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 1, 2021
Headlights are so dim they are unsafe for driving. Replacing the bulb does not fix. Acura said I need replace both headlight assemblies because the inside of the projector lens is foggy. Cost quoted is $2255.54
Incident date: Jun 18, 2022
When “auto” for headlights the lights won’t turn on at night time unless I manually switch it or the lifts will be on and then go off on their own during the night.
Incident date: Jul 15, 2019
Vehicle headlights turn off / on while driving
Incident date: Jul 22, 2021
The taillight socket is melting disabling the effective use of the brake system to alert other drivers the vehicle is stopping. The light works but can not be reinserted into the given space because it has melted close on the tailight cause my entire tail light to have to be replaced. The light bulb then melted into the trunk space and could have caused a fire but luckily we smelled it and moved t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2022
The headlights are not functioning properly as a result of severe discoloration of the lens material. This creates unsafe driving conditions at night since the road is not properly illuminated, especially in areas with inadequate street lighting.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
I have had to replace both front and rear exterior lighting in past (3). Now my rear brake light is now out. This makes 3 exterior that I’ve had to complete replace. Went out suddenly. No way to replace bulbs, dealer reports Entire assembly needs replacing at cost of almost $1000. There has to be a design flaw that every exterior lighting has gone out for so many owners and has to be REPLACE... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2021
The wiring harness on the headlight for my Mazda CX-9 has and continues to melt, causing the bulb to be useless. The only issue that will seem to correct this issue is installing new headlights. According to my research this is a problem that is common to Mazda CX-9 vehicles.
Incident date: Jul 8, 2022
The front lights - water gets in impact visibility. The only repair is to replace the entire unit which is $2k per light. There is not other options. The adaptive warning sign does not go away due to this water.
Incident date: Feb 1, 2020
The low beam lights have become so dim that it is unsafe to drive the vehicle between dusk and dawn. Visibility is extremely impeded by this issue.
Incident date: Apr 22, 2022
My right headlight, kept going out. I couldnt get a sticker because the mechanic stated the headlight kept burning. He reground the right headlight so it could get energy from the battery. Currently, everything in the diagnostic of the car says low beam.
Incident date: Jul 8, 2022
2014 Chevrolet Captiva on Friday July 8th 2022, The sun visor catch on fire from the passenger seat. The reasons still are unknown. The issue could be ending in a disaster and I have to claim this problem as fast as I can
Fire
Incident date: Jun 26, 2022
My power steering assist light and my advance track light came on then my steering locked up and I had no control of my vehicle. Luckily I was pulling Into my drive so no one was hurt. I had my 7 year old gson with me too. It could of been fatal. I did some research there's a recall on this on vehicles before 2012 and after 2012 but not on my vehicle which is a 2012 my rack and pinion went out I d... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2022
Driver side Headlight goes on and off. Signal light not working. Dealership said new BCM is needed and unfortunately they have been discontinued/obsolete for this vehicle
HYUNDAI
SONATA HYBRID
(2016) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jul 8, 2022
Incident date: Jul 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V749000 (Exterior Lighting, Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle was unable to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired and remained at the dealer. The m... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that after turning off the vehicle, he and his wife exited the vehicle and both noticed that the brake lights had remained illuminated. The brake lights failed to turn off as designed. The dealer and the manufacturer were both contacted and stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V759000 (Exterior Lighting). No add... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
Passage tail, brake light works when it want. One day it work the next day it don’t! I’m scared that I will get pulled by the police or somebody hit me in the back.
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2014) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jul 7, 2022
Incident date: Jul 7, 2022
HeadLights and park lights keep blow the bulbs both sides An the brake pedal gets hard as a rock and started pushing back up to me Just does it at low speeds and backing up At low speed
Incident date: Jan 17, 2022
While in Auto mode, lights turn off and on during the day and night. Happens daily.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
The rear taillight socket melted due to excessive heat. This has happened twice to the same vehicle. Once in 05/2019. At the time, a dealer service center recommended replacing the junction box, a $700 repair. The same issue has occurred again.
