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: May 15, 2024
"front left" or "front right" "side marker light defective" Audi recall campaign 97CB (NHTSA campaign ID 16V642000) addresses this exact issue and applies to some affected VIN numbers but not all. It appears that this issue is happening to MANY more owners outside of the VIN numbers that qualify for the recall.
Incident date: Jun 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed at night going downhill, the headlights to the vehicle shut off inadvertently and the contact to almost struck a pedestrian. The contact stated that the vehicle struck a curb, and he became disoriented. The air bags had not deployed. A Police report was filed by the Sacramento Police Department. The c... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Jun 6, 2024
Gear shifter indicator has no display as the GM recalls that already exists for this year. Major safety hazard with known GM issues. Why is only my vehicle not covered under this recall.
Incident date: Jun 19, 2024
While driving after dark with the auto lights engaged, my headlights suddenly turned off. When I turned the knob on the light switch they came back on and I continued to drive. A short while down the road this happened again. At this point I turned the auto lights off and just ran them in manual on mode. No further incident with them in manual. This has now happened on several occasions.
CHRYSLER
TOWN AND COUNTRY
(2015) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 19, 2024
Incident date: Aug 4, 2023
LED headlamps become too dim to drive at night. 1. Dealerships may recommend headlamp unit replacement (around $3000USD). 2. However, uniform dimness in both lamps indicates an upstream electrical issue. 3. Recent service inspection (Invoice #[XXX] at AutoNation Ford in Bellevue, WA) indicated that all existing diagnostic procedures to inspect voltage and battery health came up negative, but they... Read more
Incident date: Jun 16, 2024
Received the following warning: “front left side marker defective” yet light is still functioning. I was told there is a short in the sensor, and In order to get rid of this warning, I would be forced to replace the entire headlamp at a cost of more than $5600. Other VINs from this model have been issued a recall for this very problem, yet my VIN was not included. From my understanding, all... Read more
Incident date: Jun 18, 2024
Nissan had a extended warranty on their headlight assembly. I didn't know this until 2023. I than went to Riverhead Auto Mall and had it tested, they said it passed This was on 11/28/2023. Finally based on my disbelief they agreed to have it retested pro bono at Nissan 112. It did fail the test in May of 2024. I have a daughter with a condition that requires me to drive her to and from work in i... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2024
The infotainment center will go blank and do a reset while driving, it does not store radio presets for long. Most concerning, I’ve been backing out of my garage when the garage lighting has been turned off and when the vehicles sensors detect a darker surrounding and adjust the dash and infotainment center light level, the infotainment center goes dark for a while and does it’s reset thing th... Read more
FORD
F-150 LIGHTNING BEV
(2023) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 18, 2024
Incident date: May 24, 2024
Headlights are extremely dim and concerning to drive at night. I have seen several reports about this being an issue on RDX models (2015) but no recall. I am requesting Acura to recall this defect, or at least consider reimbursing me for the repair, which has been quoted at $1800. Please advise. Thank you, [XXX] [XXX]
Incident date: Jun 13, 2024
I do have a lot of problems with my FOO, but three month already，still no one comes to help me. 1, the reverse camera screen is not working. 2,Another issue is that the sensors on the left and right sides of the car are constantly lit up. 3,The headlights stay on when the car is in motion but turn off when stopped, and cannot be turned off. 4,Additionally, there is a wind noise coming from the... Read more
Incident date: Jun 14, 2024
Turn signal stock fails to shut off turn signal after turning left same problem as recall 23V-799 for 2023 standard 1500
Incident date: Aug 29, 2023
My vehicle has an ongoing issue with the headlights not being bright enough to drive at night with. I have replaced the headlights more than 5 times now over the course of a year, each time with different brands including Toyota OEM headlights. Each time, they are still not sufficiently bright enough to see with at night. This has led to 3 collisions with curbs and objects which caused damage to m... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jun 18, 2024
My vehicle has been stuck at the 1st half of SW version 2.0 and has never been able to complete the full version of 2.0 upgrade. A ticket has been open with Fisker for this issue several months now with minimal communication. A tech advised that there was a component not taking the update correctly so the rest of the install was backing out. The problem now is that I am no longer getting SW update... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2024
My Headlights are so dim, I have to drive with high beams. It is raining in my, short circuited the trunk, will not open and my bearings have to be replaced. Sounds like a truck. Ughhhh, IMy first and last american made car.
