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: Jan 18, 2023
The OEM headlights assembly dims and overheat over prolonged use. The metal liner inside the headlights melts using a halogen bulb and overtime the liners reflective function goes away and produces a dim light beam. The light is no longer bright enough to drive in dark conditions. And it is hard for oncoming traffic to notice the lights.
MERCEDES-BENZ
E350
(2011) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Feb 28, 2023
Incident date: Feb 28, 2023
The issue is with the driving lights asembly since 2 years ago my driving lights are not providing enough light to drive the vehicle i am forced to have the high beams on. I have changed numerous bulbs to no avail. At this point i am driving and cannot see infrond of me. This is dangerous to my family and pedestrians that cannot see my car or me see them.
Incident date: Feb 27, 2023
Automatic Headlights fail to illuminate when wipers are active. This has been reported to Tesla in 3/2022.
FOREST RIVER
IBEX
(2022) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Feb 28, 2023
Incident date: Feb 28, 2023
The headlights are not bright enough to drive the car during night. I've called Acura a few times before to ask if they had a recall and what I could do to fix the problem. They told me I had to replace the whole headlight assembly which is $914 a headlight. I've tried switching the bulbs before but it's never fixed the problem. I avoid driving the car at night but when I have to, I use the bright... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2023
The headlights are dangerously dim and getting worse. Replacing bulbs does not improve the situation. I've had two close calls where I didn't see pedestrians due to the poor light output.
Incident date: Feb 27, 2023
I purchased a new 2022 Chevy Colorado LT in January. When driving home and it got dark I used the dimmer to see better. When using the dimmer all of the radio dials turn completely off / dark (not illuminated at all). I drove off the road, looking down trying to find them. I notified the dealership the next day. They had the vehicle for about a week and told me it was fixed. I went to pick it up ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2022
The vehicles headlights are too dim to view the road and pedestrians when driving.
Incident date: Feb 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Mini Cooper Clubman. The contact stated that on two separate occasions, the rear passenger’s side brake light wiring harness had melted which led to a defective brake light. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the taillight was replaced. The contact stated that after the last failure the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the f... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2019
The contact owns a 2016 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 dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2023
The headlight projectors (not the bulbs) clouded and dimmed the lights over time, to the point where it became unsafe to drive at night, and I had to replace the headlight assemblies with new ones. Putting brighter bulbs in the headlight assemblies did not help. There is no warning indicator for this failure, and there is no exact date of the "incident." In fact, it occurred gradually over time... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2017) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Feb 28, 2023
Incident date: Feb 26, 2023
Headlights are very dim and it makes it very hard to see while driving at night.
Incident date: Feb 27, 2023
Our 2015 Acura RDX started experiencing diminished lighting on low beam around 75000. We are currently at about 95000 and lighting is nearly nonexistent. In order to see the road at night, the lights must be on high beam. I discussed this issue with my local Acura service center and they advised that the only fix is to replace the entire headlamp at a cost of about $800 per light. Our car is a... Read more
Incident date: Feb 17, 2023
the car continues to turn off and draining the battery, on the audio there is a constant static, and lights keep shorting out.
Incident date: Feb 27, 2023
At my most recent service visit (Oct 2022), I requested information about an issue my C-HR is having ("broken" image on the sideview mirror puddle lights) and was told that the issue was not covered under warranty even though the car was in Toyota’s care for months before I purchased it in 2020 and the issue was a known issue by Toyota. Unfortunately, it did not appear on my vehicle until recen... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated while driving at various speeds at night, the high-beam headlights failed to function as needed. The contact stated that he was uncertain if the high beam symbol was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the headlight assembly switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle had... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2023) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Feb 27, 2023
Incident date: Feb 23, 2023
A Aknocking noise from the engine that increases in frequency as the engine rpm increases. A Reduced power and/or hesitation and vibration. A Illumination of the "check engine" light in the instrument cluster.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
Dashboard light don't work majority of the time is started like month ago and before that started there was something on the dash I believe is said brake/stability trak And now the battery keeps dying
Incident date: Feb 26, 2023
Tesla designed a combined headlight with no serviceable parts. This includes headlights, high beams, and namely daytime running lights. All of these components are on an LED strip that apparently has a tendency to overheat and fail prematurely. For example, the replacement cost for a portion of the daytime running light (on one side) is over $1,000. This is apparently a known weak point and shou... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2022) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Feb 26, 2023
Incident date: Dec 29, 2022
There is a band or reduced brightness between the low beams and high beams leading to a worse lit section of the surroundings while drinving. This gap in light output appears to be a fault of the headlight design, unfortunately it is had to capture in a picture in the same way that it is apparent to the human eye.
