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
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2024) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 14, 2026
Incident date: Aug 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on several occasions, the vehicle lost power and then stalled. The vehicle was restarted after each failure. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the message "Reduced Acceleration - Drive with Care" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer on several occasions, and the d... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2026
At approximately 52,000 miles, the vehicle experienced a sudden catastrophic transmission / driveline failure while in use. The failure created serious concern about safe operation and reliability and left the vehicle disabled or unsafe to continue driving normally. An authorized Porsche dealer evaluated the vehicle and stated that the repair would require replacement of the entire transmission as... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2022) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 14, 2026
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
The right PTU has failed out of nowhere causing a very loud pop and then grinding when driven. The vehicle was inspected by the jeep dealership last week to find that that was the issue. There was no warning or symptoms prior to the problem. The safety risk is evident in that it could cause an accident, the vehicle to stop completely, not Transmitting power and or not going into park. All without ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2025
I am on my 2nd transmission, 2 torque converters, have had the transmission fluid flushed 4 -6 times, and it still shudders horribly bad and only has 136,000 miles. I bought it brand new, never been wrecked or abused. I cant get extended warranties because it is a known issue and they dont want to cover it. This needs to be a recall.
Incident date: Apr 11, 2026
Vehicle suffered a catastrophic drivetrain lock-up while traveling at approximately 25 mph. The rear wheels physically halted, creating an immediate loss of control and safety hazard. Upon inspection, the Rear Drive Unit (RDU) was found to have a failed pinion bearing/internal gear failure, resulting in dual fluid leaks. This is a REMEDY FAILURE related to Safety Recall 23S55 (NHTSA Campaign #23V... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLK350
(2015) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 14, 2026
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
Hello. Since I bought this car in 2015. Every now and again it will go into park when driving and tge car will stop suddenly. It has done it a few times over the years and it’s quite scary. Mercedes has put me off on you, without addressing the situation or looking at the car, unless I pay first it. I think there is a mechanical defect on this car and it is quite dangerous
VOLKSWAGEN
TAOS
(2022) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 14, 2026
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
I purchased the vehicle brand new (VW Taos 2022) and have maintained it properly. At approximately 60,000 miles—just outside the warranty period—the vehicle developed a serious transmission issue. While driving, I received a warning stating “Transmission in emergency mode” followed by a check engine light. The vehicle then entered limp mode, limiting shifting to manual gears (M2–M4) and ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
I am writing to formally file a complaint regarding my 2021 Kia Sorento and the repeated lack of resolution from the dealership where the vehicle was purchased and serviced. I have taken my vehicle to the dealership multiple times to address ongoing and serious safety concerns. Despite having active warranties on the transmission and powertrain, I have continually been told that there is nothing t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
The transmission has a very bad shuddering at low speeds and under load. I am very concerned when entering an on ramp that the car is not going to get up to speed and cause an accident.
