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 77,487 complaints — component: SERVICE BRAKES
Incident date: Jan 12, 2026
There are two primary complaints on the vehicle since it was lease on May 26, 2025. (1) Clunking metal on metal sound when the vehicle is in reverse as well as sharp right or left turn or general braking. The sound is most audible on the rear right side of the vehicle. This matter was reported > 3 times to the Freeport Landover Dealership; the last visit was in October 2025. During the visit t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2025
My 2023 Ford Explorer ST has rolled while parked, turned off, and in Park, with the electronic parking brake engaged. This has occurred multiple times on my residential driveway, which has an approximate 20-degree slope, during light snow conditions. On one occasion, the vehicle rolled backward down the driveway and into the street after being parked and shut off. On another occasion, it rolled f... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2024
Shortly after purchasing the vehicle, I experienced a sudden and severe brake system failure that created an immediate safety hazard. While driving at low speed, the brake pedal traveled to the floor with little to no braking response. The vehicle could not decelerate normally and required significantly increased stopping distance, placing me and other motorists at risk of a collision. Following ... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2021) — SERVICE BRAKES
Jan 21, 2026
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
While driving the indicator light for Forward Collision Warning (FCW or Pedestrian Emergency Braking (PEB) illuminated. This is an intermittent issue and has appeared during snowy or wet road conditions. The owner's manual states description states: Warning light indicates a fault in the FCW/PEB warning system. Contact an authorized dealer for service.
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2020) — SERVICE BRAKES
Jan 21, 2026
Incident date: Sep 4, 2002
at this point, I have been told to come in for a diagnostic check (my time off from work), but no parts and cannot fix it if the brake hose is leaking, my rear view camera is acting up at least on a weekly basis, can be at times more often then that, and they do not have the parts, also Ford is NOT making the parts at this time per warrentary employee at the dealership. ???? so consumer safe... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2026
My son was driving the car the Service Brake Assist message popped up on the screen, and the brake pedal went stiff. He was coming to a red light and had to swerve to the right to avoid hitting the cars in front of him as he had no brakes at this point. We had the vehicle towed to our house, had the vehicle looked at by our mechanic. The Diagnosis was the brake vacuum pump, part number #12684050 e... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2026
The BMW, while turning at low speed into a parking space, suddenly accelerated and the braking system failed. Airbags deployed after multiple impacts with other vehicles and a fixed object, causing serious personal injury for the driver. The incident occurred on 01/16/2026. The vehicle is a total loss, has not yet been inspected, and is in storage. No warning lamps, messages or other issues wer... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 21, 2026
The failure and recall of the HCU( hydraulic control unit) means that my truck • ABS (antilock brake system ) failure • 4 wheel drive failure This poses a severe safety risk to the driver and passengers in this vehicle. It has been over a year that this issue hasn’t been resolved.
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2015) — SERVICE BRAKES
Jan 21, 2026
Incident date: Nov 22, 2024
A lot of the Ram and Dodge Vehicles are having the same problems and Stellantis has failed over and over to recall the item!!!! And has not!! did so I have a 2013 Ram 4x4 with only 90k miles on my truck this is the same problem I'm having Stellantis has issued several major recalls for vehicles experiencing simultaneous illumination of the ABS, brake, and traction control (ESC) lights. These iss... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2025
ABS Module failure, no parts available. National backorder. Part no longer seems supported by RAM.
