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: Mar 28, 2025
Vehicle shutters @ speeds between 30 to 40mph. Had to replace transmission @ 93k miles.
Incident date: Mar 28, 2025
A light appeared on the dash that said AWD Failure. After 2 weeks of being at the dealership, I was told it was a complete PTU failure. Other VINs have been recalled but not mine. This was after I had already taken the car because it just stopped while driving and wouldn’t start. I was told then it was the starter needed to be replaced. I am just happy it wasn’t my [XXX] that was driving. I be... Read more
Incident date: Sep 13, 2025
Vehicle is hard to turn since it is locked in to all wheel drive . I had Northtown Jeep ( dealership) look at it and they knew what it was just after one quick ride around the building. The car has 28543 miles on it and is out of warranty. They told me that the PTU was faulty and that also caused damage to the rear differential. This vehicle from day one sounded and felt a bit (odd) but I just fig... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2025
We were driving the vehicle on a vacation, and am error came on that the gear was malfunction and parking will disable vehicle. At this fine, we kept trying to clear the message to be able to view navigation, and error message kept coming back making it impossible to drive. We then parked the vehicle and had vehicle towed. Tow could not put car in neutral, and had to physically pull vehicle on ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
Vehicle start/stop feature causes the vehicle to “jump” forward and shutter upon engine engagement. Transmission replaced and a rattling occurring.
Incident date: Sep 8, 2025
Harsh and rough automatic shifting while transmission is cold. Diagnosed by dealership as bad CDF drum brushings. Recommend new transmission.
HYUNDAI
SANTA CRUZ
(2023) — POWER TRAIN
Sep 13, 2025
Incident date: Sep 9, 2025
On [XXX], I went out to start my 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz (SC) to leave work to go home. It was difficult to start, however, it started. As I entered [XXX] , i was nearly rear ended by another car, because my SC lost all acceleration. I turned on my hazards for SAFETY and then began to try to accelerate again and was only able to get up to 45 MPH and then was turning 4,000 RPM. I limped my SC h... Read more
Incident date: Sep 6, 2025
On August 3, 2025, the vehicle developed a loud humming noise. After an inspection on August 12, Heritage Toyota informed me that the transmission had failed and would require replacement at an estimated cost of $9,000. This failure occurred only days past the five-year warranty and just 8,834 miles beyond the 60,000-mile powertrain limit. I immediately contacted Toyota’s Brand Engagement Center... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
My car togs a lot. My tire sensors keep going out. I've smelt gas before while driving. It's very slow going up hill. I hear grinding sounds intermittently
Incident date: Sep 13, 2025
Car has been in several times for repair clutch assembly clutch plate, flywheel transmission, and the problem continues with shifting it does not want to go into gear it grinds even with the clutch fully to the floor. It will not go into first gear, not going to reverse intermittently and sometimes it will go from 1st to 5th third gear is missing sometimes first gear is missing this can happen at ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2025
Coolant leak through the gasket into a cylinder so now I need a new head gasket. When I start my car, it starts to shake and don’t accelerate. I just got my turbo done in April because of the same issues.
Incident date: Sep 9, 2025
On 4 occasions, my F150 has went in reverse when transmission was in the drive position. The truck would travel backwards 3 to 5 feet before shutting off. The first time happened at a stop sign. Nearly backed into another vehicle. PCM was reprogrammed. 2nd time occurred on leaving my driveway. Ford replaced an ABS module. 3rd time happened in front of my house. Ford found bent pin on PCM. 4th ti... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2025
Had all previous open recalls for iccu performed. No previous warning in car. Driving unto free way. Loud noise like a tire pop. 12 volt low power warning on dash screen. Car began to lose power. Picture of a turtle shows up. Low power warning. Car lost power within 10 seconds. And couldn't accelerate. Extremely dangerous. Once completely stopped the car turned off and couldn't start again. ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 10, 2025
Complete PTU failure confirmed by dealership.
Incident date: Aug 30, 2025
Gear change struggles and shudders during 2nd to 4th gear (18-39 mph) when pressing the gas pedal. Driving in sport mode does help but not for long. This problem disappears when cruise control is activated. Went to workshop and had to replace the torque converter. Several owners report similar problems. I bought this car with a mileage of 103,000 miles and it seems to already have some jerking dur... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2025
My son was turning out of a parking lot and the car suddenly stopped moving and went into park. He couldn’t shift out of park and was stuck in the middle of a very busy street with cars slamming on their brakes to avoid hitting him. The car had to be towed away.
Incident date: Sep 11, 2025
This vehicle is part of a mandatory repurchase. I have had no contact from the manufacturer since March 20, 2025. The vehicle has been modified by the manufacturer from it's origional state while the reacquisition process is completed. It is no longer a usable vehicle because of this modification.
