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: Feb 6, 2023
Transmission was replaced but then completely shut down as I was making a right turn. Multiple indicators on dash went off and safety errors kept scrolling across dash. Vehicle then wouldn’t shift at all. TCM was replaced but vehicle has high RPMs at low speeds. Has been at the dealership now for over 90 days.
Incident date: Jun 9, 2026
COMPONENTS THAT FAILED: Multiple systems failed in a connected chain. (1) The DPF aftertreatment differential pressure sensor — a CONFIRMED manufacturing defect per Cummins recall T7186/T7187 (Jan 2026). (2) The Allison automatic transmission — catastrophic internal failure: torque converter destroyed, flexplate warped and cracked, metal fragments throughout. (3) The transmission control unit ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2025
Transmission failure less than 100000 mile ford want 10000 to fix this is not feasible for the average American.
Incident date: Jun 17, 2026
With no warning my truck lost all anti-lock braking, traction control, stability control, trailer brakes, and 4x4 capability (computer will not allow 4x4 to engage). This is due to an "abs module" failure. Ram/Dodge has no new units available to repair this faulty part and no ETA on if/when they will be available. There was thankfully no accident with this failure but obviously, it could lead to o... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2026
I have a vehicle whose refrigeration is going into the motor. It started with the check engine light came on notifying the third spark plug was damaged and showed the codes P0303, P04DB, P0316, P0339. Later a warning sign came on the dashboard with the phrase "ENGINE MALFUNCTION, SERVICE NOW". It had a recall almost immediately after it was acquired and was seen by the manufacturer about two years... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly came to a complete stop. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact attempted to accelerate, and the vehicle drove sluggishly as if the tires were flat. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed... Read more
Incident date: Jun 14, 2026
The transmission in my 2021 Toyota Highlander began producing a whining noise during acceleration between approximately 15-50 mph at around 80,000 miles. The noise stops when the accelerator is released and has progressively become louder. The vehicle was inspected by a Toyota dealership. I was informed that the condition is a known issue affecting some Toyota vehicles, but no repair was offered b... Read more
KIA
SORENTO HYBRID
(2025) - POWER TRAIN
Jun 17, 2026
Incident date: Jun 17, 2026
4WD has issues with the transfer case and cars up to 2019 had issues. I cant get parts and it is not safe to drive.
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS CROSS SPORT
(2021) - POWER TRAIN
Jun 17, 2026
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
Within the first year of purchase, I was going to the Toronto Airport on the 401 and the vehicles' engine power quickly reduced to about 5mi/hr. I had to pull off the freeway in fear of being rear ended. I slowly made it to a gas station, the vehicle running at reduced power for about 15min. I turned the vehicle off and waited for About 30min. The car started up with full power when increasing ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2026
While traveling on US Highway 95 between Lewiston and Riggins, Idaho, a 2024 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro with approximately 18,000 miles experienced a sudden loss of engine power while descending a mountain grade with multiple curves. The driver reported hearing abnormal engine noises immediately before the loss of power. At the same time, the brake pedal became extremely hard to depress and the vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted from sixth gear to third gear. The check engine and powertrain malfunction warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that dealer was contacted to schedule a diagnostic test. The contact stated that VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Tr... Read more
Incident date: Nov 21, 2018
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced severe transmission shift failures, including sudden erratic downshifts, with a gear indicator cycling through park(P), neutral(N), drive (D) and first to third gears... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
Transmission failed on major highway out of no where would not accelerate above 5 MPH
Incident date: May 15, 2026
Driving to work and, all of a sudden, the dashboard lights flicker and the car says the transmission has issues. The car advises us to pull over out of the highway. This was driving to work. The car completely stops working. The dealer says the transmission is dead. this is a car that is a 2019 Honda Pilot. 7 years old. It was bought through Honda and serviced at Honda. The Transmission should not... Read more
FORD
TRANSIT CONNECT
(2016) - POWER TRAIN
Jun 17, 2026
Incident date: Oct 10, 2024
The vehicle is a 2015 Toyota Sequoia with the 5.7L V8 engine and approximately 192,632 miles. The vehicle developed an abnormal internal engine/timing noise, especially when warm. An authorized Toyota dealer inspected the vehicle and diagnosed an internal engine/timing-related condition involving timing chain tensioners, timing chains, chain guides, camshaft gears, lifters, gaskets/resealing, and ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2026
When shifting into drive from start, the shifter does not shift. I have my foot on the brake at the same time also. This has happened at least 8 eight times sense the SUV went over 3500 miles on the odometer. I have to wait about 5 seconds before trying it again. This is a safety item that needs immediate attention by Chevrolet and GM, If I needed to evacuate an area, or my garage in the event of ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2026
January 9, 2026, driver was on I25, when driver heard a loud thud and the RPMs kept rising but the vehicle would not accelerate. Was very dangerous and barely avoided a collision with other drivers on the road. Barely got it home and shut it off. Tried to drive again but would not get out of reverse. Car was towed to Hyundai dealership for inspection. EGO4 Check Engine Light Diagnostic. 120883.... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2024) - POWER TRAIN
Jun 17, 2026
Incident date: Feb 13, 2026
2024 Ford F150 tremor 14,000 miles The gearshift modual locks into position and locks the transmission (light blinking and transmission light shows on dashboard) You cannot shift to park or start the car, it will do this in drive or reverse and locks the transmission. A hard reset does not solve the issue. The First time this happened l was with my wife and two young children in the mountain... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2026
I am submitting this complaint regarding the transmission in my 2020 Chevrolet Blazer. My vehicle has fewer than 100,000 miles and has experienced significant transmission failure symptoms, including hard shifting, jerking during acceleration, RPM fluctuations, slipping, loss of normal power, and inability to safely reach highway speeds. The vehicle struggles to accelerate properly and at times wi... Read more
LAND ROVER
DEFENDER
(2023) - POWER TRAIN
Jun 17, 2026
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
The transfer case on my 2024 Acura MDX Type S failed with under 30,000 miles. I believe there's a public investigation from the NHTSA, I wanted to ensure my case was reported.
