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 14, 2025
This problem has occurred to me now twice. Both occurrences were on very cold days where the temperature was below 20 degrees F. The car starts promptly and runs, but the entire dashboard electronic instrument cluster is non-functioning and dark . In this condition, you cannot tell your speed, engine rpm, fuel level, engine temperature, or any mileage numbers. The turn signals also do not wor... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked under a carport in her driveway, she had been warned by neighbors that the rear end of the vehicle was on fire. The contact stated that she saw that flames were issuing from both rear light housings. The contact stated that by the time her husband and a neighbor attempted to extinguish the flames with ga... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jan 2, 2026
Excessive blinding headlights. Dangerous to encounter oncoming traffic at night. Too bright and alignment/aim is too high.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
These lights are unnecessarily bright and are too high up. Please put a stop to this.
Incident date: Dec 30, 2025
HEADLIGHTS TOO BRIGHT
Incident date: Jan 17, 2023
Headlights are too bright and/or to high and blind other drivers.
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLE 350
(2021) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jan 2, 2026
Incident date: Jan 2, 2026
I purchased this 2014 Acura RDX in 2016, a Certified Pre-Owned with original 28,000 miles, from Price Acura in Dover, DE. VIN # [XXX] . The car is very well maintained; garage kept and consistently follows the regular maintenance schedule. The current mileage is 143,968. I have voiced my concern to the Price Acura dealership regarding the ongoing issue with the headlights. The combination of hea... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2023) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jan 2, 2026
Incident date: Dec 9, 2025
Lights are too bright and blind oncoming drivers. Very unsafe and can cause serious injuries and accidents.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
The LED lights are extremely dangerous. They impair the vision of others. This needs to be rectified.
Incident date: Sep 9, 2025
I took delivery of this vehicle on [XXX]. Unknown to me Tesla changed the frunk design of my model y premium juniper. It has no light or emergency open button as seen on all juniper models made up until the one I received. My understanding is if a three year old can fit in the trunk/frunk space it must have a light and a way to open it from the inside in an emergency situation. Please recall for a... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2025
My life was put at risk because of an oncoming Ford F-150. The placement and brightness of the headlights are such that oncoming drivers are immediately blinded and unable to see anything as the vehicle approaches and passes. I was nearly run off the road because I was completely blinded by the brightness if the headlights. I almost crashed into a tree. I barely escaped with my life intact.
Incident date: Dec 31, 2025
I purchased this 2020 Jeep Wrangler from SunToyota car dealership in Holiday, FL on [XXX]. There have been several ongoing concerning safety issues with this vehicle and the car dealership over the past year since I purchased it. My vehicle has had immediate malfunctions and service visits upon purchase. On 12/31/24, the car went to the shop for broken visor (as is) as listed on service invoice-... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2025) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jan 1, 2026
Incident date: Dec 31, 2025
LED headlights from multiple oncoming vehicles have shined very brightly in my eyes that I've almost gone off the road more than a couple times. They don't need to be so bright! And I don't think a lot of drivers who have them really care how it affects other drivers.
Incident date: Nov 15, 2025
New 2026 Model Ys made after October 2025 no longer have an emergency release/opener for the front trunk. Easily large enough for a child to lay in and be trapped.
HYUNDAI
GENESIS COUPE
(2014) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jan 1, 2026
Incident date: Dec 30, 2025
During a snowstorm, the headlights caused blinding visibility issues due to the reflected light from the snow flakes. Normally, using low beams fixes this problem. I tried all combinations of headlights during the drive- auto high, high, auto low, manual low, just parking lights. All resulted in horrible visibility conditions that limited speed to around 20 MPH. The vehicle was inspected by Te... Read more
HYUNDAI
GENESIS COUPE
(2014) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jan 1, 2026
Incident date: Dec 30, 2025
The headlights turned off while driving. Not being able to see where you're going is risky. The problem has occurred twice under the same conditions - light snow covering on the car. It has not been reproduced at dealer or service center. Components have not been inspected. The headlights operate properly when the snow is removed. No warning, messages or symptoms. Tesla Assist states that if th... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2025
Blinding LED headlights from this vehicle around 5:45pm on way to grocery store. Height of headlamps above ground level, intensity of the weird light emitted caused my wife & I in our vehicle to be blinded to pedestrians in store parking lot. As a driver, after getting a full blast of this light I was seeing blanked out visual field. Sight started coming back, I continued process of parking, (a... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2025
The headlights are incredibly bright and I get many complaints about how bright they are.
