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
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLE 350
(2020) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Apr 3, 2023
Incident date: Feb 27, 2023
Dashboard cluster display is not visible during daylight
Incident date: Mar 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 Dodge Charger. The contact stated that the front headlamps failed to provide adequate illumination while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the front headlamp bulbs and ballasts; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
GENESIS SUPREME
FIFTH WHEEL
(2020) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Apr 3, 2023
Incident date: Mar 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while that vehicle was parked, the vehicle was turned on that there was a message on the instrument panel stating that there was a taillight malfunction. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the driver’s side rear taillight had not illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it wa... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA SPORTWAGEN
(2014) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Apr 3, 2023
Incident date: Apr 3, 2023
There are previously fixed recalls starting to pop up one at a time if they were fixed they wouldnt be back causing problems can someone check into this and let me know something I drive a 02 gmc envoy slt 4x4 4.2l. The mileage is unknown due to instrument cluster not working on the DIC settings.I purchased under the pretenses it only had 188000 miles but ive seen higher milage on some shop record... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
Screen stuck in night mode & I have bad eyes & need sunglasses during the day. Therefore I cannot see my speed or gauges at all during the day. Already have a speeding ticket because of it
DODGE
CHALLENGER
(2009) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Apr 2, 2023
Incident date: Mar 31, 2023
The lights are too dim to safely drive at night and they are becoming even worse and are now so low that I must use my high beams to see at night. I have spoken to the dealer but the only thing they suggested was a new headlight, it did not make anything better.
Incident date: Mar 3, 2023
Inside the wire in trunk hatch may cause brake lights to stop working and reverse light and rearview camera and-unlock button on trunk The wires become brittle overtime from opening and closing the hatch
Incident date: Mar 24, 2023
headlight assembly fogging from excess water entry reduces visibility of daytime running lights.
Incident date: Mar 21, 2023
I bought this car used one year ago and have had to change the low beam lights twice and now they are out again. At night I drive with the high beams on and they are so weak no one can tell. Last month the engine started surging making the car try to take off wether in neutral, park or drive. I have to hold the brake very strongly to keep the car from taking off. This is extremely dangerous for ob... Read more
Incident date: Mar 29, 2023
The fuel guage/mileage/mpg display flickers on and off intermittently. Sometimes it displays properly, sometimes it displays gibberish and sometimes nothing at all. There really is no correlations to be made as to why it is doing this, it can happen any day at any time or not at all. 2015 Honda Fit
Incident date: Mar 27, 2023
Very dim headlights which create issues in less than ideal nighttime conditions.
Crash
Incident date: Dec 16, 2022
I purchased 2013 chevy cruze in 2021. Starting with steering going out, all electrical power is affected. Radio comes on and off. Light comes on to check stab trak. Engine started while key in ignition but I wasn't in car. I can't afford to get a different car now a days. I'm disabled and need this car to get to my Dr appts But I'm afraid the vehicle will kill me, someone or worse. This vehicle ne... Read more
Incident date: Mar 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Sentra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 21V135000 (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 available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2023
The low beams began to get dim after ~60K miles until it began to be difficult to see the right shoulder of the road. After a number of visits, the Toyota dealer said there was some kind of cloudiness on the internal surfaces of the low beam and that the only solution was to replace both headlight assemblies. By then I had also failed state inspection (because of the lights.) I paid the ~$1400 for... Read more
Incident date: Mar 29, 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
Incident date: Jan 7, 2023
driver headlight intermittently failing, restarting, and failing again. driver door now not locking correctly and electronic sealing incorrect. intermittent failure of sound throughout car including all warning sounds and turn signals. multiple contact to manufacture without any return of contact from anyone who can actually assist and extreme delays to reach customer service on the order of hour... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
As I was driving home down country roads my bright lights went out. I now only have regular headlights and no one has indicate they know how to fix the problem. This is a huge safety concern as I need them especially driving down dark country roads. I now have to drive another vehicle at night bc you cannot see.
