Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,215,138 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA — including 138,663 crashes, 56,255 fires, and 8,561 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 2,215,138 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 42,495 complaints — component: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Incident date: May 9, 2026
On my 2011 Hyundai Sonata GLS, both rear tail lights have melted to the point that the lightbulbs cannot be extracted and the brake and tail lights no longer work. When I looked into this, I found out this is a common issue on 2011 Hyundai Sonatas. It is almost always caused by excessive heat from the standard incandescent bulbs, which damages the wiring harness and deforms the plastic housing. Wh... Read more
Incident date: May 18, 2026
The low beams headlights, when you go over a bump they visibly shake, it is distracting. I checked forums and other owners are complaining of same problem with this model.
Incident date: Feb 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2008 Pontiac G8. The contact stated that while driving approximately 80 mph the cruise disconnected had erroneously deactivated and the brake lights had remained illuminated . The contact replaced brake sensors, emergency brake sensors and ABS Module but the failure continued to occur. The local dealer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer w... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the right turn signal fails to remain engaged intermittently. The failure had become more frequent as time progressed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for another matter, and the owner was also informed about the failure. The dealer confirmed there was no recall attached. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact 24V239000 (EXTERIO... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
Parking light defective message on dash board. Looked at the light and all lights present. Talked to a dealer and the headlight assembly to replace is 6K plus. For a small yellow side light inside of headlight that is still on, but the message on dashboard says otherwise. Was told that it isn't outputting enough light power.
Incident date: May 15, 2026
The headlights quiver in their housing and this creates a jittering effect on the road ahead and in the faces of oncoming drivers. The shakiness is a potential hazard to the ability to view surroundings by, and distracting to, driver of this vehicle and other drivers.
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS CROSS SPORT
(2021) — EXTERIOR LIGHTING
May 18, 2026
Incident date: May 11, 2026
At 76000 miles, the daytime running light on the passenger side went out. I took the vehicle into the dealership for repair and I was told that because there is an internal open circuit, the entire headlight assembly will need to be replaced. I was quoted $1600 for the part, not including labor. This is a safety issue due to one daytime running light being a distraction for other drivers as well a... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
I noticed that my passenger side headlight was out but no warning was given in the dashboard. If I hadn’t noticed that the ‘round the corner’ lights were not working it might have taken me a while to figure it out presenting a safety issue
LAND ROVER
DEFENDER
(2020) — EXTERIOR LIGHTING
May 18, 2026
Incident date: May 18, 2026
The driver-side headlight assembly failed unexpectedly on my 2020 Land Rover Defender 110. This appears to be a known and recurring issue with this vehicle model involving the headlight or related electrical/control system. The failed component and vehicle are available for inspection upon request. The failure significantly reduced nighttime visibility and made the vehicle less visible to oncomi... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
Excessive amount of moisture inside my headlight. Affects how bright my headlight is at night and is now prone to failure. Dealership has documentation of the issue and is making it very difficult to replace.
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2021) — EXTERIOR LIGHTING
May 18, 2026
Incident date: May 9, 2026
The daylight running lights failed at the same time. This a closed system so VW wants 1000 per headlight unit.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while his daughter attempted to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start immediately. The contact's daughter pressed the engine Auto Start/Stop button again, the vehicle restarted. The contact had AAA test that the battery, which had no failure, and it was determined that the brake light switch had failed. The cruise control late... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
Back up camera randomly stops working (black screen-completely gone, or blue screen). Dash will randomly dim on its own and does not go back to normal unless car is shut off and turned back on. adaptive cruise control will disengage for no apparent reason. stabilitrak will flash on screen but no other indicators or reasons; nothing happens with car. Occasionally the blind spot mirror lights will n... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS CROSS SPORT
(2021) — EXTERIOR LIGHTING
May 18, 2026
Incident date: May 18, 2026
Daytime running lights are non replaceable and a hazard left unfixed. The dealer refuses to acknowledge this or do anything but charge me 1600 dollars to replace. We don't have that kind of money just sitting around these days and they refuse to do anything. DRLs are critical for visibility. We had an extended warranty and they replaced 1 side last year instead of both. Now that the warranty is up... Read more
LAND ROVER
DISCOVERY
(2022) — EXTERIOR LIGHTING
May 18, 2026
Incident date: Dec 27, 2025
I was driving home from work late at night in December 2025. A Signal came on that said pull to safety or something like that and then I lost power steering and brake control and my entire dash in my vehicle went pitch black. I was in the middle lane on route 290 and I was very lucky not to hit any other vehicles, but it was incredibly scary because I had no control of my vehicle and there were ... Read more
Incident date: May 16, 2026
Front right Marker light defect alert keeps pooping up and sounding an audible alarm while I am driving even through the marker light is working perfectly. Drive train alert comes on after I add oil and the vehicle starts hesitating while I accelerate.I just got a tune up which included new spark plus and a new coils. Problem came back even after the tune up within 3000 miles. Excessive oil lo... Read more
Incident date: May 25, 2025
Toyota Tundra recall 25V322 is still has no remedy available even though the recall was almost a year ago.
