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: Jun 9, 2026
When I drive at night, the headlights wobble whenever I hit a bump or go over an uneven surface, which I find disruptive. From the drivers perspective, the lighting bounces up and down on the street. The issue was noticeable the first night I drove the vehicle and does not represent a damage or something that can be repaired by service.
Incident date: Jun 17, 2026
The light from the headlights on this brand new car flicker when driving over the slightest bump. On dirt roads or uneven pavement, the shake and flicker of the headlights is very prominent, even with the high beams turned on. This is a major safety hazard as the light from the headlights is not consistent and the flicker gives intermittent lighting outages of the road ahead - literally leaving th... Read more
HANKOOK
VENTUS S1 NOBLE 2
(9999) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 16, 2026
Incident date: May 24, 2026
The daytime running lights started to fade it till there was nothing. I was told it would be over $2000 to fix
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
While driving at night with the Headlights on Low Beam the light that is projected onto the road is a dull yellowish color, not a bright white color. When the High Beam Lights are turned on there is no difference of the light being projected onto the road. While driving from [XXX] to [XXX] on [XXX] I noticed that I was unable to see or read the Exit Signs for any of the Exit Off Ramps or even t... Read more
Incident date: May 21, 2026
Vehicle has two open Toyota safety recalls that have remained unresolved for over a year. NHTSA campaign 25V322 (manufacturer no. 25TB06) covers reverse lamp assembly corrosion. NHTSA campaign 25V767 (manufacturer no. 25TB14) covers a V35A engine manufacturing defect where leftover machining debris can damage the main bearing, leading to engine knocking, rough running, no-start, or loss of drive p... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-150. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 26V104000 (Electrical System, Exterior Lighting) and 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, parts for the recall repairs were unavailable. The dealer was contacted; and the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that th... Read more
JEEP
WRANGLER 4XE
(2024) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 16, 2026
Incident date: Dec 2, 2025
Left front headlight accumulates significant amount of water that worsens with rain events. Places water in proximity with LED lamps and wiring creating risk of electrical shorts and lamp failure. This is known issue addressed by a Genesis TSB, but no recall has been initiated despite safety concerns,
Incident date: Jun 13, 2026
I have only owned the truck since mid April of 2026. The truck has 12000 miles on it. I have only put 200 miles on the truck... 150 miles are driving to the dealership. Engine recall notification was sent out last week of May 2026. Still an open recall for reverse lights with no remedy. Took Tundra into dealer at the beginning of May 2026 to get two other "electronic/infotainment" system recalls ... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2023) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 16, 2026
Incident date: Mar 5, 2026
One of the day time running lights have burned out. The car just turned 5 years old with about 70,000 miles. In reviewing some posts online a lot of owners have complained about the same thing. Also you cannot replace the bulb, you have to replace the entire unit.
Incident date: Oct 30, 2025
Regarding headlight warnings and horn malfunction and/or other possible electrical safety issues. (in addition to previous entry for brake a malfunction) On a few occasions (in addition to the mentioned intermittent brake malfunction) the motorcycle "low beam" headlight has stopped on occasion giving a dash warning and reset on it's own and "possible" ground fault or some other codes but BMW NA h... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE L
(2024) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 15, 2026
Incident date: Jun 12, 2026
Description On your vehicle, the integrated park module ipm may not properly engage the park pawl, preventing the vehicle from locking into park when park p is selected. If this condition occurs, a wrench light and shift system fault message will be displayed in the instrument panel cluster. Additionally, the vehicles electronic parking brake epb will automatically apply. Safety Risk If the par... Read more
Incident date: Feb 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the ESC and traction control warning lights remained illuminated. Additionally, while the cruise control was activated and the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated. The contact stated that the gear shifter was able to be moved without the brake pedal being depressed. The cause ... Read more
Incident date: May 26, 2026
In the 35 months that I have owned this vehicle I have had to replace a faulty brake light switch 9 times. I find this extremely unsafe as brake lights are a major saftey feature. This problem has been reproduced and confirmed by the dealer. I do not know if the component has been inspected by the manufacturer. There were warning lights with the vehicle forward looking radar for cruise control ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
The car is giving external right head light issue. The light turns off suddenly at night which we need to turn on again after 2 minutes. This happens frequently and we have to turn on the lights very often. The dealer examined the issue and he expressed regret in repairing the vehicle and estimated price of $2.500.The Service Manager though stated that the issue is same as it pertains to the rear ... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2026
The passenger headlamp has went out and after researching this is supposed to be a lifetime lamp and has become a common issue on these vehicles. If these lamps are malfuntioning it should be recalled because it is a safety issue specially to ones that already have vision issues at night.
