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
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2021) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 26, 2025
Incident date: May 17, 2025
Rear light malfunction alert. Intermittent. Seems to happen when humidity is high.
Incident date: Jun 3, 2025
Headlight DRL went out causing less visibility: Transmission is always losing slamming into gears and searching.
Incident date: Jun 12, 2025
The auto High beam function on this vehicle is absolutely useless. It dims when it should be on. It dims needlessly for highway markers and road signs. The constant on and off of the high beams on a dark road with no other cars is dangerous. This system on the ridgeline is dangerous. I have the system on other cars and it works almost perfectly but not in this vehicle.
Incident date: Jun 22, 2025
Rear taillight failure due to moisture incursion. No message appeared, but light failure was observed less than a month ago. Car is in for regular service now and item is being replaced at great personal expense, since it will not pass required safety inspection until repaired. Reporting this here because it is a known problem for hundreds of owners of this vehicle, and should be subject to a safe... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2025
Blew horn at someone who cut in front of me, and horn sounded rough, then the same driver cut me off again, blew horn, NO horn. Also, headlight burnout issues. Had to replace the driver's headlight 39 weeks ago. Week or two after that, the left side went out, and about a month later, running bulb went out on passenger side. Well, the headlight just blew again, same day as the horn, just had to rep... Read more
Incident date: Jun 18, 2025
Auto high beam turns off and on on dark country road repeatedly with no other cars or light present . This means I lose highbeams when needed the most for animals in road. Also, the system goes from low beam into high beam when a car approaches in opposite lane blinding them. In short , is dangerous to use this safety feature!
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
Dash is black & does not show anything when car is started and/or moving
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC 350 E
(2018) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 24, 2025
Incident date: Jun 16, 2025
When driving down the street car shuts off lights flicker on and off continuously sometimes it don’t turn back on sometimes it does but I usually just coast until it turns back on very dangerous if on freeway or heavy traffic also the brake light and and trac lights go on when this happens. When stepping on gas the rpm’s go up really high like the transmission is going out
AUDI
A4 ALLROAD
(2020) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 24, 2025
Incident date: Jun 24, 2025
Auto has a known defect with headlight condensation ,Honda put out a bulletin sb 23-024 Stating they are aware of this issue.Vehicle had this problem at 38000 miles just outside Their standard 3 year 36000 mile warranty. To repair this Honda dealer stated a price of $1400.00 ,which is a lot of money ,my concern is that failure to fix will lead to other headlight Issues such as burned out bulbs a... Read more
Incident date: Jun 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V259000 (Exterior Lighting, Interior Lighting); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet availabl... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2025
I recently purchased this vehicle. Only after purchasing it did I realize the unsafe/hazardous location of the backup light. The backup light, located under the rear license plate on the rear bumper, cannot be easily seen by oncoming vehicles, promoting the chance of a rear end collision. It would have been more reasonable to locate it within the area where the housing for the turn signals, war... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
BEETLE CONVERTIBLE
(2017) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 24, 2025
Incident date: Jun 24, 2025
Despite maintaining the vehicle according to the recommended schedule, I have encountered ongoing performance issues (electrical, rear shocks, fan motor etc.) that are not in line with the standard of quality I expect from a brand of your reputation. Window not going down all the way on the driver side. Radio not working but was fixed. These issues have caused inconvenience and concern regarding ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2025
Been dealing with fogged up headlights from the time I bought my 2022 Genesis gv70 new. I've had at least 4 headlights replaced including recently, June 2025. My warrenty is about up and I was told by the dealership that I would be on my own after this. Problem is obviously not resolved. Lighting is a big safety issue. This should be a recall with a fix in place not a stop gap.
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2018) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 23, 2025
Incident date: Jun 22, 2025
Between [XXX] am on [XXX]. I powered on my vehicle and the rear trunk door simultaneously opened. As I was driving my son to school that morning, I noticed water dripping onto my foot. I continued to drive but was distracted by beeping and warning messages but because the dashboard display was constantly switching from daytime to night lighting I could not readily see the dashboard. I tried to m... Read more
TOYOTA
SIENNA HYBRID
(2024) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 22, 2025
Incident date: Nov 4, 2024
Yesterday I bought a 2019 Audi Q7 and today I get a warning light stating my right parking lamp is defective. Upon checking the light I found that it was on and working. Upon researching the issue I found that there are numerous complaints on 2017 and 2018 models of the same vehicle, for the same issue. Dealership stating it is an entire right headlight replacement to the tune of over $ 2500.
