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: Jun 9, 2026
2027 CHEVROLET BOLT – SUDDEN FORWARD LURCH / PROPULSION EVENT WITH MULTIPLE COMMUNICATION FAULT CODES While driving my new 2027 Chevrolet Bolt, I was stopped at a traffic light. When the light changed, I applied the accelerator gently to move forward. The vehicle suddenly produced a loud bang or clunk and lurched sharply forward. All of the yellow instrument panel lights flashed on for a few sec... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2026
I am writing to formally express my serious concern and disappointment regarding my Kia Carnival Hybrid. Shortly after purchasing the vehicle, with only approximately 6,000 miles on the odometer, the vehicle suddenly stopped operating while I was driving on the freeway. This created a dangerous situation for my family and other motorists. The vehicle had to be towed to an authorized Kia dealershi... Read more
KIA
CARNIVAL HYBRID
(2026) - POWER TRAIN
Aug 7, 2026
Incident date: May 30, 2026
Manufacturer Dealer Diagnostic confirmed that Head Gasket is leaking on cylinder 1 and that this is a known issue. Vehicle just 3 months and barely 2000 miles out of new car warranty. Manufacturer fails to cover repair at 100% Power Loss while driving on the freeway on 2 separate occasions. Engine did not provide power in response to accelerator pedal, car slows down w/o control. Incident 1 travel... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2026
When the outside temperature gets over 95F, the rotary gear shifter locks up in Park and will not let you shift into Drive. Multiple restarts over 30 minutes with the A/C center console pointed down to cool off the rotary shifter dial. This really is annoying. Twice I was late for appointments. I am handicapped disabled veteran and need this car to work, 100 percent of the time. The ford escape o... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2026
I was pulling out of a parking spot and my X3 completely stalled and lost power. I got infomation on my screen to take my car to my dealer as soon as possible. I was able to start and drive it home. The following week I took it to the dealer for the problem. My local BMW dealer has had my X3 since July 27th over 2 weeks. They said they waiting for a code or fix for what happened. I don’t know if... Read more
Incident date: Aug 6, 2026
The vehicle has experienced transmission issues. I received a powertrain malfunction light in August, and the car suddenly had trouble shifting in low gears resulting in jerking. When driving, it continued to have issues. Then, it wouldn't go into reverse and the jerking increased before having it towed to get evaluated. There were no signs and it appears that MANY of these transmissions are repor... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2022) - POWER TRAIN
Aug 7, 2026
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving over 10 MPH with her husband inside the vehicle, while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated, and the brakes independently engaged. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the transmission needed to be rep... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2022) - POWER TRAIN
Aug 7, 2026
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
I am reporting a safety-related transmission problem I experienced with my 2023 Ford F-150 equipped with the 10R80 automatic transmission. While driving normally, the transmission suddenly lost power and was totally unresponsive. It slammed into gear and went back to normal operation. The transmission has been reset by the dealership several times and I'm told it's normal operation for it to slam ... Read more
TOYOTA
CAMRY HYBRID
(2026) - POWER TRAIN
Aug 7, 2026
Incident date: Jun 22, 2026
Since purchasing this vehicle new in Dec 2019, I have had issues with hard shifting/clunking when going from park to reverse and driving. There is also a vibration going down the road and hard, erratic shifting up through the gears, as well as when slowing down. At around 15,000 miles I took it back to the dealership where they could not figure out what was wrong and just reprogrammed the softw... Read more
Incident date: Aug 4, 2026
Detailed information is in the attached pdf file, but in a nutshell, Kia is covering a safety defect in their vehicles by claiming the process is “proprietary”. On several occasions we have lost propulsion, which means we had no control over our vehicle, and Kia’s explanation is simply, “the vehicle is performing as intended “! These incidents always happened at low speeds, just accele... Read more
Incident date: Aug 4, 2026
The failure to have proper viscosity oil along with manufacturing error resulting in failure of lifters, cam shaft, and crank shaft all needing replaced. Repair totaled over $10,000
KIA
CARNIVAL HYBRID
(2026) - POWER TRAIN
Aug 7, 2026
Incident date: Jun 3, 2026
After the "9C9" emissions recall update the vehicle randomly fails to respond to appropriately throttle input when attempting to accelerate into traffic. The issue is very intermittent - it may occur twice in 10 minutes or drive fine for hours. It has demonstrated both a "bucking" / stuttering / misfire feeling as well as a complete lack of any throttle response. After a few seconds of bucking, th... Read more
Incident date: Aug 7, 2026
