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 12, 2026
The car has lost power on the highway multiple times and gone into Limp mode with no warnings on the dashboard. The Rex engine has failed to start as well. Very dangerous on the highway going 20 mph trying to make the next exit. The car has been back to the BMW dealer multiple times (over 2.5 months at the dealer ) with no repair. They are now offering to take the car in trade. The car is stil... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the gear shifter was shifted from neutral(N), to park(P), and then to drive(D) for the vehicle to accelerate as needed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact researched and became aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not a... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormally loud roaring sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with power transfer unit failure. The contact was informed that the power transfer unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 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 21, 2026
On June 14, 2026, while driving approximately 70 mph on a Michigan freeway, the 6.2L V8 engine began shaking violently. The vehicle lost oil pressure, warning messages appeared on the dashboard, and the vehicle completely lost propulsion and shut down while still in motion. My spouse and child were inside the vehicle. The sudden loss of power at highway speed created a serious risk of a collision... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled in the middle of an intersection and was nearly involved in a crash. The vehicle restarted after approximately three minutes. The contact stated that the failure recurred on a second occasion. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired u... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
The electric oil pump circuit board for the transmission failed, causing motive power loss. The vehicle is currently located at Ourisman Chantilly Kia and is available for inspection. Safety was compromised due to sudden loss of drive power while operating on public roads, creating a severe crash hazard. The failure was diagnosed and confirmed by Ourisman Chantilly Kia service department, which re... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
Formal complaint that 2022 thru 2025 Toyota Sequoia equipped with the 3.4L twin-turbo V6 engine architecture (V35A-FTS) suffering from the notorious main bearing failure be included in the current recall of 2022 thru 2025 Toyota Tundra. If the engine block mechanically seizes, the entire drivetrain locks up, rendering the hybrid backup ineffective, creating a major safety issue. (NHTSA Campaign 25... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
The vehicle experiences a sudden, violent drop into "limp mode" during active traffic acceleration. The internal Output Shaft Speed Sensor completely drops its signal, causing the vehicle to rapidly lose speed in active traffic lanes, creating an immediate and severe rear-end collision hazard.Diagnostic Evidence:Dealership (Crews Chevrolet) officially scanned the vehicle and documented history cod... Read more
Incident date: May 16, 2026
I purchased a 2018 Hyundai Kona, and it has had one major issue after another. It burns an excessive amount of oil, the engine misfires, and now the turbocharger is failing. I’ve already spent approximately $2,300 repairing the air conditioner and engine, and I can’t afford thousands more in repairs.
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2022) - POWER TRAIN
Jul 21, 2026
Incident date: Jul 4, 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 local dealer and Sam Wampler's Freedom Ford of McAlester (720 S George Nigh Expy, McAlester, OK 74501); were contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V099000 (Seat Belts), 26V344000 (Seat Belts), 26V368000 (Structure), and 26V402000 (Power Train); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the rec... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2026
While driving on the highway at approximately 65mph the trucks display showed that the transmission shifted from 9th gear down to 1st gear, the truck however did not stall or shift hard. Shortly after the Ford pass sent a message stating there is a power train malfunction / reduced power. And that the transmission control module has detected a concern when trying to shift 4th gear. And a failsafe... Read more
Incident date: Jun 7, 2026
I have had 4 appointments for my 2023 Hyundai Palisade to have the recall on the seat belt buckles addressed. Each time, I am told by the dealership that Hyundai hasn't sent the part yet. I was told that Hyundai is only sending 10-15 parts at a time. There are a lot of these vehicles on the road, and at this rate, my car is never going to be fixed. There is also an open warranty for the 3rd ro... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2025
I was driving home on se stark to go to 60 uh then turn into burnside I was going 30 Mph per speed limit then all the sudden it jerked and slowed down very unsafe when the transmission just went slow and I had no warning or light never came on to say need transmission service. This was mind boggling then I had it towed to the shop and apparently I need a whole replacement for transmission and I’... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
I am filing this complaint regarding my 2021 Kia Sorento, which has suffered a transmission failure. The transmission slips, shifts harshly, hesitates during acceleration, loses power unexpectedly, and has become unsafe to drive. This defect has put my safety and the safety of others at risk. On several occasions the vehicle failed to respond properly when accelerating, including while entering h... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the gear shifter was shifted to drive; however, the transmission failed to engage as intended. The accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle unexpectedly rolled backwards. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The veh... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2026
I have a 2023 Kia Sorento with approx 60k, purchased new from New Pot Richey Kia. Approx 7 days ago, while driving home from dropping my son at school, my transmission system error warning came on as well as my check engine light. My RPM'S would increased without corresponding acceleration, which meant my transmission, was slipping. I was also experiencing jerking during shifting. In addition to t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2026
Torque Converter failed Car jerks at low speeds. Car was unsafe to drive, vehicle had trouble accelerating when needed. Ford Garage inspected vehicle and diagnosed the problem. There was no warning lamps or messages.
