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 ›

Clear

Showing 137,132 complaints - component: POWER TRAIN

Incident date: Jul 28, 2026

There was a loss of power while driving. As I pressed on the gas, the engine would rev, but the vehicle would not accelerate. This is a major safety risk.

Incident date: Jul 30, 2026

I own an Acura RDX that experienced a sudden failure of the transfer case. Prior to the failure, there was little or no warning that a major drivetrain component was about to fail. When the transfer case failed, the vehicle lost its normal all-wheel-drive operation and required expensive repairs. I believe this is a safety defect because the transfer case is a critical drivetrain component. A sud... Read more

Incident date: May 28, 2026

Incident date: Dec 30, 2023

Incident date: Jul 9, 2026

The car keeps giving me misfires

Incident date: May 31, 2026

Power Transfer Unit failure failed. Warning light of "4WD SERVICE" came up. Part is not available anywhere, and is on backorder until at least September.

Incident date: Jul 23, 2026

The torque converter on my 2019 Nissan Titan PRO-4X failed at approximately 60,000 miles. Symptoms began as cold-start shudder lasting several minutes, progressing to pronounced shudder under light throttle acceleration between 25–50 MPH, erratic shifting at the 3-4 and 4-5 gear transitions, and TCC (torque converter clutch) slip. These symptoms created unpredictable drivetrain behavior at highw... Read more

Incident date: Jul 26, 2026

My 2020 Jeep cherokee car made a sound and seemed to lose some power a warning came on serv 4wd took to mechanic was told PTU is causing error I put my vin in and it says no recalls I have contacted Jeep Corporate who said they do not have a fix for this at this time and would email me. My husband has the same year make, and model and also has this error. I did call Jeep Corporate and spoke to ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 4, 2026

The contact owns a 2026 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving and making a right turn, the vehicle hesitated and jerked while depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, the contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a complete stop, the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was turned off and restarted and responded as intended upon shifting into drive(D). No warn... Read more

Incident date: Jul 9, 2026

error : service 4wd , I have had it to 2 mechanic shops and said ptu is causing error, parts r not available. there are recalls for this problem, but I put in my vin in and it says no recalls. please seen nhtsa recall no 26v290 or manufacturer number 40d

Incident date: Jun 18, 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 not yet available. The contact stated that upon shifting into reverse, the gear shifter became stuck in reverse(R). The contact was able to shift out of reverse after several attempts; however, the failure recurred in the driveway. T... Read more

Incident date: Jul 23, 2026

While driving my 2026 Mercedes-Benz E350 (rear-wheel drive) at approximately 40 mph, I began slowing for a traffic light. As I approached the intersection, the vehicle suddenly experienced what appeared to be a catastrophic electronic failure. Without warning, the vehicle became almost completely inoperable while the engine continued to run. The vehicle abruptly came to a stop and became immobil... Read more

Incident date: Jul 30, 2026

This vehicle was purchased new in 2021 with 4 original miles. Today it has 58,000 miles and has been maintained, per manufacturer recommendations, a certified Toyota dealership. At around 56,000 miles we noticed a slight whine in first gear. This was attributed to normal noise that we simply had not noticed. by 58,000 miles the while had extended to all gears and become more prominent. Research o... Read more

Incident date: May 18, 2026

While actively moving at highway speeds on July 13, 2026, the vehicle suffered an instantant, total loss of all 12V electrical auxiliary power. The dashboard flashed 'Hybrid System Malfunction' and 'Drive-Start Control Malfunction' before all digital instrument clusters, center infotainment displays, and cabin lights went completely dark. Power steering and braking assist dropped to emergency back... Read more

Incident date: Jul 26, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that the transmission was slipping and there was a delay while the transmission was shifting gears. The vehicle was sputtering and jerking while driving. While turning out of a driveway and driving approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The local... Read more

Incident date: Jul 6, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V402000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60-70 MPH, the vehicle shuddered with the message "See Manual" displayed, and the vehicle jerked. The contact stated that the failure had occurred during har... Read more

Incident date: Jul 13, 2026

While traveling at highway speeds, my 2017 GMC Yukon SLE suffered a sudden, catastrophic Active Fuel Management (AFM) valvetrain lifter and camshaft collapse. This caused an immediate and highly dangerous loss of vehicle propulsion in live moving traffic on I-95, creating an extreme physical safety hazard for my family. General Motors has extensive, documented internal corporate knowledge of this ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 25, 2026

While driving my 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 (VIN: [XXX]) in active traffic, the 10-speed automatic transmission suffered a sudden and catastrophic internal failure. Without warning, the vehicle stalled in the middle of traffic and forced itself into a hazardous "limp mode," severely restricting my speed and acceleration. This created an immediate, high-risk safety emergency, leaving my passengers and me... Read more

Incident date: Dec 23, 2025

On many occasions, over several years of ownership, ''NEW in 2018, the trans has had violent shift Problems. I could only find 1, ONE instance where a person was "injured'' by ANY of the GM 8L transmissions. My neck is hurting Now. I'm compelled to do this for Others who been Scammed by GM as they still sell a 8 speed rewrapped. I can't believe this has been protected against being called a SAFETY... Read more

Incident date: Jul 26, 2026

"shift to park" issue on a 21 traiblazer causing your car to not being able to shutdown entirely meanwhile the shift is perfectly on Park.

