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: Aug 25, 2026

The Engine Cooler has a know defect that GM has put out service bulletins for. The engine cooler is cracking, mixing oil and antifreeze that is creating a sludge that runs thru the entire system. GM wants techs to attempt to clean/flush the engine before they approve a new engine to be ordered under warranty. GM is aware of the problem and there should be a recall out on the problem according to t... Read more

Incident date: Sep 4, 2026

While driving, my 2020 Kia Optima suddenly lost engine power and went into limp mode on the road, leaving me stranded and creating a severe safety hazard in traffic. The vehicle threw diagnostic trouble code P1326, which indicates a catastrophic rod bearing failure. The problem has been confirmed by a Kia dealership scanner. However, both the dealership and Kia America are refusing to cover the in... Read more

Incident date: Aug 20, 2026

I experienced a crankshaft bearing failure while driving my 6.2L V8 Chevrolet Silverado on the highway / freeway. Thankfully I was able to exit highway / freeway to avoid a car collision due to loss of power. My truck was towed to a certified Chevy dealer. This is a known issue for 2019-2026 6.2L V8 L87 engines. The truck was previously inspected by a certified Chevy dealer for prior L87 engine re... Read more

Incident date: Aug 28, 2026

The motor experiences a malfunction, which the passengers feel as a slight ‘bump’ in the engine. The dash flashes Service Electronic Stability Control and the engine experiences a loss in power followed by a gain in power, experienced as slight lurching. The dash ESC icon lights up yellow simultaneously as the ESC button on the center dash instrument cluster. The vehicle continuously lurches a... Read more

Incident date: May 30, 2026

Vehicle suffered sudden loss of motive power due to Diagnostic Trouble Code P0A43 (Drive Motor A Position Sensor Circuit Intermittent). The failure is caused by thermal and chemical degradation of the internal transmission wiring harness, resulting in an internal electrical short submerged in transmission fluid. The vehicle is able to be powered on again and driving can be continued however certai... Read more

Incident date: Sep 7, 2026

On at least five occasions since we purchased this vehicle brand new in January 2026, the digital transmission system has failed to switch into park and would not switch into park -- producing an error message. To resolve the issue, it required multiple restarts of the car, and there is no clear step to resolve the issue. It feels like luck. We've taken it to the dealership multiple times, they... Read more

Incident date: May 29, 2026

I went in for service at Chey 112 in Medford, NY they advised me that my computer needed to be replaced they replaced the computer and I started having transmission issues.

Incident date: Oct 27, 2025

This car is registered under my sons name, [XXX]. I helped him buy the car as we paid cash for it ( Money was provided by my ex-wife). We bought it on XXX and was sold as-is but then the seller said theres no problem with it. A week after we bought it as my son was driving it on [XXX] it drove it suddenly loss power then it stop. He was in the middle lane in a 45 mph road. He said it started to r... Read more

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

The component/system that is malfunctioning is the Power Transfer Unit. This is a well-known issue with Jeep Cherokees of many generations, including the 2019. It is available for inspection upon request, but it's being fixed at a Jeep dealership. No safety was put at risk, but if the PTU failed totally while driving, it would have put our safety for ourselves, and others ' safety at risk. This ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 8, 2026

Clutch pedal went to floor and didn't return. The accumulator on part # MB3Z-7A512-A failed and broke apart causing a complete loss of brake fluid in the clutch hydraulic system rendering the clutch completely inoperable.

Incident date: Jul 20, 2026

The 6-speed automatic transmission on my 2016 Honda Pilot EX-L (103,200 miles) has experienced a severe mechanical failure casing dangerously hard, violent gear shifts during both acceleration and deceleration. Critically, no dashboard warning lights or malfunction indicator lamps illuminated while this dangerous driving condition persisted, leaving me with no advance warning of a safety hazard.... Read more

Incident date: Sep 6, 2026

Dear Chevy, I am reaching out to you again because I am desperately requesting immediate assistance with my vehicle, which has now become an extremely serious and dangerous safety concern. On Friday, [XXX], I had my vehicle towed to the dealership because of the ongoing mechanical issues I have been experiencing. I was advised that the repairs would cost $877, which included a battery replacemen... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2026

Transmission went out 3,400 miles past the 60k warranty. Vehicle taken in at 59k miles and told there were no issues. Filed good will warranty claim. Toyota needs to do a recall. This is a know problem. 2018 and 2019 models recalled. 2020 models same issue, why no recall for 2020. I have read at least 17% of 2020’s have already failed.

