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: Aug 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30-55 MPH, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. The vehicle was taken on three occasions to the local dealer and was diagnosed with torque converter failure. The contact was informed that the transmission fluid was burned, and there were metal shavings inside the transmission fluid. Additionally, the spark plugs an... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V896000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware o... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to 1st gear and nearly caused the contact to lose control of the vehicle. The vehicle was stopped, turned off, restarted and driven normally. The vehicle was driven back to the residence and has not been driven since. There was no warning light illuminated. The ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 2026
ICCU failure. Common problem but Hyundai seems to have no fix despite it happening for years now.
Incident date: Feb 22, 2026
The powertrain/transmission in my 2016 Ford Focus is malfunctioning. Specifically, the vehicle shudders and hesitates when accelerating in low gears, causing delayed engagement and unpredictable power delivery. This issue occurs at low speeds, such as when entering traffic or moving through intersections, creating a potential safety risk for myself and other drivers. The problem has been official... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while reversing, the vehicle failed to shift into gear, and the vehicle was stuck in traffic. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and it was determined that the transmission fluid was black, and there were metal shavings inside the transmission fluid. The contact was informed that the... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
While towing our RV trailer, we received a wrench light and the vehicle when into limp mode. When we tried to slow down and take the next exit on the interstate, the transmission tried to shift from 6th gear to 1st gear, causing the rear tires to screech and slow the vehicle dramatically. This could have caused a rear collision due to the abrupt slowing of the vehicle. The problem could only be ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
My vehicle stopped handling as it usually had and I at a significant decrease in traction and slid off the road and slammed into a road sign. No injuries but significant damage to the vehicle. It seemed as though the all-wheel drive was not working. No warning lamps and computer system indicated that all four wheels were getting power. Took it to dealer and they confirmed that the all-wheel drive ... Read more
Crash
TOYOTA
GRAND HIGHLANDER
(2026) — POWER TRAIN
Mar 27, 2026
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
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 local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
AMG GLE63 S
(2024) — POWER TRAIN
Mar 27, 2026
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
My 2018 Ford Escape, which has experienced catastrophic engine failure due to the well-documented coolant intrusion defect in the 1.5L EcoBoost engine. In early March 2026, without any prewarning or engine light, my vehicle displayed an “Engine Fault Service Now” warning and stored diagnostic trouble code P2601 (Coolant Pump A Control Circuit Performance/Range). I immediately took the vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 27, 2026
Incident Summary: On 2/2/2026, my vehicle was serviced under Safety Recall 25V-274 at an authorized GMC dealership. The service technician performed the mandated diagnostic protocol (including the PicoScope test) and informed me that the engine had "passed" inspection. No internal components were replaced; the remedy was limited to an oil change to a higher-viscosity oil (0W-40) and a new oil fill... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Buick Enclave. The vehicle was reversed out of the driveway; however, after shifting into drive(D) and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle jerked, vibrated, and the check engine warning light and other unknown warning lights illuminated. After several minutes, the vehicle functioned as intended. A short distance later, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while a family member was driving the vehicle at 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The driver pulled over to the side of the road where the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the residence, where an independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine and transmissio... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly vibrated and shifted in and out of gear with the transmission warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was... Read more
Incident date: Mar 27, 2026
Transmission would intermittently lock up and cause rough running conditions. Occasionally causing wheels to lock up and the vehicle to lose control. Took the vehicle to multiple service facilities and was told this is a common issue with this transmission and it is in need of replacement to remedy the issue. The vehicle has 85,000 miles on it.
Incident date: Mar 27, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V896000 (Power Train) and 26V104000 (Electrical System, Exterior Lighting); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact was informed that parts needed to be ordered and was later informed that... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
Beginning in January 2026, the vehicle exhibited progressive symptoms including repeated lurching and difficulty shifting gears. These symptoms are consistent with the open and incomplete recall for the transmission shifter cable bushing and the powertrain control module reprogram. On or around March 25–26, 2026, while operating the vehicle at approximately 35 mph on a surface street, the foll... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
My truck because of the transmission and it's "powertrain" faults; puts itself in low power mode. I can be driving fine, stop for a red light, to turn a corner or before pulling into oncoming traffic leaving a parking lot etc and without warning, no power. It won't go over 5-10 miles an hour. You have to let off the gas and give gas sometimes more than once to get the truck to finally pick up and ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Camry. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and the contact was informed that there was a transmission leak and ball joint failure. The vehicle was repaired. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The m... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2026
Incident: While driving at highway speeds (65–75 mph), the vehicle issues imminent-shutdown warnings, the reduced-power (‘turtle’) light and check engine light illuminate, and the vehicle loses motive power. The driver must pull over to the freeway shoulder immediately and restart the vehicle. The condition is intermittent, occurs after cold starts, and sometimes with cruise control engaged.... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
Sometimes after starting the vehicle, The transmission will not shift into reverse and the vehicle must be turned off and restarted. Occasionally when the vehicle is shifting from 1st to 2nd gear, it shifts very hard, like a kick.
