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: Jan 1, 2024
The headlights of the Toyota Highlander are too bright for other drivers. When driving at night, I am constantly flashed because the drivers think the highbeams are turned on when in fact, the lights are too bright for their visibility.
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2015) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jan 27, 2024
Incident date: Jan 27, 2024
Head lights continue to dim way down. And now they flicker occasionally. Has not been looked at by anyone except a mobile mechanic. There is no warning, it doesn't happen only over bumps, it happens very randomly, and you never know when. Ive has the mobile mechanic add a set of LED lights because the headlights dim way down, to the point that the bright lights barely light the road to see. No cer... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
Both headlamps stopped working when driving at night. Neither the low or high beams will work
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
The rear light bar in my vehicle has repeatedly failed in my nine years of ownership. It first occurred in 2015 under the 36,000-mile warranty, followed by three more failures every two years, with the latest at 84,000 miles in 2024. This issue is tied to a design flaw. The light bar is prone to water ingress, causing light source failure and attributed to a manufacturing defect by the dealership... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2023
My racetrack light in back has blown LEDs due water getting inside. I’m to the entire light and back up camera needs replacement. It’s a major issue according to other owners who have the same problem.
Incident date: Dec 22, 2023
A few years ago I was driving home and both headlights of our GMC Acadia went out at the same time. I drove home, in the country, in total darkness. We had them replaced by the garage, which was very, very expensive due to extreme difficulty accessing the headlights for this model. Since then, we have had to replace them two more times which we did ourselves due to the cost. We have owned this... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2024
I have 2 concerns and issues with my vehicle. 1st is the rear turn signal bulb and housing, I have read forums and researched the issue and many others have had the same issues and concerns, water is getting into the housing and is causing the bulb to blow and can possibly be causing fire/electrical with the wiring. 2nd is the front headlights the plastic round covering that's in surrounding the t... Read more
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
The software shut down all of the systems control. Nothing can be controlled. It locks the doors windows side boards panaramic sunroof speed denominator turns the heat on can’t turn it off.tailgate opens all of this happens around 15 minutes after it has been turned on. I complained about it several times before took it in they replaced the radio. It’s currently at the dealership to do a daino... Read more
Incident date: Jan 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Durango. The contact stated that upon visual inspection, the contact became aware that the rear exterior lighting was not functioning properly. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not assist. The failure mileage was unk... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2024
Driver car door intermittently pops open, while driving, when stopped, and when parked (not occupied). Car door locks intermittently stop working, meaning passengers cannot enter from outside, cannot open door from inside, doors do not unlock when key fob approaches. Also when this is happening, charge port shorts ie. disconnects/connects. When these issues are happening, defogger runs intermitten... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2023
Radio works sometimes and you can't use you hands-free phone. Lights interior and running lights won't turn off until you go down the road a bit but when you shut the truck off, the lights stay on and run your battery down. Also when you swap out your Trans oil you start having shifting problems. I'm so over it. Thanks.
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
My left rear tail light has a water intrusion issue. From calling the dealership they stated their likely solution would be to drill a weep hole in it (HA!). Reading online this is a massive issue, a recall needs to be issued on these vehicles as it is a known defect with safety a cost impacts.
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2019) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jan 25, 2024
Incident date: Jan 3, 2024
I have needed to replace the drivers side brake light almost every 3 months. I have seen many Kia Sedonas with that brake light out
Incident date: Jan 23, 2024
Low beam headlamps very dim. Bulb is on but no projection. Low visibility at night or in rain.
Incident date: Jan 9, 2024
Vehicle has 80k miles. Low beam headlights are VERY dim, making it dangerous to drive at night. I haven't taken it anywhere to be inspected. Based on some searches on the Internet this is a very common issue for RDX Base models from years 2013 - 2015.