Incident date: Dec 15, 2025
The headlights and interior lighting flickers when turned on. The vehicle often will not start, but once hooked up to a jumper pack starts immediately despite the batteries being inspected previously and being okay. The start/stop function doesn't always work, and the engine stalls while driving, causing a massive safety issue.
Incident date: May 12, 2026
I am reporting a headlight stability issue on my 2026 Subaru Uncharted. While driving at night, the LED headlights produce a severe oscillating/strobing effect over normal road imperfections and bumps. The beam pattern rapidly shifts up and down, creating alternating bright and dark visibility (“black/white flicker”) on the roadway and traffic signs. This issue is distracting during nighttime... Read more
Incident date: May 21, 2020
The oil was leaking somewhere not on the motor not under the car not blowing black smoke. I kept adding oil to it. No oil light. I was told not to park between 2 houses or in my garage it could catch on fire. I took it in several times and they did all kinds of stuff motor wash knock sensor was replaced wiring harness was corroded was slipping out of gear and other issues. And now it doesn't run... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
The DRL failed - seems like it is due to a faulty ground connection on CANBUS.
Incident date: May 24, 2025
The back lighting for the controls does not work the check engine light is on the dealer said there is no fix for either one of these items at this time
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2025) — EXTERIOR LIGHTING
May 15, 2026
Incident date: May 14, 2026
2025 Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab, VIN [XXX] , purchased new in April 2025. Total transaction value exceeded $50,000 including trade in of previous vehicle. Has experienced repeated serious electrical failures in under a year and 16,500 miles. Components that failed: Telematics module causing parasitic battery drain, DC/DC converter module, radio, and two complete battery failures. Turn signal was... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2026
Both of the Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs) on my 2021 F150 have failed. They cost `$2,000 each to replace. They are LEDs, and were billed as never needing replacement, and certainly not under 50k miles. A quick search shows that this is a common issue with 2021+ F150s, and looking around on the road, I notice many with the same issue. This failure of safety equipment reduces visibility and could c... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
The driver's side LED headlight has gone out. It is LED and suppose to outlast the vehicle. Headlight works but turn signal doesn't in the front. This unit is over $1,000 to have replaced and multiple people are complaining about it happening to their Dodge Durango RT's as well.
Incident date: Sep 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact discovered that the rear lenses was full of water. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to get a diagnosis however, the failure cause was unidentifiable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
I Was In My Vehicle Parked Up On January 1st 2026 And The Vehicle Caught On Fire While I Was Inside Of It,The Fire Started From The Right Side Of The Car And Flamed Up Everything,The Car Had A Check Engine Light On And A Lightning System Issue Was Popping Up On The Dash Right Before This Situation Accord I Did Research And Found That The Cause Of The Fire Is Related To NHTSA Recall 24V-608 (Water ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
There has not been a specific incident yet, but I am very concerned about the lack of lighting in the dark when our vehicle is in reverse. It is very difficult to see when backing up - either to the sides (making it difficult to tell where the edge of the road is), or directly behind (making it difficult to see if we are about to collide with an object or person). We contacted the dealer on 4/27/2... Read more
MERCURY
GRAND MARQUIS
(2003) — EXTERIOR LIGHTING
May 14, 2026
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
While driving my vehicle headlights turn off and back on, sometimes off for minutes sometimes flickering.
Incident date: May 10, 2026
Driver side headlamp low beam has burned out. They are supposed to be lifetime LED headlamps, not burn out after only 67,000 miles.
Incident date: May 13, 2026
The light component above the dash completely just fell out while i was on the highway, hanging by wires and obscuring my vision. Also there is a Bluetooth audio issue where no one can hear me when my phone is connected via Bluetooth or wired.
CADILLAC
ESCALADE ESV
(2025) — EXTERIOR LIGHTING
May 13, 2026
Incident date: May 4, 2026
The headlights on our 25 Escalade started to fail. They basically became more and more dim to the point it looks like the Daytime running lights are on at night instead of the headlights. When we took it into the dealer to get checked they stated it was a known issue. Apparently it’s such a large issue that one of the headlights is back ordered with no timeline. This seems like a serious safety ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS CROSS SPORT
(2020) — EXTERIOR LIGHTING
May 13, 2026
Incident date: Jan 4, 2024
Both day time running lights failed right after warranty expired. This repair requires over 2300$ repair because both entire headlights need to be replaced. This is a frequent problem that VW is aware yet refuses to rectify. It cause my vehicle to be less visible because of aporr design by VW.
