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 13, 2026

accelerated from a stop sign and engine cut out, leaving me stopped dead in the middle of the street, the engine would not restart after 4 tries, I let it sit, I googled the incident, and was told to let car sit for a minute and try to restart. I let it sit for a minute and it restarted like nothing happened. Google said there was a sensor fault because of an error temperature reading in the crank... Read more

Incident date: Jul 7, 2026

On July 7, 2026, at approximately 113,080 miles, my 2016 Ford Escape displayed a “Transmission Fault – Service Now” warning. The exact failed component is currently UNKNOWN, but the issue appears to involve the transmission/powertrain and possibly an electrical fault. While driving, I experienced abnormal symptoms including a rotational/squeaking noise from the front-right area and an air-le... Read more

Incident date: Sep 9, 2026

The coolant is getting consumed by the engine. I need to add coolant every so often and there is no visible leaks in the hoses. It cause the check engine light to come on, a rough idle at start, and a cylinder to misfire.

Incident date: Aug 29, 2026

After numerous attempts getting GM to finally look at why my vehicle because after the L87 engine swap, which failed after the Pico test and oil, oil filter, and oil cap change my truck has been dangerous to drive. It falls on its face when taking off or driving. It acts as if something is holding the truck back. It takes more throttle to get it moving. Then in traffic while moving it randomly lun... Read more

Incident date: Jul 29, 2026

The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving, the transmission became stuck in fifth gear. The “WRENCH” warning light was illuminated at start-up. The contact stated that while shifting from neutral(N) to reverse(R), the vehicle made a clunking sound and lurched backward. The failure became progressively worse. While driving at various speeds, the transmission unex... Read more

Incident date: Aug 18, 2026

Vehicle was brought to an authorized dealership for service, and while there Campaign 9C2 (ECU Software Update for Theta II Emissions Improvement) was performed. Immediately following this software update, the vehicle developed drivability degradation, specifically engine stutter/hesitation and rough transmission shifting during cold starts. When attempting to accelerate in the first few minutes o... Read more

Incident date: Sep 9, 2026

My vehicle intermittently shifts from normal automatic Drive (D) into S mode without any intentional driver input. I do not touch or activate the steering-wheel paddle shifter when this occurs. Searching on reddit and other forums I see many other drivers have the same issue. The problem appears to happen primarily after coming to a complete stop, such as at a traffic light or stop sign. When I t... Read more

Incident date: Jul 6, 2026

I’m concerned about the 1080R transmission CDF drum issues that ford had on these year models.Mine is downshifting hard at times not every gear but more between 5-8 gears, or especially coming to a stop light it will down shift hard from 3rd to 1st. Shifting up is not as bad as the downshifting but it still does shift harder than normal.Just doing research on others that had the bad parts in the... Read more

Incident date: Sep 9, 2026

Transmission slips gears and sometimes shifts violently. I took the truck to a Ford dealership for an assessment and was told I need to replace the whole transmission. I also have a problem with oil consumption from the engine. I was told by the same dealership that this was a known problem with the 5.0 engines built from 2019 to, I believe 2023 and that it would require an engine replacement. I b... Read more

Incident date: Sep 5, 2026

My vehicle's transmission changed gears suddenly and unexpectedly causing a slight difficulty to control. Following the sudden gear change, some lights on the dashboard began flickering erratically. I have video of the dashboard after the gear change. For this incident, I was driving about 25 MPH. I experienced similar behavior before and at highway speeds. Since then, the vehicle was serviced by... Read more

Incident date: Sep 7, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the transmission was slipping while shifting gears and the transmission was shuddering. The dealer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2024

Purchased vehicle in Costa Mesa, CA. Mileage on vehicle when taken to auto repair shop: 70,037. Request for transmission fluid replacement and diagnostic on front end noise. Notes from Auto Repair Shop: Performed transmission service with cvt service kit. Technician test drove customer vehicle and confirmed there's a rotational groaning from the front of the car. Unable to determine cause at... Read more

