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: Apr 2, 2024
While driving in the rain the headlights stopped working. An error popped up on the dashboard indicating a dipped beam fault. When I stopped there was condensation or water inside the headlight lenses on both sides and the lights would not turn back on in the on or auto position. The bright light indicator showed high and low beams but none of the lights would work except for the fog lights. We ar... Read more
CASTLE ROCK
RADIAL ST RADIAL 226
(9999) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Apr 25, 2024
Incident date: Jul 31, 2023
My car has an active recall for the footwell module. This module controls the windows, the turn signals, the hazard lights, and the dome light, possibly other systems. My module has short circuited and these systems are no longer operational making my car not road legal. Our local Mini mechanic shop confirmed they aren’t able to fix this issue.
Incident date: Apr 25, 2024
The rear taillights are filling up with water and burning the rear lights out which causes safety for other not being able to see the rear of the car. I know 3 other people that have the same issue on there dodge durango. You have to take the bolt out to drain the water. There is no seal or gasket inside preventing water from going in also can cause other electrical problems which is not safe.
Incident date: Aug 4, 2022
The rear taillights are filling up with water and burning the rear lights out which causes safety for other not being able to see the rear of the car. I know 3 other people that have the same issue on there dodge durango. You have to take the bolt out to drain the water. There is no seal or gasket inside preventing water from going in also can cause other electrical problems which is not safe.
Incident date: Feb 16, 2024
Low-beam headlights are dangerously dim, almost unusable at night. Replaced bulbs, no difference in light output. Dealer has confirmed issue. Obviously a safety issue, if the road can't be lighted, potential for crashes. No signal/notification in cab, as the headlights work.
Incident date: Apr 4, 2024
DEFECTIVE headlamps. Excessive moisture builds up in housing effecting performance of lights in evening. Was stopped by DPS for having bad headlamps. Dealership says it normal, no its not. It's very unsafe to drive at night with moisture in lamps. Had it looked at or inspected by independent shop and DPS. My safety is at risk for you can't see at night with all the moisture in lamps. This is a com... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2024
Rear brake and back up light assembly ground wire shorted and burned out. This caused all of the lights in the assembly to go out and sent multiple warnings to the dash board. This short came close to melting wires and the plastic assembly itself.
Incident date: Apr 24, 2024
3rd brake light randomly goes dim online thousands of people have the same issue, it needs to be a recall. Light diodes are getting bad and the other half are cracking from the heat of the window. Chevy changed the like to the trunk lid. Seems suspicious to me. Chevy needs to make it right.its federal law to have a 3rd brake light.
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2015) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Apr 23, 2024
Incident date: Apr 6, 2024
While driving and going down the highway my vehicles HUD and all electronics inside the vehicle will just randomly kick out momentarily for not no more the 30seconds, but the head lights stay one and the car still runs. It kicks the cruise control off and this just started happening.
Incident date: Apr 9, 2024
The headlights on my escape constantly go out. The bulbs are never burnt out but the headlights will not work. I have seen countless ford escapes that are the same style (so I assume a similar year) that are driving on the road with the same issue. I’ve had two shops look at it and say the bulbs are not burnt out but could not find the issue. This is a severe safety issue and needs to be recalle... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2022) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Apr 22, 2024
Incident date: Feb 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Acura MDX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V256000 (Exterior Lighting). The dealer was made aware of the issue, but the service manager initially refused to perform the recall repair free of charge due to the vehicle's salvage title. However, after the contact threatened to report the dealer, the dealer complied and repaired the vehicle free of... Read more
HONDA
CR-V HYBRID
(2021) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Apr 22, 2024
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
Front Left Side Marker Light Defective. See owners Manual. After checking with the owners manual - it says contact your Audi service. Checking online reveals that several other Audi owners with an AUDI Q7 2017 model have experienced this exact same issue. When the issue happens under warranty the headlight in question is replaced for around $4,000. If not under warranty it is an out of pocket exp... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2023) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Apr 22, 2024
Incident date: Oct 26, 2023
RECALL ON MANY 201-2015 RDX BECAUSE THE HEADLIGHTS BECAME DANGEROUSLY DIM AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SAME THING HAPPENED TO MINE, HAD IT CHECKED BY THE DEALER TODAY WHO CONFIRMED. HOWEVER, THERE IS NOT A RECALL ON MINE BUT I ASSUME MANY OTHERS ARE AFFECTED.