Incident date: Sep 5, 2025
I have 2019 Toyota Highlander and it has less than 78k miles. A few months ago ago it started barley noticeable wheezing sound and then it got progressively worse. I took it to a the mechanic and he said it was the transmission. It expensive to fix and I saw that a lot if people are complaining about the same problem. I think Toyota should be responsible for replacing the faulty transmissions. ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
On [XXX], while driving in traffic, my 2018 Honda Odyssey suddenly and without warning shifted itself into Park. The vehicle slammed to a stop in the middle of an intersection, stranding my family and creating a serious risk of collision and injury. The vehicle would not move afterward and had to be towed from the scene. After the failure, the dashboard displayed multiple warnings: “Transmission... Read more
HONDA
CIVIC HATCHBACK
(2025) — POWER TRAIN
Sep 12, 2025
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the “Service 4WD” warning light was illuminated. In addition, the “Service 4WD” warning light was flashing on and off. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a power transfer unit failure. The contact was informed that the power transfer unit needed t... Read more
HYUNDAI
SONATA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2017) — POWER TRAIN
Sep 12, 2025
Incident date: Sep 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (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 while driving approximately 30 MPH, the 4-Wheel Drive Service light illuminated. The fai... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2008) — POWER TRAIN
Sep 12, 2025
Incident date: Sep 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and occupied, while attempting to shift from reverse to drive, the gear shifter remained stuck in drive or reverse. The contact stated that while researching online, the contact learned to disconnect the battery and allowed the vehicle to cool down, reconnect the battery, and once the battery was reconnected, ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2017) — POWER TRAIN
Sep 12, 2025
Incident date: Sep 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light, the light changed, and the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle hesitated and then jolted into gear. The contact stated that the failure was a recurring failure. The contact stated that the engine symbol was displayed, and the vehicle failed to respond while depressing the accelerator ped... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2017) — POWER TRAIN
Sep 12, 2025
Incident date: Sep 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the transmission independently shifted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact was informed that t... Read more
Incident date: Sep 11, 2025
Around 65,000 miles I started to get a "Shift to Park" message when I tried to turn off the engine. The car was already in park. This is continuing to happen. I see that it has been an issue on this model since 2016. There needs to be a recall on this issue. You need to be able to turn off your car. Service Bulletins have been sent out but no recall.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission experienced rough gear shifts. Additionally, the vehicle shuddered while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to diagnose the vehicle due to a lack of diagnostic equipment. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2025
The differential gave out last summer and I had to come out of pocket to fix. Randomly just broke and mechanic informed me that the issue was one that other ford edge owners were having and that it was on the ford or nhtsa bulletin and that there’s potential it could be a recall, I personally never reported it, now that my car has 2 other recalls I thought to give the website a check and inform ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V444000 (POWER TRAIN). The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH and overtaking another vehicle, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle spun out of control; however, the contact was able to regain control of the vehi... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20-25 MPH, the vehicle started reversing unintendedly while the gear shifter was in drive(D). The contact stated that the vehicle reversed on a steep road, drove onto a curb, and onto the poles that were lying down, and the vehicle stopped. The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained pain on the rig... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Jun 12, 2025
The vehicle has been exhibiting occasional hard shifts over the last 2-3 months. Over the last 2-3 weeks the frequency has increased. While operating the vehicle at approximately 30 mph the rear wheels temporarily locked during one of these events while my wife was operating the vehicle. There was no indication that this was going to happen and no indication after the event. We took the vehicle t... Read more
Incident date: Sep 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle violently jolted forward with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. The failure had occurred while driving on a major highway. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was taken to... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 2500
(2024) — POWER TRAIN
Sep 12, 2025
Incident date: Aug 3, 2025
Transmission surges and shudders in low gears making driving at low speeds unsafe. Often feels like driving over heavily pot-holed roads when roads are fine. Jerking forward and backward while accelerating.
Incident date: Sep 12, 2025
No reverse in transmission and sporadic engagement and shifting in forward gears.
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2020) — POWER TRAIN
Sep 12, 2025
Incident date: Jul 7, 2025
The contact's brother rented a 2015 Nissan Versa Note through Turo. The contact stated that while her brother was driving at approximately 15 MPH in a tunnel, the transmission was slipping, the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard, and the vehicle unexpectedly rolled backwards while on an incline. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The renter contacted the company, which stated... Read more
Incident date: Sep 11, 2025
I have a 2008 Chrysler Sebring Sedan. The radiator is leaking fluid that splashes all over the wires causing a burning smell. I later found out that this is caused by an electrical issue with the sensors. Similarly my tire pressure sensors are fried. These issues have eroded wires causing my A/C and Cruise Control systems to malfunction. My power windows have issues sometimes I can't get them to r... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2025
73C / NHTSA 25V576 Recall regarding loss of propulsion/vehicles stopping and / or decelerating.
