low), my rear turn signals fail to function properly. When this happens, the turn signals hyperflash on the dash, and in the front of the vehicle. However the main concern is that the rear turn signals do not illumate at all when these conditions occur. Zero illumination com... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2023
Iv'e owned the Bolt EUV for a few months and I was almost rear ended at least 4 times. One time the person tapped my rear bumper with their license plate and left a very light mark. There wasn't enough damage to make a report and the driver stated that they didnt notice me braking. The brake lights are too low and not very noticable( see attached photo with arrows). This issue can easily be correc... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jun 12, 2023
Auto High-Beams not operating as designed. The auto-high beams works very intermittently as on very non lighted dark roads they will come on and shut causing a flickering effect while driving. This is a very well known issue starting with the 2022 model year. The sensor camera for the auto-high beams are defective. This can blindness to on coming driver’s/vehicle temporarily.
Incident date: Jun 28, 2022
Even when properly aimed, with new headlight bulbs, visibility is poor at night. I recently had an incident while driving in town at less than 25 miles hour where I almost hit a deer that I could see on the side of the street, and this is actually not the first of many such incidents. I feel unsafe driving the vehicle at night due to the poor amount of light put out by the headlights. Toyota sh... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2023
I HAVE NOT HAD A PROBLEM BUT THE TURN SIGNALS ARE POLACED AT THE LOWEST POINT ON REAR BUMPER MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR THE CAR FOLLOWING TO SEE THE SIGNAL. THIS MAY CAUSE A REAR COLLISION. IT NEEDS TO BE IN THE BRAKE LIGHT PANEL. A DESIGN FLAW IN MY OPINION. MAYBE A SIMPLE REWIRE WILL FIX THE DEFECT.03/22/202
Incident date: Apr 16, 2023
This is a common issue that is not being resolved by GM. First one, now BOTH of my rear tail lights are malfunctioning due to manufacturing defects. This is a well publicized problem and I feel that GM should be responsible for continuing to ignore the issue. Replacement tail lights are approximately $750 each. There are many businesses that have sprung up solely to repair these tail lights.
Incident date: Nov 11, 2022
While driving at night the HEADLIGHTS TURN OFF without cause or warning spotaneiusly. This is a great safety risk to all, lights turning off while driving on a dark road puts me and those around me in danger. This issue has not been confirmed but i did notice on the web that this is not an isolated incident others have experienced lights turning off at night as well. Vehicle is still in my poss... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2023
The low beam headlights have dark shadows which prevent me from seeing the left side of the roadway. I took the vehicle to the dealer and had low beams adjusted. After the adjustment I was constantly flashed by on coming drivers to lower my headlight beams which were already on low beams. Due to blinding oncoming drivers the lights were adjusted back down and the dark shadows returned. I have alre... Read more
Incident date: Jun 11, 2023
When the car sits in direct sunlight and the interior temperature raises above 100F, the car will start and all is well for a minute or so and then the ignition fails. Dash says check starter system and all gauges, clusters, infotainment system, interior and exterior lights turn off. The car thinks that it is off electronically but it still runs, shifts, and drives. Attached photo was taken after ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 16, 2023
No warning prior to failure. At highway speed, Dashboard Notice: SYSTEM FAULT - SERVICE NOW. All electrical systems stopped working, including: Lighting - No Headlight/Running Light control- No Turn Signals- 4-Way Flashers worked, then stopped working- No Windshield Wipers- No interior Windshield defogger- No Side Window Control for manual traffic signals- Do not know if Brake Lights were... Read more
Incident date: Mar 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that while driving at night, the headlights failed to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the headlight assemblies needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered to cover a portion of the repair cost. The failure mileage was approximatel... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2017) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 15, 2023
Incident date: Jun 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that the rear passenger’s side door failed to close fully. The contact also noticed corrosion inside the license plate light. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V285000 (Exterio... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2017) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 15, 2023
Incident date: Feb 15, 2023
The headlamps on my car are and have been for quite awhile been hazy with the light unable to meet the safety standards the car is advertising. WIthout proper headlight I am not able to safely see the road ahead of me. There is no replacement or new headlamp avallable.
Incident date: Jun 12, 2023
Tail lights are very inconsistent of working or not working. Sometimes they work but most times they don't.