Incident date: Feb 15, 2023
Apparent defect in racetrack light. Water gets into the racetrack light and causes it to burn out. This will cause the racetrack light to not fully light up when braking. Multiple people have almost rearended me. Did some research and other owners have reported an electrical smell or possible burning smell. Defect was confirmed with car dealership that water is getting into the racetrack light. ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2023
Engine seized while I was driving
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
My husband and I were waking up to his alarm that went off at 5 am and he hit the snooze, during the snooze time we heard what sounded like a handgun go off so we both jumped up and opened the door leading to the outside of the house and immediately seen my truck engulfed in flames, the headlights were on and my grandson and husband both got Water hose's and proceeded to put the fire out but it wa... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Feb 24, 2023
The instrument cluster AND the display screen cannot be dimmed either manually or automatically. They are both in full brightness mode at all times. This creates a driving hazard at night because the lights are so bright that I cannot see other cars, the road or road signs as clearly as I should. I took my car to a jeep dealership and they told me it's a known issue but jeep currently has no fi... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2023
Headlight keeps failing. New bulb and worked for a bit then out again. Maybe fuse or wiring issue? Expensive to keep buying bulbs.
Incident date: Feb 24, 2023
It is extremely difficult to see at night without having to use my bright lights. The low beams are useless and poses as a hazard to the driver and the driver of the approaching vehicles. I have replaced my headlights and I have purchased fog lights as an attempt to fix the problem but it still did not fix the problem. These additional costs were well over $500. I am requesting that Acura corr... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2023
Tail light assembly including brake light and turn signal failed due to burnt electrical socket and connector. This is caused by a faulty grounding point that is very clearly a manufacturing issue but wasn't considered as a recall for some odd reason. This issue is prominent in several BMW 3,4, and 5 series models
Incident date: Feb 25, 2023
The low beam headlights on both sides are too dim to drive on at night. I’ve had blubs replaced to the highest quality bulbs, but the issue is with the reflective coating on the headlight assembly. This was confirmed by the dealership. If a saftey inspector ever saw my car at night they’d never pass it. I have been pulled over by a cop telling me my lights are not on, but they were ( he let me... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2023
I bought this vehicle in Sept 2019 drove off the lot with it brand new and the headlights and whole dash lights went out when I hit a bump. For the next two years, the car kept having electrical problems when it rained or the vehicle was washed but the Virginia dealership could never duplicate the problem. I moved to Indiana where these problems continued. Finally, an Indianapolis dealer discov... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2022
Drivers side headlight has severe condensation and signal light headlights have malfunction.
Incident date: Feb 24, 2023
High beams no longer work on the car. No high beams creates an obvious safety risk while driving at night. The problem was confirmed by an independent service provider. The provider tried the bulb and that did not fix the problem. They said it was some kind of mechanical damper in the lighting unit that was likely the issue. I have an appointment Wednesday with Vision Kia East Rochester to ge... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2013) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Feb 24, 2023
Incident date: Feb 4, 2023
I was driving to work on the morning of February 24th 2023 and it was raining. After some time, and while on the freeway, I noticed that my low beam headlamps icon (green telltale) on the center display was not showing. As I always drive with lights in AUTO, and since it was raining (windshield wipers were activated automatically), I expected the headlights to turn on automatically. I worried th... Read more
Incident date: Jan 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2010 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that the engine was misfiring and shifted LIMP Mode. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V168000 (Exterior Lighting, Electrical St... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2022
Rear brake light has stopped working. GMC dealer quotes $990 to replace one tail light assembly. It appears to be a common problem caused by a weak conductor that breaks inside the assembly. Because of the high price quoted by dealerships, people are resorting to fixing it themselves, like in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxluJqB0gWU This is dangerous. This part should not be breakin... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2023
Per the car fax report provided at time of purchase. This car supposedly not been in any accidents. I noticed that the lights when on are not leveled. I took it to a local Dodge dealer to fix and to my surprise we were told that the lights were not leveled because the car had been in a wreck before. There is no physical damage from what we can see however the cost to repair or level required ex... Read more
Incident date: Feb 19, 2023
The dash lighting and radio are not dimmable, nearly impossible to see in bright daylight. Radio flashes on and off. Freezes up. Screens and input changes intermittently. The lights are sometimes too dark to see at night and dimmer switches don't do anything. I have had numerous problems with the electrical issues with this vehicle. There needs to be an investigation or recall for these issue... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2021
Headlights keep going out. multiple repairs have been done by independent service center. No warning. They have been replaced 7 times and they just keep going out.
