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.
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
Showing 48,526 complaints — component: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2019) — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Nov 3, 2022
Incident date: Nov 3, 2022
2019 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO MANUAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE. CONSUMER IS ALSO SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS MADE ON VEHICLE.
Incident date: Oct 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after inserting the key into the ignition, there was no power to the vehicle which prevented the vehicle from starting. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the failure could not be replicated; however, the contact stated that he was not provided the details of what repair was performed. The contact ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2021 BMW M340I. The contact stated while driving various speeds, the vehicle independently shifted from reverse(R) to drive(D) to park(P). The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH and attempting to stop the vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard. The contact stated that the brake failed to operate as designed. The vehicle was towed to... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle decelerated without warning. The contact stated that after several seconds the vehicle continued to operate normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The failure persisted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The f... Read more
Incident date: Sep 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would not properly accelerate while pressing the accelerator pedal. The contact indicated that the RPM would increase but the vehicle would not respond as needed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who replaced the catalytic converter; however, after retrieving the vehicle, the f... Read more
Incident date: Oct 27, 2022
2017 FORD ESCAPE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO NHTSA SAFETY RECALL 22V-413.
Incident date: Oct 25, 2022
2012 NISSAN JUKE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER WHILE DRIVING. THE CONSUMER IS REQUESTING NISSAN TO REVIEW THE CASE AND BE REIMBURSED OR COMPENSATED FOR THE DAMAGES OF THE VEHICLE.
CHRYSLER
TOWN AND COUNTRY
(2016) — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Oct 18, 2022
Incident date: May 18, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently down shifted to first gear. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift 3rd or 4th gear. The contact stated that after the vehicle down shifted, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that he quickly pulled the vehicle off the roadway. ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while accelerating, the fourth gear jumped to the fifth gear and was stuck. No warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the transmission specialist test-drove the vehicle and was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the gear was b... Read more
Incident date: Oct 6, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Sierra. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission inadvertently shifted from high to low gears and the RPMs revved up. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be duplicated. However, the failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was then taken back to the dealer where it was dia... Read more
Incident date: Sep 24, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at approximately 30 MPH, she began to slow for a traffic light when the vehicle stalled and would not start again. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was no transmission fluid left in the unit and that the ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle hesitated and the engine stalled. The transmission fault warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the muffle shop where the diagnostic produced a code indicating that the catalytic converter was faulty however, the contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was then taken to th... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle was stalling and was not accelerating despite depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light, along with two other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact managed to pull over and stated that the vehicle had not lost motive power, however, the vehicle was ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that he noticed the ESC 4-WD warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The mechanic stated that the powertrain transfer unit (PTU) assembly had failed with code: (C14A7-97) and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and notified of the failure. The failur... Read more
Incident date: Oct 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while she was sitting in the vehicle that was parked in the garage, the vehicle accelerated on its own and proceeded to move forward while the emergency brake was activated, and no warning light illuminated. The vehicle struck the contacts home going inside the home. The contact stated the vehicle was not on, but the vehicle started on its o... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jun 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2010 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle was jerking as the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the contact was informed that the oxygen sensors and transmission fluid needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired, however, the contact attempted to replace the oxygen sensor... Read more
Incident date: Aug 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the RPM increased with the engine revving; however, the vehicle failed to respond. Additionally, the vehicle also failed to reverse as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle also failed to exceed 10 MPH while driving. No warning light was illuminated. The dealer was notified o... Read more
Incident date: Sep 28, 2022
2016 FORD ESCAPE. CONSUMER IS SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS MADE TO VEHICLE RELATED TO NHTSA SAFETY RECALL 22V-413.
Incident date: Sep 27, 2022
2014 FORD FOCUS. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO FAILED TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE (TCM).
