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.

2,245,377 Total Complaints

140,173 Reported Crashes

56,794 Reported Fires

8,580 Reported 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

How to Read NHTSA Consumer Complaints › How NHTSA Investigations Work › Used Car: 7 Recall Checks to Run First › The Takata Airbag Recall: Full Story › OBD-II Codes Explained › All Articles ›

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Showing 137,132 complaints - component: POWER TRAIN

Incident date: Nov 11, 2025

Vehicle has hard and clunky down shifts from 4th to 3rd gear and occasional hard clunk 3rd to first. Occasionally lurches coming to a stop. Happens frequently and somewhat inconsistently since purchased. Creates drivability concerns when slowing.

Incident date: Aug 1, 2026

Transmission shifts gears unresponsively when the clutch slips due to poor transmission design for the 10r80MHT which cause truck to either not accelerate at all, delayed acceleration, or a sudden lurching forward

Incident date: Jul 31, 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 fails to engage then randomly shifts violently. This occurs when merging onto a highway, crossing an intersection, traveling at highway speed, stop-and-go traffic,creating a potentially dangerous drive. This is ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 31, 2026

Going down the road driving the car lost power and went in limp mode with no warnings on the dash at all!

Incident date: Oct 15, 2023

On Thursday, July 30, 2026, while driving my 2022 Honda HR-V at approximately 70 mph in the fast lane of the highway, my vehicle suddenly, without warning lost all power. The speedometer immediately dropped to 0 mph, and the vehicle would not accelerate despite pressing the accelerator. There were no warning lights illuminated before the incident, and the vehicle had shown no previous signs of tra... Read more

Incident date: Jul 5, 2026

I am reporting a safety-related transmission failure I experienced with my 2021 Ford F-150 equipped with the 10R80 automatic transmission. While driving normally, the transmission suddenly failed to engage and then shifted violently, causing an unexpected loss of power and then a change of propulsion. This occurred while merging at highway speed, creating a potentially dangerous situation because ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 31, 2026

On July 21st, 2026 while stopped at a red light and upon turning green stepped on the accelerator to transition from stop to start, the vehicle suffered a sudden, catastrophic loss of motive power. The engine failed to respond to accelerator input, leaving the vehicle stranded in active traffic. This created an immediate rear-end collision hazard in a busy intersection. I was forced to coast the v... Read more

Incident date: Jul 31, 2026

2017 Kia Niro Hybrid subject to Safety Recall SC276 (NHTSA Campaign 23V534) for the Hydraulic Clutch Actuator (HCA). Fluid contamination of the HCA PCB can cause an electrical short and engine compartment fire risk. Official remedy is HCA inspection/replacement as necessary plus a new fuse. Three dealer visits: Shortly after purchase for SC276 recall and routine service. Dealer performed HCA Insp... Read more

Incident date: Jul 31, 2026

On 7/16/2026 exactly 1 week after i purchase the vehicle after fueling i drove about 1 mile when the car started to misfire, when attempting to accelerate. Check engine light flashes a few times and then went off. I then attempted to reverse into my driveway and when attempting to do so the vehicle shut off completely. But started right back up. I then called the dealership and was asked to bring ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 16, 2026

Transmission shifts hard, shifts down intermittently, blown seals twice and gear shifter gets stuck.

Incident date: Jun 8, 2026

The transmissions on these vehicles have well issues. The only reason I bought the one I did was because the Carfax report falsely started that the transmission had been replaced. Toyota knows it's a safety hazard and can fail at highway speed but will not take responsibility. I bought the car and within 5 days it is making a grinding noise. The Toyota dealership states the car needs an entire... Read more

Incident date: Jun 8, 2026

At roughly 5,000 miles, this 2020 Honda Odyssey was brought into an authorized Honda dealership due to transmission concerns. The dealership service department improperly evaluated the 10 speed transmission, and diagnosed a 9 speed transmission system, assured me that what I was feeling was completely normal, and instructed me to only bring the vehicle back if the issue got worse. At approximately... Read more