Incident date: May 20, 2023
3mos ago i had a fender bender in Mesa,AZ(my front end to pasenger side)her car was towed my wasn't for the next 28 days my truck was still driving just fine like nothing ever happened to it,at the end of the month my work was done so i drove bk to Cali and it was till the middle of April when this all started 2 months ago like normal I was getting an oil change from there I went home it was 5:30p... Read more
Crash
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2018) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 14, 2023
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
Headlight housings leak on both sides of car causing extreme condensation buildup causing poor visibility and causing headlight bulbs to burn out at unpredictable times. Loss of a headlight causing serious vision problems at night. I've had to change headlight bulbs often, problem started in early 2020 and I believe Chrysler/ Dodge should have a recall for their defective headlight housings on t... Read more
Incident date: May 26, 2023
The headlights are very dim. The bulbs have been replaced and still are dim. This isn't due to oxidation on the headlight cover they are clear. Based on similar reports it seems to be a component in the low beam assembly that oxidizes the reflector and as a result replacement bulbs don't fix the issue. The problem keeps getting worse to the point that the headlights are almost useless for seei... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2023
The A symbol continues to appear on the dashboard which indicates a failure in the STOP/START function of the vehicle. the vehicle has under 21,000 miles on it. I just purchased the vehicle a little over 90 days ago. Returned the vehicle to the service center where vehicle was purchased, and was told that it required an out of pocket expense of over $600.00 . The auto-light button switches back ... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2023
There exists a serious manufacturing defect in that the brake lights do not turn on when the car is used in one-pedal drive mode and even a rapid deceleration occurs due to regenerative braking. This was documented by Consumer Reports and it presents a critical safety hazard. https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-safety/brake-lights-can-fail-to-provide-fair-warning-on-some-evs-a9533519285/?EX... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2023
I purchased a [Car Make, Model, Year] on [Date of Purchase] with the understanding that the vehicle was in excellent condition and safe for all passengers. Unfortunately, my experience has been far from satisfactory, as I have discovered multiple issues that were not disclosed to me during the purchase process. First and foremost, the car was misrepresented regarding its safety features and its su... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2023
PER THE INFORMATION I CAN FIND - THE PREVIOUS RECALL # IS "21V797000" - I took my Jeep GC L in for the recall per the campaign and the work was complete yet it was not corrected. I have been back to the dealer 3 separate times no one can provide an update as to why this issue is not able to be corrected. I still cannot turn my high beams on without having to move the headlights to the 'on position... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2023
My passenger interior dash and glove box trim are melted. I’ve had it checked out by Kia, however they do not see where an origin could have come from. The day i noticed it, my vehicle had been hit on the front right passenger fender. The melting looked to be electrical or caused by a combustion of sort but we also believe it could have been caused by reflection off of the interior of my vehicle... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2023
I discovered my drivers rear brake light bulb melted in their socket. The socket themselves are burnt black and the drivers side tail light case has been hot enough to melt. A quick search on the Internet turns up a lot more chatter about this same issue. Even scarier is the fact that this happening with zero warning. No blown fuse, no codes, nothing to indicate your frying stuff in the back at al... Read more
Incident date: Jun 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 not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer and the manufacturer were made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a fail... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2021) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 13, 2023
Incident date: Jun 13, 2022
When driving into a dimly lit area the car rings and displays the message front left side marker defective. The warning stays on for some time and then goes away before returning again. This continued for a few weeks. The car then experienced a full electrical system malfunction, doors unlocking and locking randomly while driving before dinging repeatedly with multiple warnings displayed in the d... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2023
Got rear ended. I learned that the brake lights on the Bolt EUV are mounted low and are small. The large rear lights that people would normally assume as brake lights do not light up when braking. This could increase the chances of rear end collisions.
Crash
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
My Altima is 9 years old now and I know things go bad overtime but my headlights are so dim I can’t see 2 feet in front of me at night snd it’s very very dangerous. I know Nissan had s class action and I was signed up and even had an appointment to fix but sadly my husband got shit while driving home from work in Chicago, he survived thankfully but the next several months revolves around him a... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2023
Passenger headlight continues to go out, replaced bulb and wiring harness multiple times
Incident date: Jun 11, 2023
The vehicle turns the headlights on while the engine is off, parked, and no occupants in the car and no keys in the ignition. I have experienced this multiple times. There are many other reports of this on the Internet as well. The multi switch was in the Auto position. I started the car, then turned it off, removed the keys, locked the doors and the lights went off. I checked on it later and... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
Manufacturer has not timely provided repair for tail light recall NHTSA incident number 22V-544 (Jeep Recall Z50).
