Consumer Safety Complaints

Search 2,245,377 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA, including 140,173 crashes, 56,794 fires, and 8,580 deaths.

2,245,377 Total Complaints

140,173 Reported Crashes

56,794 Reported Fires

8,580 Reported Deaths

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

A consumer complaint is a free-form report filed by a vehicle owner directly to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describing a safety concern about their vehicle. NHTSA collects these reports through its Vehicle Owner Defect Report (VOQ) system and publishes them publicly. Each complaint includes the affected component, the date and circumstances of the incident, whether the failure caused a crash or fire, and any reported injuries or deaths. The owner's full narrative description is included verbatim, NHTSA does not edit or moderate the descriptions.

The database below contains over 2,245,377 individual complaints. NHTSA's investigators monitor it for clusters of similar reports, when enough owners describe the same failure mode on the same vehicle, NHTSA may open a Preliminary Evaluation that can lead to a recall. Many of the largest recalls in U.S. history, including the Takata airbag recall and the Hyundai/Kia engine fire recalls, started as patterns visible in this complaint database years before they became formal recalls.

How to interpret what you read

A few principles for reading consumer complaints usefully:

One complaint is anecdote; a hundred similar complaints is data. NHTSA does not investigate the truthfulness of any individual report, that's the job of the Office of Defects Investigation, which looks at the full pattern. When evaluating a vehicle, look for whether multiple owners describe the same chain of events.
Crash, fire, injury, and death flags are owner-set. They are not verified by NHTSA. They are still useful as a filter, because owners who tick those boxes are typically reporting more serious incidents than those who don't.
Component categories are NHTSA-assigned, not owner-assigned. NHTSA standardizes the component field so that complaints can be aggregated. The owner narrative often goes into more detail than the component category captures.
Complaint volume scales with sales volume. A best-selling model will accumulate more raw complaints than a niche model even at the same defect rate. To compare across vehicles, look at complaints per 100,000 units sold, not raw counts.

If you've experienced a defect

File a complaint. NHTSA's investigators rely on this database to detect emerging defects, and useful complaints, specific, concrete, with dates and mileage and clear descriptions of what happened, feed directly into the agency's pattern detection. The form takes about 10 minutes and is at nhtsa.gov/recalls under "Report a Safety Problem." Your complaint becomes part of the same public record that this page is built from. Owners filing detailed VOQs are how recalls get triggered.

Read more from our blog

How to Read NHTSA Consumer Complaints › How NHTSA Investigations Work › Used Car: 7 Recall Checks to Run First › The Takata Airbag Recall: Full Story › OBD-II Codes Explained › All Articles ›

Clear

Showing 137,132 complaints - component: POWER TRAIN

Incident date: May 10, 2021

I have a 2016 kia sorento I was having a problem with the shifter it would not go into park and had to use the shift override button I contacted the dealer there was an active recall they refused to repair or replace the shifter because it was inspected by the dealer in 2022 and as far as they where concerned that satisfied the recall The recall is still valid, and does not have close date how... Read more

Incident date: Feb 2, 2026

An authorized dealership performed a mandatory manufacturer safety recall repair on my vehicle for the Engine Oil Pump Belt and Tensioner (Ford Recall 23S64 / NHTSA Campaign 23V-905). While performing this specific recall, the initial facility negligently compromised the cooling system and created a severe leak, directly causing complete and total engine destruction. A subsequent independent diagn... Read more

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

I bought a vehicle used and it malfunctions in six days. It is a safety hazard to me the driver and other drivers on the roads. The vehicle is weighing heavy on the passenger side the car is not parallel. Also the vehicle stalls while driving. The pedal stops giving power to the car. I attempted to fix the car and the problems still persist. The mechanics said the car need shocks, struts, and... Read more

Incident date: May 21, 2026

Me and my 2 children and my husband were traveling to Springfield Mo . We had stopped for some snacks at Dollar general . When we all go back in the vehicle . My husband tried to start our truck he was turning the key over and over and it just wasn’t starting . Here it is 95 degrees outside with 2 small children and our truck is our only transportation . So my husband explained to AI what issue... Read more

Incident date: Jul 19, 2026

Component/System: Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) / Airbag Occupancy Classification System — Passenger Side What Happened: The airbag/SRS warning light illuminated on my 2018 Infiniti Q60 (VIN [XXX], 102,388 miles). The vehicle was taken to Sewell Infiniti of Dallas ([XXX]) for diagnosis. The technician performed a diagnostic scan and found fault code B00A0-00 related to the passenger seat o... Read more