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
When accelerating at low speeds the transmission bucks and/or surges so that the car stutters. This is currently happening, two mechanics have checked and see no misfiring and there is no warning light showing but there is clearly some sort of issue with the transmission. This sounds very similar to a recall made in other Ford Edges, I am able to bring it in for inspection upon request. This const... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2026
While driving on a US highway, the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle lost the ability to start/run normally, requiring the vehicle to be pulled off the road and towed to an authorized Hyundai dealership. Dealer diagnostic testing found the engine failed a bearing/performance test, consistent with connecting rod bearing wear. This failure mode — Check Engine light, DTC P1326, abnorm... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2026
I brought my 2014 Ford F-150 to Gentilini Ford in Woodbine NJ in response to recall notice number 24S37 on XXX for an issue with the molded leadframe on the 6R80 transmission. The recall gave the option of reprogramming the existing leadframe or replacing the leadframe. My leadframe was reprogrammed and not replaced. Shortly after the recall while driving back to [XXX] from NC, the transmission... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
Transmission hunts between gears at 25-30mph. Downshifts are delayed or hesitates during hard acceleration. Delayed shifting during slow turns.
Incident date: Jul 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V675000 (Power Train), 26V117000 (Visibility), and 26V402000 (Power Train); however, parts for the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle with... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
While driving my 2023 Honda Accord Hybrid, the vehicle suddenly displayed multiple warning messages, including a Check Engine Light, and immediately entered limp mode. Engine power was significantly reduced, making it difficult to accelerate and safely keep up with surrounding traffic. This unexpected loss of power created a potential safety hazard because the vehicle could not respond normally to... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
Complaint to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) I am filing this complaint regarding an unresolved safety recall on my vehicle. This recall has remained open for more than one year, yet no remedy has been made available. Despite the manufacturer acknowledging the safety defect, I continue to operate a vehicle that presents significant safety concerns because the defect has... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
Rear wheels suddenly lock up momentarily during downshift at 30-50 mph (most reproducible 35-40). Transmission in a high gear (8th-10th); any throttle input commanding a downshift can trigger it: as the downshift executes, rear wheels briefly stop, skid with an audible chirp, vehicle jerks violently. Reproducible on demand, multiple times per drive, on video. Highest-speed event ~50 mph, family ab... Read more
Incident date: May 21, 2026
While traveling out of town on the highway,we had a sudden loss of power. My vehicle wouldn’t accelerate or shift. My check engine light came on and a message displayed that said something about reduced power. After limping to a dealership while in another city, I managed to wait hours for my husband to pick me and my children up. We waited several days for the dealership to tell us it was the v... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled without warning while releasing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle restarted after each failure. The first dealer diagnosed the vehicle and retrieved DTC: P04100 (Camshaft Position Sensor A Circuit); however, the repair failed to fix the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to Hendrick Ki... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Yamaha FJR 1300. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 20V814000 (Exterior Lighting), 20V813000 (Power Train), and 21V865000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but the vehicle was not repaired due to the parts being on back order. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that parts were on back order. The con... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2025
My teenage son bought a used 2013 Ford F-150 with 111,000 miles on it about a year and a half ago. It had been running fine up until about 3 months ago when he started having issues with the transmission intermittently jumping gears while he is driving. The vehicle jumps to 3rd and 5th gear out of nowhere and then doesn't come out of that gear. Even when you turn it off and back on, the vehicle wi... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered and vibrated abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and the contact was made aware of a technical service bulletin which included replacing the transmission fluid. The transmission fluid was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that ... Read more
HYUNDAI
IONIQ HYBRID
(2017) - POWER TRAIN
Jul 21, 2026
Incident date: Jul 14, 2026
The vehicle has gone into a limp mode unexpectedly while driving on the highway at 60+ mph. The car immediately stopped driving and went into limp mode and cannot go over 30 mph. It was taken to a service dealer. They could not replicate the problem, therefore the vehicle was given back as undiagnosed. This next incident occurred and almost caused an accident, and that was on, again driving on... Read more
HYUNDAI
IONIQ HYBRID
(2017) - POWER TRAIN
Jul 21, 2026
Incident date: Jul 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was no... Read more
HYUNDAI
TUCSON HYBRID
(2026) - POWER TRAIN
Jul 21, 2026
Incident date: Jun 22, 2026