Incident date: Apr 10, 2026
My 2024 Ford Ranger XLT 2W has been suddenly losing power or stumbling upon initial acceleration. This has been occurring intermittently. My truck now has approximately 20,000 miles. The problem has become increasingly frequent. It seems to occur most often when accelerating from a complete stop. The loss of power can last for several seconds, then normal power is regained. Several times, the truc... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
Camera doesn’t work tire sensor randomly works when it wants to also car keeps saying service esc but when I got to the dealer to show these problems they don’t see any they also told me they can’t fix my camera because there is no remedy or fix for it right now so basically I can’t any help and have been going thru these things since I got this car brand new
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2025) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 14, 2026
Incident date: Dec 29, 2025
During a cross country trip we exited the highway and noticed a grinding sound from our new 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee. We then limped to a near-by Jeep dealer who diagnosed a bad transmission. We feel very lucky this did not occur on the highway as a crash may have occurred due to the manufacturer defect. The transmission has been replaced after a delay of 35 days. The mileage at the time of the in... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2026
On April 7, 2026, the vehicle experienced a 'quiet fade out' stall while in motion, resulting in a total loss of motive power. The dealership (DCH Kia of Temecula) confirmed cylinder scoring and referenced Techline Case 26022952. This failure is identical to the conditions described in the NHTSA Campaign 25V-099. The dealership is currently refusing to classify the repair as a Campaign Repair, whi... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
Vehicle was operating perfect then got alert indicating electrical system fault but vehicle still drove (was just 2 miles from home ) but then alarms sounded and just able to pull off road before vehicle died. Checked and see code DTC PIA9096 and car was inoperable after. Towed to dealer for replacement of ICCU module. They acknowledged they have seen this before. I was on a local road, but if thi... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2021) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 14, 2026
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
On my 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Custom, I began noticing an issue around 79,000 miles where the vehicle did not come to a complete stop as smoothly as expected. Initially, I suspected the brakes, as I purchased the truck new and had not performed any brake maintenance up to that point. I scheduled an appointment with the dealership to have all four brakes replaced; however, upon inspection, I... Read more
Incident date: Jan 26, 2026
I am reporting a safety issue involving my 2018 Kia Niro hybrid related to the Hydraulic Clutch Actuator (HCA), which is currently subject to a recall addressing fire risk. My vehicle has already had the recall remedy performed, which consisted of inspection and installation of a lower-amperage fuse. The dealer confirmed that the actuator is leaking fluid but did not replace it because there was ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
In 1 week 2 unexpected shifts into neutral occurred. On the third occurrence the wrench light came on and the vehicle would not shift out of third gear. I pulled code P1702. I will be replacing the transmission molded lead frame this weekend. It is not safe to drive.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
Component: Front differential / xDrive drivetrain system. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Description: My 2020 BMW M340i xDrive has exhibited a persistent whining noise from the front drivetrain since approximately 38,000 miles. The noise varies with speed and load and appears to originate from the front differential. A BMW dealership inspected the vehicle and acknowledged the n... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle shuddered. There was an abnormal thud coming from the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the RPM was fluctuating and the engine revved while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact had taken the vehicle to a ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
Turning left from a stop sign, engine turned off in the middle of the intersection and parking brake was automatically applied. max speed achieved approximately 5mph. Red Battery dash light was illuminated. Dash instructions were to press brake pedal and push park brake release button. after completing I was able to shift to park and restart the vehicle. Red battery dash light remained. After movi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
front end axle actuator failing and causing all safety systems to turn off, loss of power and can lead to seized up front end
Incident date: Mar 18, 2025
First instance at 50-55 mph the transmission violently shook the car when downshifting to accelerate on multiple occasions. Dealership diagnosed the problem as a faulty transmission and replaced it at 44064 miles on March 18, 2025. Second time the car failed to accelerate when merging into traffic while the engine revved very high. Again it was taken to the dealership and the diagnosis was faul... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2020) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 14, 2026
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
Problem#1 :The transmission shits erratically and down shifts really hard and has a vibration going down the highway. Problem #2: The rear-end differential seems to lock up when turning sharp corners.
Incident date: Dec 28, 2025
On December 28, 2025, while driving normally with my children, my 2024 Chevrolet Trax displayed multiple warnings including Engine Power Reduced, Service ESC, Service Stability, and Steering Assist Reduced. The engine began sputtering and knocking. The next morning the vehicle would not start and was towed to Malcolm Cunningham Chevrolet. The dealership found the engine free-wheeling with no com... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TAOS
(2022) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 14, 2026
Incident date: Apr 5, 2026
I am reporting a safety-related failure involving a 2022 Volkswagen Taos (AWD) with approximately 48,000 miles. While operating the vehicle under normal driving conditions, the vehicle entered “transmission emergency mode” without warning. At that point, the vehicle experienced a significant loss of functionality, downshifting to D1 and including the complete loss of reverse gear. This create... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2026
we took it in to be looked at after it had a o2 sensor go bad I changed the sensor and checked fluids I noticed the oil was a touch low and it had metal on the dipstick. I took in to dealership for repair / replacement and Hyundai denied the claim. Even after I have video proof from the dealer technician saying there is metal and bearing material in the oil. I took it to another dealership and the... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2026
Truck shifts down without warning causing the truck to skid and squeal tires. This could cause a crash is definitely causes damage to the transmission.
