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: Jul 14, 2026

Transmission needs to be replaced at 77000 miles!! A KNOWN problem with this make/model/year and NOTHING is being done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Incident date: Jul 13, 2026

I've had consistent issues with the vehicle accelerating and shifting. These include sluggish acceleration, loss of power and sputtering when we've come to a complete stop and starting to move again. We've almost been hit by other vehicles at least over 20 times because the vehicle has failed to accelerate when pulling into a roadway. The car hesitates during acceleration regardless of how much I... Read more

Incident date: Jul 12, 2026

Has been in shop since I have owed it replaced axles (rear) rear differential(1 time), and transfer case(3 times) still slipping and dragging at take off and speed over 55 grinding and bumping sounds , mechanics can’t figure it out no lights on dash and diagonist still shows rear differential and transfer case

Incident date: Jun 29, 2026

I bought this Camry and then my insurance notified me there was an open safety recall. When I saw there was a risk of fire, I took it straight to the Toyota dealership where it is now sitting with no remedy for the recall available. This recall started in December 2025 and it is now July 2026. I can’t even drive the new car I bought and am in a loaner from Toyota.

Incident date: Mar 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, there was a loud sound coming from the front of the vehicle. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was unknown. The vehicle ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 6, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train); however, after the recall repair, the vehicle made abnormal grinding sounds and went into LIMP Mode before shifting to second gear while driving. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who determined... Read more

Incident date: Jul 14, 2023

The vehicle has gotten stuck in 7th gear before, it also has almost completely stopped, wouldn't accelerate and shifted down and up. It is not drivable now with only 58500 miles on it. I am afraid to drive it by myself and I would never take my family anywhere in it as it poses a safety hazard / danger.

Incident date: Jul 16, 2026

I noticed a loud rattle when starting my 2018 Ford Expedition, at first occasionally and then on every cold start. The Ford Dealer's service department diagnosed a cam phaser issue. There were no warning lights or messages available to me, but the service department's diagnosis showed several timing faults. I was told the cam phaser repair is $4000 - $5000 and continued use puts the engine and tra... Read more

Incident date: Jun 15, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, the RPM was revving high with the vehicle violently jerking and vibrating. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission was faulty and ne... Read more

Incident date: Jun 15, 2026

multiple clutch's have had to be replaced in BOTH of my 2017 Ford Focuses. Had to replace the transmission in my other one. Now this one is having transmission issues again. Dont know if I can handle another $4000 bill because Ford created and sold a defective product and depite several repairs never fixed it as they kept using the same faulty parts. Was told by dealership that they just replace t... Read more

Incident date: Jun 26, 2026

Cvt transmission failing, started @ 113000 miles, trying to work with Infiniti consumer affairs, they have required me to bring the car into their shop for diag. When i purchased the vehicle 2/26/2022, include with the car was an extended warranty for 6 years unlimited miles. They dated the contract back to the manufacturer date in 1/31/2019 and expired on 1/31/2025. I’ve opened a case with Inf... Read more

Incident date: Jul 9, 2026

Noticed my car shifting incorrectly since 66,000 miles. At approximately 68,800 miles transmission begin to fail. At a stop sign I pulled out before oncoming traffic with what should have been plenty of time, but transmission failed. It seemed to have had chain slip; completely stopping the car when I was in oncoming traffic. I put the pedal to the floor it caught, and whipped me around the corner... Read more

Incident date: Jul 9, 2026

catastrophic internal failure (e.g., connecting rod issue punching the block),

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

On April 8, 2026, my 2020 Cadillac XT5 experienced a sudden and complete engine failure while I was driving. Prior to the failure, there were no warning lights, no overheating indications, no abnormal engine noises, and no performance issues that would have alerted me to a developing problem. Without warning, the engine failed and the vehicle immediately lost power, creating a serious safety haza... Read more

Incident date: Jan 1, 2026

Vehicle transmission develops shutter overtime, which causes speeds to fluctuate and can be a safety hazard to the driver or other drivers. As you accelerate from a stop or low speeds the vehicle shutters causing it not to get up to speed as normal causing a safety risk along with extra wear and tear on the motor!

