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: Feb 20, 2026
I am reporting a recurring transmission/drivability issue with my 2024 Mercedes-Benz S580. The vehicle has been experiencing a harsh, abnormal shift between approximately 3rd and 4th gear at around 25–35 mph during normal acceleration. The shift feels like a sudden jerk or hesitation and does not feel consistent with normal operation. The vehicle has been taken to an authorized Mercedes-Benz de... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Toyota Tacoma. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V656000 (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: Jan 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V896000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the passenger’s side rear axle shaft assembly had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer informed the contact that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2023) — POWER TRAIN
Feb 20, 2026
Incident date: Feb 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado1500. The contact stated that while driving at 48 MPH and driving uphill, the transmission downshifted and started sputtering. The contact pulled into a parking lot and attempted to troubleshoot the failure, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a torque converter failure. The vehicle was... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving in 1st and 2nd gear, the transmission was slipping, causing the vehicle to jerk. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the valve body needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to f... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2026
The transmission failed in my 2015 Nissan Altima. The check engine light is currently on due to a defective transmission. While I understand that Nissan extended the transmission warranty by two years or 24,000 miles following a class action lawsuit, I find this coverage completely unreasonable, insufficient and irresponsible, and most importantly unsafe. My vehicle has only 83,800 miles and ha... Read more
Incident date: Sep 11, 2025
TRANSMISSION CLUCKS WHEN CHANGING GEARS
Incident date: Jan 15, 2022
While driving my truck erratically shifts. I’ve gotten multiple indications stating that Elite frame sensor is bad. I have been traveling 70+ miles an hour down the interstate and my rear wheels lock up the transmission drops in the second gear. This is a major safety hazard as it could cause major accidents. While looking through other complaints, this is a major ongoing condition with the 6R 8... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
Had issue with sudden downshifting ,not changing gears ,hard shift as well. Took the vehicle to AAMCO and was told the transmission needed to be rebuilt. So i did just, at 99,000 miles. Not sure if this helps your findings.
Incident date: Aug 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked abnormally hard. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehi... Read more
Incident date: Feb 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V512000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2026
Cvt Transmission failed While driving transmission popped and no forward drive leaving us in traffic unable to move in forward. Had to get out and push the car to the side of the road. No warning lights no warning signs. Just immediate loss of forward drive. Engine revs up but no movement. Dangerously leaving us in harms way. Haven't had the vehicle inspected by nissan yet but will be doing so i... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2026
Q: What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? A: ICCU failed - Not available for inspection (at least at this time, but willing to try and make it work). Q: How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? A: The ICCU (Integrated Charging Control Unit) is a safety-critical component subject to federal recalls 24V-204 and 24V-868. (... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2026
2020 F150 with only 63000 miles has a failed transmission. The truck doesn't shift gears properly, gets stuck in gears, loses power suddenly. This is a huge safety risk as the vehicle just stops accelerating or working when driving. This clearly endangers me and other drivers. Ford refuses to pay even though their check engine light gave a TRANSMISSION/POWER FAILURE alert and the Ford dealership i... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2026
My Vehicle VIN isn't listed under the massive recall of the PTU (Diagnostic code C14A7-67) Vehicle is the same manufacture year of the recalled vehicles. If the PTU fails it can cause sudden loss of drive power, inability to stay in Park (rollaway risk). The check 4WD light is on and Diagnostic code C14A7-67 comes up. Jeep said my vehicle isn't included in the recall so there isn't anything the... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the transmission sensor had failed and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was mad... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2026
On 3 separate occasions, while traveling at highway speeds on the NJ Garden State Parkway in the left lane, my truck’s service engine light soon wrench would come on out of nowhere, the throttle would cut out, and the gas pedal would go limp and unresponsive. The only way to get it operational again was to turn the truck off, let it sit for 10-15 min to drain the computers, and restart. Imagine ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The powertrain symbol was displayed, with a message to check the Owner’s Manual. In addition, the contact stated that the failure had occurred while driving from a stoplight. The transmission remained in thi... Read more
Incident date: Feb 16, 2026
Vehicle displayed "Power limited" and slowed to a crawl, was able to drive less than a quarter mile to a safe place before it displayed "Stop vehicle and check power supply" then completely shut down. Diagnosed as ICCU failure by the Hyundai Dealer service technician, with the parts on backorder and no ETA for the 15 or so other Hyundai Ioniq 5's with the same failed ICCU waiting at the same deal... Read more
Incident date: Feb 16, 2026
I am driving down the road and the vehicle goes into neutral and the engine turns off. I then have to stop the vehicle and restart it. When I hit the starter button. It sputters and then starts. This has been happening irregularly 1-3 times a week since it started in December of 2025.With last time happening being on 2/16/2026.
