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: Mar 13, 2026
While driving vehicle suddenly, and randomly, has a loss of engine response whole pressing the accelerator. Engine randomly shuts off while parked or at a traffic light, and can be difficult to restart after causing a traffic hazard.
Incident date: Mar 14, 2026
2022 Acura MDX Transfer Case and Transmission Failure – Spline Shearing Description of Incident: I am reporting a catastrophic drivetrain failure on my 2022 Acura MDX. This failure occurred at approximately 50,000 miles. The vehicle initially exhibited a leak at the front differential/transfer case gasket. Upon inspection by the dealership, it was confirmed that both the transfer case and the... Read more
Incident date: Mar 5, 2026
My 2017 Cadillac Escalade with the 6.2L V8 engine experienced AFM (Active Fuel Management) valve lifter failure. While driving on the freeway the vehicle began stuttering and shaking violently, and it felt as though I had lost control of the vehicle. The check engine light illuminated and diagnostic codes P0300 (random misfire) and P0304 (cylinder 4 misfire) were found. The vehicle was confirmed b... Read more
Incident date: Feb 8, 2026
I was driving and the vehicle stopped like it was in neutral. I started rolling backwards into a vehicle. He honked and I slammed on breaks. I put flashers on. Waited a bit. Turned off and on and it started. I drove home and called service dept
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
2023 1500 RST 6.2. Recall was done and performed last year. Truck passed so they changed the oil and sent me on my way. I have had zero issues up until last week. My gut tells me the replacement is going to be the same engine with the same failing parts that I already have so expect I may have issues in the future even after the new engine. -on interstate going 55MPH, went to accelerate to 70M... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
The car was up on ramps, to replace a sensor, in park and slipped out of gear rolling backwards with force. Someone could have been under or behind the vehicle. Other vehicles could have been behind, property could have been damaged. The cars door caught the building and pulled it all the way back against the front fender.
Crash
Incident date: Jul 2, 2005
I purchased my vehicle from a certified used car dealership in Connecticut in 2020 with a little over 1800 miles. Since purchasing the vehicle, it has been very reluctant to down shift and had slight transmission whine. I was notified of a recall for I believe the TCM a few months after purchasing it, which i had remedied by the dealership. Over the years, my car has been maintained completely to ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 26, 2026
Since owning the vehicle, I have experienced a range of serious transmission issues. These include harsh or delayed gear shifts, inconsistent downshifts, and transmission slipping. The vehicle also frequently jerks or lurches during gear changes. Of particular concern is the vehicle’s behavior during downshifting. At times, the transmission downshifts abruptly and causes the vehicle to lunge for... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2025
Truck shifts from 1st to 3rd, hard shifting in 4th through 10th gears.
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2022) — POWER TRAIN
Mar 14, 2026
Incident date: Jan 28, 2026
Wa driving with cruise on at 60 mph. Truck stalled with no notice, no warning lights or check engine light. All temperatures and pressures seemed okay at time of incident. Could not move electronic shifter into neutral, was stuck in drive. Alarm came up to shift to park, I did not shift due to moving at 55mph at this time. Coasted to a stop on side of the road. At about 2-3 mph, truck automaticall... Read more
Incident date: Feb 13, 2026
The vehicle produces a ratcheting / clicking sound from the front axle area when turning the steering wheel, especially during low-speed turns such as pulling out of a parking space or making sharp turns. The sound appears to originate from the front drive axle or CV joint area. The noise is repetitive and occurs when the vehicle is under light acceleration while the wheels are turned. This prob... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
My 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon (3.6L eTorque, automatic transmission) has had recurring drivetrain instability since about 2,000 miles while under factory warranty. It intermittently has high RPM flare during acceleration, delayed shifting, shuddering under load, and abrupt engagement. At low speeds (about 10–5 mph), it harshly downshifts, grabs suddenly, RPMs jump up and down, and it can feel li... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2024
Check engine light came on with limited acceleration vehicle, then proceeded to overheat several times having to pull over to the side of the road in very dangerous locations vehicle was brought to dealership and it was determined it was a coolant pump. It was replaced under warranty. I want it to be known that there was an issue as others I have heard our ex experiencing the same.
