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
Incident date: Apr 2, 2026
ENGINE MALFUNCTION WARNING - LIMP MODE ACTIVATED 6 times within a year of ownership. CAR LOSES POWER WHILE DRIVING, RPM NOT RESPONSIVE, SPEED DROPS AND STAYS AROUND 40 MILES PER HOUR. RECALLS HAVE BEEN “ADDRESSED” BUT NO REMEDY.
Incident date: Oct 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Camaro. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission unexpectedly shifted from first gear to third gear, the vehicle shuddered abnormally, and then jolted into the next gear. The failure also occurred while the transmission was downshifting. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was d... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Dart. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the vehicle moved forward while shifted to park(P). The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V674000 (Power Train). The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were on back order. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The ma... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
Repeated Transmission failures. Abrupt shifting that has been repaired numerous times only to return.
ACURA
TLX TYPE S
(2021) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 2, 2026
Incident date: Jun 7, 2025
The All Wheel Drive (AWD) system of the vehicle became partially inoperable after hearing a loud bang under normal vehicle acceleration some time in early 2025. The vehicle did not trigger or display any warnings stored in the onboard computer or on the dash display that the AWD system had any faults or issues. Had this system failed during an emergency situation involving hazardous or dangerous d... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2025
Transfer case exploded internally and cracked the transfer case while pulling out of parking lot. I still have the transfer case for inspection.
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2017) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 2, 2026
Incident date: Mar 25, 2026
Power training went out I-70 in warren county mo where all the construction is. It put my 4 autistic kids in danger. No insurance looked at the vehicle. However a mechanic did look and diagnosed it which look over a week for. Kaizen auto in wentzville mo diagnosed it
Incident date: Mar 7, 2026
Transmission issues began to occur shortly after purchase in 2017. The Honda dealership finally did a software update after several complaint. This temporarily fixed the issue. The car shifts low gears harshly and with hesitation. The transmission system failure/problem light came on and the car lost power. The car makes a squeaking noise between 23-30mph. Most recently we were traveling on an int... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
SUPPLEMENTAL TO COMPLAINT ID: 11728745. My 2025 RAV4 failed at 39,919 miles. Toyota Corporate is acting in bad faith to deny the 60,000-mile Powertrain Warranty. The Case Manager repeatedly calls only after 6:30 PM when the dealership is closed to avoid resolution. Furthermore, the representative is now using "legal threats"-directing me to their legal department-as a tactic to stop me from pursui... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
The primary failure is a total loss of engine power and electrical systems while the vehicle is in motion. The dealership (Ray Skillman Southside Mitsubishi) has diagnosed this as a failed engine/body control computer system. The vehicle is currently located at the dealership's service center and is available for inspection. The vehicle has stalled/shut off completely while driving on four separat... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2025
I am submitting additional documentation related to NHTSA complaint #11723932 for my 2017 Honda Pilot. I have obtained a transmission inspection report confirming that the failure was caused by a defective torque converter, resulting in internal transmission damage including the valve body and transmission oil pump. The report also indicates that the failure was not related to maintenance and repr... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
My 2022 Kia K5 GT-Line has had a recurring check engine light fault (P0471 — exhaust pressure sensor circuit) since approximately 9,874 miles in September 2022. The vehicle has been brought to the servicing Kia dealer a minimum of five times for this same fault across nearly 65,000 miles. It has never been permanently resolved. Most critically: dealer repair records from May 2025 (56,501 miles) ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
Recently I been hearing a clicking noise every time I come to a complete stop and when I take off again. It started happening recently. After I hear the click noise coming from the middle of the front of my car, the wheel feels like it’s spinning just a little bit before coming to a stop.
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
In July 2023, at 55,496 miles on the odometer, the original CVT transmission failed and was replaced at Port City Nissan (120 Spaulding Tpke N, Portsmouth, NH 03801), an authorized Nissan dealership, with a Nissan-supplied rebuilt CVT transmission at a cost of approximately $7,000. The rebuilt transmission was warranted for one year. Approximately 2.5 years and only 26,500 miles after installatio... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
2019 FORD EDGE SEL POWERTRAIN FAILURE AT 69,120 MILES
Incident date: Jan 14, 2026
Faulty trans conductor plate Trans slipping on the 2-3 and 3-4 shifts from the speed sensor issue that damaged the trans. Need rebuilt or replaced.