Incident date: Sep 26, 2022
2017 FORD ESCAPE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO NHTSA SAEFTY RECALL 22V-413.
Incident date: Jul 23, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle started jerking and the transmission was slamming into gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The contact was informed that the gear ratio between the 5th and 6th gear was incorrect and needed to be corrected. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated t... Read more
Incident date: Sep 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after turning off the cruise control to reduce the speed from 65 MPH to 60 MPH, the contact depressed the brake pedal to adjust the speed and then depressed the accelerator pedal to readjust the cruise control however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The contact then coasted to the side of the road and shifted the vehicle int... Read more
Incident date: Aug 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65-70 MPH, the speedometer started glitching, and the transmission shifter downshifted from 6th to 2nd gear. The engine then red lined and the contact started losing control of the vehicle. The contact pulled over to the side of the roadway and shifted into park(P) and waited for the vehicle to regain proper fu... Read more
Incident date: Sep 22, 2022
2020 NISSAN FRONTIER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO TRANSMISSION ISSUES. THE CONSUMER STATED UPON PURCHASING THE VEHICLE IT WOULD PULL TO THE RIGHT. THE DEALER ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THIS FAILURE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN PARK. ON TWO OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE ROLLED AWAY. ONCE STRIKING AN RV, AND SECOND STRIKING A FENCE. THE CONSUMER WAS MADE AWARE OF A RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAK... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Sep 20, 2022
2018 FORD EDGE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO NHTSA SAFETY RECALL 22V-413. THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME COMPLETING THE RECALL REPAIR.
Incident date: Sep 17, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Infiniti Q50. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, she noticed the check engine warning illuminated on the instrument panel. Additionally, the contact stated she heard a loud noise coming from the vehicle. On another occasion the contact stated while driving at 10 MPH the vehicle started jerking. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed. The manufacture... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated while stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact stated she depressed the accelerator pedal harder than usual and the vehicle jerked and accelerated abruptly. The contact stated that on another occasion there was an abnormal sound while shifting gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed and the co... Read more
Incident date: Sep 2, 2022
My Chrysler Pacifica 2007 4.0L Shifter Check Engine Light Was On. I Took It To Get Diagnosed It Came Back Ass Gas Cap My Inboard Computer Even Read Gas-cap. So I Replaced It And The Check Engine Light Was Gone. I Say A Week Later My I Was Parked An Tried To Put The Car In Drive I Wouldn't Shift Shifter Broken Only To Find Out It Was A Piece Inside The Shifter. So I Replaced That And After Replacem... Read more
CHRYSLER
POWER TRAIN
(9999) — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Sep 16, 2022
Incident date: Sep 1, 2021
Getting sharp Jerks when shifting gear there is problem in transmission, i have seen lot's of people are having same issue when i google & in youtube videos, customers are facing issues & company is taking fat profits & not providing any fix. Just have to keep reseting it that can last depending on your car usage.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2021
Getting sharp Jerks when shifting gear there is problem in transmission, i have seen lot's of people are having same issue when i google & in youtube videos, customers are facing issues & company is taking fat profits & not providing any fix. Just have to keep reseting it that can last depending on your car usage.
Incident date: Jul 18, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle stalled while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the check engine and battery warning lights illuminated and the vehicle then lost motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle was restarted but failed to exceed 10 MPH while driving. The vehicle was taken to the ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 16, 2022
2015 FORD ESCAPE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO TRANSMISSION SHIFTER CABLE BUSHING FAILURE SAFETY RECALL. THE CONSUMER PAID TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED UNDER THE ADVICE OF THE DEALERSHIP. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE REPAIRS MADE DUE TO THE RECALL. THE CONSUMER EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE REPLACEMENT PART WOULD FAIL AS WELL.