PIRELLI
SCORPION VERDE ALL SEASON
(9999) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Feb 23, 2023
Incident date: Feb 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (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 ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2023
Low beams don't work when the engine gets hot, I was driving the other night at 10pm and the headlights went out. Pitch black and almost wrecked.......This is a know issue..... Fuel pump has small cracks in the top of driver side fuel pump could start fire, and its a know issue....... Heads on the LS7 also know valve issue. It will ruin the motor.....
MERCEDES-BENZ
E350
(2011) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Feb 23, 2023
Incident date: Feb 5, 2023
I have a 2018 GMC Sierra Duramax Quad-Cab and when it is connected to either my boat, stock trailer, or cargo trailer the lights and electric trailer brakes on the trailers do not work. and the chime from the "Service Trailer Brake" indicator sounds and doesn't stop until I unplug my trailer harness from my truck making it a distraction and an unsafe situation when trying to navigate through traff... Read more
Incident date: Feb 22, 2023
When I bought the car I wasn’t aware that the bright light will not come on. This is a huge safety issue as I can’t use my brights in the dark. I have almost hit multiple deer as I couldn’t see them in the dark area I was in. Dealership is aware of it.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
High Beam lights stopped working at the same time at about 65K miles. I live in a rural area and went to use them and found it odd the light on the dash would come on but lights did not change. Took car in and was told it would be about $1200 - $1500 per headlight to repair. There was no alternative to just changing the bulb the whole mechanism would have to be changed. There were no warnings t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2023
Low beam headlights are very dim. I have taken it in to be checked and have had the bulbs switched out numerous times. It does not help. They said the inside of the headlight assembly is flaking off and that both of the headlight assemblies need replaced. I can not afford to do that! It is a defect on the inside of the assembly its self. I have to drive with my brights on if I drive it after dark.... Read more
Incident date: Feb 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that he noticed that water was leaking into the taillights on inclement weather days. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. Additionally, the contact sent photos of the failure to the dealer; however, the dealer informed the contact that they could not replace the taillights under warranty because no failure was found. The vehicle was not re... Read more
Incident date: Feb 13, 2023
I bought 2015 Nissan Altima from Cars Express on 2/17/2023. He breached verabal agreement and will not fix the safety issues. I paid him for the paint job on front bumper and paid for the paint. Witnesses that he would pay then refused pay the paint men so I paid them once vehicle was in my possession front blinkers do not work headlight out. Safety sensor is cut. Air bag light came on and says ai... Read more
Incident date: Feb 22, 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 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. VIN tool confirms... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2022
Just bought this car used and the very first night I realized that the headlights are very very very dim. After online research, it seems this is a common issue with make model&year.
Incident date: Jan 2, 2023
The front headlamps on this vehicle are not bright enough and it is very hard to see when driving in areas that do not have street lights. Additionally, when it is raining hard, there are lots of puddles on the floor, making it even harder to see when there are obstructions or potholes in the road. I worry about getting into an accident because of low visibility caused by the defective headlamps. ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 17, 2023
MY DRIVER FRONT HEAD LIGHT IS PARTLY NOT WORKING. I BELEIVE IT IS AN LED LIGHT AND THE FACT THAT IT NO LONGER WORKS IS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED FROM LED, IT SHOULD LAST MUCH MUCH LONGER THAN 5 YEARS; AFTER ALL IT IS A CADILLAC AND IT SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED. I REQUESTED CADILLAC CORPORATE TO ASSIST ME WITH THIS AND ALL THEY WOULD DO FOR ME IS GIVE ME A $250.00 CREDIT TOWARDS THE REPAIR THAT IS APROX. ... Read more
FOREST RIVER
WILDWOOD
(2023) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Feb 21, 2023
Incident date: Feb 19, 2023
Daytime Running Lights on the driver's side are malfunctioning. Connection between headlight housing and the daytime running lights are melted. Dealer found faults stored for headlight malfunction. They recommended replacing headlighthousing and LED module. The dealer has reproduced and confirmed the issue.
Incident date: Feb 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle, the rear brake lights failed to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the rear brake light bulbs had failed due to water and condensation inside the rear taillight assembly housings. The light bulbs were replaced, and the failure was temporarily fixed; however, the failure r... Read more