I own a 2023 Hyundai Sonata SEL. Over approximately three years, the vehicle experienced four separate incidents involving sudden loss of engine power and recurring fuel injector/powertrain problems. Three of these incidents occurred while the vehicle was being driven on interstate highways, creating serious safety concerns. The first incident occurred on XXX, on [XXX] [XXX]. My daughter was driv... Read more
Incident date: Oct 17, 2023
2022 Chevy Tahoe went into limp mode at 62,500 miles out of the blue and check engine light came on. At the certified Chevy dealership I was told it was the transmission control valve, Code P2732, which is a known widespread factory issue in these models. Upon further inspection, was told my transmission fluid was completely black and burned and it ruined the transmission and therefore it needs ... Read more
Incident date: May 23, 2026
The vehicle has exhibited intermittent drivability and safety-related concerns after a prior collision repair. The concerns include delayed acceleration/engagement, abnormal jerking or stopping behavior, and elevated RPM behavior during real-world driving. The most recent documented event occurred on July 27, 2026, while the vehicle was in Drive at approximately 50 mph with cruise/driver-assist in... Read more
TOYOTA
COROLLA CROSS
(2024) - POWER TRAIN
Aug 7, 2026
Incident date: Aug 6, 2026
The vehicle was purchased used on 8/5/26 with no problems or recalls. I was driving home from the dealership on the highway about 1.5 hours and the vehicle had a warning light come on telling me to pull over safely and the vehicle would shut off. I did so. The vehicle would not restart. I called for a tow truck and was stranded for 2 hours. I had the vehicle towed to my local dealership service ce... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2026
On multiple occasions while pulling across/into traffic the vehicle had a delayed acceleration response with a 1-2 second hesitation causing close calls with unpredictable acceleration coming from a complete stop.
Incident date: Jul 27, 2026
When vehicle was purchased new there was a slight bearing wear noise at the front driver side, which grew louder with years. Noise synchronized with tire rolling rpm. Replacing (my self) front trans axle, the brake pads, shaving rotors, & wheel hub bearing did not fix noise. Next; Dealer shop reported that the AWD front transfer case (differential) had a bad bearing AND that this was a common ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 5, 2026
I had started my car drove out of my parking lot as I approached the highway the first intersection everything went dead no lights, snow warning lights just completely shut down and rumble as if the engine was gonna fall out a police man passed me. I was stuck in the middle of the highway. Help me push my vehicle off the road and sat with me while I called AAA. He could not get the car started. It... Read more
Incident date: Aug 7, 2026
What component or system failed? When the BCEM failed on my car, it led directly to the transmission failing as well as the PIM. I was driving normally then had a completely inoperable car with no warning. I was told to pay over $17k for repairs by the dealership because there is no recall on the transmission, but I see proof that this is a common issue among Volt users. There needs to be a recal... Read more
Incident date: May 31, 2026
FAILED COMPONENT & AVAILABILITY: The manual transmission Concentric Slave Cylinder (CSC) failed internally. Due to caustic hydraulic fluid contamination and severe system pressure loss, I had to replace the internal CSC unit, the clutch disc, the pressure plate, the flywheel, the master clutch cylinder, and the hydraulic clutch lines. The failed components have been retained and are available for ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 6, 2026
On 2 occasions now automatic Start/Stop system has failed to restart. First was approximately 5 weeks ago and Second was Monday 3 Aug 2026. Dealer on first occurrence said there was a loose wire. Have not been to Dealer on 2nd occurrence yet. Situation in both cases is the vehicle was seemingly operating normally with no warnings displayed and I stopped in traffic. When traffic cleared and I ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
SPRINTER 2500
(2018) - POWER TRAIN
Aug 6, 2026
Incident date: Jun 16, 2026
My car is a part of NHTSA Campaign No. 26V362 / Manufacturer Recall 52D and on July 30th, 2026 it suffered a fatal transmission error and stopped on the highway. I am unable to drive it and it officially needs its entire transmission rebuilt. My wife was driving back from work and the car shutdown in the middle of the highway and she had to risk her life to get it to an emergency zone. The turt... Read more
Incident date: Aug 6, 2026
Vehicle experiences a severe, abrupt jerk/jolt during deceleration around the 5th-to-4th gear downshift. The issue occurs consistently when slowing down. Dealership verified the condition on Repair Order #1906625 and confirmed a transmission flaw. Dealer stated software is required from the manufacturer with no ETA for release. The abrupt deceleration creates unexpected cabin jolting during normal... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
While driving the car lurches as it shifts gears. This had gone on for quite some time but no codes have been thrown. This last time the car lurched so badly at the beginning of acceleration that I thought it was going to stall. It did not, but lights began flashing on the dash and when codes were (finally) thrown I was told I needed a new transmission altogether.