Incident date: May 29, 2024
The headlights on my car have dimmed substantially in the last couple of years, to the point I don't feel comfortable driving at night or in unclear conditions. When I do drive at night I am forced to put my hi-beams on to see in front of me. Oncoming cars will flash their lights at me trying to tell me I don't have my headlights on when I do. I have asked Acura about but they say there is nothing... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2024
Headlights do not project far enough in front of vehicle to safely drive at dark or low light conditions. Hyundai told us there is nothing they can do to fix it as it is a defect in how the headlight housing is placed on the body of the car.
Incident date: Jun 16, 2024
The driver's side daytime running light has failed. This light is an LED designed to last the life of the car and cannot be repaired. Unfortunately, there is no indicator light inside the car to notify the driver of the failure. In hazardous weather conditions, it may appear as though the light is functioning based on the dashboard lights, but it is not. Regrettably, replacing the bulb is not an o... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2024
I currently believe that the break pedal bumper has failed. My brake tail lights are permanently on, even when the car is off & unoccupied. My cruise control has been disabled and throttle control has been sporadic. The accelerator pedal does not respond properly when driving, it will either give no response or a sudden surge of power (Usually up to 5000 RPM), cause unsafe driving conditions and t... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2024
Google search shows Mazda has common problem with their front sensing camera, people are reporting the issue for different Mazda models across the board for the last few years including newer models as well. My car display shows few malfunction warning messages. Following captured from MyMazda app. 1. Forward sensing camera malfunction. i-ACTIVESENSE advanced safety and driver support systems m... Read more
Incident date: Jun 6, 2024
The dim lights on the vehicle are very dim, the fog lights are brighter than the dim lights. I’ve replaced the bulbs and headlights and neither fixed the issue. You can barely see in front of the car with the dim lights. It’s very unsafe to drive at night.
Incident date: Jun 14, 2024
On March 18, 2024, I noticed that water began to enter the car when it was in the carwash. I opened a claim with the insurance company and an investigation was carried out that lasted approximately 3 months. On June 11, the body shop received my car to diagnose and provide a quote to the insurance company for the necessary repairs due to this water damage. The workshop considered it to be a proble... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2024
My 2011 SRX has lost brake power 4 times in the past 2 years. I reported to GM as other owners had this complaint. I hit the brakes at low speed when going into a parking lot incline and lose my brake power. The brakes go to the floor and eventually the car stops. Thankfully no other car was near me as the car is hard to stop. I also slammed on my brakes around 25-30 mph as another car was coming ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2024
When the car is parked under the Sun on hot days. The car will lose the power and we get message on Dashboard "Check Starter System" When this happens and car is running, it will lose power, No AC, No Lights, No Brake Lights, No Hazard Lights, Speedometer will not work but Engine is running and you can drive the car. It is extremely dangerous to drive it that way. Some folks reported that repla... Read more
Incident date: Jun 14, 2024
The projector housing in my headlights has been determined to be defective and Nissan was sued because of this. However I have dim headlights on my vehicle which will cost me $1200 to replace and Nissan has told me that I am no longer eligible for a one time replacement. This is unfair in that I was never notified by Nissan about defective headlights which have deteriorated to a point where they a... Read more
Incident date: May 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had no... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2024
Both driver and passenger tail light/ brake light assemblies have failed. They started intermittently going out and then failed all together. There is a VERY common issue with these lights. They have been replaced at an approximate cost of $650.00 per light.
Incident date: Sep 25, 2023
The brake pedal stop bumper in my car disintegrated in the middle of the day and fell off. The brake lights do not turn off anymore and the vehicle can be started and shifted without needing to press the brake. I found a recall # 22S02 for this exact issue but my vehicle is not covered by it (assuming due to region). The vehicle has not been inspected yet.
Incident date: Nov 29, 2023
1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The primary components that failed in my 2018 Jeep Renegade, equipped with a 2.4L engine, include the electrical system and the fuel pump assembly. The vehicle has randomly reset its electrical equipment by morning and has turned off while driving, which stiffened the steering wheel without warnin... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that 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 r... Read more
Incident date: Jun 11, 2024
The brake light stays on the whole time.