Incident date: Jan 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed at night, she became aware that the headlamps were extremely dim, severely compromising nighttime visibility. The ABS warning and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. After investigating the failure, the contact related the ... Read more
HYUNDAI
ELANTRA COUPE
(2013) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jan 25, 2024
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
Rear gasket on tail light assembly is faulty and causes water to leak in to rear running light and the light fails and doesn't work anymore. I'm requesting an investigation or recall on the rear assembly to have them fixed or replaced for safety and uniformity. The OEM part number is 68453659AA
Incident date: Jan 25, 2024
Low beam headlights have gradually dimmed over time to the point that they provide minimal lighting to the roadway and often appear to oncoming drivers as only daytime running lights (they often flash their headlights at me to tell me to turn mine are, except they already are on). This is a widely occurring issue with 2013-2015 RDXs as evidenced by many numerous consumer statements publicly viewab... Read more
Incident date: Apr 11, 2023
My 4 cyl. AWD GMC Terrain has had excessive oil use which caused premature failure of the timing chain, loss of power/compression, blown engine, damage to exhaust manifold, cellinoids, and melted the catalytic converter. Its was a road safety, poor emissions due to failed catalytic converter. Headlights are too bright for oncoming traffic at night. Another road & safety hazard. Auto warranty is re... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Dec 24, 2023
The headlight and tail light assemblies get water and moisture inside the lenses whenever it rains. This has cause one of my headlights to short out. As a result, the DRL/Turn signal on the left side headlight has stopped working. As for the rear tail light, whenever there is water inside, the tail light will flicker on/off while driving. There is always condensation inside all of the lights long ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2023
The headlights on my 2011 Cadillac SRX4 (62,000 miles and garage kept from new until 2 years ago) started to fail in 2022. The passenger side failed in 2022 and had to be replaced at an out of pocket cost of $1,536.98. The driver's side failed on 1/15/2024 and it had to be replaced at an out of pocket cost of $2,046.70. I understand that there was not a recall on this problem but rather a reimb... Read more
Incident date: Sep 22, 2023
Lights independently flicker on and off continuously until the battery is completely drained and died. No capability to stop this from occurring.
Incident date: Jan 24, 2024
The driver-side tail light lens fell off. I don't know where, but it probably fell off while I was driving, and if so, could have caused an accident. Cadillac does not stock this tail light assembly anymore, so I had to order it online, and then have it installed by a local shop. I am uploading photos of 1) repair invoice 2) new tail light box 3) old tail light (missing lens).
Incident date: Sep 22, 2023
After getting my left headlight assembly replaced the high beam went out. Shortly after my horn was no longer working. Other problems I noticed before these issues that seemed electrical but didn’t necessarily catch my attention: oil light doesn’t come on, seatbelt reminder doesn’t make noise, lights inside the car short at times unless turned on a specific way(including screens and overhea... Read more
MAZDA
CX-90 PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2024) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jan 24, 2024
Incident date: Jan 18, 2024
The passenger side headlight compartment has condensation in it. Enough condensation so the headlights don't work. when I took it in for recall work I mentioned this as I thought that it might have possibly been a short or a loose wire, and they shared that no it's not wired it's just water in that enclosure and I need to pay for it myself to get it replaced to the tune of $1900 for the new part.... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2021
Rear (Tail/Stop) lights on both sides, would work intermittently. Turns out it’s a known issue with the LED circuit boards. They consistently break in 2 places, leaving the vehicle with no tail lights/stip lights. GM knows of the issue , but since it’s NOT CONSIDERED a Safety Issue, they do nothing. It’s clearly a safety issue, as following drivers may not see lights, on the rear. Cle... Read more
Incident date: Nov 22, 2023
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 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 not made aware of the issue. The co... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2024
While driving my Explorer at night on an unlit road in north western New Jersey the instrument cluster in my car displayed a warning message stating, “Check Headlight System, See Manual”. I pulled over and inspected my cars exterior lights for abnormalities, found none. With the headlamp warning light still on I proceeded on my way home when approximately 10 miles further down the road my driv... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Golf R. The contact stated that the headlights had become significantly dim while driving due to moisture accumulation inside the headlights housing. The contact stated that the failure had reduced the visibility of the roadway while driving at night. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that the manufacturer had advised to drive 30 minut... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2024
Auto high beams do not work properly, had a road rage incident with another driver as my high beams did not turn off, tye other driver was annoyed I was driving with high beams on.
Incident date: Jan 8, 2024
All tesla models have excessively bright headlamps, blinding oncoming traffic. There are many teslas where I live and commute. I had many instances where I could not see what was in front of me on a two lane road due to a tesla coming in the opposite direction at night. It is seriously dangerous to have these cars with such bright lights on the road. They create a hazard for every driver in the on... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2024
I have had 3 Subarus in the last 2 years. All 3-a 2006 Subaru Tribeca B9, a 2007 Subaru Tribeca B9, and a 2014 Subaru Crosstrek have had electrical and lighting problems. They all have burnt out headlights, interior lights and fog lights, have loose wiring that has affected the computer and navigation system. 2 of them lost all lighting. The Subaru Crosstrek burnt out all the lights in one inciden... Read more
Incident date: Jan 11, 2024
My LED lighting on the lift-gate started to spot out and had condensation in the light do to the seal not being properly sealed and letting water get into the light and burning out the LED bulbs. Now my whole running lift-gate LED is out and this is very harmful for myself and other drivers on the road do to possibly being rear ended at anytime. This problem is not covered under warranty. This is ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
CLS63
(2014) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jan 22, 2024
Incident date: Sep 28, 2021
This has been an issue that has been going on for a few years it has mostly been the driver side headlight a d o. 2 occasions both headlights have not work. On November 2023 my headlights on the driver's side would not work. Also, my turn signal didn't work at all which almost caused me an accident as I was making a turn not knowing that the turn signal was not working. I took my vehicle to Alden ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2024
I think headlights are really dim in night driving. On the flat road it’s okay but on the curvy and hilly turns you barely can see anything. It is either dim or the headlights are aim too low . you can’t see the road clearly and farther.