Incident date: Sep 10, 2024

On XXX, I was driving northbound on US-101 from [XXX] to [XXX] to pick up a family member for an appointment. The vehicle had been operating normally at freeway speed. As traffic slowed for a construction zone near Summerland, I intentionally reduced speed to approximately 20 mph. At that point, I heard a sudden abnormal rotational mechanical noise from the engine compartment, best described as a ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 20, 2026

2021 jeep wrangler 4xe unlimited rubicon. Death wobble steering stabilizer has been replaced. 4 Alignments in a week . Was told that it was my tires nope not the case . I can’t not drive my jeep at all . Now the transfer case is leaking the track bar that I told the mechanics it needed to be replaced . The mechanic at John jones told me not to bring it back because I was not a mechanic to find s... Read more

Incident date: Mar 21, 2026

Shifts from a high gear to a low gear at high speeds. Locks up back tires and is very unsafe. Revs up over 7000rpm in low gears and then shoots me forward. Have almost had several accidents due to these issues. Less than 60000 miles on truck. Feels very unsafe to me, my passengers and others around me when driving. Out of warranty specs.

Incident date: Nov 26, 2025

My 2022 Honda Pilot Black Edition (VIN [XXX], 62,900 miles) has multiple intermittent safety‑critical failures involving the transmission, acceleration, adaptive cruise control, and HVAC blower. These issues occur without warning and without diagnostic trouble codes. Transmission/Acceleration Failure: Most recent incident was XXX on Highway 71 during heavy traffic. The vehicle twice experienc... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2025

2017 Kia Sorento 2.4L GDI engine seized due to connecting rod bearing failure confirmed by P1326 diagnostic code multiple times. Vehicle entered limp mode limiting RPMs to 1800-2000 exactly as described in PI1802 campaign. Engine subsequently fully seized. Battery tested 98% healthy ruling out electrical cause. Vehicle towed to [XXX] Kia Avon Indiana. Kia Techline and Consumer Affairs denied PI180... Read more

Incident date: May 4, 2026

Transmission shutter caused by faulty torque converter. Vehicle hesitates at times leading to unsafe conditions when merging or pulling out into traffic.

Incident date: Jul 29, 2026

My 2017 Audi Q7 with the 3.0T engine has experienced repeated engine/ignition system failures. The vehicle displays a "System Malfunction" warning light accompanied by shaking and stalling. This same malfunction has occurred at least 3 separate times over the past few years. Each time, a repair shop diagnosed and replaced faulty ignition coils, and the vehicle ran normally for a period of time bef... Read more

Incident date: Jul 30, 2026

Was driving on highway when all of the lights on my dash illuminated. Eventually I got a warning for oil at temp alarm. Was giving code P2757 and P0700. Looks like this a common issue in Subarus but doesn’t look like it covers anything after 2020.

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

2023 Cadillac Escalade, 6.2L V8 (RPO L87). Subject of Recall 25V-274 and NHTSA investigation RQ26-001. Over the past year, this vehicle has been out of the shop only about 90 days total. The rest of the year it has been in dealer service at GM/Cadillac dealerships for a recurring, undiagnosed loss-of-power defect. It is currently in dealer service. FAILURE: The vehicle has suddenly lost all moti... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

The Power Transfer Unit (PTU) failed on my 2020 Jeep Cherokee. Started hearing grinding and roaring noises coming from the front wheels and was having trouble stopping. There is a recall already going for the same make and model but for other specific vin numbers, mine not included. The problem was inspected and confirmed by the dealer previously bought from The original warning light was ‘svc... Read more

Incident date: Jul 24, 2026

On 7/16/26, while driving, I heard loud clicking noises when turning and sometimes while driving straight. I took the vehicle to Coggin Deland Honda for inspection and they determined that both driveshafts are broken and need replacement. The service advisor shared that this is an ongoing problem with 2024 Honda Prologues that are not being covered by warranty. He also shared that there is a class... Read more

Incident date: Jun 30, 2026

Design issue: The 12th-generation (E210) Corolla manual transmission utilizes a CSC unit containing plastic/ABS components that owners and forum communities frequently cite as a weak point prone to premature leakage and mechanical failure. This occured to my corolla on a roadway and presented a severe safety hazard.

