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 ›

Clear

Showing 137,132 complaints - component: POWER TRAIN

Incident date: Aug 9, 2026

On August 9, 2026, at approximately 3:40 a.m., while driving, the vehicle suddenly lost all propulsion and became completely disabled on the roadway. The vehicle remained powered on but would not move forward or backward. At approximately the time of the failure, Cadillac/OnStar Advanced Diagnostics generated a critical Electric Drive Unit warning instructing immediate service and reported diagnos... Read more

Incident date: Jul 23, 2026

The engine/powertrain malfunctioned on my 2023 Cadillac Escalade at approximately 29,434 miles, ultimately requiring complete engine replacement. During the engine repair, the Cadillac technician also discovered that the transmission cooler lines were leaking fluid. The dealership replaced all of the affected transmission cooler lines as part of the repair.The original failed engine was removed by... Read more

Incident date: Aug 21, 2026

My 2023 BMW 740i has experienced the same serious failure twice at approximately 21,000 miles. The exact component causing the failure is currently UNKNOWN. The vehicle is available for inspection and is currently being returned to an authorized BMW dealer for diagnosis. During the first incident, while driving, multiple warnings suddenly appeared involving chassis stabilization, regenerative bra... Read more

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

I own a 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate equipped with the 6.2L L87 V8 engine. The vehicle previously experienced an engine failure that resulted in the complete replacement of the 6.2L engine by an authorized GMC dealership. The replacement engine was installed at approximately 76,316 miles. After approximately 1,000 miles of driving with the replacement engine, at approximately 77,354 mile... Read more

Incident date: Aug 20, 2026

My 2014 Ford F-150 was previously included in Ford Safety Recall 24S37 regarding unintended transmission downshifts caused by an intermittent Output Shaft Speed (OSS) sensor issue. The vehicle was inspected by a Ford mobile technician on January 20, 2026. No qualifying codes were found at that time, and the recall was closed under my VIN. The recall involved the risk of an unintended downshift int... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2026

Transmission is shuddering, I had a transmission flush done, and a tune up, and neither helped. I am concerned the transmission is going to go out while driving, especially in a busy intersection and cause an accident. I have had problems with the vehicle no accelerating when need going uphill to get out of the way of traffic when turning. Problem is duplicated every day until I can get it fixed. ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 24, 2026

My truck at 45 mph suddenly downshifted to first gear. It locked my tires causing me to fish tail. Luckily I lost control beside a shoulder and not into a ditch or another vehicle. I was near my home and turned onto a country road and was able to drive 20 mph or less to get it home. It is due to a recall that currently has no clear repair. Ford is aware of this issue and has done next to nothing t... Read more

Incident date: Jun 20, 2023

In 2023, my vehicle experienced a transmission/CVT-related failure that resulted in a loss of propulsion. The vehicle became unable to continue driving and was stopped in Chino Hills, California. A neighbor called the police, and officers responded to the scene, although no police report was filed. The vehicle was subsequently towed to an authorized Nissan dealership, where the transmission/transa... Read more

Incident date: Feb 18, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle on a slight incline and exiting the vehicle, the vehicle started rolling backwards while the driver’s side door was still open. The contact attempted to activate the parking brake; however, the parking brake failed to function. The contact attempted to press the START/STOP button to turn off the vehicle ... Read more

1 injured

Incident date: Aug 19, 2026

Took into a Ford dealership for running sluggish at low speed. Sensor and torque converter were bad.

