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.
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
Showing 137,132 complaints - component: POWER TRAIN
Incident date: Jul 11, 2025
I own a 2015 Ford F-150 equipped with the 6R80 transmission. I have experienced multiple intermittent transmission problems that I believe may present a safety concern. During one freeway incident, the wrench warning light came on and the transmission went into what appeared to be failsafe/limp mode. The truck would not accelerate normally and I was unable to get the vehicle much above approximate... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2021) - POWER TRAIN
Sep 8, 2026
Incident date: Aug 12, 2026
I had recalls for body control module and power train control module calibration updates. i took it to my ford dealership on august 12th, 2026 they had it done with within the day i picked it up. within a week after (i don’t drive my car much just to work mostly) i had an error come up on my dash saying the powertrain control had failed and i was unable to put my car in park. i immediately calle... Read more
Incident date: Aug 31, 2026
On August 31, 2026, at approximately 11:07 a.m., the vehicle had been parked and was stationary with the engine running. After remaining stationary for a short period of time, the vehicle suddenly and unexpectedly moved backward rapidly on its own. I did not intentionally command the vehicle to move backward and I did not press the accelerator. While the vehicle was moving backward, I pressed the... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 3, 2026
We were pulling camper to Nashville TN. We pulled off I24 toward I65 North. I noticed the engine was raving and it felt like I was missing gears on the transmission. I was roughly 4 miles from my destination when I noticed smoke coming from under the hood on passenger side and flames coming from under hood on passenger side of the hood. I stopped the truck/ camper. Three of us had extinguishers tr... Read more
Fire
CADILLAC
ESCALADE ESV
(2024) - POWER TRAIN
Sep 8, 2026
Incident date: Aug 17, 2026
On August 17, 2026, at approximately 96,685 miles, my 2024 Cadillac Escalade ESV equipped with the 6.2L L87 V8 engine lost motive power while I was driving on Highway 101 in California. The vehicle stalled, I pulled over, and I was unable to restart it. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed a seized engine that would not rotate, with metal contamination in the oil system and in... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2023) - POWER TRAIN
Sep 8, 2026
Incident date: Aug 26, 2026
The engine in my 2023 Silverado ZR2 (6.2L L87 V8) failed. It is available for inspection at Rick Hendrick Chevrolet ([XXX]). On XXX at about 67,000 miles, and the days leading up to it, the truck repeatedly struggled to start due to metal on metal contact, almost leaving me and my family stranded multiple times. Driving the vehicle produced a loud rattling noise at 2200 to 2700 rpm, and felt unsa... Read more
Incident date: Nov 21, 1981
Driving in town 30 to 40mph, (while in drive) the vehicle rev’d up like it was in neutral then went back to normal. That is concerning because it will cause transmission problems & pulling onto a road the truck could shift to (neutral) causing it to not go.
Incident date: Mar 16, 2023
I reported transmission issue to my dealer years ago. It started when I would start the truck in the morning and put it in reverse. It would do nothing than al of a sudden lunge in reverse. Than it would clear up and not do it for several months. I pretty much got the blow off from the dealer. Cold Oil, linkage sticking bs. Of course, now it’s out of warranty. The transmission shifts hard and e... Read more
Incident date: Aug 31, 2026
We were about 75 miles from the destination when going down hill the transmission would not shift to the lower gear until we were going to fast and then it would down sift very hard. While going up a hill it would down shift ok but as we got up to speed the transmission would not shift up but stay in the lower gear. Finally at very high RPM it would shift up to the higher gear with a very loud clu... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2026
While reversing, the vehicle suddenly jumped/jerked unexpectedly. Another vehicle was parked close behind me, and I was afraid my vehicle was going to jump into it because the movement was sudden and difficult to control. On another occasion, while traveling approximately 20 mph through a longer curve, the vehicle suddenly jumped/jerked again and I was concerned I could lose control of the vehicle... Read more
FORD
ESCAPE HYBRID
(2021) - POWER TRAIN
Sep 8, 2026
Incident date: Sep 5, 2026
On Saturday at approximately 8:25 p.m., my 2021 Ford Escape Hybrid SEL abruptly entered limp mode while traveling on a major highway. The vehicle's speed rapidly dropped from approximately 60-65mph to 20 mph in heavy, high-speed (many driving over 70mph)traffic. I immediately activated my hazard lights and exited the highway at the first opportunity, narrowly avoiding a serious fatal collision. T... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2019) - POWER TRAIN
Sep 8, 2026
Incident date: Sep 1, 2026
I HAD COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER LESS THAN ONE YEAR AFTER PURCHASE IN MAY OF 2019 THAT THERE WAS A SHUDDERING NOISE AND THE TRANSMISSION HESITATES AND SEEMS TO LOCK UP AT TIMES. I WAS TOLD IT WAS "JUST HOW THE 8-SPEED TRANSMISSION OPERATES". IT HAS CONTNUED THROUGHOUT OWNERSHIP AND NOW SEEMS TO LOSE POWER AND VIBRATES EXCESSIVELY DURING ACCELERATION.