Incident date: Jun 30, 2026

While driving my vehicle, it is a consistent clicking loud noise. I had the vehicle checked out twice and both places said the same thing as it is explained down below: Transmission Replacement (Automatic): SEVERE INTERNAL TRANSMISSION NOISE- NOISE LOUDER W/ SPEED. NEED TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY- DO NOT RECOMMEND DRIVING VEHICLE MAY BE CATASTROPHIC AND COME APART This statement is from th... Read more

Incident date: Jul 24, 2026

GM performed a vehicle wide Over the Air reprogramming of the modules incorporated in the VIP/Global B electronics platform in April, 2026. Following that my vehicle became totally dead. Key fob would not unlock the vehicle. Had to use the metal key, open the drivers door. Opened the door, nothing moved. No lights, no movement from anything on the vehicle. Opened the hood, charged the battery ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 31, 2026

Transmission body throttle and TCM had to be replaced a year after purchase because of failing shifts, reverse failed to work completely.

Incident date: Jul 31, 2026

High pitched whirring from engine when accelerating. Took to mechanic who diagnosed worn internal transmission bearings that could lead to transmission failure. No warning lights or indicators. Toyota is aware of this issue (see Toyota Technical Service Bulletin T-SB-0008-21) but is doing nothing in response.

Incident date: Jul 21, 2026

Transmission/ motor mount went out at 80k, the issue was going on before hand where my car would shake violently. I had been complaining about it for months they kept telling me it was normal, come to find out my transmission mount is going bad. Now they want to charge me 2k to replace it, after the engine was replaced.

Incident date: Jul 21, 2026

My chevy tahoe vibrates when i drive and the dealership can not find the reason why it does that.

Incident date: Jul 23, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked roughly while turning right or left, with a grinding sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was driving sluggishly. The contact stated that the brakes had been recently serviced but might be the issue. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagno... Read more

Incident date: Jun 20, 2026

The contact owns a 2014 Dodge Dart. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V674000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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: Jul 31, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. The failure was intermittent. The message “Service Vehicle” was displayed and the wrench symbol was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who confirmed that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train) and the vehicle ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 30, 2026

I bought this vehicle in August 202 from Bayway Chevrolet in Pearland, Texas. The vehicle is now at 101,703 miles. The vehicle is a 2019 Chevy Suburban LT with the 8L43 transmission. Approximately 1 year ago, we started to have issues with the electronic screens - both the dashboard and the radio screen. The screens freeze, change channels and displays without any buttons being pressed or the s... Read more

Incident date: Jun 10, 2026

This problem started a few months ago. In the first few minutes of driving my truck each morning i have been experiencing problems with my truck shifting. Sometimes there is a lag. Sometimes there is unexpected shift. Sometimes it jumps from 10th gear to 1st. It can be jarring at times. Then by the time i get to where i am going the problems seem to go away. Lately, the problems show up slight... Read more

Incident date: Jan 15, 2024

The contact owns a 2022 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while the vehicle was receiving a routine oil change, the rear wheels failed to rotate. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission and transfer case needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the drive shaft was moving freely while in park. The vehic... Read more

Incident date: May 18, 2026

The vehicle exhibited transmission slippage but did not provide any warning lights or other symptoms . About 100 miles later, the Automatic Transmission Oil light came on (flashing YELLOW), and all other systems light up (both Yellow and Red) disabling front collision, auto vehicle hold, RAB, etc. Pulled to a safe location and left in park for 10-15 minutes per guidance. Had towed to dealer to d... Read more

Incident date: Jul 29, 2026

The contact owns a 2024 Land Rover Defender. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly shifted into neutral(N), with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle lost motive power. The contact swerved to the shoulder, and an object struck the windshield, causing the windshield to crack. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and the failu... Read more

Incident date: May 25, 2026

First AWD Coupler failed at approximately 25,000 miles. It was replaced and the replacement AWD Coupler is failing at approximately 55,000 miles. As the AWD Coupler fails, when accelerating from a stop and turning, a loud clunking sound is heard from the vehicle and a jerking motion is felt. The symptoms continue to get worse as the AWD Coupler fails. The jerking can cause unsafe turns and acc... Read more

Incident date: Jul 9, 2024

When you almost stop but then hit the gas there is a dead petal. The vehicle doesn’t accelerate. Then you almost get t boned. They know about the problem but say everything is fine. It’s traction control. It is not. I guess I will have to sue if I survive the crash.

