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 ›

Clear

Showing 137,132 complaints - component: POWER TRAIN

Incident date: Jul 19, 2026

My 2024 Volkswagen Jetta experienced a transmission control module (TCM) failure. The vehicle began having transmission problems and became essentially undriveable. It would not operate/shift normally and required repair. The Volkswagen dealer diagnosed the problem as a failed transmission control module and advised that the TCM needs to be replaced. The required TCM has now been on nationwide bac... Read more

Incident date: Aug 5, 2026

Transmission jumps from 2nd to 4th without warning and causes the vehicle to jerk into oncoming traffic

Incident date: Aug 30, 2026

On XXX, at approximately 5pm EST, my wife stopped our 2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV after backing out of the garage and put the vehicle in park. After exiting the driver's seat, she was outside the open driver's door, had both feet on the ground and cleared the door enough that she was preparing to close it, when the vehicle began moving with no one in the driver's seat. The vehicle traveled down our ... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Jul 6, 2026

I understand that the vehicle is outside of its original warranty period. However, I do not believe that the expiration of the warranty should automatically make me responsible for a component failure that occurred at only approximately 39,000 miles. The PCV valve and orifice are not routine maintenance items that I would reasonably expect to require replacement at such low mileage. Unlike tires, ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 22, 2026

Under light-moderate acceleration, a feeling of the transmission slipping is felt. From my understanding, this is a known issue with the newest generation of Equinox & Terrain. I previously owned a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox LT AWD and it had the exact same issue. My local GM Dealership replaced the CV Axle and Axle and the issue was corrected temporarily, but soon after the issue returned. I then rec... Read more

Incident date: Sep 1, 2026

Factory powertrain programming actively locks out 9th gear (overdrive) during freeway driving at speeds exceeding 60–65 mph. The vehicle refuses to upshift from 8th to 9th gear, forcing sustained high-RPM operation during standard highway cruising.

Incident date: May 13, 2024

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating and was shaking violently. The contact associated the failure with the transmission. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered a goodwill repair; however, the contact had not agreed to the terms. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer co... Read more

Incident date: Aug 29, 2026

I had the 6.2 engine replaced at 38k miles. Now at 78k miles my new engine replacement is using 1.5qrt of oil within 4k miles. I am being told i have to watch the oil every 800 miles and report back to Chevrolet. I feel my investment is completely a loss of $60,000.00 + . I was told by the service tech that i will probaly have to have another engine replaced again.. My resale value is NO WHERE nea... Read more

Incident date: Sep 1, 2026

2025 Kawasaki Z H2 / ZR1000SNF VIN: [XXX] This motorcycle has experienced multiple serious mechanical failures at extremely low mileage, and I am concerned that it presents an ongoing safety risk. At approximately 2,259 miles, the transmission suffered a major failure requiring warranty repair. Following that repair, the motorcycle exhibited abnormal transmission behavior, including unexpectedly... Read more

Incident date: Aug 24, 2026

The transmission started making a whining noise around 69,000 miles that a mechanic said was due to transmission failure. There were no warning lights or messages. I took it to the Toytota dealer who sold it to me new. They inspected it and confirmed that the transmission needed replaced which they did. Online research said these symptoms meant the transmission could fail at any time while driving... Read more

Incident date: Jul 14, 2026

The rear differential is cracked and has seperated causing breakage at the snap ring due to faulty manufacturing. If the rear differential should fail while driving, the safety of myself, family and others on the road could be at extreme risk of injury or possible fatality caused by loss of control. The vehicle was inspected by an independent certified mechanic and Snethkamp Dealership for conform... Read more

Incident date: Sep 1, 2026

The car has recalls since 2024? Some are serious safety issues if in an accident. Way too long for a remedy from FORD. 2019 FORD EXPEDITION 2019 FORD EXPEDITION VIN: [XXX] Recall data refreshed on XXX 4Unrepaired Recalls associated with this VIN FEB 09, 2024 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident date: Sep 1, 2026

While driving the car, the transmission dont shifted correctly jurking the car almost causing the car behind to crash into my car. Sometimes in the highway the car goes into neutral or wont shift correctly, this starts creating traffic and almos accidents. This is well know by the factory and they never addressed a big issue with their cars.

