Consumer Safety Complaints

Search 2,215,138 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA — including 138,663 crashes, 56,255 fires, and 8,561 deaths.

2,215,138 Total Complaints

138,663 Reported Crashes

56,255 Reported Fires

8,561 Reported 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 2,215,138 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

How to Read NHTSA Consumer Complaints › How NHTSA Investigations Work › Used Car: 7 Recall Checks to Run First › The Takata Airbag Recall: Full Story › OBD-II Codes Explained › All Articles ›

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Showing 60,899 complaints — component: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Incident date: May 9, 2026

Coming to a stop sign or red light the car won’t accelerate or will go in traction control making it difficult to move or not accelerate. Had 2-3 fuel leaks this year also having problems to keep the car going sometimes the max speed it will go is 20-40 miles n won’t go up unless u keep letting it slow down slowly n then accelerating n even after that it won’t make it above 60-70 miles it us... Read more

Incident date: May 8, 2026

I had my most recent oil change on 2/20/26, and on 5/2/26 , the check engine light came on and I heard a knocking sound. I checked the dipstick and it was below the “low” mark. I hadn’t driven 3k miles yet!! I had to purchase 2 quarts of SAE 5w 30 oil to put into it. My vehicle is consuming more than 1 quart per 1000 miles.

Incident date: May 23, 2025

My durango been having issues starting after seating over night also there has been a couple times when the durango loses power and is very sluggish it has to be a fuel pump issues

Incident date: May 4, 2026

My engine needed oil I checked the dip stick added the oil the next day my engine started leaking and over heating come to find out there’s a pcv issue the valve cover gasket along with multiple other seals need replaced I was unaware of anything wrong no indication of over heating I just smelled the heat and was able to see after popping the hood the radiator fan is now not working and gas is c... Read more

Incident date: Nov 14, 1992

Fuel injector failed without warning. A lot of fuel leaked into the engine destroying a spark plug in one cylinder and ultimately ruining the catalytic converter when fuel got into it. Independent mechanic and Mazda dealership diagnosed. Car cannot be driven.

Incident date: Jan 1, 2025

Car reduced speed and the smell of gas filled the car. Car shut off. Check engine light came on with reduced speed. This is the second time this has happened. Gas leaked onto ground from car. Car stalls immediately while driving and does not allow you to press the gas to keep moving. Almost hit from behind on Main Street.

Incident date: Jan 1, 2025

Car reduced speed and smells of gas. Will not crank and will stall immediately and just stops immediately. Car has only 30,000 miles and it has stalled out for the second time with the same issue. The first time the car stalled on the freeway and I was almost hit from the back. This second time reduced speed and quickly shut off on a Main Street and was almost hit again. Car does not allow you to ... Read more

Incident date: Jan 5, 2026

While driving the vehicle on the freeway, the driver noticed the car was handling unusually at highway speeds. After exiting the freeway at approximately 45 mph, the accelerator pedal failed to decelerate properly when the foot was lifted from the pedal. A warning message appeared on the display screen indicating the vehicle was shutting down while the vehicle was still in motion. The vehicle subs... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2026

The vehicle is experiencing sudden engine stalling while in motion, a known safety hazard. Despite a documented maintenance history with no issues, the dealer (Bayside Kia) is attempting to deny a Theta II Settlement claim by shifting the narrative to 'engine sludge,' which only appeared as a symptom in June 2025( Walmart oil change) alongside engine performance issues. The vehicle has active code... Read more

Incident date: Apr 30, 2026

low pressure fuel pump in fuel tank failed. This part was already repaired from previous recall and failed again. Error code P0087. Vehicle shuttered and stopped in traffic. Broken bits of fuel pump were left in gas tank.

Incident date: Apr 30, 2026

Vehicle: 2021 Mercedes-Benz E350 Sedan (W213) VIN: [XXX] While operating the vehicle, the diagnostic system displayed the fault code P240200 related to the Evaporative Emission Control System (EVAP). The warning message indicated a “positive short circuit” in the fuel vapor leak diagnosis pump control circuit. The malfunction appears to involve the EVAP diagnostic module and/or associated el... Read more

Incident date: Apr 23, 2026

I passed the recall inspection on 12/17/2025 and the higher viscosity oil was put into my vehicle. On 12/25/2025 my vehicle's engine shut off while I was traveling on the highway (I-25). The vehicle went into to neutral and I had to pull over to the side of the highway without power. The vehicle started again and as I was merging onto the highway it shut down again. The truck started again and I w... Read more