Incident date: Aug 5, 2022
The vehicle's transmission shifter mechanism has failed for a second time, preventing the vehicle's computer from communicating with the gear shifter. When shifting the physical gear lever forward into the "Park" position and attempting to shut off the engine, a warning message reading "Action Required: Shift to Park" appears on the driver instrument dashboard display.This exact failure previously... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2026
While driving the car, it seemed to slip into neutral. We took it to the dealer who does all our maintenance on the car and was told we needed to replace the transmission. The cost would be $6046.45 plus tax. The car is 10 years old, but only has 58,714 miles on it. We contacted Nissan Consumer Affairs, and they only told us that the car is outside the extended warranty of 7 years Nissan offered a... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
I am filing a safety complaint regarding a severe, sudden electronic and mechanical failure of the shift interlock system and the Body Control Module (BCM) that compromises vehicle control and leaves the vehicle stranded in active traffic conditions. While attempting to operate the vehicle, the shifter lever suddenly became physically jammed and highly resistant, refusing to shift out of the "Park... Read more
Incident date: Sep 4, 2026
While traveling at 75 mph(speed limit) on the interstate, the vehicle's CVT transmission suffered a catastrophic failure and suddenly lost all power/acceleration, dropping into a low-gear limp mode. No engine light appeared until after we parked. This caused an immediate and dangerous drop in speed in high-speed busy traffic, nearly causing a severe multi-vehicle collision. We put our hazards on a... Read more
Incident date: Aug 31, 2026
The vehicle intermittently experiences a loss of engine power or significant hesitation when accelerating from a stop or from a slow speed. This has occurred multiple times, including when accelerating from a complete stop and after making a low-speed turn. This creates a safety risk when pulling into traffic, crossing an intersection, turning into traffic, or accelerating from a stop or slow spe... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2021) - POWER TRAIN
Sep 8, 2026
Incident date: Sep 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, the vehicle jumped. The contact stated that while driving 8–9 MPH, the vehicle jerked, and there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the vehicle. In addition, the air bag warning light was illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not repaire... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while driving, the transmission seized, causing the vehicle to come to a sudden stop. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with a transmission solenoid and valve body failure. The... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2026
WHILE TRAVELING AT FREEWAY SPEED, THE CVT TRANSMISSION SLIPPED AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST ALL PROPULSION. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN AND RESPONDED TO THE ACCELERATOR, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE UNDER ITS OWN POWER. MULTIPLE WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED, INCLUDING A BRAKE-SYSTEM WARNING. THE VEHICLE ALSO ROLLED BACKWARD ON AN INCLINE AND WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. IT WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED HONDA... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2026
Driving to [XXX] from [XXX] to visit my [XXX] mother. Stopped in [XXX] called my brother to come fallow me the rest of the way because a noise that started under the car was very disturbing. My brother fallowed. Me the rest of the way to [XXX] to my sisters house. This was XXX the following day my sister had me take it into a local shop in town. They said it was the transmission and I knew I c... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2026
In 2020/2021 Honda did a * Honda Service Bulletin 21-046 Honda Service Bulletin 21-047. They knew the CVT on models 2016/2021 had early CVT failure. They had us come in to add a program that was supposed to give us warning if the belt was going to break so we had time to get to a mechanic or the dealer before complete failure ; which I had done. On August 8th 2026 I was driving on the highway doi... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop, the vehicle lost automotive power, and the battery, oil, and information warning lights remained illuminated. Several minutes later, the vehicle was restarted, and the contact continued driving. Another failure occurred while attempting to accelerate from a stop, and the transmission shifted into neutral, ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 7, 2026
The 9-speed transmission in my vehicle has been acting very strange after owning it since March 2026.These issues did not start until May 2026. When driving the vehicle at low speeds (under 30mph) the transmission is very jumpy and jerky. When you let off the gas the vehicle rocks back and forth and the rpms drop dramatically. It often feels like the transmission is skipping gears. I took my vehic... Read more
Incident date: Aug 24, 2026
The transmission is sporadically shifting causing the vehicle to lose or stop during acceleration and deceleration making it unsafe to pull away from a stop or during deceleration and causing it to stop in the in the rd and then it would shift extremely hard after it would gain power to the transmission again. The vehicle is available for inspection and no codes indicated a transmission issue. Onl... Read more
