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: Oct 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving 25-30 MPH, the transmission slipped out of gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure progressively worsened. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle failed to accelerate properly or exceed 15 MPH, and the vehicle stalled in the middle of the highway. The check engine warni... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2024
I am reporting repeated coolant system failures and overheating on my 2019 BMW X3 . I have had 4 coolant-related repairs in under 3 years, including the coolant reservoir boiling after service. Most recently, the problem recurred despite prior repairs. This is a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle with warranty history, and I believe this is a systemic engine/cooling defect that poses a risk of engine fai... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2025
started squeaking, so we replaced brakes, control arms with bushings, then it started smelling really bad and losing power. When the engine starts, manual shift is not available. Extremely pungent toxic fumes released into the cabin requires recycled air to be on always or the car is not drivable. Oh, and loss of power, like dropping into a low gear when should be in a higher gear. Smell is noxiou... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2025
I had the recall for 73B performed in mid October to my 2017 EV/Hybrid Pacifica- 2017 and only 67K miles. No issues before. Since the recall service I’ve brought it in twice with the same problems stating Hybrid Battery needs conditioning/service. I suspect it’s the recall update that has caused all types of issues. I did go to auto zone before I brought the vehicle in just this Monday to get... Read more
Incident date: Dec 3, 2025
Transmission now won’t go into gear and is making a rattling noise when the vehicle gets turned on.
FORD
MAVERICK HYBRID
(2023) — POWER TRAIN
Dec 2, 2025
Incident date: Dec 2, 2025
AUTOMATIC REVVING INCIDENT 1 DATE: November 25, 2025 TIME: about 4:05pm LOCATION: [XXX] WEATHER: Slight rain, around 37º F VEHICLE STATUS: In Park, heat dial turned on. DESCRIPTION OF ISSUE: Turned key to on position while in park. ICE engine immediately turned on and revved all the way, as if the accelerator pedal was pressed down all the way. Pedal was NOT under floor mats. Immediately turned ... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2019) — POWER TRAIN
Dec 2, 2025
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
My 2018 Ford F-150 3.5L EcoBoost experienced cam phaser rattle/failure at 72,000 miles. The vehicle never received the 21B10 PCM reflash, and Ford Customer Care has denied any goodwill assistance. The cam phaser noise is a known widespread defect covered under Customer Satisfaction Program 21N03. I had the repair done out-of-pocket at a Ford Dealership because I was fearful that catastrophic engin... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2025
•What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Transmission and power train failure during normal operation. Vehicle was occupied by mother and two small children. Vehicle produced a whining noise, delay in shifting and power failure. No warning lights appeared to give any indication of failure prior to occurring. Vehicle is available for... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2025
I had just replaced the transmission (R1080; 6 cyl 3.5L Turbo) on September 3, 2025 due to P0734-00 (Gear 4 incorrect Ratio and P07F7-00 (Gear 10 incorrect Ratio). The transmission matter can be referenced on NHTSA ID # XXX. On September 30, 2025, while driving down the parking deck ramp (at 3-5mph) my check engine light came on with code P0022 (camshaft timing); resulting in replacement of the ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2025
My 2016 Toyota Corolla suddenly showed a Check Engine light, and the dealer diagnosed a CVT transmission failure with code P2757. This code is linked directly to Toyota’s own TSB T-SB-0150-16 for torque converter clutch/valve-body failure. The dealer confirmed the issue and quoted me $11K to fix it. This is frightening because a failing transmission can slip, hesitate, or lose power at any mome... Read more
Incident date: Nov 22, 2025
My vehicle is consuming oil excessively. I have to put a whole quart of oil in my vehicle every 2 weeks. I am adamant about getting regular maintenance oil changes as well. My car had to be towed to a local auto shop due to the engine stalling and accelerator not working. They had to replace all 4 coil packs and 4 spark plugs due to dark, tarry oil covering the parts. The repairman told me my engi... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
My vehicle has developed a rapidly worsening battery performance issue. It loses range far faster than expected, shows inconsistent energy usage, and experiences sudden drops in projected mileage even during normal driving. Charging behavior is irregular, and the vehicle’s energy regeneration is inconsistent. There was no crash, fire, or damage. Based on the symptoms, this appears to be a potent... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2025
Engine is failing, oil leaking in the engine that messed up my catalytic converter and O2 sensors now it’s just sluggish , doesn’t accelerate properly, doesn’t idle nearly .
Incident date: Apr 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Dart. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V674000 (POWER TRAIN). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), after the vehicle was parked, the contact attempted to move the gear shifter to park(P); however, the shifter cable failed to connect to the transmission. The contact wa... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
I paid off my var in June. By the ed of august my cars engine started going bad out of no where. started with oil and coolant mixing into the engine and then transmission started whining. Long story short I had to get both replaced. Oh yea my car only has 56k miles. Can you guys explain or give me any ideas on how this happened?