Incident date: Mar 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of the 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. An unknown dealer was notified of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2023
The automatic high/low beams do not work properly. The do not go to high beam when they are suppose to and they do not dim when they are suppose to. Any reflective device along the road will cause them to either dim or brighten. When an approaching vehicle is coming toward me the lights will not dim like they should and sometimes I will have to do it manually. This is a safety problem not onl... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
Water intrusion rear tail lights. According to Tesla service it is within Tesla specs.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2021
The dim lights are horrible with about 20% of the correct or new car illumination of the street. I have replaced the low beam 3 times and I am not able to see the road with the low beam. This forces me to use my bright beams which is not safe. I have had a high energy bulb replace as suggested by the dealer and they are not helping. When you go the the service dept. at Acura and they l say, ye... Read more
Incident date: Aug 29, 2022
HEV turn off engine light pops up WHILE driving. I could’ve been on the highway or the middle of no where and have to turn off my car, just to turn it back on and it seems fine? This has happened a total of 5 times since owning this vehicle, and I’ve gotten all code on the car fixed about a month ago.
Incident date: Feb 2, 2018
Vehicle was parked at 10pm. Vehicle ignition was off. Vehicle was locked. Nothing left on. No one returned to the car for annything. Approximately 3 and half hours later, electrical fire started inside the drivers side rear quarter panel under the taillight (on the body, not the taillight on the lift gate) . By the time the car alarm was heard, the fire was spreading from the panel into the rest r... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 30, 2023
When using the auto high beam headlights. The headlights will dim and the high beams do not always come back on. this appears to happen after seeing yellow signs on the roads. To fix I have to turn the head light knob to on (which turns the lights off for a second). This is very dangerous on the dark roads i ride on. I was told by dealer this is a known issue on many brands and there is no fi... Read more
HYUNDAI
SONATA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2016) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Mar 30, 2023
Incident date: Nov 15, 2022
The daytime running light went out on the drivers side.
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2016) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Mar 29, 2023
Incident date: Mar 29, 2023
I was driving down expressway and my car started to make rattling noise and Clanking noise from the engine and then my car wouldn’t start it kept stuttering. My 2019 Kia forte was stalling it was not accelerating past 3k rpm’s and then the engine would completely shut off. Now my car has been out of commission for a few weeks
Incident date: Mar 24, 2023
The low beam lamps have become very dim. I replaced with new lamps, but no improvement. After having the bulbs replaced and outside lamp assembly polished I discovered the projector lens itself that the lamps are inserted into have become clouded, similar to having cataracts. On social media I have learned this is a problem shared by many owners. One night after returning home from work I was ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2023
Automatic high beams, etc. Potentially very dangerous to other drivers. Place a limit on the intensity of headlights. Ultra bright lights tend to interfere with me knowing where my own vehicle is on the road.It's getting to be almost a constant anxiety attack driving at night with both on coming and following vehicles with ultra bright lights, including low beams. And if the offending vehicle is a... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2023
my transmission is faulty my car is a 2019 Ford Fusion and it has all the same problems as earlier models with recalls that are equipped with the same components as mine my it keeps stalling when I come to a stop which I see numerous complaints of the same thing it there were no warning lights on at the time it occurred I've done research on my own through forums and there are thousands of complai... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2023
Issue with low beams. I live in a rural area with limited street lighting. Low beam Visibility approx.15 ft. or less. Once or if I would observe an object or person on the roadway my stopping distance would be limited. A hooded shadow from the lighting limits the visibility. E mailed Subaru who suggested I have the dealer could help with my problem. They adjusted the lights. Now I have on... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2023
My high beams have all of a sudden stopped working. The light on the dash indicates that they are on, but they don't work at all. This poses a safety issue when driving the vehicle at night. I have an appointment with my dealer to have the problem looked at and hopefully fixed, although I have been seeing that there are many issues with the high beams on this model
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2011) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Mar 28, 2023
Incident date: Aug 3, 2021
Dash lights will not dim and will not respond to dimmer switch. This causes a dangerous glare when driving at night and causes visibility problems. I am unable to drive my car at all in the dark
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE HYBRID
(2022) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Mar 28, 2023
Incident date: Oct 31, 2022
The contact owns a 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix. The contact stated while driving at night the headlights had started to fail and would not properly illuminate. The contact stated that the fog lights and hi-beam worked as designed. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer in 2021 to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V519000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the contact stated that follo... Read more
Incident date: Nov 14, 2022
Stock blinkers rapidly flash faster than normal, blinkers cannot be seen in the rear at the time when signaling left or right during this time
Incident date: Dec 6, 2021
Condensation gets into headlight assembly and shorts out HID headlight. Issue occurred with drivers and passenger headlights. Car will not have headlights because of short. Thus causing a safety issue.