Incident date: Feb 6, 2026
My 2020 Buick Encore GX is showing a message with accompanying ding ding sounds "Shift to Park" after I put my car in park. This malfunction will not allow the car to be locked. I see there are many complaints and lawsuits that GM has not attended to. How do we get GM to initiate a recall on something they are and were well aware of.
Incident date: Feb 20, 2025
Out of no where I was stopped at a traffic light and just before the light turned green, a yellow wrench appeared on my dash for a moment and stated only "see manual". I cleared the dash screen and pressed ok, the traffic light turned green and when I applied my foot to the gas peddle the RPM's went up but the car did not move. I pressed just a little harder to give a bit more gas and the RPM's co... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
In July of 2025 my 2017 Sienna started making a whine noise. Took it to mechanic and he stated it was likely coming from transmission but recommended we take it to Toyota dealership to confirm. So we took it to Toyota and sure enough they said the transmission was failing. They said it was due to high mileage but it only had just over 150,000 at time of incident. After doing some research on line ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2025
I purchased the vehicle above used on 4/22/2024 with roughly 70,000 miles on it. At 121,000 miles I lost the reverse gear in the transmission and the vehicle displayed 2 code P0736 and P0792. I call my local Chrysler dealership and inform him of the situation, and the service manage advise me of a recall 44A / NHTSA 23V-301 and asks for the VIN. He tells me that the recall has been completed on th... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2026
The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 250,000.
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
CVT transmission bearing noise
Incident date: Jan 20, 2026
While in a parking lot, the clutch pedal suddenly lost all pressure and remained stuck to the floor, rendering the vehicle unable to shift gears. While this occurred at parked car , a sudden loss of gear engagement at highway speeds would have caused a catastrophic loss of motive power in high-speed traffic. Furthermore, this vehicle utilizes a shared reservoir for both clutch and brake fluid. A m... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2026
This is a 2019 Ford Edge in great condition. I just purchased the vehicle with roughly 90000 miles on it. After roughly 2 weeks of driving, I noticed the vehicle struggles to get up to speed, and the gears shift roughly, especially after a cold start. Additionally, while driving, the gears would struggle to downshift, staying at a higher RPM than it should, such as being stuck at 4000 RPM while dr... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
The transmission control module in the 10R60 transmission is no longer communicating with the vehicle. This caused the vehicle to not be able to determine which gear it is in causing it to not start.
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
Yellow warning light..drive system malfunction. Red warning light..low oil pressure at idle. Says stop engine..after engine restart lights go off and is fine.. for a little bit.
MERCEDES-BENZ
SLK280
(2007) — POWER TRAIN
Feb 19, 2026
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
On November 18, 2025, at 24,370 miles, the vehicle suffered a catastrophic powertrain failure, triggering a dashboard warning: "Transmission system error! Check transmission oil immediately." The vehicle suffered a loss of reliable motive power. This sudden failure is a severe safety hazard that presents a high risk of stalling or stranding in active traffic, which is especially dangerous as this ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2026
The car has 56000 miles and the power train is still under warranty. The CVT belt recently started slipping. When I stop and then take off normally, there is a jitter in the transmission that can be felt and heard. Sometimes it is quite loud and vibrated quite heavily to the point there is concern it will break or fail. It also hesitates at times when accelerating from a stop or slow down and you ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2019) — POWER TRAIN
Feb 19, 2026
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
VIN: [XXX] Previous Report: XXX.. This a report of a continuing problem with my vehicle. The engine randomly shuts down endangering both myself and my passengers who are often my [XXX] and [XXX] grandchildren . No warning lamps. the car both stumbles and stops while driving and at stop signs and traffic lights. I repeatedly have taken it to my dealer (Elgin IL VW) they have been unable... Read more
FORD
MUSTANG MACH E
(2021) — POWER TRAIN
Feb 19, 2026
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
Vehicle experienced immediate loss of motive power while in motion at 45 mph after "Stop Safely Now" alert. This is a repeat power failure. The vehicle was in service for 75+ days (Dec-Feb) for this exact defect. The Ford service center said they replaced the “battery controller” yet the issue recurred. The car previously flagged this alert while in motion 2 times prior (one on the highway go... Read more
POLESTAR
POLESTAR 3
(2025) — POWER TRAIN
Feb 19, 2026
Incident date: Feb 17, 2026
I bought a 2020 Ford F150 XL with 83,000 miles on 27 JAN 2026 from a local Phil long Kia dealership. I started to notice that the shifting was very harsh immediately after buying the truck and that the transmission was dropping the gear when I was driving at stoplights and even when I was entering an intersection almost causing an accident. I notice the issue more at slow speeds and in lower gears... Read more
Incident date: Feb 17, 2026
The transmission is over heating while driving and jerking back constantly once it hits mph on 3. It doesn’t drive properly because of the transmission.