Incident date: Jul 25, 2026

On July 25, 2026 when starting my vehicle, it began to shake violently and I receive numerous errors, including a check engine light and displays in the infotainment, indicating there were engine and transmission errors with the vehicle. I received a text message notification and in app notification from GMC indicating that there was a critical error and provided error code P0352. This appears to ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 2, 2026

Transmission shudder/rumble strip vibration when accelerating

Incident date: May 25, 2026

The contact owns a 2022 Lincoln Corsair. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced severe, erratic shifting in all gears, transmission slippage, and hesitation. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic, where a transmission replacement was recommended. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where excessiv... Read more

Incident date: Aug 21, 2026

Motorcycle goes into limp mode without notice losing power until speed drop to below 20 MPH. it will limp along at 17 mph, but at highway speeds or busy roadway leads to dangerous situations. I had it to the dealer twice and they contacted Harley and they know it is a safety hazard, but they claim not to have a solution. It has happened to me personally 8 times and other riders with similarly mode... Read more

Incident date: Aug 20, 2026

While driving at a speed of around 40 mph on a paved city street in Bozeman, MT, I heard and felt a Super loud clunk in my Chevy engine transmission or drive train.. I immediately stopped to see if something ran into the vehicle. No apparent visual damage of any kind. It felt and sounded like like something jammed within the transmission or drive train. The truck has less than 12k miles and has be... Read more

Incident date: May 28, 2026

2022 Silverado RST with the L87 engine loss propulsion in traffic of Memorial day weekend with approximately 43,800 miles on the vehicle. Has since been fixed by Chevrolet dealership. Also passed their Pico test, changed oil viscosity and oil cap still failed after their test.

Incident date: Aug 18, 2026

18th of August 2026,as I pulled off from a stop sign I shifted to second gear and began hearing a chatter in the lower/bottom of my engine ,approximately 1000ft ahead I stopped at a red-light and looked down to observe oil comming from the lower right side of my engine just under the casing, I immediately shut the motorcycle off and pushed it to the side of the road(no photos taken at time) and ca... Read more

Incident date: Jul 21, 2026

My 2022 Nissan Rogue has entered reduced-power/limp mode approximately nine times. The specific component causing the malfunction has not been identified. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. When the malfunction occurs, the vehicle displays a malfunction/reduced-power warning and substantially reduces available engine power. Several occurrences happened during a long-distance tr... Read more

Incident date: Aug 21, 2026

The transmission has begun failing, with less than 60,000 miles and a perfect maintenance record. While driving I noticed a "whine" while accelerating and it would go away when not pressing the accelerator. It also did not make the noise when in neutral. This is a known issue with the 2018 Toyota Camry and the manufacturer did not send out a notice, any type of additional support or maintenance re... Read more

Incident date: Aug 3, 2026

Illuminated powertrain malfunction (wrench) indicator with DTCs C00A6 and C0631, caused by failure of the front axle disconnect actuator/intermediate shaft on an AWD 2020 Explorer at 46,821 miles. The vehicle displayed the wrench light along with "Service AdvanceTrac," "4WD Fault," "Hill Start Assist Not Available," and "Pre-Collision Assist Not Available." Multiple driver-assistance and stabilit... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

I made my last payment on my Toyota in June and the week I made my payment my mechanic confirmed a whining that had just started to be a transmission failure. After taking to another specialty transmission shop my transmission is failing. The internal bearings are failing just like the recall in other 2021 models. I’ve been told my VIN isn’t part of the recall but it is the same problem. I am ... Read more

Incident date: Mar 23, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the vehicle lunged forward. Additionally, while attempting to slow down to stop the vehicle, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (POWER TRAIN). After retrieving the vehicle, the vehicle lunged for... Read more

Incident date: May 10, 2026

Service 4WD warning light came on in May and comes on every time the vehicle is driven, almost immediately. My vehicle's VIN is not included in the current recall campaign for the Jeep PTU even though the exact same issue is occurring and has been diagnoses by the dealership as the same issue for the Jeep recall that is affecting 2019-2023 Jeeps Cherokees. This is a safety issue which could cause... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

Transmission shutters at lower gear going from 20-30 mph approximately and at the speed of 60-70 mph. When this happens it causes a delay in acceleration and for the whole car to shake. This was also noted by my mechanic even after changing transmission fluid and had concerns for the safety if it was to completely disrupt the transmission causing an accident. I was advised to check for recall sinc... Read more

Incident date: Jun 11, 2026

See attached document for complaint.