Incident date: Sep 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact stated that the dealer declined to repair the vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Sep 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the gear shifter inadvertently shifted out of drive(D) and the vehicle would not accelerate. A warning message was displayed to “Return Shifter to park(P) then Shift to Desired gear". The contact was able to pull over, turn off and restart the vehicle, and the vehicle started operating normally. Several unknown deal... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that on multiple occasions while driving at 80 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently downshifted and the RPM increased and the speedometer became inoperable. The service vehicle soon and the check engine warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that he placed the shifter in park(P) and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure recurred. ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Infiniti QX60. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH and going uphill, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The contact stated that after a while, the vehicle accelerated as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacture was contacted and stated that the Extended Warranty had expire... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2021
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle was hard shifting with a delay while shifting gears. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the mechanic stated that there was no failure found and that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 90,000.
MOPAR
HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP
(9999) — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Sep 4, 2022
Incident date: Aug 29, 2022
car went into transmission malfunction and speed was reduced when I was going at high speed. could have caused an accident but luckily I am a good driver so accident was avoided.
Incident date: Aug 29, 2022
car went into transmission malfunction and speed was reduced when I was going at high speed. could have caused an accident but luckily I am a good driver so accident was avoided.
Incident date: Aug 31, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated on two separate occasions while idled in a parked position and the brake pedal depressed, he shifted into reverse position and the vehicle inadvertently lunged forward approximately 5ft without acceleration. The vehicle then performed as normal. The contact then stated that on a separate occasion while idled in a parked position and the bra... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Sep 1, 2022
2022 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER REMOTE RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, THE DASHBOARD DISPLAY ALERTED "TRANSMISSION SYSTEM ERROR, CHECK TRANSMISSION OIL IMMEDIATELY". THE DEALER ADVISED THE VEHICLE WOULD NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION WAS ON BACK ORDER. THE RANSMISSION FAILED ON JUNE 24, 2022. AS OF AUGUST 15, 2022 THE VEHICLE ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 3, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that on several occasions, the engine, traction, and stabilitrak warning lights illuminated then the vehicle went into Limp Mode. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone where a diagnostic test indicated that the powertrain system and cylinder #1 had failed. The contact stated while driving downhill, the RPM increased however, the vehicle fa... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2022
2015 FORD ESCAPE. CONSUMER WRITES SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT FOR EPAIRS MADE RELATED TO NHTSA SAFETY RECALL22V-413. THE CONSUMER STATED THE SHIFTER WAS STUCK IN THE PARK POSISTION. THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED.
Incident date: Aug 26, 2022
2020 FORD F-150. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO ISSUES WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE SHIFTED HARD WITH A BANG AND JERK. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED.
Incident date: Aug 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the vehicle was in the park position in a parking space but was unsure if the shifter was in park when without warning, the vehicle rolled down a hill and crashed into a chain link fence and burial wall. No warning lights illuminated. The air bags failed to deploy. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was needed. A police... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated while the vehicle was in the driveway, the transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The contact related the failure to Ford Technical Service Bulletin 19N08. The vehicle was diagnosed with a transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate fail... Read more
Incident date: Aug 18, 2022
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the transmission failed. The transmission overheating warning light was illuminated and indicated to wait 5 minutes before proceeding. The contact then waited approximately 10 minutes then continued driving to his destination with the transmission was slipping. The contact then experienced the same failure w... Read more
Incident date: Sep 20, 2019
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The vehicle was turned off and restarted. The contact stated that on another occasion the vehicle hesitated while accelerating and then operated normally. The contact stated that a scanner retrieved fault code: P0762 (Shift Solenoid Failure). The vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2021
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Avalon. The contact stated while diving approximately 50 MPH, the engine and transmission warning lights illuminated. The contact also stated that the windshield had detached from the frame. The contact stated that the rear doors were failing to close correctly. The contact stated the vehicle would roll with the brake pedal depressed before coming to a stop. While dr... Read more
Incident date: Jun 11, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ram 1500. The contact stated while reversing she felt the vehicle jerk with a loud sound coming from the vehicle causing the vehicle to come to a complete stop. The dealer was contacted, and an appointment was set to diagnose the vehicle. On another occasion, the vehicle was getting detailed and it was noticed that the rear window was leaking and had white mold. The vehicle... Read more