Incident date: May 26, 2026

I am reporting a recurring Auto Idle Stop no-restart and starting-system failure in a 2024 Honda Ridgeline. At approximately 35,072 miles, while stopped at a traffic light with Auto Idle Stop engaged, the engine shut off but failed to restart when the brake pedal was released. The vehicle remained disabled in the intersection until it was manually restarted, creating a risk of a collision. An aut... Read more

Incident date: May 21, 2026

In April of this year my 2016 F150 began having issues related to the automatic transmission. Symptoms included unexpected and irregular downshifting from 6th gear into 4th gear while traveling on the highway, random and irregular shifting from gear to gear, and not gearing down below 3rd gear when coming to a complete stop. While these symptoms were happening the truck displayed the MIL and power... Read more

Incident date: Sep 2, 2026

I am writing regarding my 2025 Mazda CX-30, purchased brand new with 0 miles on [XXX]. The vehicle currently has 22,000 miles. I am extremely concerned about the reliability and, most importantly, the SAFETY of this vehicle. August 29, 2025: I brought the vehicle to the dealership after receiving a recall notice. My service slip states only “performed Software update,” with no details regardin... Read more

Incident date: Oct 24, 2025

There is a known issue with the Ram Power Wagon locking differential system where the electronic locking differential wiring harness will fault one of three ways. The first being that the wiring harness is two short so when the rear axle articulates there isn't enough slack therefore causing the plug in the diff housing to fail. The second is that sensor inside the housing faults due to gear oil b... Read more

Incident date: Oct 2, 2025

At 51,000 mile the transmission started making a whining noise. Took it to the dealer and they stated the transmission needs replacement.

Incident date: Sep 6, 2026

I was driving in a highway going at highway speed and the car suddenly just shut off and all the alert lights were reflected at that time the car was not responding completely, shut off, then within seconds after the lights flashed it started on it's own. It was the first time this happened. I was concerned that the car would not respond and maybe could have cost an accident.

Incident date: Aug 21, 2026

Vehicle Impact:While driving, the vehicle suddenly displayed a "Check Hybrid System" warning on the dashboard and suffered a complete, sudden loss of propulsion while on the road. The vehicle dropped power completely and would not restart, creating an immediate, severe safety hazard to myself and surrounding traffic.Diagnostic & Component Confirmation:The vehicle was towed to a certified Hyundai d... Read more

Incident date: Sep 6, 2026

Vehicle stalls when it sits overnight and is put in reverse. Stalk happens after going in reverse for a few feet such as backing out of the driveway or parking space

Incident date: Jul 15, 2026

My 2019 Hyundai Kona SE (2.0L Nu MPI/Atkinson engine) was previously subject to NHTSA Recall 21V301000 (Hyundai Recall 203) for defective piston oil rings that can chip and cause accelerated oil consumption, engine knocking, and stalling. That recall's remedy was performed under a prior owner in December 2021. In November 2025, a Hyundai dealership installed a Cylinder Noise Diagnostic System (CND... Read more

Incident date: Aug 4, 2026

Vehicle is exhibiting the exact CVT/driveshaft fluid leak symptoms described in Recall 24V-304, but my VIN is currently excluded from the campaign scope.

Incident date: Jul 24, 2026

I have a 10 speed automatic transmission that intermittently works in 2nd and third gears. It began doing this at 60,000 miles. I'm not sure if it is the adaptive learning transmission control module (TCM) or the transmission itself. Ford dealer wants over $10,000 to replace transmission. The car is unsafe when pulling into traffic and it won't accelerate half the time.