Incident date: Oct 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (POWER TRAIN). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. No warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to coast to the side of the on-ramp where the vehicle failed to restart. The contact asked passersby for help pushing the vehicle off the r... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2024
I put the car in park, once I released the brake the car started jerking forward. While this was going on, the dash displayed powertrain failure. I was only able to get it to stop by turning off the car. When I turned the car on following the event, I had a check engine code: P1B13-00 "Park-By-Wire-Unintended Out of Park Position". Since that incident, the car has excessive forward roll when putti... Read more
Incident date: Nov 10, 2025
Over the past few months the transmission has started randomly refusing to engage. When entering the expressway, you will press the accelerator, and the engine will rev and the vehicle will not accelerate at all. Then you let off the accelerator, let the engine RPM drop back down to idle, and press again and it will accelerate. This has happened 3 times in 2 months. Subaru is refusing to replace t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
I would need to change many more of the points on the top, see report.
Incident date: Dec 2, 2025
Check Engine Light comes on and off on its own. OBD read that the engine is not getting up to normal temp. Had it diagnosed and was told that the 3.6 V6 has issues with the oil filter housing cracking/leaking. Somehow the housing cracking caused me to lose coolant. To have everything repaired would be $1400.
Incident date: Nov 2, 2024
Purchased Truck in 2019 - 2 weeks after purchase the truck gave a Code and started to stall while in motion. We took into dealership and they did a complete review. They discovered and documented the following: Removed transmission fluid pump and disassembled to inspect- found a large piece of manufacturing metal flashing - that got stuck in valve bore preventing full movement etc. we kept up on a... Read more
Incident date: Nov 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25E070000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that he lived near a School Zone and was concerned that the failure could occur, causing the vehicle to strike and injure children on the road. The local dealer was not contacted. The contac... Read more
NISSAN
ROGUE SPORT
(2020) — POWER TRAIN
Dec 2, 2025
Incident date: Oct 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLC300. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shifted into gear initially without warning. The contact stated that while stopped at a light, the vehicle shut off with the "Transmission Malfunction Stop" message displayed on the instrument panel. The contact was unable to move the vehicle, and the vehicle was towed to an independe... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
transmission just stopped shifting yes its available for inspection. car suddenly wouldnt accelaerate on the highway. independant service center. has not been inspected by them. no warning lights prior to the incident also the junkyards want double the amount of money for these transmissions cause they say theyre in high demand because they tend to fail
Incident date: Dec 20, 2024
Car turns off suddenly while driving on the freeway at freeway speeds.
Incident date: Nov 30, 2025
Hard shift stuttering when driving About 30000 miles ago Called Lincoln they said $150 to diagnose it No warning lights
Incident date: Sep 22, 2025
I bought a brand new 2025 GMC Yukon AT4 3.0 Diesel on 8/16/25 (had 213 miles on). A month later, with only 2000 miles on the vehicle, I was driving down the road and got a warning "reduced acceleration, drive with caution". Car would hardly accelerate. Had it towed to the dealer on 9/22/25. They found metal shavings in the engine oil. Said there was a quarter inch play around the camshaft (manufac... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving uphill and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle decelerated and rolled backwards unexpectedly. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was inspected by a mechanic friend and diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The appr... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V011000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not exp... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
The PTU spline issues already recalled on 2017-2019 year Jeep Cherokee and other Stellantis vehicles, is affecting my 2015 Jeep Cherokee. See NHTSA Campain Numbers 25V011000, 23V302000, 20V343000.
Incident date: Nov 26, 2025
Vehicle was parked on a hill. At the time the vehicle was pulling a light weight trailer (empty). The vehicle was in park when the engine was shutoff. Owner went inside the house, came back out 5 minutes later to find the vehicle had rolled unattended backwards causing the trailer to jack knife. The result was damage to the truck and trailer. This was very lucky considering another vehicle c... Read more
Crash
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2024) — POWER TRAIN
Dec 2, 2025
Incident date: Dec 2, 2025
While driving the vehicle at about 20mph about a week ago, the check hybrid light began flashing. After stopping and restarting the vehicle, the check engine light came on. The vehicle has been diagnosed at a Volkswagen dealership service center as leaking hydraulic fluid from the transmission mechatronics control unit and needing a new transmission and hydraulic pump. This vehicle is not inclu... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that after the vehicle was parked and the gear shifter was shifted to park(P), the vehicle failed to turn off as intended. The message "Shift to Park" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked, and the gear shifter was shifted to park(P), however the vehicle failed to recognize that the gear shifter ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
the transmission has failed with hardly any warning. Stops without warning, while driving down the road. The car will start just fine but will not rev. or respond to the accelerator. When it stops will driving, it will rev way up but will not have any power to move.