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2015) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 2, 2026
Incident date: Apr 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly shifted into neutral(N). There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after shifting into park(P). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to several dealers b... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2026
From the time i got my 2024 yukon denali i have had problems with the electrical systems not working, it was in the shop for 2 months upon delivery to me when it was brand new, and since then i have had issues with the engine racing, the start button not working, or cutting off and on , on its own, recently the motor cuts on but never turns over. It has been in the shop again for over a week now a... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
As I went to reverse to pull out of a parking area, the truck accelerated, I applied the brakes and the truck continued going dragging the front tires at one point. I decided at the last min to attempt to put the truck in neutral or park and at that time it was stopped between two trees. This could of been very bad if my kids were in the yard playing or many other scenarios. The 2024 F150 is sti... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 2, 2026
I had the car in for a message (service transmission now will not be able to shift soon). They told me there was nothing wrong with my transmission it was a parking brake sensor issue. They ordered me a new sensor and never called to tell me it was in. I followed up and they said they had the part and I could come in whenever. They said it was not a safety issue and would be a quick fix. I had an ... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2020) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 2, 2026
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
The power liftgate system appears to be malfunctioning. The vehicle intermittently displays a warning that the liftgate is open when it is fully closed and secured. When this occurs, the liftgate will not open using the exterior handle, interior button, or key fob. Additionally, the false “liftgate open” alert triggers the vehicle’s alarm system to activate unexpectedly without any attempt t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 5 MPH, the vehicle lunged into first and second gear. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 50,434.
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2021) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 2, 2026
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
BE ASVISED, THIS REPORT MAY BE INTERCEPTED, DELETED, HIDDEN, OR MODIFIED UPON RECEIVING. NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION Vehicle Safety Complaint Complainant: [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] Vehicle: 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee ------------------------------------- SAFETY DEFECT COMPLAINT – POST-REPAIR VEHICLE CONDITION I am reporting a serious safety concern involving my v... Read more
Incident date: Mar 31, 2026
Driving at 75mph upgrade westbound out of Denver, Co. Engine failed, shut down at speed, had to emergency move to right shoulder through 3 lanes of traffic. The last 10 mph it locked wheels to a screeching halt. Towed to Foundation Chevrolet. Confirmed engine failed, needs replacement. Every service done on regular basis by same dealer. Had "recall" band aid performed a couple months ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2016
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the message “4WD/Pull Over” was displayed, and the Low Oil warning light was intermittently illuminated. The contact became aware of the warning lights after receiving an oil change. Additionally, the oil level needed to be topped off after driving approximately 3,000 miles. While driving at var... Read more
GMC
SIERRA DENALI
(2018) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 2, 2026
Incident date: Jan 24, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra Denali 1500. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at speeds over 30 MPH, the vehicle started shaking abnormally. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving on three separate occasions and stalled twice while slowing down. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart each time, but on one occasion, se... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2018
My Honda Fit with an automatic transmission experienced a driveshaft failure due to corrosion in August 2018. At that time, Honda had announced a recall for similar driveshaft corrosion failures affecting manual‑transmission Honda Fits, but no recall existed for automatic‑transmission vehicles. Because there was no recall for my vehicle configuration, and no notice from Honda, I had the vehic... Read more
Incident date: Mar 31, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 55-60 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted into low gear. The vehicle lost motive power, the brakes locked up, and the transmission failed to shift out of gear. The transmission shifted to neutral and was shifting roughly and erratically. The driver shifted to Manual Mode and was able to continue driving in LIMP Mo... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
6 speed manual transmission. 79K miles. Vehicle was checked at a dealer due to a sluggish clutch. Dealer found low brake fluid, but no problems with the clutch. The next day the clutch failed completely and car had to be towed off the highway. Slave cylinder for the clutch is a design flaw on these vehicles.
Incident date: Apr 2, 2026
The van has just approx 55000 miles. While driving on highway, it suddenly lost power and from 60mph it came down to 20 miles in a matter of few seconds after few violent jerks. I was lucky that no vehicle was behind me. After that I pulled a side and then again started. It kept jerking and loosing power. Very carefully I got it to a mechanic. They are checking but they say looks like transmission... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2025) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 2, 2026
Incident date: Mar 28, 2026
while driving down the freeway at 80 mph, in my 2025 Chevy truck with 6000 mikes , the truck suddenly locked up, almost throwing myself and my daughter into the dash, thank goodness the semi truck behind us was paying attention of we would be dead! I was able to steer it to the shoulder of the road where I unhooked the battery hoping to reset the system to no avail. Waited on the side of the roa... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V512000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle slowed down and failed to properly shift gears. The contact shifted into neutral while stopping the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The vehicle was driven to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with severe fluid leakage and t... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2026
2 years ago i replaced my valve body in my 6r80 transmission due to constant down shifts to first gear at 45 miles an hour and rear wheel lock up with no codes shown. Replacing that part fixed my issue up until today, 2 April 2026, as i was driving to work today and the same thing happened again. Approximately 45 MPH my transmission downshifted to first gear, violently rev'd my engine to 6500 RPMS... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
My 2025 Toyota RAV4 (39,919 miles) has a permanent "Check Engine" light. On March 18, 2026, diagnostic codes P24517F and P214502a were found, indicating a failure in the switching valve and fuel tank pressure sensor. Toyota USA and the dealer are refusing to honor the 60,000-mile Powertrain Warranty and Federal Emissions Warranty. I am reporting this as a safety defect because the vehicle may lose... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2026
Vehicle would not run due to a failed fuel pump control module. With a non-running engine, the transmission could NOT be placed into Neutral to be able to movie vehicle out of the road. Needed tow truck to move vehicle. This condition placed many people at risk as the vehicle could not be moved out of the way until a tow truck arrived.
