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: Sep 1, 2019
Low beam headlights are so dim I can’t safely drive at night.I have replaced bulbs with higher quality and brightness,but still very dim.Its like driving with parking light S on!Called the Acura dealership Crown Acura in Greensboro,N.C. and they said the reflector deteriorates on 2013-2015 models.Cost to replace both headlight fixtures 1500.00 my question is why Acura does not have a recall .Thi... Read more
Incident date: Dec 16, 2021
No accident for crash of involved in this report. I'm reporting not able to drive at night just use high beams at all times safety visibility issues with low beams are terrible use my high beams non-existence low beam headlights so many people have to get hurt or killed before GM does something about this and not a recall for the factory lamp assemblies they have on the shelves or say they don't a... Read more
Incident date: Dec 18, 2021
/Users/karl/Desktop/Tiffin Dash Lights.df.pdf 12 Aug 2020 Ref VIN[XXX], Tiffin Motorhome 2017 Allegro 31 SA F225 Ford 228WB/22000GVWR 22.5TIRES or is it a F550? I see both F numbers in my documents. Subject: Instrument panel lights When driving this vehicle in good weather, sun or partly cloud day, I cannot see anything in the Instrument Cluster. This is quite difficult, dangerous, primar... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2021
dim headlights are very, very dim
Incident date: Dec 2, 2021
The Body Control Module went out. I had it replaced. I do not know how long my back running light were out. I had brake and tag lights. There were no warning messages.
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2019) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Dec 17, 2021
Incident date: Dec 16, 2021
Both headlights blew out at the same time while I was driving at night. No visibility. Dangerous situation. No displayed message. Dealership replaced both bulbs. Cost was $200. They stated that it was not an electrical problem. Too much of a coincidence!
Incident date: Oct 25, 2021
In February 2020 Cadillac notified me "that a small number of model year 2010-2015 SRXs may experience issues that could cause moisture to accumulate in their headlamp capsules and/or cause Halogen headlights to become dimmer over time." (Claim Number [XXX]) At that time I had no issues but I have this issue now, as diagnosed by my dealer. The dim low beam headlights make the vehicle undriveable a... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2021
The Automatic High Beams do not always turn off when an oncoming vehicle approaches. There seems to be an issue with the way the system operates in general. They do turn on when expected. They stay on when they should be off. They shut off when they should be on. Dealer states that they do not detect any fault codes in the system and can not troubleshoot any further. Dealer loaned me a 2020 CRV th... Read more
Incident date: Dec 16, 2021
LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT SHINE TOO WEAK . i REPLACED BULBS AND NOTHING IMPROVED. i SPOKE WITH REPAIR FACILITY AND SAID HEADLAMPS MUST BE REPLACED DUE TO KNOWN ISSUE INVOLVING PROJECTOR IN HOUSING FAILING. ONLINE REASEARCH CONFIRMS KNOWN ISSUE. i ALMOST CRASHED INTO PEOPLE AND A CAR TONIGHT DUE TO ISSUE.
Incident date: Dec 9, 2021
Driver's side headlight stopped working and the bulb is still good. Called the dealership and apparently this is a common problem they know that they r trying to charge 1200 dollors to fix. They should have to fix the headlights because it's the manufacturers fault that they don't work correctly. Can't drive this car anymore cause you can't see to drive at night. Because the headlights don't work ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 10, 2021
The stock halogen headlights (low beams) are so dim you can't tell if they are on or not. New halogen bulbs did not help. I replaced them with LED units at my own expense.
Incident date: May 11, 2016
Repeated dead batteries. Replaced OEM battery in year 2, new battery also comes up dead regularly. There is clearly a parasitic battery drain happening. Burning oil, this car burns more oil than any car I have ever owned. Subaru claims it is within specification, but their specification is 1 quart between changes, this is a ridiculous claim in 2021. Heat shield and exhaust noise. Always a ne... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2021
The headlights are failing, new lamps does not resolve the issue. Bad design, the inner reflective housing has melted and the lamps no longer light the road correctly. New lamps did not resolve the issue. I am having to replace the whole lamp housing at over $600 per side just to enable me to drive at night. Very dangerous situation
Incident date: Dec 4, 2021
The headlights, driver and passenger, repeatedly fill up with water/condensation and cause the light to short completely. This is dangerous for night time driving as it impairs visibility and is also illegal. When I asked a repairman about a replacement I was told that it’s useless as the replacement parts are made of the same components and I would pay thousands of dollars to eventually incur t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2021
Head lamps stopped working on low beams when driving at night, high beams still work, no warnings were indicated and lights still will not work.
