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 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, it was unable to recognize that the gear shifter was in park and experienced a shift to park failure. The dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 21,000.
Incident date: Feb 13, 2026
Exhaust manifold studs broke off (as do they all break) and turbos oil lines leak engine oil causing fire. By the time I stopped and got out there was already flames coming out from the hood. It was so fast I didn’t have time to be get my firearms or tools out. I have not notified Ford or and I only had liability insurance on my 2016 f150. 3.5 eco boost.
Fire
Incident date: Apr 15, 2026
I received a safety recall for the PTU unit on my 2019 jeep cherokee, the service 4x4 system light was on. I took it to the dealership where they said they cleared the recall but the light was still on and the 4x4 system still did not work. They told me they did what they were supposed to…period. Now when i look up for recalls nothing comes up, but they light is still on and the system doesn’t... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
While traveling on vacation April 15, my 2025 F150 truck suffered a total loss of forward momentum on the highway and in city of Los Angeles —a severe safety failure. The repairing Ford dealership, diagnosed a factory-born "OPEN" in the main wiring harness (#14A005) behind the dash (DTCs P2128/P2138). To rectify this assembly-line defect, the dealership had to completely remove the dashboard (I... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2026
ICCU failed despite all prior recall updates being performed. Incident began when home circuit breaker tripped; vehicle subsequently refused Level 1 charging with "Check Electrical System" warning. Per dealer suggestion, tested public chargers. Level 3 (DC) worked, but upon connecting to Level 2 (AC/J1772), a loud "pop" occurred, and the public charging station immediately suffered a mechanical fa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
This is now going to be the FOURTH time we are going to have to put a NEW engine in the same exact car. We just replaced the engine barely a year and a half ago.
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2022) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 27, 2026
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
took to kia of jackson for recall sc209a they said they would not do recall because i was a dealer ,called customer service and they said do to the fact that i was a dealer it would not be covered kia of jackson [XXX] kia customer service case [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Jan 16, 2026
I am filing a safety complaint regarding a 2022 vehicle with approximately 47,000 miles that experienced a sudden and dangerous mechanical failure while in operation. While driving at approximately 37 mph, a dashboard warning message appeared indicating that the vehicle required attention but could continue to be driven for a short period. Shortly after the warning, the vehicle suddenly lost the ... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2023) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 27, 2026
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission bearing failure. The mechanic recommended that the transmission be rebuilt or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. While investigati... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2017) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 27, 2026
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
this vehicle has sustained a complete transmission failure at 117,000 miles. There are known issues with this 10 speed transmission that the automaker needs to own to and address. This poses a safety risk when traveling and there were no apparent signals of anything prior to this. The vehicle is a garage to have a new transmission installed and had to get a rental car to continue to work and w... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2020) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 27, 2026
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
The 10-speed automatic transmission in my 2020 Ford F150 slips between gears and has failed to engage from a stop in multiple instances. There are no warning lamps or other indications that anything is wrong with the vehicle. The issue is known as a very common problem with this transmission, as confirmed by multiple mechanics when inquiring about a potential fix.
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2021) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 27, 2026
Incident date: Mar 14, 2026
I have a 2020 Toyota Highlander Limited, at 140k my car began whining with acceleration, I took it to the dealership and a new transmission and was quoted 9,790 alone for a new transmission. I have had Toyotas since I began driving, I have never put more than breaks and battery’s in them. It seems this transmission has been a constant problem and failing early in life. I am not sure how there is... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and turned off, the “Shift-to-Park” warning light illuminated with a continuous audible alert. The vehicle was unable to recognize that the transmission was in park(P). Several attempts were needed to shift to park. The battery was disconnected to turn off the audible alert. The contact stated that the veh... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2020) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 27, 2026
Incident date: Jan 10, 2026
Transmission will jerk and have issues shifting, it is causing issues with acceleration and driving. it is distracting and causing fear the car will not make it from point a to b. the car only has 109k miles the transmission should not already be failing.
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
My husband was driving the vehicle at approximately 70 MPH on I-75, the vehicle slipped out of drive and into neutral causing the vehicle to lose the capability to accelerate and maintain the traffic flow. When trying to attempt to put the car into drive it would not engage and the engine just reved. Thankfully my husband was not hurt, but this could have been a potentially very bad outcome. I hav... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Acura RDX. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact's wife enabled the parking brake. The contact stated that at a later while, the vehicle independently accelerated. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure wa... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2023) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 27, 2026
Incident date: Apr 26, 2026
I am the owner of a 2019 Ford F-150 Lariat equipped with a 10-sp transmission. In late 2021, early 2022 - whiled the vehicle still had warranty - I reported to a Ford dealership that the transmission was experiencing harsh shifting and jerking. At that time, I was informed that no issue could be identified. I complained of this each time I took the vehicle into the dealer for an oil change. After... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
Transmission developed a "whine" just before 87,000 miles resulting in the transmission and torque converter needing to be replaced as the transmission was failing.
