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
MERCEDES-BENZ
C 300
(2020) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 23, 2026
Incident date: Sep 1, 2024
Vehicle has ongoing and recurring electrical and engine-related defects that affect safe operation. The primary systems involved are the electrical system, engine ignition system, and powertrain. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Prior service records show issues beginning in 2020 involving repeated electronic system failures requiring multiple repairs and component replacemen... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Apr 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Nissan Armada. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the infotainment center independently blinked on and off. The rear-view camera displayed an error message of the rear wheels. The accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while driving forward or while ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
My vehicle was subject to Recall FSA 23S65, which addresses a defect involving the rear axle hub bolt. I brought the vehicle to a Ford-authorized dealership for the recall repair; however, the repair was not properly completed. The rear axle hub bolt subsequently failed, confirming that the recall defect was not adequately remedied. After the bolt failure, I returned the vehicle to the dealership,... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
The transmission software update only made it worse. The transmission is deciding to shift into 5th gear wrench comes on the no speedometer no information in the information center airbag light comes on radio gets quieter or I have experienced the first shift sudden downshift at 65 mph back tires are hopping on the tar and now everyday it's stuck in first gear for a while I have to shut off the tr... Read more
Incident date: Nov 26, 2025
My drive shaft snapped off of my differential while driving on I-20 at 70mph causing me to lose all ability to accelerate. My differential gears broke now my truck is unable to drive safely
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
Turbocharger is defective. Reduced engine power. Engine Power reduced shows up on my dashboard. I bought the car brand new at Lindsey Buick in Ohio. This car is too young for this problem. Lindsey Buick and GM need to stand up to accountability and transparency when it comes to delivering top quality products. My vehicle almost caused a horrific accident by not accelerating fast enough. I a... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2026
On April 15, 2026 Report filed with NHTSA from an accident-causing property damage due to a failure in the shifter mechanism while the vehicle was parked, ignition off, no keys in the vehicle and the brake pedal was NOT pressed. Manufacture initiated an investigation after we contacted their customer care line. Our vehicle was taken to a Toyota dealership on March 11, 2026. We received an email on... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2026
On April 15, 2026 Report filed with NHTSA from an accident-causing property damage due to a failure in the shifter mechanism while the vehicle was parked, ignition off, no keys in the vehicle and the brake pedal was NOT pressed. Manufacture initiated an investigation after we contacted their customer care line. Our vehicle was taken to a Toyota dealership on March 11, 2026. We received an email on... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2026
On April 15, 2026 Report filed with NHTSA from an accident-causing property damage due to a failure in the shifter mechanism while the vehicle was parked, ignition off, no keys in the vehicle and the brake pedal was NOT pressed. Manufacture initiated an investigation after we contacted their customer care line. Our vehicle was taken to a Toyota dealership on March 11, 2026. We received an email on... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2026
The issue appears to involve the engine and turbocharger system. The vehicle has shown symptoms consistent with a turbo underboost condition, including loss of power and reduced acceleration. A mechanic indicated that the symptoms may be consistent with diagnostic code P0299 (turbo underboost). The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This issue affects safe operation because the veh... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2026
On April 15, 2026 Report filed with NHTSA from an accident-causing property damage due to a failure in the shifter mechanism while the vehicle was parked, ignition off, no keys in the vehicle and the brake pedal was NOT pressed. Manufacture initiated an investigation after we contacted their customer care line. Our vehicle was taken to a Toyota dealership on March 11, 2026. We received an email on... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
As I began a drive cycle, I heard a pop sound and received the “check electric vehicle system” warning associated with ICCU failure. With ICCU failure, if I had continued to drive the 12V battery would have run to zero and the car would have died completely. Vehicle goes to dealer tomorrow for confirmation.