Incident date: Nov 20, 2021
My headlights always tuned on automatically whenever the windshield wipers would turn on as required by Florida law. After a software update a few months ago, this functionality is no longer occurring. I must now manually turn on the headlights if it is raining and my windshield wipers turn on. I reported this to my local Tesla Service Center, and they were aware of the issue and stated that a... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2019
The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the center display would inadvertently turn blank or reset on its own. The contact stated that the rear-view camera would inadvertently turn blank and the center display would take more than five minutes to reset while driving. The contact also stated that the audio sound of the vehicle would fail to wo... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2021
The lift gate light housing assembly develops cracks due to design flaw, allowing housing assembly to fill with water and cause lights to malfunction. The housing assembly is available for inspection upon request. The rear lights of the vehicle are not functioning as intended and can cause rear end vehicle collision, which car cause injury or worst to the passengers. The problem has been verifi... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2021
Since we moved to the East Coast, four years ago, the headlights on the 2014 SRX have slowly dimmed until they are completely ineffectual. When looking out the front window on a dark road, there is only a very dim, barely perceptible, lightening of the road directly in front of the car when the headlights are turned on. When approaching another car, the headlights resemble running lights or park... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2021
My 3rd brake light works intermittently. I have bought my car just over a year ago from a pre-owned dealership.
Incident date: Dec 3, 2021
Upon accelerating causes a lot of exhaust smoke and bogs down so I can’t get out of the way and others behind me cannot see a thing. Two Kia dealerships refused assistance. The first after I called 12/3 to report that my vehicle issue made additional hazard involving a semi (thank goodness no one wreaked) and it was still smoking and smelled as if something was burning. The other telling me it... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2019
The headlights are failing. We have replaced the bulbs and it does not fix the issue. When driving at night, we must use the high beams. This issue is a hazarded and could lead to hitting an object in the road due to the failure of the head lights.
Incident date: Oct 11, 2021
The Pro Trailer Assist program won't load or work along with constant electrical lamp fault messages when trailering my boat. This is a safety concern because you can't tell if the trailer lights are really working or not while driving. I also experience the turn signals blinking really fast like a bulb is out - when none are actually out. The local dealer's electrical technician has reproduc... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2021
The headlights are so dim that the vehicle is almost unsafe to drive at night time. This is especially true while driving in rain or snow at night. I have different strengths of headlights nothing helps. My family is at the point of not wanting to ride anywhere with me in the vehicle at night time. This past weekend it was raining when we left family and driving 20 miles in rain and night on low b... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2021
Since I purchased my car in 2014 the headlights have dimmed tremendously. So much that my husband pulled the car to the side of the road the other night because he insisted the headlights were burnt out. I explained that they've been that way for a long time. We absolutely cannot drive my car at night because it's as if we have no headlights. I think this poses an extreme safety hazard.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2019
Low beam headlights have become so dim as to be unusable, exascerbated when the auto-dimming goes unexpectedly from high to low beam. It’s as if someone just turned the car’s lights off, so options are to 1) drive on constant high beam, blinding other drivers; 2) drive on low beam, blinding me; 3) not drive at all at night. Thanks, Cadillac!! It’s unbelievable to me that a safety recall has ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2021
I went out to start my truck and there was only one headlight working. After replacing the left driver's side bulb multiple times and it still didn't work I had a mechanic look at it and he figured out it was a wiring connector problem.
Incident date: Dec 11, 2021
Headlights are extremely dim - dangerous to drive at night. Reported issue to dealer, who cleaned the lens but problem persists.
Incident date: Nov 25, 2021
UNKNOWN THE DIM HEADIGHTS AS WELL AS MOISTURE IN HEADLIGHTS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM . IT IS NOT SAFE DRIVING WITH THE HEADLIGHS ON DIM---YOU MUST DRIVE WITH THEM ON HIGH BEAM TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE ROAD AHEAD. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE FOR GM TO CORRECT THIS MOST DANGEROUS PROBLEM AS MANY ARE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP!!!11
Incident date: Dec 10, 2021
WE HAVE A 2020 HONDA CRV LX -PURCHASED NEW. THIS IS OUR SECOND HONDA VEHICLE, THAT HAS THE SAME DEFECT, POOR HEAD LIGHTS. NIGHT DRIVING IS A NIGHTMARE AND WE LIMIT IT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. HIGH BEAMS AND LOW BEAMS ON A DARK STREET ARE DRIVING AT RISK. SEVERAL HONDA CRV LX OWNERS ON OUR STREET HAVE THE SAME NIGHT DRIVING EXPERIENCE. I CONTACTED THE DEALER STAFF REGARDING THIS SAFTEY FAULT, BUT THE ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2021
I have suffered a known issue with the exterior lighting on these vehicles. Water has gotten into the tail light housing and caused the light to go out…a $1300 part. Water intrusion has been long documented in these model year Durangos, with no recall ever issued.
