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: Apr 28, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 50-60 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated and jerked. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was determined that the failure was related to an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The man... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
I am the owner of a 2019 Infiniti QX50, VIN [XXX] , and I am filing this complaint due to repeated, severe mechanical failures that have rendered my vehicle unreliable and unsafe. Since purchasing the vehicle, I have experienced catastrophic failures requiring two complete engine replacements, two turbocharger replacements, and one transmission replacement. My vehicle has spent over one year cumul... Read more
Incident date: Dec 8, 2025
I am experiencing multiple unresolved defects with my 2026 Chevrolet Equinox affecting drivability, braking behavior, and vehicle structure/fit and finish. The primary issue is a persistent vibration, shimmy, or wobble during moderate acceleration from a stop. This condition is felt through the steering wheel, seat, and floor, and occurs consistently during low‑speed launch and normal accelerati... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
Nov 06,2025 Manufacturer Recall Number25TB14 NHTSA Recall Number25V767 Recall StatusRecall Incomplete, remedy not yet available vehicle is stalling sometimes, not shifting right and losing power more importantly from time to time
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE L
(2022) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 28, 2026
Incident date: Jan 26, 2026
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? -Forward collision system light on dash is illuminated, automatic locks do not engage after vehicle is in motion, paddle shifters do not work. All displays switched to Italian & from standard measurements to metric How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? -Forward collision sensors a... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2025
I was driving along, truck was in about 5 gear and then suddenly dropped into 1st gear. And sometimes you start out and truck will not change from 1st gear to second. You have to stop and turn off motor to get it to drive correctly!
Incident date: Apr 23, 2026
The vehicle experienced engine failure due to coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders. The issue presented with engine misfire, including diagnostic trouble code P0302, rough running, and coolant entering the combustion chamber. The condition was confirmed by a dealership, which determined that the engine has internal damage and requires full engine replacement. There were no external coolant... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2026
The vehicle has been inspected at the Ford dealership, erratic behavior, stalling in the middle of the street shaking miss shifting net starting not going in reverse not going back. It left me stranded on the streets very unsafe. It is an ended up being a TCM and the clutch and Forks. This is a known issue with this transmission. It needs to be recalled before someone gets hurt.
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
So my car is about to be out of warranty and I have called and made two appointments to get my recall taken care of as it is a safety risk for me and my kids. They canceled the first one with no communication and the second appointment they called and said they can’t get the part in so I have to call them in 2 weeks to check. After two weeks I believed my car will be over the 60k mark putting me... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
EQS 450+
(2022) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 28, 2026
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
While driving, often at highway speeds, all of the lights on the shifter will light up and the dash will display "Service Transmission." I took it to the dealer several times and their response has been that it is a software issue that they do not have a fix for and that I should stop the car, turn the engine off, open and close the door and then restart the car. This does temporarily reset the di... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
Transmission has had a failure to shift problem on several occasions resulting in deceleration and a decreased ability to accelerate. This has occurred on most occasions at highway speeds while passing a vehicle causing a very unsafe condition. Dealer has evaluated and determined the transmission valve body is defective and needs replaced. Upon researching the problem, many similar GM vehicles are... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
Our Traverse has the transmission shudder really bad. This started at about 20k miles. Dealership made some adjustments which helped. Now that it out of warranty, this has gotten soo much worse. This needs to recalled.
Incident date: May 15, 2025
On 3/14/26, on I-75 in Troy, Michigan at 70mph the vehicle, with 4000k miles on the odometer completely shut off. I pushed to restart the engine and it would not restart. My whole family was in the car and we were on a curve. I was able to coast to a flat shoulder. The vehicle would not restart or shift out of park. OnStar took seven hours to tow the vehicle. The dealer is installing a new L87... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
Beginning in approximately May 2025, the vehicle began displaying diagnostic trouble codes identified by independent auto parts retailers and service providers. These codes indicated potential issues within the engine, electrical, and powertrain systems. The vehicle was subsequently brought to a dealership for diagnostic evaluation and remained there from approximately May 15 through May 19, 2025... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
This is related to the incident report number XXX I filed previously. Before, between, and after that incident and this one reported today. The vehicle performs mostly normal, the severe issues are completely random and unpredictable. On 4/28/26 I started my truck and left to take my daughter to her [XXX] pediatrician appointment. I left my neighborhood and turned left into traffic. I didn’t ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
Per mopar recall ZA3 transmission tube and dipstick recall. When completed at Orange Coast Ram [XXX] , dealership completed recall, removed original dipstick, and provided a 15" locking dipstick the does NOT provide needed transmission fluid level. Inquired in Orange Coast Ram service department, stated they will not provide needed 44"dipstick to monitor trans fluid. I cannot order, purchase ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated with the transmission slipping. The contact stated that the vehicle felt like it was being driven over a rumble strip. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The ma... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
