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: Jun 19, 2026

Date: June 22, 2026 Time of Incident: Approximately 11:48 a.m. Vehicle: 2025 Chevrolet Silverado High Country 6.2L V8 Current Mileage: Approximately 29,500 miles I am documenting the events surrounding the unexpected engine failure of my 2025 Chevrolet Silverado High Country. On June 22, 2026, at approximately 11:48 a.m., while driving at highway speed, the vehicle was operating normally with no w... Read more

Incident date: Jun 22, 2026

On June 14, 2026, one day after purchase, while driving through the Mojave Desert on I-15 in temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the check engine light illuminated and remained on through Southern California. The vehicle required a jump start after being parked in a covered multi-level parking structure for 5 days in Long Beach California after which the check engine light cleared. On J... Read more

Incident date: Mar 30, 2026

2019 Infiniti QX50 with engine bearing failure defect matching NHTSA Recall #25V-437. Vehicle was sold to me on 12/24/2025 by a dealer, MORE THAN FIVE MONTHS after the recall was issued on 07/14/2025. The dealer NEVER disclosed the active, unrepaired safety recall. Two months after purchase, the engine developed loss of power and unusual noises - exact symptoms described in the recall. An indepen... Read more

Incident date: Aug 9, 2023

2019 Hyundai Sonata Sport. (Original owner). Problem: Transmission. [XXX] (9,912 miles). Lack of power, vehicle did not move when trying to merge onto freeway. Very unsafe. Also, hesitation and jerking. [XXX] (10,619 miles). Lack of power, hesitation, jerking. Hyundai tech performed TSB, TCU updates, ECU update for knock sensor performance, reset engine & transmission updates. [XXX] (41,332 mile... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

Oil cooler failed and truck was at dealer for a month over winter. Now June 20th transmission failed and there is no timeframe on the valve body. I am still making payments on this truck and no dealers have a timeframe.

Incident date: Jun 22, 2026

The vehicle has less than 60,000 miles. Sometimes, when it is shifted into park, the info center states that it is not in park. I have to jiggle the shift or shift it into other gears and go back to park. The shift is definitely in park when this happens.

Incident date: Jun 22, 2026

Power Transfer Unit Failure diagnosed by Safford Dodge, Jeep dealership in Fredericksburg, VA. My VIN is not showing up as part of the recall. My car is still awaiting repair.

Incident date: Jun 18, 2026

I drive a 2015 BMW X5. While driving on a local street, I heard a severe banging noise underneath the car. I pulled over, and it turned out the front driveshaft had broken, striking the transmission pan and other parts beneath. When I towed the car to the shop the mechanic also found that an AC drain line dripped onto the driveshaft U-joint, causing rust over time, which led to this failure. There... Read more

Incident date: Apr 14, 2021

2026 Subaru Trailseeker, purchased new May 19, 2026. The 12V auxiliary battery failed completely after 3 days parked on June 17, 2026. Traction battery was at 65% charge at time of failure. All vehicle systems were unresponsive. Couldn't open doors, do anything. When the 12V drains fully on this platform, the wheels lock and the vehicle cannot be moved by a standard tow truck, creating a stranding... Read more

Incident date: Jun 22, 2026

Less that 100k miles and my transmission already needs replaced. Last year my engine was sputtering making my car jerk while driving went to shop they did a total transmission fluid changed but said my transmission is likely going bad it helped mostly and I had high hopes the problem was solved it was not fast forward to now my transmission went then caused the torque converter to go my car was s... Read more

Incident date: May 30, 2026

Failed torque converter, diagnosed and confirmed by local certified Ford dealer in Portage, Wisconsin. Vehicle can potentially leave is stranded with additional repair costs if not addressed.