Incident date: Jan 22, 2024
This vehicle has a "digital cockpit" without traditional analog gauges. It completely shut down on me while driving on the freeway, leaving me without a speedometer, and a red caution "do not drive" warning indicator. I have a video of this incident captured by my partner that I can share, as well as a static image, which I attach therein. Prior to this incident, it repeatedly shut down while d... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2023
I cant see if my headlight is on at night. I have HID and it is not working so well. daytime is fine but when i need it when its raining or dark, it is very hard to see.
Incident date: Dec 22, 2023
My car's low beam headlights go dim quickly, if work at all. The bright light beams work as should. At times I must drive with the bright beams on just to see safely. I understand there was a settlement by Nissan, however, my issue did not start until after the settlement was over. I am unable to get my headlights fixed due to the deadline. I might note, I purchased my car right before the de... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
Dim headlights due to projector housing malfunctions. Original headlights have burned reflective coating. Vision at night is non existent and driving safely at night is not possible. This seems to be a common problem Acura refuses to acknowledge. The vehicle supposedly was checked by caravan before I purchased it. Led headlights have not helped.
Incident date: Nov 13, 2023
Vehicle left/front headlight has water condensation and entire headlight doesn't work. Its pretty much not drivable. I brought the vehicle to a manufacturer dealership and they claim that the failure of the headlight is due to physical impact to the exterior of head light. There is a minor scratch barely visible and no cracks or physical damage to the headlight or seal, or car or that matter. When... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2023
Subject: Concern Regarding Daytime Brightness Levels in BMW 330e Instrument Cluster I am reaching out to express a concern I've encountered with the instrument cluster in my 2023 BMW 330e. It has come to my attention that, unlike many other vehicles, the instrument cluster in my BMW does not maintain full brightness during the day. The absence of manual brightness control, combined with the beha... Read more
Incident date: Jan 18, 2024
On my 2017 Doge Durango RT the “Racetrack” light has failed and created a safety issue for my vehicle. The LED light on the hatch has failed from poor manufacturing and has allowed water it get into the light shorting out the whole taillight. This has not only made a running light not work while I’m driving, but has caused the license plate light and the rear backup camera to fail. This is a... Read more
Incident date: Oct 3, 2022
The splicer connected to the fuse box in the engine burns up after a while of use causing the Dash lights, right brake light and front marker light to not work at night. It is a major safety issue and hundreds/thousands of complaints online (via google) have been made about it burning up.
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
Dash lights dim to the point where they are barely visible. Safety concern issue by not being able to see in daytime. Yes and was told its a issue from BMW. There are no warnings or messages, just purchased the vehicle used and thought it was something that needed repaired. Very concerned about safety!
Incident date: Mar 25, 2023
HEADLIGHTS. FIRE HAZARD BECAUSE OF BRITTLE AND BARE WIRING INSIDE OF HEADLIGHT HOUSING. Confirmation is as simple as looking inside of headlight to change a bulb. The vehicle does not set any codes to make you aware of wiring issue.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
Complete loss of headlights while driving at night. Having to replace headlights monthly. Heater fuse keeps blowing.
Incident date: Jan 8, 2024
1. Under certain circumstances, the vehicle is able to decelerate using its regenerative braking system without illuminating the brake lights. This occurs during "one pedal driving" where the operator is driving only using the throttle to both accelerate and decelerate the car, without the input of mechanical brakes. This is a programming issue, not a mechanical issue. The brake lights are "trigg... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
The “racetrack” tail light on my wifes Durango is completely burnt out due to water infiltration in the assembly, which is a now known issue for multiple drivers of a Durango. With that being said, since it’s been burnt out, my wife has almost been rear ended 3 times now and I believe it could have something to do with 90% of tail lights that is equipped with the vehicle is now burnt out due... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2024
The low beam headlights are too dim to drive at night safely. They are available for inspection. My safety and the safety of others is in extreme danger when driving at night because I can’t see unless I turn on the high beams. The problem is known and recalls were issues for some models. The components have not been inspected but it’s obvious.
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
Hello. My 2008 Toyota Prius had a malfunction with the "combination meter" which caused the vehicle dashboard to turn off completely, and we could not turn off the engine at times when stopped and parked. The dealer fixed the problem at a cost of $1580, and both the dealer and Toyota corporate through their brand engagement advocate acknowledged a long term problem with the combination meter. T... Read more