Incident date: Sep 9, 2026

The vehicle has a documented, severe manufacturing defect involving a cylinder head gasket leak under Honda Service Bulletin 26-006. A certified technician at Honda East Cincinnati confirmed the head gasket leak in writing on September 9, 2026. Prior to this, an independent facility pulled code P0302 (Cylinder 2 Misfire) and used a digital borescope to capture video proof of liquid coolant pooling... Read more

Incident date: Aug 22, 2026

Recurring dangerous transmission defect in my 2020 Ford Expedition (3.5L EcoBoost, 10-speed 10R80, ~136,826 mi). It has lost power and shifted violently multiple times, each a crash risk. 1) ~Aug 22, 2026: Accelerating to pass on the highway, the whole vehicle shut down. I lost all power INCLUDING power steering and had to coast off the road. It restarted after stopping. Losing power and steering... Read more

Incident date: Jun 17, 2026

In approximately late 2024, at just under 30,000 miles, the vehicle lost motive power while driving on the interstate. Multiple warning lights illuminated and the vehicle lost drive shortly afterward, leaving me unable to accelerate in traffic. The vehicle was then serviced under Recall 236 (NHTSA 22V-746) for the 8-speed dual-clutch transmission high-pressure oil pump. The remedy performed was a ... Read more

Incident date: Sep 9, 2026

September 9, 2026: The vehicle had the same malfunction as in February 2024. The vehicle was in drive and was stopped in a parking lot. When the driver pressed the accelerator there was no response from the engine/powertrain and the vehicle did not move. The ignition was cycled and the vehicle could be moved.

Incident date: Feb 4, 2026

Turbo cooler and turbocharger failure, diagnosis and replacement on February 4 and February 17, 2026 by a certified GM dealership. Replacement of these parts was not included in service bulletin N222372590 (issued 12/22/22), which covered 100% replacement for the exact parts for the exact engine for a number of other GM vehicles manufactured from 2016-2022. The total repair cost for these two part... Read more

Incident date: Aug 28, 2026

This issue has occurred on several occasions. I successfully reverse but when I switch back to "drive" the vehicle enters a neutral state. When driving on the highway, the vehicle has slowed itself to 40mph and continues to slow itself until it becomes disabled. I currently see there has been a recall for this vehicle in 2019 (19V447000) which did not include my VIN. However, my vehicle is experie... Read more

Incident date: Sep 9, 2026

Transmission failure at 80,000 miles

Incident date: Feb 7, 2024

February 2024: The vehicle was in drive and was stopped at a red light. When the traffic light changed the driver pressed the accelerator. The engine/powertrain did not respond, and the vehicle did not move. The driver turned the car off, then back on. The driver was able to drive the vehicle to a safe location and inspected operator level systems. No problems could be found. Benton Nissan in Birm... Read more

Incident date: Sep 3, 2026

Lifters and camshaft failure, loud clanking, & sudden power loss on the 6.2 motor are the first noticeable signs. Instantly when everything happened check engine light, cruise control, & stabilizer lights flashed. The sudden loss of power forced the vehicle to suddenly slow down forcing my camper into the truck. I was hauling a within weight standerd camper but had difficulty bringing both the tr... Read more

Incident date: Sep 9, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 400. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V216000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not ex... Read more

Incident date: Mar 25, 2026

While Driving I feel shaking while accelerating between 25-40 mph, and its like I'm driving over rumble strips, plus when stopped and start to accelerate it hesitates and then surges forward.

Incident date: Jun 6, 2025

CVT failing, causing extreme bearing noise. Toyota insisted lifetime fluids with no transmission service or fluid changes. At 147000 miles it is noisy with no warning lights and no recommended service.

Incident date: Aug 29, 2026

I have the 2.0 Ecoboost that is the subject of internal coolant leak with a potential diagnosis that matches the TRB on this issue. The car has 50K miles and is a 2018 Edge. If this is the issue it should be fixed by Ford without the need for me as an owner to foot the bill for their poor design especially since it was know for a couple years prior by Ford before I purchased this vehicle new. NHT... Read more

Incident date: Jun 9, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission shifted erratically. The messages "Service Advancetrac”, "See Owner’s Manual" and an unknown message were displayed. The contact stated that the failure mostly occurred while depressing the brake pedal, and the vehicle lurched forward while depressing the accelerator pedal. The cont... Read more