**Incident / Defect Description for NHTSA Safety Complaint** **Vehicle Information** - Make: Tesla - Model: Model S - Year: 2014 - VIN: [XXX] - Approximate Mileage: 148,129 miles - Date of Discovery / Failure: 04/23/2026 **Description of the Defect** This vehicle is equipped with Tesla’s Large Drive Unit (LDU / rear drive unit), which was used in the majority of 2012–early 2020 Mod... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V512000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issu... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2026
The vehicle is a 2019 Lincoln Navigator. The component that failed is the transmission. The vehicle experienced a sudden transmission failure resulting in loss of normal drivability. The issue is currently available for inspection at the repair facility upon request. This failure created a safety concern due to loss of power, hesitation, and unreliable shifting, which can increase the risk of col... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TAOS
(2024) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 28, 2026
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
We were driving on 95S when the Yukon Denali automatically shifted itself from D to N. On the dash it had a warning message to press start again. When my husband did that we could smell a smoke smell. Meanwhile, we are in the middle lane of the highway while trying to safely get off the middle of the interstate without being rear ended by the semi that was behind us. We finally made it to the side... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2025
Transmission randomly hard down shifts erratically. It feels like i lose control of the vehicle. Shifting is so violent, it's like I were driving over a man hole with a missing cover. These are under normal operating conditions. Not towing, not hard braking. Not extreme cold or hot climate. There are no warning laps on the dash board. This issue has been reviewed at 2 different FORD dea... Read more
ALFA ROMEO
GIULIA
(2018) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 28, 2026
Incident date: Oct 31, 2025
IMRC actuator rod broke causing the air/fuel mix to be sporadic. Creating a misfire on random cylinders. Major loss of power and very jerky motions, causing the vehicle to loose control. Luckily it was on an open spacious road. Unfortunately this has been an ongoing problem and there is nobody selling updated parts the electronics will recognize and very difficult to find oe replacement parts, rea... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
April 2025 our Ford Escape, a 2017 model, had an issue with the car overheating, we brought to a dealer and the diagnosis was coolant leaking into the cylinders of the engine . Repair costs range $8-10,000.00 , new engine $11,000 plus. Through research on chat rooms we have discovered that this is a known issue with Ford's design, several consumer complaints and open class action lawsuit exists.... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
Went to put car in reverse and it kept driving forward- no weird sound or anything. Proceeded to put the car in park and it was still moving forward. Transmission was stuck on drive.The shifter is disconnected from the transmission with no warning .Just looked and the transmission shifter bushing is disconnected. Also saw that this part is a recall on other ford vehicles. Had this been recalled on... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
100,000 miles in, the torque converter has begun to fail.
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving approximately 80 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly decelerated. The contact pulled over to the closest exit and pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was turned off and then restarted; however, while attempting to drive forward or reverse, the vehicle failed to move. The contact inspected the vehicle. While ins... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
The 68RFE automatic transmission in this 2021 Ram 2500 6.7L Cummins fails to engage reverse when the transmission reaches operating temperature. When the gear selector is placed in reverse and the accelerator is applied, the engine revs but the truck does not move. The defect is intermittent and temperature-dependent, which means it cannot be predicted or avoided by the driver. The vehicle is used... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2021) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 28, 2026
Incident date: Jan 14, 2025
The auto-idle off feature - yes The stall happened in a situation where cars behind me would have expected me to start moving and could have resulted in a rear-end collision. The vehicle has stalled like this three times. The other two times were not in public or traffic situations. It has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center. It has not been inspected by anyone else... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2026
Since purchasing the vehicle, I have had ongoing issues: a rattling noise when accelerating, a squeaking noise in reverse, and a fuel odor. The fuel injector recall (NHTSA 25V467) is still open, and Ford has not provided a remedy." Keep it simple and focused on the recurring noise and the recall.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
ICCU failed at 20,000 miles, 2 years after I first got the vehicle. Blue link showed the P1a9096 ICCU code failure. Car could not be driven for more than a few minutes then the message to stop safely came about and car would die. It took the dealer 2 months to replace the ICCU with the SAME defective part. It is only a matter of time before it fails again.
Incident date: Apr 19, 2026
The Hydraulic Clutch Actuator (HCA) and the Under Hood Wiring Harness have failed due to internal fluid contamination and corrosion. Yes available for inspection. The vehicle experienced a sudden loss of motive power while driving. Per Safety Recall SC276, this component failure creates an electrical short and internal corrosion that poses a significant fire risk and potential for a sudden stall ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 26, 2026
I haven’t been in an incident yet with this recall. But I contacted ford today to let them know my truck shifted down to 3rd gear from 5th gear. I informed them that when I entered my vin on the ford web site that my truck came up for a recall and that I contacted a local ford dealer and they said they couldn’t do anything for me because the remedy wouldn’t be out till July 1. My truck is... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
I was driving my car and suddenly the traction , hand brake and ABS sign started showing up. I usually apply only 10% of force on brake pedal but after this I have to apply almost 60% of force to even slow down the car. Almost 90% force to stop the car It has threatened safety of my family. When diagnosed at autozone they told cannot determine error code. When reading in internet this seems to ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
The transmission is going out at 107K miles and needs to be completely replaced for around $8500 (see attached quote). It has a shudder and has a hard time shifting into third gear. This is a known issue with Traverses.