VOLKSWAGEN
GOLF
(2021) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 27, 2026
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
Since shortly after purchase, the vehicle has experienced intermittent drivability and shifting issues along with repeated EPC and check engine warnings. Diagnostic trouble code P0111 (intake air temperature plausibility) has been present along with other electrical and engine management faults. A Volkswagen dealership diagnosis indicated that the intake air temperature sensor and an additional e... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power. No warning light was illuminated. Additionally, while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle jerked, and the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear. The failure had occurred twice. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an indepe... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 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; however, 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... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
My Yukon Denali XL GM engine that was put in on 07/2022 has already failed. It failed as I was driving down highway at 65 mile per hour. It failed on 04/12/2025. I paid almost $7,000 to have my engine replace due to the original engine failing in early 2022. Now the engine that I paid thousands of dollars for has already failed and has no compression in cylinder 4. I have researched this and ... Read more
CADILLAC
ESCALADE ESV
(2023) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 27, 2026
Incident date: Apr 19, 2026
SUBJ: Vehicle Safety Complaint – 2023 Cadillac Escalade Sudden Loss of Power I am reporting a safety issue involving a 2023 Cadillac Escalade ESV (VIN: [XXX] ). On April 19, 2026 (late evening into early April 20), while traveling approximately 70 mph on [XXX] , the vehicle suddenly and completely lost engine power without warning. This created an immediate safety hazard, nearly resulting in ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2022
The notice for the Transmission Shift Cable Failure was issued on Oct 09, 2025. This seems to be a high risk that could cause a crash unexpectedly. I would like to issue a complaint per the recall: If the manufacturer has failed or is unable to remedy this safety recall for your vehicle in a timely manner, please contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at: [XXX] or TTY: [XXX] or file an online... Read more
TOYOTA
CAMRY HYBRID
(2026) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 27, 2026
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle shuddered and lost automotive power. The check engine, ABS, and several other unknown warning lights were displayed before an engine misfire. The vehicle regained automotive power before hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, there was an abnormal humming sound comin... Read more
Incident date: Apr 25, 2026
My Hyundai IONIQ 5 has repeatedly lost 12V power and shut down. The vehicle had to be jumped by AAA multiple times. After being restarted, it died again, and after two days of use it was dead again. I am concerned this is related to the known ICCU / 12V battery charging issue affecting IONIQ 5 vehicles, which can cause loss of motive power or make the vehicle undrivable. The vehicle is currently a... Read more
Incident date: Apr 25, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 BMW X7. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated and the engine seized. The check engine warning light was illuminated. While attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle restarted with the power train warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed, and the failure reoccurr... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
While driving on interstate at highway speeds (70mph), the transmission experienced sudden downshift, which increased the engine RPMs to redline and rapidly decelerated the vehicle. Occupant safety was put at risk while other drivers were forced to quickly avoid collision due to our much slower speed. Transmission would not select proper gear which made it difficult to proceed to a safe pull-off p... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving 50-60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle hesitated and jerked while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to Firestone, where the spark plugs and ignition coils were replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to Firestone, where it was diagnosed with trans... Read more
Incident date: Apr 19, 2026
Multiple issues with vehicle transmission. Sometimes will not shift out of 1st gear even after the vehicle has been in operation (restarting at stoplight after 10 min of driving). While driving, transmission starts intermittently revving on its own, error shown on dash but check engine light stays off. Vehicle will then only downshift to 3rd gear even when stopped. This is remedied when vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 25, 2026
Car makes a high pitched whining noise at low speeds of approx. 10-30 mph
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLB 250
(2023) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 27, 2026
Incident date: Mar 5, 2026
My 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLB 250 is experiencing engine misfires and fault codes consistent with a known cylinder head defect that is the subject of a recall affecting 2022 and earlier models. A certified mechanic has confirmed the issue aligns with the recall defect. Despite identical symptoms and engine configuration, my VIN is excluded. The condition results in loss of power and creates a potentia... Read more
Incident date: Apr 26, 2026
On 3/15/2026 I was on my way home from Massachusetts to Pennsylvania, and about 35 minutes into my drive I got an alert stating "High Engine Temperature Stop Safely", so I pulled over immediately and turned the car off. After allowing the engine to cool down, I opened the hood and started the car to see if I could identify any issues, the "Engine Fault Service Now" alert came up. This was the firs... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
On [XXX], my 2022 GMC Yukon Denali XL (VIN [XXX] ) experienced a complete loss of propulsion while I was driving on [XXX] in El Paso, Texas, with my wife and two young children in the vehicle. Mileage was approximately 50,364. While in motion, the vehicle was displaying abnormal behavior, concerned the vehicle would stall on the highway, I exited at the Geronimo exit. As the vehicle slowed, it shu... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2026
When taking off the vehicle will shift into 5th gear trying to take off then hard shift down to 1st then up to 3rd and violently jerk forward. When pressing the brake pedal at a stop light it will jerk forward. When going uphill the vehicle will struggle in 5th gear and then downshift to 4th and loose power and gain power and doesn’t move unless at high rpm’s ( 3000-4000). When on the intersta... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2026
F150 220. ford has been contacted before about the 10 speed transmission down shiften hard, or trying to excel and hitting hard. they said they knew of the problem. but only suggested in reset the computer " basically undue the battery " but the problem is still there. they stated the 10 speed was the worst transmission ford ever put in this vehicle.