Incident date: Aug 24, 2026

I think it is a transmission type of failure. I'm not sure of the exact mechanical specifics. While putting the vehicle in reverse, driving and or accelerating it feels like the transmission is locking up and then releasing, and then locking up again. It felt very dangerous for that to happen while driving down the road. I took the vehicle to a local mechanic that was near by for assistance and... Read more

Incident date: Aug 24, 2026

transmission has failed. Toyota states: Toyota Technical Service Bulletin T-SB-0008-21 addresses a whining or grinding noise in select 2021 Toyota vehicles equipped with UA80E orUA80F automatic transmissions caused by a defect in the front carrier assembly pinion shafts. Yes it can be available for inspection. This can be repaired with a $12,000 new transmission. * Sudden loss of acceleration: Y... Read more

Incident date: Aug 13, 2026

August 13, 2026- Driver was traveling on Route 30 West approaching the Reeceville Exit. Driver attempted to pass a tractor trailer. As car accelerated to pass tractor trail, engine light flashed and car lost the ability to accelerate. As driver lost ability to power the car, he allowed truck to pass him and then coasted into right lane and eventually off to the side of the highway. Car had a half... Read more

Incident date: Aug 4, 2026

About a few weeks back we started noticing a whining noise while accelerating. For safety reason we are not using the truck for long distance driving. Yes, the problem was able to reproduce by an independent mechanic and confirmed. Has not been inspected by the manufacturer or any other. There are no warning lights on the dashboard.

Incident date: Aug 23, 2026

The contact's mother-in-law owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the “Service 4WD” warning light illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with PTU failure. The contact was informed that the PTU needed to be replaced. In addition, the contact was informed that the vehicle was safe to drive. T... Read more

Incident date: Jun 22, 2026

June 22nd- Merging car onto NJ turnpike near Manasquan, NJ...accelerated to merge onto highway. Engine light started to blink and then car lost power as pushing the gas pedal no longer powered car. Pulled off the road. Turned the car off. Restarted it and car functioned and power came from pressing gas pedal. Safety of driver at risk as car was approaching merging onto highway speeds when suddenl... Read more

Incident date: Dec 20, 2024

In Lincoln's own words the lithium batteries are flawed and can cause a short circuit which can lead to a fire. This could lead to grave danger to life. I keep my car in my garage which could lead to a house fire and harm to my family. Their original temporary fix was to set the charging system to stop at 80%. After doing this when I receive the original recall, it was undone at least twice by sof... Read more

Incident date: Sep 1, 2025

In September 2025 my 2015 F-150 did a hard downshift at speed. I took it in and they replaced the transmission lead frame, charging me $2,500. Since that time it has shifted hard from 1st to 2nd and 5th to 6th. In July, 2026, I received Ford Safety Recall 26S28, addressing the exact downshifting defect I paid to fix. I brought the truck in for the prescribed software remedy, in August, 2026 but th... Read more

Incident date: Sep 7, 2026

2 of the 4 Balance weights from Front Axle Propeller Shaft have become detached from their welds. Found on chassis during routine maintenance and visual inspection. Truck was just outside window of recall N202314870, Contacted GM Customer care to confirm no recall work was preformed and vehicle is outside of window of the referenced recall. Vehicle scheduled for evaluation/repair by GM Dealer 9/1... Read more

Incident date: Sep 13, 2024

The contact owns a 2022 Mercedes-Benz S 580. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the messages "Active Brake Assist Functions Currently Limited - See Owner's Manual", "Risk of Vehicle Rolling Away - N Activated Manually No Automatic Change To P", "Service Required Do Not Change Transmission Position", and "Active Parking Assist And Parktronic Inoperative - See Owner's Man... Read more

Incident date: Sep 9, 2026

I’ve included all my repair orders regarding to coolant smell/leak and transmission shutter. I purchased my truck on XXX. We had planned a family vacation to [XXX], and we were driving up when I felt the transmission shutter at around 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. while cruising at approximately 55 to 62 mph. Since then, I’ve noticed it happening more frequently. I took the truck to GMC dealer Jack Hanai... Read more