Incident date: Jan 14, 2026
The vehicle intermittently fails to reverse properly, hesitates, jerks, and at times locks despite no obstruction present. This occurs during normal use and creates a serious safety concern, particularly when backing out of parking spaces or into traffic. In addition, the vehicle exhibits ongoing electrical issues, including intermittent warning lights, rearview camera distortion or failure, inco... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2017) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 22, 2026
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
Sudden and severe downshifts occurred at roadway and highway speeds resulting in sudden speed decrease. Also revving and loss of power occurred. Problem codes P0706 & P0707 were logged which point directly to the Transmission Range Sensor (TRS), which is integrated into the molded lead frame. This sudden and uncontrolled loss of speed caused significant danger to vehicles, ocupants, and other vehi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2025
Complete transmission failure with normal driving use just outside of warranty
Incident date: Sep 15, 2025
The automatic transmission light/warning lid up. Took to the dealer for diagnostic test. They recommended for transmission replacement based on the codes. Contact Honda to remedy. They review the diagnosis and agreed with the dealer for transmission replacement. It’s terrible that Honda transmission had to be replaced at less than 120,000 miles. The cost to replace is so expensive l, ~$10,... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle automatically downshifted to first gear and remained stuck in first gear. The vehicle was pulled over on a side street and waited for 30 minutes before the transmission returned to normal operation. The failure reoccurred and became progressively worse. Additionally, the contact stated that while drivi... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
I was driving 70-75 mph on interstate XXX going south from [XXX] to [XXX] after picking up my friends. I had e-save mode on to save the battery for later and out of nowhere the car lost all power and would not accelerate. Some writing flashed across the screen telling me to pull over in the emergency lane and stop and then restart the Jeep in hybrid mode. I had to throw on my hazards and pray... Read more
TOYOTA
CAMRY HYBRID
(2026) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 22, 2026
Incident date: Dec 15, 2025
The manufacturer has no solution to the recall of my vehicle. I cannot drive the vehicle due to a risk of the powertrain shutting down or worse, a fire. It’s been months that I cannot use the vehicle. I think the manufacturer should buy the vehicle back.
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
Having reviewed online your safety recall number N252536750, I am experiencing the same issue (right rear wheel occasionally locks when starting from a standstill and turning right). It only lasts about 1 or 2 seconds while accelerating. However, when I discussed this with my Chevrolet Dealer, I was told that according to the VIN for my 2022 Suburban 3.0L Diesel, I am not part of that recall. I pl... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Dart. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60-65 MPH, the vehicle intermittently shifted out of gear. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V542000 (POWER TRAIN). The dealer and the manufacturer were contacted and informed that the vehicle was not associated with the recall and w... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
I purchased this car new on December 31, 2024. I have owned it for less than 16 months, and in that time, we have had an issue occur at least 5 times where we get an alert on the screen that says, "Stop Safely Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon". Less than 20 seconds later, the car completely dies. On each of the 5 instances, we were lucky to be going relatively slow and were in a safe place with a shou... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2019) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 22, 2026
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
Shuddering, slipping, then lost all gears. Unable to put in reverse, drive, or low. Repair shop says the transmission needs replacement. Pump and torque converter issues. Vehicle has excellent maintenance and only 84k miles.
Incident date: Apr 17, 2026
Coolant problems and cylinder damage on engine due to coolant intrusion. Ford has not issued a recall on this well known problem and issue on ALL Ford Fusion Models. Several complaints have been made by many Ford Fusion owners for putting drivers and vehicle owners at risk of driving unsafe vehicles and poor driving conditions.
Incident date: Feb 5, 2026
Grid heater nut/bolt detached and entered engine, causing catastrophic internal failure and total engine loss while driving.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the message "Engine Power Reduced" was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that after 20 minutes of consecutive driving, the vehicle drove sluggishly and lost power. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the check en... Read more
CHEVROLET
TRAILBLAZER
(2026) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 22, 2026
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to properly shift into gear while the gear shift lever was in use. The check engine and another unknown warning light were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where several undisclosed fault codes were cleared. The vehicle was towed back to the same local dea... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
I am writing to formally report a dangerous safety failure on my Ford F-150 that persists after having the recommended recall service (19S07) performed. While traveling at highway speeds, my vehicle experienced an uncommanded downshift from 6th gear to 1st gear. This caused an immediate and violent deceleration, nearly resulting in a high-speed rear-end collision. This exact failure is the core sa... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2026
Was driving my vehicle and the service light came on that said (SVC 4X4) when I took the vehicle in the Fury Dealership to get a diagnostic check, I was told that my PTU system need to be replaced and it would cost $4500.00 to repair, upon doing some research it seems that Jeep Cherokee has had MANY problems with this particular parts failure. Upon going back and forth with the Service manager ab... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
Turn Signals stop working Cruise Control stopped working Vehicle Control Stopped working All Buttons on Steering column stopped working Windshield Wiper controls stopped working 4WD Controls stopped working Radio Controls stopped working Lawsuits have been filed and won by people against Ford yet No Recall has been opened !