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
My Jeep veers left and right sharply while I drive. It does not take off pulling into traffic-I have to wait for total total clearance-there is no take off. My gas tank was filled three days ago and it is already below 50%. I drive 7 miles to and from work Monday-Friday, nowhere else. I have avoided several accidents due to these problems. These problems happen everyday. I have take it in to my j... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2026
Vehicle has open unrepaired safety recall 25S82 / NHTSA 25V512 for rear axle hub bolt failure. Contacted [XXX] Ford in Fort Myers FL on two separate occasions. Both times told parts are unavailable and I would be placed on a callback list. No callback has been received. Recall remains unrepaired. VIN [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(... Read more
MITSUBISHI
OUTLANDER SPORT
(2019) — POWER TRAIN
Mar 14, 2026
Incident date: Dec 16, 2025
I am submitting a complaint regarding NHTSA Recall 25V-766 affecting my Jeep 4xe vehicle. This recall states that engines may have been contaminated with sand during manufacturing, which can lead to catastrophic engine failure, sudden loss of propulsion, or vehicle fire. My vehicle currently shows the recall as open with the status “remedy not yet available / parts unavailable.” This means th... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2024) — POWER TRAIN
Mar 14, 2026
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
Thumb was deeply cut using gear shift selector knob due to peeling chrome on the knob.
1 injured
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2024) — POWER TRAIN
Mar 14, 2026
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
On 1/31/2026, while returning from an AKC event with my XXX year old border collie, I was traveling on IXXX at approximately 70MPH in the left hand lane passing other traffic. As I started up a hill in a remote area, I began to hear a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment that sounded like a rod knocking and the truck began to struggle to continue up the hill. It then lost all power, a... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2026) — POWER TRAIN
Mar 14, 2026
Incident date: Mar 14, 2026
The rear speed sensor on my 2021 Ford Escape Hybrid is fused to the differential due to corrosion. The failure disables safety systems (ABS/Traction Control), and the design requires a $800+ partial teardown of the drivetrain to fix a basic sensor. This is a design defect that prevents safety-critical repairs.
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
After recent service from local honda dealership vehicle started to drive sluggish. Had all fluids changed and the coolant flushed when serviced at the dealership. The vehicle now displays several different alerts upon start up "Emissions systems failure" Brake system failure" Hill Assist failure" Power Steering failure". Vehicle was returned to dealership and it was determined the head gaskets... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2026
Vehicle produces a noticeable whining noise under acceleration. Shifting is completely normal and no other drivability issues are present. Issue matches the pattern described in TSB T-SB-0008-21 (UA80E/UA80F front carrier assembly pinion shaft bearing failure). Multiple owners report dealers are diagnosing this as requiring full transmission replacement at $8,000–$12,000, with no partial repair ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2021) — POWER TRAIN
Mar 13, 2026
Incident date: Mar 12, 2026
On February 21, 2026, my 2022 Cadillac Escalade ESV experienced a sudden and complete engine seizure at highway speed at 57,825 miles just 8,613 miles after passing GM's PicoScope inspection under Safety Recall N252494000 (NHTSA Campaign 25V274). After fueling, I entered a highway on-ramp and accelerated to approximately 70 mph. Within 30 seconds, the engine lost power completely with no prior war... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2023
I was driving to work on the freeway about 65 mph and after about 20 minutes the engine made a whirring noise, overheating and slight smell of burnt rubber and delayed to Accelerate luckily I was close to my exit I parked vehicle let it cool down. But still has this issue after about 20-30 minutes of driving more than 60mph
Incident date: Jan 29, 2026
Beginning at 9000 miles, clicking began when taking right and left turns. I have had 8 axle replacements and still the issue is not repaired.