Incident date: Apr 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, another driver alerted the contact that the taillights failed to illuminate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V544... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2020) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Apr 22, 2024
Incident date: Apr 19, 2024
AUDI 2017 Q7 PREMIUM PLUS: July 25, 2023 - Got a notification "Front right side marker light defective." The car had just passed the 50k manufacturer's warranty. The current mileage at the time was 51,426. Contacted dealership for assistance and they informed there was a recall on this issue but unfortunately my VIN did not qualify for it, also that the vehicle was no longer under the manufactur... Read more
Incident date: Apr 19, 2024
Right after leaving work, the following message appear shifter error. Dash light up marking all type of errors whipers, gasoline, motor, etc. And the most scary part was NO power steering at all. Then ONE second latter it totally shut down. Thanks GAD! there where no cars behind me or next to me and I was able to pull over and tuns on my emergency lights.But I was about to go into the freeway onl... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
E500
(2003) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Apr 21, 2024
Incident date: Apr 2, 2024
The center hate LED brake light has water in it and shorted out making visibility of the rear of the vehicle hard to see at night. Dealer told me this is a very common issue and wants over $1000 for me to order another. Dodge needs to fix this and make it right as it's a design issue. This is a serious safety concern and will not drive with my family in the vehicle until able to fix it.
Incident date: May 17, 2023
Driving along [XXX] in Alabama to Mississippi, the Highlander completely shut off - the dash & radio were blank. The steering wheel locked up. Luckily there was no vehicles behind or beside us when this happened. Within seconds, the truck came back on. 15 minutes prior, we were sitting in a parking lot to eat lunch & while in idle, the truck shuddered a few times, like the gas pedal was pressed. ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 19, 2024
Car jas adaptive headlight and it malfunctions every other But when it happen low beam and high beam depth go down atlest 20%. This car has very bright light for low beam and since low beam projection tilt down and stuck there while you r driving this make situation so dangerous in night. Light low beam depth(till where it illuminates the road) is so bad it makes you blind and wont be able to jud... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
RABBIT
(2007) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Apr 20, 2024
Incident date: Apr 17, 2024
Right turn signal gets stuck and doesn't allow me to press it. It is very dangerous when it happens out on the road. First attempt to fix it was April 5th 2024. According to Tesla service invoice the steering wheel was replaced and software was updated. As of April 19 2024 the problem has returned. As I attempted to make a right turn and couldn't signal. I also have videos showing the issue I am h... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2024
There is a problem with the dashboard lighting. It is very dim and hard to read the dash to choose and view options and screen in general. I noticed this the day I picked up the new car. The dealer said there was nothing he could do. I contacted Cadillac and was told to go back to dealer and have him make a TAC call with GM for adjustment. They did this and said it met there specs. This is a very ... Read more
FORD
FOCUS ELECTRIC
(2017) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Apr 20, 2024
Incident date: Apr 18, 2024
Headlights flash on and off for no apparent reason which is distracting to other drivers both in front of me or approaching my vehicle. This has happened dozens of times now most recently 4/19/24 but I first noticed it more than a year ago. Headlights also go on and off and start to self level multiple times after car has been turned off. This has happend on a number of occasions as well. Normally... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2024
Some Unknown The vechicle wire and cable has shortage/ electrical problems, no accident occur.
Incident date: Apr 17, 2024
Bullet 1: headlights defect Bullet 2: I am blinded at night because when I have low beams on there are 4 distinct shadows projected on the road. I can’t drive at night because it not only is very distracting but blocks my vision of the left side of the road. Bullet 3: yes, the problem has been reproduced by the dealer at least twice Bullet 4: it has not been checked by anyone except service an... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2024
When approaching on coming traffic with bright light on high beam, my car will not change from high beam to low beam , nor can I manually. change. also Right mirror has indicator of on coming traffic approaching comes on for no reason
Incident date: Mar 23, 2024
The brake lights on my vehicle are constantly illuminated while my headlights are on, regardless of whether or not the brakes are compressed. This is a huge safety concern for me, as other motorists can no longer see when I am braking. I was pulled over for this and given a fix it ticket.
Incident date: Apr 14, 2024
Vehicle was off in driveway and fire started from right rear taillight. Fire extinguished via fire extinguisher after 5 minutes but car totaled. Inspection by fire department indicated source of fire was right rear tail light.
