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 62,429 complaints - component: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Incident date: Nov 18, 2024
GDI fuel pump went bad needed replacement.
Incident date: Dec 28, 2024
I was at a stoplight behind a Toyota Tacoma. I must have stopped around 8 feet behind it. I was not using FSD and I was not one-pedal driving. My foot was on the brake. I must have been at a complete stop for approximately 10 seconds when my Model 3 suddenly accelerated full throttle on its own and rear ended the Tacoma, directly hitting its trailer hitch, causing my car's driver-side airbags to d... Read more
Crash
TOYOTA
PRIUS PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2015) - FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Dec 28, 2024
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
Twice within the first 26k miles i had 2 individual fuel injectors go bad. Both times my check engine light came on in the middle of driving, and then my car would no longer increase in speed and left me stranded on the road. Luckily, i was able to pull over to the side of the road. The random malfunction of the vehicle could’ve caused an accident or put my life, as well as the drivers on the ro... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2020) - FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Dec 27, 2024
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
The fuel pump is what the issues is with my 2022 Audi Q3 it has been replaced twice in three years of me having the vehicle the first time was in November 2022 a year after I got it came out of the store, and it would not start. The second time I was in a fast-food restaurant line, and it just cut off in line, so I had to try and get it started and out of the line before it cut off again got it t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2023
Gas smell from outside car. Can smell under hood when opened also.
Incident date: Dec 27, 2024
Very strong smell of gas in my car , affecting me badly , got sick and threw up and took car in , and ford changed my catalyst convertor among other things , no lights lit up for anything , the smell that was there is why I took it in and they kept the car until fixed and picked up , now I don’t feel safe , I have a 2022 ford escape 34000 miles and have had multiple serious recalls and very unsu... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2024
On [XXX] my 2017 Chevy Volt was having propulsion issues, and later would not start at all. This was not the first instance of propulsion issues, fortunately I was able to pull the vehicle into parking lots. The vehicle was towed to Midway Chevrolet, 2323 W Bell Road, Phoenix, AZ 85023. On Friday [XXX] the dealership called me to let me know the vehicle was ready for pickup. After my arrival at M... Read more
Incident date: Oct 3, 2024
The metal fuel line from the canister up to the high press fuel rail developed a crack and ruptured without warning. The vehicle was unsafe to drive because it poured a significant amount of gasoline onto the ground when the fuel pump came on. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for repair. The fuel line was inspected by the dealer's technician, rupture was confirmed and both fuel supply and re... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2024
A few years ago I was told my fuel injectors needed to be replaced. Last month, I was told that my suspension needed to be replaced and it wore out. Shortly after that my struts were leaking and making noise. I do not drive my car over rough terrain, just regular street driving and I get my vehicle maintained regularly.
Incident date: Dec 27, 2024
While driving my family around, the car lost engine power and came to a stop on a busy roadway leaving us stranded until a tow truck could arrive. There were no warnings or indications that anything was wrong. One minute, it was driving fine and out of nowhere, the engine shut off in the middle of the road leaving us blocking a lane and creating a dangerous situation. The dealership is claiming th... Read more
Incident date: Sep 27, 2024
When filling the gas tank up using the "fill lock" feature on nearly all modern fuel pump nozzles, when the tank gets full the fill nozzle clicks off and about a half a pint of raw fuel is "purged" back out of the tank filler neck. At first I thought this was a problem at a specific fuel station. I have since learned that it can do it anywhere, at any time of day, and at any temperature.
Incident date: Dec 26, 2024
Re: Two Honda Fuel Pump Recalls in 10 Months In 60 years of driving, I never had a recall on a car until February 2024. In the past 10 months, I have had 2 Hondas recalled for life-threatening fuel pump issues. 1) In 2019, I purchased my first Honda, a Civic. 2) In February, 2024, I received a recall on the 2019 Honda Civic for an improperly constructed fuel pump. I was told the car could j... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2024
I had 130 miles until I needed to fuel up. Out of nowhere, my gas light comes on with the miles now blanked out. I thought it was odd, but stopped at the next gas station to fuel up. It would not let me put more than .22 cents into the tank without gas exploding out the side. Again, cranked up the car & it states it still needs gas. Tried another gas station & got the same result. Ended up at the... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2024
Since purchasing the vehicle, I've had several incidents where my safety and those inside my vehicle are compromised due to the loss of drive power and stalling of the vehicle while driving. I've complained to the dealer for which they continued to assure me that there was no problem detected during the safety inspections. Recently I received the recall notice to replace the fuel pump module which... Read more
Incident date: Apr 16, 2024
Recently, I have noticed a strong gas smell emanating from the rear driver’s side of the vehicle. Upon further research, I discovered that there was an open recall affecting Mercedes E-Class vehicles of the same year for a similar issue. However,my vehicle’s VIN is not included in this recall. Given that my vehicle is experiencing the same problem described in the recall, I am concerned about... Read more
Incident date: Dec 25, 2024
Injector #4 connector harness issue- Known issue on the 6.6L duramax. Driving with my children for Christmas pickup and power reduction occurred while passing another car on the road. Causing us to hit the breaks as the truck wouldn’t allow us to pass timely. Known harness issue by GM and instead of covering I had to pay to have a new connector spliced in. Multiple warning lights. Check en... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2024
When driving leaving my home and about 2 miles in operation the truck lost power. Not realizing quite what was happening looking at the instrument panel I noticed a drop in RPM and speed. There were no other indicators of problems and The check engine light didn't come on. Instinctively i pushed the accelerator down with no response. Now realizing that the truck was having problems I tried to ge... Read more
Incident date: Oct 26, 2024
Vehicle was parked in attached garage. Smelled gasoline smell inside the house. Investigated the source of the smell and found the vehicle to be leaking fuel where the filler neck attaches to the fuel tank.