Incident date: Jul 24, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Dodge Dart. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V674000 (Power Train). The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and attempting to shift into drive(D), the gear shifter failed to shift as intended or shift into the intended gear. The vehicle was towed a dealer but was not yet diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was assoc... Read more

Incident date: Jul 24, 2026

The vehicle changed it's drive mode on it's own without user interaction. The event happened while driving at 70MPH on the Interstate. Vehicle changed to the Baja drive mode by itself which also tries to change from 2H to 4H at speed. I was able to quickly move drive selector back to Normal drive mode before the 4H change occurred, but it also tried to change to the Rock Crawl mode which woul... Read more

Incident date: Oct 13, 2025

With a 103,000 on the dash, engine experienced signs on slowing, check engine, abs, adaptive cruise, and steering faults amongst others . No lights prior to the bearing failing. The engine experienced rod bearing failure and left use stranded on the side of the highway. All maintenance was performed at dealership, towed back to dealership where upon inspection rod bearing completely fell apart... Read more

Incident date: Jul 28, 2026

**Vehicle:** 2026 Toyota 4Runner SR5- -700Miles I am reporting a persistent vibration issue that appears to come from the engine bay and is transmitted through the driver's side floorboard into the driver's left foot and leg. The vibration is most noticeable when the transmission is engaged and the vehicle is under load. If the transmission is disengaged while the vehicle is still moving, the vi... Read more

Incident date: Jul 28, 2026

The PCS (Power Conversion System) failed on my Cybertruck as it has on thousands of other trucks. It's an issue for me because the nearest supercharger station where I can charge is 45 miles away. I have to budget my daily driving so I don't run out of charge before reaching the supercharger. If I run out of charge, the truck will be inoperable until the service center can fix the vehicle. Right n... Read more

Incident date: May 21, 2026

My vehicle experiences total loss of the instrument cluster PRNDL gear display, an active Wrench Light, and unexpected shifts into Limp-Home Mode while driving in traffic, creating a severe crash hazard from trailing vehicles. An OBD-II scan confirmed permanent fault codes P0715 (Input/Turbine Speed Sensor Circuit Malfunction) and P0717 (Input/Turbine Speed Sensor No Signal). West Herr Ford of Am... Read more

Incident date: Sep 1, 2025

When turning vehicle will intermittently lose power for 1 to 2 seconds, and then it suddenly returns.

Incident date: Jul 2, 2023

Recall NNK post-repair failure. Dealership: Kia of Valdosta (RO# XXX). After ECU update NNK-02-0118, my K5 suffered a severe loss of acceleration and torque. The car cannot safely merge on highways. The dealer’s own live scan data sheet proves that at 4,997 RPM under full load, the Turbo Recirculation (Dump) Valve reads "OFF". The factory tool key explicitly states (OFF = Open). The service mana... Read more

Incident date: Jul 30, 2026

In April of 2026 started hearing a whining noise in the engine of my 2019 Toyota Highlander. The vehicle has 110471 miles. Have had it checked at the dealership twice and a mechanic twice. All have said the transmission is going out. I have had the transmission fluid replaced, but it did not help. Apparently, Toyota knew about this problem and still sold the car. I am unable to drive car because I... Read more

Incident date: Jul 28, 2026

The transmission would not shift out of second gear turning onto a busy highway and my pregnant wife and I were almost rear ended. It then went to first and hard shifted out of gear putting excessive pressure on our midsections. The cause most likely is a well known issue that ford engineers knew about and negligently ignored for several years with the faulty 10r80 transmission. It is not known wh... Read more

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Consumer Safety Complaints

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

How to interpret what you read

If you've experienced a defect

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