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.

2,245,377 Total Complaints

140,173 Reported Crashes

56,794 Reported Fires

8,580 Reported 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

How to Read NHTSA Consumer Complaints › How NHTSA Investigations Work › Used Car: 7 Recall Checks to Run First › The Takata Airbag Recall: Full Story › OBD-II Codes Explained › All Articles ›

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Showing 137,132 complaints - component: POWER TRAIN

Incident date: Jul 15, 2026

Sometimes, when trying to accelerate in certain situations, the vehicle accelerator pedal will not respond or the engine stutters and won't immediately respond to input and the vehicle seems to stall. This has been scary several times in traffic. The vehicle originally would throw an engine code on the dash about system failure and was taken into the dealer after several of these incidents and a ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 22, 2026

While driving at speed, my vehicle experienced a severe safety hazard: the transmission jerked violently and the engine completely stalled on the road, causing an immediate loss of power. The dealership diagnosed the truck and stated that tree debris had plugged the cowl drains at the base of the windshield. Because the drains plugged, rainwater backed up and overflowed directly into the passenger... Read more

Incident date: Jul 9, 2026

An NHSTA #26V290000 report received on 07/05/2026-Power Train from AAA, NHSTA Campaign #25V011000- Power Train, and NHSTA #18V523000- Service brakes, hydraulic foundation and components disc caliper. On July 9th, 2026, I was driving on the highway and about to approach the Delaware Memorial Bridge. All the lights on the dashboard started flashing: temperature, engine, coolant, etc. I lost braking ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 19, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that whenever the transmission shifted into sixth gear, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended, and the vehicle was shaking erratically. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehi... Read more

Incident date: Aug 19, 2026

The vehicle has already had the generator replaced due to failure and shutting off while driving down the road and the speed limit. The truck was in the shop for almost 6 moths, then the front drive shaft broke while driving in 2-wheel drive. Now while my wife was driving going 40 mph on HWY 96 the car shut off and put itself in park in the middle of the highway. We were lucky no one hit us and af... Read more

Incident date: Jan 7, 2026

Vehicle: 2021 Kia SorentoCurrent Mileage: Over 100,000 miles (Original Owner) Description of Safety Defect & Failed Recall Remedy: Background: This vehicle is equipped with the 8-speed Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT) and has suffered from severe slipping, jerking, and hesitation since delivery (at 5 miles). In 2023, the vehicle received the software update remedy under Kia Safety Recall SC250 (NH... Read more

Incident date: Jul 14, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Dodge Charger EV. While reversing, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to restart. Additionally, the instrument cluster indicated that the transmission was switching gears, but the vehicle had completely stopped. The failure caused the contact to sustain whiplash and a herniated disc, for which medical attention was received. The contact stated that the failure had occ... Read more

1 injured

Incident date: Aug 25, 2026

On August 25, 2026, my 2016 Ram 2500 was parked on private property. The driver states that she placed the automatic transmission in PARK before exiting the vehicle. After she exited, the unoccupied vehicle unexpectedly began rolling and struck a tree, causing vehicle damage. No one was injured. There were no known warning lights or messages indicating a problem before the incident. The cause has ... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Aug 16, 2026

45,000 Mile 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 LT - Vehicle began rough shifting, slipping gears, failing to engage into drive, and shuddering at constant acceleration. Transmission valve body failure and replacement needed - confirmed by certified Chevy dealer. Awaiting receipt of warranty valve body from GM, but part has not been released by GM - estimate from dealer is 5+ weeks for receipt of the part b... Read more

Incident date: Aug 25, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 26V402000 (Power Train), 24V099000 (Seat Belts), 26V344000 (Seat Belts), and 26V368000 (Structure); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact was mostly concerned about NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V402000 (Power Train) recall. The dealer was contacted. The conta... Read more

Incident date: Jul 11, 2026

July 11, 2026 I experienced a lifter failure. Towed to GM dealer on July 13th. Dealer comfirmed lifter failure and camshaft damage and metal contamination throughout engine. Dealer installed replacement engine using my mechanical breakdown policy since I was out of factory warranty. Picked up truck one month later with new engine and the transmission started slipping and shuttering. Took back to d... Read more

