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 133,534 complaints — component: POWER TRAIN
Incident date: Jun 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 - 60 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended for approximately one second before accelerating. A dealer was contacted. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
I am smelling gas every time I put gas and it won't start after putting gas there's a strong smell of gas inside my vehicle the recall has not been fixed yet I am a single mother and this is a safety risk issue how do I go forward powertrain is also still coming up I have other things popping up saying recalls were never fixed please help
Incident date: Nov 23, 2025
RECALLED PART FAILED CAUSING DAMAGE TO OTHER PARTS ON VEHICLE, FORD MOTOR COMPANY REFUSES TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE - NO RECALL NOTIFIACTIONS SENT - WE ARE NOT ORIGINAL OWNERS OF VEHICLE
Incident date: May 5, 2025
The CVT transmission in my 2018 Nissan Rogue Sport is malfunctioning and poses a serious safety hazard. The vehicle hesitates, loses power during acceleration, and displays warning lights while driving. This failure creates extremely dangerous situations, especially when merging into traffic, accelerating from a stop, or crossing intersections. Despite the widespread CVT issues in Nissan vehicles ... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2025
During normal driving when coming to a stop the vehicle will hard downshift to neutral for no apparent reason. It will also hard shift to 1st like it’s lagging hard from 2nd or deciding if it wants to shift to neutral. It will happen at random times, in the middle of a turn, middle of an intersection. And is a serious concern
Incident date: Nov 26, 2025
This vehicle is affected by Acura’s 9-speed transmission warmer defect covered under: • TSB B17-009 – Product Update: Transmission Warmer • TSB B17-010 – Product Update / Warmer Replacement • TSB B17-026 – Warranty Extension: 10 years from in-service date, unlimited mileage These bulletins address failures of the transmission warmer that allow coolant and ATF to mix, causing interna... Read more
Incident date: Nov 26, 2025
To whom this concerns: My name is [XXX] and I’m writing this on the behalf of my wife [XXX] , but her last name was [XXX] years ago. My wife purchases a 2018 Ford Escape. Car was working completely fine and there were no problems. As time went on, we had to take our vehicle to Jordan Ford where the car was purchased. The issue with the car was something called Engine intrusion. We took it t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2025
There is a defect in the vehicle that is associated with a pervasive design flaw, wherein a spring fails in the gearbox, preventing the car from showing as parked.
Incident date: Nov 22, 2025
At approximately 70,000 miles, the car has started to surge and shudder at nominal speeds (between 20-40 MPH, but will continue to shudder even with my cruise control on in highway conditions.) This is a known issue with this vehicle and has been reported by multiple people. I took it into the dealership and it's going to cost me $5000 just to replace the converter. There is no reason that my car ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2025
In November 2024, my 2022 Kia EV6 became suddenly non-drivable due to electrical failure consistent with a repeat ICCU/12-volt system malfunction. The vehicle would not start or maintain normal electrical power and became stuck in accessory mode, creating a loss of propulsion and complete loss of transportation. This vehicle previously experienced an ICCU failure earlier in 2024 that required dea... Read more
Incident date: Oct 30, 2025
My transmission is going out. I bought this car brand new back in 2019. I am at 80k miles. It is available for inspection upon request. No light has came on, but there has been a loud whining noise whenever I press on the accelerator. I took it into a shop and they said my transmission is going to go out any time now.. My safety could have been put at risk because no light has came on with a warni... Read more
Incident date: Dec 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving 65-70 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal grinding sound. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The contact stated that upon shifting to Park(P), the RPMs continued... Read more
GOODYEAR
WRANGLER TRAILRUNNER AT
(9999) — POWER TRAIN
Dec 5, 2025
Incident date: Nov 7, 2025
Based on dealer inspection, oil was found sitting on top of the #2 piston, and you’ve indicated the failure is originating from the bottom end of the engine—likely involving piston, ring, or cylinder wall damage. Combined with the stored P050D, P0300, and P0302 codes, this represents a clear internal mechanical failure. Vehicle is currently at the dealership. Mechanical failure while dri... Read more
Incident date: Dec 5, 2025
“Brand-new 2026 VW Tiguan experienced sudden violent shaking, loss of power, and multiple warning lights within 24 hours of purchase. Dealer confirmed cylinder 1 misfire but could not identify root cause. VW insists vehicle is safe to operate despite no explanation for failure. Vehicle is being returned without root-cause diagnosis.”
