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: Jan 13, 2026
My 2021 Ford F-150 with the 10-speed transmission has started shifting very hard and making grinding noises while accelerating. The truck will sometimes hesitate between gears and then slam into gear unexpectedly. I have also experienced sudden hard downshifts while driving at normal speeds. The issue seems to be getting worse over time. The grinding noise and harsh shifting are most noticeable d... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
Tahoe transmission failed with 103,000 miles… took to Chevrolet they confirmed, took to a transmission specialist they confirmed failure but they said the computer was throwing weird codes and they believe this has a factor in transmission issue. On the way home the brake system alert went off and the car would not go above 35 miles an hour … I get this is a safety feature but it was dangero... Read more
CADILLAC
ESCALADE ESV
(2022) — POWER TRAIN
May 13, 2026
Incident date: May 9, 2026
Subject: Safety Complaint – 2022 Cadillac Escalade ESV Transmission Failure After Recall Repair To Whom It May Concern, I am submitting a formal safety complaint regarding my 2022 Cadillac Escalade ESV. VIN: [XXX] My vehicle experienced a serious transmission malfunction where the vehicle would not properly engage in reverse. The “R” gear indicator blinked multiple times, and the vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
About 6 months ago, while driving my kids to school, the transmission aggressively downshifted causing the truck to skid momentarily. This occurred on the highway so the transmission was most likely in 6th gear. The event was so abrupt, it felt like it either switched into Park or 1st gear and felt like we hit something. A wrench icon appeared and the fan was abnormally loud so I pulled over and t... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2026
I was leaving the parking lot at XXX downtown [XXX] around 12:30 a.m. with my passenger when the vehicle out of nowhere started throwing multiple errors and warnings. I lost the ability to break and I lost steering. I completely lost the ability to slow down the car using the brake pedals. Luckily I was not moving fast and I was able to come to a rolling stop. Have I been in heavier traffic or ha... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2026
The Integrated Thermal Management System (ITMS) in my Kia K5 GT (2.5T engine) has experienced a recurring internal electronic and mechanical fault. This is the third failure of this component. The failure causes the cooling system to malfunction, either by over-cooling or failing to cycle coolant once at operating temperature. Under acceleration—specifically when merging onto expressways—th... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS CROSS SPORT
(2021) — POWER TRAIN
May 12, 2026
Incident date: May 6, 2026
6.2 liter engine seized on the interstate, I lost propulsion as the car switched to neural on it's own. Auto was towed to Applegate Chevrolet in Flint, MI
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
Engine blown out malfunction took two dealer Hyundai Folsom Lake stated rings are bad sludge buildup in engine and stayed at Hyundai motor America denied engine replacement due to knowledge under Theta two engine extended warranty settlement of 150,000 MI 15 years I'm still within warranty but are still being denied had numerous of issues with vehicle oil consumption knock knock sensor replace and... Read more
POLESTAR
POLESTAR 2
(2022) — POWER TRAIN
May 12, 2026
Incident date: May 11, 2026
I own a 2022 Acura MDX SH-AWD with approximately 85,000 miles. The issue began suddenly while driving around 5 mph when two loud bangs were heard from the rear drivetrain/transfer case area. After the initial incident, the vehicle was driven home, and the problem became consistently noticeable during any acceleration from a stop or low speed. The drivetrain would clunk/slip during acceleration and... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2026
The vehicle has experienced life-threatening safety defects during operation; shaking, hesitation, and stalling in high-speed traffic. The vehicle unexpectedly stalled/lost power while driving, putting myself and others in direct risk of collision. The Hyundai dealership claimed it needed an Actuator Gasket replacement, Throttle Body replacement, and ECM/TCM update. The vehicle had NO warning lig... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2026
When driving at highway speeds there randomly is a full loss of engine power for 3 to 5 seconds. Each time this has occurred I was on the highway and depressing the gas pedal further to either pass another car or because I'm driving up and incline. For several seconds the car looses all power and begins slowing. Traffic approaching rom behind may have to apply brakes. I am unsure whether it's... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
Car makes a heavy humming noise when driving 30mph or more very loud Dealer couldn’t fix this issue Please help I Don’t feel safe when driving on higher speeds