Incident date: May 8, 2023
My headlights have been dangerously dim for about a year now. According to the dealer is not a simple bulb replacement situation. They are telling me that I need to replace both headlamp assemblies and the cost will be about $1300 total. ($650 per headlamp). It is extremely difficult to drive at night with these dim headlights. A significant safety issue. Yes. Not yet. No warning lights or me... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
The shift release has been replaced for 2017 kia sorento but now it is traffic light switch causing one of my car problems. In gas I spend 40 dollars a day for less than 110 miles of driving even with an full synthetic oil change just done is problem two. The speedometer is off by 3 to 5 I have had bmv and officers do their test on vehicle along with the head and tail lights being replaced every 6... Read more
Incident date: May 31, 2023
Keeps blowing #46 headlight relay. Happens every 2-3 weeks. When this happens the low beams stop working. I have to switch to high beams to continue driving.
Incident date: Jun 10, 2023
Can't use turn signals and can't lower windows to use hand signals, almost got rear ended.
Incident date: Jun 4, 2023
There was no specific "incidence" to report. This is an on-going issue for a long time. Low beam headlights do not illuminate the road sufficiently for safe driving. Have had it to the dealer to insure the lights are adjusted to spec, but it was no better. Asked that they raise the beams; while a little better isibility, oncoming traffic was blinded and flashing me to lower the beams. Had the ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2022
Although this vehicle is 10 years old it has only logged less than 17k miles (near new condition). A few months back it was noted that the backlighting on the console, steering wheel, interior door panels and overhead console were inoperative under non-daylight conditions. At night, it's driving blind from an instrumentation perspective. Controls cannot be located as they cannot be seen. This back... Read more
Incident date: Aug 30, 2022
When I am driving the lights will shut off even when they are on auto. I have to pull over and turn the knob back and forth till they come back on. Sometimes they turn off when I use my blinker. The lights will also stay turned on even when the car is turned off and doors are locked.
NISSAN
ROGUE SPORT
(2021) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 9, 2023
Incident date: Feb 23, 2023
AIR BAGS WARNING LIGHT IS ON DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG MODULE REPLACED AIR BAG COULD HAVE DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING
Incident date: Apr 6, 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms p... Read more
TBC
TRAILER KING
(9999) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 9, 2023
Incident date: May 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 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 local dealer and Zeigler Subaru of Kenosha (7900 120th Ave, Kenosha, WI 53142) were made aware o... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2022
The brake lighting only includes the upper light and the lower lights of the vehicle. The lights on the hatch do not light up when braking. Given that the upper light and lower lights are relatively small and hard to see from a close distance or in taller vehicles, this poses a significant risk for rear-ending from another vehicle.
Incident date: Jun 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Can-Am Spyder RT. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V175000 (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 distribut... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2021
Over the past few days, I have noticed a complete failure of the high beam functionality in my vehicle. Whenever I attempt to engage the high beams, there is no response or illumination. This issue persists regardless of the driving conditions or the operation of other lighting features, such as the low beams, turn signals. The inability to utilize high beams while driving at night significantly c... Read more
JEEP
GRAND WAGONEER
(2022) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 9, 2023
Incident date: Jun 9, 2023
Passenger side low beam headlight wiring harness connector keeps melting even after replacement. Noticed online that many owners are experiencing the same issue. Replaced harness multiple times and same issue reoccurs after two to three weeks of use.
Incident date: May 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated intermittently. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and was informed that diagnostic tests on air bag failures were not performed at their location. The contact stated that she received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 22V165000 (Visibility) and 22V137000 (E... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2023
Durango has HID headlights. Sometimes one or both headlights do not come on. It is not the headlight bulbs. This is an intermittent problem. Sometimes left doesn't light and sometimes right doesn't light. Safety of driving at night to my family and anyone else on the road is compromised! Many reports of this same problem on cars and trucks with HID headlights. The problem has been reproduced ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2022
Headlights are dim. Visibility is very low. Acura acknowledges issue but says customer has to replace whole headlight system at a cost of approximately $2000
Incident date: Jun 5, 2023
Headlights in auto mode will randomly go off while driving without any change in ambient light. Dangerous on unlit roads.
Incident date: Jun 8, 2023
BMW Headlight wiring on the 530 series is defective. Wire Insulation throughout the headlight assembly crumbles. The design and wire specification were not fit for use. Heat may be an issue but has nothing to do with climate. The vehicle has spent most of its life in Michigan where the problem was first noted when the age of the vehicle was approximately 8 years. High heat within the headligh... Read more