Incident date: Jul 25, 2026
I continue to have an intermittent issue with my car throwing itself into park. It happened once in 2024, 2025 but now three times in the last two weeks. This is becoming incredibly unsafe as while driving the car puts itself into park while in motion. The insurance company will not repair due to it being intermittent. I do not know what to do but I need this documented for safety reasons
GMC
SIERRA 2500
(2026) - POWER TRAIN
Aug 6, 2026
Incident date: Oct 25, 2025
The driver front left driveshaft inboard joint has started making noise when putting the car into drive, reverse, and taking off from a stop. The part is currently installed in the car and is not available for inspection. It has been inspected by an OEM dealership and confirmed to have play in the driveshaft. It has not been inspected by anyone else. Upon research, I found NHTSA recall 20V769000 t... Read more
Incident date: May 29, 2025
About 6 times during higher speed operation 80+km/hr during a downshift, the rear wheels lock up causing panic from screeching tires and sudden deceleration. Extremely unsafe. The vehicle is in with the dealership and as suspected, they can't find any issues with codes or transmission pressures. We even have a sound recording of the tires locking up. Typical symptoms of the valve body failure... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
I was initially traveling at the posted speed limit of 65 when all of a sudden the engine started shaking profusely, and I lost total power of the vehicle. Therefore, I had to immediately jump onto the shoulder without being rear ended and come to a complete stop while trying to coast safely to a place so I wouldn’t be hit by traffic . My car was then brought to the local Jeep dealership and the... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS CROSS SPORT
(2020) - POWER TRAIN
Aug 6, 2026
Incident date: Jul 23, 2026
Hyundai Sante Fe Hybrid 2025 has a bad factory seal on the high voltage harness - hybrid battery connector that causes water to intrude the connector under normal conditions which can short the battery and pose a major safety issue. Hyundai is refusing warranty coverage of my shorted hybrid battery on my brand new 2025 Hyundai Sante Fe Hybrid stating “Flood” with no evidence of flood damage. ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 4, 2026
On August 22, 2025 the malfunction indicator lamp (code: P146B Evap. purge pump) illuminated with no noticeable change. Ran codes at auto zone which stated engine failed and emissions not ready. August 25, 2025 drove to certified Chevy dealer dropped off vehicle and showed the service advisor the fix finder test results from auto zone as well as the illuminated indicator lamp (check engine light).... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2026
2024 Honda Prologue, 434 miles outside of warranty, CV joints failing and requires over $1,000 out of pocket. This is known defect from the manufacturer and it just showed up a few weeks ago. There are hundreds of Honda customers with the same issue. Honda has not issued a recall and refuses to qualify it under the limited warranty.
Incident date: Aug 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that the transmission was slipping. The contact stated that the failure had occurred after the vehicle had been driven for two to three hours. In addition, the contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera screen flashed on and off. The vehicle was taken to the d... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2025
My 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 SLE has the 6L80 transmission. While traveling on the interstate with my fiancé, the transmission failed. It was towed to a garage and they informed me that it needed to be replaced.
