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.
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
Showing 137,132 complaints - component: POWER TRAIN
Incident date: Jun 22, 2026
My 2022 Acura AWD MDX with 95795 miles lost the power to the rear wheels. The spline between the transmission and the transfer case stripped. The transmission and transfer case had to be replaced for $14,442.37. I had Assurant for extended warranty, and they reluctantly paid most of the repair. The shop said this was the first non-turbo (sport) model they have heard of breaking. I believe there ar... Read more
LAND ROVER
DEFENDER
(2020) - POWER TRAIN
Jun 23, 2026
Incident date: Jun 17, 2025
Truck does not shift the gears when in drive but will in manual mode. No communication to the transfer case. Wrench light on.
Incident date: Jun 22, 2026
Camry was sitting at the dealership since the Dec 2025 recall for a loose inverter bolt. Talked to Toyota and dealership multiple times, throughout the process, and kept being told there was no remedy and that there would not be one for a long time. Got the run around from Toyota Brand Engagement repeatedly, with no assistance except to be told I could submit a Lemon Law claim, which they then sai... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2025
I have a 2017 Toyota Sienna XLE with about 120k miles on it. Out of nowhere the transmission was gear hunting and surging. It eventually became impossible to get it above 30 mph. It seemed like the transmission just went haywire. No lights on the dash let me know anything was wrong. Thankfully I had just pulled off the highway. Otherwise it could've been bad. I couldn't drive it safely so I had i... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2019) - POWER TRAIN
Jun 23, 2026
Incident date: Jun 23, 2026
The transmission went into limp mode one day after coming to a stop. When I safely got home, I turned the car off. Upon restarting, the issue was gone, but this has now happened several times. Each time, putting the car into park, shutting it off, and restarting it "resets" whatever was going on. Eventually the CE light came on, got the code, and it came back as P0873. The CE light was off after o... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2026
A transmission fluid leak has been identified emanating from the passenger side output shaft seal, located between the transmission and the transfer case. This issue pertains to 2019–2023 Acura RDX and TLX models equipped with SH-AWD, specifically at the interface where the transmission connects to the front transfer case, which is responsible for power distribution to the rear wheels. It appear... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2026
The transmission (the UA80) has been known to have several issues and my transmission has normal driving on it, has had its fluids replaced, and is now experiencing the same issue that others are experiencing.
Incident date: Jun 20, 2026
Honda civic is stalling while driving due to faulty fuel pump or fuel delivery component. Computer not coordinating correct power.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
Vehicle shudders when driving between 18mph and 40mph. Brought into dealership, was told that the Torque Converter is coming apart, and that it would require an entire Transmission replacement. This vehicle has been immaculately maintained, and only has 34745 miles on it. There is no reason that a main component of a powertrain should fail at such a low milage. I was told that the Warranty onl... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions to be repaired; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure or determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated that the dea... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2026
I was driving home on the interstate from vacation and I was set on cruise control it was 1 am so not a lot of traffic was on the road thank god. It could have been really terrible if lots of traffic was present as the engine just died without notice! The vehicle was decelerating nothing was working I could not speed up. I was able to get over to the side of the road. I got a notification on my ph... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. While the contact's husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. The contact stated that the transmission seized. The vehicle then crashed into a rock wall before coming to a stop. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The vehicle was later towed to the dealer; however, the vehic... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jun 9, 2026
Hello, I recently brought my 2014 Ford F-150 (VIN: [XXX]) to the dealership regarding Recall 24S37. The vehicle experienced the following symptoms: • Check Engine Light illuminated. • Wrench Light illuminated. • Intermittent loss of power. • Abnormal transmission behavior. • Intermittent no-start condition. • Vehicle would only start after moving the gear selector. The dealership i... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled and jerked while accelerating and experienced severe jerking while decelerating. The failure had occurred on several occasions. On June 18, 2024, the vehicle failed to accelerate or shift properly. On January 15, 2025, the vehicle shuddered violently and nearly stalled. On April 14, 2026, the veh... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Forester. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a failed inhibitor switch. The contact was informed that the inhibitor switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The contact was informed that parts were on back order.... Read more
KUMHO
SOLUS TA31
(9999) - POWER TRAIN
Jun 23, 2026
Incident date: May 23, 2026
Transmission needed! 76,000 miles and Toyota will not address the issue! We have owned Toyotas for 30 some years! Sienna, Avalon, RAV4, Sequoia, and now the Highlander!!!!! There is a massive issue with the transmission across the board in the 2021 and 2022 Highlander and Toyota will not replace.