Incident date: Jul 30, 2026

I was at a red light, I went to drive as the light turned green and my car stopped and wouldn’t drive, I could go into neutral to get out of way but anything the car would stop. There is no codes or lights turned on my dash though.

Incident date: Jun 8, 2026

Went in to get a service done for my vehicle and all the highlighted areas were the problem. They stated models from 2019-2022 The Camrys all have had transmission issues. I still have my car and it’s working, but I don’t want to pay for a new transmission when Toyal manufacturing has been aware of these models and issues.

Incident date: Jul 15, 2026

The vehicle experienced a catastrophic internal engine failure caused by connecting rod bearing failure. Prior to the failure, the engine developed abnormal internal knocking/noise, indicating bearing deterioration. The engine is currently available for inspection. While traveling approximately 55 mph on [XXX], the check engine warning light illuminated. Within about one mile, the engine rapidly ... Read more

Incident date: Mar 19, 2026

I was practicing backing up while turning my new approximately 3,000 lb equipment trailer for safety & maneuvering skill purposes. There was no payload in my trailer that I was towing. While slowly maneuvering & turning my equipment trailer in reverse at 1–3 mph, our 2023 Ford F-150 XLT suffered a commanded, abrupt, unexpected sudden acceleration while in reverse, which was not via the gas pe... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Apr 20, 2005

The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the accelerator pedal was depressed, there was an abnormal clunking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train); but the failure persisted. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 30, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle suddenly decelerated and failed to properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was parked on the side of the road and was later towed to the local dealer. The vehicle was serviced by the dealer. No further information was available. The contact stated that after ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 29, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Mercedes-Benz E400 4MATIC. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the driveshaft felt loose, with an abnormally loud knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V216000 (Power Train). The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or... Read more

Incident date: Jun 3, 2026

The vehicle experienced transmission drive issues accompanied by a Check Engine Light. An independent repair facility scanned the vehicle and confirmed diagnostic trouble code P0717 for a transmission speed sensor open circuit. The failure causes unexpected loss of acceleration and erratic power delivery while driving, redlining at 45 mph, malfunctioning of the gear selection display, and creating... Read more

Incident date: Jul 4, 2026

The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the gear shifter became stuck in neutral. The failure was a recurring failure. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V447000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent me... Read more

Incident date: Jul 24, 2026

2021 Harley Davidson Sierra 4WD, 6.2L L87. Started the truck in the morning and immediately heard intermittent, very loud banging noise coming from engine. Shut truck down quickly and had it towed to dealer. Diagnosis was bent pushrods & failed lifters which were replaced under warranty. Factory warranty expired only 4 months after this failure, and the recall does not include my VIN so I did not... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2026

My 2026 Ram 1500 Bighorn Crew Cab After vehicle startup, approximately five seconds, after initiating forward,, the vehicle experience and abrupt engine shut down while in motion. Concurrently the vehicles, electronic parking brake forcefully self engages without driver command due to an automated safety conflict. This severe powertrain, and electrical failure completely strands the vehicle and ... Read more

Incident date: Oct 11, 2025

Sudden catastrophic drive train failure while driving. Car stopped instantly and was totally immobilized. It had to be dragged onto a flatbed tow truck. It is at dealership now for evaluation.

Incident date: Jul 2, 2026

While driving on an interstate during a heavy summer thunderstorm, the vehicle suddenly displayed a warning stating, "There may be a problem with the Battery Management System," along with a "Check Hybrid System" message. At the same time, the check engine light illuminated and the hybrid system stopped functioning without any prior warning. Approximately 10–15 minutes before the incident, I had... Read more

Incident date: Jul 11, 2026

On or around XXX a my 2021 Silverado started making a rattling sound from the engine. The truck began to stall and the engine shut off three times while driving. I attached scanner the next day and the track showed P00011 and P00016 codes. Those codes are for the Camshaft Sensor and the Crankshaft Sensor. I went online and did research about the two codes and discovered there had been a couple re... Read more

Incident date: Jul 29, 2026

The transmission developed hesitations at take off, a whine at low speeds and over time got louder. Diagnosis by the dealer confirmed yet another bad eight speed transmission failure. This vehicle has 41K miles.