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER SPORT
(2014) - POWER TRAIN
Aug 6, 2026
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
I bought this vehicle and few weeks later I noticed at a red light. When it turned green i hit the gas. My car took a few seconds, reved and then shot out into the lane. Since then it has had issues over 20 miles and when I stop its a few seconds for the car to accelerate and move which is scary on the road. My 4 sons were horrified! I looked up SR-16-006, after my mechanic said I have exactly e... Read more
Incident date: Jul 30, 2026
I am writing to report a life-threatening, sudden-onset mechanical defect in my vehicle’s Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). While driving in heavy traffic, my son experienced a complete and sudden loss of motive power without any warning or dashboard lights. The vehicle abruptly stopped accelerating in a live lane, nearly causing a catastrophic rear-end collision. At just 70,000 miles,... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
I bought this Hyundai Venue because it came with a manual transmission, which I prefer driving, however the transmission has been the biggest issue with this vehicle. It has a tendency to get stuck in reverse, most often when changing gear on a slight incline or decline. This has left me frantically trying to force the transmission out of reverse and into first. It's really scary when this happens... Read more
Incident date: Aug 6, 2026
CVT transmission total failure. Clunking and grinding.
Incident date: Aug 5, 2026
The vehicle suffered a catastrophic engine failure due to an inherent manufacturing defect involving internal engine coolant intrusion into the cylinders. Prior to the failure, the check engine light illuminated on the dashboard, accompanied by engine misfires and rough idling. A certified service technician inspected the vehicle and confirmed that coolant is actively leaking into the engine cyli... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
I purchased a used 2025 Kia Soul with approximately 12,930 miles on the odometer in July 2026. Prior to Friday, August 1, 2026, I had not experienced any warning lights, warning messages, drivability issues, or other symptoms. The vehicle appeared to operate normally. On August 1, 2026, as I pulled out of the parking lot, the car surged or lurched forward while pushing on the gas. I pulled over, a... Read more
Incident date: Aug 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Honda Passport. The contact stated that the wheel alignment was required due to an off-center steering wheel. The contact stated that on the second day of ownership, the vehicle shuddered, jerked, lurched, and hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. No warning lights were illuminated during the transmission failure. Additionally, the multi-view camera system malfu... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2026
RECALL COMPLIANCE & SAFETY DEFECT DESCRIPTION: The vehicle was transported via roadside assistance to a licensed manufacturer dealership due to severe engine overheating under an active manufacturer safety recall. Service personnel systematically modified intake paperwork to alter the true mechanical state upon arrival, removing safety recall and towing documentation. Intake files were falsified w... Read more
Incident date: Aug 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60-70 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted into first gear. The transmission warning light was intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an O'Reilly Auto Parts Store and DTC: P0717 (Input/Turbine Shaft Speed Sensor A) and C2775 (Electronic Stability Program / Traction Control System) was re... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2026
While driving, the malfunction indicator light (yellow wrench) will illuminate, followed by a complete loss of communication between the instrument cluster and the transmission. The speedometer immediately drops to zero even though the truck is still moving, and other information, such as the fuel range, goes blank. The truck will also struggle to accelerate from a stop, almost as if it is startin... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2026
"While driving, the vehicle suddenly experienced a flashing check engine light, an Electronic Stability Control (ESC) warning light, and violent steering wheel vibrations. The vehicle suffered a severe loss of power and misfired, creating an immediate traffic hazard. The dealership diagnosed the issue as a catastrophic mechanical lifter failure on the 5.3L V8 Ecotec engine with Dynamic Fuel Manage... Read more
Incident date: Jun 19, 2026
All the safety systems become disabled and check Engine light goes on because transmission fluid is being pumped Out of a faulty secondary pressure sensor part 31878aa020,( defective and replaced with 31878aa021), into the engines wiring at the car computer, transmission computer, and bulkhead connector in fuse box causing all sorts of engine codes. The setting of the engine code closes all the v... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2026
Harsh downshifting in transmission. Drops down from 10 to 1 then back to 7 then to 1 and then it fine for awhile and the repeats
Incident date: Jun 6, 2026
In August 2025, my Kia dealership serviced my 2021 Kia Telluride and billed me for 7 quarts of oil as part of the repair. Approximately four months later, in December 2025, the vehicle developed severe engine problems and became inoperable. The dealership diagnosed the failure as a collapsed timing tensioner and stated the engine required complete replacement. Kia Techline agreed with that diagno... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2026
Car wouldn’t move in Reverse, I’d give it gas and it would just rev. It would drive forward but very sluggish. Brought to 2 different mechanics and they both said I need to replace the transmission. Car has 97,500 miles on it. This is a known issue with these vehicles. The transmission ship had another traverse and a GMC Acadia in it for the same exact issue.
Incident date: Aug 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. The maintenance warning light was illuminated. The contact was notified that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the powertrain control module ne... Read more