I purchased the car on XXX. The car has been returned to the service department within the first 3 days. Sold to me without getting fully inspected. Service department did put new brakes and rotors on and I was told (no paperwork given to me) an oil change was done. On XXX in traffic on a dangerous highway, the car cut off. The car was not able to be jumped with AAA, was towed to [XXX]/GMC Servi... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE HYBRID
(2025) - POWER TRAIN
Jul 21, 2026
Incident date: Jun 22, 2026
Took my 2015 Ford F150 XLT 4X4 to Peoria Ford for safety recall, they requested 30000 mile maintenance. I agreed. Upon picking up vehicle service advisor informs me engine light was on, it was safe bring it back when I have more time. They had my vehicle from July 13, 915am till that July 15, 545pm, closing at 6pm. On the way home almost had an accident,truck still shifting down bad and powert... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the transmission was slipping gears before the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to drive forward or move while in reverse. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The co... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that after parking and then attempting to turn off the vehicle, the message " Shift to Park" was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to be parked and turned off successfully after various attempts, which included restarting the vehicle and engaging the parking brake. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independe... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2026
Subject vehicle has 11919 miles. The vehicle is less than three years old and covered under factory warranty. While driving 35MPH, engine suddenly did not respond to throttle. This engine stopped. Driver was able to coast to roadside. After OnStar analysis, engine control computer logged code 'P129F - An issue has been detected in the Fuel Management System used to maintain, control and monit... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2026
1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The engine unexpectedly shut down while I was driving my 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon at approximately 30 mph. There was no apparent cause for the shutdown. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The sudden engine shutdown caused an unexpected loss of power while the vehicle w... Read more
Incident date: May 21, 2026
Vehicle exhibits a dangerous 2-to-3-second delay/total loss of accelerator response at low speeds or rolling stops (5–15 mph). When stepping on the gas pedal to pull into traffic or make a turn, the vehicle hesitates completely before engaging power, even when the pedal is fully depressed. This creates an extreme crash risk when entering oncoming traffic or merging.
Incident date: Oct 14, 2025
My local Ford Dealer (Tallahassee Ford) which I had just purchased the vehicle from two weeks prior. Refused to repair NHTSA Recall Number26V237 they wanted to charge me over 2000 dollars to fix even though it has a recall. I ended up getting the lead frame replaced at a local transmission shop for little over 1000 dollars. I would like to be reimbursed for the money and time I spent.
Incident date: Oct 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the message "Service 4WD" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with PTU failure and the transfer case needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (Power Tra... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
My wife was driving the vehicle to work this morning XXX around 730am on the [XXX] near [XXX] and the vehicle just cut off while driving at high speed. All the lights were activated on the dashboard. The steering wheel locked, the brakes stopped working, and the car would not accelerate. The vehicle died mid drive placing her in a dangerous life threatening predicament within this heavily trucked ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
Transmission faulty, loud, clunky and hard shifting! Service transmission now alert and code P0747
Incident date: May 14, 2025
Background and Contracted Scope At the recommendation of Mountain West Service Manager Kendall Weaver, I contracted with Mountain West to install an engine-mounted PTO (Power Take-Off) hydraulic pump on Truck #37 for use in a side dump trailer application. Kendall represented that the engine-mounted system would be more powerful and better suited to the truck. A side dump trailer requires bidire... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
This vehicle was sold to me as a new truck by Mountain West Truck Center in Salt Lake City, UT, with Federal Excise Tax paid accordingly. Prior to sale, the truck had undergone structural frame repair at Tec Equipment, an authorized Mack/Volvo dealer and repair facility in Reno, Nevada. During that repair, Huck bolts — permanent, engineered structural fasteners used to secure the frame and axle ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2026
After getting a flat tire, I used the spare that comes stock with the vehicle. As soon as I started driving, it said the tire was the incorrect size. I kept driving just trying to get the car home. It then showed awd temp overheating stop vehicle and looking out my rear view mirror I saw smoke. I rolled down the window and started hearing clunking and grinding so I stopped immediately and had it t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2026
It’s a common issue between 2019-2020 where the oil pump which came from factory has plastic impellers which crack/disintegrate causing catastrophic failure to the engine disabling the vehicle the only warning signs before this happens is you cant read oil level and or the car prompts with a warning low oil messages if untreated the car will have catastrophic engine failure with little to no war... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the 4WD message was displayed and the 4H warning light illuminated before the screen went blank, and the rear wheels locked up, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and drive into a ditch. The vehicle came to a stop after driving into the ditch. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was winched out o... Read more
Crash