Incident date: Aug 25, 2026

Engine knocking on cold start up. Second time hearing this. Loud “rattling” noise emanating from exhaust tips on rear of vehicle. I experienced this once before and notified my dealer. Additionally, at that time, I had a loss of power while towing a very, very, light empty trailer. The vehicle was struggling to maintain normal driving speeds and required considerable throttle input to do so. T... Read more

Incident date: Aug 10, 2026

Vehicle started showing a po308 code. Called sewell gmc In midland where I purchased the vehical they were 2 months out on diagnostic services. So I took it to another shop. They ran a camera into the problem cylinder and for scaring on the walls. They said it was due to the afm system and the engine was unrepairable. So now I am out 17,000 dollars and stranded over 700 miles from my home due to a... Read more

Incident date: Aug 19, 2026

Transmission can be put into gear without pressing the brake pedal. A child was placed in truck with no key in ignition. The child pulled shift lever and truck started rolling. Driver quickly pressed brake and stopped truck. This truck had the T79/NHTSA 17V-821 recall fix in 2017. The fix did not correct the problem. Filing this report to inform NHTSA that the recall fix did not work. Dealer won't... Read more

Incident date: Aug 12, 2026

I am experiencing severe drivetrain binding and violent shuddering/chatter from the Rear Drive Unit (RDU) during low-speed turns in both directions. The vehicle hesitates and can stop violently on its own while turning. When the vehicle is parked and shut off, it also violently jerks backward, indicating the RDU is binding and storing mechanical tension. This is a significant safety hazard. The sy... Read more

Incident date: Aug 21, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a stop, the vehicle was shuddering, jerking, and vibrating abnormally. The vehicle was cautiously driven to the local dealer, and it was determined that the failures were associated with the transmission and torque converter, which included a 24-man-hour repair. No further information was available. The ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 12, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted from fourth to first gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and waited before restarting the vehicle. The contact stated that two days prior to the failure, a message was displayed indicating that an over-the-air software update... Read more

Incident date: Aug 21, 2026

Vehicle experiences a severe, unpredictable 1 to 2-second acceleration delay/dead spot when pulling away from stop signs or turning from low-speed near-stops. This vehicle nearly caused an accident due to entering an intersection and losing all throttle response before cross-traffic. I do not feel safe driving this vehicle

Incident date: Oct 1, 2025

For close to one year, there feels like a catch, grind, stall, or slight shake, mostly while the vehicle is shifting gears, made worse or noticed more by higher speeds like driving on the highway vs. slow city streets. It's difficult to explain or assess so not sure if it is the engine or transmission. With the open recall from GMC on some vehicles with the same engine as mine it is concerning tha... Read more

Incident date: Aug 6, 2026

Motor completely over heated causing the hose to rupture underneath the intake manifold. Engine is unrepairable. Had to order new engine and a new intake manifold because it melted the current one. Also approximately 2 years ago, I also had to replace the transmission. This truck only has 155,000 miles in it and has had 2 major break downs. WHY? This truck is unsafe.

Incident date: Aug 24, 2026

The contact owned a 2021 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle independently accelerated and the brakes failed to operate while the brake pedal was depressed, causing the front center of the vehicle to crash into a tree. No warning lights were illuminated. The air bags deployed as needed. The vehicle was deemed a total loss at the scene. Neither a Police r... Read more

Crash 2 injured

Incident date: Aug 21, 2026

The contact owns a 2024 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear axle unexpectedly locked up, and the vehicle stopped in the middle of the road. The rear axle independently released, and the vehicle was driven back to the residence. The dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. An independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with transmission failure. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V574000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manu... Read more

Incident date: Aug 25, 2026

2024 Hyundai Santa Fe VIN [XXX], June 2024 build, 62k miles. Vehicle experienced total loss of power and drive, matching NHTSA recall 24V-529 / 263 for DCT failure. Dealer is refusing to perform recall, refusing to provide diagnostic codes via email, and demanding title and all service records before any work. Dealer claims new engine needed but won’t provide proof. This is a safety defect and d... Read more