Incident date: Dec 24, 2024
Fuel Pump failed; the car cannot be driven. Took car to local mechanic and was told the fuel pump is part of major recall from Honda and I need to go back to the dealership and have Honda pay for repairs. I was told my car is not part of the recall, even though 2.5 million Hondas have been recalled with this problem.
Incident date: Dec 20, 2024
It has several error messages including "Stop safely now". This seems to be the same issue as recall 23S56 (TSB 22-2178). The vehicle is not drivable as it will not start or go into gear. Seems to be known issue with the HVBJB.
FORD
MUSTANG MACH E
(2021) - FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Dec 26, 2024
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
On December 10, 2024, while driving at approximately 45 mph on State Street, my vehicle suddenly lost all power and stalled. The dashboard lights went out, and there were no prior warning indicators. Thankfully, I was able to coast safely off the road and restart the vehicle after it stalled. Before this incident, I had experienced multiple occasions when my car took unusually long to start. When... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2024
Mazda’s CX-5 engines, particularly in earlier models, have been known to experience issues with Hydraulic Lash Adjusters (HLAs), which are responsible for maintaining proper valve clearance. Many owners have reported a persistent tapping or ticking noise, especially during cold starts. This issue is often caused by air bubbles or insufficient oil supply to the HLAs, and cold weather exacerbates ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2024
It has been more than 2 months since recall from Honda for my car triggered, I called my Honda car dealer from where i purchased my car last year, i called them couple of times to get these two recall fixed but they are not responding to schedule an appointment and even not have inspected vehicle for the recall defect. I am not sure about how safe is my car to drive with these recall defect. There... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2024
EVAP issues, purge valve replacement. Leaking gas. Car is drivable. Will not start after pumping gas and is mileage has significantly decreased. Scent of gas is strong.
SUZUKI
GRAND VITARA
(2007) - FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Dec 26, 2024
Incident date: Sep 20, 2024
Stearing went out and car would not start after filling tank with gas
Incident date: Nov 4, 2024
The engine is not receiving any fuel to start and idle car.
Incident date: Dec 26, 2024
BMW has failed to issue a remedy for the COOLANT PUMP that may lead to fires, if not replaced. For months now, I have called several BMW dealerships and they do not have an idea of when BMW would issue a remedy. BMW needs a push from the NHTSA to address this recall instead of looking to the other side because the car's date is 2016. If they cannot fix that hazard, then they must replace vehicles.
Incident date: Dec 24, 2024
Subject: Complaint Regarding Illegal Practices by Lemberg Group My name is [XXX] , and I am currently employed as a driver for Lemberg Group. I operate a white Freightliner Cascadia truck, unit number [XXX]. I am writing to formally report illegal practices being conducted by Lemberg Group that violate environmental regulations and federal transportation safety laws. These practices not only jeo... Read more
FREIGHTLINER
CASCADIA
(2020) - FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Dec 25, 2024
Incident date: Nov 30, 2024
The ECU electric control model has now burned up 3 times and the dealership just keeps replacing it the only thing they keep saying not to fill up the gas tank all the way? The gas gauge just goes dead
Incident date: Jan 20, 2022
I was driving at about 40 mph and the car lost all power and stopped in the middle of the road. Most all of the warning lights were on like low air pressure, reduced brakes and a brake problem light etc. Turned the car off and restarted and drove another 5 miles with the brake problem light still on. Stopped and restarted car and the brake light went off and all seems normal now. From my reading o... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2024
Power surge I hit the gas to cross the highway and lack of power then got home the next morning started the car and it started serging in the driveway then it shut down altogether.
Incident date: Mar 13, 2024
Due to its diesel related scandals, BMW has agreed to extend its diesel emission related components' warranty to 10 years or 120k miles. My 2014 BMW 328d's nox sensor failed in 2022 and i submitted my repair bill for replacing the nox sensor to bmw recently. BMW denied my reimbursement claiming the warranty expired despite the documents i submitted was for a repair done in 2022 with credit card re... Read more
Incident date: Dec 25, 2024
On [XXX], while driving on the highway about 30 miles from Columbus, Ohio my 2013 Mercedez Benz ML350 suddenly stalled and lost power. There was no prior warning. Luckily, we were in the outer lane with no car close behind us so my husband slowly guided the car to the side road. The car has since been towed and is currently at the Service Department at Mercedez Benz of North Olmsted, Ohio, 44070, ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
Error code p0494 conducted upon check engine light coming on.
