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: Oct 30, 2025
Break light keeps going out no matter how many time I get the light changed. Got the harness changed last year and that did not help either.
Incident date: Oct 30, 2025
I have been the owner of this vehicle almost 6 months. My headlights and brake lights do not currently work because of what was diagnosed as electrical failure at the Buick dealership. There are no warranties for this issue specifically aside from the 36,000/3 year warranty which is expired. The dealership mechanics don’t know how to fix this issue and informed me it could be thousands. It poses... Read more
Incident date: Oct 28, 2025
The rear lightbar assembly on our 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat has developed micro-cracks in the outer lens, allowing moisture to accumulate inside. This has caused flickering or inoperative reverse lamps and now appears to be impacting the rear passenger blinker, which functions intermittently. We are concerned that the moisture has begun to corrode the rear wiring harness or electrical syste... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2025
Vehicle Headlamps fail to project adequate light to see the road. Several hundred dollars have been invested in attempting to fix this, resulting in zero noticeable help.
Incident date: Nov 2, 2025
The display screen will glitch and completely go black while driving. I have tried turning the car off to hopefully “reset” the issue, and sometimes the entire display will not come on at all. I have taken my car in 4-5 times to my local dealership only to be blown off. Lately my headlights and taillights are going off at random times. The are a huge safety concern and it seems increasingly co... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2025 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed at night, the low beam headlights failed to illuminate the road ahead while going uphill or downhill. The contact had to activate the high beam headlights. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failur... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while attempting to turn on the high beam, the Intell Beam high beam headlight failed to illuminate as intended. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer, who confirmed that the feature was not included in the software. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that after researching, the contact learned that v... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while the driver’s side low beam light was no longer illuminated due to its expected life span. The vehicle was taken for the bulb replacement, and the contact was informed that the wiring harness for the driver’s side light bulb was burned. The dealer was unable to determine why the wire had overheated and burned while the low beam... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2025
The "auto" mode on my Sync screen on my 2021 Lincoln Aviator does not always automatically switch between day and night based on ambient light levels. This is a blinding experience at night when the screen doesn't switch to night mode and the brightness is intense. This blinding screen makes it hard to see outside when it is dark which could lead to an accident. My dealer says I have the most u... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2025
Check left rear light warning light came up. Took car to mechanic when the light housing was removed it broke into pieces. Mechanic stated 2 others in the past month had the same issue. Issue comes from heat and improper shielding makes the housing britle. Car has 19k miles only. Over $1500 to repair.
Incident date: Jul 27, 2025
My driver's side Daytime Running Light quit working a few weeks ago, however last week when I used remote start the DRL came on, but sadly it is out again. I have 80,000. miles on the vehicle. DRL's should last for life of car but blogs on the 21-24 models indicate many owners having the same issue with driver's side DRL's. I went to Dodge dealer and was quoted $1,953.00 to repair! Manufacturer... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2020
The taillights in my 2012 c300 was starting to go out intermittently. At first the notification came on for the brake light but the brake light kept working. Afterwards the rest of the taillights and the sidemarker light went out as well. I went to go take a look and the grounding wire was oxidated and corroded. A known issue in which there was a recall made for the 2008-2011 version of the w204 b... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2025
Headlight Brightness - it's been degrading for the last 10 yrs to the point that I don't feel safe driving in the dark anymore. I've already had the lenses buffed out, but that only helped about 20%. The brightness looks like I have a dead battery (it's brand new). Not sure if this is a bulb or lens issue but it's not safe.
Incident date: Nov 2, 2025
My headlights come on even when the car is completely off for now reason
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2003) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Nov 3, 2025
Incident date: Nov 2, 2025
Brake lights not working. Checked fuses and bulbs, neither are the issue.
Incident date: Oct 16, 2025
My vehicle previously had recall work, including power steering, but now I’m experiencing: * ‘Steering Assist Required’ warning, and the electric power steering is intermittently failing * Traction control and hill assist turned off * Headlights (and other lights) staying on even when the car is off * The vehicle pulls sharply to the left when braking * Despite multiple alignments and suspen... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2025
Rear brake lights work when locking and unlocking van however the passenger brake light does not work when pushing the brake pedal to stop van
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2019) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Nov 1, 2025
Incident date: Oct 3, 2025
the car the engine wast the oil in 1 week that every weeks it has problem in the ring of the engine , we just buy the car they tell us it has it had guarantee talking to the bank and the where I buy the car it don't show . it has a bad smell of wet and burnt oil ..
