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: Jul 24, 2026
My transmission is experiencing slipping, which causes the engine to rev up without delivering power to the wheels when I accelerate. This delay in gear engagement creates a high-safety risk during merges and passes because my vehicle cannot match traffic speeds predictably. Also, when pulling out onto a busy road I am not able to do it normally, I have to do it very slowly because it will miss an... Read more
Incident date: Jul 3, 2026
Vehicle was placed into Ford’s Neutral Tow mode according to the owner’s manual before being recreationally towed behind a motorhome. The instrument cluster displayed Ford’s confirmation that Neutral Tow was enabled and the vehicle was ready for four-wheel-down towing. The transmission failure occurred during the second day of towing. After highway travel, the transmission severely overheat... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
My truck is at the dealership for a failed transmission valve body. I was doing some research on this issue and saw recall N242454441. I asked the service writer about this and he said my truck was not covered by the recall. I had all of the same issues as described in the recall. effects can cause harsh shifting, setting a service engine soon message, reduced engine performance or P0747 diagnosti... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2023) - POWER TRAIN
Jul 29, 2026
Incident date: Jul 28, 2026
The contact called on behalf of his daughter who owns 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer for a routine oil change when the contact was informed that there was an unknown issue with the vehicle however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to a different dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission fluid was leaking and the... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the transmission was shifting hard, with severe vibrations and shuddering. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic, who confirmed the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to the local dealer. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and the failure was confirmed, but the vehicle was... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
Took my Aui Q7 in to AUDI of [XXX], on XXX for a very rough idle and surging at lights from the automatic oof/on system and the 10,000 initial service ( 8000 Mile) I was surprized when the service rep mentioned that it could be a broken motor mount as i thought it was more of a idle adjustment. They did find the driver side mount was broken and replaced it under warranty. Received the car back o... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2026
Car shuts off randomly saying low steering power, will restart after a few minutes. This a safety issue that can lead to a crash.
Incident date: Dec 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 BMW X1. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle suddenly decelerated to 10 MPH. There was no warning light illuminated. During the failure, the messages, "Chassis Stabilization: Drive Moderately," "Collision Warning System Malfunction," "Pedestrian Warning Reduced," and "Drivetrain: Continued Driving Possible" were displayed. The vehicle was pulled over in... Read more
FORD
MUSTANG MACH E
(2023) - POWER TRAIN
Jul 29, 2026
Incident date: May 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, there was an abnormal whining sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure due to a pinion shaft failure. The dealer determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated unexpectedly after coming to a complete stop and making a right turn. There was no warning light illuminated. During the failure, the transmission skipped second gear and lunged forward after shifting into third gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technicians confirmed that the transmission needed to ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 11, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted, with the power train warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was driving rough and the transmission was shifting hard. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that parts were unavailable to repair the vehicle... Read more
HYUNDAI
TUCSON HYBRID
(2023) - POWER TRAIN
Jul 29, 2026
Incident date: Jun 8, 2026
The engine timing chain, timing chain tensioner, and chain guides failed/stretched prematurely at 54,715 miles. The parts are currently installed in the vehicle / available for inspection upon request. Premature failure or slipping of the timing chain tensioner can cause the engine to misfire, skip timing, or fail catastrophically without warning while driving. A sudden loss of engine power or su... Read more
Incident date: Jul 27, 2026
Vehicle came in for service and the gear selector lever on the steering column was found to be loose. Upon further inspection it was found that the two phillips head screws that hold the gear selector lever to the column assembly had come loose and one had fallen out completely.
Incident date: Jul 13, 2026
The transmission on my 2020 Ford Escape began shuddering around 30 mph and occasionally shifted harshly during acceleration without any warning lights or messages. I took the vehicle to Beechmont Ford, where the technician confirmed the concern, found metal contamination in the transmission fluid, and determined the transmission has internal damage consistent with a failed output planetary bushing... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2026
We have a 2020 Toyota Highlander with 89K miles that we have owned since it was new. I was informed today to not drive it any long distances from the dealer due to an impending failure of the transmission, creating a large safety issue for me and my family. I understand there are related recalls of the UA80 transmission but none for this particular model; there are countless internet reports of ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the transmission upshifted as intended; however, the vehicle then suddenly downshifted to a lower gear. No warning light was illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the failure worsened and jolted the occupants inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
The 10R80 10-speed automatic transmission and the gear-shift linkage module are defective, and the truck remains available for inspection. Our safety is constantly put at risk because the transmission exhibits an extremely violent, highly intermittent powertrain lunging jolt during deceleration and stopping. The impact is so severe that it sounds and feels like a loud gunshot firing right next to ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2026
I was driving the vehicle yesterday, had no problems and then when making a right hand turn the vehicle completely locked up. The brakes and steering column locked and the vehicle completely shut done. The dashboard lit up and the windows still worked but there was not power to the engine. Attempted to JUMP the car, unsuccessful, ultimately called a AAA who used a battery box and the car started. ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2026
I've taken my car 3 times for the same recalls 1st time was to jack Kisse for power train and fuel injector he told me the recall wasn't to my car I argued I can tell something was wrong with my car it keeps stalling and it's going to end up killing me in traffic from the fuel injectors so I take it too [XXX] of Norton and broken arrow they tell me after sitting there for 8 hours that the power... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE L
(2024) - POWER TRAIN
Jul 29, 2026
Incident date: Jul 24, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Infiniti JX35. The contact stated that while pulling into a parking space, the vehicle hesitated while driving forward. After parking the vehicle, the contact later returned and started the vehicle; however, while driving a short distance, the vehicle suddenly lost automotive power and failed to properly accelerate. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicl... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2021) - POWER TRAIN
Jul 29, 2026
Incident date: Jul 17, 2026
When the 03 Ford F350 dually, is placed in Park, it will just roll away!
