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: Sep 1, 2025
The CV joints started clicking loudly on both sides after less than 5000 miles of driving on the car.
CHEVROLET
TRAILBLAZER
(2025) — POWER TRAIN
Nov 30, 2025
Incident date: Nov 13, 2025
The vehicle makes a noticeable clicking sound when making routine left and right turns. This noise is not coming from the cabin of the vehicle, but sounds like it's coming from the wheels/axles. I have observed some level of clicking sound during turns since I purchased the vehicle in May 2025, but with each passing month, the volume and frequency of the clicking has increased. I now feel unsafe m... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2019
My 2021 Ford F-250 equipped with the 10R140 10-speed transmission suffered a sudden internal failure around ~100,000 miles. The failure symptoms and internal damage match the defect Ford acknowledged in Safety Recall 22V-256, which applies to the 2020 F-250/F-350 trucks using the same 10R140 transmission. Despite identical symptoms and the same transmission design, my VIN [XXX] ) was excluded fr... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2019
2019 Kia sorento with the 2.4 is consuming so much oil and is very noisy. I just changed the oil 4k miles ago and the dipstick doesn’t show any oil. Dealer says it’s normal. There is clearly a problem with these motors. The Kia dealership doesn’t want to figure it out unless they’re getting paid a ridiculous amount of money. Kia should take care of this and pay the bill. They basically sa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2004
Cars acceleration causes me to be unable to pick up speed it decelerates up hills small or latg ramps cats constantly fly pass to avoid a multi car pile up it’s very dangerous!
Incident date: Nov 29, 2025
I have had my vehicle to a GM dealer on a few occasions with the EMC code stored in the vehicle and an active check engine light on. While I’m driving - now during 70 percent or more of my trips - my vehicle loses power very suddenly and lunges me forward. I’m unable to stop and go on hills of any noticeable grade and have narrowly missed being in an accident many times. The dealer’s service... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2025
From the moment I purchased the vehicle, HGreg Nissan withheld essential information and misled me about its condition and warranty status. They told me the vehicle had a “bumper-to-bumper” warranty valid until October 2025 because it was a 2022 model, but they never informed me about the actual manufacturer warranties (5-year and 8-year EV warranties), which remain active and override any ext... Read more
Incident date: Nov 22, 2025
Since I purchased this vehicle new, it has always had problems with hard shifting. This happens at low to medium speed when accelerating or decelerating. In many cases while accelerating, the hard shift causes a temporary loss of power (and therefore acceleration) creating a dangerous situation when trying to merge in heavy traffic. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or ind... Read more
Incident date: Sep 16, 2025
My 2022 Ford E-Transit has experienced repeated electrical, propulsion, and powertrain failures that cause the vehicle to become completely inoperable. On September 8, the van displayed multiple critical alerts including powertrain malfunction, brake system failure, vacuum pump failure, and full electrical system fault, and it would not start. The next day, the same failure occurred again and the ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 29, 2025
11/25/25 DRIVING AT A SLOW SPEED, THE TRANSMISION WAS IN DRIVE. THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL. THE CAR STOP. I PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE AND CONTINUED TO THE FINAL DESTINATION. 3 DAYS LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN. TRANSMITION WENT FROM DRIVE TO 1 ST GEAR. I STOPPED THE CAR. I PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE. i CONTINUED TO FINAL DESTINATION. I FEEL VERY LUCKY THIS ALL HAPPENED WHEN THE CAR WAS ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Oct 15, 2025
My 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Touring-L has suffered repeated and dangerous electrical failures since purchase. Shortly after buying it from AutoNation Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM in Valencia, CA, I had to return it twice for electrical repairs that kept it in service several weeks under warranty. About two years later, while still under extended warranty, the engine underwent a complete rebuild for multi... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
Transmission and torque converter went out at only 83,000 miles. Many other ford edge owners have had the same problem with their transmission and converter as well. This caused me car to hesitate and sputter on the highway which could have caused an accident.
Incident date: Feb 10, 2025
e vehicle is burning approximately 2 quarts of oil every month with no external leaks. This indicates severe internal oil consumption, which is a known defect in Hyundai’s Theta II 2.4 GDI engines. I discovered oil inside the VVT solenoid electrical connector and on other wiring, which shows oil is traveling through the engine harness. This causes hesitation, rough running, and the risk of sudde... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2025
I needed an oil pressure sending switch, oil filter housing and intake manifold gaskets replaced. I took it to a garage for the oil leak. Was told not to use it . If the oil leak got worse, the oil could have made the road slippery if it rained or I could have blown the engine. The car sat until I got an appointment.
Incident date: Jul 21, 2025
The oil pressure sending switch failed. Oil filter housing and gaskets were replaced. I had oil leaks and took it to a garage to get it checked and was told not to drive it if possible. I was leaking oil bad. If I drove it and oil leaked out it could have made the road slick or possibly blown up the engine.
