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: Aug 31, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the PTU. The contact was also informed that the rear differential needed to be refilled. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to N... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle and shifting to park(P), the message "Shift to Park” was displayed. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle several times and shifted from drive(D) to park(P) several times before the message disappeared. The contact stated that the vehicle was also showing electrical failures. The contact stated... Read more
POLESTAR
POLESTAR 2
(2023) — POWER TRAIN
Sep 10, 2025
Incident date: Sep 9, 2025
A dealership has confirmed that the transmission in my 2020 Toyota Highlander is bad. It has 101k miles on it currently. I purchased this vehicle with the mindset that I would get 200,000 or 300,000 miles of use with it. I am now having to decide if I am going to trade it in or pay $9,000 to have the transmission replaced. I have been told that there are other 2020 Toyota Highlanders having th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Honda Accord. The contact received an NHTSA recall email alert for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V422000 (POWER TRAIN). After contacting the dealer, who confirmed the VIN inclusion in the recall, an appointment was scheduled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair; however, upon inspection, the dealer determined that the driveshaft did not require replacement.... Read more
Incident date: Aug 7, 2025
while driving, mdx loose power especially on freeway speed. engine start jerking.
Incident date: May 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that after shifting from drive(D) and back, the failure had self-corrected; however, the failure later reoccurred. The contact stated that on several occasions during the failure, the vehicle was nearly c... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2024) — POWER TRAIN
Sep 10, 2025
Incident date: Aug 19, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Aug 28, 2025
Grinding noise when turning. Determined noise was coming from rear drive unit due to failed clutches. Had to get rear drive unit assembly and vent line. There appears to be many broncos with this problem.
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE L
(2022) — POWER TRAIN
Sep 10, 2025
Incident date: Aug 13, 2025
The car has been having a chemical smell when it starts. I recently was driving from San Antonio, Texas to Austin, Texas and received a warning that my car was overheating. The warning went off immediately and I continued driving it. A few days later, I got an oil change and was told that I had no coolant in the vehicle. They filled the coolant for me. I continued driving the car. This week,... Read more
Incident date: Sep 10, 2025
Sway bar light is flashing - Research says that it could be unsafe to drive- took it in for repair today 9/10/25 - vehicle under warranty until December. Vehicle repaired "for now" was advised to have checked on next oil change verbally. At this time the vehicle will be out of warranty. (3 years - only has 23680 mile currently) but warranty ends at this point. Why should i be responsible for an i... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2025 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic signal, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The vehicle then jolted forward into gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but only occurred while stopped at a traffic signal. The contact turned off the... Read more
Incident date: Sep 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal, with the check engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics and dealers to be diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not determined. The contact stated that one mechanic replaced an unknown sensor... Read more
Incident date: Sep 10, 2025
Car Manufactured in April 2019. Transmission failure at 113,000 miles. Before failure, the transmission had a whine and lag when accelerating from a full stop, creating an unsafe situation when pulling into traffic. The cost to repair is over $9,000, and the part is on backorder for several months. The NHSTA facilitated a voluntary service bulletin with Toyota that extended the warranty for th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2025
MY TRUCK IS EXPIERANCING THE SYMPTOMS OF RECALL # N242454440 TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY, ITS SHUTTERING BETWEEN SHIFTS AND CLUNKING IM AFRAID OF THE REAR WHEELS LOCKING UP FROM THE HORROR STORIES I HAVE READ THE TRUCK IS AT COULTER GMC NOW FOR EXACT DIAG BUT FROM EVERYTHING I HAVE READ THIS IS COMMON ISSUE FOR THIS RECALL THAT MY VIN DOES NOT FALL UNDER FOR SOME REASON
FORD
MAVERICK HYBRID
(2022) — POWER TRAIN
Sep 10, 2025
Incident date: Sep 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2025 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked abnormally while driving at slow speeds with the transmission shifting gear. Whenever the accelerator pedal was released, the vehicle jerked abnormally. Additionally, the rear-view digital mirror was inoperable. There was a black spot on the mirror. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that an ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2025
While working out of town for work my engine light started flashing and the dash lights went nuts. My brakes were nonexistent and were hard as a rock. I had zero warning as to what happened. Working 3 hours away from home the car had to be towed and I was informed the engine code came back as my cam shaft. Took it to the dealer as Gm has a bulletin put out. I didn’t know what that meant. Long st... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
My Mazda CX90 consistently has a hard delay before jerking my car forward, especially when shifting between 2nd and 3rd gear. This is most common at slow speeds and accelerating from a stop. On top of generally rough shifting, there have been four separate instances where my car blatantly stopped accelerating and slowed my car from 70-80 mph down to 40-45 mph. Once driving up a hill, and the res... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the "Service 4WD" message was displayed. While attempting to accelerate after idling, the vehicle hesitated and then surged forward before accelerating. The failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the Power Transfer Unit (PTU) had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired b... Read more
Incident date: Sep 4, 2025
SHIFT TO PARK WARNING. VEHICLE WILL NOT POWER DOWN.