Incident date: Mar 27, 2023
Both taillights are leaking through a gasket in the taillights causing pooling of water in the majority of the trunk and through two layers of carpet. This is causing mold to grow in trunk.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
I have received two letters over the past six months, telling me that my 2019 Subaru Impreza has been recalled for faulty headlamps. When I contact my local Subaru dealer, SC, I have three times now been told that the part for the required repair is "not available." I feel as if I am driving a vehicle that is dangerous to me and to others. Can you tell me when the required parts will be availab... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2023
The high beam headlights don’t function properly. The low beam is all that works on both headlights. Something to do with the way the shield is not moving up to allow the high beams to function. On line looks like this is a common problem
Incident date: Feb 27, 2023
Headlight low beam becomes very dim - almost not be able to drive at night. Went to the dealership. They quote me $1500 to replace both headlight assembly because the old ones are "not working". It failed state safety inspection!
Incident date: Mar 25, 2023
The Compass has been stuck in “night mode,” cannot adjust the navigation panel or more importantly, the dashboard. I cannot see the dashboard in daylight, not able to see mph, any warnings etc. I see there is a recall but my car is not listed. I took it to the dealer in mid March 2023 and they said there was nothing they could do. Please help! I purchased this vehicle used and the issue was pr... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
Vehicle will not switch to night mode for interior dash and infotainment system display. The center touch screen unit has already been replaced for a separate problems of it turning itself off and staying black with no access to touch screen controls. The option to adjust the night settings is greyed out, so it cannot be selected to adjust. Daytime setting has to be adjusted to lowest setting a... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2020
LOW BEAMS VERY DIM. DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AFTER DARK WITHOUT USING HIGH BEAMS. MANUFACTURER STATES THAT THE REFLECTIVE COATING IN THE LOW BEAM HOUSING LOSES IT'S ABILITY TO PROPERLY REFLECT LIGHT FROM HEADLAMP OVER TIME. REPLACEMENT QUOTE FROM BRADSHAW ACURA (GREENVILLE SC) WAS $2,400. VEHICLE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. DEALER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT ACURA RDX 2013-2015 HAVE THIS DEFECT.
CHRYSLER
TOWN AND COUNTRY
(2016) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Mar 26, 2023
Incident date: Mar 26, 2023
High beams do not work. Had bulbs replaced but no effect. Checked all fuses, and they checked out ok.
Incident date: Oct 10, 2022
Low beam headlights on my 2011 KIA Optima with 150,000 miles are bright to look at them, however the beam pattern on on the roadway is terrible. I have tried replacing the bulbs with brightest bulbs, checked voltages and grounds. After checking over 10 forums I have found that the reflective service on the headlight housing has degraded and lost its reflective value causing a very safe condition. ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2023
Headlights and taillights have gone out. Replaced bulbs and fuses. Brakelights and highbeams still functional Faulty relay most likely as a similar problem was already found on the 2002 Honda civic.
Incident date: Mar 24, 2023
The right stop light has water inside! The dealer say it is normal and didn’t want to remplace! The vehicle shuts off several times when you are backing up to park. The dealer say it is normal too
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
Headlights are extremely dim. Headlights replaced with no results. Dealer states faulty wiring and inner reflector
Incident date: Mar 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V544000 (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 man... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2018) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Mar 24, 2023
Incident date: Sep 15, 2022
Driver side headlight assembly condensation. Heavy condensation is continuous and never clears up. No visible cracks or broken seals. Upon investigation, this seems to be an issue with Buick. There are numerous complaints among owners. The condensation diminishes the effectiveness of the headlight and limits the vision while driving.
Incident date: Nov 26, 2022
High beams no longer work but low beams still do