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2020) - POWER TRAIN
Jun 17, 2026
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train). The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle jerked and unexpectedly downshifted. The powertrain warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and turned off. The vehicle was restarted, and the powertrain warning li... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2026
ACC automatically canceled without braking causing car to either slow down immediately or speed up unsafely, slippery road light turns on, on dash while driving straight, lunging of the car that feels like tires are spinning and or hesitation.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
We got a notice that said to pull over because the vehicle will shut down. We did and the vehicle shut down and went into red turtle mode only a few seconds after the indicator light appeared. This was unsafe in our situation and would be very unsafe at highway speeds or in busy traffic. The dealer has not been able to reproduce the issue (although has confirmed the error code) but will also no... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2015) - POWER TRAIN
Jun 17, 2026
Incident date: Apr 9, 2026
My 2025 Genesis GV70 stopped accelerating properly. There is a lag when you push on the accelerator pedal and it must be pushed about 75% before it begins to accelerate. When it does accelerate it has much less power than normal. This fault occurs constantly. The car can't accelerate normally at any time now. This is definitely a very serious safety hazard. This behavior has been reproduced b... Read more
Incident date: Apr 5, 2026
In May of 2025, the transmision of my 2020 Ford Ranger with 35,000 miles jolted and bucked expectadly at traffic lights, I had full loss of engagement of the transmission several times, engine would rev to 4000rpm and no transmission enagement. These issues happened while at traffic stops and while driving in normal conditions. This presented on one occasion with powertrain warning light and the t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2026
Engine Code: P090A01 The Hyundai IONIQ Blue lost reverse and while driving I experienced loss of power only to regain then lose then regain (a bucking motion). The drive significantly declined. Fortunately, I was able to get back home without injury. Vehicle towed to dealership where it currently sits.
Incident date: Dec 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle lost motive power and was coasted to the shoulder of the roadway. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The cont... Read more
Incident date: May 18, 2026
While driving my 2020 F150 VIN # [XXX], at highway speeds, transmission abruptly shifts down to 1st gear then back to 9th gear and does not advance to 10th Gear. Also, while accelerating, at 3 gear shift to 4th, there is a slipping of the transmission and eventually it kicks in to 6th gear. When the downshift occurs at highway speeds, the transmission slows immediately where we have to pull ove... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
Full transmission failure, resulting in a full transmission replacement required. The problem has been confirmed by more than one independent service center. The check engline light came on and off for about week before the official diagnosis. From what I've found this is a common issue that many many owners have also had and suggested filling an official complaint here so that Ford is held respo... Read more
Incident date: Jun 11, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Mercedes-Benz S450. The contact received notification of NTHSA Campaign Number: 26V216000 (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 ex... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2026
The vehicle has experienced the same safety issue on two separate occasions. While driving, the vehicle suddenly lost power and displayed a “Conditions Not Correct for Shift” warning message. During the incident, the vehicle became stuck in Drive and could not be shifted normally. The brakes also did not respond as expected, creating a significant safety hazard and making it difficult to maint... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2023) - POWER TRAIN
Jun 17, 2026
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
On 6-7 separate occasions, my 2025 Ranger had a sudden and complete loss of accelerator response while slowing down to make a left turn. This also happens on occasion at traffic lights when the light turns and I attempt to turn left. The duration of loss of power has increased with each incident and is very frightening when it occurs. When attempting to accelerate across the road, there was no r... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2025
While driving my vehicle, the engine and transmission lost power and the check engine light came on. The vehicle went into limp mode and engine propulsion was limited. Had I been traveling at a faster speed, this would have been very unsafe. After coming to a stop, placing the transmission in reverse did not move the vehicle and there was a grinding noise. I was able to savely move forward in limp... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2025
In October 2024, I brought my recently purchased used Model S to the Cincinnati Service Center for an antenna inspection, MCU upgrade, and general inspection to ensure the vehicle was safe and operating properly. During the inspection, I was informed that additional issues had been discovered. Wanting the vehicle to be reliable, I authorized the recommended repairs and ultimately paid more than $1... Read more
Incident date: Oct 11, 2024
Known faulty transmission. Ua 80 transmission shifts early causing erratic shifting and excessive wear and tear on the transmission causing premature wear and tear.
