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
FOREST RIVER
BERKSHIRE
(2020) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Feb 8, 2022
Incident date: Feb 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Forest River Berkshire RV. The contact stated that when he purchased the RV and parked at his residence, the headlights failed to operate as designed. The RV was taken back to the dealer and he was informed that a switch was installed in the RV that would eliminate the failure. The failure recurred and the RV was taken back to the dealer a second time. The contact was infor... Read more
Incident date: Feb 8, 2022
The low beam headlights are extremely dim, and it is a commonly known issue with these Cadillac SRX models. This is a 2015, but all owners of these model years complain of the same issue. There was a class action lawsuit previously on these headlamps, it focused on moisture entering the headlamp assembly. I had the Cadillac dealer inspect, they determined there was no moisture degrading the lam... Read more
Incident date: Sep 25, 2021
The contact owned a 2018 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the exterior brake lights were inoperable which caused another vehicle to rear-end her vehicle. The contact's vehicle then crashed into another vehicle in front of hers. The air bags deployed upon impact. The contact suffered a concussion and later received medical treatment at the hospital. A police report wa... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Nov 27, 2021
System Failure: Adaptive speed control Safety Risk: My 2015 Tesla Model S, at highway speeds, smashed into the rear of a jacked up Ford F250 Pickup. A Head on collision at highway speeds put my wife (and dog) and I at great risk. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? I am unsure if or how Tesla is dealing with the problem of adaptable speed contr... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Feb 8, 2022
Will not start, it’s not the car battery or fob battery
Incident date: Apr 1, 2021
The high beams are no longer operable.
Incident date: Feb 1, 2022
I have a 2015 Nissan Altima that was purchased brand new in 2016. Over the past few years the headlights have become very dim. It looks like the lights are not on while driving at night. You can barely see the lights on the road which makes it a safety hazard. It's even worse when it's raining or foggy outside. I've taken my car to the dealer a couple of times for them to check out the lights... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2022
The Low-beam headlights are so hot they are melting the reflective coating off the headlamp housing causing the headlights to not project. This is a safety issue that needs to be addressed asap. When driving at night you cant see 15 ft in front of you without the high beams. I have spoke to Cadillac and this is a known issue. Last night there was a pedestrian walking down the side of the road and ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2022
The headlights are dangerously dim. Purchased this vehicle used. Only used in the daytime the first months. My son started working night shifts and that's when we noticed that it did not light up in front of the vehicle. It was very minimal. I drove the car on a rainy evening and was terrified. Could not see in front of me. Had to drive next to cars to make sure I was in my lane. We cleaned the he... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 2022
The low beam headlights on my 2013 Acura RDX have become so dim that it is dangerous to drive the vehicle at night. I am the original owner. The vehicle has been driven approximately 70,000 miles, has never been in an accident and is in excellent condition otherwise. A Honda dealership recently diagnosed the problem and advised that the headlight assemblies would need to be replaced at a cost of >... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2021
Can not see at night with low or high beams. Lights are very poor and dim. Transmission always feels like it's slipping( 50,000 miles ). Shifts hard.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2020
Low beam headlights have gotten so weak it is dangerous to drive after dark. Lights are working, but ouput from the lamp is greatly diminished. This is NOT involving the clear exterior cover to the headlights. Dealership service department confirmed lights working and recommends replacement of both side headlight assemblies, at cost of $2,000 plus.
