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: Jun 7, 2022
The headlights in this make and model go out frequently. I've owned my vehicle for 2 years and have put 5 headlights in it.
Incident date: Jun 9, 2022
The contact owns a 2011 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, the headlights were very dim causing a visibility hazard while driving at night. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V137000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was not notified of t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2022
I just bought the vehicle. Headlights low beam are extremely dim. New bulbs installed and headlight brightness dim output remained the same. Research shows that several SRX owners are having same issue. Recall needs to be issued.
Incident date: May 3, 2022
Car electrical system is very glitchy at times worse when it rains. Side mirror falls off if road debris hits outside of assembly. Timeline to replace battery taking too long. Car was sent to dealership ahead of schedule and sold with known battery issue.
Incident date: May 5, 2022
The passenger brake light intermittently stops working.
Incident date: May 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Terrain. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V137000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was 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 not e... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2022
1. The Panic Alarm randomly goes off without be activated by anyone. Possibly a TIPM issue which couldn't be investigated because it randomly went away. Maybe it will go off in the middle of the night in my subdivision. Who knows it's unpredictable. 2. Right Turn Signal & Stop Light would not work on the trailer. I confirmed that it wasn't an issue with the trailer but it was a problem with the T... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2022
Headlights seem to be defective. So dim, you cannot see at night. This has been a problem with several years of RDX from what I am reading.
Incident date: Nov 14, 2020
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? - The low beam headlights- 2017 Hyundai Elantra Value Edition How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? - The low beam headlights on the vehicle need to be replaced every 3-6 months. Most recently both headlights went out at the same time while driving in the dark. Has the problem bee... Read more
Incident date: Jun 6, 2022
The cluster doesn’t light up and the speedometer and tachometer don’t work as well. Check engine Code U0155 which one of these parts that could potentially fall under this code had been replaced under warranty.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
Rear brake lights remains on while moving and when the car is parked.
Incident date: Jun 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, there was an abnormal glare causing a visibility hazard. The contact stated that she was unable to read the road signs due to the glare. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number 22V137000 (Exterior Lighting). The manufacturer was notified of the fai... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2022
My issue pertains to a known problem. The driver's side tail light has failed. GM issued Special Coverage Adjustment N182180270 because of this issue where the part was covered for up to 6 years or 72k miles. Mine failed after 6 years and 4 or 5 months at 66k miles. It's utterly ridiculous that a defective, $800 light is fine to break after 6 years with no warranty assistance.
Incident date: May 14, 2022
Passenger brake light stop working. Had the dealer ship inspect the light and was informed that the whole unit had to be replaced at a cost of $1000. so I purchased the part for $800. and replaced it myself tech. informed me that GM had a recall on the 2015 and 2016 model's but has not included the 2017 model year
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
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 not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failu... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2022
LED brake light wiring comes undone causing brake lights to go out.
Incident date: Mar 16, 2022
Brake lights frequently to go out. When I am driving on the road it is a game to find a Sonata with all 3 taillights functioning correctly. Many of the other Sonatas I pass on the road has a taillight that is out. Bulbs burn out but I have replaced my bulbs at least 7 times in the past 6 years.
Incident date: May 30, 2022
The Sevcon DC to DC converter failed causing a total loss of all 12 volt power. This occurred for the second time on the expressway at 70 mph at night. It led to loss of any lighting on the vehicle, headlight, tail light, brake light, turn signals, horn and emergency flashers and ABS sensors all stopped working. It is a very serious safety concern and obviously creating a very dangerous situatio... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
Have had ongoing issues with the electrical system since I purchased this vehicle new yet the dealership continued telling me they couldn't find anything until now. My SUV is 5 years old and now all of a sudden needs a new wiring harness.
Incident date: May 11, 2022
The driver’s side brake light assembly failure of no brake light when brake is applied. It can be inspected upon request. This may cause another driver to not notice intentions to stop or slowdown and cause an accident. This problem is constant. It has not been inspected. No warnings of the failure has been displayed.
Incident date: Jun 3, 2022
The drivers side rear brake lights stopped working. GM did a warranty extension ( that admits an issue).but ours just expired.. this is an $800 to $1000 repair that owners should NOT have to pay.. GM refuses to cover this expense. This is an absolute SAFTEY ISSUE. Of course, any law enforcement officer will agree as they will write a safety violation ticket (as they should) I understand that ow... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that the backup camera functioned intermittently and on other occasions, the image would remain frozen on the screen. The contact also stated that the MCU Unit failed and went blank on several occasions. While driving on some occasions, the MCU Unit would reboot. In addition, the defroster and turn signal chimes failed to function. The fail... Read more
Incident date: Apr 16, 2021
Headlights go out randomly. Have to turn them off and back on to resume normal operation.
Incident date: Jul 6, 2020
The headlights are so dim it’s a very bad safety issue. I’ve replaced them 3 times , still same problem. Everybody I have talked to has the same problem with theirs. Something has got to be done. I’m going to call the head of Cadillac if it doesn’t get resolved. My guesses keep blowing and it’s also wearing the tires out to quick
Incident date: Jun 3, 2022
Brake / parking lights on both sides have burned out more than 2 dozen times. This started when the car was less than 2 years old at about 20,000 miles and continues. Reported to dealer several times. Most recently on 4/22/2022. We were told they have no solution to correcting the problem.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
Multiple electrical issues throughout the car that come and go. The door locks will stop operating when using the key FOB and lock/unlock switch on the driver and passenger doors, the only way to unlock them is manually. Window operating switch at all four doors stops working. The control buttons on the steering wheel are malfunctioning (volume up button decreases volume, volume down button activa... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2022
Head light will not turn off . Drains the battery. Once fuse is removed the lights will then sut off only. This was since l purchase vehicle at dealership and hidden from me. Not told of problem . They hide it by removing the fuses.