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

Transmission issues Not related to a quickshifter mine did not come with one. It pops out of gear at low rpms or deceleration which can lead to an accident. In cornering and braking to rapid deceleration for emergency.it just stopped shifting properly one day. I had some voltage problems on the 5v wire all symptoms are fixed except the transmission. Thinking maybe the GPS gear position sensor. Nop... Read more

Incident date: Sep 4, 2026

I have a 2025 Honda Passport with approximately 22,776 miles. Over the past several weeks, the vehicle has developed a progressively worsening starting problem that appears to be heat-related. After the vehicle is driven normally and reaches full operating temperature, then is shut off and allowed to sit for approximately 10 to 30 minutes, the engine will sometimes crank very slowly and sound as t... Read more

Incident date: Aug 21, 2026

**NHTSA Complaint Summary: 2023 Chevrolet Equinox Warranty & Safety Failure** * **First Stall & Initial Negligence:** After a factory engine replacement, the vehicle suffered a fuel system failure. Castle Rock Chevrolet falsely claimed it was repaired, leading to a catastrophic stall on a high-speed highway with raw gasoline and burning plastic odors. * **Second Stall & False Diagnosis:** Fol... Read more

Incident date: Aug 15, 2026

Loss of power while acceleration from a stop sign. Vehicle would not shift into gear and acted like it could only drive very slowly. Repair shop inspected it and stated that the transmission needed work and would cost 8200.00 to fix issue that has a TSB out meaning ford knows about the issue

Incident date: Sep 4, 2026

The Future CDJR dealership in Concord, CA failed to remedy FCA safety recall ID 61A / NHTSA Campaign 23V-301 defect and instead introduced a new mechanical binding and shifting failure, creating a severe highway breakdown and rollaway risk. The initial recall repair service of replacing a part (compounder) within the transmission failed. A new transmission was installed and failed as well during ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 8, 2026

After taking the car on a short drive: Pre-collision malfunction; parking brake malf; ICS malf; chk eng reduced power; secondary collision brake malf; rough idle and driving; sometimes won't accelerate (revs only); cruise control won't work; battery drained when off (12.5 v to 10.5 in one day; battery just under 3 years old); after replacing battery: OBD 2:P0302

Incident date: Jun 10, 2026

Head gasket problem. Gasoline mixing with oil. My head gasket was fixed but read other reports it could have shut off engine while driving. Most reports say Honda knows about this problem

Incident date: Sep 3, 2026

The engine failed in 2024, leaving me stalled on the side of a major highway. More recently, in August 2026, my vehicle began experiencing problems shifting into reverse. A warning message stating, “Selected Gear will engage at low speed,” would appear. I contacted my local Ford dealership, and they stated that the transmission fluid was in poor condition, although they were unable to reproduc... Read more

Incident date: Sep 1, 2026

There are no warning lamps on at this time but the transmission is not shifting at the right points. It seems to search a lot for the right gear. Also half the time you hit the gas there is severe transmission lag. It makes it dangerous to pull into traffic. I first had the transmission replaced at roughly 36000 miles. It now has 47000 miles on it and I believe it is already defective.

Incident date: Sep 6, 2026

The vehicle has a ten speed transmission. It started with the transmission making minor down shifts from 3 to 1 and then 7 to 1. Without any engine warning light. It has subsequently started a severe shift from 3 to 1 and 7 to 1 and the engine light has now come on. This creates a dangerous situation when it down shifts from 7-1 when your speed is 45 mph of above. I contacted a dealership regardi... Read more

Incident date: Sep 6, 2026

The turbo lag in this vehicle creates an unsafe condition when trying to turn onto a busy road, street or highway. It’s inconsistent and in the heavy 3 row SUV completely unpredictable. Today my wife narrowly avoided an accident.

