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: Aug 23, 2023
From my past research I’ve noticed there were recalls about the headlight ballast flashing, and getting replaced my car has this problem but never had a recall. The rear view mirror is fading and turning black making me not able to see. And all of my interior is becoming shiny and brittle making it hard to see out of my vehicle at anytime of day or night
Incident date: Dec 29, 2023
For lighting, model came with the quad beam and headlight would often malfunction leaving headlights stuck in the low position and high beams not usable. For power train, the 10 speed would cause sharp jolts and shifts that is not normal for regular driving. Very abrupt jolts that make operating vehicle unsafe to drive in traffic. Vehicle began experiencing these symptoms around 25k miles and ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2024
I was on my way to work. All the warning light appeared on my dash. Then all the warning light, radio, speedometer gage and all head light and tail lights went out. I was driving in the dark. My engine bogged down no power. I was barley moving. I replaced the battery no difference. I replaced the alternator worked for 3 minutes and then the car was back to the same as before. I contacted a nearby ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2023
NOTIFYED 10/2022 OF SAFTY RECALL WRG-22 / NHTSA ID 22V-624 DEALER GRAND PRIX SUBARU 500 SOUTH BROADWAY HICKSVILLE New York 11801 CLAIMS NO INFO ON THIS RECALL. HAS NOT CALLED ME BACK.
Incident date: Dec 19, 2023
This hybrid model does not display red brake lights during regenerative braking, at any of the settings. I have have had two occurrences where the driver behind me was apparently not aware that my vehicle was slowing somewhat rapidly, and thus nearly drive into the back of my vehicle. One of those drivers mentioned that they did not see any brake lights even though I was slowing down, approaching ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
Headlights are dimming
Incident date: Jan 6, 2024
My headlights, when set to ‘auto’ randomly turn off. Very scary and dangerous at night! Also, illegal. I can get them to come back on by turning the lights off and on multiple times from the left stalk. But can’t believe Kia hasn’t addressed this.
Incident date: Jan 4, 2024
Toyota is aware of the situation. Dark shadows and cloud markings appearing only on left side of the vehicle when driving at night. Videos and pictures were given and shown to this Toyota service department this being done after an employee at the Toyota at the avenues driven with me at there closing time when it was dark stated this is a defect that Toyota is already aware of and other customers ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that the headlights failed to provide adequate illumination while driving at night without warning. The contact stated that the high-beam headlights were needed while driving at night. The dealer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was late... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2024
NHTSA Recal #19V-256 So according to Acura, this vehicle had the tail lights replaced in 2019 but the tail lights broke again in 2023. How do we know if Acura just replaced with same OEM tail lights but didn't fix the problematic tail lights. These lights are not a simple bulb replacement, it is costly in $600/Ea range to replace whole assembly.
Incident date: Dec 26, 2023
High beams quit working. I have replaced the relay, fuse, and bulbs. Low beams work but the high beam functionality is 100% lost. My trim utilizes the single bulb with electronic curtain to toggle between low and high beams. Seems to be a deeper issue within the headlight assembly.
Incident date: Nov 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was purchased brand new and shipped to him. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the local dealer for servicing, he was informed that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V686000 (Exterior Lighting). The local dealer informed the contact that they could not complete the recall because the dealer who h... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2024
I purchased this car new from Toyota. The first time I drove it at night the lights were not bright enough. You don't test drive them at night. They are OK if you are driving in the city where it is all lit up. On darker freeways and roads, the lights are horrible, even if the bright lights are on. I live in East San Diego, Blossom Valley, it is dangerous! I paid cash for this car, I took it to t... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2024
Purchased car from third party late September 2022. Immediately noticed that night driving was nearly impossible to see with headlamps on dim. Going from high beams to low beams is almost like switching to parking lamps. Can’t drive with high beams on when there’s other traffic it poses a hazard to oncoming vehicles. Took the car into Nissan dealership the following week and they told me I mis... Read more
Incident date: Jun 18, 2023
Premature headlamp (low beam) failure. The light abruptly failed and it was acknowledged by the manufacturer that this should not have occurred. The failure occurred in October of 2023. Light fixture has since been replaced. The low beam bulb is not accessible for replacement in our vehicle. Instead the entire headlight assembly has to be replaced. The estimated cost for a single replacement was a... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
The whole rear "racetrack" LED light on the lift gate fills with water and goes out. This is a VERY common and known problem by dodge/Mopar and they will not do anything to fix it. It is a $2000 out of pocket fix and that is asinine! It significantly reduces visibility from the rear of the vehicle while traveling at night.