Incident date: Dec 29, 2025
LancasterNH3584United States[XXX]"I keep saying why do people need to see up a raccoons a_ _ a mile away. They are blinding me. When someone goes by me at night with LED lights I am blinded. It is not a good feeling when you are wondering if you are still in your lane because you can't see anything other than extremely bright lights. They need to be banned. i never had problems driving and still ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2025
MOUNTAIN HOUSECA95391United States[XXX]"Whether its someone coming towards you, or someone right behind you, they still blind you and are a nuisance to everyone." INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Dec 30, 2025
San JoseCA95129United States12/29/2025"i find the bright lights unacceptable & have to divert my eyes which can be very dangerous. and to add to the problem too many drive with their brights on when not necessary"
Incident date: Dec 31, 2025
KohlerWI53044United States[XXX]"Something needs to be done about this issue. It has only been getting worse over the years. There are also people now replacing more of their old headlights with these LEDs with out purchasing and replacing the reflectors; without replacing those they actually turn out to be worse than the headlights on these new vehicles that are just as bad or worse. Need to get r... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2025
LeanderTX78641United States12/30/2025"Due to the BLINDING headlights of a truck, I almost hit a pedestrian who was wearing a reflective vest. The headlights if the truck were so bright, that the light canceled out the reflective tape on the pedestrians vest. BAN THESE BLINDING HEADLIGHTS."
Incident date: Dec 31, 2025
NJ8107United States[XXX]"So sick of almost getting into accidents at nighttime because of these. Why is something like that now just a casual thing??" INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Dec 30, 2025
Flower MoundTX75028United States12/30/2025"I cannot tell if people’s brights are on or if it’s their headlights. i am [XXX] and have perfect vision yet go blind every night i drive after sundown." INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Dec 31, 2025
WarrentonVA20186United States[XXX]"i can barely see anything i always think people have there high beams on and it’s even worse for my gf she needs glasses and can see very well and these lights or worse reflecting off her glasses. they need to change these type of lights they have on new cars and make it illegal for people to change there lights as well" INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FR... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2025
As I am driving at night, I am frequently blinded by excessively intense headlights, very often those on large pickup trucks like the F150. If I blink my high beams at them, the blink back with their even more intense high beams! It is obvious that the 1) the low beams are far too bright for oncoming drivers and 2) that the low beams are not aimed at the road, but at the windshields of oncoming ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2025
BostonVA22713United States12/31/2025"[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Jun 17, 2025
BrooklynNY11202United States12/31/2025"This is a major issue in safe driving for all ages."
Incident date: Dec 31, 2025
Headlights are too high, too bright, and 5000K+ color, which has been documented to upset circadian rhythms in most, and causes agitation, or even seizures, in a small percentage of the population
Incident date: Jan 12, 2025
DanvilleVA24543-0062United States1/1/2026"These lights are extremely blinding and have been the specific cause of several near accidents by a friend when I was a passenger. They should be outlawed outright. Period. Jerk drivers nowadays don't bother to dim them either. They should also force manufacturers to put all of them at the same height from the road, most especially those huge pickups that... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2025
Headlights are TOO bright and blinding making it difficult to drive safely especially at night. Not kind fo eyes like headlights in the past. Please get rid of these and return to previous ones that allowed for safe and healthy driving.
Incident date: Oct 15, 2025
MinneapolisMN55428United States1/1/2026"Digital light (led) and sound are unhealthy. I have been reffering to it as fake light and sound for years now. Get ahold of robert f kennedy and have him include this in his MAHA research"
Incident date: Jun 23, 2025
BostonMA2266United States1/1/2026"Are LED manufacturers trying to destroy my country, or pushing the slightly less nefarious agenda of stimulating auto-wreck insurance companies and Lens Crafters? It's unbelievable how so many people keep wanting to go back down an old, broken road."