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

I first noticed noise from the rear of the vehicle in early July 2026, within days of picking it up from Louisburg Ford following a turbocharger repair completed June 29, 2026. The rear drive unit (rear differential) has since been diagnosed as failing at 82,053 miles, with a repair quoted at approximately $4,000. Ford documented this failure mode in Technical Service Bulletin 23-2335, issued Oct... Read more

Incident date: Apr 4, 2026

Truck downshifts into low gear, yellow wrench and engine light come on and the truck goes into limp mode, no warnings or anything. These symptoms first started about 5 months ago and I have stopped driving the truck for that time. I took it to the dealer after looking it up and seeing there was a recall 26S28 for the molded leadframe. At the dealer they told me they couldn't perform the service be... Read more

Incident date: Apr 16, 2026

Car went into limp mode and was struggling to accelerate, went and got it diagnosed and was notified that my spark plugs needed to be replaced. Car began running fine but a few months went by and the issue came back. I was told I needed my spark plugs changed again. After the third time, I went and had my car diagnosed again and was told I needed a battery for the car because it was drained. Then ... Read more

Incident date: Sep 1, 2026

Vehicle purchased from dealer with concealed total loss history and federal/state odometer fraud. Official state title records show the odometer froze at 73,539 miles between Tennessee title issued March 2025 and Ohio title issued January 2026. Live OBD-II scanner diagnostics confirm true vehicle mileage exceeds over 86,278 miles. Vehicle was in a severe crash (December 2024) resulting in a Junk/S... Read more

Incident date: Jul 23, 2026

My vehicle is currently sitting at a Honda dealership with a broken crankshaft counterweight and seized bearing. The engine needs to be replaced but Honda has refused to conduct the dealership warranty and blame shift it to a cracked oil pan that had happened in November of last year that was quickly addressed. Since then I have gone to [XXX] and back to [XXX] showing the vehicle was fine and oper... Read more

Incident date: Apr 11, 2026

COMPONENT / FAULT CATEGORY: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM / POWER TRAIN / BLIND SPOT WARNING SUMMARY OF THE DEFECT: On April 11, 2026, my 2019 BMW X5 suffered a sudden electronic system shutdown at highway speeds near the 210 exit, stranding the car on the roadway and requiring AAA towing. BMW of Ontario falsely blamed "liquid damage" in the GSW shifter and texted an inflated quote of $6,616.05, later reduce... Read more

Incident date: Aug 24, 2026

For several weeks, my 2025 Honda Odyssey, with approximately 30,000 miles, had been jerking while being driven. An independent mechanic believed the problem might be transmission-related. I brought the vehicle to an authorized Honda dealership, reported the jerking and specifically stated that I suspected a transmission problem. The dealership recommended and performed a transmission-fluid service... Read more

Incident date: Aug 29, 2026

While braking in a left hand turn lane waiting for the vehicles in front to turn left through an intersection, the vehicle stalled, shut off, and forced a manual restart in the turn lane. This same sequence happened again at another red light when the brake was engaged. The dealership the car was purchased from would not evaluate the car as they stated it is under factory warranty and should be ev... Read more

Incident date: Aug 31, 2026

When shifting into reverse to pull out of my garage, with my foot firmly on the middle of the brake pedal, the truck suddenly accelerated, squealing the tires until I pumped the brake to make it stop. It was a very frightening experience. I drove it around town, including stopping and reversing and could not replicate it. It happened on a cold engine and it hadn’t been driven in three days. I’... Read more

Incident date: Aug 20, 2026

On August 20, 2026, while driving my 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning, the vehicle suffered a sudden, complete, and catastrophic loss of propulsion. The truck stopped abruptly while in motion on an active roadway. This immediate loss of power created an extremely hazardous situation, exposing myself, my passengers, and oncoming traffic to an immediate risk of a collision. The vehicle was towed directly... Read more

Incident date: Nov 3, 2025

Had a engine failure at 93,000 miles and upon doing a vin report found out it also had a engine put it at 7,800 miles so it now has its third engine in it and also had the high pressure pump fail and the gauge cluster fail and had to be replaced