Incident date: Jan 3, 2024
When the sun is out and there is no clouds obscuring the sunlight my vehicle has night time lights running, dimming the interior of my car making it difficult to see the speed and other dashboard requirements while perfectly bright and sunny outside and 0800AM as well as 1500PM. This has been going on for two months and I took it in to two dealerships. One told me check your manual and the other w... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2024
like NHTSA ID number 11490060 the headlights on my 2022 Bronco will randomly come on and go off when the vehicle is parked. When checking the position of the headlight switch it is not at any illuminated position (un-commanded). This problem has caused the vehicle battery to drain charge. The low battery shuts down the auto stop/start feature. The dealer service department is unaware of the he... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2023
My headlights severely fog up during night driving or during rain, damp weather, or after any contact with water. This is an extremely common problem with 2021-2023 Hyundai Elantra (all trim levels) and causes extreme low visibility at night. Another issue is the horn which is also extremely common on 2021-2023 Hyundai Elantra (all trim levels) and mine has gone out completely twice and been repl... Read more
FORD
MUSTANG MACH E
(2021) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jan 3, 2024
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
The rear lift gate "racetrack" tail light and license plate light bar to include backup lights just stopped working. I suddenly have extremely little visibility of my car from the rear at night. The contact stated with the taillight removed, It is apparent that a deficient factory assembly process resulted in taillight wires impeding the weather seal designed to keep water out of the tail light... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2023
My front headlights on both signs shorts out while driving. If one goes the other goes. No warning. I have replaced the headlights since 2020, 3 times and the bulbs 4. There needs to be an investigation into to these headlights shorting out can cause an accident.
Incident date: Dec 30, 2023
The 2015 Acura RDX has a problem with the exterior headlamps making it a safety hazard when driving at night. Over time, the auto or all electric light options have not been fully functioning. The standard lighting on the headlights is very dim, whether using Auto or "turn on all" electric light options. Poor visibility from the regular lights is so low that the high beams need to be used regularl... Read more
Incident date: Dec 18, 2023
hIGH BEAM HEAdlights do not work. Stays on low beam.
Incident date: Dec 9, 2023
Subaru Safety Recall WRG-22 is more than a year and a half old. I have checked status regularly. In October 2023, I attempted to contact Subaru and listened to music for 10 minutes. I also contact NHTSA and spoke with a young lady who was quite rude. This recall is not being handled in a timely manner by Subaru or NHTSA. This tool is the only one I could find to report the delay. "If the manufactu... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2020) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jan 2, 2024
Incident date: Feb 3, 2023
Low beams are so dim that you cannot tell if the vehicle has its lights on at all. This forces me to use my high beams when driving at night blinding other drivers. Acura has stated that the whole headlight assembly must be replaced. There are no warnings or light bulbs out on the vehicle.
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER EVOQUE
(2015) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jan 2, 2024
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
Defecto de fábrica
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
When headlights are turned on, rear window brakelight stays illuminated but both the right and left rear brake lights do not illuminate when foot brake pedal is depressed.
Incident date: Jun 20, 2023
Ballast/Reflector in headlightz started dimming at 80,000 miles, now unable to produce light at all. This is a known factory defect that acura has been too cheap to recall. I can only see with my highbeams at night and even they barely produce light.
Incident date: Dec 16, 2023
The cars light notifications on instrument cluster panel turned on all of them at the same time while accelerating jerking the car on freeway I have video of that happening and can provide it upon request it did caused a minor accident but I settled the accident with other driver with cash with out involving insurance or police but the car is not being driven that much ever since accident it w... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Oct 27, 2023
When traveling on a dark road at night the auto high beam feature of the vehicle will dim the headlights when there is nothing around (no lights, no cars, etc) and it will also fail to reactivate the high beams after passing by a vehicle with their headlights on . This feature is utterly useless and is certainly a safety hazard as the high beams cannot be used in the auto mode because their fun... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
I received recall notice WRG-22 in October 2022. If this is a safety issue 15 months and no follow up is ridiculous.