VOLKSWAGEN
TAOS
(2022) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 22, 2026
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
Head gasket failure at 42,000 miles. Transmission leak from filter and pan. VW dealership diagnosed.
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
I am writing to open a formal complaint regarding a serious transmission defect in my 2019 Honda Odyssey (VIN: [XXX] ). My vehicle is currently exhibiting symptoms that directly match the 'Transmission Programming Defect' documented in ongoing litigation, specifically symptoms: while accelerating produce rough and delayed shifting; sudden jerking, sudden, harsh accelerations and decelerations; an... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
car inverter failure, 2013 civic hybrid inverter recall for said year but refuse to include in recall lemon
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2016) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 22, 2026
Incident date: Apr 17, 2026
I am reporting a structural failure of the rear subframe (axle carrier) on my 2016 Mercedes-Benz C300 (W205). The component is exhibiting significant internal-to-external corrosion (perforation), specifically at the suspension mounting points. Safety Impact: The vehicle is currently exhibiting unstable handling and a 'skittish' 'swerving' sensation causing the car to 'fishtail' under braking duri... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2026
I own a 2021 Hyundai Palisade and have experienced a complete transmission failure that I believe Hyundai had prior knowledge of and failed to address. Before my warranty expired, I contacted the dealership several times to report transmission symptoms I was experiencing. I was told that because no diagnostic code had been produced at that time, there was nothing they could do. Eventually, my che... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2024
When approaching a stop, the vehicle vibrates heavily as if it is trying to fight the brakes to continue moving and avoid downshifting. The wrench light on my dash came on, so I took it into the dealer to have the problem evaluated. The torque converter has failed on my Edge, according to the dealership evaluation. They also indicated that this could lead to complete failure of the transmission, i... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked abnormally while shifting into reverse(R) or drive(D). The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure persisted while attempting to drive. The contact a... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2026
The car lost power while driving and an electrical warning was displayed on the screen. The issue was later diagnosed as a failure of the ICCU and blown fuse that had been previously recalled and replaced. Now it needs to be replaced again.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
I experienced repeated stalling, loss of drive power while on the highway, limp mode, and all dashboard warning lights over several years. I brought the vehicle to an authorized Honda dealership multiple times and specifically asked whether these symptoms were related to the known fuel pump recall. Each time I was told the recall was not the cause. I was also told recall parts were unavailable or ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2026
My 2024 Honda Prologue is experiencing ongoing drivetrain issues that include noise, vibration, clunking, and a binding sensation. These symptoms occur during turning, accelerating, and at low speeds. I brought the vehicle to the dealer, and they inspected it, but they told me there is no solution available yet and advised me to wait. The dealer has not replaced any parts, and the issue contin... Read more
Incident date: Apr 5, 2008
When starting the vehicle it turns over as if it wasn't going to start then it starts then put it in drive and it revs up without moving seems like its going to to pull out but barely moves while driving down the highway in curves it p pulls tords traffic like real hard my drivers side mirror hit someone On a corner because of the suspension the going up and down hill it almost put me in the ditch... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
Truck downshifted to first gear from about 35 mph with no warning, and would not shift back, until it was shut off. I was in middle of road. No warning lights came on prior to this happening. The dealer confirmed a recall for this problem but my truck is a 2013 and recall currently is for 2014 forward. I never received a recall notice on my truck and the estimate to have it fixed is about $1700... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V512000 (Power Train). The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were on back order. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Incident date: Sep 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 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; however, the vehicle failed to drive forward as needed. The contact stated that after several seconds, the vehicle drove forward as needed. No... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2020) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 22, 2026
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
The transmission has now stalled in 2 situations within 7 days. Stops pulling for about 30 seconds, then a loud pop occurs as the transmission kicks back in to working. 53,000 miles on the vehicle, no warning lights came on or currently on.
Incident date: Dec 8, 2025
My vehicle was taking to a ford dealership Dec 8 2020. Diagnosed with transmission problems was told there is no ETA on parts and had to get it delivered to me to avoid them charging storage fees. The car has an unsafe transmission issue and no parts to fix it. My vehicle has 71k miles should not have transmission issues. Ford refuses to help, with a buy back or even the parts or helping in any w... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to a lower gear. The check engine warning light was occasionally illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign: 26V237000 (Power Train); howe... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
Vehicle bucks and jerks while accelerating and transmission shifts harshly causing vehicle shaking and driver distraction . this is a known documented issue with the Ford 8 speed transmission