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2014) - POWER TRAIN
Jun 23, 2026
Incident date: Jun 18, 2026
I am reporting a severe, systemic manufacturing defect in the 3.5L EcoBoost engine timing system (cam phasers and timing chain) of my 2017 Ford Expedition that poses an immediate highway safety hazard. Approximately February 2026 Upon start up heard odd rattle type noise, a week later heard noise again thought maybe due to recent Ford Dealership changing engine belts. Searched websites discovered... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2021) - POWER TRAIN
Jun 23, 2026
Incident date: Jun 6, 2026
Sometimes when I am driving and stop, the automatic engine does not turn back on. This has caused my car to stop and need to be restarted in the middle of the road and the amount of times this happens has been increasing.
Incident date: Jan 2, 2026
I bought this car from a dealer .that buys buy back cars from Gm .when i bought the car the dealer stated all service have been done . well i took to get oil changed and chevy told me they had no record of this service.the 2024 corvette gets a free oil and trans service from chevy.it has got to be done before 7500 miles .well the dealer have they car at there shop and i called and asked them why t... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2026
Brake caliphers went bad 2 days after I purchased, now a heavy humming sound that I literally feel vibration in my seat, loud weird noise when making sharp turns, turning the wheel while in park grinding noise, loud rumbling when air conditioner is on, jerking forward when press on gas. This car is horrible
Incident date: Jun 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Volvo EX90. The contact stated that while exiting a parking lot, the contact selected drive(D); however, the vehicle reversed instead and crashed into a pole. There was no warning light illuminated prior to the failure. The contact stated that when the vehicle was being towed, the tow truck driver selected reverse(R) to reverse, and the rearview camera failed to display an ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Sep 8, 2025
The contact’s wife owned a 2022 Tesla Y. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, his wife shifted the gear shifter into drive(D), and the vehicle independently accelerated. The Autonomous feature was not engaged. The brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed, and the front center of the vehicle crashed into a pile of cinder blocks, drove through a ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jun 20, 2026
On 3 separate occasions while driving at highway speeds, the transmission has rapidly moved from 10th gear to 1st resulting in a rapid decline in speed. Additionally, this vehicle loses power between 3rd and 5th gear, resulting in hesitation that has nearly caused accidents on two occasions.
Incident date: Jun 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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 experien... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Dart. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V674000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the engine seized. Additionally, the gear shifter independently shifted into park. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The failure had occurred while the contact was driving on a busy highway. The co... Read more
Incident date: Jun 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the rear axle hub bolt had fractured on three separate occasions while driving. The contact stated that there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the rear hubcap, followed by a rear-end fluid leak prior to each failure. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The dealer replaced the driver’s and passenger’s side rear a... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2026
Before 2024, my friend heard a noise coming from my car, he wasn’t sure what it was and I couldn’t hear it. December 2024, I took my car in to the Toyota dealership for the 100,000 mile transmission service (~107,000 miles) but I didn’t mention the sound because I didn’t hear it. The dealership didn’t find any issues. My friend could still hear the sound but we thought that the service d... Read more
Incident date: Jun 19, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle continued to move forward. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact stated that the valve body and torque converter needed to be replaced. The dealer informe... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2024) - POWER TRAIN
Jun 23, 2026
Incident date: Jun 23, 2026
While I was driving down the road and while I was driving through a parking lot, my transmission downshifted without me touching the gearshift. I almost hit a car in the parking lot when it happened and I had to slam my brakes when I was on a main road. Had I been going at a faster speed or in a more busy location I could have easily lost control and hit something or been hit. I never saw any warn... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2026
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The vehicle is a 2016 Kia Soul 1.6L GDI with approximately 83,000 miles. The vehicle experienced engine performance issues, loss of power, and stalling. A Kia dealership diagnosed a failed/melted catalytic converter and reported metal shavings in the engine oil. The vehicle has not been repaired and... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2026
The thermostat malfunctioned causing an error message regarding “steering assist is reduced”. When I parked and turned off, the engine fan continued to run. When car was restarted, the temp gauge inside was stuck at C. Took to dealership and they assessed. They repaired the thermostat under power train warranty, however there was a crack in the radiator (top) resulting in the need for a ne... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2026
Vehicle: 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Max The vehicle intermittently experiences a severe hesitation and shudder during acceleration from approximately 0-40 mph. The condition occurs only under specific circumstances: -The vehicle has been parked long enough for the engine, transmission, and related systems to cool to ambient air temperature. -The vehicle is started and driven shortly th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2026