KEYSTONE
SUNSET TRAIL
(2022) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jan 1, 2024
Incident date: May 19, 2023
We were told by our auto mechanic that this vehicle needed a new electrical control module. The part has been on back-order with the local KIA dealership for a couple of months. My daughter was driving the car recently when all of the lights went out, and the car would only drive forward approximately 5 miles per hour. The car began to shudder and I had my daughter pull into the nearest parking... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2023
Vehicle blinker works at fast rate at all times. In the event that one of the rear turn signals stops working, the vehicle will not adjust the turn signal flash rate frequency to warn the driver that a turn signal is not working correctly. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment." Ford says 'fast' blinker on all Explorer ST's is by... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2023
The automatic high beam feature frequently does not dim with oncoming traffic and disengages for reflections such as road signs.
Incident date: Dec 20, 2023
We were driving down the road and the cluster screen went completely black. We couldn’t tell what speed we were going or any other information that gets displayed there. This is a very hazardous problem that should be looked into further.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
Defective daytime running light, passenger side, that does not fully illuminate. I’ve noticed this on several of the same make, model, and body style (with the same DTRLs).
Incident date: Jun 27, 2023
There is a design issue resulting in failure of the connector for the rear tail light assembly. The connector corrodes and the plastic plug housing melts. This damages the ground connection for the tail light rendering the turn signal and brake light inoperable on the effected side. This has happened on the right rear of our Mini Cooper JCW hardtop. Searching on the web shows this to be a comm... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2023
The blower fan for heat In my vehicle was replaced in October 2022, recently the Defroster will not engage and it is vital to winter driving. The mechanism that switches between which vent to blow out air was replaced and the Defroster will still not engage, rather it comes out of the heat and face vents. Shortly after the Defroster stopped engaging, the rpms will start fluctuating from 2 suddenl... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2023
Brights stopped working. They do not turn on, even though you pull the lever, and the dash light comes on
Incident date: Nov 10, 2023
I was going 40MPH when my car started to produce loud noises and stalled. It immediately lost power and I had to pull over on the side of the road. It started back up after 30 minutes and I was able to drive it home, but it continued to make loud noises and I had to drive very slow. Battery is good with 70% charge and the alternator is good.
Incident date: Dec 29, 2023
The dome light on the driver side has failed. This is not due to a dead bulb, but instead the circuit area seems to die if the car sits in the sun. This has been confirmed by a dealer but I haven't yet scheduled an appointment to replace the electrical parts. There were no safety warnings.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
I am experiencing the same headlight problem as has been reported for 2014-15 Kia Souls. Mine is a 2016 Kia Soul. The headlights go out intermittently when turning a corner or when signalling for a turn. I had it diagnosed at my dealership and they stated it was the Multi-function Switch that was mentioned as a recall for 2014-2015 Souls on your webpage. The dealership said there is no recall and ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2022
I experienced a Malfunction of indicators lamp, ABS warning lights, burning/ melting smell and smoke from the engine compartment.
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2007) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Dec 29, 2023
Incident date: Dec 8, 2023
Left front signal light and right rear signal, other vehicle's cannot see where I am turning, yes where i have my oil changed did their inspection, no problem with the bulbs. yes a mechanic, when turn on the signal to turn right the information center said that the back rear signal had failed and when turning left the information center said the front left signal failed.
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
It started with the loss of Sirius, then intermittently maps, and now the radio is gone and my display on my dash goes black and restarts. I will be driving down the road (interstate) and all of my dash disappears. No speedometer at all. The APIM is out and Ford has no APIM's available. I took it to local Ford and they confirmed the APIM was out. It controls the whole truck and weird things have h... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2023
Low beam headlamps are very dim and unsafe to drive with at night. Changing bulbs does not help as the interior of the unit is defective. This is very unsafe to drive at night.
Incident date: Oct 7, 2023
Was parked on side of road. No previous warning lights. Car would not start. Unable to put on hazard lights in dark on highway. Had to be towed. All dash wearing lights on only. Was at dealer 2 months prior due to all dash lights on and power failure. Replaced battery and car was re coded per dealer. Prior to that all dash lights came on when car turned off and had to disconnect battery c... Read more
TOYOTA
COROLLA CROSS
(2023) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Dec 29, 2023
Incident date: Dec 27, 2023
Vehicle tail light housings (3ea) are not adequately sealed and protected from the elements and allow water/debris to intrude. Water accumulation has caused dimming and shorting of lights. Dodge customer service was contacted and stated they are not currently and will not warranty repair.
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2023) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Dec 28, 2023
Incident date: Oct 2, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact who is active Military stationed outside of the US, was unable to import the vehicle back into the USA due to the vehicle being under recall. The contact stated that the country where the vehicle was... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds at night, the headlights were extremely dim. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who confirmed the defect; however, the contact was informed that the part was no longer covered under warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The v... Read more