Incident date: May 3, 2025
My 2024 Honda Prologue has numerous issues. First, the CV joints are making the clattering noises when turning right from a stop. Started at almost 8000 miles, more faintly, but now very noticeable. I noticed the left has now started making the same noises as well at 9000 miles on the odometer. Soon after purchase, the automatic braking/collision avoidance slammed on my brakes HARD while driving a... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2019) — POWER TRAIN
Dec 2, 2025
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
Engine failure on 12/1/2025 16,253 miles and 591.9 hours on vehicle. Vehicle has the 6.2l engine. Towed to dealership
Incident date: Jan 17, 2025
GM has failed to resolve repeated issues on my vehicle (VIN: [XXX] ). I was never notified of any official buyback denial. GM Customer Assistance continues to avoid clarifying the status and refuses to provide documentation of the denial. This creates an unresolved safety and reliability concern. I need an investigation into the consistent mechanical defects paired with GM’s refusal to properly ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Lexus ES 350. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked abnormally. The driver was able to drive to the residence. Upon test-driving the vehicle, the contact noticed that the vehicle was hesitating and jerking. The contact stated that the vehicle made an abnormal clicking sound while driving the following day, and the... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
I took my vehicle in for the recall on Sept 22,2025 and on Friday my rear end went out on my way home from work. On my recall receipt it's states they replaced the pinion nut, but after dropping my driveshaft I noticed the pinion nut was never replaced. I have spoke to the service manager 1 time and now he won't return my phone calls .
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2021) — POWER TRAIN
Dec 2, 2025
Incident date: Dec 2, 2025
Noise from the rear of the vehicle. Took vehicle in to dealership. The determined that it was a left side loose axle nut. This is clearly a safety issue. It may not have been torqued properly at the factory. The vehicle is a 2021 with only 5500 miles. They did the repair/tightened the axle nut and the noise is gone.
Incident date: Nov 6, 2025
Transmission failed to engage gear properly after backing up. Grinding sounds heard when vehicle was in drive. Problem has been confirmed and inspected by Chevrolet dealership. Vehicle is available for inspection. Occupants safety was at risk because gears could have locked up during commute causing vehicle to be undriveable, leaving driver and passengers stranded. Blind spot feature is unavaila... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2020
while stopped in traffic on a freeway in fast lane, the vehicle was in the "stop/go" mode. When I pressed the accelerator, the engine failed to start. On multiple attempts engine would not start and I could smell electrical burn. The CHP was on site and we attempted to push the car to the side and out of the fast lane. However, since the engine would not start, there was no way to shift the ca... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2025
I have reported this before and I am reporting once again as it is a very serious safety hazard. Vehicle: 2014 Jeep Cherokee Limited Component/System: Power Train – Transfer Case / Drivetrain (4WD/AWD System) I am submitting this complaint to report a recurring and potentially hazardous malfunction involving the transfer case on my 2014 Jeep Cherokee Limited. The vehicle exhibits multiple sym... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2025
The vehicle has an active safety recall related to a potential high-voltage battery fire. The recall warns that the battery pack may contain damaged cells that could lead to a vehicle fire under certain conditions. The manufacturer instructs owners not to recharge the battery and to park the vehicle away from buildings or other vehicles due to the fire risk. The defect puts my family and others a... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2024
driving on highway at 65MPH truck suddenly locks up (brakes or shifts into park) and does not release.vehicle swerves while coming to stop. Occurred 2 times sent to dealership and could not duplicate issue. 3 weeks later same thing happened Both incidences happened while having cruise control on.
Incident date: Oct 5, 2025
There is a "shift to park" alert that is listed as a recall from 2017-2019 gmc Acadia's. I have this alarm but apparently my vin is not affected. I would like this to be investigated as it seems my vehicle should be included in the recall.
HYUNDAI
SONATA HYBRID
(2023) — POWER TRAIN
Dec 2, 2025
Incident date: Nov 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed, but the pedal was firm, and the contact was unable to start the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where an unknown repair was performed. Additionally, the contact stated that upon taking the vehicle for an oil change, the contact was informed that the ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2023
The transmission had an internal failure that caused metal fragments to end up in the transmission fluid and caused failure. The vehicle will not drive and required the transmission to be rebuilt
Incident date: Nov 21, 2025
The component is D automatic transmission shift to park switch. The vehicle is and will be available for immediate inspection upon request. Safety was put at risk when the car lost power while they’re celebrating install in the floor of traffic, causing other cars to swerve around and blow horns. The underlying issue with the car was confirmed by independent service center. There was no reason t... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2024) — POWER TRAIN
Dec 1, 2025
Incident date: Oct 4, 2025
While attempting to pass a slower moving vehicle and changing from the right lane to left, I attempted to accelerate past the vehicle when the check manual light appeared on the vehicle display dashboard and I lost all power. I had no acceleration and no power from the gas pedal, after gliding past the slower vehicle and completely taking my foot off the gas pedal, the truck reset itself and power... Read more