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.

2,215,138 Total Complaints

138,663 Reported Crashes

56,255 Reported Fires

8,561 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 2,215,138 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

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 133,534 complaints — component: POWER TRAIN

Incident date: Jan 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact noticed an abnormal sound and the vehicle stopped. The contact stated that the instrument cluster displayed a blank screen. The contact attempted to shift the gear shifter, however the... Read more

Incident date: May 2, 2026

Vehicle has a recurring P0018 fault code (Crankshaft Position - Camshaft Position Correlation Bank 2 Sensor A). Dealer diagnosed loose cam pins on Bank 2 requiring major engine repair. This fault creates a safety risk as improper camshaft timing can cause unexpected engine stalling while driving, resulting in sudden loss of power, power steering, and brake assist. The manufacturer has denied warra... Read more

Incident date: May 26, 2026

The contact's son owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact's son 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 manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexp... Read more

Incident date: May 24, 2026

Eninge started knocking, flashed warnings to pull over immediately. I did and had the vehicle towed to Westway Ford in Irving. Their investigation showed the engine needs a full rebuild and they are claiming it is not covered under warranty. They shared pictures & a written repair estimate. Doing an analysis of the pictures they took and their description of what happened, combined with what I exp... Read more

Incident date: May 31, 2026

1.XXX XX— GM Recall Notification (Recall No. N252494000) I received official notification from General Motors of Recall N252494000 affecting my vehicle. I brought the vehicle to [XXX] as directed to have the recall remedy performed. 2. XXX — First Report of Engine Propulsion Issues I reported engine propulsion concerns to Jim Ellis. This was my first formal complaint regarding the performanc... Read more

Incident date: May 4, 2026

Car was repeatedly hesitating and shuddering during normal stop/go driving. Took it to the dealer and it was diagnosed with a "torque converter" issue (estimated cost of repairs is $4100). After researching this more, this looks to be a known issue with Ford 6-speed automatic transmissions. The hesitating and shuddering is a safety issue since the car is not responding properly to the driver... Read more

Incident date: Apr 15, 2026

See Attached Letter for Complaint

Incident date: Jun 19, 2023

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to accelrate as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, howeve the failure was not duplicated. The failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed wiring harness and a failed c... Read more

Incident date: May 30, 2026

The vehicle received the official N252494001 recall oil remedy on 06/27/2025 at 15,438 miles (but suffered catastrophic engine failure and loss of propulsion at 33,661 miles on 05/30/2026).

Incident date: May 31, 2026

I got a 2015 ford focus titanium. I bought it 2 years ago. Well about 2 months after I bought it the transmission started jerking and not really wanting to go out of 1st gear. Well I had to get a TCM replaced and then I was told about the studder wasn't under no warranty and the recall has expired. So now its 6-1-26 and now the transmission is messing up again. This is ridiculous on people wh... Read more

Incident date: May 27, 2026

My 2021 Ford F-150 has been having trouble with the transmission. Hard shifting, shifting to 10th gear at 40mph and unable to downshift after slowing down. I have also had issues with the daytime running lights not working since around 45k miles. My truck only has 59K miles at the time of me typing this.

Incident date: May 1, 2026

There was a previous recall for camera system that was fixed using a OTA over the air update per JEEP. This update introduced new problems It disabled the forward collision detection and disabled paddle shifting and other safety features which should also be issued as a RECALL because the dealer is not reputable to this on their own. The fix that they did requires customer to come in and have mor... Read more

Incident date: Oct 1, 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal as the check engine and several other various warning messages appear on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for service; however, the dealer was unable to diagnose or duplicate the failure. The contact then stated t... Read more

Incident date: May 18, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving the vehicle he could tell the vehicle gears were slipping, on a different occasion the vehicle downshifted on its own suddenly almost causing a crash. The contact stated there were times where the vehicle would downshift suddenly and would slow all the way down causing the vehicle to come to a stop, having to shift into neutra... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted into a lower gear and then lost motive power with no warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The contact received notification of NHTSA Recall Number 26V237000 (Power Train); however, the remedy was not yet available. The dealer was not contacted. T... Read more

Incident date: Sep 3, 2022

The vehicle has experienced repeated transmission and Electronic Oil Pump (EOP) failures resulting in loss of propulsion, loss of acceleration, and transmission-related malfunctions. The vehicle currently has approximately 69,000 miles. On September 3, 2022, the vehicle lost propulsion while traveling approximately 31 MPH in traffic and would not respond normally to accelerator input. This create... Read more

Incident date: Apr 15, 2026

Transmission issues, Hard Shifting & Slipping

Incident date: May 30, 2026

The car will randomly display that the start/stop function is disabled. It will also just randomly stall out for no reason. Sometimes multiple times in a row. Restarting the car may cause it to stop. Have had it looked at many time and because the start/stop error may not be happening at the time or the engine will not stall all of the shops have stated there is nothing wrong with the car. It seem... Read more

Incident date: May 31, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 55 MPH, she depressed the brake pedal as she attempted to exit the highway. Upon depression of the brake pedal, the vehicle suddenly downshifted as several warning lights appeared on the instrument panel. Due to the failure, the contact lost control of the vehicle as the vehicle began to skid off to the sho... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

I want to report several recurring issues with my 2024 Escalade transmission:Rough/Hard Shifting: Drivers experience jerky, clunking, or harsh shifting, especially when accelerating or decelerating.Transmission Slipping: The vehicle slipped between gears, impacting performance.Delayed Engagement: A delay or clunking sound when shifting from Park to Drive or Reverse.