Incident date: Oct 28, 2024
I exclusively use one pedal drive (OPD) for my 2022 Volvo C40 EV. I have a log of about a dozen incidents in 2.5yrs where OPD has malfunctioned. Sometimes failing at speed, other times lurching quickly forward after stopping. I have contacted Volvo and they installed a flight data recorder. I can provide a description of all my events upon request. I'll detail just the most dangerous incident her... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2024
Failed catalytic converter. I have had this part repaired multiple times and there is still a leaking issue. I have receipts from both auto repair shops and the dealership showing that this is an ongoing issue.
VOLKSWAGEN
GTI
(2024) - FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Dec 24, 2024
Incident date: Sep 12, 2024
Module malfunction open-fuel pump driver control. Engine stops at any time, pressing gas pedal and nothing, the engine stops running no warning. Module has been replaced twice this vehicle should be on recall. When it happens you have no warning and no control. This is life threatening.
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2017) - FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Dec 24, 2024
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
Electronics continually work in a “muted” manor. Not enough heat from the seat, steering wheel etc. Park assist and cruise control disengage on their own. Infotainment screen fails to recognize key fob and reboots radio. Entire camera system frequently goes out with an error that no cameras are even hooked up. HVAC system runs way too cold. Blower cuts out. Random vents will work, others don... Read more
Incident date: Feb 16, 2024
Kept getting my check engine light is says something about bleed up pressure in the fuel tank which when driving my throttle is not as responsive and when I fill up from Empty I have to give it some gas in. Order to start and would sit at the red light or a stop sign with the clutch pressed in and it would sputter and stall which I would have to give it gas to restart the car
Incident date: Dec 10, 2023
1. The head gasket on my 2018 Accord LX 1.5t was lifting and causing a leak of coolant to enter cylinder #3 and therefore burned one of the valves within the cylinder. 2. Safety issues that I experienced was the car stalling randomly while driving causing me to have to pull over in unsafe locations. 3. A Honda dealership has confirmed the burnt cylinder valve and recommended a head gasket and cyli... Read more
Incident date: Dec 18, 2024
Problems with EGR valves still in defects, and engine gaz motor loose power. GM don’t have enough parts to resolve them.
Incident date: Dec 22, 2024
Several time While driving on the interstate my vehicle loses power and low coolant light came on then went off. Light constantly does that even though there is plenty of coolant in the tank. One day [XXX} when trying to pick up speed, I was going 60 and my car went completely limp then picked back up causing me to panic as I had truckers on the highway as I was trying to merge. I pulled over to t... Read more
HONDA
ACCORD HYBRID
(2023) - FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Dec 23, 2024
Incident date: Dec 22, 2024
Approximately five weeks ago, my 2015 Hyundai Sonata showed a check engine light. I took it into the dealer and paid a diagnostic fee which revealed the third cylinder misfire in the engine. I paid to have the engine cleaned yet the light continues to stay on and the car has been Running low on oil every time it gets checked the dealer states that the engine needs to be replaced
Incident date: Dec 12, 2022
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Since april 2025 i’ve been having low oil readings in my vehicle despite regular oil changes I took it into the dealer since my vehicle was still under warranty, which they stated only one part was under warranty. I had to pay $800 after this was replaced. I started having engine light come on. Thi... Read more
Incident date: Sep 11, 2024
The vehicle has been occasionally stalling starting early 2024, maybe sooner. I had the fuel pump recall done recently. The vehicle is still stalling, and it seems to be getting worse. The stalling happens when driving at speed, even over 70+ mph. No warning lights. But rpms drop to almost zero for a few seconds and accelerator is unresponsive. Then it comes back after a few seconds. This is dang... Read more
Incident date: Aug 3, 2024
Car stall and shut off while driving on the highway. This is the second time this has happened in a year. They tried to blame it on the battery the fuel was reading wrong then. Fuel reading issue again in August supposed to have done a software update again to fix it. Now this time my child was driving and the car shuts down while driving on the highway with gas reading 42 miles left. The car gets... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
This is a safety issue for Chevy Volt. After seven years of good operation, our 2017 Chevrolet Volt stopped running in traffic while we were driving on [XXX]. The Check Engine Light was on, and "Reduced Propulsion" Message on dashboard panel. We brought it to the dealer from whom we purchased the vehicle. Tech Report paraphrased, Customer states CK Engine Light is on and "Reduced Propulsion" M... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2024
This is a reoccurring problem that is worsening. It is difficult to replicate (but becoming easier to replicate as the problem worsens). The problem conditions are as follows: -The car is fully charged The following drive conditions are required: - The beginning of a drive, with the car in the fully charged state, is driven in the “L” mode (aggressive regenerative braking), AND the beginni... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2024
Hi, I bought a new Camry 2025 XSE hybrid from Dan Cava Toyota, Fairmont, WV. The Toyota company says 47 mpg. However, I filled complete tank 3 times and each time the odometer showed estimated 430-440 miles for 13 gallons, which is equal to 34 mpg. As a customer, I feel I am cheated by Toyota company. I bought this Camry only for a better mileage and safety. Please let me know what I should do. Th... Read more