Incident date: Jun 12, 2023
My wife's 2018 Impreza premium has had an open recall on it since August 0f 2022. It has been almost 2 years now. The recall, 22V624000 is a serious safety concern since it's about the car's headlights not functioning properly. Even with no obvious symptoms, I'm terrified for my wife to drive in the dark. Just last year I saw headlight assemblies for her model available for sale on Subaru's OEM we... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Odyssey. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond. The contact stated that the failure recurred on several occasions. The... Read more
Incident date: Jun 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that when the headlights were turned on, the passenger’s side headlight failed to operate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with front passenger's headlight failure. The contact was informed that the passenger's side front headlight needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received notificati... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2024
Ghost lights - the backseat lighting turns on and off during driving. It can be turned off after a few presses from the front overhead controls, but then will turn on again on its own. This creates a dangerous situation at night. This has been happening since the update to 2.0 software.
Incident date: May 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); 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 not made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2002 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed at night, he became aware that the external lights and turn signal lights were not functioning properly. The lamp out warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. T... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2024
The mechanism that exposes the bright part of the head light bulb goes out on this make model vehicle it is a common issue. There is one bulb, only my dim lights work, when I click the bright lights on nothing happens. Very common issue with the vehicle. Nearly 500$ a piece to repair.
Incident date: Jun 11, 2024
Passenger headlight keeps going out. Have had to replace 4 times in 3 years. Difficult taking off entire bumper
Incident date: Jun 5, 2024
The rear brake / turn signal light housing tends to fill with water. When this occurs the turn signal lights short out. This presents a risk when making turns or switching lanes if the driver is unaware the rear signal is out. There are numerous online articles and videos illustrating the issue. KIA is also aware of the issue, but do not cover it under their warranty or offer repair.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
Continuous issue of front driver passenger power seat front level button failure. Continuous Headlights, fog lights getting fused every 4 months. Indoor back roof light works and sometime just does not work for months.
Incident date: Jun 8, 2024
The vehicle will shut off without reason from time to time. I'll be sitting at a light, stop sign, or intersection, and the car just shuts off. All electronics inside the car turn off, the engine turns off, and it's as if I've shut the car off to get out. Usually, I'm able to restart the car after a few moments and go about my day, but in doing some research on this issue, there have been other... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2024
drivers side tail light flickering and sometimes not working a $900+ cost! I issue with right hand side when suv has 32k miles, seems like this is an ongoing issue, luckily it was still under warranty the 1st time. The AC condenser when out in April, also an know issue with the Yukon, they wanted to charge me $1500 to repair, I was able to find someone to do it for around $600, now the outlet and ... Read more
Incident date: May 31, 2024
Driving at night with headlights on: got warning “license plate light out.” Needed to reverse shortly after and the car immediately applied the brakes because it said the backup camera was unusable without the license plate light. Shut the car off for a while and when I tried to start it again, it three the following codes in sequence. Park Sense Unavailable Service Electronic Stability Con... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2024
1) The headlights will turn off while driving when the headlight switch is "automatic." 2) The headlights and taillights will illuminate after leaving and locking the vehicle leading to a completely drained battery.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
High Beam Headlamp Control not equipped with Auto High Beams feature does not turn on the high beam headlamps when requested if the master lighting switch is set to Auto headlamp position.
Incident date: May 22, 2024
Turn signals turn off prematurely. Disengaging the cruise control or entering a turn lane after the turn signal is activated appear to turn off the turn signal before reaching the intersection or turn. This occurs whether I use the half or full press on the turn signal stalk. To be honest I'm not sure the difference between the half and full press, since they appear to function the same. This ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2024
Headlight low beams have gradually became so dim that the car is unsafe to drive at night or in adverse weather conditions. The bulbs were replaced at an Honda dealership despite the dealership technicians stating there was nothing wrong with the existing bulbs' lumination. The new bulbs did not improve visibility and the headlights are getting worse. The last time the car was driven at night, the... Read more
Incident date: May 27, 2024
The vehicle accelerates on its own when I try to slow down at traffic lights and turns. Almost hitting pedestrians and cars in front of me. The lights in the back seat turn on while driving indicating to the police that I’m doing more than driving in the car The body parts so low quality the door handles are brittle and breaking. They cut my fingers and my kids fingers when we were opening and... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Jun 3, 2024
Headlights a very dim when on. This was not an issue at first but has become noticeable as I’ve driven it more. It is almost impossible to drive at night on a non-city road unless it is empty enough that I can use my brights instead. Very dangerous. If you look online, many people have had this same issue and it’s a known problem with this car. Acura should replace these headlights for these c... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2024
The lights are positioned too low to the ground and they are not bright enough. I end up having to keep my high lights on when driving at night because the visibility is very poor otherwise. Dangerous