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.

2,245,377 Total Complaints

140,173 Reported Crashes

56,794 Reported Fires

8,580 Reported 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

How to Read NHTSA Consumer Complaints › How NHTSA Investigations Work › Used Car: 7 Recall Checks to Run First › The Takata Airbag Recall: Full Story › OBD-II Codes Explained › All Articles ›

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Showing 42,929 complaints - component: EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Incident date: Dec 17, 2025

1. Ignition System: While driving the key in the ignition lock came out loose! Exremely frightened and managed to pull the car over to a driveway. But, the car could NOT be stoped using the key fob. Key will not work to stop the engine. Very unusual and unexpected incidence. 2. Lighting system switch: Suddenly the knob of the light switch came out loose with a plastic shaft and will not turn on ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 4, 2026

The headlights in the car shake while driving. Especially noticeable at night, and if the ground is not perfectly smooth, the light beams vibrate/shake in a distracting way that is unlike any other car I've driven.

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

Dashboard reading incorrectly. Blackout screen while driving. Mileage incorrectly reading. Speed limit incorrectly reading while driving the Dashboard pick up the undercarriage camera. The electricity on the car keep popping up. I have been complaining over 1yr since I lease the vehicle they only offer to trade with me paying the expenses. Gas gage not reading correctly

Incident date: Jul 28, 2026

My 2024 Toyota Tundra 1794 Edition, VIN [XXX], is subject to Toyota Safety Recall 25TA06, Interim 25TB06, NHTSA Recall 25V322, concerning reverse lamps that may become inoperable. The recall was announced in May 2025, but a repair remedy has still not been made available for my vehicle. The truck is primarily used for family transportation, including trips and nighttime driving. I experienced a ... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Jul 20, 2026

This is not a new issue and has happened multiple times since the purchase of this vehicle. Multiple times while driving my 2024 Buick Encore GX, the entire instrument panel intermittently goes completely blank/black. All critical information disappears, including the speedometer, fuel gauge, warning lights, and other indicators. The display does not recover on its own and only returns after I... Read more

Incident date: Jun 15, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked with the vehicle turned off, the exterior and interior lights failed to turn off as intended. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.

Incident date: Feb 26, 2026

The headlight jiggle at night producing an inconsistent and distracting beam.

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the low-beam headlights malfunctioned and failed to illuminate as needed. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the fail... Read more

Incident date: Jul 13, 2026

The 2024 Caligraphy trim line, has a unique illumination for all dash controls that control; AC, seat heat, seat AC, fan AC, steering wheel heat, ect. Each of these controls are illuminated with a dull Amber color that is impossible to see in bright sunshine, and difficult in all daylight situations. This force the driver to take their eyes off the road to insure proper calibration of each. I con... Read more

Incident date: Jul 28, 2026

The low beam wiring gets hot and melts the connectors to the bulb connection. The low beam headlights have been replaced 8 times in a year due to low visibility. It's like turning off the headlights but they are still on. It's been going on for years. I've taken it to Mazda and the mechanic told me they had a vehicle there now with the same problem and have not figured out the problem yet. Wiring... Read more

Incident date: Jul 4, 2026

The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while his wife was operating the vehicle, the vehicle lost headlight functionality without warning. In addition, the contact stated that the radio intermittently failed to operate while driving the vehicle. The contact stated that the headlight became operable when his wife was near to her destination. The vehicle was not diagnosed or... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2026

This vehicle was purchased used from Carvana, LLC on [date] with three open safety recalls unrepaired at time of sale: NHTSA #23V-799, #24V-754, and Campaign #48A. The vehicle was previously owned by a rental car company and was transferred at auction while these recalls were open, in apparent violation of 49 U.S.C. § 30120(i), which prohibits rental companies from selling vehicles with unremedie... Read more

Incident date: Apr 10, 2026

Purchased new vehicle May 2024 primarily for towing my recreational vehicle (2024 Ford F150 Pickup). June 2024 took vehicle to dealership indicating that I was intermittently getting a "Trailer Disconnect" warning while driving (loss of trailer brakes, lights etc.). Dealer indicated no issue found. Subsequently returned to dealership on 6 other occasions over 2 years after continuing to experie... Read more

Incident date: Jul 21, 2026

My entire lighting system in back of truck stopped working. The racetrack lighting system. The license plate lights done. I cannot drive the car at night because I will get pulled over. Dodge saying it is not covered under the extended warranty I purchased.

Incident date: Jul 30, 2026

Outer LED light burned out. Makes for lights to seem dimmer at night while driving.