Incident date: Jun 14, 2026
DRL on passenger side stopped working about a year in to purchasing the vehicle
Incident date: May 21, 2026
The headlamp assembly on my Subaru Uncharted appears loose and can be manually pushed to reproduce the shaking and jittering headlights at night. This creates unstable illumination, distracts the driver, and may cause glare or confusion for oncoming traffic. The issue suggests a potential mounting defect affecting headlight stability and safe nighttime driving.
Incident date: Jun 14, 2026
The head light assembly is loose and vibrates. At night it is distracting to the driver and drivers of other vehicles to see the head lights flash off other cars and signs. I have had multiple cars flash me because the lights look like they are flickering when approaching on the road. The dealership told me that they are aware of all the complaints for the Uncharted having vibrating headlights ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2026
Vehicle has an excessive headlight unit shaking which causes light beam to oscillate at night time while driving, very distracting and dangerous for upcoming traffic.
SUBARU
TRAILSEEKER
(2026) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 14, 2026
Incident date: Jun 14, 2026
The vehicle's security system malfunctioned immediately after service at Parks Hyundai of Gainesville on 05/27/26 for Recall 256 & Campaign P33. The alarm blares & emergency lights flash while I am driving on public roads. This defect first presented in the dealership parking lot upon pickup. This creates a severe safety risk: the high-decibel alarm is a major distraction, the flashing lights conf... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2026
the headlights are so dim that the car is not usable at night. I was told by the Cadillac dealership that this is a known problem with GM/Cadillac. The low beam gets so hot that it turns the reflectivity of the chrome to gray. The fix is to replace both right and left headlight assembly.
Incident date: Jun 13, 2026
Daytime led light went out one side
Incident date: Jun 12, 2026
Headlights vibrate causing loss of visibility at night as they bounce over uneven terrain or potholes.
Incident date: May 7, 2026
While coasting down or under very light acceleration between 12-20 mph the vehicle has a shudder like driving over a highway rumble strip. While cruising on the highway at 65+ mph, the vehicle has a light shudder or vibration. Vehicle has been checked numerous times for wheel and tire inconsistencies. Brake pads and rotors have also been replaced with no change in issue. Headlights daytime run... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2026
Backup camera is completely black when it is dark outside, making it worthless. It is fine during daylight hours. The local Honda dealer acknowledged that there is a problem, but stated that Honda has no solution for it at this time.
Incident date: Jun 12, 2026
Water leaks into and pools in the tail lights causing the tail light to go out. Other drivers can't see the back of the car at night thus increasing risk of rear end collision. The problem was confirmed by the dealer and I was told that it is a very common problem on this model and that the manufacturer refuses to cover the $1600.00 repair cost. There were no warnings that the light had gone out, ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2026
Was traveling to head towards the beach and all of a sudden the whole dash starts glitching then goes out for about 10-25 seconds then cuts back on like the car is powering back on. I thought maybe it had something to do with my daughter touching the radio. Well I continue to travel get down the road about another 45mins and it does it again. So I decide to turn the radio off, turn off the A/C, ca... Read more
Incident date: May 25, 2026
The recall was issued May 2025 and still has no remedy, bulletins state anticipated remedy in 4th quarter of 2025, we are in middle of 2026, over a year since the recall was issued another recall issued November 2025 with no remedy yet.
Incident date: Jun 11, 2026
I was driving my Tesla Cybertruck on the highway when I experienced unexpected steering movements from side to side. I attempted to maintain control of the vehicle and slow down. The vehicle ultimately left its intended path and collided with the median. I do not know the cause of the incident. At the time of the accident, I believe a Tesla driver-assistance feature may have been engaged, but I a... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
The turn signal stalk on my 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning intermittently requires excessive force to manually cancel after turns and lane changes. The stalk self-cancels normally roughly 50% of the time, but when the steering wheel does not rotate far enough to trigger automatic cancellation the driver must manually return the stalk to center. The condition is most reliably reproduced when the cabin h... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2024
Vertical Daytime Running Lamp is out and from doing multiple hours of research it looks as if it was a quality control issue. The LED board was not secured internally and it caused an LED to touch the tube and burned it. It is very common on 2021-2023 models and the manufacturer changed it for 2024. Please we need to get this as a recall.