PIRELLI
SCORPION MS
(9999) — POWER TRAIN
Mar 27, 2026
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
Transmission shudder, feels like driving over rumble strips, reducing power and causing vehicle to slow, sometimes causing engine to stall. When it occurs in traffic and/or at highway speeds can cause dangerous rear-end collision. The vehicle is at the dealership/service department now. No warning light, symptoms began suddenly and have increased in frequency and severity since first occurring le... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2026
Engine experienced premature valvetrain failure (camshaft/lifter issue) at approximately 145,000. Vehicle developed ticking noise, misfire, and loss of power. Diagnosis confirmed camshaft/lifter damage requiring major repair. This appears to be a known issue with the 3.6L Pentastar engine and is documented in Chrysler STAR case S2309000013. Failure creates potential safety concern due to loss of ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
G55
(2007) — POWER TRAIN
Mar 27, 2026
Incident date: Aug 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the transmission abruptly downshifted from 6th gear to 1st gear, and the vehicle jerked and pulled to the right. No warning light was illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and offered to perform a diagnostic test, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHT... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2026
The half shaft axel on My Rivian R1T broke in under 6000K miles. Rivian tried hard to deny it, but did finally concede and fix it. But upon return there is still something wrong with the drive train.
Incident date: Feb 23, 2026
Driving on highway, "Service Hybrid Electric Vehicle System" warning came on, vehicle lost all propulsion, needed to pull over on road and restart the engine. Almost got into accident with car behind me because of sudden power loss.
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
I am writing to report a recurring safety issue with my vehicle’s transmission. When attempting to accelerate into traffic, the engine revs high but fails to deliver power to the wheels, acting as if it is in neutral. This failure to shift into gear has occurred several times and poses a significant safety risk. I have maintained the vehicle regularly, including recent fluid changes. My researc... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the vehicle started shaking and slipped in and out of gear, with the message "Idle Transmission" displayed. The vehicle was pulled over and shifted into park(P) and then to drive(D). There was a loud banging sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an in... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2025
Over about seven years and roughly 70,000 miles of ownership, this 2012 BMW X3 generated repeated “Drivetrain malfunction” warnings and loss of drivability despite extensive repairs by multiple authorized BMW dealers. I paid approximately $15,000–$20,000 out of pocket for dealer repairs, and my third‑party service contract (CarShield) paid an additional roughly $15,000–$20,000 directly t... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2021) — POWER TRAIN
Mar 27, 2026
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
A persistent humming/whining noise occurs at highway speeds (around 60–70 mph). The noise has been present for more than two years and has continued through multiple major repairs. The sound appears to come from the drivetrain area and raises concerns about a potential driveline or mechanical failure at speed. The issue has been reproduced and confirmed by multiple authorized dealerships. The v... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
The vehicle experienced multiple electrical and safety-related malfunctions while driving. On several occasions the instrument cluster and vehicle screens suddenly went black while the vehicle was in motion, causing loss of critical driving information such as speed and warnings. In another incident the vehicle displayed a “High Voltage Malfunction” warning while driving and the vehicle shut... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
Transmission won't go into reverse at times, auto shifting back to park before check engine light comes on. Vehicle initially started with hard shifts at low speeds about 25 mph. Issue progressed to the point where vehicle has to be put into reverse. Otherwise vehicle would not shift at the same point about 25 mph and would be stuck in the low gear until vehicle is shut off and restarted then put ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
The engine. I’m told my engine is not part of the recall but makes an extremely loud sound on start up. Been to dealer just for them to say the vehicle is not part of the recall. Recently called roadside assistance because the vehicle shut off in the middle of traffic. Took it back to dealer, Nothing they can do, just keep bringing it back! Now warranty has expired & sound is getting worse
Incident date: Oct 25, 2025
While driving a "Service Transmission" message appears on the information center. The truck shifts slowly, sometimes slamming into gear, doesn't seem to have smooth acceleration through the gears until a high gear is reached. Unusual sounds occur during the shifting sequence. The vehicle was dropped off at the dealer for service. Dealer claims that since they were not able to duplicate the conditi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
Subject: Safety Complaint – Loss of Drive Power Prior to Recall Resulting in Crash (2025 Honda Accord Hybrid) I am submitting a safety complaint regarding a 2025 Honda Accord Sport Hybrid (VIN: [XXX]) involved in a crash on [XXX], which we believe is related to a recall issued later in January 2026. At the time of the incident, the vehicle was being driven under normal conditions, below the sp... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
I was driving about 10mph around a turn and the motor turned off and I had to park to start the motor again. When I came to a complete stop the car engaged it's parking break and suddenly jerked forward. This has happened several times in the last year and this time I was the driver of the vehicle. It's a extreme safety issue and my wife has had it happen to her at a busy intersection more than on... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
My 2019 ford edge has a powertrain malfunction and it states to seek the dealership immediately! The suv is swaying badly and the auto start/stop components scares me whenever restarts and there is a burning smell- its nearly causing me to lose control once it restarts.. please help im affraid to drive it. This is my only means of transportation and i am dissabled.