Incident date: Jan 1, 2026

My high beams and low beams are starting to shut off randomly while driving. They are burning out weekly and having to be replaced. 1 of my tail lights is doing the same exact thing. I replace it. It works for a couple weeks and then goes out. When the headlights shut off my dash shows that i am trying to turn my headlights from auto to another setting, which is not the case. It has happened at n... Read more

Incident date: Jul 8, 2026

On XXX at approximately 5:15 AM, I was driving my 2024 Tesla Cybertruck (VIN [XXX], ~47,300 miles) on an interstate trip to [XXX] with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) engaged. I heard a loud pop from the front of the vehicle, immediately followed by an alert stating the left front turn signal was malfunctioning and that I needed to take over control. FSD disengaged and I was forced to manually driv... Read more

Incident date: Dec 3, 2023

Suspension is grinding. I had it replaced once at Tesla and it began grinding again in less than 18 months. I took it to Tesla and was informed the lower control arm failed and the price had more than doubled from the prior replacement. No warning lights have come on regarding this issue. The original replacement was 3/7/2024. I noticed the grinding between 12-18 months later. Also, the rear br... Read more

Incident date: Apr 6, 2026

The screen goes blank not only in the middle where the maps, air conditioning and radio is but the screen where the speed gas tank are as well. We have taken the car in at least 5 times stayed the issue and were told there’s no recall yet for the car. I see here that there is. The car was a Richmond Mercedes today the screen went down amd I was told there’s no fix but maybe I could look on the... Read more

Incident date: Jul 31, 2026

The headlight housings metallic coatings for reflectivity are failing and reduce the efficacy of the headlights. There has been a class action lawsuit against Nissan for this but many, like myself, were not notified. The headlights are very dim and create a safety hazzard when driving in an area where high beams can't be used. NTSHA really needs to do what is right here and force a recall.

Incident date: Oct 1, 2024

The HID low beam headlamps are not putting out enough light to drive the vehicle at night. This is dangerous, and I drive home from work at night. The inner low beam lens has degraded and become hazy. This would require the entire headlight housing to be replaced, which are very expensive - about $1,700. I believe this is the same problem that 2015 Acura RLX are experiencing, and recall JN2 was c... Read more

Incident date: Jul 29, 2026

Drivers side daytime running lights out. I’ve noticed about a dozen more dodge durangos running lights are also out. Seems to be a manufactured problem. A lot of forums and conversations on Reddit complaining of the same. It cost about 500 dollars to replace the headlight and takes all day due to dismantling the whole front bimper and plastic components to get access. A really bad design

Incident date: Jul 31, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low beam headlights were significantly dim and progressively worsened and became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer several times, where unknown repairs were performed; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of... Read more

Incident date: Jun 10, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and attempting to open the trunk, the contact became aware that the inner driver’s side taillight was inoperable. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V256000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The independent m... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Kia K900. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlights and taillights were flickering or turning off unexpectedly. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V210000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made... Read more

Incident date: Jul 26, 2026

Purchased new Aug 2019 in PA. Headlights had condensation behind them within the first month. Brought it into the service dept. in Bedford PA. Was told they wouldn't do anything with it because the issue would resolve with the air port in the back of the headlight assembly. The situation did not resolve, took it back multiple times and they refused to replace headlight assembly while it was un... Read more

Incident date: May 21, 2026

I was traveling along [XXX]. This is a dangerous road it has hills and curves. I was driving my 2024 Hyundai Sonata, where all of a sudden headlights went off and the infotainment center went off I couldn’t see anything on the road. Luckily I was right by a gas station (Circle K). This isn’t the first time this has happened with this car. Three different times, I was on the express way and alm... Read more

Incident date: Jul 29, 2026

*Brake system failure, complete shut down of vehicle. *Vehicle unable to start. *Vehicle was taken directly to Peoria Ford ( 9130 W Bell Rd, Peoria, AZ 85382) via tow truck on XXX Confirmed when dropped off of brake system failure and vehicle not functioning. *Vehicle was inspected on XXX which we were originally told it was the battery. Although the vehicle was in for trailer software recall on ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 23, 2026

The headlights auto-dimming feature on this vehicle does not work properly. While on during night driving, it will constantly switch from high beam to low beam, back and forth, every few seconds creating a strobe effect. The truck reacts to roadside signs as if they were oncoming cars and sometimes fails to dim light when cars are approaching. I have had it switch from low beam back to high when ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 26, 2026

Headlights vibrate/jiggle (as if they are loose within the housing) when going over normal road surfaces at night. This is distracting for the driver and probably for oncoming traffic as well. This is a known issue with this model.

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

Day Running Lights in headlights fail. The side LED fails completely requiring the entire headlight housing needing to be replaced. This is a common failure and Ford is not doing anything to help the thousands of customers this is affecting. This failure is widely reported online, in forums and chat rooms. Dealer acknowledges it is a part failure but Ford will not pay for replacement even though i... Read more

Incident date: Jul 29, 2026

Falsification and/or alteration of repair logs, service dates, and/or mileage records across dealership diagnostic networks and third parties. Evasion of warranty and/or other maintenance requirements. Poor dealership and corporate treatment/harassment of military veterans. Suspected unauthorized non-factory wiring harness splices and/or other devices tapped directly into primary Controller Area N... Read more

Incident date: Jul 26, 2026

The contact owns a 2024 Ford F-350 SD. The contact stated that the power windows independently rolled down while the vehicle was parked, causing water to enter the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failure and performed an unknown remote software update; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the power window master switch replacement was recommended. The ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 28, 2026

Headlights seem to shake while driving down the road.