Incident date: Feb 29, 2020
The lane departure system is great though it moves the wheel quite a bit. My issue is, when the vehicle is passing an intersection with active lane departure on, it pulls the vehicle toward medians and forces the driver to pull it back into the center of the lane. Active forward collision assistance has not worked when vehicles have flown by directly in front of the car. I have manually stopped t... Read more
KTM
790 ADVENTURE R
(2021) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Feb 6, 2022
Incident date: Jan 14, 2022
1) The vehicle TFT display containing important data such as speed etc.. blacks out on occasion. The vehicle itself is still functional but with the display blacked out the operator has no speed information, or information about the vehicle such as fuel levels and ABS control. KTM has been made aware of the issue as it has affected multiple users worldwide. 2) The indicator/blinker control switc... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2022
Vehicle is 2014 with 130K miles. We noticed that the headlights are getting dimmer to the point where it is unsafe to drive at night. The internal low beam reflector lens is fogged up preventing the headlight to light the road adequately. Called Acura dealer in Greenville SC and spoke to the service manager on 2/4/2022. He told me the heat from the headlamp is intense and the coating is starting t... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2021) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Feb 6, 2022
Incident date: Feb 1, 2022
VECHICLE WAS PURCHASED ON 11/6/21 ATT SMITHHAVEN JEEP IN NYS. THE NEXT DAY I NOTICED SUBSTANSIAL CONDENSATION IN BOTH THE HEAD LIGHTS AND REAR BRAKE LIGHTS. I TOOK THE VECHICLE TO THE DEALER RIGHT AWAY AND THEY STATED "ITS NORMAL AND IT WILL GO AWAY", THAT BEING SAID I STILL HAVE THIS ISSUE AND IT HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. ON APPROX 12/13/21 THE VECHICLE'S RADIO FROZE AND I WAS UNABLE TO USE IT FO... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2022
Factory headlights have bulbs that are known to be too hot and many owners have dim issues on low beams - we can’t drive safely at night or early am as our drivers side headlight is not reflecting any light to the road and dim on passenger side. The issue we are told is the bulbs heat has caused burning to the assembly and dulls the projected light. There was a reimbursement some for Californi... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2022
Wayne drove the truck to work. It was an icy day in Texas so he drove slower than usual. He went to pick up a part (for work) from another shop, he arrived at the shop, turned off the truck and went inside to retrieve the part for work. A few minutes later he came out to his truck and the hazard lights were blinking. He did not turn them on. He then noticed the cab of the truck filled with bl... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Aug 6, 2019
In August 2019 I reported to Ford that the brake lights were staying on all the time even when the car was shut off. I was still able to drive my car (Ford Fusion Hybrid 2015) to the Ford Dealer Ship in Sarasota. I was told they have to keep the car because it's a danger and not legal to drive with that kind of defect of my brake lights. I had to pay $ 1115.24 for the repair of the car . Ford had... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2022
Driving lights and back up lights are not bright enough even when changing the bulb. The lights constantly dim while on. The front lights are always on no matter what time of day it is. The rear of the car sways dangerously if driving over anything smooth, bumpy, like a manhole. Or turning and running over a manhole.
Incident date: Jun 20, 2020
I own a 2013 Kia Sorento LX FWD AUTO, granted I bought it USED in June 2020. But every since I've owned my vehicle I've had a problem with my Engine Light being on, the Driver Side Break light keeps going out and the USB and Cigarette Lighter keep Blowing the FUSES. I Love my Truck and I need to know how KIA can help to fix these problems.
Incident date: Feb 4, 2022
The headlight low beams are very dim and the service manager at Acura said this is a known problem with 2015 RDX. The metal lining that projects the bulb light deteriorates and the lights go dim. The replacement cost is about $2500. Acura has agreed to pay all but $750. I think this is a safety defect worthy of a recall. Please assist me as soon as possible. It’s a major safety issue that Acura ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while using the remote start-up feature, he noticed that the rear passenger's side brake light and taillight were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed that the taillight assemblies needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 41,169.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that while driving the headlights were dim. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the headlight assemblies needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but, no further assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 8... Read more
Incident date: Sep 21, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Tundra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V688000 (Exterior Lighting, Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact called the local dealer who stated the parts were not yet available. The contact called another local dealer Mike Shaw Toyota (3232 I-69 Access Rd, Robstown, TX 78380, (361) 238-808... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
AMG GT53
(2019) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Feb 3, 2022
Incident date: Jan 31, 2022
Unable to read onboard computer screen in daylight conditions. The dimmer switch does not change the light setting on the computer screen, but does change the lighting illumination on the tach and speedometer. The computer screen has come on bright a few times in the past year, but only for less than a minute. It then goes back to the dim setting. This has been checked by two MB dealers who have s... Read more
Incident date: Oct 24, 2021
The headlights on the 2022 Hyundai Tucson are a road safety hazard and should be outlawed from US roadways. Turning on the headlights creates a dark shadow covering over half of the windshield from top to bottom with a triangle at the bottom of shadow at each end. The triangles can be seen on each headlight lens. Driving the Tucson at night is like wearing a pair of dark sunglasses. The bottom of ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2018
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle stalled while utilizing the AUTO STOP/START feature. The contact was able to pull over. The shift to park message was blinking and the AUTO STOP/START exclamation was displayed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the headlamp was inoperable. There was an abnormal knocking noise dete... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2022
Brake light is not working properly, I was pulled over with a warning
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2018) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Feb 2, 2022
Incident date: Jan 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while working on his vehicle at a friend's home, he discovered that all of the exterior lights, except the driver’s side headlight, failed to operate as needed. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact also stated that the interior lights would intermittently flash on a... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2022
The low beam headlights provide very little illumination. Driving this vehicle at night is a safety hazard due to low light illumination. As a result, I use the high beams for better illumination coverage at night or under low light conditions. This problem is progressive and has degenerated over time. The vehicle was taken to a dealership and local repair shop. Replacing the headlight asse... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2022
The LED daytime running lights are failing for the second time on my vehicle. By failing, I mean they are burning out and no longer effective. This is a well-known issue with Tesla vehicles, however Tesla is doing nothing to resolve the problem. The only solution offered is to pay for an entire set of new headlights which costs nearly $2,600. The replacement headlights eventually fail within 24 mo... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FXBB
(2020) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Feb 1, 2022
Incident date: Oct 15, 2021
Red stock tail lights melt and catch on fire from the heat of the tail light standard 1157 bulbs. Has happened numerous times on both tail lights.