Incident date: Oct 30, 2025
When I first purchased in November of 2022 3 days after A) I've never had Air Conditioning B) The heat worked when it wanted to. C) 3 days after purchased (road trip) my whole front end was on the floor. I found that the entire front end of the power train was faulty. It had broken off. Costed me $900 to repair. D) The alarm and start up sensor is wired to the radio. E) Won't start without the ra... Read more
Incident date: Oct 30, 2025
I purchased the car June 2025 ,The headlights go so dim that you can not see at night, I contacted Cadillac and they are only willing to give me $200. towards the $2000. repair it would cost even though the headlights used on the 2016 Cadillac SRX is the same ones that were recalled on the 2015. They said they have no more programs to help me fix this issues.
Incident date: Jun 27, 2025
The headlights go off and on randomly It happens during the day and evening I have brought it to the dealer two times and they said after five days they cannot duplicate the problem At night time it is very dangerous when the headlights go off as I drive in a rural area I have submitted daytime photos which shows the malfunction I cannot submit nighttime photos as it is too dangerous Th... Read more
FORD
FUSION HYBRID
(2016) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Oct 30, 2025
Incident date: Oct 28, 2025
Day time running lights have burned out which the only way to fix this problem is to replace them at over 2800.00 per light. There are hundreds of forums stating that the Daytime running lights stop working and there is no financially feasible fix without complete headlight replacement. This is a safety issue that should be resolved by ford
Incident date: Oct 30, 2025
Both Running Daytime Lights have stopped working. This is a common issue with 2021 and up F150's. The issue results in a loss of visibility during daylight hours, creating a safety issue during daytime hours. This also seems to be negligence on the manufacturer's side. My understanding of the issue is a part of the headlight gets too hot under normal operating conditions and results in a melti... Read more
Incident date: Oct 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at night, it was difficult to see the roadway clearly. The contact stated that she had issues with cataracts and attributed the lack of illumination on the road to her condition. The contact stated that she avoided driving at night until she had to attend an event at night and asked her son to drive. The contact’s... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2025
The daytime running lights (DRLs) on my Ford F-150 failed and it is clear from online research that they are prone to failure. Yes, it is available for inspection upon request. The failure of the DRLs put safety at risk because they are important for visibility, protecting the driver and pedestrians. A dealership confirmed the issue. No, it has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police or any... Read more
Incident date: Oct 28, 2025
All of the electric warning lights turn on and the power steering goes out while I am driving.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
daytime running lights are not functioning and vw wants $1500 per side to replace. this is not reasonable.
TOYOTA
LAND CRUISER HYBRID
(2024) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Oct 29, 2025
Incident date: Oct 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the center taillight was inoperable. The halo light was working as designed and then ceased operating. The headlights also became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the bulbs and the headlight assembly. The rear signal light was blinking fast, and the light became inoperable. The message that the ho... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2017) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Oct 29, 2025
Incident date: Oct 17, 2025
The daytime running lights have failed one by one. Now they are all out of service. These are white LED fixtures built into the area around the headlight. These are not user-serviceable. The dealer says they are going out on all trucks due to a wiring issue.
Incident date: Sep 18, 2025
There has been no incident with my car. The DRL on the drivers side stopped working and wasn’t my fault. The price to replace the light is absolutely unheard of. I have owned three Volkswagens and loved all three but this is very disappointing. The car only has 40,000 miles on it. I don’t feel like this should’ve happened this soon.
Incident date: Oct 29, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Oct 29, 2023
The passenger side daytime running light is only half way lighting up. Causing it hard to see. 2 days after purchased contacted dealership and they were made away and confirmed this issue. And have not heard back on how they are going to fix or IF they will fix this issue. No warning lamps came about this
Incident date: Oct 25, 2025
Running lights on the headlight of the truck continue to go out on the truck.
Incident date: Oct 16, 2025
Daytime running lights quit working. This happens on numerous f150s with reflector headlights. Transmission issues hard shifting and downshifting that could cause wreck due to sudden slowing of vehicle. Known issue with f150 2021-2023
TOYOTA
PRIUS PRIME
(2021) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Oct 29, 2025
Incident date: Oct 22, 2025
My vehicle’s low beams are vertically obstructed by the front end design of the car - the low beams are set back in the headlight unit and at night they only project to a limited height on the roadway in front of the vehicle - this results in a very distinct line created and anything above that line cannot be seen - on a perfectly level roadway the projection of the low beams is adequate but whe... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2025
The components that are malfunctioning is the windshield wipers (won't turn off), and the windshield wiper fluid won't work either, the turn signals (won't turn on), no high beams when this happens, my monitor will say something about no SOS calls, and something about the airbags not working. I've had to remove the fuse for the windshield wipers to stop them from scratching up my windshield when ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 14, 2024
Running light inoperable. Dealer says replacement is only repair, not covered under warranty. Found that many other people are having the same problem within 3 years.