Incident date: May 11, 2026
My 2024 Mazda CX-90 MHEV has experienced multiple life-threatening sudden engine stalls and a complete loss of motive power while driving in active traffic lanes. The first incident occurred on December 31, 2024, when the vehicle abruptly shut down with an "Engine Malfunction" dashboard alert. The vehicle was towed to an authorized Mazda dealership (Palatine, IL), where it was held for a week, bu... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 2026
I have 37,000 miles and have taken it to a Chevrolet dealer for all suggested routine maintenance. It started shuddering so I took in to dealer. They said known issue and may need a new torque converter which would cost approximately $8500. They suggested I try changing the transmission fluid even though suggested at 45,000 miles. They said to drive 200 miles and see if it goes away. I haven't ... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2026
* This complaint concerns a catastrophic failure of the transmission in my vehicle. This defect was first reported to a Ford dealer while still within the 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty (Jan 3, 2023, at 58,679 miles; Invoice #XXX). * The condition worsened. Between July 2024 - Jan. 2026, I received 7 digital "Service Engine Soon" warnings via the Ford App. My dealer advised that the vehicl... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2026
After two transmission flushes and being told by a Buick dealership's service technicians that nothing is wrong with the vechile's transmission, it has now failed completely at ~90k miles.
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
5/7/2026: Travelling on freeway with son at 70-75mph, vehicle shifted itself into Neutral causing loss of acceleration and a message stating vehicle engine needed to be restarted. I had to navigate crossing multiple lanes of traffic to safely exit while quickly loosing speed. Was able to safely exit the freeway and come to a complete stop to restart the engine and resume normal driving. 10 minu... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2026
The clutch went out while downshifting upon making a turn onto a street. The gear shift became wobbly and would not shift into any gear. This happened without warning. Minutes before, my passenger and I were driving across town on a freeway.
Incident date: Mar 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The RPM's increased. The contact noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood on the passenger side. The contact noticed an unusual odor in the interior of the vehicle. In addition, the contact noticed an abnormal ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
The SHIFT TO PARK warning light comes on when shifting to park and WILL NOT allow you to shut the vehicle off. This is a WIDELY KNOWN DEFECT in multiple GM vehicles and yet there’s still no recall! WHY?! It causes the vehicle to not completely shut down, killing the battery and could potentially cause the car to roll. It’s been WIDELY REPORTED and it’s absolutely a defect with a part inside ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
My 2016 Hyundai Sonata is experiencing severe oil consumption due to a known Hyundai engine defect. The engine burns oil rapidly and loses more than a quart between oil changes. This creates a safety hazard because the engine can stall, seize, or fail while driving. The Hyundai dealership did NOT perform the official Hyundai oil-consumption test. They only checked the dipstick, noted the oil was ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2026
Issues with alternator, oil leakage, and currently the transmission. After sitting idle for 10 to 15 minutes transmission will not shift out of first gear. It has become dangerous to drive the vehicle due to not being able to properly accelerate resulting in the possibility of being hit if driver pulls into traffic. The vehicle has been taken to local Nissan dealership several times without the is... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2026
7/2024- Harsh transmission shifts- Lost power on very busy highway on 4th of July weekend- spent 12 weeks in the shop for transmission repair 64,000 miles 3/2025- Harsh transmission shifts again- Vehicle slammed into gear very hard- 3 weeks in the shop for another transmission repair 71,000 miles 3/2026- Harsh transmission shifts again- 1 week in the shop- told it needed an adaptive relearn 88,000... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at 25 MPH, the transmission independently downshifted. The engine and the power train warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact later received a recall notification, NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train) however the parts were unavailable. The ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2025