Incident date: Jul 7, 2022
Headlights either blink on and off or turn off for about 5 seconds and then will go back on. It also will blink when using the directional. It does this while driving and parked. Also, the horn has just stopped working.
DODGE
CHALLENGER
(2018) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jul 7, 2022
Incident date: Jan 14, 2022
The inner taillight assembly has moisture/condensation inside. I've checked with the dealer and it's not under warranty and no recalls. However, after doing some checking, it sounds like this is an ongoing problem with the Challengers. This is obviously a defect that needs to be addressed. Several people have posted that the moisture then led to their lights no working at all.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that he received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lighting) and the vehicle was taken to the local Tesla Service Center for recall repair however, upon picking up the vehicle, the center display screen turned black and was no longer operative. The vehicle was taken back to the Tesl... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2022
Our headlights on dim were barely visible on the road and was glad to see a recall on this exact item. I understood the dealership would repair the problem. I took the car into Anderson Nissan in Lake Havasu City, Az (some 60 miles from my house). I was told the tech inspected the lights and said they were ok and did nothing. They are not safe an as I said above barely visible at night. Can y... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2022
The rear “track light” which includes the camera within the assembly collects water from a failed seal. This causes lights and electrical components to be damaged and stop working. Drivers losing function in their brake/tail lights and cameras causes dangerous situations on the road. This is a common issue in the 14’-‘20 models.
Incident date: Jun 17, 2021
I understand there was a recall on head lights! I called & was told they would send the information & I never received anything. I can’t see in front of me 4 feet. Something needs to be done. Vin# [XXX] Please someone help me!! Thank you [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at night with the low-beam headlights activated, the light beam was bouncing up and down and moving from side to side presenting a visible shadow within the light beam, causing a visibility hazard for the driver. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the driver’s side headlight assembly and the movable he... Read more
Incident date: Jul 2, 2022
I recently purchased a 14 Acura RDX about a month ago not realizing it would almost cost a possible fatality due to its poorly designed headlight. It was day time when I purchased the vehicle so I was not aware I would only be able to see approx 3-4 feet out at night using my low beams. That issue almost got me in a very horrible situation. A few nights ago I was leaving my nieces 5 year old bda... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
BEETLE
(2012) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jul 6, 2022
Incident date: May 20, 2022
PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE ON 05/19/ 2022 NO PRIOR ISSUES ALL SERVICE REQUIRMENTS COMPLETED FROM PRIOR CORPORATE OWNED COMPANY. SINCE MY PURCHASE BOTH HEADLIGHTS HAVE SPORADICALLY FALLEN OUT OF THEIR BRACKETS WHILE I'M DRIVING LEADING TO LOSS OF VISIBILTY DURING THE DAYTIME AND NIGHTIME. FIRST INCIDENT OCCURING ON 05/20/2022 AND THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURING 07/05/2022. MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND CONCERN. ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 27, 2022
Low beam headlights have become exceedingly dim. This car is available for inspection. Poor visibility at night is a safety risk. This problem has not been confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. I am not now driving the car at night. The car has not been inspected by others. I plan on consulting the dealer shortly. No warning messages now or prior to noticing the problem. First ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2022
Three issues with the headlights. First, major shadowing. From the bumper to 6 feet out there is a dark spot. Second issue. Vehicle is two weeks old. We drive twisty windy roads. Headlights are almost a foot and a half low at 25ft. You can not see more than 50 feet on roads that are hilly due to the headlights being low and the auto level not correcting fast enough. I do not understand at all ho... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE 4XE
(2022) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jul 2, 2022
Incident date: May 16, 2022
See video of failure. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p0a9lzRf9Qy4RL0HCOCD9TyhZ7sUrvpQ/view?usp=drivesdk Vehicle electrical failure on wiring harness(es). My concern is that if happened while driving it could have become very dangerous.
Incident date: Jun 20, 2022
Tailights are not working as per the dealer (Thompsons GMC of Placerville, CA). Unable to drive the car at night or near sunset.