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

The water pump failed catastrophically at 63,100 miles, forcing a complete road-side breakdown and damaging the radiator. This is a known manufacturing defect affecting the 3.6L VR6 composite plastic pumps. Due to the failure of the pump, the radiator tank became hot causing a hole to form in the radiator and needing to be replaced. I still own this car and you may inspect it if needed. My safe... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2026

I have taken my vehicle to 2 different ford Dealership one tell me that this wasn't for my car and immediately it shows up that I need a fuel injection second one Jim Norton charges me for the lights on my car to get a diagnostics when the recalls and I should never been charged and then the light comes on the next day for the wrench and the engine I've taken my car three times for the recalls an... Read more

Incident date: Jun 16, 2026

This vehicle was inspected by a certified Ford dealership (Premier Ford, Service Advisor: Harry). Ford Motor Company’s Consumer Affairs Department subsequently reviewed the case under Complaint ID: XXX. In their official written response, Ford explicitly admitted the root cause, stating: "the vehicle experienced a failure to the harness for the alternator which melted due to heat from the exhaus... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2026

Toyota addresses a front transfer case issue (groan/buzzing noise) on certain 2019–2020 RAV4 AWD vehicles (specifically Adventure and Limited grades) through a Voluntary Emissions Recall / Customer Support Program (No. 20TE03) o

Incident date: Oct 25, 2025

I am writing to formally notify you that I have officially filed comprehensive complaints with the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI, Case #202604748), and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) regarding Wyatt Johnson Mazda. I am submitting my vehicle's official Warranty Vehicle Inquiry Report as evidence of consistent tech... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

I was driving my 2021 Nissan Rogue on the highway, returning from the airport after picking up a friend, when the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle began jerking on acceleration. The vehicle lost power and would only move very slowly, leaving me traveling well below highway speed in active traffic. This created an extremely dangerous situation, as surrounding vehicles were approaching... Read more

Incident date: Jul 15, 2026

The contact owns a 2026 BMW 430I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stopped and independently parked. Several warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The failure was persistent. The vehicle was taken to two dealers; however, the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was taken to a third dealer, where it was diagnosed with... Read more

Incident date: Jul 3, 2026

Transmission Shutter. Lose of transfer of power. Needed rebuild transmission eventually. Told all was in working order untill it wasn't.

Incident date: Jul 3, 2026

While operating the vehicle it is jerking like the parking brake is activating or jerking transitioning from first and second gear. Received an alert: The powertrain control system has detected a transmission fluid over temperature condition. The engine continues to operate at a reduced power level.

Incident date: Dec 10, 2025

The primary failure is in the Engine/Powertrain system and Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS), causing 6 identical sudden engine stalls (OBD-II code P1326) from 09/2000 to 06/2026. Additionally, severe excessive oil consumption was documented during 2 of these diagnostic visits, showing deep-seated engine issues. The vehicle and all records are available for inspection at the Hyundai dealer. Sa... Read more

Incident date: Jun 26, 2026

Following a software update by Ford in the past 6-8 months, upon start-up my vehicle asks me which drive mode I wish to be in but then after 15-45 seconds "forgets" my answer and changes drive modes. This results in regenerative braking being disabled, at random, in the middle of a drive. This is a major safety issue, as I will expect braking to applying while easing up on the accelerator but that... Read more

Incident date: Jun 22, 2026

2021 Jeep Gladiator Sport S equipped with 6 speed manual transmission purchased from Landers Jeep in Little Rock Ar. Vehicle required the A-19 clutch recall. Recall was completed and I took ownership 6/17/2025. I returned the vehicle within the first week of ownership due to the "service transmission" light periodically coming on. Dealership reset the clutch counter and attempted to give me advice... Read more