Incident date: Mar 25, 2025

My vehicle is subject to NHTSA Recall 26V216 involving the drive shaft universal joint. In March 2025, before the recall was announced, Mercedes-Benz of Carlsbad diagnosed my vehicle with a front driveline/drive shaft problem. I later paid $2,575 to have the drive shaft replaced using genuine Mercedes-Benz parts. Mercedes-Benz later sent me a recall notice stating that customers who already paid ... Read more

Incident date: Apr 1, 2026

My 2021 Kia Seltos SX Turbo (1.6L Turbo engine) is experiencing severe, excessive oil consumption, burning (and heavy smoke ) approximately 1 to 2 quarts, (Kia dealer oil change standard amount) of oil every 1,000 miles without any external visual leaks. A formal diagnosis by a certified Kia dealership confirms that heavy carbon buildup has accumulated around the piston rings, causing severe ring ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 27, 2026

I purchased the 2026 Chevrolet Silverado with a 6.2L motor "new" from the dealer with 5700 miles on XXX. Roughly a month and 2500 miles later, my family and I were in the vehicle, 750 miles from home, returning from a vacation to [XXX] from the [XXX]/[XXX] area. It was around 8:30 in the morning and we had been on the road since the 6 o'clock hour. We were towing our our 20' fishing boat at the t... Read more

Incident date: Aug 31, 2026

While driving the button to engage shift gear came off causing me to not be able to switch gears to put vehicle in park. It fell off while driving

Incident date: Aug 26, 2026

Car stalled while driving in traffic XXX. Engine died. Warning lights ON. Restarted. Stalled 3 more times in traffic but luckily had space to pull off & engine restarted. Made it into my garage. Restarted, Check Engine Light was ON, but went OFF after time. Car would NOT move in gear. Retried several times. Presently (XXX) will crank but WON'T start. Battery good. Looking for anything else obviou... Read more

Incident date: Aug 30, 2026

Transmission fluid flushing. Hard gear shift at slow speeds. Transmission shudder at high speeds

Incident date: Aug 29, 2026

I am writing to express my frustration and concern regarding the well documented transmission shudder issue affecting my 2018 Chevrolet Camaro LT. My vehicle currently has only 29,800 miles, yet it has begun experiencing the same symptoms described in Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 18-NA-355. The vehicle's RPM gauge fluctuates noticeably, moving up and down while driving, and the car develops a... Read more

Incident date: Aug 19, 2026

Subject: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee – Sudden Loss of Power, PCM Failure, Electrical Failures, and Concern Regarding Recall-Related Symptoms I am filing this complaint because my 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee experienced a sudden and unexpected loss of power while I was driving, and I am very concerned about the safety implications and the possible connection to the recall-related electrical problems a... Read more

Incident date: Jan 24, 2026

In January 2026, at approximately 80,000 miles, the CVT in my 2022 Honda HR-V AWD experienced a major internal failure. The failure presents a safety concern because loss of CVT function can cause loss of acceleration/motive power during highway driving, merging, lane changes, or intersection crossings. The problem was confirmed by an authorized Honda dealer. Honda's HDS diagnostic system initi... Read more

Incident date: Aug 29, 2026

On XXX, my wife, [XXX], was operating the vehicle on a public roadway at approximately 40 miles per hour with our children as passengers. Without warning, the vehicle began jerking violently and decelerated to a stop in a live traffic lane, displaying a "Drive System Fault" message. Throughout the event, the vehicle would not respond to accelerator or brake input. The vehicle came to rest in a mov... Read more

Incident date: Aug 12, 2026

My car slammed into park while I was driving on the highway and now is in limp mode only going into neutral and I am stranded without a vehicle. The Lincoln dealership wants to charge me 1500 to diagnose it but that’s the problem.

Incident date: Jul 22, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at slow speeds, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted into second gear. The check engine warning light illuminated for a while before the power train warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Trai... Read more

Incident date: Mar 10, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message that the door was unlocked was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and the contact was informed of an unrepaired recall associated with the VIN. The contact was informed that an unknown device was installed, and the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 31, 2026

Engine went out very devastating $10k out of pocket

Incident date: Aug 21, 2026

This vehicle is a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 featuring a 6.2L V8 engine and a 10 speed transmission, currently at 58,136 miles. The vehicle was experiencing a severe shudder. An official GM Technical Assistance Case (TAC) engineering case was opened on July 30, 2026 confirming a verified DFM cylinder deactivation or valve train malfunction. However, on August 21, 2026 the dealership falsified ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 4, 2026