Incident date: Apr 10, 2026

I am reporting a catastrophic engine failure and engine-compartment fire involving my 2017 Lincoln MKZ Select, equipped with a 2.0L EcoBoost engine, VIN [XXX]. The vehicle had approximately 99,864 miles when the final failure occurred. Shortly after I purchased the vehicle, the original engine developed severe overheating, loss of cabin heat, white exhaust smoke, misfiring, and coolant intrusion.... Read more

Fire 1 injured

Incident date: Jul 16, 2026

Since I purchased this truck in 2023 brand new as a 2024 the shifting has been very abrasive. It shifts far excessively harder than it should and I have brought this to the dealership’s attention many times. Now I am finding out that there is a massive recall on this vehicle’s transmission because of these issues that have been happening. The error codes are P0700 and P0747 The Engine and T... Read more

Incident date: Jun 13, 2026

I was driving on the highway speed limit 65, and all of the sudden it down shifted to first gear, jerking the truck almost to a complete stop, very scary and unsafe. I pulled over to recoup myself . It is now happening more frequently, wrench light on the dash . Not sure what I need to do , my truck is my life support for me and my family! Help me please! Thank you,

Incident date: Jul 28, 2026

No warning lights, only noticed a new noise like a whirring sound that matches car speed, not acceleration. Had the car looked at and determined it was likely the same CVT transmission bearing failure most CHR owners are experiencing. Toyota is no help and estimates for repair are $6k to $10k from private transmission repair places. Now we have a dud of a car that we still owe money on that isn't ... Read more

Incident date: May 27, 2026

My transmission has been acting up like other stated where it will rev the motor high and then jerk and shift hard. There are no recalls for it when there are known issues with the transmission for the 2017. I was driving down the road and went to stop and my brakes were very hard and almost had to stand on them to stop, almost hit a couple cars, very dangerous situation. This has happened tw... Read more

Incident date: Jul 29, 2026

The Transmission is slipping on my 2020 Ascent. I had the recall wrk-21 performed in July of 2025. Over the last 6 months the car has been hesitant to go at low speeds and shakes at high speeds. Over the last month the transmission started to slip while accelerating , especially up hill. There would be a grinding noise and RPMs would jump. I took it to the dealer and they confirmed it was the t... Read more

Incident date: Jun 18, 2025

Transmission/cracked flexplate started approximately 12 months prior with vibrations getting progressively worse, complete failure needing replacement along with shift cable bushing causes vehicle to select wrong gear position when another is commanded by driver. Shrapnel from case or components could be expelled during flexplate/converter failure. Incorrect gear selection could lead to potential ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 29, 2026

While driving, the vehicle unexpectedly shut off without warning. The engine stalled while the vehicle was in motion, causing an immediate loss of acceleration and power. This created a serious safety hazard in traffic. The issue is consistent with the condition described in Safety Recall U01 for 2017 Chrysler Pacifica vehicles involving the Powertrain Control Module (PCM). However, this vehicle's... Read more

Incident date: Jul 29, 2026

While driving, the vehicle unexpectedly shut off without warning. The engine stalled while the vehicle was in motion, causing an immediate loss of acceleration and power and creating a serious safety hazard in traffic. This vehicle previously received the Safety Recall U01 repair in January 2018, but the same engine stall condition has returned. The recall remedy does not appear to have permanentl... Read more

Incident date: Dec 31, 1969

The ignition switch AKA WIN MODULE has to be broken, making it extremely dangerous to drive my vehicle. Any time I go over a bump or the key wiggles slightly the car will turn right off and I lose full control over the car. I have to find a safe place to pull over and restart the car by taking the key out and putting the key back in. The part where the key goes in is very very loose. This puts mys... Read more

Incident date: Jul 28, 2026

On XXX the vehicle lost motive power while my wife was accelerating to merge onto a highway with our two young children aboard. It would not accelerate and she was forced to pull over in an active merge area. Simultaneous warnings illuminated: Electronic Parking Brake, ESC, Forward Collision Avoidance, Blind Spot Detection, and hybrid system, with "Check Hybrid System" displayed. No crash or injur... Read more

Incident date: Jul 21, 2026

At approximately 146,451 miles, the transmission molded leadframe on my 2012 Ford F-150 failed while I was driving approximately 60 mph on a highway. Without warning, the transmission harshly downshifted, the truck lost power, the speedometer stopped working, the wrench warning light came on, the seat belt warning light illuminated, and the transmission entered fail-safe (limp) mode. I could not m... Read more

Incident date: May 11, 2026

The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. The RPM's increased and the powertrain warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number... Read more

Incident date: Jul 3, 2026

i was driving my 2023 crv hybrid which is well maintained and has only 73200 miles i was only driving it for 10 min when the cylinder gas kit has blown out and vehicle went into limp mode and power has dropped luckily no one was behind and i pulled over.

Previous 1 2 3 4 5 ... 35 36 37 ... 2742 2743 Next

Vehicle Safety

Consumer Safety

Infrastructure

Public Health

Consumer Safety Complaints

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

How to interpret what you read

If you've experienced a defect

Read more from our blog