Incident date: Jul 18, 2026

What component failed: The “regen on demand” switch broke while using it. Safety: This incident put me, the occupants of my vehicle (my children), and the vehicles around me at risk. Reproduction: There was no need. It is exceptional obvious that the switch is broken and has failed. Inspection: The truck and broken switch were observed by the dealership that services the truck. ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2025

Hybrid battery has a failed cell. It was confirmed by BMW diagnostics but BMW refused to repair/replace failed cell even though it was under full 8yr/80k mile warranty. BMW claimed it as wear and tear, even though 1 out of 5 cells completely failed. The failure caused the car to run at reduced speeds causing others cars around me on the freeway to be in danger as all of sudden I am unable to rea... Read more

Incident date: Apr 7, 2024

Hesitation with shifting when driving at low speeds. The powertrain control system has detected one of the transmission clutches did not apply within the expected time as expected. Some transmission gears may not being available resulting in delayed or harsh shifts into another gear.

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

The high pressure fuel pump seized, shattering the camshaft, dropping metal fragments into the cylinders causing total engine failure. GM issued a safety recall for certain 2021-2022 Chevy equinox due to a defective fuel pump modules but it was not accurate. GM is currently facing major class action lawsuits alleging that their equinox fuel pumps are fundamentally defective. The lawsuits highlight... Read more

Incident date: Jun 26, 2026

Transmission started shuttering on way to work went out before making it home. No problem before this trip.

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

I started to hear a whining noise under acceleration so I asked Firestone to check it out when I dropped it off for a 100k mile service. They said it was the transmission beginning to fail. I researched online and saw that it is a very common and known problem with the Toyota chr CVT transmission. We went with Toyota because they are known for their reliability and here we are at 102k miles with w... Read more

Incident date: Jul 18, 2026

was stopped at a red light. When the traffic light turned green, I pressed the accelerator to proceed through the intersection, but my vehicle did not respond or accelerate immediately. After several seconds, the vehicle finally began to move. This unexpected delay created a safety concern because I was unable to accelerate when traffic began moving.Which caused built up traffic and an almost wrec... Read more

Incident date: Jul 18, 2026

Several times while driving at highway speed, my vehicle transmission will shift all by itself into baha 4wd mode, or 4wd mode causing my truck to become a hazard on the road. Should someone be following me and my transmission implodes due to this issue, people could be seriously harmed or killed.

Incident date: Jul 18, 2026

Typical known issue with the 10speed transmission. Stall shifting between 3rd and 5th gear. When shifting under acceleration and shifting from 3rd to 5th the transmission hangs and then slams into 5th. Happens frequently.

Incident date: Jul 16, 2026

7-16-26, I was driving on the highway. All the warning lights on the dash lit up. The car dropped down to 20 miles per hour. I tried to speed up, but could not. It is experiencing an extended crank, sever stuttering and engine stalling. It has actively thrown code P0087 for low fuel rail pressure. An independent service center confirmed the code P0087. The dealership performed diagnostic test and ... Read more

Incident date: Nov 6, 2025

The transmission has failed. The vehicle has barely 100,000 miles. I understand there are multiple class action lawsuits stating Ford knew of the issues with the transmission, yet still allowed it to be sold. The dealership has said this isn’t their problem.

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

While driving on hight speed traffic Nissan Rogue CVT Malfunction poped-up on info-screen and all light turn on the cluster, vehicle just allowed me to stop (not a safe area), the issue the engine would disable operation. Could not drive to a safe place The vehicle was in a highway danger zone.Until 30-40 minutes after would allow u to drive to a safe area. This is a big issue for the owners, feel... Read more

Incident date: Jul 16, 2026

At approximately 100,000 miles vehicle began shuddering at 25mph and 35mph. At 103,000 miles the transmission needs a full rebuild. Im told this is a $7,500 repair job and I still owe over $20,000.00.