Incident date: Oct 28, 2025
FAULTY HYDRAULICS IN THE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM. FAULTY SLAVE CYLINDER LEAKING FLUID AND POTENTIALLY CAUSING VEHICLE TO BECOME "STUCK" IN GEAR WHILE DRIVING OR UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO GEAR WHILE PARKED. NOT AN UNCOMMON ISSUE WITH THESE MODELS.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
Throttle lag. Sometimes when I press on the gas after a stop the truck lags to accelerate which is dangerous and can cause an accident.
Incident date: Nov 23, 2025
My 2020 Tesla Model X experiences severe vibration, shaking, and rattling during acceleration, especially between about 20–45 mph and at higher suspension settings. The vibration is strong enough to affect steering stability and safe control of the vehicle during acceleration and lane changes. Tesla has already replaced the front half-shafts twice under warranty for this same problem, but the i... Read more
Incident date: Nov 25, 2025
The transmission in my 2004 Honda Accord V6 3.0L is experiencing a serious safety defect. The transmission overheats while driving, begins slipping, and eventually the vehicle will not move at all. When this happens, I lose the ability to accelerate or maintain speed, creating a dangerous situation for me and other drivers. I have to pull over and wait for the transmission to cool before the car w... Read more
Incident date: Oct 27, 2025
I have had a service 4wd light on for months. The Power Transfer Case part has been on backorder from jeep for over 4 months and I have been left with out a vehicle this entire time with no updates or information about when the parts will be available.
Incident date: Nov 28, 2025
I had my car running while I ran into the store, when I got back in the car I had a “Shift System Fault” error and I could not move my car. I had to have Ford Tow the truck back to its dealership. It is currently at the Ford dealership getting repaired
Incident date: Nov 12, 2025
Throttle delay/ hesitation that is very unpredictable.
Incident date: Nov 21, 2025
Ford has an issue where the coolant leaks into the cylinder blocks ruining the engine. Also, cause for low coolant which could catch the engine on fire.
Incident date: Nov 25, 2025
Vehicle transaxle will start or feel like is slips and wont go pass 40mph on the highway and has become a safety concern. This started about a week ago and continues. No lights on dash and dealer claims they cant duplicated concern. On the way to the dealer it was doing it and when we pickup the vehicle started doin again less than a mile from dealer. They charge for diag and the car is under warr... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that the transmission failed to properly engage. The contact was able to move the gear shift lever from park(P) to reverse(R), however, the transmission failed to respond as intended. The gear indicator flashed on the instrument panel. The contact turned off the vehicle and waited for several minutes before restarting the vehicle, and the t... Read more
CHRYSLER
TOWN AND COUNTRY
(2016) — POWER TRAIN
Nov 28, 2025
Incident date: Sep 28, 2025
Intermittent shudder at 25-55 mph under light throttle (rumble-strip feel); 5-6 dealer attempts failed due to non-duplication; GMC corporate (case # 82769068] refused escalation. Safety risk: Distracts from road, potential loss of control.TSB 22-NA-182 is a known issue and dealer says they can’t repair without duplication.
Incident date: Oct 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed in traffic, the vehicle stalled. The contact shifted to neutral(N) and was able to drive to the intended destination. The contact stated that while driving and attempting to stop the vehicle, the vehicle required to be shifted to neutral(N) repeatedly. In addition, the contact stated that on... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
“2022 Nissan Leaf with 63,000 miles. Vehicle loses propulsion, unable to accelerate above 40 mph, and goes into turtle mode. Dealer opened the high-voltage battery and found multiple swollen modules. Nissan refuses to replace swollen modules and will only replace one cell despite EV system failure. Vehicle is unsafe to drive.”
Incident date: Nov 24, 2025
On several occasions I have a dead pedal situation on acceleration from a brief stop. When you press the accelerator, the truck does not accelerate immediately. Instead there is a second or two pause before truck responds to accelerator input. When crossing traffic, this hesitation has caused several situations in which i have almost been t-boned.
Incident date: Jan 10, 2025
I noticed that there was oil on the bottom of the transmission. I took it to a mechanic and he said that it was the rear crankshaft oil seal. He replaced it and a month later, it seems to be doing it again. I have instances where it will be in drive and I will hit the gas but it doesn't go anywhere.
Incident date: Nov 21, 2025
1) Torque converter 2) studdering and shuddering at take off and acceleration 3) confirmed at dealership on 11/28/2025 4) ford dealership service technician is only inspection 5) no messages only physical symptoms of the shuddering and studdering at take off and acceleration.