Incident date: Sep 8, 2025
My vehicle is currently in repair due to a known issue with GM. GM has put out a Technical Service Bulletin 20-NA-038 referencing a "well-known" problem with Cylinder 5 failing in 2021 5.3L and 6.0L engines. However, there has not been a recall. Ironically, there were other vehicles brought to the dealership (Sam Boswell GMC in Enterprise, AL) for the same repair on the same day as my vehicle. I'm... Read more
MAGNA ELECTRONICS
REARVIEW CAMERA
(9999) — POWER TRAIN
Sep 10, 2025
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that there was an abnormal squeaking sound coming from the vehicle while driving at various speeds. The failure persisted, and the ABS, Hill Start Assist Not Available, Pre-Collision Assist Not Available, and several other messages appeared on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was informed that the wheel... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle and shifting to reverse(R), the vehicle made an abnormal, loud clunking sound. The contact stated that while driving at 15 MPH, the vehicle failed to shift out of first gear, and the engine was revving. The vehicle was towed to T&T Automotive, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and ne... Read more
Incident date: Aug 21, 2025
Transmisson started whining and slipping at 61000 miles. 1k miles out of warrenty. Even though toyota has a service bulletin about knowing my exact year and serial number transmisson will go bad. No recall issued and they want 9k for a repair. Rick McGill toyota on alcoa highway knoxville tennensse diagnosed it.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
Vehicle: 2023 Ford F650 7.3L Godzilla engine (VIN: [XXX] ) Issue: Catastrophic engine failure at 48,664 miles - camshaft/lifter failure requiring $21,898 repair Purchase: Feb 2024 with 6,250 miles (essentially new) Ford's Illegal Denial: Denying warranty coverage solely due to rebuilt title status Rebuilt title from cosmetic damage only - no engine/mechanical damage Engine defect completely unrel... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
Frequently when shutting off my Blazer, I will get an alert that the vehicle is not in park. I have to squeeze and jiggle the shifter in order to get the alert to go away. On several occasions, when I have turned the engine on and back off again without ever touch the gear shifter, I will get the same alert that the vehicle is not in park. If the issue is not just the sensor/switch, this could mea... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2025
The emergency brake malfunctioned transmission in park malfunctioned yes its available for inspection i was almost ran over by the truck or pinned between truck door and hand rail. I have not had vehicle inspection done yet dealer had been notified and awaiting there response. When i re entered the vehicle dash displayed warning emergency brake disengaged placed vehicle into drive to move forward ... Read more
Crash
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2018) — POWER TRAIN
Sep 10, 2025
Incident date: May 3, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle independently downshifted and decelerated while the accelerator pedal was depressed. No warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the road and hitchhiked to her destination. In addition, while the vehicle was being lifted to be towed, a transmission fluid lea... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLE 450
(2024) — POWER TRAIN
Sep 10, 2025
Incident date: May 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the "service" four wheel drive warning message remained displayed and a cluncking and gear grinding noise was present coming from the under the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the PTU was faulty and needed to be replaced. The contact was also informed that metal shavings... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2025
The Mercedes GLE450 was stopped at a red light. When the light turned green, the driver entered the intersection. The automatic braking system engaged without reason (there was open road ahead), bringing the car to a sudden standstill. The driver accelerated again, but this time the car went backwards into the car behind him. The driver had not shifted into reverse. So the car both slammed on... Read more
Crash
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2022) — POWER TRAIN
Sep 10, 2025
Incident date: Sep 10, 2025
On September 10th, 2025, at approximately 7:45am, I was driving my 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe at 57 mph on the freeway during heavy traffic. The “Service Hybrid Electrical System” warning appeared, and the vehicle immediately stalled and forced itself into emergency park while in motion. This sudden failure created a severe safety hazard for myself and surrounding drivers. I experienced an ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
The vehicle has not been inspected by anybody so the problem is not been reproduced. It just happened this morning. There have not been any check engine lights or anything related pop up on the dash. I was leaving my house I just reached highway speeds 50 to 60 miles per hour I was in 5th or 6th Gear. The transmission suddenly downshifted on its own to first gear it downshifted so hard and so fast... Read more
Incident date: May 24, 2025
The component/system that is malfunctioning is coding P-0826. Dealership says replace Transmission.Based on my experience with the vehicle, the transmission is not the main issue. There are symptoms of an electrical issue that is causing the vehicle to lose power, rough shift, stutter and hard shift. This situation began when traveling back from GA to NC. After having stopped at a rest stop, I pro... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2025
Per ford tmsb the oil pan was installed wrong on some f150 trucks and leak needs recall to repair there mistake '
Incident date: Sep 2, 2025
My 2017 Audi Q7 Prestige 3.0T 6Cyl GAS CREC Supercharged has experienced repeated, serious failures involving the engine, powertrain, and fuel system. - At 72,000 miles, the vehicle developed coolant leaks under the supercharger, a failed water pump, and soaked drive belts. Repairs included multiple hoses, gaskets, and thermostat replacement. -Shortly after, repeated PCV/Oil system failures cause... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2025
Upon commuting to work, the car failed to accelerate causing the car to almost suddenly stop while driving; at the same time of the failure warning lights and beeping occurred. No warnings prior to failure. By God’s grace, I was not yet on the expressway and avoided what would have been a horrible accident jeopardizing not only my life but the lives of anyone that would have been behind me. T... Read more
Incident date: Sep 7, 2025
Car stalls often. Was not able to go through intersection. Held up traffic. Another incident was I was almost rear ended when car lost power. This is dangerous and not just an inconvenience.