Incident date: Dec 9, 2021
Passenger dim headlight keeps going out causing a unsafe issue. The plug gets hot and is damaged.A service bulletin was put out on this issue in 2014 so gm has known that this was a problem for a long time. I read several complaints on this issue and can't understand why a recall has not been issued unless gm thinks that it is safe to drive with one headlight. I know from experience that our stat... Read more
Incident date: Dec 8, 2021
Headlights have become so dim I nearly ran off of the road. When it rains at night I have to pull over because the factory headlights do not supply enough light to drive on the roadway.
Incident date: Mar 20, 2019
I have owned this car since 11/2018. I have NEVER replaced as many headlight bulbs in my life as I have for this vehicle. Mostly the low beam. Almost every three months. I'm looking to replace the wiring soon hoping to remedy this issue. Ridiculous.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2012 Buick Regal. The contact stated that the driver’s side headlight assembly developed condensation inside causing the light bulb to blow out. The contact indicated that the entire headlight assembly needed to be replaced to fix the failure. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and the local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. Th... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2021
Since 2019 there have been several instances with my vehicle where someone has been able to knock the power offline thereby disabling it. It happened in five locations - a storage location in Olive BranchN MS, a former address in Memphis, TN (4330 Angarath Dr), a restaurant (Sonic) in Greenville, MS and twice in Greenville, MS both at a local park (Hardee Park). I never received any recall notic... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
My headlights are dimming. I’ve had the bulbs replaced, my battery replaced and the wiring checked. No one can seem to find why these are dimming
Incident date: Sep 1, 2021
I have been receiving the “Service Trailer Brake System” error intermittently. The only information I have been have to find around this is a defective wiring harnesses between two modules. This defect is not due to wear/tear and has been reported as a defective part on multiple GMC models. When this service error pops up it is distracting and very unsafe for driving as well as dangerous when ... Read more
CHRYSLER
TOWN AND COUNTRY
(2006) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Dec 9, 2021
Incident date: Dec 10, 2018
The contact owns a 2006 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the turn signal, and brake light failed to function as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the center third brake light needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired; however, the fail... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2021
When I purchased the 2012 volvo S60 back in June we started to drive and it said low beam out and later found out that it was the drivers side low beam took it back and they tried a new headlight but didn't work but we found the problem it was the ballast to the hid bulb was bad changed it bam fixed 2 days later the light came back on and said low beam out but this time it was the passenger side t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2020
Low beam headlights became really dim making it hard to drive after dark. Headlights show water intrusion (water droplets, fogging) at times. Replacing the headlight bulbs with brighter LED bulbs did not improve the visibility. Necessity to use high beam often is a risk to opposing traffic.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2017
The low beam headlights are so dim it is almost impossible to drive at night. While turning into my driveway at night, my neighbor who was walking her dog stepped into my driveway to get out of the way of oncoming traffic not realizing who was driving down street, I did not see her until the last second. I have spoken with dealer twice and they told me to call GM Divisional Headquarters which I ca... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
The high-beam lighting system fails - causing dangerous conditions while driving. They use a motor system that tilts the light and this is prone to failure.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Niro. The contact stated that while driving at night with the low-beam headlights activated, the illumination was either too bright or improperly position causing the light beam to become visibility hazards to the oncoming drivers. The contact indicated that oncoming motorist constantly flashed their lights indicating that the high-beam headlights were activated even th... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
S500
(2004) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Dec 8, 2021
Incident date: Jan 13, 2021
The dash board lights lose their ability to illuminate the dashboard and the back airbags on the suspension keep deflating
Incident date: Dec 8, 2020
Kia has been on notice of the Telluride's deficient headlights with the ES model since at least 2019 and have done nothing. The highest end model has LED lights so Kia is more than capable of fixing this problem. I know that dozens of consumers like myself have filed complaints with the NHTSA and other organizations and nothing has been done. I have called Kia headquarters at least 3 times to ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 7, 2021
Main Head Lamps go out with no warning or indicator saying that the lamp is off, and it MAY or MAY not come back on....In this case it is ( at this time ) only the Driver side Lamp. This is Intermittent and no rhyme or reason as to why . This particular Lamp assembly is a specific FACTORY LAMP and also , from my understanding. incorporates a FACtORY Ballast.
Incident date: Aug 6, 2021
The wipers became slow and erratic, then stopped when headlights were turned on. The lights also were affected as they became dim or out depending on the selection of Hi, Low or Driving. The wipers could have failed during a storm, or the headlights could have become inoperative with no warning. The problem was reproduced at the dealer and inspected as well. There was no indication that there was ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 24, 2021
Unable to see safely driving at night especially during rainy or snowy driving. Headlamps are so dim my automatic high beams go on constantly even when opposing traffic are coming towards me. I purchased the Cadillac used 2021. I called the Cadillac dealer they stayed Cadillac used to reimburse owners prior to last year. I cannot afford $3400 for replacing the headlamps! This is putting my family ... Read more