Incident date: Feb 18, 2026

On XXX I was driving from [XXX] to my sister's house in [XXX]. I was relocating to [XXX] for a job. I was pulling a U-haul trailer (6x12) that contained significantly less weight than the truck can handle. About halfway there, on back roads, the truck suddenly slowed significantly and the gas pedal was unresponsive. The light in the dashboard read Reduced Acceleration - Drive with caution. Pulled... Read more

Incident date: Jun 26, 2026

SYSTEMIC POWERTRAIN SAFETY DEFECT: Catastrophic Loss of Propulsion & Failure of Dual-Motor Redundancy. 1. Incident & Safety Risk: While traveling in the far-left HOV lane of a 6-lane interstate highway, the vehicle experienced an uncommanded, unwarranted Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) intervention during a controlled lane change. This sudden deceleration instantly triggered a complete powertra... Read more

Incident date: Jul 15, 2026

60,000 miles on a10R80 Transmission it slips and will not pull grinding noise going down the road then will kick back into gear. Dangerous going down road. Been a long issue with these transmissions Ford should have fixed.

Incident date: Jul 10, 2026

My 4wd service light is on and apparently there is a recall on jeep for this. I should have recall I have less than 32000 miles on my vehicle

Incident date: Jan 2, 2026

My 2024 Wrangler 4xe has 27,000 miles on it. On Friday, 7/10/2026 around 7:00 in the morning the check engine light came on. I immediately called the dealer to set up an appointment and they could not get me in until 7/15/2026. At about 9:30am that day when I was pulling a small trailer the battery light also came as I was driving on the interstate. As soon as I exited and slowed down, the car... Read more

Incident date: Feb 2, 2026

*The vehicle exhibited a profound and worrisome vibration under the driver's seat ( I was also told by a Honda Serviceman in the passenger seat during the pre-service test drive, that he felt it, also), when accelerating at speeds of 53 mph and above on the highway. This systematic issue was replicated by the dealership across multiple model years (2023 and 2026 HR-V's), suggesting a fundamental ... Read more

Incident date: Oct 13, 2025

CVT Transmission failed at 82k miles. Diagnosed at Midas, specific Transmission shop and local Nissan dealership as needing full replacement. Notified Nissan Consumer Affairs, they created a case but refused to fully replace it, offered to pay only 50% of approximately $9k.

Incident date: Jul 10, 2026

I have been experience very hard shifts, lunging, and unexpected downshifting when driving. It happens every time I drive the vehicle. It happens at differenent speeds especially up on take off.

Incident date: Jul 1, 2013

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 15, 2026

We noticed a recall will be issued for certain Jeep Cherokee regarding the failed PTU system. Our vehicle is not showing it will be included however we are having the identical issue. The 4WD service light comes on and when you excellerate, the vehicle chokes down and hesitates acting as if it will turn off. The vehicle has 73,000 miles and has never been driven in 4WD or off road.

Incident date: Jul 15, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 ACURA MDX. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 45 MPH an abnormal sound was emitted from underneath the vehicle, and the vehicles steering was being pulled to the right, no warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was advised that that the PTU/PTO was faulty as metal shaving... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

For several months now, car has been misfiring, skipping and going into limp mode. Spark plugs replaced and issue went away for about 2 months. Issue has resurfaced and took it to Honda dealership where I purchased vehicle to run a diagnostic test. Informed to resolve the issue need fuel injectors replacement, spark plug replacements, coolant reservoir is empty and to top it off, need a head gaske... Read more

Incident date: Jun 24, 2026

I had my cylinder heads, valves and head gasket replaced over a year ago and drove 15k miles and i am having the same issues again. The Dealer is trying there very best not to honor my valid powertrain parts warranty like saying the head gasket is only covered for 12 months and denying my claim but my cylinder heads and top end have a 3 year 100k mile warranty since they were installed not to long... Read more