Incident date: Sep 2, 2025
Failed Power Train part that Nissan Knows about( TSB Notify to shops ) and is not willing to fix. This item is failing premature and can definitely be a safety hazard. My wife was driving this when it completely failed. She was afraid her car was falling apart, vibrating excessively. It is the Left hand side motor mounts. It causes serious vibration throughout the vehicle when driving or stopped. ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2025
I believe my vehicle has a serious safety defect related to the engine cooling system that creates a fire and safety hazard. Specifically, coolant appears to leak from the cooling-elbow near the turbocharger, following a belt failure that lead to engine overheating and elbow pipe burst leading to coolant leaking on to the turbo heatshield or exhaust components. There was serious smoking when the ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
1- THE TURBO HAS FAILED TWICE 2- CURRENTLY The torque converter has failed. The mechanic has claimed this is a common problem and recommends a complete transmission replacement. This is available for inspection right now. The problem was suspected by Dealer but independent center diagnosed. The vehicle made a terrible hum as if it was going to explode. We had it cleaned and it made it stop for 1... Read more
Incident date: Sep 3, 2025
Transmission, would lock up for no apparent reason . At random speeds, they continue as if nothing was wrong. Took to dealership, couldn't get to it for a week. End up at a transmission shop said it through some code. required rebuilding the transmission . 88,000 miles on truck. From time of first incident to first shop visit one week. Same transmission in similar trucks is under recall but this v... Read more
Incident date: Dec 5, 2025
There was no incident...but I am reporting the fact that Nissan has not provided a remedy and the recall has been in place over a year. I and other owners of affected Nissan Leafs are not able to use the car to its full capacity. I strongly recommend NHTSA encourage/force Nissan to deliver a remedy and, indeed, compensation for the fact that these cars could not be use for long-distance driving fo... Read more
Incident date: Nov 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 05V462000 (POWER TRAIN). The vehicle was taken to a tire specialist to install larger tires on the vehicle. The contact was informed that the tires were too big and could not be installed on the vehicle. The contact stated that the employees switched the tires and added two low-drive tires on the fr... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the engine overheated. The message “Drive Mode Inoperable” was displayed. The contact pulled over for 20 minutes, and the vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who confirmed that parts were on back order for NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V346000 (Engine). The vehicle was diagnosed, ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2025
I am reporting a serious safety defect involving the oil pump assembly on my 2019 BMW X5 xDrive40i. While driving at low speed in normal conditions, a sudden dashboard warning appeared stating: “Engine oil pressure too low — stop carefully.” I immediately pulled over and shut off the engine. My vehicle had been serviced by an authorized BMW dealership less than one week earlier, and no faul... Read more
Incident date: Nov 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Buick Cascada. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle lost motive power. In addition, the transmission and engine failure warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with turbocharger failure. The c... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, there was an abnormal sound coming from the rear end of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V896000 (Power Train). The vehicle was previously taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the rear a... Read more
Incident date: Oct 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that after shifting to the park(P), there was an audible warning alarm activated, and the message "Shift to Park" was displayed, and the vehicle failed to immediately turn off. After restarting the vehicle and jiggling the gear shifter, the failure was corrected. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determin... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was shuddering. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with heater exchange failure and coolant intrusion in the transmission. The contact was informed that the heat exchan... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2025
I bought this Terrain brand new from Betten Baker Chevrolet in Muskegon Mi in 2019 with 500 miles. That same year we had transmission Slippage causing it to slip out of gear then slam back into gear while driving. I took it to the dealer to have it looked at. They did nothing and informed me it was known by the manufacturer that this was an issue. I then had to bring it back for electrical issues ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, and up a slight grade, the vehicle inadvertently downshifted. The contact was towing an empty 12-foot, single-axel, flatbed trailer. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was on a two-lane road and was unable to pull over. The vehicle lost motive power and failed to respond while depressin... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2024) — POWER TRAIN
Dec 5, 2025
Incident date: Jul 23, 2025
Power train failure while driving confirmed by dealer in February 2025 - 01C recall.vehicle is inoperable and sitting at dealer. Keep being told parts unavailable. Reimbursement for rental was nightmare and deliberately delayed, change terms mid rental etc. No updates, no remedies, no compensation.
Incident date: Dec 5, 2025
THERE IS A WHINING NOISE WHEN I AM DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD FOR ANYWHERE BETWEEN 3-6 MINUTES USUALLY THEN IT STOPS. THEN MAINLY WHEN I START AFTER A STOP IT START UP AGAIN. ONCE IN A WHILE IT WILL JUST START WHINING AT ANY SPPED. I TOOK IT IN TO GET SERVICED AS MY SRV4WHDRV LIGHT CAME ON. DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT THE 2016 CHEROKEE LATITUDE IN SEPT. 2015 TOLD ME I NEED A PTU UNIT. COST OF ABOUT $3500... Read more
Incident date: Dec 3, 2025
My 2020 Toyota Camry SE suffered a sudden and premature transmission failure at only 114,000 miles. I am a college student and I cannot afford a major repair like this on top of my monthly car payment. The car began showing hesitation and sluggish acceleration on cold starts for a few months, but then suddenly went into limp mode with the Check Engine and Traction Control lights on. The screen dis... Read more
Incident date: Dec 3, 2025
The first indication of problems came when I tried to put the truck in gear and I noticed that the reverse light didn't come on and it wouldn't engage into the gear then as I was traveling down a three-lane highway in the middle lane the car started jerking and like it didn't want to go and then I got to a red light and the truck would not move so I was stuck in the central lane but after engaging... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2025
Shift to Park light remains on and car will not shut down when it is in Park already. This is an existing issue with Chevy Malibu but no recall yet.