Incident date: Jan 28, 2026
Rear wheel lock at speed up due to failed valve body and transmission
Incident date: Jan 2, 2026
Transmission failure of 2022 Toyota Highlander LE at 82,329 miles. Safety compromised due to possible roadside failure.
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE L
(2023) — POWER TRAIN
Feb 19, 2026
Incident date: Nov 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle lost automotive power intermittently, and the vehicle shuddered abnormally. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the dealer stated that the cause of the failure was unknown. The vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
Transmission failed at 83000 miles with no warning or prior issues. I was driving home from work and the vehicle completely stalled out in traffic. Had it towed to a shop and was quoted nearly the cost that the vehicle is worth to have the transmission replaced.
Incident date: May 1, 2025
The CAN BUS connector (found in the glove box area) fails periodically and without warning. It affects everything on the vehicle; it stops the car from shifting, car won't start up, windows stop working, all of the warning lights turn on, etc. The issue seems to be a manufacturing defect; the soldering cracks after a while, so the low voltage applications malfunction. Many people have noticed the ... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2021) — POWER TRAIN
Feb 19, 2026
Incident date: Jan 7, 2026
My Mazda3 began producing a chirp when shifting from 3rd to 4th gear (automatic transmission). The dealer stated that the car needed a new torque converter. At the time the car only 37,000 miles on it, quite low mileage for a torque converter to fail. Mazda has previously admitted to producing cars with faulty torque converters, as specified in Mazda TXXXXXX] ). While my car fit the description of... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2026
Hyundai Tucson has been jerking and shaking for over over 4 years now and either when taking to the dealership they reset the dual clutch and have replaced the same part twice in the dual clutch. This shaking has been happening since the car was bought brand new like a year after. The vehicle now will get stuck in gear and while driving will go down to 20 mph and get stuck in that speed. This is ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 18, 2026
The vehicle has twice displayed a “Service High Voltage System” warning followed by “Reduced Acceleration – Drive With Care.” When this occurs, the vehicle enters a reduced-power (turtle) mode that severely limits acceleration. Cabin heat also stopped working, and the vehicle would not charge beyond approximately 25%, restricting driving range. OnStar diagnostics reported a critical erro... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 3500
(2025) — POWER TRAIN
Feb 19, 2026
Incident date: Jan 12, 2026
The vehicle was driven to a job site in Gowanda NY. The computer indicated it neede to clean the exhaust filter. The truck was parked in an open area on a blacktop parking area. The truck finished a Regen approximately 30 minutes later. The vehicle was shut down and left unattended. Approx 30 minutes later, the driver, heard noises, came around a structure and saw the vehicle was on fire. The dr... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
The transmission is clunks on random shifts through gears. Changing the shift selector results in a jolt and then it pops into gear. This truck has had new tranny wire lead replaced at ford dealership because of the same issue in the past
Incident date: Sep 29, 2025
I was driving 70 mph down the interstate when my truck unexpectedly shifted into 1st. A couple weeks later, I was driving down the interstate when my truck unexpectedly shifted into neutral and then the reverse camera came on. I took it to a local mechanic shop yesterday when the truck unexpectedly shifted into neutral again. This is completely unacceptable and is very dangerous. It is currently b... Read more
Incident date: Mar 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V512000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made abnormal rattling sounds. The vehicle was taken to th... Read more
Incident date: Mar 29, 2025
While driving the car with the flow of busy traffic, the engine failed and the car stopped. It eventually turn back on (side of the road) but now drives with hesitation, a strange noise, and with the engine light on. This cycle continued until we arrived at the repair shop. And after much research, it seems that this experience is common for other Kia engines. Why was mine not included? Someone co... Read more
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V896000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufac... Read more