Incident date: Jun 22, 2022
Driver side head light is defaulted does not reflect there for you are blind at night . I was pulled over by the cops and they told me that the next time I’m driving at night I will get a ticket…
Incident date: Jun 30, 2022
Passenger seat belt not on warning no longer works when car is running or not running. Passenger can forget to put on seatbelt and no reminder chime. Problem is continuous. No warning lamps. Has been inspected but not repaired. Headlights come on and go off intermittently. Headlights come on when vehicle is off and not running Draining the battery down. Hard to duplicate. Has not been duplicated ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2020
Headlight assembly case on both passenger and driver side fills with condensation and then causes headlight bulb and/or ballast to burnout ,this also could cause a fire
Incident date: Jun 30, 2022
side air bag light comes on and off randomly when driving no more than 25 mph and lights get brighter when i press the gas but doesn't move immediately.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V165000 (Visibility) and 22V137000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The contact had not experienced ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2022
Car brakes while using adaptive speed control. In one incident the car was traveling at 71 miles per hour and braked to 25 mph. In other situations the car braked by at least 5 mph, on some situations this happened while speed control was engaged and I was traveling at 50 mph or less. In all these situations, there was not another vehicle in front of me that posed an immediate threat of collisi... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2022
Not just mine but many Durangos from 2014-2022 has a defect in which the rear light bar which has no seal gets wet and burns the led light out, this needs to be addressed and recalled asap, I also have pictures of random Durangos I’ve seen at night with the light out in the same spots.
Incident date: Oct 23, 2019
Transmission issues, shifting, stop bump. Headlight issues wiring and hid ballast. Engine Evap work done. Back drivers side seat belt locking mechanism faulty. Knocking clinging under carriage in suspension areas.
Incident date: Jun 27, 2022
The headlights are so dim it is very dangerous. We have to drive with our brights on just to see. Therefore, we try not to be out in the dark. Which isn't right.
Incident date: Jun 28, 2022
Passenger Headlight connector has melted - dealership refuses to repair without replacing entire headlight fitting.
Incident date: Jun 21, 2022
Turn signal does not always activate. If I hit the turn signal stalk so it goes past the first detent (for three blinks) but not hard enough to get to the second detent (on until cancelled or turn completed), it does not come on at all, either the three blinks or constant blinking. This is dangerous because the turn signal does not activate predictably, especially when changing lanes on the highw... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLTRXS
(2019) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 28, 2022
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
Headlight went out.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
My vehicle is part of the class action suit for Nissan Altima headlamp assemblies. I have gone through the proper channels with Nissan. In the interim I have had a bulb go out. At this point my car is dangerous to drive after dark and I must drive with high beams on. Nissan will not do anything to help except to say that I am on the list. I avoid driving after dark as much as possible, but som... Read more
Incident date: Jun 27, 2022
Driver’s side rear Tail light stopped working. It’s not even 5 years old. Bought August 2017 Brand new. I know there is a recall on 2015-2016 models for the same problem.
Incident date: May 27, 2022
As I was pulling out of Zip's Car into a parking spot to vacuum truck. I was barely moving when the truck accelerated at a high rate of speed and hit the wall in front of me. It was like the truck had a mind of its own. I just knew I wasn't doing it. If someone had been walking in front of me it would have killed them. My air bag did not come out. My chest hit the steering wheel very hard. The pol... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jun 26, 2022
Passenger door ajar light stays on and doors won't lock, and the exterior lights come on when the car is parked and not running They had a recall for the drivers side door latch, but not for the passenger side
Incident date: Jun 26, 2022
LED lights are loose and rattle and flash all over the place. While driving over 40+mph or going over any bumps on the road . This only affects TRD PRO tundra’s with factory Ridgid lights . Toyota does not have a toyota approved repair even after going to dealership multiple times and calling toyota USA . They will not do anything for this safety issue besides offer lemon law options . Toyota ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 2022
With no warning the suv over heated and I took it to pep boys to see what was happening. They simple told me that I needed to replace the entire engine. This isn’t fair because I didn’t even get a warning. This suv has other problems as well that Ford should have issued recalls for but there’s so many to list. I would just like my suv to be fixed as I’m a single mom trying to make it throu... Read more