Incident date: Oct 1, 2025

I am writing to express my disappointment with how the L87 engine recall was handled on my 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe. I purchased this vehicle for approximately $82,000 and brought it to Kunes Chevrolet in Lake Geneva multiple times for scheduled maintenance. During my first visit after learning of the recall involving potential connecting rod and crankshaft defects, I specifically asked when my vehic... Read more

Incident date: Sep 22, 2025

In September 2025, all dashboard lights came on while driving down the road. I immediately pulled over and turned the car off. When turning the car back on, all lights remained on and I drove to the nearest repair shop, where at this time it was beginning to run hot. I was told at this point that the head gasket had blown and this would need to be replaced. I replaced the head gasket for $4100.00.... Read more

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

Safety recall 26S28/26V237 was unable to be installed on my 2015 Ford F150. After receiving a "Check Engine Light" and a "Wrench Symbol Light", I took my truck to 3 different dealerships and all three could not perform the safety recall. At the first 2 dealerships, no solutions were tried. They called me to pick up the truck because they could not install recall. I took the vehicle to a 3rd de... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

Final drive control module, transfercase control module went out. Causing “Service 4WD” message Check-engine/MIL light 4WD system becoming unavailable Trouble codes related to the drivetrain control module Intermittent 4WD problems Speed issues

Incident date: Apr 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear, causing the rear wheels to lock up. The contact pulled over, turned off and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the transmission was rebuilt, but the failure persisted. The contact later received notific... Read more

Incident date: Aug 21, 2026

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, with an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle before the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that an independent mechanic arrived on the scene to reset the clutches, and the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The contact used an OBD scanner and ret... Read more

Incident date: Aug 4, 2026

Vehicle was purchased in 2023. AC blower failure occurred for the first time in June 2024 and was repaired by PepBoys. On 4/2/2025 the ve3hicle had an active recall event when the engine seized on the highway because of a faulty oil pump/filter, Engine was replaced 4/17/2025 under that recall. Kia advised at the time that the wiring harness should be replaced due to electrical issues at the time b... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Aug 25, 2026

Vibration and shrouding under light and heavy acceleration, the harder the acceleration the stronger the vibration, feels like truck is falling apart.

Incident date: Aug 3, 2026

I am filing a formal complaint regarding improper service practices, breach of safety recall protocols, and severe resulting vehicle damage committed by Fox Grand Traverse Ford. On April 23, 2026, independent facility Kinney’s Complete Auto Repair replaced the lead frame connector on my vehicle. During service, the transmission pan was dropped and inspected. The transmission was certified clean... Read more

Incident date: Aug 23, 2026

I am submitting this complaint regarding two separate front drive shaft/axle failures involving my 2009 Honda Accord while living and driving in [XXX], a state specifically identified by American Honda as a "salt belt" state in connection with its XXX recalls involving corrosion-related front drive shaft breakage. The front passenger-side drive shaft/axle on my 2009 Honda Accord snapped in XXX. Th... Read more

Incident date: May 16, 2026

I am submitting this complaint regarding two separate front drive shaft/axle failures involving my 2010 Honda Accord while living and driving in [XXX], a state specifically identified by American Honda as a "salt belt" state in connection with its December 15, 2020 recalls involving corrosion-related front drive shaft breakage. The driver-side front drive shaft/axle on my 2010 Honda Accord snapped... Read more

Incident date: Dec 20, 2025

Transmission control module went out of the blue, caused limp mode on the highway and barely got off. Damaged the Transmission, had to replace by cadillac. 2 weeks later after i got the car back, blew 3 fuses and the starter while driving. Had to get towed back over 100 miles. 3 days later the engine completely blew and they had to replace it. this was the second time this happened, first since ... Read more

Incident date: Oct 28, 2025

My 2021 Chevy Colorado experienced a distinct bucking and shuddering sensation under slow acceleration at lower RPMs, specifically when shifting between 2nd and 3rd gear. There were no dashboard warning lights or malfunction codes prior to the issue. The defect was officially reproduced, inspected, and confirmed by a GM technician at a certified Chevrolet dealership on October 28, 2025, at 46,437... Read more