transfer case locked up at highway speeds. had to be towed to dealer not drivable. Locking up rear tires at highways speed was serious risk. It was inspected and found not to be covered under current recall even though exact same thing happed to recalled vehicles. No warning lights or messages
Incident date: Jun 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle was abnormally jolting and sputtering. The contact stated that the engine warning light was activating and deactivating. The contact stated that failure was a recurring failure. The dealer was contacted, and a transmission flush was performed; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not a... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE HYBRID
(2024) - POWER TRAIN
Jun 23, 2026
Incident date: Jun 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for a transmission fluid flush and refill, the contact was informed that the transmission was inoperable, and the vehicle could not be driven to the residence. The dealer determined that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The dealer replaced the torque converter and advised the contact t... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Blazer. The contact stated that while driving 10 MPH and pulling into a parking lot, the sun gear and the drive shaft fractured. The vehicle became inoperable. The vehicle was pushed to a safe place. The check engine warning light illuminated after the failure. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V172000 (Power Train). The vehicle was ... Read more
Incident date: May 23, 2026
The transmission seems to be sluggish. When making a rolling left turn around 25 to 30 mph after no power to the transmission, when coming out of the turn the trans seems to spin and then slam into gear. I mean slam where everyone in the vehicle says "what the hell was that" kind of slam. This has been intermittent since I purchased the vehicle 1 1/2 years ago at 79,000 miles. I've had the tra... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
MY VEHICLE 2022 ACURA TYPE S HAS A TRANSMISSION SYSTEM PROBLEM, BLIND SPOT INFO PROBLEM, AND A ALL WHEEL DRIVE PROBLEM THAT ONLY MY FRONT WHEE;S MAY BE POWERED. IT LOOKS LIKE THE TRANSFER CASE MAYBE FAILING. MY VEHICLE ONLY HAS 25,000 MILES ON IT AND IS ABOUT TO BE OUT OF WARRANTY
Incident date: Jun 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The transmission independently shifted from drive to neutral and then to park. In addition, the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was restarted and taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed w... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2023) - POWER TRAIN
Jun 23, 2026
Incident date: Nov 23, 2024
After just passing 100K miles, there is now a whirling noise upon acceleration. After taking to an auto repair shop, they narrowed it down to the transmission and said it was a known problem (referenced T-SB-0008-21) and suggested I take it to the dealership. I took to the dealership where a service manager offered to ride with me to confirm and he confirmed the issue was in fact the known problem... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2021) - POWER TRAIN
Jun 23, 2026
Incident date: Jun 16, 2026
Chevrolet has a recall on some vehicles for a bad transmission valve body, but my vehicle isn’t a part of the recall and I’m having the exact same issues. Currently my only vehicle that I have to transport my 7 month old is a complete safety risk. My check engine light is on and the code its throwing is to replace transmission valve body assembly. My Tahoe is shifting very harshly when driving... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (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 contact stated that the Park(P), Reverse(R), and Drive(D) and gears 1-6 lights were consistently flashing. The ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
The vehicle has experienced a recurring transmission-related defect that has required multiple repair attempts by an authorized GMC dealership. The transmission system has also exhibited fluid leakage. Despite prior repairs, the problem has continued to reoccur. Transmission and associated transmission fluid sealing components. The vehicle is currently available for inspection upon request. A tr... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving 20 miles away after an hour, the vehicle lost power steering and power braking functionality, and the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to a lower gear. The vehicle was turned off. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle wa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
I have taken my car to the shop for constant transmission clunking, loss of power, random shifting causing a safety issue. It is currently in the shop for the 6th time at 69k I bought it new and have taken it in 5 other times for the same or similar issues with the transmission.
Incident date: Jun 23, 2026
- Master Cylinder leaking into booster Pump. ~Lost brakes going 65MPH, had to drive into a grass area to slow down. No warning lights until I lost all brakes. - Transmission hard shifting and unreliable gear selection ~ This truck has missed gears when passing intersections and has almost caused a wreck multiple time. Transmission is unsafe for users to drive with.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
Federal Safety Recall Fraud and Vehicle Endangerment Report Vehicle: 2022 Hyundai Elantra Blue Hybrid | Involved Dealerships: Earnhardt Hyundai North Scottsdale & Larry H. Miller Hyundai Peoria This complaint documents severe federal safety recall fraud and mechanical endangerment by authorized manufacturer franchise dealerships. In April 2025, Earnhardt Hyundai took physical possession of my ve... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2024
Subject: Safety Defect Complaint – Sudden 10R80 Transmission Failure in 2018 Ford F-150 Dear NHTSA, I am reporting a serious safety issue with my 2018 Ford F-150 equipped with the 10R80 10-speed automatic transmission. The transmission failed completely at only 93,000 miles, well before Ford’s first recommended fluid change at 150,000 miles. While driving, the transmission suddenly shifted fro... Read more