Incident date: Aug 21, 2026

For the first question, I’d strengthen it to: The vehicle has experienced repeated engine and engine-cooling system failures, including recurring overheating and coolant loss. Over approximately the past year, I have had to replace or repair numerous components, including the radiator, thermostat housing, temperature sensor, water outlet, turbocharger/turbocharger components, O-rings, multiple ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 3, 2026

The driveshaft malfunctioned which caused the vehicle to lose control. Yes, it is available at the repair shop. Wife was driving with mother-in-law and [XXX] child at highway speeds (55) requiring her to maintain control and pull over without getting hit by other cars. Independent repair shop confirmed the driveshaft failed and took out the transmission and transfer case. No warning/engine lights ... Read more

Incident date: Apr 1, 2026

I am reporting a safety-related transmission problem I'm experiencing with my 2022 Ford F-150 equipped with the 10R80 automatic transmission. While driving normally, the transmission suddenly shakes violently downshifting from 6th to 5th gear and during upshifting from 2nd to 3rd gear. This occurs every single time while accelerating or braking, only in different gears , creating a potentially dan... Read more

Incident date: Jul 13, 2026

The left hydraulic engine motor mount (P/N 22117581621) completely collapsed and failed at 6 years and only 24,811 miles. The right mount was also replaced at the same time (P/N 22117581622). The failure allows unsafe, excessive engine movement and shifting under rotational torque loads. This shifting creates an immediate safety hazard, risking the sudden compromise of surrounding mechanical syste... Read more

Incident date: Jul 25, 2026

Serious Loss-of-Propulsion Safety Incident Shortly before [XXX], [XXX] was driving on [XXX], a divided four-lane roadway. [XXX] entered the designated left-turn lane intending to cross two lanes of oncoming traffic and enter a shopping center. After allowing approaching vehicles to clear and determining that he had sufficient distance to safely complete the turn, [XXX] accelerated into the interse... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota CH-R. The contact stated that while shifting gears or while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the transmission. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the transmission was not operating properly due to a bearing failure an... Read more

Incident date: Aug 20, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon shifting into drive(D), the vehicle jerked significantly. The contact continued to drive the vehicle despite the failure, which intensified while coming to a stop. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failur... Read more

Incident date: Aug 21, 2025

The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Dart. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V674000 (Power Train). The contact stated that after parking the vehicle and attempting to turn off the vehicle, the vehicle failed to turn off. The contact discovered that the transmission had failed to shift into park(P) even though the gear shifter was in park(P). The transmission was successfully ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 14, 2026

Driving on busy road when heard a squealing from the engine bay of the vehicle. Moments later the vehicle lost power. It was a very dangerous situation traveling approximately 45mph on a multi-lane road in urban St. Louis Missouri. There was not a check engine light prior. The vehicle had a recall performed per GMC instructions prior (this amounted to a different viscosity oil....). The breakdown ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 18, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that an engineer was sent from the dealer to the residence and the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train); however, after the recall repair, the message that the top speed of the vehicle was limited to 80 MPH was displayed. Additionally, the transmission was shifting roughly while shifting gears. The contact... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed; however, the RPM was extremely elevated. The vehicle then lost motive power and went into LIMP Mode, and the vehicle failed to exceed 15 MPH. The vehicle was taken to a dealer on three separate occasions. After the first failure, the dealer stated that the failure was... Read more

Incident date: Jun 15, 2026

See attached document for complaint

Incident date: Aug 18, 2026

Component: Power Train / Automatic Transmission (6R80 6-Speed) Description of Incident & Safety Hazard: My 2015 F-150 suddenly lost the ability to shift through its full range of gears and became completely locked between 3rd and 5th gears while driving. This sudden loss of power and gear range in active traffic created an immediate rear-end collision hazard. The vehicle threw diagnostic trouble ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 17, 2026