The vehicle suffered a complete internal failure of the Power Transfer Unit (PTU) drivetrain assembly. Authorized dealership Milford Auto Group diagnosed the vehicle on Invoice #45604 and confirmed in writing: "THE PTU HAS FAILED INTERNALLY AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED".The manufacturer (FCA US LLC) issued a 15-year extended warranty campaign (XJ1) specifically to address safety hazards related to int... Read more

Incident date: Aug 13, 2026

The engine required a short block replacement at approximately 40,000 miles. There was a severe knocking sound and the dealer diagnosed heavy scoring and abnormal wear present on the front bank cylinder walls. The result was excessive internal engine clearance and cylinder wall damage. Engine cylinder piston block holes were worn beyond spec. After 33 days the vehicle was returned and developed a ... Read more

Incident date: Mar 2, 2026

- The steering system appears to be malfunctioning. The steering wheel becomes sticky or feels like it catches while turning, and there is a clunking and grinding noise when the steering wheel is turned. The vehicle and affected components are available for inspection upon request. - The steering issue creates a potential safety risk because the steering wheel may not turn smoothly or respond as ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 3, 2026

On 6 occasions over the last 2 months when coming to a stop the engine will increase rpm to 1600 forcing much extra brake pressure to stop, forcing me to shutoff the engine. No codes or indicators and the dealer can't duplicate. I mentioned to the dealer that the car will accelerate while holding down the brake thinking that as a clue as to what's wrong and the service tech told me that is normal ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 31, 2026

On August 31, 2026, while driving my 2025 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport on the highway, multiple warning lights illuminated and the vehicle stopped operating while I was in traffic. The sudden loss of vehicle operation created a serious risk of a collision and placed me and other motorists in danger. This vehicle has experienced repeated problems including rough operation, hesitation/loss of accel... Read more

Incident date: Aug 30, 2026

While driving a 2023 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel (37,000 miles) at highway speeds while towing a load on an incline grade, the vehicle experienced a sudden, uncommanded drop into an aggressive "Limp Mode." The dashboard displayed a "Service Electronic Throttle" warning, and engine power was immediately and severely restricted. While I was able to safely move the vehicle over to the shoulder, the truck c... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

My 2020 Ford Edge Titanium was shuddering between 10 - 40 mph. I took my car to a Ford dealership to diagnose the problem. They said it's the torque converter and they needed to replace the transmission. It would be a rebuild/repair at a cost of 8,991.00. This car has only 49,500 miles and points to a manufacturing defect NOT standard wear and tear. Ford knew of this issue regarding thus 8-speed t... Read more

Incident date: Aug 9, 2026

Full engine failure, Rod bearing 1 failed due to debris in engine after first oil change was completed at 9500 miles. Truck at 13,000 miles at failure Safety of all vehicle occupants was put at risk. vehicle came to sudden hault and had full loss of propulsion. Failure of engine was confirmed by Matick Toyota No warming lamps of mesages, small whine came from engine for ~1 mile before failure

Incident date: Aug 24, 2026

2026 Bronco Sport Badlands Sasquatch edition with less than three-thousand miles that we purchased brand new had a major transmission failure and was rendered inoperable. The Bronco Sport transmission pan cracked and the gasket failed upon driving home from a routine, ten minute trip to the grocery store resulting in sudden loss of transmission fluid. The transmission fluid blew all over the engin... Read more

Incident date: Aug 15, 2026

On XXX, while stopped at a traffic light, I accelerated normally in my 2022 BMW 540i. After moving only a few feet, I heard a loud metallic clank from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle immediately lost all ability to propel itself. It would still shift between gears, but pressing the accelerator would not move the vehicle. A drivetrain warning appeared after the failure. There were no meaningfu... Read more

Incident date: Aug 18, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Mercedes-Benz S-560 4Matic. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle while the brake pedal was depressed or while the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle lost automotive power. However, after several seconds, the vehicle suddenly regained automotive power. No warning lights were illumin... Read more

Previous 1 2 3 4 5 ... 8 9 10 ... 2742 2743 Next

Vehicle Safety

Consumer Safety

Infrastructure

Public Health

Consumer Safety Complaints

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

How to interpret what you read

If you've experienced a defect

Read more from our blog