Incident date: Mar 15, 2026

My 2018 Ram 2500 has a safety recall (C4B/NHTSA 24V - 896) for BRAKES AND TRACTION CONTROL and the remedy for this condition is "NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE" ??? I have contacted FCA recall assistance center and 2 different dealers and they all are "SORRY" but say there is nothing they can or will do. One dealer offered to replace the defective part with another defective part if I was willing to pa... Read more

Incident date: Jun 26, 2026

My name is [XXX] [XXX] and i own a 2020 Ford Expedition Limited Max, there is a recall to inspect transmission recall#26S48/26V402. I contacted Ford dealer and stated there is no fix yet, I asked them what do i do in the meantime, stated i have to wait until Ford figures out the fix. So, in the meantime, we have to continue driving this vehicle with this known issue/safety concern and hope that it... Read more

1 injured

Incident date: Sep 3, 2026

Powertrain issues and a chassis issue that is extremely dangerous.Tailgate on rare occasions falls open by itself. There is a design flaw in the placement of the catalytic converters. The heat is burning up the fluid. I could not believe my eyes when I serviced the transmission. This is another shortcut by GM to save on the extra wiring needed for the oxygen sensors (2)in the converters and the tw... Read more

Incident date: Aug 9, 2026

August 9, we were driving home when the vehicle jerked 2-3 times then the engine shut off (while in motion). This happened on a windy backroad with no way to pull over. We were able to restart the vehicle and make it home safely. Contacted Jeep on the 10, they said it was due to a spark plug recall. When driving to the dealership that morning service AWD light turned on, Jeep replaced the spark pl... Read more

Incident date: Sep 8, 2026

I own a 2019 Jeep Cherokee (VIN [XXX]). While driving, the vehicle displayed a “Four-Wheel Drive Service Unavailable” / “Service 4WD” warning. I recently had the 4WD warning inspected by a service department via a transfer case actuator repair, but I was advised that the PTU showed signs of wear and may be developing an issue. I have also previously experienced a “Service Electronic Stab... Read more

Incident date: Sep 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to the residence and then to the dealer, where it was determined that the transmission pump needed to be replaced. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V461000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in... Read more

Incident date: Feb 15, 2026

The 10R80 transmission failed internally due to the defective CDF clutch drum assembly. Vehicle experienced dangerous gear dropping/slipping. Forced to pay out of pocket at an independent shop for a total rebuild. I have not seen anything from dealer. It was inspected by an independent shop. There was no warning prior to the failure. This happened right over 100,000 miles.

Incident date: May 8, 2026

Driving to work, stopped at a stop light, upon resumption of driving there was a loud bang and my vehicle would not move. I had to have the vehicle towed and the PTU replaced. This was on May 8, 2026 just prior to the official recall notification. The repair was completed at AAMCO. On May 18, 2026 I became aware of the recall 40D / NHTSA 26V-290 for the PTU failure. I submitted claims for reimbu... Read more

Incident date: Aug 30, 2026

The cvt transmission completely failed making the car undriveable

Incident date: May 4, 2026

The vehicle is experiencing premature transmission failure, since about 9,000 miles. Mazda has been dropping the ball at replacing it under warranty and we found out there are 3 other CX-30s that I know of with similar issues. I believe Mazda has a faulty transmission in these cars based off my findings and other complaints.

Incident date: Aug 22, 2026

When breaking towards a stop and deciding that you can now instead accelerate, you’ll press the gas pedal and the vehicle will occasionally feel like there’s a delay in registering that you want to accelerate instead of continuing to break

Incident date: Aug 14, 2026

Transfer case is leaking. Then the engine overheated. Confirmed and inspected by the dealer. No warnings prior to the incident.

Incident date: Aug 7, 2026

2024 Toyota Grand Highlander XLE FWD. At approximately 38,000 miles I began hearing a roaring/humming noise that varied with vehicle speed. The condition initially progressed slowly but then became much worse within several days. At 41,510 miles a Toyota dealer diagnosed and replaced the right rear hub/wheel bearing assembly. I was advised that the failed bearing was nearly seized when removed. Af... Read more

Previous 1 2 3 4 5 ... 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