Incident date: Jun 21, 2025
Day time running lamps on the side of the headlight have burnt out. First time it was the passenger side that died, had it replaced under warranty. then a few month later after my warranty was up, the driver side has now died as well. The fact I have had this truck 2 and a half year and both have failed is unacceptable. I see every single F150 on the road with THE EXACT SAME ISSUE! This isn't a fl... Read more
Incident date: May 30, 2025
The front drivers headlight low beam keeps going out. I just received my second warning for this failure. It got dark before I got home from the store. We took it to a friend who does mechanical work back in the spring. He fixed it; but now it’s doing it again. Yes we had it inspected last November for tag renewal. There are no warning lights or signals that come on.i think it started acting up... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
The low-beam reflector itself oxidizes, is not reflective at all, and no amount of brighter bulbs or clean outside lenses will help with a reflector that doesn’t reflect. (It’s also not related to the cloudy inner-lens. It’s the reflector.) Replacing the entire headlight assembly is the only solution which is about 1,000.00 many people are complaing of this. This should be a recall from Acu... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2025
My complaint mirrors NHTSA ID Number: 11619581. I recently upgraded from a BMW X5 to an X7 and noticed significant dark spots on the road, severely reducing visibility in those areas. The headlight casing appears to have a design flaw, creating these dark, nearly invisible patches directly in front of the car. As the vehicle moves, the car’s vertical motion causes these dark spots to shift up an... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Front passenger HID headlight on 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit V8, 45,000 miles. Yes How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Went out while driving at night, making it difficult to adequately see. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service ce... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
The right turn signal light will not cancel when setting the turn signal back to neutral. The left turn will not light up the left signal. Setting the turn signal to the left signal has become the only way to cancel the right turn signal light.
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
My car is experiencing extreme ghost screen. Also when this happens I get a lot of warning lights when nothing is truly experiencing fault. My screen will jump, change settings, reset settings,become dark on it own, not turn on at all, flip through the system causing major distractions. For instance I was driving in my car with quiet no noise then my screen jump and without warning blasted am and ... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2020) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 20, 2025
Incident date: Apr 3, 2025
On the driver's side the headlight's smaller light stopped working. I brought the car to BMW and they said the LED burned out, which also caused burn marks on the headlight assembly, so the entire headlight assembly needs to be replaced.
EVENFLO
REVOLVE360 SLIM
(9999) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 19, 2025
Incident date: Jun 18, 2025
1. The driver side DAYTIME Running Light has failed as of 1/20/25. 2. Some states require the DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS to be operating. (So, I need to replace this headlamp.) 3. Three auto repair companies have confirmed the DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS are not operating and the entire headlight will need to be replaced. 4. No warning lights are available for the Daytime Running Lights. I found t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 19, 2025
The MMI or infotainment center turns off and reboots/kicks user out while the car is in motion and also while stopped. The MMI going off has cut out while backing up not allowing the rear camera to be used and has also not allowed the front and rear sensors to be used for parking/auto breaking. There seems to be a large portion of similar complaints and unknown fixes for 2020 models either exactly... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2025
A warning light is showing on the dash about the right side light not working. On inspection all lights are illuminated. Reportedly there has been a recall on some VIN’s for this problem but not ours. On line discussion groups report that the problem is more wide-spread in this model than with the limited VIN’s covered. Since the cost of a dealer replacing the lighting assembly is around $... Read more
Incident date: Jun 19, 2025
The daytime running lights which also dim the overall lights at night, also known as the halo LED light continues to malfuction. I bought this car (2) years ago and I'm now on the second set up LED running lights. There are numerous other reports of this malfunctioning across owners. multiple online forums. this overall poses a large saftey hazard as the light is very dim at night from it not runn... Read more
POLESTAR
POLESTAR 2
(2022) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 19, 2025
Incident date: Jun 19, 2025
Very low light output from low beams, I have researched others, here is the same situation I have The low-beam reflector itself oxidizes, is not reflective at all, and no amount of brighter bulbs or clean outside lenses will help with a reflector that doesn’t reflect. (It’s also not related to the cloudy inner-lens. It’s the reflector.) Replacing the entire headlight assembly seems to be t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2025
Vertical headlight seems to have burned out on both sides after reading online and couple forms. It seems to be a common issue and Ford should be held accountable.
Incident date: Jun 17, 2025
My trucks rear light bar was repaired under the NHTSA recall 23S30. This was done in 2023 but Ford's repair did not fix the issue and the light bar continues to allow moisture in and thus the light does not work. I currently have the truck being diagnosed by Hertrich Ford of Elkton in Elkton Maryland and a case number with Ford regarding the issue. The caes number is [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTE... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
For more than a year, we have experienced issues with the infotainment system. Despite many trips to the dealership it has not been fixed. The infotainment system randomly shuts down and or reboots, which seems to affect other systems like turn signals, climate control, lane departure alerts, etc.
Incident date: Jun 11, 2025
Both headlight are dim, even change the headlight bulbs still dim. Night time driver can't see well is very danger!