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLE 450
(2020) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Oct 28, 2025
Incident date: Jul 15, 2025
ChatGPT said: There is a design flaw with the automatic light function. When you turn the knob to disable the automatic lights to avoid blinding someone while parked, the knob returns to the auto position as expected. This is a good system to ensure that the next time you start the car, the lights are in auto again. The issue is with the way the system indicates what is happening to the driver.... Read more
HYUNDAI
VELOSTER N
(2022) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Oct 28, 2025
Incident date: Oct 21, 2025
My truck has an issue where the headlights do not turn on when I press the key fob while approaching the truck. This is at night only. The side mirror lights, rear cargo lights and interior lights activate however the headlights do not. This is an issue for personal safety when approaching the truck in the dark. There must be a glitch. The headlights will illuminate during the daytime when i... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2025
The tailgate light has gone out on my 2018 Dodge Durango R/T. Researching online has lead me to discover that this is a known issue that is costing customers thousands of dollars due to a known design flaw. The tailgate light goes out and usually leads to the brake lights and backup camera going out. I do not know when the brakes lights may glitch or go out which can cause an accident. I asked the... Read more
TESLA
CYBERTRUCK
(2024) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Oct 27, 2025
Incident date: Oct 27, 2025
Passenger side daytime running lights (DRL) have dimmed, diminishing daytime visibility . LED bulb may be out. Seems to be a common problem per other Expedition owners. There were no warnings or messages stating problem. The only way to fix the problem is by replacing the entire headlamp assembly ($1,200 plus labor).
Incident date: Oct 24, 2024
When driving the vehicle's instrument panel cluster randomly goes blank. When it does so, all of the items related to speed control, lighting, turn signals, etc. become non-operational. Additionally, the driver has no idea what his/her speed is nor any other information about the operation of the vehicle. It is very unsafe.
Incident date: Oct 24, 2025
Ford had a safety recall # 23S30 for the rear light bar updated part number NL34-13N466-AE. this recall was done on my truck by the previous owner on 11/16/23 around 9400 miles. It failed again on me on [XXX] around 12000 miles. Failed again on [XXX] around 31000 miles. I found out that it failed again when someone told me that I had no backup lights. Ford is refusing to cover this 4 days out of m... Read more
Incident date: Oct 27, 2025
I am submitting this complaint regarding repeated ineffective repair attempts by Rivian Automotive, Inc. at its Costa Mesa Service Center on my 2025 Rivian R1S Adventure. During multiple service visits at Rivian’s Costa Mesa Service Center (January 29, June 18, July 16, and October 11, 2025), Rivian repeatedly failed to diagnose or correct the same issues affecting my 2025 Rivian R1S Adventure... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2025
Headlight on right side failure - no light. AI shows a recall for this problem, but my vin was not listed. Notice also states 2022, 2023, and 2024 vehicles. It should be as car was only 2 years 10 months old with about 42000 miles. GM has the part now. Dealer inspected the car. Light had less then 750 hours on it; references say average light should last 20,000 hours. An obvious defect. On... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2025
Headlight severe crazing/crackle and DLR module failure. Both Porsche NA and extended warranty fail to cover or take responsibility for this poorly mfr’d part that is dangerous as it limits visibility as well as others seeing you. I want Porsche NA to own up to this hazardous parts failure.
Incident date: Oct 8, 2025
Subject: 2019 Hyundai Elantra – High Beam Headlight Failure and Warranty Denial To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to document and request review of an ongoing issue with my 2019 Hyundai Elantra regarding an inoperable high-beam headlight system and the handling of my warranty claim. Shortly after a warranty period service, my vehicle’s high beams stopped working correctly. I reported t... Read more
Incident date: Sep 3, 2025
The headlights ... and: and; yes it is available for inspection at any time, preferably at night!!! If you look at the photos attached you can see when headlights are on there is little or no visibility and what you see is what appears to be like a black line. We live in a very rural area and can not see at night with these headlights. So I would say we and the other vehicles on the road are at... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
I have had to replace one or both headlights about every 14 months. The date below represents the latest time this has happened.