Incident date: Mar 25, 2026
My light came on it said engine malfunction reduced speed service now I checked online for recalls found one and “got it fixed” I left the dealership and had to turn back as the light came back on got it “fixed again” I left later that day my transmission light came on and reduced speed I brought it back to dealership they then kept my car for almost two weeks “fixed the problem again”... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
03/25/2026 Driving down the street card started jerking and acting like it did not want to move kept slowing down like it wasn't getting any gas. like the transmission was going out. There is nothing wrong with my transmission. The car had been on a recall for a part that has been replaced 2 different times. I tried to have it checked out the Ford dealers here where I live wanted to charge me $200... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2026
Vehicle “slams” into gear and goes into “limp” mode. RPM’s increase dramatically and speed accelerate ration is very low. Check engine light on and several U codes show. And P0301
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
Automatic transmission failed No warning No smells no shaking no jerking no light on dash board until it went out that's when it jerk and still no check engine light just a wrench that popped up once
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2020) — POWER TRAIN
Mar 26, 2026
Incident date: Feb 12, 2026
The power transfer unit stopped working and we got a message on the dashboard about the four-wheel-drive not working. We had to replace the PTU
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
I purchased this vehicle in June 2024 as a demo vehicle with approximately 7,000 miles on it. Within one month of ownership, the vehicle began experiencing serious problems that have continued to worsen. The vehicle currently has approximately 34,000 miles, and the issues have been ongoing from the time of purchase through the present. Since purchasing the vehicle, it has been in the dealership mu... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
car transmission issue not getting enough power while putting foot on gas pedal rpm goes upto 5k for getting speed not shifting gear properly
HYUNDAI
SANTA CRUZ
(2022) — POWER TRAIN
Mar 26, 2026
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
"The 8-speed Dual Clutch Transmission and engine (Cylinder 4) failed on my 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz SEL Premium AWD with 37,780 miles. Both components are available for inspection upon request. While merging onto the highway in Sport Mode, the vehicle experienced violent shuddering and noise so severe I believed I had multiple flat tires simultaneously — specifically both front and rear passenger... Read more
BRITAX
ONE4LIFE SLIM
(9999) — POWER TRAIN
Mar 26, 2026
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission slipped out of gear while attempting to accelerate. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 126,000.
Incident date: Feb 22, 2026
The transmission torque convertor clutch, transmission pressure control, transmission solenoid fault. The vehicle is available to inspection. The lost power while driving on the highway putting myself and other drivers at risk. I have spoken with several Toyota repair centers and this is a known issue. Currently, my car along with 3 others are sitting at Miller Toyota with the same issue. The ve... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Passport. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds, the transmission was shifting hard. The Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist, transmission, and auto high beam warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where a transmission flush was performed; however, the failure persisted. The dealer performed a diagnostic scan and ret... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
For several months I have been having problems off and on with my vehicle not shifting into drive, neutral, or reverse. It runs fine but becomes undrivable. Until this last time, I was always able to keep trying, let it sit overnight, etc... and it would eventually shift into gear. Currently it does not, I had to have it towed to a shop to be repaired. This is a problem, the vehicle has left m... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, there was a strong vibration coming from the vehicle while decelerating from 30 MPH to 20 MPH. The contact stated that the failure was previously repaired but reoccurred and became worsened. The vehicle remained at the dealer for two weeks, and the contact was informed that the part was unavailable. The vehicle wa... Read more