Incident date: Jan 19, 2025
Engine light is blinking and put safety of my family in danger. I called the close Huyndai dealer also I have a case number. However, it takes forever for them to answer. I only have this car. I am driver and this how I make living. I have no choice in driving this recall vehicle and kill my self and my family. No body care!
Fire
Incident date: Jun 17, 2025
I have a daytime running light that went out on the driver-side front. It is an LED light designed to last for 30,000-50,000 hours. I have an estimate of more than $1,700 by Port Lavaca Dodge in PL, TX to replace the light from the dealer. I also purchased an extended warranty but it specifically excludes bulbs. I have also seen at least 2 other Dodge Durangos in our small town with the same b... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2025
The front headlight developed condensation with zero evidence of a hit or accident. Additionally, the car randomly loses power when going from a stop to acceleration, leaving me in the middle of an intersection with no power for about 3-5 seconds
Incident date: Jun 8, 2025
Halo light is out and it does not show on dashboard. Halo light is part of headlight system. It is part of daylight running lights. Unable to replace light without replacing the entire headlight.
Incident date: Jun 15, 2025
Airbag light is on for passenger and fuel injectors messed up. This is a 2008 and other ones had recalls. I don’t understand why mine did not lights are flickering a little bit and before it was smoking really bad and I had to get that fixed.
Incident date: Jun 15, 2025
The LED driving lights went out in my headlight assembly. I understand this is a relatively common defect for which I believe Ford should issue a recall
Incident date: Jun 3, 2025
When activating the blinker to make a right turn, after completing the turn the blinker turns off, but the force causes the lever to drop far enough that the left blinker activates. Since I've had the vehicle (about 8 months total), I notice this happen more than half the time I use the right blinker. From a quick Google search, this seems like a common problem which may lead to confusion when dr... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2025
Drivers side headlights started collecting condensation,after 2 weeks the daytime running lights stopped working. When driving thru rain the headlights stopped working and the LED warning light came on.We can’t comfortably drive in the rain or after dark without safe lighting. The local Genesis dealer inspected the issue and the manufacturer has offered to cover 1/2 the cost of replacement. The ... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2023) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 16, 2025
Incident date: Nov 16, 2024
Reflective film backing material inside both headlights has delaminated to the point where it's too dim to drive safely at night.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
On three (3) separate occasions, my 2019 VW Tiguan has produced an error stating "Check Starter System" on the console and shut down electrical systems such as instrument panel, brake lights, headlights, taillights, back up camera, and other electrical systems while driving. All three (3) situations followed the same series of events whereas the car was out in the sunlight on warmer days (70+ degr... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2025
After hookup of any type of trailer to electrical on vehicle, left turn signal fails to operate on vehicle or trailer, and warning message is displayed on panel. After disconnection of trailer operation of all turn signals in vehicle resume as designed.
Incident date: Jun 13, 2025
we have a 2016 SRX AWD Cadillac and we can not drive at night, the head light is way to dim, and when placing on high beam - blind oncoming cars "AI info: If you can’t see well at night and your 2016 Cadillac SRX has factory HID headlights, there's a chance that faded lenses, worn bulbs, or a defective ballast is the issue—and GM/Cadillac may or may not cover it"
ALFA ROMEO
GIULIA
(2020) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 16, 2025
Incident date: Jun 15, 2025
Vehicle Make/Model/Year: 2014 Acura RDX Component: Exterior Lighting – Headlights (Low Beam) Summary of the Problem: My wife drives a 2014 Acura RDX. A few years ago, she mentioned that the low beam headlights seemed unusually dim at night. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but after driving the vehicle myself more recently, I confirmed the issue—the low beams provide very poor visibi... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
I am not quite familiar with the name of the lights on the bottom of my vehicle they sometimes come on and sometimes they do not. When I back up it sounds like my tires are rubbing against something and when I pull forward it sounds the same.
Incident date: Jun 14, 2025
My driver's side headlights stops working intermittently. This occurs quite randomly. I have replaced the bulbs, the switch, and after taking it to a dealer, I ended up replacing the driver's side headlight assembly. Nothing has worked, and now I am hundreds of dollars poorer for my trouble. This is clearly a safety issue, and judging from what I have seen in online forums, there are a great many... Read more
Incident date: Jun 14, 2025
The coating and plastic is failing in the headlights, this can reduce visibility and by extension safety.
Incident date: Apr 4, 2025
Right front turn signal does not work also fm/am radio does not work as well as trunk release button on trunk itself. Had both head lights replaced thinking it was an LED issue with turn signal and was told by mechanic that BCM is the issue. Called Honda regarding the recall to the BCM and was told my car is not apart of said recall because it didn’t come from a certain region but seems to be al... Read more
Incident date: Jul 2, 2024
the head lights are frequently burn out although there is no break in the light covers. It is unpredictable and unsafe especially because alot of my driving is at night.