For the third time, my vehicle died on me while I was driving; 2 of those times were on the highway going highway speeds. The last (3rd) time, I was towing my travel trailer/RV on the highway. In all incidents, the engine stopped propelling the vehicle. I could see and hear the engine revving but I failed to accelerate. After various warnings on the dash, I was able to pull safely off the road... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
When I push the gas pedal the car does nothing for seconds. I was trying to do a u turn and pushed the gas to go and nothing for to long and almost got hit. It also did it trying to pull out into busy traffic that would have been no problem if the car would move when you push the gas. The car does not respond forever when pushing gas. I took to dealer to today and of course, they found nothing and... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 2026
First, after a trip of approximately 100 miles, the vehicle would not advance after stopping at a STOP sign. I had to shift from DRIVE to PARK and back to DRIVE before the vehicle would move. In the second case, again after a trip over 100 miles, primarily on the highway, the vehicle failed to shift out of first gear while the engine revved to over 7,000 RPM when I left an intersection. In that i... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2024) — POWER TRAIN
May 12, 2026
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission independently downshifted. In addition, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The power train failure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, however the diagnostic testing was not completed. The contact rece... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2018) — POWER TRAIN
May 12, 2026
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
After emissions campaign 9c9, downshifting using paddle shifters on downhill grades, engine failing to maintain speed. Does not slow car down like it did before, seems like no compression. Fuel efficiency / emissions over traditional transmission braking, forcing drivers to use brakes more often to avoid high RPMs. Safety Risk: The lack of engine braking can lead to brake overheating or fade on lo... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Dart. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving, the shifter cable detached while parking at the bank. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle had been inspected prior to the failure. The vehicle was towed to his residence. The local dealer was contacted, who informed the part was backordered for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V674000 (Powertrain)... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, on the freeway while depressing the accelerator pedal the gear shifts shifted independently. No warning light illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed however the diagnoses was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified on the failure... Read more
Incident date: May 2, 2026
I am submitting this on behalf of my daughter, [XXX] . On Friday, May 8, 2026, [XXX] was traveling southbound on Highway 89A approaching [XXX] . Highway 89A is a narrow, winding two-lane canyon road with limited shoulder and significant elevation changes. While still on the canyon road, her 2020 Chevrolet Equinox suddenly lost all power, including power assist to both steering and brakes. A sudd... Read more
Incident date: May 3, 2026
Tesla just sold me a car with defective front half shafts axles. The car makes a reproducible and very concerning accelerator pedal shudder that makes the entire vehicle front vibrate, including the steering wheel and brake pedals while the car is accelerating between 30-60mph. This interferes with safety features like, lane departure assistance and blind spot steering wheel feedback, Confusing th... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
Transmission rides rough at speeds between 40 to 45 mph when driving in automatic. When in sport/manual shift you must stay in 4th gear. When going those speeds in automatic, it shifts into 5th and makes it a rough ride. I just thought it was cause of winter but not the case.
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2019) — POWER TRAIN
May 12, 2026
Incident date: May 8, 2026
Vehicle would not start/drive. Vehicle was parked in garage at time of failure. Kia dealership said the ICCU needed to be replaced along with the 12V battery. Prior to the failure, audio was not working in the car for several weeks. Kia stated that was due to the ICCU issues and that the 12V was most likely also failing due to the ICCU. ICCU was covered by KIA, but owner of the vehicle had to... Read more
Incident date: Mar 27, 2026
While traveling at 75MPH on the highway, the vehicle shut down. No propulsion at all and the error message "Pull Over Safely - Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon" was displayed. Was able to coast to a nearby exit and have the car taken to a dealer for service. Very unnerving at 75MPH and a significant safety hazard to me and other drivers.