Incident date: Mar 4, 2026
My 2020 Ford Edge Titanium AWD, with approximately 64,000 miles, recently began exhibiting a brief vibration or shudder when accelerating at low speeds, below 40 mph. The vibration lasts approximately one to two seconds and occurs around the time the vehicle shifts gears under acceleration. The vehicle does not exhibit the vibration while maintaining a constant speed. Prior to this issue appearing... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2022) — POWER TRAIN
Mar 13, 2026
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was slipping. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Incident date: Jan 26, 2026
Since about 90,000 miles I have noticed a shudder from my transmission. It has progressed and having transmission issues. I have had regular maintenance done on my car and have even replaced the transmission fluid twice and the shudder is continuing to happen. I have looked at forums and all the things and seems to be a common theme amongst their transmission style.
Incident date: Apr 20, 2025
Transmission failure when driving. Car was towed to dealership and diagnosed. Transmission and torque converter replacement required under factory warranty. Very long lead time for dealer to acquire replacement parts, about 4 months.
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
Vehicle makes a whining noise like a siren when accelerating at 40mph or more when you let go of the accelerator the noise stops. I've been told by a mechanic its the transfer case or related transmission component. Toyota should declare a recall since it can cause an accident if the car stops in the middle of the highway.
Incident date: Feb 17, 2026
Vehicle head gasket blown. Stated by mechanic that this is a chronic problem with model due to cylinder head warming and gasket failure. Shortly after repaired the left rear Factory OEM rocker arm broke and damaged one of the overhead cams. Again stated by mechanic that this is a common problem due to known oiling problems with this model. Repaired once again. Vehicle drove less than 500 miles b... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2017) — POWER TRAIN
Mar 13, 2026
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
I found a lot of shaved metals when I did the oil change for the Gear Reduction. It made a lot of noises when driving or the wheel of fortune sounds whether the car is in Regenerative Braking. The sounds developed as time goes on but Hyundai failed to recall this issue. I found this has been an ongoing issue since 2019 when Hyundai make this Kona EV, but their engineers didn’t fix this type of ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2026
The transmission on the vehicle failed. It is available for inspection. The vehicle began jolting, when accelerating from a stop, or when slowing to a stop. Seemed to be slipping out of gear while driving. We reported the incident to the dealership. They said they found nothing wrong. The issue continued, and the check engine light came on, so we returned to the dealer again. This time they foun... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
Unknown on first appear - key gets stuck in the ignition. This happened for the first time shortly after we bought it. It was still under warranty and the Chevrolet dealership in Washington PA fixed it. We paid to have it fixed and now it’s out again and we can’t get our key out of the ignition and we sit there forever trying to get it to work. Restarting vehicle etc. We had an appointment... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
Wife was driving car and the steering locked up and she could not turn it for about 5 seconds. second issue was put it in reverse and it would not come out of reverse, she had to turn car off and on 3 times to get it to put it in park or drive. I ran this through my Claude AI and it says this is an ongoing problem with the Hyundai Tucson. Please make them fix this before selling anymore vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
1. The vehicle’s transmission appears to be failing. I was driving my 2020 Toyota Highlander on the freeway at about 75 mph with my family in the vehicle when the car suddenly lost power and would not accelerate properly even though the engine was still running. Because of the sudden loss of power, I had to carefully move the vehicle to the shoulder of the freeway. At the time I did not realize ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2026