Incident date: Oct 4, 2021
The Auto High-Beam system activates the high beams inappropriately during operation. The system triggers the high beams directly into the eyes of oncoming traffic and activates during early dusk conditions. The sudden, intense illumination blinds oncoming drivers. This creates an immediate glare hazard and significantly increases the risk of a head-on collision. I reported this specific failure t... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2026
The 3rd brake light (high mount stop) has burned out. The repair costs are exorbitant for a legally required part of the car and self repair is extremely challenging. There are numerous complaints online about this part failing.
Incident date: May 11, 2026
THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION FOR THIS ISSUE WHICH IS THE DRL'S/DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS FOR THE VW 2021 (2021-2023 ACTUALLY) GIVE OUT/FAIL, AND THEY CANNOT BE FIXED WITHOUT REPLACING THE $1200 ENTIRE HEADLIGHT PART. CRAZY FOR A LIGHT THAT NEW TO GIVE OUT FOR SO MANY. I REFUSE TO PAY FOR THESE IT IS OBVIOUYSLY A DESIGN FLAW ON THEIR END. IN OUR CASE, BOTH DRL'S GAVE OUT. REGULAR NIGHT LIGHTS WORK BUT T... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
The headlights have a shadow half way down the windshield making it very difficult to see at night. We don't feel safe driving when it is dark out. We took it to the dealer the end of January they saw what we were talking about. One of the foreman drove it home at night. He saw what we were talking about but gave no solutions. We took it in again the shop foreman adjusted the headlights up. We d... Read more
THOR MOTOR COACH
MIRAMAR
(2019) — EXTERIOR LIGHTING
May 12, 2026
Incident date: Jun 27, 2025
The high beam lights cycle on off constantly when on auto approximately every 5-10 seconds even when there is no oncoming traffic
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
While driving at night, the headlights seem like they bouncing with each slight bump on the road. They aren’t staying properly and give me headaches. I cannot drive at night now.
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2022) — EXTERIOR LIGHTING
May 11, 2026
Incident date: May 11, 2026
Headlights go out, completely dark while driving. This happens whether in auto lights or manual lighting.
Incident date: May 11, 2026
The low beam visibility on this vehicle is extremely dangerous. It's as if you have no headlights on. They can inspect anytime. With low night visibility. Driver is not able to see the road or person which causes a delayed response because of visibility. Driver puts on highbeams to be able to see which blinds others or shouldn't be driven at night. Plenty of times, I could have been in an ac... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
Automatic high beam headlights fail to work properly most of the time will not go back to low beams when a vehicle is in the opposite lane also will not go to high beams when no vehicles are in sight very frustrating and dangerous
Incident date: May 5, 2026
Driver side rear tail light housing has a crack that has allowed moisture to enter the housing. Oct 2025 Took it to dealer to notify of the problem of water getting in the tail light housing once noticed around 500 miles on truck about a month after purchase. Told to make an appointment to get it submitted for warranty. I was able to dry out the tail light housing and epoxied the crack to prevent... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2026
The daytime running lights are not working. It is a safety concern by not being seen easily by oncoming drivers. No warnings were given prior to going out. This seems to be a common problem among same vehicle make and model according to forums on the internet. The only way to be repaired is to replace the entire headlamp assembly at a cost of $1500-$2000 which is not feasible.
Incident date: Sep 29, 2025
2023 Piaggio MP3 530 Exclusive scooter developed severe internal clouding and crazing inside the left headlight assembly at very low mileage. The right headlight remains clear under identical operating conditions. The defect appears internal to the sealed headlight assembly and is not normal exterior condensation. The affected headlight has progressively become difficult to see through and may re... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
Both front headlight and rear headlight seals are faulty resulting in a water leak, causing headlight and taillights to become inoperable at 60k miles.
Incident date: Apr 29, 2026
The contact owns 2023 Ram 1500. The contact stated that upon purchase of the vehicle, the vehicle was serviced for NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V799000(Steering, Exterior Lighting). Despite the recall repair, the contact stated that the failure continued to occur as the high beams would active when using the turn signals. The contact stated that the failure was most prominent at night as the high beam... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
Headlights on vehicle are very dim and often do not appear to be on causing bright lights to be used in replacement. Lights are not burnt out.
Incident date: Apr 4, 2025
Headlights bounce/shake when the car is driven on a non-smooth surface. This causes visual distractions when driving at night.
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLS 450
(2020) — EXTERIOR LIGHTING
May 10, 2026
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
When the headlights are on at night, any bump or movement of the vehicle over rough surfaces causes the headlights to visibly shake. It is especially noticeable when the low beams are on. Even the reflection in vehicles or signs, you can see the lights shake. It caused quite a distraction when trying to drive. Dealer states this is normal and all other variants of this car do the same. I have neve... Read more