Fire
Incident date: Jan 31, 2022
Occasionally when using the left turn signal the Right turn signal will turn on after turning left. Vehicle has not been inspected
Incident date: Nov 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The manufacturer's app 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 ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2022
It is very easy to mistake turning on the wipers by turning off the lights while driving at night. This is very dangerous if performed at night. There is no lighting on the right or left function arms. This mistake has happened to all 4 drivers in my household. It should seriously be looked into as a safety recall.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
The contact's uncle owns a 2012 Buick Regal. The contact stated that the front headlights were burned out. The contact was unsure whether there was a warning light illuminated. The contact did not provide further information. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer who diagnosed that there was condensation in the frontal headlights and that the front headlight assemblies... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2020
The headlamps quit working in unison, replaced bulbs lasted about a week then went out again. I have replaced them several times with same issue
Incident date: Feb 1, 2022
Driver Rear brake led light not working
Incident date: Dec 28, 2021
Both brake/tail lights intermittently not functioning.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2021
Extremely dim low beam headlights. I can’t see to drive it at night on the low beams. The high beams still work, but blind oncoming traffic. This puts me and other drivers at risk. It is available for inspection. This issue started 6 months ago. This seems to be a serious problem with several years of this make and model.
Incident date: Aug 10, 2021
Ever since my Jeep Gladiator had recall 21V-028 performed my reverse lights and reverse camera do not work. Harr Dodge of Worcester Ma did the recall. I now can not get a Ma state inspection sticker because these lights do not work. I took the Jeep to another dealer to repair but they refused. No problems with the vehicle before the recall was done.
Incident date: Feb 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V135000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The conta... Read more
MINI
COUNTRYMAN
(2017) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jan 31, 2022
Incident date: Jan 31, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Mini Countryman. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle cabin was emitting a smoke odor. The contact stated the rear passenger side taillight malfunction warning message was displayed. The contact mentioned that the socket was melted when he replaced the rear passenger bulb. The contact spoke with a local dealer and they were informed to call the ma... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jan 11, 2022
Both low beam headlights no longer work although all fuses and bulbs have been verified to work. The high beam headlights do work. This appears to be the identical issue that 2011-2013 owners were dealing with. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10159259-0001.pdf. In this instance, the headlight connectors required replacement and Kia extended the warranty to cover that work. Kia will not ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 2, 2020
I bought this car in 2020 and my first night of being out at night I COULD NOT SEE 2 feet in front of me. I was darn near ran off the road. Supposed all recalls were done on my car--NOT!!!!!!This is serious stuff and I'm seeing on a Cadillac forum all the outcries and the extreme costs people are paying. PLEASE PLEASE Do something-ALSO BE SURE SO CALLED RECALLS ARE DONE!!!!
Incident date: Dec 20, 2021
Took my car to the dealership on 12/20/21 because all of my sensors were going off so they installed a new harness and cleared all the sensors, I got my car back on 1/3/22. On 1/16/22 all my sensors came back on so I brought it back to the dealership on 1/19/22 and I got it back the next day and was told it was safe for me to commute to work (I got it back with the front panel off with exposed wir... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2021
When driving at night with exterior lights on, when brake and or gas pedal is pressed the exterior lights strobe/flashes. The Mazda dealership has been contacted about this issue and there is a technician service bulletin stating that the ECM needs to be reflashed/programmed. No recall has been set for this issue and the Mazda dealership stated that I would have to pay $265 out of pocket to have t... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2022
Headlight is not angled correctly and doesn't allow the driver to fully see what is infront of them at night. Dealer inspected and found no issues with alignment, however driving at night is almost like drive without headlights on as they don't show light correctly.
Incident date: Jan 30, 2022
I took car to local Chevrolet dealer to have headlight flashing problem corrected. They gave me back the car saying it was fixed. Problem is still there and now they want regular shop rate to repair the recal problem. Problem is a broken wire in the fuse box in engine compartment. This causes the low beam headlights to flicker on and off wfter engine compartment heats up. Car is unsafe to driv... Read more