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

Experienced countless "high coolant temp" followed by power loss and engine shutoff, yes—while driving—like everyone else. NHTSA CAMPAIGN: PE22013 Search it and read. They investigated it already & ruled it not dangerous enough. It took me spending so much money trying different fixes, then countless hours searching for a solution to finally realize that full investigation case was tucked aw... Read more

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

When I shift my 2019 GMC Acadia into park, the warning message reads shift to park and there is a ding warning that plays for several mins. This has been going on for over a year. I took it to the dealership and they said they could repair it for $1000 dollars but the solenoid was only guaranteed for 30 days. There is no possible way a dealership can expect a person to pay $1000 dollars a month to... Read more

Incident date: Apr 26, 2026

On 4/26/2026 My vehicle experienced hybrid system failure, electrical failure, charging system failure, loss of drive power, electrical shutdown, and loss of exterior lighting at a busy intersection, while at a red light. My vehicle had to be towed and was confirmed by the Range Rover dealership as a DC-DC converter failure. My 73 yr old mother and I had to get out and direct traffic for over two ... Read more

Incident date: Mar 29, 2026

power steering locked up while driving. has been inspected and repaired by manufacturer. recall.

Incident date: Mar 29, 2026

power steering locked up while driving. multiple dash lights turned on, on its own after the issue, 4wd, emergency brake, abs, and other ones im not sure what they are. took it to the dealership for a recall and told them the issue that happened.

Incident date: May 29, 2026

On [XXX], I was going to Atlanta, the truck started hesitating harshly while I was passing another driver on a two lane road. The truck wouldn’t accelerate and the paddle seemed to be stuck, I had to pull off the road to avoid a head on collision. On the 30th of May, I took the truck to Allen Turner in Pensacola, Florida where I purchased it and reported the issue, the service department was clo... Read more

Incident date: May 29, 2026

Since software update 5.x the behicle it throws a false "Disconnect Charging Cable" message on the dashboard display even though no charging cable is attached to the vehicle. This leaves the vehicle immobilized. Multiple instances since approx [XXX]. I checked codes and there is a fault code VCU1-U116E00. Further research indicated that prior reports to nhtda resulted in 2 seperate service bul... Read more

Incident date: Apr 27, 2026

At 10,000 miles Upon starting the vehicle, it appeared to operate normally with no warning messages displayed. However, immediately after beginning to drive, the transmission began shifting extremely harshly between gears. Within a short distance, the transmission shifted with such force that the drive wheels briefly lost traction and the tires chirped/skidded. At the same time, a warning message... Read more

Incident date: Mar 1, 2026

10r80 Cdf drum issue Car doen shifts on own Cant drive on road will just slip out of gear

Incident date: May 17, 2026

Under medium acceleration vehicle shuddered a lot. Currently it’s only driven by the front wheels and it will torque steer a lot. I’m assuming my splines are stripped to transfer case. Thankfully, I am under warranty and I’m going to get this repaired.

Incident date: May 25, 2026

I am submitting this complaint regarding a serious safety issue involving my Hyundai Sonata. While driving under normal conditions, my vehicle suddenly entered a low-power ("limp") mode without warning. The vehicle would not accelerate beyond approximately 30–35 mph, creating a potentially hazardous situation in traffic. At the same time, the check engine light began blinking. The sudden loss ... Read more

Incident date: May 31, 2026

Manufacturing defect causing coolant intrusion and misfire/rough idle. This is also after rebuilding transmission less than a year prior due to failure.

Incident date: Dec 31, 1969

Transmission bearing which caused entire transmission to fail.

Incident date: May 31, 2026

I have been experiencing the cvt transmission slipping the last two weeks. I contacted Nissan so see if my vin was a vehicle affected by 2017 cvt transmission recalls. They advised me it was not affected because my vin did not match their systems affected vehicles. Today my vehicle transmission broke down completely on my way home and had to get towed home. This could have been prevented had N... Read more

Incident date: Dec 1, 2021

Shortly after purchase of the vehicle on November 26, 2021, the vehicle began experiencing repeated DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid), SCR, and DPF system failures, accompanied by dashboard warning indicators, drivability instability, reduced power warnings, and eventual shutdown conditions. The most serious safety concern is that when the DEF/emissions warning activates, the vehicle may enter reduced-p... Read more