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
The 2018 Yukon has been at the dealership several timeswaiting for a valve body for the transmission. There are valve body recalls for other year GM vehicles with the same transmission, but not for the 2018 model even though it appears to be the same part number. I don’t understand how this 2018 model apart of the recalls when it’s got the same issues as the newer ones. This is the second Yuk... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2023) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 13, 2026
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
I was driving down the road at 55 mph on 4/12/2026 and had let off the gas for a 45 mph zone when I experienced a violent downshift of the transmission that squealed the tires momentarily and felt like someone had hit me from behind. It startled me and caused me to lower my speed down to 20 mph. I continued driving to my destination and when I let off of the gas doing 45 mph for a slight curve I... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
I am reporting a serious safety issue involving a 2015 Ford Focus equipped with the PowerShift transmission. The vehicle has experienced repeated failures of the transmission control module (TCM) and clutch system despite multiple repair attempts. The vehicle has been repaired at least three times for the same issue, yet the failure continues. While driving at highway speeds (approximately 65–70... Read more
Incident date: Dec 3, 2025
I had catastrophic transmission failure. The car was completely inoperable. Thankfully this only happened in a parking lot. If this were yo happen while merging into traffic it could have been very dangerous. This was the second cvt in this vehicle. The 1st transmission was replaced around 52kmiles. The second transmission lasted not even 13 months sndless than 15k miles. Subaru replaced the trans... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2026
While driving at night a random engine light came on as well as the wrench light came on. Truck downshift and gets stuck at 3rd gear
Incident date: Apr 11, 2026
Merging from a stop into traffic and suddenly a loud bang from under car and unable to accelerate. Able to move to shoulder while coasting. Failure was found to be the passenger side driveshaft. The CVT version of my car has an open recall, but mine is a manual. Seems like an attempt to carve out part of the recall to save a buck by Honda.
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2018) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 13, 2026
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
Currently at 113k miles. VIN # is not on the recall or extended warranty list for transmission issues, shift lag has been noticed way before 100k miles. vehicle is making squealing noise on drive, and when gas petal is press. Since no recall, but per research, I may have a faulty transmission that is left out of the Customer support program zjc, t-SB-0160-18.
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE HYBRID
(2025) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 13, 2026
Incident date: Apr 9, 2026
I had stopped and put gas in for a full tank. Pulled out onto the Hwy heading towards Houston TX and was accelerating up to speed limit of 50MPH when the warning on the instrument panel displayed HYBRID SYSTEMS DISABLED pull over and stop immediately. Which I did, but I could not accelerate and was losing speed in traffic. I got safely parked and turned the vehicle off. I let the car sit for a few... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
Complete drivetrain failure while accelerating from a complete stop in the middle of a busy intersection. No warning lights or hazard messages were activated before or after the failure. The car made a massive clunking/banging sound and continued to clunk on acceleration. The car had to be towed to the dealership. My children were in the car with me, and we had just driven on the highway for 45 mi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2026
My truck has harsh shifting and gets to 3,000 RPM sometimes before it shifts. There is a loud rattle when my car is low acceleration or deceleration when coming to a stop.
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
This make/model has a known ICCU issue. Ours went out just after warranty expired and the cost is $4,000. The EU and some Asian countries have extended the warranty of this fault due to how prevalent it is.