Incident date: Sep 4, 2026
Heard a loud clunk followed by several small clunks when accelerating. Dealer confirmed the transmission & PTU are damaged and the car is no longer AWD. This issue is becoming more widespread with Acura MDXs and is a very expensive repair. From dealer: “FOUND DRIVESHAFT CAN TURN IN PARK WITHOUT TURNING FRONT WHEELS. THIS INDICATED TRANSMISSION AND PTU SPLINES ARE DAMAGED”
CHEVROLET
TRAILBLAZER
(2006) - POWER TRAIN
Sep 8, 2026
Incident date: May 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that while driving, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle jerked and vibrated abnormally. In addition, the thermostat temperature gauge increased, and the vehicle stopped. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to drive or reverse. The vehicle was towed to the res... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to 3rd gear. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train); however, the dealer and manufacturer stated that the VIN was not included in the recall, and the fault code listed in the recall was not retrieved from the vehicle. The contact s... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
manual transmission pops out of 2nd gear during deceleration, (grinding not all the way in nuetral) untill put back in gear again. getting worse over time. found alot of same thing on internet, some getting 2 ,3, or 4 transmisions under warrenty
Incident date: Sep 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V402000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was m... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2024
1. January 2025 Diagnosis (Inside Powertrain Warranty): I presented the vehicle (2019 Mazda CX5, 36K miles) with severe transmission jerking and shift lurching at a local Mazda dealership. Technicians diagnosed teh issue as described in TSB 05-004/23 and applied a software flash to the PCM/TCM stated in TSB 05-004/23. Mazda’s oicial text states the root cause of this symptom is torque fluct... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2026
When started vehicle shook violently. Check engine light came on and we took the vehicle to two different mechanics. Both stated engine failure do to coolant intrusion. Needed to replace long block and quoted at least $7000 in repairs. This has been a known issue with these motors yet no recall has been issued. We also contacted our local Ford dealer and they also said we needed a new motor. We re... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2021) - POWER TRAIN
Sep 8, 2026
Incident date: Nov 3, 2025
While trying to pull out of a residential neighborhood onto a state highway (45 mph speed limit), the vehicle refused to accelerate. The transmission couldn't engage into gear and the vehicle struggled to gain momentum. After letting off of the accelerator pedal, and then applying the accelerator again, the transmission was able to engage, and the car began to accelerate. No check engine light or ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 7, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the message “4WD-SVC” was displayed while leaving a veterinary appointment. The screen was turning on and off, and there was a dinging sound coming from the vehicle while the message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to assist. The vehicle was taken to the local dea... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2026
While attempting to operate the vehicle, the transmission/gear-selection system malfunctioned. When Drive or Reverse is selected, the vehicle does not remain in the selected gear and instead returns to Park, preventing the vehicle from moving. The condition is repeatable and the vehicle is currently disabled. The exact failed component is unknown. The vehicle has not yet been repaired. An authori... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2021) - POWER TRAIN
Sep 8, 2026
Incident date: Aug 14, 2026
The 8 speed automatic transmission (UA80E) in my 2021 Toyota Highlander Limited V6 FWD failed at 75,491 miles. The failure presented as a loud whining noise during acceleration between 30 and 40 mph. A Toyota dealership diagnosed complete transmission failure requiring full replacement of the transaxle assembly at a cost of $8,144.45 (repair order dated August 14, 2026). The dealership service man... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle came to a complete stop in the middle of traffic. The vehicle was restarted, and the contact attempted to shift it into drive(D); however, the shifter returned to park(P) independently. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The dealer stated that the transmission... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2026
In 2025 my 2017 Ford F-150 started randomly downshifting. We took the car to the ford dealer who could not assess what the problem was exactly (Rowe Ford in Westbrook, Maine). They suggested a new transmission to be safe and clearly indicated that this was not a safe truck to drive at the time. We took the truck to another ford dealer to try to get an actual determination of what was wrong (Casco ... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2019) - POWER TRAIN
Sep 8, 2026
Incident date: May 27, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 26V344000 (Seat Belt), 26V368000 (Structure), and 26V402000 (Power Train); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the front driver's side s... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. 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 experienced a failure.