Incident date: Jul 24, 2026

Passenger side LED Headlight assembly daytime running LED's, the vertical led has gone out in my 2021 Ford f150, while not a major problem, LED daytime running lights increase visibility of other drivers to help in safety. From research, it seems that many of these headlights, the led daytime running lights in the 2021 year model are failing.

Incident date: Jul 11, 2026

The OEM LED headlights will not adjust, causing excessive glare to on coming drivers. This issue is 300 times worse than the miniscule amount of light that the daytime running lights emit, but somehow the running lights get a recall, but the headlight adjusters do not! I'm completely flabbergasted at such an absurd and unjust oversite to such and important issue, please record this protest in t... Read more

Incident date: Jul 9, 2024

The taillight came loose and every time i take it in to get checked or fixed at the dealer they ignore me, so i went in and tightened my self. there were 4 nuts already off and inside my trunk and there was no loctite on the bolts holding the light on. now the lamp is leaking water into the trunk and the tail light has water inside of it.

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

Headlights shake at speeds and over bumps/potholes. Have tested with friend and they said it looks like I’m flashing my high beams rapidly when it’s just the cars headlight beam pattern shaking like the light is loose. Vehicle has not been inspect but service is due soon. Will inform dealership about the issue.

Incident date: Apr 1, 2026

I purchased this car in June, on the first night of driving , I noted that the headlights shake miserably as if they were loose. I went to the source dealership twice over this issue. Nothing was done as they said they could not test it during the day and they leave at 5PM. I called Toyota corporate , reported an unrelated problem and the headlight problem. Alternative dealer resolved unrelated p... Read more

Incident date: Feb 26, 2026

Purchased this 2023 Honda Passport on January 31, 2026 as a certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicle from Venice Honda, Venice Florida. On July 15, 2026, I noticed condensation inside the entire lens of my left headlight. The attached pictures will show no damage at all to the headlight. Venice Honda examined the vehicle and headlight on July 27, 2026 and upon completion the service tech stated that the ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

While driving in live traffic, the vehicle suffered a catastrophic and total simultaneous mechanical and electrical system failure. Without warning, the vehicle completely lost engine propulsion, braking assistance, and all dashboard displays. Concurrently, the vehicle suffered a complete blackout of all exterior safety lighting, including the brake lights and the emergency hazard flashers rende... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2025

The driver side headlight was working and then it wasn't. A very costly expense to replace.

Incident date: Jul 28, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Ford Mustang. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V546000 (Exterior Lighting) and 26V418000 (Visibility); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that several exterior lights randomly illuminated while the v... Read more

Incident date: Jul 9, 2026

Upon visual inspection of the car. Noticed driver’s side headlight outter light not working with no warning indicator. Have been pulled over since issue was first discovered by police. I believe it’s called daytime driving light part of the headlight.

Incident date: Jul 28, 2026

When driving in the dark the headlight housing bounces a lot causing the headlight beams to bounce and dance like crazy over any and all little bumps on the road and is very distracting to me the driver and more than likely cars driving towards me and I feel that this could be a safety concern and a manufacturing defect The headlight housing is not rigid on the vehicle you can manually move the ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

I own a 2022 Dodge Durango. During normal loading and unloading of cargo with the liftgate open, I have sustained three separate lacerations to my forearm and wrist from the exposed, sharp inside corners of the rear taillight assemblies. The injuries have occurred on both the driver-side and passenger-side taillights during ordinary use of the cargo area. Each incident resulted from simply reachi... Read more

1 injured

Incident date: Dec 31, 1969

My vehicle is experiencing error code C123B01 were water is getting into front emblem due to a malfunctioning seal stated in there Tech bulletin 94-23-01TT which requires changing the emblem and reprogramming it. I had shut down my Day time running lights and parking lights which is a safety hazard. My Drive easy warranty is denying to fix it saying it is is on us. My vehicle was parked in my driv... Read more

Incident date: Dec 12, 2025

The light strip / brake light on the tailgate has water inside and stopped working. Error message "please check right tail light."

Incident date: Jul 11, 2026

I was driving back from the airport and as it began to get dark, it became apparent I had no headlights. I somehow managed to drive the last two hours home on parking lights and lights from other vehicles.I took it to a Chrysler Jeep dealership Goldies in Huntington, West Virginia. The exam that I put a bulb in the driver side. In the passenger side, the LED portion is still glowing, but is yellow... Read more

Incident date: Jul 25, 2026

I have a 2014 Cadillac SRX that has a hazardous headlights issue. At night there is no visibility for other drivers to see me. I’m not the only SRX customer either this issue. Please let me what is going on, Cadillac, GM, need to be responsible for replacing this issue

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Consumer Safety Complaints

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

How to interpret what you read

If you've experienced a defect

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