Incident date: Jul 7, 2026

On XXX while traveling near the posted speed limit and entering [XXX], my 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV FWD suddenly lost propulsion and no longer responded normally to the accelerator. My friend was driving. The vehicle coasted to a stop but remained partially in the travel lane, creating a serious risk of being struck from behind. I immediately activated the hazard flashers and contacted OnStar SOS... Read more

Incident date: Jul 7, 2026

I drive 30 miles one way for work, my car hit 85,000 and the transmission fluid is overheated and the car went in to limp mode on the freeway. I got stuck for 30 Mines waiting for it to cool. Now I have to go to mellow nissan to pay 150 for a transmission disinostic so corporate nissan can open a good will claim I called them my car is new the transmission been slipping. I heard its a common prob... Read more

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

my 2023 cadillac escalade esv, was having issues when it had about 50-60 k miles, when it was in park hen shift to reverse it would jerk all the time, also my engine started to act up as well, I took it to the cadillac dealer and like always could not identify the problem, when the had the recall or engine put thicker oil, like that was going to resolve the problem well my engine started to misfir... Read more

Incident date: Jul 16, 2026

On or about April 17, 2026, while driving my 2022 Honda CR-V equipped with the 1.5L turbocharged engine (approximately 53,890 miles), I experienced a sudden loss of engine power and performance. There were no warning lights, warning messages, or other symptoms prior to the incident. The first indication of a problem occurred during the failure itself. Diagnostic testing later identified DTC P0299 ... Read more

Incident date: Apr 11, 2026

While traveling uphill in a turn on a county highway the 4WD fault notification arrived on the dash cutting power to the front 2 wheels. The vehicle slipped however was able to regain control. If road condition had been poor I could of slipped into on coming traffic causing a wreck. I took the vehicle to the dealership and they identified that the front axle disconnect actuator was failing and nee... Read more

Incident date: Oct 18, 2025

While driving my 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E, the front electric drive unit failed suddenly with no warning signs, warning lights, unusual noises, or any prior indication of a problem. During the failure, multiple fault messages appeared on the instrument cluster, including warnings that disabled adaptive cruise control and indicated the all-wheel-drive system was no longer functioning. The vehicle b... Read more

Incident date: Apr 17, 2026

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

Known design flaw of the CV joint failing under the weight of the vehicle causing a clicking sound when turning and eventually rendering the vehicle useless.

Incident date: Jul 3, 2026

The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact attempted to shift the into reverse and the gear shifter failed to respond as needed. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic and was diagnosed and determined that the vacuum modulator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Th... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

This is a third occurrence related to NHTSA complaints 11749893 and 11750183. On July 15, 2026, at approximately 7:30-7:42 AM, while driving to a scheduled Ford service appointment, the vehicle exhibited hesitation and delayed acceleration at multiple intersections, not isolated to one location. Although the vehicle's auto start-stop feature has been manually disabled, the hesitation at each stop ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 7, 2026

Our Edge titanium had been experiencing intermittant hesitation and shuttering on acceleration and decelleration for 3 or 4 weeks. The car has 105,000 miles on it. During this time frame the spark plugs were changed, the trans fluid was drained and replaced twice and an additive (Shutter fix) was put in. The shuttering and hesitation was becoming more frequent despited completing all of the ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

Persistent highway-speed vibration (45 to 82 mph) present since July 2022, documented at five Ford dealerships between 21,000 and 100,000 miles, and still unresolved and undiagnosed after four years. It is a whole-vehicle shake felt primarily through the seat and from the rear of the vehicle at highway speed, occurring on highways nationwide (documented in [XXX], [XXX], and [XXX]). Wheel and tire ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 16, 2026

CVT has gone into safety/limp mode. June 7 2026 First sign was the EPB not releasing. Became drivable after warm up period. Replaced EPB switch and vehicle drove normally. There was still a parking brake caution light. On July 12, 2026 the issue repeated. This time the check engine light and transmission light have come on. Had it diagnosed at a mechanic and they found transmissio... Read more

Incident date: Jul 16, 2026

Driving on highway, tried to accelerate, the car was acting like it was in neutral and would not accelerate. Checked to ensure I was not. the car began decelerating and I started to pull over. As I entered the brake down lane - the car automatically switched to park jarring the car to a stop. The dashboard provided the following fault "shift system fault service required" Tried shifting t... Read more

Incident date: Jul 16, 2026

The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-250 SD. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds over a speed bump and raising the foot off the accelerator pedal, the engine continued to rev for an additional four seconds after releasing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, while pulling into the traffic and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to immediately accelerate as intended. The... Read more

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

Driving the vehicle down the highway at approximately 65 miles per hour, the check engine light came on and the engine went into limp mode, slowing immediately. Upon getting the vehicle to the left shoulder on a busy highway, the vehicle displayed "engine overheating", "battery low", and 0% oil life. A full oil and filter change had been done less than 1000 miles ago and upon checking the oil, i... Read more

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

Transmission downshifted rapidly. Wrench came on and then the transmission quit.