Incident date: Apr 17, 2026
Vehicle display showed a message stating 12 volt battery was low and to pull over immediately, the car the died in a parking lot. I called KIA roadside service and they connected a battery pack to the 12 volt battery and got the car started. This could have been a serious problem if I was on travelling on a public street or highway and suddenly lost power.
Incident date: Jul 24, 2025
The vehicle is experiencing a severe and dangerous transmission defect that manifests as intense shuddering and vibrations followed by instances of random, unintended acceleration. Specifically, while operating the vehicle at various speeds, the transmission fails to engage properly, causing a violent vibration/shudder. This is frequently followed by the vehicle surging or accelerating unexpectedl... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
I was only allowed 3 components to choose from, but I want to make certain that Im including the these additional components that has been failing:Forward Collision Warning, Engine,Fuel/Propulsion System,Engine,Lane assistance/ Departure, and Lighting. There could be more to include but heres the dangerous issue I encounter everyday I utilize my vehicle,that has yet to be fixed nor addressed appro... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2020) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 26, 2026
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
While I was driving my car stopped accelerating on busy [XXX] . It was myself my son his girlfriend who is pregnant and her [XXX] son no indication there was a problem just heard a some kind of noise and it loses speed when try to accelerate it wouldn’t we where able to turn in to a gas station. I then cut the car off and when I tried to restart it the car wouldn’t start a week prior to this ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 25, 2026
Jeep engine stopped running while driving on high way 20.Had to coast to stop in middle of side street.Jeep did start back up but would not go into drive until an hour of trying to get it into gear.Drove it home.Next morning I started jeep but would not go into drive.It was stuck in park.
Incident date: Feb 5, 2026
Accelerated and heard a loud noise and felt like I had driven through wood and one got stocked to the whelle. There was a lot of traffic so I was driving slow. The noice I heard was like something was stuck inside the wheel, like it was grinding. Dealer diagnosed a bad transfer case and transmission and they replaced both under warranty.
TOYOTA
LAND CRUISER HYBRID
(2024) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 26, 2026
Incident date: Aug 12, 2024
Transfer case failure limiting all wheel drive system. Needs new transmission and transfer case at 83000 miles.
Incident date: Mar 5, 2026
I was pulling out of driveway, it is a steep driveway, I have kept vehicle in 4WD, I then backed up to turn around, the truck “lurched” and “jerked” forward abruptly. I thought I had hit the home in front of me or ran over something. It was not the AEB. The vehicle had changed from 4WD auto to 2WD on its own, creating a large “jump” in the gears. I took the vehicle to service and they ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 9, 2026
While accelerating on a green light, vehicle shifted down to a crawl. Truck had an abrupt reduction in speed and was difficult to get vehicle to a safe place to stop. Traffic was heavy and dangerous, trying to get truck off roadway was very difficult. I had to park in a no parking zone to allow traffic to continue. The wrench warning lamp symbol did come on, and warning hill climbing is not po... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
The vehicle is a 2020 Toyota Sienna. While driving, the engine suddenly shut off without warning, creating a dangerous situation and loss of power. This occurred while transporting children, increasing the safety risk. A mechanic inspected the vehicle and diagnosed a failure of the low-pressure fuel pump. The problem appears intermittently — sometimes the vehicle runs normally, and other time... Read more
Incident date: Apr 19, 2026
On [XXX] about [XXX] I was driving North on the [XXX] about a quarter mile north of the [XXX] exit and [XXX] 4 of a mile south of the [XXX] exit. The transmission in my 2019 Toyota Camry started to slip and failed to transfer power to the wheels. The engine reved to about 2800 RPM. Thankfully I was in the second to slowest lane to the right and was able to coast and change to the slowest ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2026
Was changing the oil on my car and noticed grease running out from between the transfer case and transmission and also fluid build up on the transfer case higher up a little below the driveshaft. The car has 41k miles on it, there should be no leaks. My concern is the transfer case/transmission spline failure issue.
Incident date: Apr 17, 2026
The engine randomly shut off while driving down the interstate and wouldn’t start back up. The car had the recall “remedy” done to it. Inspection and thicker oil. The only warning I got was to restart the engine after it shut off. My safety was compromised by breaking down on a main interstate coming through Memphis with no emergency lane to pull over in.
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
I am creating this complaint because my vehicle has not been included in the NHTSA recall # 25V-767 on the V35A 3.4L twin-turbo V6 in my 2023 Sequioa. My vehicle was produced on the same manufacturing line and likely had the same engine debris. Toyota gives the reason for not including the hybrid because it is not a safety issue as the hybrid motor can provide power if the engine fails. However ow... Read more