Incident date: May 2, 2026

My car has an issue officially diagnosed by a reputable mechanic that matches the claim of the former TSB SA-058/20 that was changed and clarified through the now existing TSB SA-031/21. My car has a cracked cylinder head. This is the non turbo engine but it does have cylinder deactivation which his believed to be a culprit. The cracking is known to be caused by a manufacturing defect. There i... Read more

Incident date: Jan 15, 2026

Plastic fuel supply line leaked from front of fuel tank area . the vehicle (2020 chevrolet colorado) was towed to the chevrolet service facility, after it was discovered leaking on my driveway. Gas was smelled while I was driving. I do have the failed hose. It was indeed damaged. Possibly chewed through by a rodent, mouse or squirrel. The colorado is allways parked in my blacktop driveway. Safety ... Read more

Incident date: Apr 30, 2026

The vehicle cannot be shifted into neutral if the vehicle runs out of gas. There is no way to shift to neutral and roll it to the side of the road. The vehicle ran out of gas on the interstate, automatically braked and could not be moved out of the middle of the interstate. To make matters worse, this was in a construction zone.

Incident date: Apr 2, 2026

The original low pressure fuel pump failed at 114,700 miles. The symptoms of the failure were loss of power on the freeway, quickly followed by the engine stumbling, then shutting off completely forcing me to change lanes without power. The vehicles has had to be towed on 2 occasions because of this. The pump was replaced at 114,700 miles by a Toyota dealer at my own cost (no warranty, no recall).... Read more

Incident date: May 7, 2026

No worries — here it is trimmed to under 2,000 characters: I am reporting a recurring safety defect on my 2004 Mazda RX-8 (VIN: [XXX] a repair under NHTSA Recall 1017E (Fuel Pump Ring / Discharge Pipe). Recall 1017E was completed on my vehicle on September 19, 2017. The same fuel leak has since recurred, with fuel vapor now entering the passenger cabin. Only a few thousand miles have been driv... Read more

Incident date: Dec 1, 2014

Weeks before the vehicle completely shut down, my car began stalling and shutting off in traffic without warning while driving. I was usually able to turn the vehicle off and restart it, and it would come back on temporarily. At red lights and stop signs, the vehicle would power down, stall, jerk forward, and then begin moving again when I pressed the accelerator. On 05/01/2026, while stopped at ... Read more

Incident date: May 15, 2025

The idle stop system frequently fails to restart the car after shutting down the engine at a stop light. In some cases the car is difficult to restart using the starter button. In other instances the car restarts and then dangerously lurches forward.

Incident date: Jun 2, 2024

The component/system that failed or malfunctioned is the SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) NOx Catalyst Efficiency system, triggering DTC P20EE – SCR NOx Catalyst Efficiency Below Threshold (Bank 1). This issue began immediately after Ford Recall 24S78 (PCM software update) was performed on April 29, 2026 at Ferman Ford of Countryside. The truck had zero emissions or check-engine issues prior ... Read more

Incident date: May 8, 2026

Whenever I refuel my truck the pressure in the fuel tank causes fuel to spit out of the fill neck. It is a common, known, issue among RAM trucks involving the fuel line. It takes me 20 to fill the tank up because of this issue, and I’m constantly having the fuel spitting out at me and the ground. This is a safety/fire hazard that needs to be addressed by RAM. Apparently the only fix is to replac... Read more

Incident date: May 3, 2026

I am submitting a formal safety complaint regarding my 2022 Kia Sorento, which is experiencing a dangerous and recurring loss of engine power during acceleration. This issue presents a significant safety hazard, particularly during situations requiring immediate acceleration such as highway merging, crossing intersections, and passing traffic.

Incident date: May 3, 2026

I am a long time Corvette owner and have purchased many through the years. I recently purchased a 2008 Corvette Coupe with only 30k miles, one owner vehicle. Unbelievable to me, I have had to spend over $4,000 the past month replacing the ECM and most notably the Fuel Pump, to relieve the constant Fuel Smell, not to mention the rack and pinion steering gear needs to be replaced, with again, only 3... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2026

I was on my way home from work approaching a red light coasting to a stop, I tried to slow down then I realized the car was accelerating and I pushed the brakes and pulled into a parking lot by the time I got in the parking lot the car was surging, really trying to takeoff. It went all the way to 5,000 rpm’s while I was in park.