Incident date: Sep 11, 2025
Summary: Failure of AWD/transfer case control module causing loss of multiple safety and driveline functions. Vehicle is currently being repaired at Ford dealership so will have already been corrected. While driving, multiple dash warnings appeared: “Service AdvanceTrac,” “AWD Not Available,” “Hill Start Assist Not Available,” and “Drive Mode Not Available.” The vehicle lost all a... Read more
Incident date: Dec 12, 2024
While driving in heavy highway traffic at approximately 5–10 mph, the vehicle suddenly displayed a red warning message and symbol in the driver’s gauge cluster indicating the car was shutting down. About 15–20 seconds later, propulsion was completely lost, although power steering and braking remained available. I attempted to change gears and restart the car by turning it on and off, but no... Read more
Incident date: Dec 12, 2024
The CVT transmission causes the car to stall when gaining acceleration past 20 mph-40 mph from a complete stop and when slowing down and then trying to gain rpm with flow of traffic whether on streets or highways. This can cause a safety concern for the driver if the car stalls out in the middle of oncoming traffic in the streets or highways that could potentially lead to death of owner and others... Read more
Incident date: Sep 7, 2025
During the years 2017 to 2020 Ford Motor Company manufactured a transmission 10r80 transmission with a defect in the CDF drum inside the transmission the bushing inside the drum moves out of place resulting in transmission failures.. this particular transmission usually lasts around $120-140,000 MI before the transmission fails. Through my research it costs between $5,500 and 7,500.00 for repairs.... Read more
Incident date: Aug 18, 2025
Incident Summary – Vehicle Fire Date of Incident: Thursday, September 4, 2025 Context: I was driving to a scheduled service appointment for my car at Murgado Lincoln Dealership of Chicago Events Leading Up to the Fire While driving, I heard loud metal noises coming from under the hood. The sound was either metal pieces falling off or grinding/chomping metal against metal. Concerned by the noi... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Sep 8, 2025
I am reporting a safety defect issue that I believe is an alternator recall waiting to happen. While driving with my children, my Audi suffered a sudden, complete electrical failure caused by what I was later told is an alternator defect. The vehicle shut off without warning. At that moment, I lost braking power, the ability to shift into neutral, and full control of the vehicle’s speed. Becaus... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2017) — POWER TRAIN
Sep 11, 2025
Incident date: May 15, 2025
I was driving up a hill and all of a sudden, my transmission gave out, and I was rolling backwards on a hill. It was terrifying since the brakes barely worked as well. I was rolling down the hill and almost crashed, it was emotionally damaging and hope I never have to live through that again. I had AAA take the car to Honda, and they said that they needed to replace the transmission after only 10,... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2017) — POWER TRAIN
Sep 11, 2025
Incident date: May 30, 2025
I’ve had two issues with my sprinter van that were transmission shift module that left me stranded with no way to shift the car into neutral. I was blocking a fuel pump and couldn’t get the car into gear. The first time I was stuck in a parking lot with the same issue. I can’t believe no one else had this issue. The screen message said “Service required do not shift gears” I purchased t... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2014) — POWER TRAIN
Sep 11, 2025
Incident date: Aug 31, 2025
I have had this car for 2 years, the transmission went on me in the middle of the night and I had to have it towed home and to a transmission SPECIALIST. I just got the car back 2 weeks ago after spending $2,000 to get it NH road legal. My transmission NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I’ve contacted Ford, my car should be on the recall list but it isn’t. I have the junk transmission that they never shoul... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2025
Suddenly downshifting into low gear. Recall not being accepted by ford. Please help
Incident date: Aug 29, 2025
My 2017 Toyota sienna has a whine noise coming from the transmission. Brought it to the dealer I have done everything at for this van and they say it’s the transmission and it will cost more than it’s worth. There’s a CSP-zjc but my vin isn’t on there. It’s presenting the same exact problem as the CSP. Unbelievably, Toyota CARES isn’t doing a “good will” service fix. Very disappoin... Read more
Incident date: Sep 18, 2024
I have been having transmission issues with my car since before July 2024. The transmission would stutter or not engage when I put my foot on the accelerator. The transmission failed in November 2024 and was eventually replaced by Hyundai in May 2025. I noticed stuttering the first day of having my car back but was told there was nothing wrong with it. Today, Sept.11, I was making a left turn on a... Read more
Incident date: Sep 11, 2025
On May 13th 2025 the 4WD service light came on. We took it to the Dodge Jeep Ram dealership that owns the used car dealership we bought it from. After the mechanic checked everything, they said it was drivable but they needed to order a car part (PTU). Once that car part arrived at the dealership they would have us bring the car back in and they would fix it. On July 8th of 2025, stil no news on w... Read more