Incident date: Jun 30, 2026
While driving a rented 2023 Kia EV6 on the freeway, the vehicle lost power and shut down completely, without warning, on multiple separate occasions during a single trip. This occurred at highway speed in live traffic, creating a serious risk to vehicle occupants and surrounding traffic. The vehicle was a rental (Dollar Rent A Car); no external damage or collision was involved. The vehicle has sin... Read more
Incident date: Jun 16, 2026
Note: (never has any issues before ever as vehicle always maintained and taken directly to vw for maintenance.) /-/———————————————— I was driving: came to a stop: light turned Green proceeded to go through intersection YET VEHICLE. KT NOT MOVE! Put lever into park: turned off car and turned back on : put thr stick BACK INTO DRIVE - NOTHING HAPPENED I GUNNED it BY p... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2026
The contact owned a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power while approaching a stop. The contact depressed the brake pedal; however, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated and crashed into a Chevrolet Tahoe. The wrench symbol warning light was illuminated. There were no reported injuries. The air bags deployed as intended. A Poli... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jun 26, 2026
Ptu failure. Open recall with no fix. Jeep fixed at dealer. Plenty of time has passed since recall was opened. The only fix is to replace the non serviceable ptu. Jeep needs to stop stalling and fix the problem. I want my money back
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
My 2021 Subaru Ascent (40,000 miles) suffered multiple major mechanical failures that pose ongoing safety concerns: 1. Engine Oil Leak: The vehicle developed an active engine oil leak at 20,000 miles, posing a risk of fluid contacting hot exhaust/engine components under the hood or causing low oil levels during operation. Repair time more than 35 days due to parts not available. 2. Loose Factory E... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2024
This is a nine speed transmission which basically shifts up each gear every 5 to 6 MPH until you hit 9th gear about 52 MPH. The transmission will not shift to next gear fast enough causing the vehicle to be very slow. The transmission has to go through 5 gears to get to 30 MPH. Each gear shifts at 1650 to over 2000 RPM before it will shift to next gear. If the air conditioning is running the least... Read more
Incident date: Jul 27, 2026
Transmission shuddering when gear changing as accelerate.
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
While driving, my dashboard warning lights on my 2019 Subaru Crosstrek—AT OIL TEMP, EyeSight, and Lane Assist—illuminated simultaneously with a sudden onset of transmission slippage and erratic shifting, with no prior warning symptoms. The vehicle experienced a sudden mechanical failure of the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) torque converter clutch solenoid valve, which was diagnosed ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
Car shuts off at highway speeds and in stop and go traffic like it has a fuel delivery issue. Car sputters and then loses all power. I know there was a previous recall on this vehicle but I’m curious whether it was actually fixed on my car specifically.