Incident date: Oct 5, 2023
While driving vehicle at night on [XXX] to Richmond, VA my headlights both stopped working completely. The only way I could see was by turning on my high beam headlights. The high beam headlights worked fine. There was no warning lights, no sounds, the interior lights and everything interior was working normal. It was just the low beam headlights both at the exact same time. The running day li... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2025
Passenger window will go down while LOCKED. Strange noise from front cabin
Incident date: Dec 24, 2025
It has been an ongoing issue for years concerning the dimness of the headlights on this vehicle. Virtually impossible to drive at night , can’t even see the lane markings with lights on dim. The cause was determined to be leaky seals creating corrosion. I replaced the bulbs myself and it made no difference. No recall was ever granted in spite of multiple complaints and filings with the NATSA. Th... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2025
There is a known problem with the DRLs burning out, which poses a safety issue. Many people have had this problem causing an expensive repair out of warranty. The entire headlamp assembly has to be replaced.
Incident date: Sep 15, 2025
The passage side headlight has moistures in it. They said run the engine for 30 minutes so it will dissolve and it didn't. And now the headlights not working and its $2,000 to get it replace.
Incident date: Dec 29, 2025
Headlight lowbeams are dim. Replaced with new bulbs, no improvement. Headlight lens are crystal clear from being clear vinyl wrapped when purchased new.
Incident date: Dec 30, 2025
Description of Incident: > While driving in freezing drizzle/sleet conditions in northern Minnesota, the factory-installed LED headlights on my 2025 Ford Bronco became obscured by ice buildup within 15 minutes of driving. The Safety Issue: > the LED headlights do not produce sufficient heat to melt frozen precipitation. This resulted in a degradation of forward visibility during nighttime drivi... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2017) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Dec 30, 2025
Incident date: Feb 1, 2025
DRL failure is widespread across ford vehicles and should be addressed by the manufacturer.
Incident date: Dec 29, 2025
The passenger side headlight DRL is fading and does not appear to be as bright and pronounced as the driver side DRL. This vehicle has the LED headlights and fog lights.
Incident date: Oct 30, 2025
The headlights flicker/pulse creating visibility issues at night. This occurs when the heated seats are activated. This is a safety concern for myself, passengers, other drivers, and pedestrians. Flickering lights can cause an accident due to poor visibility and the creating of false shadows. This would also hinder the ability to see pedestrians. The problem was reproduced at the local Chevrolet... Read more
Incident date: Jun 14, 2024
On multiple occasions, maybe up to 10, the software controlling the dashboard LCD screens reset while driving and completely goes black. Almost everything in the car is controlled through the head unit. I use the vehicle for highway commuting and it happens at 70+ miles per hour. I have no gauges at all while it is occurring. I don’t have a speedometer. I do not have HVAC controls. I don’t hav... Read more
TOYOTA
GRAND HIGHLANDER
(2024) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Dec 29, 2025
Incident date: Dec 29, 2025
Rear turn signal stopped workin due to manufacturer defect. Rear suspension leaking due to manufacturer defect.
Incident date: Dec 3, 2025
My car stalled at a red light due to Auto Idle-Stop failure. It failed to restart, shifted itself to Neutral/Park, and the car was completely unresponsive for a minute. This is a huge safety hazard.
Incident date: Oct 22, 2025
I am submitting a report regarding the hacking of my vehicle that has persisted over the past five years. I have previously stated that my scammer, [XXX] , along with her associates, continues to remotely manipulate the gear of my vehicle while I am driving. Furthermore, they are targeting the lighting and dome lights in my vehicle in an attempt to jeopardize my safety. Additionally, the manufactu... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2025
We only have 58,000 on our car . We had extremely low oil and light never came on it blinked randomly. We still had 2,000 miles left before oil change was due . Car was almost bone dry if we did not check we would have been in big trouble.We were told these cars are known to burn oil and we should come in every 3/4 weeks depending on how much we drive to have oil added . This is ridiculous! If thi... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2025
I was driving last night and the "marker light is defective" error came on. This is a well documented defect in the Audi Q7 and many are subject to recall for this issue.