Incident date: Jun 2, 2022
My car has 80,000 miles. My headlamps do not provide adequate light to safely drive my car at night. They have gradually gotten very dim over the past 2-3 years and now I can barely see the road when I drive at night. I work 7AM-7PM so I must drive to and from work in the dark during the fall-spring. The dealer said it is $2800 to replace the headlamps. I do not have the money right now so I am pu... Read more
Incident date: Apr 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while the wife was driving approximately 45 MPH she accidentally hit an animal due to visibility issues with the headlights. There were no warning lights. The police arrived on the scene; however, no reports were filed. The front passenger headlight was damaged, along with the front grill and tie end rod. There were no air bags deployed. The ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jun 2, 2021
The wiring in my headlight assembly is crumbling and the headlight is shorting out. The coating on the wiring is trash. I own a 08 Bmw550i. BMW should be ashamed. Thanks [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Incident date: May 27, 2022
I have a very bad gas leak and have Always smelt fuel since I have owned the car, the front suspension is also affected and my rear lights are faulty
Incident date: May 31, 2022
LED headlights are pointed downward and is set with auto leveling to adjust. The distance you can see isn't far enough and these need to be higher. There is no way to adjust these LED lights. With the halogen bulbs you have a level option to raise or lower. You do not with LEDs factory fitted.
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE 4XE
(2022) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 1, 2022
Incident date: Apr 25, 2022
Had vehicle through multiple warning lights, crash protection inop, lane assist inop, ABS inop, power steering inop, turn signal didnt work. This happend twice. The first time taken to shop and said it was fixed but had it less than 50 miles and same thing happened. It was going down the highway at 70mph and steering went out with no turn signals. Turned vehicle into dealership looking into vehic... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2010 GMC Terrain. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V137000 (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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confi... Read more
HYUNDAI
SONATA HYBRID
(2017) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 1, 2022
Incident date: Aug 6, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V749000 (Exterior Lighting, Electrical System), 21V619000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages), and 21V727000 (Engine) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer ... Read more
Incident date: May 2, 2022
Left side headlight has needed to be replaced three different times at a cost of $1400 each time.
Incident date: Mar 31, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that he was informed by other drivers that the brake lights failed to illuminate while depressing the brake pedal while coming to a complete stop. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start intermittently and would only restart after being jump-started. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact later recei... Read more
Incident date: May 29, 2022
Both high beams stop working without any advice. While driving at night low beams provide low visibility and when I try to use high beam did not change at all from low beam. This truck comes with a system that moves low beam light to high beam light only one bulb ( one filament ) no two filaments. There is 37 complaints online and no recall. Visibility is a hazard in united states.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
Vehicle was manufactured 04/2002 recalls state that from oct99 to jan04 multiple states had issues with rusting with suspension causing the car to crash. My vehicle was made in one of the states and has alot of underbody rusting. Back hatch latch gets stuck often and will not open. Drums on the back are sticking causing the vehicle to drag at take off, abs had a recall ford dealer "fixed" the issu... Read more
Fire
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2010) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
May 29, 2022
Incident date: Apr 18, 2022
My husband drove my car home from work on April 18th 2022 and it was a bad rain storm that everyone. He had to drive through a couple of big rain storms. Soon afterwards he got around the corner from the house and the electric system failed lights started going off everywhere in the car, he lost steering and couldn’t see and almost crashed and got the car home safely but it wouldn’t shut off s... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2022
The headlights Are Defective. You can Not see the road at night at all! I Have a Claim with the Suarez Vs Nissan Lawsuit Settlement, which was approved by final order of the Courts. Nissan was ordered to replace the 2 Defective Headlamp Assembly. Nissan Refuses to comply with the Order of the Court! Nissan is breaking the Law! Help! Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM O... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2020
I went to adjust the Headlights. The screws started spinning with no adjustments. Apparently their is a plastic connecting piece between the metal rusted or locked up screw and the Headlight adjustment gear. The plastic piece sheers not allowing adjustment. All internal to the Headlight. It happened on both lights. They are the LED lights. I took it to the dealer. They could not adjust either and ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2020
Exterior lighting out (fuses)-- head, brake, tail, signal
Incident date: Mar 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2011 GMC Terrain. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V137000 (Exterior Lightning) 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 not made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed... Read more
Incident date: May 27, 2022
Track lighting starting to fail. Water accumulation inside the bottom passenger side of track light. 44,000 miles on vehicle. No damage. Presents safety issue with rear visibility. Can cause short in wiring, causing potential fire.
Incident date: Feb 1, 2022
The head lights are so dim the suv can’t be driven at dark . Replaced bulbs and it was not any better
VOLKSWAGEN
GOLF
(2011) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
May 26, 2022
Incident date: Jan 15, 2022
The wire from the alternator to the underhood fuse block is not thick enough to handle the current from the stock alternator. This causes the wire to get too hot melting the fuse block at the 30 amp fuse causing headlight issues.
Incident date: May 13, 2022
The center liftgate "racetrack" lamp assembly experienced water intrusion and pooling in the lower RH corner between the clear outer lens and red LED light strip. The concern and defect were confirmed by the local Dodge service department and replaced under the vehicle manufacturer's Basic Limited Warranty. Observation of other 2014-2022 Dodge Durango models with the same lamp assembly and water... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2021
By late October 2021, my right light started to flick, then my lower (normal night light) light stopped working.
Incident date: May 25, 2022
Headlights are so dim you can barely see the road at times at night or in the rain.