Incident date: Mar 4, 2025
Just bought a 2017 Nissan Altima SR. Took it for a ride. Attempted to merge into traffic and the car had zero acceleration once I merged and then the transmission seemed to completely disengage. The RPMs week to around 3500 so I quickly had to pull off so as not to get rear ended. Brought the car to a stop and attempted several times to push the gas but the car would not pick up any momentum. ... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2022) — POWER TRAIN
Nov 28, 2025
Incident date: May 15, 2025
Timing cover leak, replaced by dealer once covered under warranty. Few months later same leak occurred in the same park after dealer replacement. Back to the dealer to have checked, dealer found that the head gasket during manufacture/casting has defect causing the head gasket to protrude into the mounting surface for the timing cover gasket/seal causing improper seal and securement. Dealer got Je... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2025
Throttle lag/hesitstaion , from a dead stop at stop sign I attempted to accelerate , my truck went a few inches forward and no pedal response after a 3 second delay my vehicle started accelerating again
Incident date: Sep 28, 2025
I am reporting a serious defect involving my 2017 Kia Sorento 2.4 Liter GDI engine (VIN [XXX] ) At approximately 84000 miles, while still under the powertrain warranty, I brought the vehicle to the dealership from which I purchased it (Hutchinson Kia in Macon GA) due to engine hesitation and abnormal performance. I was initially told the engine might need replacement, but the dealer later claimed... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2025
2020 Jeep Cherokee Power Transfer Unit (PTU) Per a discussion the dealer service manager, I realized the vehicle is undrivable because the PTU could fail at anytime. The danger is losing propulsion to the wheels on an interstate or other high speed or high capacity road. The problem was discovered by the dealer when I took my Cherokee in on 11/24/25 to have them fix the "SVC 4WD" warning light. ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 27, 2025
I am filing this complaint regarding a serious defect in my 2021 Toyota Corolla (Manual). At approximately 42,000 miles, the clutch slave cylinder failed. This defect caused hydraulic fluid to leak and contaminate the clutch assembly, resulting in significant damage and loss of proper function. Despite the fact that this issue stems from a defective part, the dealership has refused to cover the r... Read more
Incident date: Nov 26, 2025
This is a supplemental filing to my prior NHTSA complaint (#11697718) regarding a high-voltage isolation fault and shutdown risk. The vehicle displayed warnings including “vehicle may shut down during driving,” “may not charge,” and repeated BMS isolation fault messages. It became inoperable at a public charging station. The manufacturer confirmed isolation faults in the drive unit and th... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2025
Electric Drive System Inoperable, sustained an immediate failure upon engaging in Drive mode. Dashboard lit up with warning lights and messages. Luckily was just pulling out onto road when vehicle completely died. Tow service unable to start vehicle with jumper module. After being towed to dealer, was diagnosed with failed ICCU. The original ICCU was replaced previously in January 2025. Luck... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2024
While driving at normal speed, the vehicle suddenly began producing heavy white smoke from the exhaust, the engine started to idle roughly, and a check-engine light came on. There was no oil-pressure warning, no low-oil message, and no “stop safely” alert of any kind. The only warning was emissions-related. After seeing the smoke, the vehicle was parked and later driven only to a dealer for in... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2025
The contact's mother owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the owner received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V512000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that there was an abnormal squealing sound coming from underneath... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
My 2023 Kia Sportage AWD has several ongoing safety issues that have been happening for over a year. The car stalls or hesitates at low speeds and during acceleration. I hear grinding or whining noises from the front end and drivetrain. My brakes wore out very early and still feel inconsistent, and the automatic braking acts unpredictable. The AWD system sometimes feels unstable when I try to acce... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TAOS
(2022) — POWER TRAIN
Nov 27, 2025
Incident date: Nov 14, 2025
The vehicle has had repeated issues related to the fuel system, including strong fuel odor inside the cabin, a gurgling sound coming from the fuel tank area, and recurring check engine lights shortly after a previous recall repair was completed. The most recent diagnostic from the dealer indicated a faulty fuel tank pressure sensor (G400), but I was initially told the vehicle needed a fuel pressur... Read more
Incident date: Nov 27, 2025
I am reporting a manufacturing defect on BMW vehicles, specifically the 2019 BMW X3 with fewer than 40k miles. According to a vehicle inspection conducted at a BMW dealership on Saturday November 22, 2025, the motor mounts are collapsed. Potential risks are excessive engine vibrations that could cause loss of control while driving, to engine components to fall off the ground while driving. It’s ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2025
When accelerating from a stop the truck stumbles and does not take off. This is dangerous as people may run into you. I have asked many times at dealership if there is a fix yet and the answer is no.
Incident date: Aug 15, 2025
Over time the transmission cooling line to the radiator was rubbing against another part in the engine compartment resulting in a hole in the line and eventually catastrophic failure of the line. This caused transmission fluid to be sprayed around the engine compartment and the roadway creating an environmental issue. This could cause loss of power, fire and damage to the environment. Online other... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2025
My 2021 Kia Seltos is experiencing engine problems that match the piston-ring defect involved in Kia Recall SC336. I first took the vehicle to the dealership in August 2025 for excessive oil consumption and engine knocking. The dealer documented the engine was 1 quart low and stated the oil was “most likely being used internally getting past the piston rings.” However, they only performed the ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2025
Transmission failed. Pulling into traffic the transmission failed to shift from first gear into second, instead not going into any gear at all, putting my entire family at risk of being struck by oncoming traffic! Engine revved and truck would not move. Then suddenly shifts into third gear jerking violently. Currently in shop for transmission replacement. After a bit of research I found that this ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
The transmission is locking up, to the point it stoped pulling, it has been to several dealerships, and they can’t find any problems, put another transmission in the truck and it’s doing the same thing, the dealer ship told us there’s nothing they can do for us!
Incident date: Nov 11, 2025
Truck will shift into offroad modes unexpectedly. Will shift into these modes at highway speeds