Incident date: Sep 5, 2025
There is an electronic glitch with the gear shifting system where it will randomly / sporadically not allow shifting from reverse to drive and provides the error message "gear already selected." This has happened numerous times and resolves itself after 1-2 minutes. However, the vehicle remains in the wrong gear (reverse) while waiting, creating a significant safety issue. I purchased this vehi... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2025
I was driving through the parking lot at my daughter’s school, and the vehicle shut off entirely when going at slow speeds. The vehicle lost all power steering, and braking was more difficult. Stopped safely, and the vehicle wouldn’t restart. Dealership confirmed it was a failure of the 48v battery system.
Incident date: Nov 12, 2025
My vehicle has the 8F35 transmission and is experiencing severe jerking and shuddering. With the current snow and slick roads, the car feels unsafe to drive. The sudden jerks make me fear I could lose control, slide into another car, or end up in a ditch. I’m also worried about the loss of power this transmission issue causes, which increases the risk of an accident—especially when pulling out... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
The car has a strange thump when driving around 70-75. This is always and the dealer says it’s normal, which is not true! This weird thump is now happening at lower speeds and also a weird shuddering at speeds around 25-40. Shudders are more random Also starting at about 8-10,000 miles randomly while driving highway speeds 70-75 the vehicle shudders /vibrates for about 20 seconds and then stops.... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2025
Water pump failure in vehicle less than two years of age. Dealer stated car was not safe to drive. Instrument cluster had a warning light, the app had details of the failures, and the display in the vehicle had a pop up stating the car needed to be serviced TODAY!
Incident date: Oct 18, 2025
The vehicle shut off and would not start while at a stop light. It is new: under one year old and still within warranty. The error was a “Restart not possible. Drivetrain fault” as shown in the picture. My safety as well as my passenger’s were put at risk due to being in a congested roadway and unable to move. After attempting to restart the system software, I then observed a “High voltage... Read more
POLESTAR
POLESTAR 2
(2022) — POWER TRAIN
Dec 4, 2025
Incident date: Dec 4, 2025
The vehicle’s automatic transmission (power train) has developed a loud whining/whirring noise under acceleration. This noise increases with engine load and indicates internal mechanical failure. The transmission is still installed in the vehicle and is available for inspection upon request. This issue poses a safety risk because it causes hesitation and unpredictable acceleration behavior whil... Read more
Incident date: Nov 20, 2025
My vehicle stooped running. I scheduled maintenance at Metro Ford. According to the diagnostic test completed at Metro Ford, there were powertrain issues. This diagnosis also appears on my Ford Motor Pass app. According to the service department at Metro Ford, coolant was leaking into the engine and that a new water pump and battery needs to be installed to get the car back running. We compli... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
Transmission slipping and won’t go in reverse
Incident date: Nov 25, 2025
My 2022 GMC Yukon with the 6.2L V8 engine is covered under recall 25V274000 for connecting rod and crankshaft defects that can cause engine failure. Approximately three months ago, Wiesner GMC dealership performed the recall inspection and stated the vehicle passed. Recently, the engine suddenly began misfiring on cylinder 6. The failure was sudden and severe—the vehicle started shaking signific... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2025
Torque converter shutter causing delay acceleration, which can cause issues in traffic. I understand from the transmission shop that the whole transmission is likely to fail because of it which could cause an accident
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle erratically jerked and the vehicle stalled. The contact noticed an abnormal whining sound. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The contact called a mobile mechanic to the residence, and the mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with a defect in the transmission. Th... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2025
I am reporting a serious safety issue with my 2021 Ram 2500 (VIN: [XXX] ). The truck has experienced three separate transmission failures within a few months. Each time the transmission was replaced, the vehicle failed again shortly afterward. At one point, the dealership returned the truck to me without transmission fluid, causing additional internal damage and creating an extreme safety risk. I... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2025
The oil filter housing is made of plastic and it cracked causing a major oil leak. There were no warning lights on the dash. Our family had just gotten into the car to visit family for Thanksgiving. I ran back into the house to get something and when I came back I first saw a large puddle of oil where the car was parked then I looked at the car and could see oil streaming out. At first I thoug... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2025
My 2025 Honda Prologue Elite is experiencing multiple safety-related issues. The front CV axles make a consistent clicking noise when turning, indicating a possible drivetrain or axle defect. The power tailgate also intermittently and unexpectedly closes on its own while loading or unloading, creating a risk of head injury. In addition, the infotainment screen and digital gauge cluster will random... Read more
TOYOTA
CROWN SIGNIA
(2025) — POWER TRAIN
Dec 4, 2025
Incident date: Dec 15, 2024
The car has 3000 miles on it and the CV joints have failed. Every time I turn the car makes a clicking sound.