Incident date: Apr 10, 2026
Car got stuck between gears while driving on the road. The vehicle accelerated by itself almost causing me to crash. I immediately pulled over into a business and put the truck in park. The car stayed on. It turned on and off but would not shift gears. Would not go from park to reverse or drive. And unfortunately the “warranty” only cover 60k miles. Conveniently right before this well known is... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2017) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 13, 2026
Incident date: Apr 9, 2026
While driving down the road 70 MPH the transmission suddenly downshifting from 6th gear to a much lower gear causing the rear wheels to briefly lock up causing a skid safety issue... at the same time, the speedometer dial swings downward to the left like a sudden deceleration, then seems to catch up and return back to normal driving if you will Here is the Ford case number: [XXX] INFORMATION RE... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 3500
(2020) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 13, 2026
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
The transmission, without warning, intermittently locks the rear wheels when towing a 13,500 lb 5th wheel RV. It occurs when going uphill and the transmission downshifts to maintain torque. The "D" on the gear indicator on the dashboard also flashes 3-5 times. This is a known issue with the Allison approved (but GM made) transmission from model year 2020 to 2022 (NHTSA 24V-797) and is to be un... Read more
Incident date: Nov 20, 2025
Oil pressure light would come on and off, dealer said was probably the sensor got it replaced. Came back on the night I picked it back up.
VOLKSWAGEN
GTI
(2024) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 13, 2026
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
The "Hill Start Assist" function does not behave as-stated in the owner's manual and I believe the way it's implemented is a potential safety issue. The manual states: "To start driving, take your foot off the brake pedal and press the accelerator pedal immediately. The brakes will release gradually as you start driving. The holding function of the Hill Start Assist remains active only for a shor... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2026
The powertrain control system has detected one of the transmission clutches did not apply within the expected time as expected. It has resulted in delayed and harsh shifts to another gear and sometimes does not. Circumstances include jerking, hesitation and complete failures unpredictably (sudden loss of power), which has created unsafe driving conditions that happened when accelerating or merging... Read more
Incident date: Sep 19, 2025
At approximately 35,900 miles, vehicle failed a block test indicating combustion gases in the cooling system. Cylinder head gasket was replaced, cylinder head was machined, and exhaust valves were replaced at an independent shop at a cost of over $5,000. Shortly after, at approximately 36,300 miles, vehicle was towed in with sudden loss of power and would not accelerate. Diagnostic codes P1064 (cy... Read more
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
The issue first began in February 2026, when the vehicle started showing signs of engine malfunction and poor performance, which ultimately led to a full engine replacement by an authorized Nissan dealership. After the engine replacement, the vehicle continued to experience serious and recurring drivability issues. On multiple occasions, including March 16–17, 2026, and most recently on April 1... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE HYBRID
(2025) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 13, 2026
Incident date: Apr 11, 2026
The 2025 Hyundai Hybrid Santa Fe SEL has experienced two instances (Nov 2025, 11k miles & Apr 2026, 14k miles) where the combustion engine fails to provide power to the vehicle’s wheels. The engine continues to run, but only enough to maintain a charge to the hybrid battery system. When accelerating to speeds above 30 miles per hour or when traveling up inclines, the combustion engine’s rotati... Read more
Incident date: Apr 11, 2026
The car was backing out of a driveway in Reverse. Came to a stop to shift to drive, and recieved a "shift system malfunction! Service immediately" screen message and the car was locked in the middle of the roadway unable to be put into any gear or be turned off. It was a huge roadway safety issue. The tow driver had to search for a code or sequence of commands to put it into neutral to be able ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
Trans is hanging shifting into 2nd gear, 4th gear, 7th gear, and 9th gear. Also has gotten stuck in 10th gear 3 times. Had to roll over to the side of the road turn the truck off and restart. Also have hard shifts from 1-3 and then have hard downshifts from 5-4-3.
Incident date: Jun 11, 2025
Head gasket has blown. No reason for it to. Car has just At 100,000 miles.