Incident date: May 4, 2026

Unexpected PCS2 failure and loss of AC charging. This unable to charge battery where supercharger is not available. Risks of being stranded. Limits current use. Repair unavailable and no estimated time per service center!

Incident date: May 7, 2026

Low coolant warning came on. Battery car didn’t start , had it jump. Low coolant warning came on again. Passenger seat belt warning is on.

Incident date: Mar 23, 2026

I went shopping notice needed gasoline filled the tank 3/4 the next day I smell gasoline on My2013 Sonata Hybrid VIN [XXX] inside the car and I did not notice any light alerts etc., just the smell of gasoline inside the car. I ask for a ride I was scare to drive to the dealer on Monday 5/6/26 around 12:30 pm I called the dealer I was gonna dropped the car they told me diagnostic would take 3 day... Read more

Incident date: May 7, 2026

This 2022 Bronco Sport Outer Banks lost it's alternator pulley and that caused the serpentine belt to break. Since the vehicle could not be driven it was towed to Joe Myers Ford in Houston, TX. The dealer wanted a extremely expensive price, $1800.00, to replace the alternator and belt. The vehicle was offered to the dealer for trade to determine value and see if it was possible to upgrade to a ne... Read more

Incident date: Apr 26, 2026

Upon recent repairs completed by an Official Honda licensed dealership for the fuel pump due to the related issue of stalling, misfiring, insufficient fuel economy and safety concern. My vehicle has continued to stall, misfire or idle extremely rough. Upon local investigation the error code P0203 and P0303 have populated as the most recent issue. No longer allowing me to drive the vehicle as it re... Read more

Incident date: May 6, 2026

I was driving out of a parking lot into the feeder road of a highway with the intent of immediately getting on the highway. When I attempted to accelerate the car would not go any faster. I was traveling perhaps 5-10 miles per hour as cars on the feeder road were approaching at 45-50 miles per hour. The lag time before the car would accelerate was about 20 seconds. Luckily, I had not entered the ... Read more

Incident date: Nov 24, 2025

My 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQB has an unresolved recall (25V487000) issued July 25, 2025 — nearly 10 months ago — with status still listed as remedy not yet available. The recall is classified as URGENT: FIRE RISK WHEN PARKED on NHTSA's website for my specific vehicle. On May 6-7, 2026 I contacted Mercedes customer service three times and received conflicting safety guidance. Agent 1 told me chargi... Read more

Incident date: Aug 15, 2025

On April 17, 2026, my 2026 Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe experienced a sudden and complete electrical failure while operating on a public roadway in Texas. The vehicle lost propulsion and became completely disabled in active traffic during dusk/nighttime conditions. All electrical systems failed simultaneously, including lighting and hazard lights. The vehicle could not be restarted, moved, or recharged r... Read more

Incident date: Apr 15, 2026

My safety is put at risk. My car has stalled two different times on the highway. I was able to get it off the road after restarting the vehicle and coasting out. The engine was worked out by Kia of Mission Viejo. They stated it was not due to Rod bearing, although I was told on a separate occasion that there was metal in my oil in the same scenario then when they submitted the video to Kia, they s... Read more

Incident date: May 5, 2026

Rollover valve in factory gas tank is defective and remains closed. This causes an issue when refilling the vehicle with gas. The gas pump will continuously stop filling as the fumes build up in the tank. This should be a recall as it’s a safety issue and a new tank cost over $2,000.

Incident date: Apr 2, 2026

This truck was parked on a job site, on a flat parking lot over blacktop, doing a regen for the 5th time in just a few days. The truck had 4,000 miles on it. When it completed the regen, we shut the truck off. Within 15 minutes the truck was fully engulfed in flames. A fire investigator looked at it and determined the fire started in the engine bay, below the master cylinder. He said this was a... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Mar 15, 2026

The blind spot system was a problem when I purchased the car, it spent 15 days in service in the first 30 days of ownership to address the issues. Now, I after another light came on I discovered 9 open recalls on the vehicle that were not disclosed prior to purchase.