We purchased a 2018 Fully Loaded Chevy Silverado LTZ/Z71 ($60,000) in 2019, with the idea it would last. After being super meticulous with maintenance and keeping this vehicle in top condition, we just passed the 110,000 mile mark. I have receipts of all the work/maintenance completed on this vehicle. I began to hear a ticking noise in the engine block, and the check engine light came on, so I pul... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked abnormally. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that unknown parts had failed, the battery was low, and an unknown part on the transmission had failed. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The failure persisted, and th... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a rumbling sound coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact associated the issue with Technical Service Bulletin: 20-NA-142. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and test-driven, and the technician was able to experience the rumbling sound comi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Lexus ES 300h. The contact stated that while sitting idle with the engine powered off in a local parking lot, the vehicle suddenly began to roll back independently into the nearby underground garage and crashed into the rear end of another parked vehicle's front passenger-side bumper that was unoccupied. No warning lights illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. No injurie... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
I am writing to formally escalate a serious unresolved issue with my Genesis vehicle and the service experience I have received from Genesis of Huntington. My vehicle has experienced repeated and dangerous malfunctions despite multiple repair attempts. The most concerning issue is that the vehicle suddenly stops functioning properly while driving, accompanied by all dashboard warning lights flash... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
My 2022 Ford Maverick (EcoBoost AWD) experienced a sudden transmission failure at approximately 73,000 miles. The dealership diagnosed the issue as coolant contamination entering the transmission due to a failed heat exchanger/transmission cooler. The dealer stated that engine coolant mixed with the transmission fluid, which destroyed the transmission and required replacement of the transmission,... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
My 2016 Jeep Cherokee AWD began showing a “Service 4WD” warning on the dashboard. At the same time the vehicle developed noticeable drivetrain vibration at highway speeds above approximately 55 mph and gears began taking longer than normal to change. A dealership diagnosed the vehicle and found diagnostic code C14A7-97. The technician determined the Power Transfer Unit (PTU) shift motor is bin... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2026
Transmission had hard downshifts, whining, would.not change gears intermittently and would clunk when going into reverse or drive. Upon inspection at the dealership, the fluid was burnt and there were chunks of gears in the transmission pan.
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2007) — POWER TRAIN
Mar 13, 2026
Incident date: Nov 19, 2025
2020 Ford Explorer with the 10r80 transmission went bad. Shuttering between 2/3 gear, neutraled out of gear. Shop wants $5,800 for a remanufactured transmission.
Incident date: Feb 24, 2026
At approximately 1750 miles the truck transmission began to shift in lower gears extremely violently. Every time that truck would shift in this manner, it would cause a startle effect and divert my attention away from driving to trying to determine what was going on. I immediately took the truck to my local Ram repair shop where they found metal shavings in the transmission oil pan. They told me I... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2024
I replaced the fluid in my truck at 142k miles and when I went through all of the gears and checked for drips or leaking it was fine on that front and then I went to reverse and all of the gears were neural and only revved and when I went into neutral it started driving forward like it was the drive gear.
Incident date: Jun 9, 2025
As the car was driving the engine stopped. Is is on par with their 78C Recall for Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe. The car as noted by the recall is unsafe to drive after an issue has presented relating to the recall 78c. Stellantis refuses to start an early lease termination.
Incident date: Mar 13, 2021
The contact owns a 2021 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that upon shifting to Drive(D) while the vehicle was on an incline, the vehicle rolled back before moving forward as intended. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring, causing the vehicle to hit a garage door and a brick mailbox on two different occasions. The contact stated that the tailgate was opened and sustained a dent whe... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 12, 2026
6.2L ENGINE NOISE AT START UP AND STAYS ON AND LOSES ENGINE POWER SLUGGISH ALL OF A SUDDEN WHILE DRIVING SAME ISSUE LIKE THE CURRENT RECALL ON ALL 6.2L EXCEPT MINE WAS BUILT RIGHT BEFORE APPROVED RECALL DATES BUT HAS SAME ENGINE L87 WITH SAME ISSUE AND IS CURRENTLY UNDRIVEABLE AND DANGEROUS IF TAKEN ON ROAD. REGULAR OIL CHANGES AT 50% OIL LIFE WITH RECOMMENDED MOBIL1 OIL & ACDELCO OIL FILTER.
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
While driving down the highway experienced a partial loss of engine power causing jerky/rough operation, harsh shifting, and unpredictable behavior. Was told by the dealer service manager that it was likely a misfire in one of the cylinders. After diagnostics and servicing that included changing spark plugs, wires, and a full engine service it was later confirmed to most likely be due to a stuck l... Read more