Incident date: Jun 16, 2026
ON MONDAY, 6/15/26, WITH APPROX 45,400 MILES, I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND TRUCK SAID SERVICE TRANSMISSION. THE GEARS WOULD SHIFT, BUT IT LAGGED A LITTLE BIT. I SCHEDULED AN APPT FOR TWO DAYS LATER, AND ONLY DROVE IT WHEN I ABSOLUTELY HAD TO, WHICH WAS ONLY TWICE BEFORE MY SCHEDULED APPT. I GET IN IT TO DRIVE AND IT SAYS SERVICE TRANSMISSION- UNABLE TO SHIFT SOON, THEN ON MY WAY TO THE DEALERSH... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ARTEON
(2022) - POWER TRAIN
Jun 17, 2026
Incident date: Jun 3, 2026
Over the past several months my truck 2023 toyota tundra has randomly died, completely shut off and sputtered to a stop. After these instances occurred the vehicle has had trouble to re-start. As a result I took my truck into the local dealership in Topeka KS, Lewis toyota, which did not complete any of the recall work, they said that the inicident could not be duplicated. For follow up, I took my... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jun 17, 2026
The contact's daughter owns a 2015 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving approximately 40–45 MPH, the vehicle began making a whining sound. The "4WD Failure" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the rear differential was not operating properly. The local dealer wa... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2026
Transmission makes a metallic whining sound when you accelerate. Associated and confirmed to be transmission failure. Vehicle has 65,000 miles on it and failure is considered premature. The specific transmission, UA80, is known to have manufacturing defects that cause this problem
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2024) - POWER TRAIN
Jun 17, 2026
Incident date: Jun 15, 2026
My crankshaft broke on the highway. I was travelling at around 70mph. No warnings were given. I lost all power and had to limp it off to the side of the road. The engine was replaced under warranty. This is an ongoing issue for 2016-2019 Nissan Titans. Folks are left with worthless vehicles because they are outside of their warranty period when it happens.
Incident date: Jun 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a loud chattering sound coming from the engine before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the cam phasers and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. Additionally, the A/C failed to blow cool air due to a condens... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
GOLF
(2015) - POWER TRAIN
Jun 17, 2026
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
The ford focus I drive is constantly shuddering and having trouble selecting gears. The problem has been consistent since I bought the vehicle and I have read that this is a common issue with the ford focus transmission. I bought the vehicle for my sons first car and I can’t even let him drive it
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V558000 Rear Defogger Coil Antenna Module may Overheat If the coil antenna generates excessive heat, not sure what is happening but car does seem to overheat off and on especially when radio is turned on
Incident date: May 24, 2026
The muffler and tail pipe has fallen off 6 times and ive had to get repaired. I believe it is due to the bad torque converter that others have complained about and goggle says that is a likely failure on the buick.
ALFA ROMEO
STELVIO
(2018) - POWER TRAIN
Jun 16, 2026
Incident date: Jun 13, 2026
My vehicle started downshifting hard, making a jerking motion, specifically from around 7th-6th gear. It is an automatic transmission but when I went to slow down at stop signs, stop lights, etc. it would make a jerking motion in the slow down process. It has inhibited my ability to drive it. There are times when it have difficulty accelerating. I took it to an independent mechanic shop to have th... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
Hard Shifting & Slipping: Drivers frequently report clunking, hard shifts (particularly around gears 3-5), and the vehicle lurching forward when accelerating. It does this while driving and is a serious safety issue.we complained to the dealer about a year ago and they told us they checked and it was fine. Now it is worse.
Incident date: Feb 18, 2026
Recall service not available right now. We have a remedy but parts are not available right now. We will inform you when the service is available. Or, you can contact your dealer.Description On your vehicle it is possible that the trailer module trm may lose communication at vehicle start-up. If a trm loss of communication occurs and a trailer is connected to the vehicle, trailer stop lamps and tu... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
Description On your vehicle, it may be possible that one or more engine camshaft roller finger followers were not properly installed at the time of engine assembly. Safety Risk An improperly installed engine camshaft roller finger follower may result in engine failure, resulting in a no-start condition or a loss of motive power. A loss of motive power increases the risk of a crash. Your vehicle... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2026
So I made an appointment to have my truck recalled and the Wednesday before I took it, and it cranked no start and I called the dealership. Ask if they had any other those like this and they said that it could be the fuel injector module and so I got it to a mechanic shop to read the codes and it gave me a code p062b and I asked the dealership to look into it and they never figured out what we wer... Read more
Incident date: Jun 11, 2026
My 2023 VW Taos Se has been diagnosed with head gasket failure. Denied “goodwill assistance.” I did state that VW has issued a TSB (TSB 15-23-01. I currently have 80,380 miles on the vehicle. Known engineering failure, not wear and tear.