Incident date: Sep 2, 2025
At approximately 42K miles, front wobble upon acceleration. Front axels replaced under 60k power train warranty
Incident date: Aug 19, 2025
The recall has yet to be resolved for me and the nearest appointment is 2 months away, A new problem that has arisen is the transmission jerks, struggles with the car not having any warning indications
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
Alternator with etorgue has gone out leaving the truck stranded and no parts are available. I order one on the 23rd of June 2025 it is now September 9th 2025. There is no update and part is still showing back ordered.
Incident date: Jan 12, 2025
While driving my 2022 Kia sorento on the interstate a sudden check engine light illuminated and the car totally stalled out with a severe decrease in power causing me to almost be rear ended by interstate traffic before I could get off the road safely. After taking the vehicle to the dealership for diagnostics I was informed there was a P1C2D03 trouble code which is associated with the 8 speed du... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
The "shift to park" alert keeps coming on even when car is in park gear. One has to either put car in reverse and then shift slowly to park more than a few times for it to finally recognize it is in park. Otherwise, one cannot turn car off and brake stiffens and hard to turn car on again. This is frustrating and poses a hazard. This has been ongoing for months.
Incident date: Aug 19, 2025
While driving my vehicle broke down in the middle of the road and locked up the engine because of the etorque generator. I was blocking traffic and had to be assisted by police and then towed. This is the second time this component has failed in 14 months. Both times leaving me stranded. I am now being told it could be weeks or months before the dealer can get my part. The etorque also ca... Read more
Incident date: Aug 24, 2022
I am writing to report a serious safety concern involving my '22 Subaru Forester, which is equipped with the Auto Start/Stop feature. This issue created a dangerous driving situation that could have resulted in severe injury or death to myself, my family, or other drivers on the road. While driving on the highway, our Forester's Auto Start/Stop system malfunctioned causing the engine to shut off c... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2021
The transmission failed. While driving, it shifts extremely hard and will suddenly downshift without warning. Autonation Ford of North Canton, Ohio, inspected the vehicle on August 13, 2025, and reported that the CDF drum clutches were likely worn. The truck is available for inspection upon request. The sudden downshifts cause the truck to jerk violently and lose speed abruptly. On multiple occas... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2025
Frequent symptom is an "Action Required: Shift to Park" message on the dashboard. Which is preventing my vehicle from shutting down properly, and causing the battery to drain, and hinder my car's ability to start in addition to getting trapped in the vehicle because the vehicles fail to shift to the ‘Park’ position preventing me from being able to exit the vehicle. This is a known issue affec... Read more
Incident date: Aug 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that a message indicating that the 4-Wheel Drive system was inoperable was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with PTU failure. The dealer informed the contact that the part to repair the vehicle was not yet available, but a recall related to the failure would be issued. The contact later received notific... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2025
I am filing a complaint against Ford Motor Company for their refusal to honor Recall 15B22 (Customer Satisfaction Program) related to the transmission issues on my 2014 Ford Fusion Hatchback. We purchased this vehicle as the second owners, and it currently has only 140,000 miles. Despite the recall still being in effect, Ford has denied coverage and is demanding nearly $2,000 to repair the transm... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. In addition, the contact stated that the transmission slammed into gear while shifting. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel pulled to the left while the contact was attempting to go to the r... Read more
FORD
CROWN VICTORIA
(2007) — POWER TRAIN
Sep 9, 2025
Incident date: May 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while making a right turn at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the rear driveshaft. The traction control and Hill Assist warning lights were illuminated. In addition, the vehicle failed to accelerate while the accelerator pedal was depressed. Upon further inspection, the contact noticed that the rear differe... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE L
(2022) — POWER TRAIN
Sep 9, 2025
Incident date: Sep 8, 2025
My 2007 Crown Victoria has had a worsening unintended acceleration issue over the past year. When hitting hard bumps the car will suddenly begin revving my itself (normal RPM is 600 idling in drive and 800 idling in neutral) when this issue occurs it will sit around 1k rpm in drive (pushing against the brakes so I must hold them down very hard) and will shoot up to 2k rpm in neutral. when the issu... Read more
Crash