Incident date: Apr 30, 2026

Vehicle developed engine ticking/tapping noise followed by rough running and misfire condition. Independent repair facility performed engine teardown and found cylinder 4 exhaust camshaft lobe severely worn/damaged. Repair facility stated the exhaust roller follower/lifter needle bearings failed and fell out, causing the roller to seize and come off position, resulting in improper valve operation ... Read more

Incident date: May 6, 2026

I was driving my car was sputtering or trying to shut off while I press the gas and I let go of the gas and it catches and stayed on. I took it to the dealership and they said they found nothing wrong. May 3rd around 12pm im driving on the freeway and as im getting on the express lane going 60 it dies and I couldn't move the steering wheel and I slammed into a guardrail. After doing research my ca... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: May 3, 2026

*gas tank had become partially dislodged from the undercarriage. *Entire family was in vehicle at time of incident, including three small children. The safety of an entire family along with any others that may have been on the road, if the car would have combusted due to the gas tank which had just been filled to capacity. *vehicle has been at Mark Christopher GM dealership for over one month. *de... Read more

Incident date: May 3, 2026

Check engine light came on, car lost power on highway. Car continues to have the same issue after repairs have been made. Ford App says engine misfire, after every repair. Ford mechanics fix spark plugs, coils, electrical. None of which has fixed the issue of stalling on the highway which poses risk of me the driver and others driving on the highway. The only light that comes on is engine light.

Incident date: May 6, 2026

My 2023 GMC Hummer EV 3X has experienced repeated thermal-protection failures in the high-voltage battery and drive-motor cooling system, causing the vehicle to enter limp mode and drop to as low as 12 mph without warning. Stored fault codes: P0C12, P0C13, P2EE0, P2EE1 (battery and drive-unit overheating). A sudden, unannounced drop to 12 mph in a 9,000-lb EV is a serious safety hazard — on hig... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2026

Gas. Leaking car smoking and cutting off

Incident date: Jan 8, 2026

I am submitting this complaint to report a serious and ongoing safety defect involving the engine of my 2018 Hyundai Sonata Sport equipped with the 2.4L Theta II engine. The vehicle has been officially tested and documented by Hyundai as consuming more than two (2) quarts of engine oil per 1,000 miles, which Hyundai has acknowledged following completion of its oil consumption test procedure. Despi... Read more

Incident date: Mar 6, 2026

I was driving on the Highway, and went to accelerate and my car went into Limp Mode in the middle of the highway and I was almost not able to get to the emergency lane due to not being able to accelerate. I took it to the nearest auto mechanic shop, and they informed they could not work on it or diagnose due to it being a Volkswagen. I then took it to the nearest Volkswagen dealership, and they sa... Read more

Incident date: Apr 16, 2026

I am reporting a recurring safety issue following the Acura rod bearing recall repair on my 2019 Acura MDX SH-AWD. The original recall resulted in catastrophic engine failure and Acura replaced the long block assembly. Since that repair, the vehicle has repeatedly failed and returned to the dealership multiple times for the same issue pattern. Symptoms include: * “Emissions System Problem” ... Read more

Incident date: May 3, 2026

Following sustained highway operation and varied elevations in tropical conditions, the vehicle’s Auto Start-Stop system may activate during traffic congestion. In certain instances, the battery warning light illuminates upon engine automatic restart. If the auto start stop is activated once more on the engine restart the battery warning light will turn off. I went to the dealership and they wan... Read more

Incident date: Jan 15, 2026

I am reporting that authorized dealer Audi Knoxville (Harper Auto Square) is KNOWINGLY AND WILLINGLY attempting to force me to operate an unsafe vehicle. Following an intake manifold repair, the dealership’s service staff identified carbon buildup and fouled spark plugs as a necessary repair, while the manufacturer (Audi of America) has reclassified it as 'maintenance' to avoid coverage. Because... Read more

Incident date: Oct 1, 2025

My vehicle I’ve had for 3 months and now it won’t start and it’s from a coolant leak flooding my engine. As they called it a coolant intrusion into my engine and will cost 12k to get this fixed as I need a whole new engine.

Incident date: Jul 17, 2025

2025 KIA EV6 ICCU (part#36401 1XFD5) failed at 2,658 miles. Failure occurred when power was applied after reversing out of a parking space, switching to drive and applying power. No safety issues as vehicle remained controllable. Vehicle went into "limp" mode. Build date of vehicle is 6/20/2025. KIA Dealer has replaced failed ICCU with updated unit (part#36400 1XFD6). No indication of failure occu... Read more

Incident date: Apr 8, 2026

I purchased a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV in late 2023, already equipped with GM's recall diagnostic software (part of NHTSA Recall 21V650), which monitored battery health and limited charging to 80%. After the monitoring period, the software detected critical voltage variation failures across all 5 battery cell module rows. The dealer (Lee Johnson KIA, Kirkland WA) opened a TAC case (#9-14753041951), ... Read more

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Consumer Safety Complaints

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

How to interpret what you read

If you've experienced a defect

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