Incident date: Aug 24, 2026

Vehicle received passenger airbag inflator recall service at Viva CDJR in El Paso, TX. The dash disassembly disturbed adjacent wiring/BCM connections, and after driving, vibration caused a short/ground fault, creating runaway wipers, A/C failure, transmission limp mode, check engine and power steering lights while in transit. Dealer has kept the car for over two weeks and refuses to scan diagnosti... Read more

Incident date: Aug 11, 2026

Vehicle began to randomly shut off at low speed while moving, while stopped and also in park. Has not yet happened at high speeds. All occasions are at speeds of less than 5 mph, no MIL. Took to the dealership, diag of faulted aux battery. Battery replaced. Still very randomly will die in gear, at low to no speed, and also in park on occasion. Dealership update software of the BCM, PCM, and DCM. R... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

**Component/System:** Automatic Transmission — 8-speed (UA80E/UA80F), Toyota Highlander **Description of the problem:** My 2021 Toyota Highlander (approximately 116,000 miles) has developed a high-pitched whining noise a while ago, that occurs during acceleration, consistent with the symptom described in Toyota's own Technical Service Bulletin T-SB-0008-21 (issued Feb 9, 2021) for whine/grind n... Read more

Incident date: Sep 5, 2026

Unknown. During a basic collision Avoidance maneuver performed by myself on the highway at speed of aprox 60MPH the steering suddenly became non-responsive, resulting in my inability to maintain directional control and cause a collision. The vehicle continued traveling before coming to its final resting position. During this sequence, the driver-side front suspension assembly sustained a catastr... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Aug 1, 2026

from a stop during fast acceleration made a left turn and rear section or rear axle sounded like it went over a speed bump or wheels locked up, then transmission felt like it was in high gear, did not want to move , or very slowly , i accelerated rpm was 2k or 3k still moving very slowly, this was in heavy traffic. I notice that check engine light went on with TC, parking brake service , some pad ... Read more

Incident date: Apr 4, 2026

I own a 2004 Toyota Sequoia and have owned it since it was built by Toyota. In 2013 Toyota had a safety recall on the frame for that vehicle because in certain Northern states they are having issues with the frame rotting and braking. I brought my vehicle in May of 2013 and Carlson Toyota in Minnesota inspected. It said that it passed and they installed a corrosion kit. This vehicle has been metic... Read more

Incident date: Sep 4, 2026

Hard/Erratic shifting and feels like you’re driving over rumble strips. The day I purchased the car.

Incident date: Sep 15, 2023

In September of 2023 our 13’ Jeep Wrangler Rubicon had an ABS Module failure. We went to our local Jeep (Gettel Jeep of Punta Gorda, FL) where they placed us on a list @number 1600. They told us to was safe to drive however use caution in the snow. As of August the Jeep became unable to drive. We have sent the module off for repair unsuccessful and we have sent it back for the second time. I hav... Read more

Incident date: Jun 15, 2026

Transmission failure at 106,000 miles, full replacement under extended warranty and new transmission is begging to fail at 109,000 miles.

Incident date: Aug 30, 2026

Car recently started to jolt when accelerating. Noticed it firsthand on the highway while on stop and go traffic. It's been doing it more often now when driving around the city. As soon as you accelerate past 15mph, it starts to jolt. The check engine light is not on. I do see that other 2018 Chevy Traverse have a recall, but my car (when checking by VIN) is not included.

Incident date: Sep 3, 2026

While driving on the streets the powertrain module gave out. It started to jerk around 30 mph and then just would not go.

Incident date: Jul 20, 2026

While my wife was driving, the high-voltage battery failed and the car went into reduced power/limp mode. Tesla later determined that coolant had gotten into the high-voltage battery and caused it to fail. My main concern is that we had no warning that there was a coolant leak or that coolant was getting into the battery. There was no low-coolant warning or anything telling my wife that there was ... Read more

Incident date: Dec 31, 1969

It is becoming increasingly difficult to shut down the car when the transmission is placed in park because the system is not recognizing the transmission is in park.

Incident date: Sep 6, 2026

High oil consumption burning a quart of oil every 500-600 miles.

Incident date: Sep 19, 2025

the vehicle will not register that it is in park, when the engine is turned off a beeping noise reads shift to park - you have to start the engine and shut it off multiple times, or slam the shifter into place to get it register in park. this happens constantly and is starting to get old, and annoying. it is listed as a known problem on the forum group. when the notice to shift into Park is stuck ... 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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