Fire
Incident date: Aug 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Acura RDX. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed during the evening hours, the contact noticed that the front headlights were not functioning properly. The contact replaced the headlight bulbs, but the failure occurred. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed. The vehicle was repaired but th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
The two map lights and the part referred to as the front overhead console has a defective design which at the least stops the lights from working properly, but at the worst, can start a fire. Subaru must be aware of the problem because it routinely change them. My vehicle listed above was ready for the installation of the third console when I said to myself, this one is not under warranty so let ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2024
Interior lights switch does not seem to work properly. It started a couple of months ago. I have had issues with the automatic braking when the car "thinks" there is something in front of me and slams on the brakes. 4 out of 5 times there was nothing there. 1 of those times was during a rain storm, so that time I chalked it up to the radar being wet. I have also had several instances when the ca... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2024
All cameras have failed on this Fisker Ocean. That has led to the blind spot indicators being on at all times along with non functioning back-up cameras, lane-keeping system, parking indicators. No response on the ticket submitted (along with other tickets submitted for other issues previously). Headlights now turn off when the car stops no matter which mode (auto, headlights, or daytime running l... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2020) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Apr 18, 2024
Incident date: Mar 8, 2024
My 2015 RDX lowbeam headlight getting dimmer gradually. It is too dim to the level of undrivable at night. I replaced the light bulb, but it doesn't help. It almost cause a collison that the opponent car from side of road can not see the light.
MICHELIN
PRIMACY A/S
(9999) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Apr 17, 2024
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
The grounding wire in the wiring harness of the driver's side, rear light assembly has melted. According to owner forums on the internet, there aren umerous reports of this being a problem.
Incident date: Apr 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated that water was leaking through the sliding backlite and leaked through the cargo light which caused it to leak into the radio frequency module. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to turn off. The contact stated that the track control and the check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where a diagno... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2013) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Apr 17, 2024
Incident date: Apr 17, 2024
Turn signals fail to activate with short duration press of turn signal stick.
Incident date: Apr 16, 2024
While driving on the highway, my car was struck by lightning. Please see attached PDF for details.
Incident date: Apr 13, 2024
The headlights are dangerously dim, can't drive the vehicle comfortably at night. There seems to be no solution for fixing them. A TSB has been issued concerning this, but does little to address fixing the problem.
Incident date: Apr 16, 2024
Third tail light and rear tail lights remained illuminated after the car was turned off. Driver discovered the brake light switch (rubber/plastic piece) had crumbled into the floor board preventing the tail lights from turning off, thus, becoming a hazard to other motorists on the road as the tail lights remained illuminated even while driving. While the vehicle was being driven, the driver could ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 5, 2024
Daytime running light failure. Making vehicle difficult to see. Dealer lists and a knows issue and and flagged as a safety concern. But refuses to repair or rectify the problem. And wants to charge over $4000 for a safety item.
Incident date: Apr 16, 2024
On three occasions, when driving at night, both headlights suddenly went out. The next day the headlights were working normally. The dealer's service department could not find anything wrong. Later, we found out there was a "Safety Recall" (#14291),but it expired one year before our car developed the problem. We have contacted the dealership and Buick, neither one will help us. They expect us to p... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2024
The rear tail light on the driver side of the vehicle is filling with water. Additionally, the brake light is occasionally not working, presenting a potentially serious safety issue. The vehicle is brand new. Tesla has a history of this issue with previous generations of this vehicle, but the problem persists in the new model. I have been waiting for a new tail light to come in for two weeks. A qu... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the driver's side headlamp was brighter than the passenger’s side headlamp. The vehicle was taken to the residence and inspected. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Incident date: Apr 15, 2024
3 year old truck. The left headlight enclosure gained water and caused the whole headlight system to have issues. Water caused the Headlights to Flash high beams (both), turn off and blinkers not to work. This defect the whole side that is effective. This can cause other drivers or the owner to have an accident. 6 months later, Now the right side headlight is doing the same. I’m out of warran... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2022
Left front drivers door flies open while driving. Door has already been repaired twice by dealers and problem keeps returning.
Incident date: Jan 12, 2024
The FRM module on my 2010 MINI Cooper S failed in 2022. I was unable to access multiple functions on the vehicle, including interior and exterior lighting, window controls, and other operations that worked randomly during this time. I needed my car fully operational for work commuting so I had to find a replacement FRM, which I did from an OEM MINI parts website, [XXX] . The new FRM I purchased wa... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2024
Car screens suddenly shut down while driving on highway with no instrument cluster and no navigation screen and vehicle lost entire power excluding drive train. The cars screens both began to flash and speakers popped loudly with beeps and headlights began to flash along with interior lights all while going 80mph
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
Left headlamp seal is bad. Condensation on inside has diminished brightness. The right lamp also leaked but was replaced under warranty. My warranty has expired but, as a safety issue, I believe the faulty lamp should be replaced at no charge. I'd be happy to have the bad headlamp inspected by a dealer or whoever.
Incident date: Apr 22, 2023
The headlights are UNSAFE! Extremely dim. We have replaced the bulbs and gotten great LED lights but the issue is still there. Sometimes I feel like my lights aren’t even on but they are, I cannot see. Please can you fix this. They just keep getting worse. I would have to drive with high beams on just to be safe. I don’t drive at night in my car if I don’t absolutely need to because of this ... Read more