Incident date: Nov 10, 2025

While accelerating from a stop, I heard a loud bang from the drivetrain area and initially believed another vehicle had struck the rear of my car. After checking my surroundings, I realized there had been no collision. Immediately after the incident, the vehicle lost power delivery to the rear wheels. The vehicle is designed as an all-wheel-drive performance sedan, and the sudden loss of rear-whe... Read more

Incident date: Apr 1, 2021

Subtle issues showed early when trying to accelerate to get on the freeway, the transmission would stall. It was intermittent so, difficult to show at the dealership. At around 50,000 miles I began feeling a drag in the transmission, like it was put in downhill mode. Again, it happened intermittently. At 60,000 it would lunge slightly forward when I put it in park. At 63,000 I started hearing ... Read more

Incident date: May 22, 2026

Vehicle: 2015 Audi Q3 | Engine: 2.0L TFSI 4-Cylinder Turbo Component: Engine Complaint Description: While driving on the interstate at highway speed, the red oil pressure warning light illuminated suddenly and without prior warning. The standard low oil level warning light did NOT illuminate prior to the failure. Oil level was verified as correct and within specification at the time of failure.... Read more

Incident date: May 30, 2026

The vehicle is experiencing a dangerous hesitation during acceleration at low speeds, immediately followed by a sudden, violent forward lunging motion. When attempting to accelerate from a complete stop, or when rolling at low speeds (such as yielding at a roundabout, turning through an intersection, or merging into slow-moving traffic), the vehicle suffers from a distinct **lag or complete fail... Read more

Incident date: May 6, 2026

On May 6, 2026, while operating the vehicle on a neighborhood street, the vehicle experienced a sudden, violent, and dangerous failure. After accelerating away from a stop sign, the vehicle was traveling at approximately 20-25 mph when, simultaneous with a warning message, it came to an immediate and abrupt stop. A number of error messages appeared in rapid succession on the vehicle’s MMI. Th... Read more

Incident date: May 11, 2026

The car suddenly was unable to move forward or back even though engine was still running. I was able to roll to a stop in the parking lot at work, but moments before had been on the highway. Tow truck driver noted cap to transmission fluid had popped off. The car was towed to Honda dealer which determined new transmission needed. Even though there had been Honda technical service bulletins describ... Read more

Incident date: Apr 23, 2026

Without any warning after traveling downstate with our family the transmission let go. Never any warning lights, no transmission slippage. We went into a store and when we left the car wouldn't move. Mitsubishi dealer gave me a quote for a new transmission, and it cost what I owe on the car.

Incident date: May 30, 2026

The truck randomly will not detect that it was shifted into park. Shifting between gears and back to park does not automatically fix the the issue and has taken up to 10 mins to turn the truck off. The adaptive cruise controls stopped working and can still use regular cruise control. Just not adaptive. It appears greyed out. The truck has thrown the error code: P1098, Engine Coolant Control Valv... Read more

Incident date: Mar 20, 2026

Transmission started slipping. Not wanting to pull in drive or reverse

Incident date: Mar 1, 2025

The transmission on the 2018 Toyota Camrys are the worst. Ever since I got my car it has had loss of power with acceleration it jerks randomly when driving and it’s very unpredictable. It makes me nervous every day I drive it & it gives me anxiety that at any second my transmission will just completely fail. I did research and soooo many people are having the same issue. This needs to be fixed.

Incident date: May 10, 2026

The transmission on the vehicle failed, it is currently sitting at a GMC dealership awaiting repair. However the valve body is on back order and there is no time table for repair to occur. My family and my safety was put at risk not knowing that the 10 speed transmission could result in rear tire lockup while on the highway, also the inability to put the truck in reverse to back away from any pote... Read more

Incident date: May 27, 2026

The vehicle experienced a dangerous driving failure due to a hydraulic clutch actuator system issue and was towed to Kia Delray. The authorized dealership has officially diagnosed the issue as a "brake/clutch fluid leak" (attached diagnostic estimate), which is exactly the hazardous condition outlined under Safety Recall 23V534 (SC276). However, the dealer refuses to perform the free recall repair... Read more

Incident date: Dec 1, 2025

In December 2025, a Hyundai dealer performed Service Campaign 9C2 (TSB 25-01-087H), an ECU software update for the 2.4L GDI Theta II engine, during a routine annual NY state emissions inspection. Immediately following this update, the vehicle began exhibiting an RPM flare of approximately 1,200-1,500 RPM during upshifting under light acceleration. This behavior did not exist prior to the update. T... Read more

Incident date: May 30, 2026

Car only had 80,000 miles and started humming or whining. Mechanic said these cars are bad about the cvt bearing going out but have to change whole transmission.

Incident date: Nov 11, 2025

There was a recall for the clutch. I took it to the dealer (Autonation Jeep in Santa Clarita, CA). Ever since then, there is an intermittent, non-reproducible grinding and clicking (sound and feeling through the pedal) in the clutch (like a loose piece/nut is bouncing around and clanking and grinding against the clutch). The clutch pedal is also more spongy, catching only about halfway down, and s... 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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