Incident date: Aug 23, 2026

My 2025 Acura MDX suffers from a severe safety defect regarding the Auto Idle Stop (auto start-stop) system. When the vehicle comes to a complete stop at intersections or traffic lights, the engine shuts off as intended. However, upon releasing the brake pedal to accelerate, the engine completely fails to auto-restart.Instead of restarting, the vehicle drops out of the auto-restart sequence entire... Read more

Incident date: Aug 11, 2026

This submission supplements NHTSA Complaint #11759206, filed on August 24, 2026, regarding a 2018 Volvo XC90, in order to provide additional relevant information that came to light after the original filing. At the time of the first safety-critical malfunction (in-vehicle warnings including "Transmission Acceleration Performance Reduced" "Gear Lever Locked" and related electrical system symptoms)... Read more

Incident date: Aug 25, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V402000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was... Read more

Incident date: Aug 24, 2026

While driving the vehicle at a low rate of speed it presenter a Critical Error message which appeared across the drivers screen for approximately 5-10 seconds. The message then immediately disappeared and the vehicle shut down mid operation and came to an abrupt stop on its own. From there it was unable to be moved, switched into neutral/drive or park. Luckily this happened on a neighborhood stree... Read more

Incident date: Aug 20, 2026

Svc 4 wd light come on suddenly and now noise is under car while driving

Incident date: Aug 16, 2026

Transmission failure under 50k miles. Replaced under powertrain warranty. UA81E incurred a whine that was prevalent at light acceleration over 40 mph. This is a known issue that spans multiple years at some point someone has to admit this is a design flaw.

Incident date: Aug 24, 2026

The check-engine light comes on immediately before the vehicle loses the ability to accelerate. While driving, including at highway speeds, pressing the accelerator does not produce normal propulsion and the vehicle loses motive power. If I pull over, turn the vehicle completely off and restart it, the check-engine light clears and normal acceleration returns. The problem is intermittent and has o... Read more

Incident date: Aug 25, 2026

Our Tahoe keeps burning through oil. about 2/3 of the way through an oil changes i have to add 2 more quarts to get to the next oil change. Our tahoe was not part of the initial recall i am not sure why.

Incident date: Aug 16, 2026

Description of the Problem: My 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has a recurring transmission issue involving hard shifting and shuddering during normal driving. The transmission frequently hesitates, clunks, or jolts when changing gears, especially at low to moderate speeds. These symptoms occur consistently and have worsened over time. Safety Concerns: The harsh gear engagement and shuddering m... Read more

Incident date: May 3, 2026

I bought the vehicle brand new in april 2026. On May 3rd, approximately 2 weeks after I bought it, I experienced a lifter failure that caused metal to get into the oil pan/engine and the engine needed to be replaced. About a month later after repairs were complete, I picked up my vehicle on a Friday night, and the very next morning, had issues again. Took it back to the dealer and a fuel injector ... Read more

Incident date: May 3, 2026

Bought the vehicle brand new at the end of april. 2 weeks later and at 557 miles, the engine had a lifter failure and needed to be replaced. One day after picking it up after the engine replacement, a fuel injector went bad and needed to be replaced. About 2 days ago, the check engine light lit up, and the GMC app said it was a code for the transmission system (popped on after attempting to remote... Read more

Incident date: Mar 1, 2016

The 5.3L Engine active fuel management failure problem. This known problem with the GMC motors was not disclosed by any dealerships or the manufacturer. While driving down the roadway, the truck had an engine malfunction and I was fortunate enough to be able to safely pull over. The check engine light activated and I took it to the dealer the next day. I was informed by the dealer that this was... Read more

Incident date: May 23, 2026

2017 focus slow down for traffic go to accelerate and nothing like it wasn’t in gear had to jump out and push car out of intersection told the clutch stuck or tcm but ford won’t fix their mistakes and nobody makes them stand behind their mistake it bad when nobody cares after the sale and they have ur money. Someone help

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Consumer Safety Complaints

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

How to interpret what you read

If you've experienced a defect

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