Incident date: Sep 8, 2026
My 2017 Ford F-150 V8 with the 6-speed automatic transmission has been experiencing a serious and recurring transmission malfunction. The truck has consistently, almost on a daily basis, gone into limp mode and become stuck in 5th gear. It also frequently fails to downshift to 1st gear when coming to a stop. Instead, it remains in 3rd gear, requiring the truck to pull away from a complete stop in ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 6, 2026
While driving, my vehicle suddenly began shuddering and shaking. The vehicle lost power and would not accelerate properly. I had to press the brake pedal unusually hard. After parking, the vehicle would not move properly in reverse or drive. I turned the vehicle off and restarted it, and it moved only a short distance before shuddering again and losing power. The engine was making a loud buzzing o... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2026
My 2019 Honda Odyssey has a recurring and dangerous hesitation-to-accelerate defect that began within a few weeks of purchase and has continued for approximately one year, occurring roughly once every 5 times I drive the vehicle. The failure occurs when accelerating from a stop or slow speed, most critically when crossing traffic — for example, turning left across an oncoming lane or pulling ou... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2021
Having the start stop issue on my terrain and recently over the last few months, it has been using oil everything that sounds exactly like the recall but mine is not included. My start stop is not working and I have to get him since it had only 60,000 miles on it years ago, but nothing was done.
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2019) - POWER TRAIN
Sep 8, 2026
Incident date: Aug 31, 2026
UA80 Transmission failure. Was driving on highway when the transmission failed and lost power to the vehicle. Car was taken to Sunshine Toyota (Batte Creek MI) in 2022 and the transmission was recommended to be replaced due to a defect at 67,000 miles. The car was then sold off, and I acquired it through another dealer.
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2021) - POWER TRAIN
Sep 8, 2026
Incident date: Jun 12, 2026
Transmission failed, Value Body is listed by dealer as the cause. GMC is saying that my vehicle is not part of the recall, even though it is part of the same model, same years as well as the same problem, the value body on the transmission. See estimate from dealership Tucks GMC Hudson, MA TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT WITH BYPASS VALVE $6800.00 RADIATOR REPLACEMENT LEAKING $1980.00 ABS TRACTION ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorrento. The contact stated that while driving, the engine suddenly seized in the middle of traffic. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with crankshaft failure. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer, where it was confirmed that the crankshaft ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2026
The PTU has failed and now my warranty claim is being denied. I drive a 2014 Jeep Cherokee and this is a COMMON issue with this car. It unfortunately has not fallen under a recall that I can see anywhere even though so many others have.
Incident date: Aug 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. While the contact’s husband was reversing at 5 MPH, the transmission slammed hard into reverse. The vehicle was shifting hard into reverse, and the vehicle struck a pole, causing a dent on the rear panel of the vehicle. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was operated as intended. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
APRILIA
TUAREG 660
(2026) - POWER TRAIN
Sep 8, 2026
Incident date: Sep 5, 2026
On Saturday, September 5th, my Aprilia Tuareg failed in operation, in traffic. The Heim bolt that serves as the interface between the shifter and the quickshifter sheared off leaving me unable to shift out of first gear. This is a known issue based on the Aprilia forums and has been going on for some time. Aprilia has mad no moves in the lifespan of this model to upgrade either the Heim bolt or... Read more