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
Repeated Check Engine light issue Ford failed to diagnosis and follow service bulletins regarding a defect in the engine block. Now Ford tells us that the engine block is cracked and wants us to pay full price for their faulty engine. Car was purchased with 31,388 on Dec. 4, 2020 as a Certified Pre-Owned Ford vehicle from a Ford dealership. 12/10/2022 with 46,728 miles Levittown Ford serviced t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V896000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and informed the co... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2026
I've had a Blindspot warning light alert, told by dealership this is an electrical issue, after a web search, I see this is a common and known issue for Ford, yet no recall has been issued. I also have another know, common powertrain issue with my rear differential. The vehicle makes noise when turning, unstable when driving. The vehicle is less than 5yrs old and under 60k miles. Both issues are s... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
I find the location of the lower gear shifters + and - to be physically far away from a driver's normal reach, making a driving hazard. If you want to change gears as is typical in mountain driving in steep descents, the driver has to lean awkwardly away from all mirrors and standard driving position making it a potentially hazardous situation for the driver and occupants to be in. It has nothing... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2026
My 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe suffered a catastrophic internal engine failure and set DTC P2338 ("Cylinder 3 Above Knock/Combustion Vibration Sensor Threshold"). Although my VIN is not included in Safety Recall 78C (NHTSA 25V-766), my vehicle experienced the same failure mode, symptoms, and diagnostic code associated with the recall. Stellantis' STAR Center reviewed the case, confirmed internal ... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2022) - POWER TRAIN
Jul 28, 2026
Incident date: Jul 16, 2026
Took car in for oil change and service tech saw that there was transmission fluid leaking. They then found that the splines were sheared off going into the transfer case and transmission. We received new transmission and transfer case. So far everything is working. We did not get any warning that there was an issue until we took it to the dealership. Putting in the case as this seems to be a ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2026
On my expedition I started having issues with my transmission staying in gear while driving. I will be going up a hill and all of a sudden boom it starts down shifting or not accelerating at all. I had a few times when me and my wife will be driving, and we would be going through a intersection or a area where you don't want to slow down and then the transmission would forget which gear it would b... Read more
HYUNDAI
TUCSON HYBRID
(2025) - POWER TRAIN
Jul 28, 2026
Incident date: Jul 28, 2026
Good afternoon, my 2016 Jeep Cherokee is currently at the Local Jeep Dealer in Savannah, Georgia. I have been informed by the dealership that my Power Transfer Unit has failed and has to be replaced. I went to your website and this is an ACTIVE CAMPAIGN for this issue, it is #23V302000. This is a known recall issue and thus the RECALL was issued. Problem, my vehicle's VIN is not listed on you... Read more
HYUNDAI
TUCSON HYBRID
(2025) - POWER TRAIN
Jul 28, 2026
Incident date: Jul 28, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was slipping and shifted hard. Additionally, while on an incline, the vehicle failed to get up to speed. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V668000 (Power Train). The vehicle was driven in LIMP Mode back to the residence. The dealer was contacted... Read more
Incident date: Oct 21, 2021
On July 23, 2026, my 2023 Audi Q5 suddenly lost power while I was driving on the highway, with no prior symptoms before the incident. The vehicle began stuttering, entered limp mode, displayed multiple drive-system malfunction warnings, and developed a loud knocking sound from the engine area. The loss of power created a serious safety risk because the vehicle could no longer accelerate or operate... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2021) - POWER TRAIN
Jul 28, 2026
Incident date: Feb 5, 2026
This vehicle has a UA80 8-speed transmission that has prematurely failed. This is a KNOWN issue to Toyota and they have refused to provide a fix. It is a safety hazard when all acceleration stops when attempting to merge into heavy traffic (as had happened to me last week) or on a highway traveling at top speed. I have only 27,000 miles on this automobile and it failed with NO WARNING! Within a v... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
This 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid has a severe and recurring history of catastrophic high-voltage hybrid powertrain and transmission failures that cause a sudden loss of motive power while driving, presenting an immediate safety hazard. The vehicle has already required two full automatic transmission (eFlite EVT) replacements under factory warranty due to internal failures. It has experienced mul... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that while decelerating to approximately 25–30 MPH, the vehicle jerked abnormally. No warning lights were illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that parts ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 26, 2026
On May 10, 2026, my SVC 4WD light came on, then went away after a few minutes. A few weeks later, my vehicle started making a loud roaring, growling, and humming noise, then it went away followed by the SVC 4WD light came back on. While driving around 50–60 MPH, the vehicle became very unstable. It suddenly pulled from left to right before I was able to regain control. Thankfully, traffic was li... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2026
On June 25, 2026 my 2025 Honda Pilot Elite (47,503 miles) upon ignition had every warning light in the system illuminate sequentially without any prior incident. I had never experienced any indication of malfunction, including warning lights or messages. The Emissions System Problem light remained illuminated on the dashboard and, after review of the Owner's Manual instructions to avoid heavy ac... Read more
Incident date: Jul 26, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 15 MPH and attempting to make a left turn, while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The hazard lights were activated, and the vehicle was driven back to the residence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be d... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 - 60 MPH, the transmission failed to shift properly, and the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the valve body needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaire... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. 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 35-55 MPH and coming to a stop, the vehicle shuddered and jerked. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while driving from a complete stop. The de... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2026
Significant disruptive vibration upon acceleration at high speeds due to premature failure of front CV Axles. Confirmed failure of both axles by manufacturer at approximately 61,000 miles.
Incident date: May 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2026 Toyota Camry Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V869000 (Hybrid Propulsion System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. Several local dealers were made aware of the issue and confirmed the contact that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of tim... Read more