Incident date: Mar 11, 2026

On July 2, 2026, the vehicle was brought to an authorized dealer for a scheduled appointment to resolve active Safety Recall 26S45 / NHTSA Campaign 26V378 (6R80 transmission sudden downshift defect). The dealership refused to perform the recall software update, claiming it was not needed for the vehicle. On July 12, 2026, while traveling at highway speeds on a public highway, the transmission suf... Read more

Incident date: Jul 2, 2026

My 2023 Prius Prime cannot be charged normally in hot weather without triggering a thermal-protection fault on its high-voltage charging system. Avondale Toyota diagnosed it in writing: "CODE P1CE996 CHARGER COOLING FAN REVOLUTION SENSOR COMPONENT INTERNAL FAILURE. THE ELECTRIC CHARGER ASSEMBLY HAS A INTERNAL OPEN CIRCUIT CAUSING IT TO BE INOP. RECOMMEND REPLACEMENT ADD PN# G9090-47061." Quote: $2... Read more

Incident date: Jul 10, 2026

After coming to a complete stop at a stop sign or stop light, then trying to go, the vehicle will stall. It will not go when given gas. The first time it happened, I was at a busy intersection with oncoming traffic coming towards me with the pedal to the floor, nothing would happen for 5-10 seconds. It was terrifying. Thank god the car coming towards us went around in time. It then happened again ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 17, 2026

The 10 speed automatic transmission shakes and jumps between gears. The transmission also shakes and rumbles at cruising speeds. The diesel engine version of this truck is already recalled. My truck is a gas engine and should also be recalled. This is the same defective 10 speed transmission used in all GM vehicles and recalled in many. This vehicle needs to be recalled and fix before the wheels l... Read more

Incident date: Jun 15, 2026

Key cannot be removed from the ignition. Issues with putting car into park and wont shift into park causing danger to others around me and myself. Issues starting up because of this shift cable issue because car thinks its not in park. It was looked at by dealership service department at Berman Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Dealership in Oak Lawn. There is still one outstanding recall that I was told ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 2, 2026

This is a follow-up to my original complaint #XXX, filed XXX, regarding the failure of the 10R140 10-speed automatic transmission in my 2021 Ford F-250 Super Duty (VIN: [XXX]). The transmission began exhibiting symptoms of gear slipping, jerking, delayed and harsh shifting, and pinging from the torque converter around 100,000 miles. These symptoms progressively worsened until the transmission suff... Read more

Incident date: Jul 2, 2026

My 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe (VIN: [XXX]) was brought to Herb Chambers Hyundai of [XXX], in December 2023 to address the Underbody Corrosion Recall/Campaign (9A0). The dealer performed the preventative service. However, the remedy completely failed because the frame was already severely structurally compromised by rust. In early 2024, I relocated to [XXX] with the vehicle. Now 2026, The front subframe... Read more

Incident date: Jul 7, 2026

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? (On our 2021 gasoline suburgan, the rear wheels locked up at free-way speeds, which nearly caused a possibly fatal accident. The lock released but it appears the strain caused rear differential gear teeth to break and the rear differential now needs to be replaced for the vehicle to operate properly.... Read more

Incident date: Jun 23, 2026

I have been smelling engine coolant for some time and found a leak on the drivers side top seam where the aluminum meets the plastic tank on the radiator. This is a known problem with 2019=2026 Chevy Blazers by GM and it still hasn't been resolved. After researching, I have found numerous Blazer owners that have this same issue and some are on 3rd and 4th radiator replacement. I am afraid to d... Read more

Incident date: Jul 10, 2026

Lead frame. It is currently scheduled to be replaced for ~$915. XXX- Vehicle suddenly downshifted hard into first gear, all gages dropped to 0 values and then remained in limp mode until powering it off and then back on. The wrench was lit up on the dash initially but went away with no code stored after restarting. XXX- Vehicle experienced sudden, hard downshift again, this time to third gear.... 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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