VOLKSWAGEN
PASSAT
(2014) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 11, 2026
Incident date: May 31, 2026
Vehicle screens repeatedly rebooting over a 2 month period. Auto high beams stopped working. Chassis control error on dash occurred. Smoke smell in cabin occurred after dealer returned the vehicle from a repair attempt. Vehicle had to be towed back up . Dealer reporting they can not recreate errors and want to return it. It’s a safety hazard . Has been at the mechanics for over 20 business days.... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2026
On my 2026 Hyundai Tucson Limited, the HVAC touch-panel status indicators are extremely difficult to see in daylight conditions. The illuminated indicators for A/C, recirculation, vent mode selection, and heated/cooled seat levels become washed out by sunlight and reflections. From the normal driving position, the indicators are often not visible. To determine the status of HVAC functions, I must ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2026
I purchased a brand new 2023 Honda HR-V. Recently, the passenger-side LED headlight assembly suddenly stopped working, and I had to pay $1,500 out of pocket to replace it at a Honda dealer. Shockingly, just one month later, the driver-side LED headlight also completely failed. Having both major LED headlights fail within a single month on a vehicle less than 3 years old indicates a severe factory... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 26V059000 (Exterior Lighting, Electrical System); 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 ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 26, 2025
As I was driving 75 mph down the highway my collision alert flashed all my lights turned off, including my headlights and all interior lights as it was dark time and they flashed back on a couple of times until they finally stayed on. I pulled over and as I came to zero, speed, the vehicle completely shut down. It did start back up, but this is not the first time I get a light on my dash that says... Read more
Incident date: Jun 7, 2026
2025 Triumph Speed 400 — Moisture-Triggered Limp Mode and Loss of Turn Signals My 2025 Triumph Speed 400 enters limp mode and displays a check engine light and wrench warning whenever ridden in rain or high humidity. When this occurs, turn signals and hazard lights also stop functioning, leaving me without signaling capability in traffic. Both issues clear only after the bike dries out. The bat... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
Right-side LED headlight assembly failed at under 3 years and ~55,000 miles. Dealer states the sealed LED unit is non-serviceable and must be replaced as a complete assembly, quoted at ~$1,450. LED headlights are rated for tens of thousands of hours and are marketed to last the life of the vehicle; this failed at a small fraction of rated life. Other 2023 Enclave owners report the same right-si... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TAOS
(2022) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 10, 2026
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Jun 4, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
ALFA ROMEO
GIULIA
(2017) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 10, 2026
Incident date: May 11, 2026
This model of truck has 4 led lights that will never turn off. Using the switch in the cab does not affect them. When the headlight switch is in off, manual, or parking - these lights remain on. Additionally, there is no setting in the software that provides control over these lights. I have interacted with Stallantis Customer Service, and my local dealer -both state: "Lights are working as design... Read more
ALFA ROMEO
GIULIA
(2017) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 10, 2026
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Toyota Tundra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V322000(EXTERIOR LIGHTING); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the passenger's side brake light and turn signal lights had become inoperable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the man... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2021) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 10, 2026
Incident date: Jul 16, 2025
Rivian identified the recalls on our car model and are failing to get the vehicle to repair them since we are unable to get to the dealership.
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
The front light **What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request?** The front passenger-side (right) headlight failed completely on my Land Rover Defender. The headlight assembly, including the bulb and/or associated electrical components, ceased functioning without any prior indication of a problem. The vehicle is available for inspection upon re... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2024) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 10, 2026
Incident date: May 28, 2026
Headlights bounce up and down a lot over rough road. This causes a noticeable "flicker" off signs and cars in front of you and can be very distracting.
Incident date: Jun 8, 2026
Headlights are extremely dim almost always have to drive with my high beams on at night since the lights are so dark. Have tried replacing bulbs on my own but lights are still dim. No warning or anything were ever shown
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2019) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 10, 2026
Incident date: Jun 9, 2026
When a trailer is connected while parked and vehicle is off, trailer lights flicker, blink and sometimes remain on. Sometimes these events will set off alarm also draining battery down.
Incident date: May 15, 2026
My Honda has experienced repeated failures of the front headlamps due to moisture accumulating inside the assembly. In addition the failures of the headlamps caused a fuse to blow rendering the turn signals inoperable. This is dangerous because it limits visibility at night, inability to signal other cars of turning. this first happened in 2024 and happened again in 2026. These conditions were con... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2023) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jun 9, 2026
Incident date: Jun 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Ram 1500. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V059000 (Exterior Lighting, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted on several occasions and confirmed parts were on back order. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 6, 2026
main instrument cluster and Heads-Up Display (HUD) randomly flickering, turning completely black with a "No Signal" message, or triggering all dashboard warning lights.