Incident date: Feb 16, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Mar 7, 2026
Several times, the vehicle has failed to accelerate or respond to accellerator pedal input for several seconds. It seems to happen when switching from electric to hybrid modes, and when shifting between lower gears simultaneously. Once the switch to hybrid occurs the engine will rev high with some acceleration even if the accelerator pedal is no longer being pressed. This acceleration has happened... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
Car began going into limp mode not accelerating. Brought it in to be told it was the transmission which in my car some of them had recalls for the exact same things but mine was not included in this recall
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
Check engine light came on for a power train malfunction. The problem is a failing torque converter or its control (TCC) causing transmission shudder 65,000 miles
Incident date: Jan 12, 2026
The vehicle completely stopped and shut off while driving on the roadway. Luckily no one was behind me. The check engine light did come on right before but it wasn’t on long enough for me to get somewhere to stop and check it out. There had not been any issues prior to this. The vehicle is still being serviced but they said it was the 12v battery and electric coolant heater that needs replacing ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2024
In December 2024, I was driving my 2024 Honda Accord Hybrid Sport on a clear, dry day after school when the car just completely lost power out of nowhere. The dashboard went crazy, flashing a bunch of different error messages every few seconds. Because the car wouldn't respond, I ended up in a side-impact crash. I was able to turn on/off the car after putting on my hazards and I was able to drive ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Feb 17, 2026
2014 Toyota RAV4 AWD XLE purchased June 2025. Multiple pre-existing safety defects confirmed by dealership personnel were never disclosed at time of sale. POWER TRAIN: Torque converter failure — vibration documented at pre-sale inspection, never disclosed or diagnosed. Axle bracket corroded so severely it was fused to axle and required cutting off — confirmed by service advisor on recorded cal... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
I am reporting a dangerous and recurring transmission defect in my 2018 Honda Odyssey equipped with the ZF 9-speed automatic transmission. The vehicle experiences sudden and unpredictable delayed acceleration, particularly at low speeds. When attempting to accelerate from a complete stop or at speeds below 25 mph, the transmission fails to engage properly, leaving the vehicle stranded in the middl... Read more
Incident date: Apr 9, 2025
I have a 2015 ford transit 150 and I was driving home on the highway and out of nowhere my van downshift into I believe 1st or 2nd gear causing the engine to redline and the rear tire to lock up and cause me to lose control of the vehicle! For about 3-7 seconds in that time the cars behind me had to slam on there breaks almost rear ending me due to the abrupt deceleration from my vans rear tire lo... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
Ever since I got the vehicle transmission is trying to give out on the vehicle takes too long to shift gears, takes more rpm to shift gears
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE L
(2021) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 1, 2026
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
Vehicle: 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Issue Type: Electrical System / Loss of Power / Braking System While operating my 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L on Interstate 40 at approximately 70 miles per hour, with two minor children in the vehicle, the vehicle suddenly and without any prior warning began to rapidly decelerate, despite continued pressure on the accelerator pedal. At the time the decelerati... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE L
(2023) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 1, 2026
Incident date: Mar 12, 2026
Vehicle has experienced repeated electrical system failures affecting engine operation, safety systems, and interior electronics from April 2025 through April 2026. Details: April 2025 (under warranty): Vehicle lost power and died. Dealership replaced batteries. December 2025: While driving, multiple warning lights (check engine, blind spot, lane departure, forward collision, accident avoidance)... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
Without warning, car began to drop out of 5th gear while driving, entering Neutral at high speeds. This is a manual transmission and you can see the shifter physical move itself into 5th gear. Driver almost lost control of the vehicle out of surprise to what had just happened. When searching in Reddit, this appears to be a widespread issue for this year/make/model. Took to local Chevy for diagn... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2013) — POWER TRAIN
Apr 1, 2026
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
Vehicle: 2015 Subaru Forester Mileage at Failure: 85,000 miles Component: Powertrain – CVT Transmission My 2015 Subaru Forester is experiencing a premature safety‑related CVT transmission failure at approximately 85,000 miles. The vehicle developed a pronounced whining noise that increases with vehicle speed, consistent with internal CVT bearing or pulley failure. This is a known defect patter... Read more