Incident date: Jun 30, 2026

Unexplained acceleration during braking which has caused the vehicle to appear to accelerate further during braking actions causing driver to apple brakes harder

Incident date: Jul 15, 2026

2020 Ford Expedition MAX. Ford issued Safety Recall 26S48 / NHTSA 26V402 confirming a transmission park pawl defect causing potential rollaway and crash risk. Remedy not available until Q2 2027. Vehicle has experienced the exact defect symptoms since at least November 2025 including stuck-in-park diagnostic codes and shifting anomalies. Prior to November 2025 the transmission failed to execute a c... Read more

Incident date: Jul 12, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly shifted to park(P). The transmission was inoperable after the failure. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign number: 26V402000 (Power Train). The dealer ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

The contact owns a 2006 Ford Crown Victoria. The contact stated that while reversing, the vehicle was sluggish. The contact applied more pressure to the accelerator pedal; however, the vehicle unintendedly shifted into drive (D), accelerated, and struck the rear of a parked, unoccupied vehicle while blocking oncoming traffic. The contact stated that upon shifting into reverse (R) a second time and... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH on three occasions, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear and the vehicle decelerated to 20 MPH. The vehicle became uncontrollable momentarily; however, the contact was able to regain control of the vehicle. The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle. The check engine warning l... Read more

Incident date: Jul 11, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 75 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power and failed to exceed 30 MPH. The contact pulled over to the side of the road to avoid other vehicles. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not re... Read more

Incident date: Jul 15, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed, and the vehicle shut off unexpectedly. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road, turned off, restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle operated as intended. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 18, 2025

"The vehicle suffered a sudden, catastrophic high-voltage powertrain failure while operating at highway speeds 300 miles away from home. The failure occurred immediately after the vehicle received the manufacturer's Safety Recall 68C / NHTSA Campaign Number 24V-814 software update. The software flash completely 'bricked' the high-voltage battery system, induced an immediate vehicle shutdown, and s... Read more

Incident date: Jun 11, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle was shuddering and sputtering while driving. While accelerating, the vehicle hesitated. The vehicle failed to shift into gear properly. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contac... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the parking brake and hill assist warning lights and several other unknown warning lights intermittently illuminated. Several dealers were contacted; however, no appointments were available. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V402000 (Power... Read more

Incident date: Jul 17, 2025

While stopped at traffic light, and with foot depressing brake pedal, vehicle started to move forward on its own. Foot was fully depressed on brake and vehicle still rolled forward, almost causing accident. Extremely dangerous and seems to be a very common issue with this vehicle.

Incident date: Apr 1, 2026

DROVE VEHICLE FROM THE MARKET TO HOME AND VEHICLE LOST SHIFT CAPABILITY IN THE PROCESS OF PUTTING CAR FROM DRIVE POSITION INTO PARK. HAD TO USE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO HOLD CAR FROM MOVING. WAS TOLD BY RECALL CENTER THAT I HAD TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC BY A DEALER TO CONFIRM THAT RECALL WAS THE ISSUE AND THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE A SOLUTION YET. WORK IN PROCESS. I HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP AND IT WAS DUE T... Read more

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

loud noise when accelerating. noise is gone when let go of gas pedal. noise like internal gears from transmission

Incident date: Jul 17, 2026

The contact owns a 2022 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly stopped, and the transmission failed to shift gears in the middle of the road. The contact pulled over at the side of the road and attempted to reset the “Service Transmission” warning light. Additionally, while attempting to drive to the parents’ residence, the contact drove at a sl... Read more

Incident date: Jun 13, 2026

My 2018 Ram 1500 Ecodiesel failed during acceleration on a busy freeway at 70 mph. I was able to avoid traffic and coast to the right shoulder. After paying for a tow, my scan tool called out four permanent codes: P0336, P061C, P062B, and U1401, proving the unsafe stall was directly caused by a delaminated or broken tone wheel. This failure is the root cause behind my open safety recall 66A. H... Read more

Previous 1 2 3 4 5 ... 44 45 46 ... 2742 2743 Next

Vehicle Safety

Consumer Safety

Infrastructure

Public Health

Consumer Safety Complaints

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

How to interpret what you read

If you've experienced a defect

Read more from our blog