Incident date: May 8, 2026
The contact owns a Ford F-150 and received notice of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train). The contact stated that on several occasions while driving, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted, causing the rear tires of the truck to slide. The contact stated that the powertrain warning light illuminated when the failure occurred, but when the vehicle was turned off, the warning light turned o... Read more
CADILLAC
ESCALADE ESV
(2023) — POWER TRAIN
May 12, 2026
Incident date: May 10, 2026
My 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee just completely lost power again and almost got hit by the car following me. Almost got hit again coasting to the side of the road! This has happened before and the repair shop tried updating software which did not fix it. Why was the 2017 not included in your recall of the Power Transfer Case? Repair shop diagnosed problem the last time it happened as the PTC! I am an... Read more
Incident date: Apr 19, 2026
The transmission failed. It is available for inspection. Should the transmission have completely failed on the road, it could have lead to an accident. Per the dealership diagnostic: replace transmission and torque converter assembly with applicable seals due to internal transmission failure. It has not been inspected by anyone else. No warning lights. This is a widespread problem in 2017-... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2026
While attempting a slow right turn from a complete stop at an intersection, I heard a loud thunk sound followed by an immediate loss of power steering response. The steering wheel spun freely with little resistance while the front tires did not respond proportionally. I was able to safely pull over. Upon restarting the vehicle it produced an abnormal wheezing sound suggesting additional mechanical... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2026
Transmission bearing failure. Whining noise started about 2 months ago and continually got worse before complete transmission failure.
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2023) — POWER TRAIN
May 12, 2026
Incident date: May 12, 2026
The eRAD (Electric Rear Axle Drive) on my 2016 Volvo XC90 T8 PHEV failed completely. The warning light appeared approximately 11/3/2025, within one week of purchasing the vehicle at 88,000 miles. The failure was confirmed by a Volvo dealership. The eRAD is the component that powers the rear electric motor and provides AWD and hybrid function — its failure results in complete loss of rear wheel d... Read more
TOYOTA
SEQUOIA HYBRID
(2024) — POWER TRAIN
May 12, 2026
Incident date: Feb 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to shift gears properly with no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact later received notif... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
The PTU 2 speed is not engaging anymore the low gear range, errore message says the motor actuator is stuck.
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2017) — POWER TRAIN
May 12, 2026
Incident date: May 9, 2026
The torque converter(automatic transmission) began failing causing the vehicle to stall when at a traffic light in heavy city traffic allowing for the possibility of being struck by other vehicles because of a restart delay. The only way to bypass the issue we learned was to put the vehicle in neutral when stopping. This reduced the stalling incidents but created other issues in heavy stop and go ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2025
This is a very known issue that has been reoccurring with GMC Acadia. The torque converter slipping. That cost alone is over $7.000 for the transmission. I am still making monthly payments for my 2021 Acadia. With rising cost above the board GMC could have resolved this issue before releasing this vehicle to the public for purchase. Only had this vehicle for 2 years and already a new transmission... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2019) — POWER TRAIN
May 12, 2026
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at 75 MPH, the vehicle shut off without warning. Due to the failure, the contact used excessive force to steer the vehicle off to the shoulder of the highway where the vehicle was then towed to a dealer. After the vehicle remained in the dealer's possession for over a week, the vehicle was diagnosed with an engine failu... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER VELAR
(2019) — POWER TRAIN
May 12, 2026
Incident date: May 9, 2026
Code p1098 with engine light on my truck.
Incident date: May 11, 2026
The electronic parking brake on my 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander intermittently fails to auto-release when shifting from Park to Reverse or Drive. Curiously, the system does respond to the gear shifter when returning to Park, as the brake will then engage or release as expected once cycled. This indicates a failure specifically in the transition out of the Park position. This intermittent delay or ... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2021
Vehicle primarily failed while parked at owner residence [XXX] and remained inoperable for approximately three weeks prior to tow to Cadillac dealership. The ignition key became trapped and could not be removed. A manual override release beneath the driver-side steering column was required to free the key — confirming the lock was held electronically, not mechanically jammed. Fault confirmed by... Read more