Incident date: Jun 16, 2026

My 2021 Chevrolet Silverado RST 4x4 5.3L V8 was a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle purchased through a GMC dealership, strictly maintained by certified GMC service departments, and had its torque converter replaced one year prior in accordance with a manufacturer Technical Service Bulletin (TSB). One week before a scheduled round-trip journey from Alabama to North Carolina, the truck underwent a compre... Read more

Crash 3 injured

Incident date: Jun 17, 2026

Thermostat and cooling sensor went out on my car. GMC issued a special coverage bulletin for 2021 Acadia since it's a widespread issue but not the 2020 (mine) which is also a widespread issue looking online. The repair is over $1000 and should be covered!

Incident date: Jun 22, 2026

The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and shifting into a lower gear, the vehicle was jerking with an audible sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the diagnostic result was not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The a... Read more

Incident date: May 29, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the 4WD warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with PTU failure; however, the contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (POWER TRAIN); because the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer wa... Read more

Incident date: Jun 12, 2026

2026 Mercedes-Benz GLE 580 | ~2,800 miles | Mercedes-Benz of McKinney, McKinney, TX | No warning lamps preceded any failure. ISSUE 1 — Instrument cluster blacks out while driving The speedometer and tachometer display goes completely black without warning at normal road speeds. The only remedy is stopping, shutting off the engine, waiting 10 minutes, and rebooting. Loss of speed and warning ind... Read more

Incident date: Apr 26, 2026

My 2013 Ford F-150 (VIN: [XXX]) suffered a catastrophic rear-wheel lockup while traveling at highway speeds, mimicking a sudden, unprompted hard braking event. The vehicle's speedometer dropped to zero and the dashboard went blank. A certified Ford dealership has just scanned the vehicle and pulled Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P0722, confirming an Output Shaft Speed sensor/molded leadframe failur... Read more

Incident date: Jan 17, 2026

When the engine shuts off while braking at a light/stop sign etc occasionally the car will fail to turn the engine back on and the car will go in to park and the only way to get in to drive is to restart the car. This happens once or twice a month.

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

For over a year, engine shudders/jerks when accelerating. I see this has been a repeated complaint by many for a few years now. How is this not a recall?????

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

My 2020 Ford F150 was diagnosed by a shop to have the well known CDF drum issue. This issue is very expensive to repair and have experienced several safety concerns while conducting daily drives to and from work or other locations nearby. The transmission will not allow you to accelerate while on the freeway making it impossible to merge safely out of the way or even just get up to speed safely. T... Read more

Incident date: Jun 15, 2026

Drive Train suffered a life threatening loss of propulsion on a main highway . My safety was at risk due to the losing propulsion leaving me in the middle of the highway in an unsafe vehicle. Multiple communication-module fault codes. Dealer has acknowledged these issues. there were warning lights and multiple messages after .

Incident date: Jun 16, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted into first gear. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer several times; however, the failure was not duplicated. The failure reo... Read more

Incident date: Jun 20, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the vehicle jerked abnormally. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in drive, the vehicle jerked and unexpectedly accelerated while driving 55 MPH and was dragging. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was serviced by the dealer for a transmission failure, but t... Read more

Incident date: Jun 22, 2026

Vehicle: 2017 Ford Edge Titanium, 2.0L EcoBoost, AWD Mileage at Incident: ~90,000 (mountain 2 lane canyon road steep cliffs and very little pull off space) Description of Problem: While driving uphill on a 2-lane mountain road, my vehicle displayed “Engine Coolant Over Temperature” (and related engine heat) warnings. The temperature gauge rose rapidly, engine power was severely limited (coul... Read more

Incident date: Jun 2, 2026

I bought my traverse in 2024 it’s now two year later and my entire transmission needs replaced no longer shifting between 1000& 2000rpms this is a known issue with these vehicles and there hasn’t been a recall yet. Also the button in my shift knob tells me it is not in park (shift to park) even though it’s clearly in park. Along with the transmission issue the stabilitrack warning comes on e... Read more

Incident date: Jun 12, 2026

The contact's husband owns a 2025 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that after exiting a car wash tunnel and parking the vehicle on the side of the car wash building, the vehicle continued to roll forward at a high speed without warning. The contact used both feet and excessive force on the brake pedal to stop the vehicle; however, the vehicle continued to roll forward. The vehicle ran over t... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Sep 15, 2025