Incident date: Apr 21, 2026
2024 Kia EV6 leased January 2025. Vehicle is subject to NHTSA Recall 24V-867 / Kia campaign SC327 for the Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU). The recall remedy was performed at an authorized Kia dealer in July 2025 (software / operational logic update). The defect was not cured. Three months after the recall remedy was performed, the vehicle suffered complete loss of electrical power and woul... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER SPORT
(2022) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 27, 2026
Incident date: Jan 13, 2026
As I was driving along a red light came on and within 20 minutes my whole car , electronics and everything shut down on the turnpike and I could barely get off the road and was scared to death It was completely DEAD. I had to call Turnpike assistance and a flatbed Tow truck loaded up my car and it was taken to a dealership I had to have the MHEV DC/DC converter replaced and at an extremely huge ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
While driving on I-84 between [XXX] and [XXX] , the vehicle experienced a sudden and complete engine failure with no prior warning. The engine seized, resulting in an immediate loss of power while traveling at highway speed, creating a dangerous situation in active traffic. The driver was fortunate to safely pull the vehicle onto an exit ramp. State police arrived and positioned their vehicle be... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
2023 Bronco Sport had its serpentine belt replaced in February of 2026 because it was loose causing my engine to overheat. I had to have it towed because I was sitting on the side of the road. Then in April of 2026 the Bronco started making horrible loud clanging sounds and jerking when it was put in gear. Towed again to the shop. Now I am told this 3 year old car needs a new transmission. Doing r... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
The rpm will shoot up to 6 without movement. It doesn’t want to stop or go and it says park is unavailable. There have been many recalls on this vehicle, this is a premature failure and a huge safety concern the resulted in my car being undrivable.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
Have called about this starting 2020. Had 137000. Also previous owner since 99000mi. Drive train & Turbo. Brake assist. Oil leaks, shutting off while driving. Now as of Saturday April 25 2026 Car shut off while driving and has been towed to dealership. Car deemed lemon by GM. In 2020 car to have been replaced I have all service contact numbers as well as my receipts. Car is a death trap. Do better... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
2021 Toyota Highalnder UA80F Transmission Whine / Known Defect - Potential for Sudden Failure I own a 2021 Toyota Highlander Platinum V6 AWD (UA80F 8-speed automatic transmisstion) purchased in July 2021. Current milage is 78k. Starting 3 days ago I noticed a faint whine noise coming from the transmission. The pitch changes with speed and when the throttle is depressed (It's louder under load/ac... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
Recall was completed on 11/25/14 for a shudder when hitting 35 to 50. The recall was a software issue and they show that a torque converter may have been needed at a later date to further correct the issue. Looking for Toyota to follow up with a complete recall vs just the software.
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was slipping. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stopped, it unexpectedly lunged forward. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, there was an abnormal sound coming from the muffler. The vehicle was taken to the deal... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
This hasn't caused an accident or stranded me yet, but Ford won't do anything to help me avoid danger in the faulty vehicle they sold. There have been several recalls on my 2022 Ford Escape PHEV over the past year or so, including safety recalls. The number of recalls, requiring me to take the time to deal with scheduling, drop off/pickup the car, and being unable to use the car when it is in the... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2025
Mileage is at 86980. I have been having issues for a good 10k miles that are slowly getting worse. Transmission is slamming into reverse from park. Shifting is slow from 1st to 2nd gear. Has begun revving engine but not engaging. I have had the transmission fluid changed 3x and flushed and changed the last time. No leakage or overheating. I do not drive her hard, off road or tow. She always gets... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
2022 Ioniq 5 SE. ICCU failed April 2026 with around 29325 miles. Original owner. Purchased June 2022. I had the original Recall 272 software update performed back in February 2025, but the hardware still failed a year later. **Timeline of Failure:** 1. **Phase 1 (The Trigger):** Level 2 charging stopped unexpectedly before reaching the limit. It tripped my house breaker and unfortunately kille... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2025
I was driving for couple hours then my oil light came on check engine light came on. Vehicle started to shake very badly. I had to pull over and see what happened. I started the vehicle up again and the oil light and check engine light are still on. I know that these vehicles have the wet belt system on the automatics. But they don't have one for the manual transmission. There should be a recall f... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2025
I purchased this 2024 Kia Carnival on 2/7/2026 with less than 10K miles. The vehicle has died while I was driving 4 different times. Twice each day that it happened. The first time was on 4/7/26. My car died on the way home from getting my kids from school after fixing a flat tire. The check engine light came on after getting a jump and when I took it to Auto Zone the battery was fully charged and... Read more