See attached document for complaint

Incident date: Mar 30, 2026

The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted with the messages "Engine Malfunction Power Reduced Service Now" and "AWD Error Malfunction" displayed on the instrument panel. Following the failures, the vehicle failed to accelerate above 15 MPH after being restarted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer on sev... Read more

Incident date: Aug 21, 2026

**On August 19, 2026, while driving my 2023 Ford Escape on Interstate 57 (I-57), with approximately 35,575 miles on the vehicle, the vehicle suddenly accelerated unexpectedly. I immediately attempted to apply the brakes, but the vehicle did not respond as expected and I could not stop it immediately. I became very frightened and started sounding the horn and turned on the hazard warning lights. I ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 7, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. There was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle and the contact pulled over to the side of the road. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who discovered that the skid plate was cracked, and after ... Read more

Incident date: May 15, 2026

See attached document for complaint

Incident date: Aug 14, 2026

While driving down a main road, the speed limit changed from 40 to 55 mph. When the gas pedal was pushed, the car violently jerked, did not speed up, and proceeded to have a grinding sound emitting from the engine. No warning lights appeared. The grinding noise continued until the vehicle was placed in neutral and back in drive. We began looking into it and found a recall for the transmission. We ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 19, 2026

At approximately 68k miles, I observed hesitation when pulling away from a stop in our 2023 GV80 2.5t AWD Prestige. At 71,300 miles, we observed an increasing howling noise from the rear of the vehicle, primarily at coasting, with various tones emitted during application and release of the accelerator pedal. The rear differential fluid was drained for inspection, and there were metal shavings accu... Read more

Incident date: Aug 15, 2026

My 2019 Chrysler Pacifica Touring L Plus is experiencing coolant leaking into a cylinder, diagnosed by. This has rendered the vehicle undrivable. The Pentastar 3.6L V6 engine used in this vehicle has a well-documented pattern of coolant intrusion into cylinders due to head gasket failure across the 2017–2019 Chrysler Pacifica model years, based on extensive owner complaints already on file with ... Read more

Incident date: Jan 2, 2026

The vehicle exhibits a severe, load-based mechanical transmission whine strictly during active acceleration. The pitch of the whining sound rises and falls in direct proportion to the engine's RPMs. This vehicle utilizes the Toyota/Lexus 8-speed automatic transmission architecture, which has a well-documented manufacturing flaw involving internal bearing wear, gear misalignment, and fluid starvati... Read more

Incident date: Aug 20, 2026

Bought my 2021 Toyota Highlander XLE AWD 3 years ago due to supposed safety and reliability. Transmission went out right after warranty at 64,000 miles. Was not made aware that this is a common issue. Vehicle hard shifted and suddenly lost power when driving home with my 4 year old while making a left turn, and we were almost hit by oncoming traffic. Have not had prior issues in the past to suspec... Read more

Incident date: Jul 3, 2026

I was entering an intersection and missed judged the traffic light and was a bit to far forward, so I tried to reverse but the car would not shift to reverse. I have had an actuator replaced but the problem still happens intermittently where it will not shift to reverse. I have logged into smart car forums online and it seems to be an ongoing problem with many smart cars. I have not had the manuf... Read more

Incident date: Jul 30, 2026

1. The vehicle is experiencing a transmission malfunction/failure. The dealership was able to replicate the issue and confirm the malfunction, which caused the check engine light to illuminate. The vehicle is currently being evaluated by the dealership, and any failed components should be available for inspection upon request while the vehicle remains in their possession. 2.The transmission malfu... Read more

Previous 1 2 3 4 5 ... 17 18 19 ... 2742 2743 Next

Vehicle Safety

Consumer Safety

Infrastructure

Public Health

Consumer Safety Complaints

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

How to interpret what you read

If you've experienced a defect

Read more from our blog