My 2017 Hyundai Sonata SE, equipped with the Theta II 2.4L GDI engine, is experiencing severe powertrain failures including rhythmic metallic engine knocking, catastrophic oil consumption, and un-commanded surges/jumping in speed while driving. These symptoms manifested following an unauthorized engine replacement performed by Hyundai of El Cajon under Repair Order [XXX], where the dealer covertly... Read more

Incident date: Sep 26, 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH on the highway, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear. The wrench symbol was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and it was confirmed that the part was not available for the repair under NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure ... Read more

Incident date: Feb 1, 2025

with no warning ,the GMC 6.2L engine failed on my family trip to Colorado. The engine seized at HWY speeds, stopped running, failed to restart and had to be towed to local dealer. This issue is a known GMC defect with numerous reports and a safety recall issue. I was fortunate to be able to move offer in hwy traffic and get to the shoulder where my situation took 8 hours travel time to continue... Read more

Incident date: Jan 1, 2024

With no warning, my engine 6.2 L stopped running at highway speeds and failed to restart. The power train completely failed for a second time after having a previous engine replaced for the same failure in 2024. I had the car inspected per the recall along with changes in the oil viscosity as recommended along with service inspection. The car left me stranded again on rural highway for over 5 h... Read more

Incident date: Jun 17, 2026

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle and driving from a parking lot at 5 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle, and the transmission skipped second and forth gear, and remained in third gear. The vehicle hesitated and stalled. An Independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic wher... Read more

Incident date: Mar 10, 2026

I own a 2021 Toyota Highlander with approximately 127k miles. The vehicle has developed a noticeable whining/whirring noise during acceleration. The noise appears to originate from the drivetrain/transmission area and has become increasingly noticeable over time. The condition occurs every-time during acceleration and is present under normal driving conditions. I am concerned that this may indica... Read more

Incident date: Jun 21, 2026

The contact's son owns a 2014 Dodge Dart. The contact stated that the transmission was stuck in reverse(R) while the gear shifter was in park(P). The contact manually shifted the cable shifter out of park(P) from under the hood. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the shifter cable was damaged. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V674000 (Power... Read more

Incident date: Nov 1, 2024

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving approximately 7 MPH in the driveway, the service 4WD warning light illuminated. The contact stated the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transfer unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was no... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

My vehicle is subject to Toyota Safety Recall 25TA15 (NHTSA Recall 25V869) involving a loose inverter bolt. Toyota dealership has retained possession of my vehicle since February 23, 2026. As of June 22, 2026, the vehicle has been out of service for more than 120 days. Toyota has failed to provide a repair date, repair timeline, or meaningful resolution despite multiple contacts, a certified mail ... Read more

Incident date: Feb 23, 2026

I was driving on a slower speed road and felt a jerk, my car lurched forward a little and I got a bunch various errors for break regen system, front park sense errors and a few other random faults. The car entered "turtle mode" signified by the turtle icon in my gauge cluster. This is the second time this has randomly happened, the first time happened two weeks prior as I was taking an off ramp of... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

I discovered an active fluid leak from the transmission/transfer case area of my 2024 Acura TLX Type S. Fluid was visibly running down the drivetrain case, collecting around the mating area between the transmission and transfer case, and accumulating on the underbody splash shield. I bought the vehicle to an Acura dealer for inspection and they stated that this appears to be a known issue. They su... Read more

Incident date: Jun 18, 2026

The hybrid cooling system on my 2019 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid repeatedly displayed a red dashboard warning while the vehicle was in motion: "Hybrid coolant level too low / Park vehicle safely / Let vehicle cool down." This warning appeared on multiple occasions at speeds of approximately 22 mph, 38–40 mph, and 47 mph, as documented in timestamped photos and videos taken in November 2025. A separ... Read more

Incident date: Mar 30, 2026

Received "reduced propulsion" message, with no engine detected. Car slowed to a near stop while driving on the Interstate highway. Very dangerous to have that suddenly happen. Message popped up randomly with no prior warning.

Incident date: Mar 20, 2026

While driving on the highway my vehicle experienced a sudden severe loss of power that led you a metallic rattling noise under the front of the vehicle and smoke coming out the exhaust pipes. Took it to a Ford dealership for diagnosis and repair however, it recommendations were long engine block replacement due to coolant intrusion from a cylinder wall cracking due to a manufacturer defect that is... Read more

Incident date: Jun 20, 2026

Transmission Failure. I purchased a 2018 model year Toyota CH-R new from a dealer and recently heard a clicking/grinding noise from some component of the powertrain. Inspection by an independent automotive repair shop and a Toyota dealership have advised the problem is a non-specific transmission issue (without removing and taking apart the transmission, the precise transmission component which ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 9, 2026

Powertrain: harsh, jerky shifting, violent, lurching gear changes, pause before engaging and high revving and lack of acceleration, mostly noticed at 50-60mph Steering PE25009 - catching or sticking when making minor or gradual turns in either direction when the steering wheel is positioned near the 11 o'clock or 1 o'clock positions. It requires extra force to break free and jerks the steering

Incident date: May 1, 2026

While driving my car home, my transmission completely gave out. I was trying to get up a hill, and out of nowhere, my car was just revving and was not going anywhere. I tried to turn the car off and back on, but it did nothing. We towed my car to a mechanic and they gave me the unfortunate news that my transmission needed completely replaced or rebuilt. I towed it to a transmission specialist, and... Read more

Incident date: Jun 19, 2026

I have taken my car to the dealership some I bought it. With less than 100K miles already has a faulty transmission. This failure was already recognized and in Canada. The dealer wants almost 14K to replace it. This is not fair. A less than 100k should not be having these problems.

Incident date: Jun 18, 2026

Power train the engine roars up and drops jarring you back and forth second car within a yr first blew up brand new both and Hyundia and dealership blew me off

Incident date: Dec 1, 2024

Toyota South Atlanta in Morrow, Georgia, released my vehicle after a factory warranty repair for transmission failure. However, they failed to properly complete or verify the repair. The dashboard is now throwing critical error codes stating 'A malfunction in the electronic control of the engine, throttle, or automatic transmission has been detected' and 'A malfunction in the VSC, TRAC, or hill-st... Read more

Incident date: Jun 19, 2026

[XXX] [XXX] Phone: [XXX] Vehicle Information: Year: 2023 Make: GMC Model: Sierra Denali Ultimate Engine: 6.2L V8 VIN: [XXX]: Mileage: Approximately 52,000 miles BACKGROUND: I previously had the engine serviced under a GM recall campaign related to known 6.2L V8 engine concerns. Despite that repair, the vehicle has since experienced two separate highway-speed loss-of-propulsion events. COMPLAINT Th... Read more

Incident date: Dec 31, 1969

Truck has reoccurring issue of shifting from 10 to 1 at highway speeds causing me to shift into neutral as to not WRECK. No check engine light or trans light, which makes proving it to dealer is impossible. Only happens once every few months. Through forscan I can see the OSS speed sensor drops voltage briefly then regains voltage. This is a very expensive yet very dangerous truck and ford needs... Read more

Incident date: Jul 15, 2025

Nothing has happened yet. What is the timeline to correct this issue. The loss of power, and other issues that may happen could be catastrophic. Why is there no timeline required for resolutions? Notification are expected to begin to be sent by June 25,2026, why were they not required to be sent immediately, by law ? The government has many rules and regulations, who dropped the ball on issues... Read more

Incident date: Jun 21, 2026

12 volt electrical system no power. Dealer changed battery cable wiring harness. Received vehicle back. One week later vehicle exhibited no 12 volt power. Informed that it could be the Thinkware dash cam. Which was purchased from Ford and Ford dealer installed. Now informed that it could be the dash cam itself. The dash cam was installed via the OBD port which is always powered. This will drain th... 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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