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2019) — SERVICE BRAKES
Jan 21, 2026
Incident date: Dec 15, 2025
This vehicle is equipped with a feature known as "e-pedal" also known as one-pedal driving which is quite common on EVs. When this mode is activated, the accelerator pedal acts as a speed command (vs. power) and when the pedal is not depressed, the vehicle applies brakes until it comes to a standstill. Recently, the system has demonstrated a fault condition, where the Vehicle Control Module (VCM) ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2025
Vehicle was purchased new with 45 miles on the odometer in December 2025. The brakes on the truck do not begin to engage until the brake pedal is depressed greater than 50% of its travel. The initial feedback of the brake pedal within the first 50% of travel is numb with virtually no resistance. While driving the truck from the purchasing dealer in Warrenton, VA to Chicago, IL, I encountered sever... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2025
Vehicle was purchased new with 29 miles on the odometer in December 2025. The brakes on the truck do not begin to engage until the brake pedal is depressed greater than 50% of its travel. The initial feedback of the brake pedal within the first 50% of travel is numb with virtually no resistance. While driving the truck from the purchasing dealer in Warrenton, VA to Chicago, IL, I encountered sever... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2025
While driving the anti-skid anti-lock failure light flashes with an audible warning. This has routinely been happening since early 2025, with the only local dealer advise is to rapidly depress the gas pedal with the key on (engine off). There’s been zero advancement to provide remedy to date. When I ask the dealer, he says “we haven’t been notified yet of parts being available. You’ll be n... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2019) — SERVICE BRAKES
Jan 21, 2026
Incident date: Feb 1, 2025
My Honda CRV has braked by itself when I am driving, even when theres nothing iin front of me. The break warning signal also pops up for no reason This has happened many times, and I have my kids in the car. The dealer told me they can’t find anything, but the problem keeps happening. I am scared this will cause a crash. Especially having my 2 year old and 3 month old i get scared to drive it ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2024
Vehicle fails to stop when braking after a bump/rough surface in the road. Near miss for rear ending another vehicle. Yes, the problem was reported and demonstrated to the dealer service technician. Yes, the manufacturer has inspected the vehicle. No warnings and has had symptoms since purchase of vehicle in 2023
Incident date: Jan 21, 2026
In November 2025, I recently completed a recall repair to my 2014 Jeep Cherokee (NHSTA #XXX/Jeep #49A). I picked up my Jeep and parked it and did not drive it for several weeks. In December 2025, I rented my 2014 Jeep Cherokee on Turo and within the first 24hrs of driving, the renter contacted me and told me the electronic parking brake malfunctioned when the vehicle was parked, which prevented th... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2018) — SERVICE BRAKES
Jan 20, 2026
Incident date: Oct 22, 2025
While applying brakes coming to a stop light, the vehicle gave a message stating service brakes. The brakes still felt normal. Then after a few minutes, the brakes felt like they suddenly stopped working and then the rear tires started locking up and releasing. The frong brakes felt like they were not working at all. Stopping distance approximately tripled and not really any way to adjust brak... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2026
The brakes on this vehicle are substandard; they produce a loud noise when cold. I took it to the dealership to assess whether the brakes were defective, but they were found to be in proper condition. However, the representative at the Volkswagen dealership mentioned that all customers with a newer Atlas experience the same issue. It appears there is a common problem with the brakes, and they have... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
My camera intermittently goes blank and car feel like it doesn’t stop properly today I was backing out of a driveway and camera went blank and caused me to back into a car that had pulled up I called my local ford after I got the letters but they said I would receive a letter when they get the parts in !!
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
The windshield wipers activate by themselves, even when it is not raining and there is no water.
Incident date: Jan 20, 2026
Car rolls forward when in reverse and takes a dangerously long time to slip into gear. Car rolls back when foot is taken off brake, especially on hills.
Incident date: Sep 15, 2025
The brake actuator and compressor is having repeated problems and causing the brakes to lock up completely while driving both in city and ON THE HIGHWAY. Abs/parking/normal brakes The lights on the dash all start flashing and beeping. ABS / emergency brake / exclamation warning / sliding / lights all on It also caused the speedometer to stop working and most of the lights of the computer part of... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2025
On [XXX] driving from Joplin MO to McQueeney Tx on [XXX] at approximately [XXX] voltage dropped to 10.3 in Waco TX. I was to get to safe area. Vehicle lost steering, low braking and dim lights. Purchase a new battery from local Wamart. Vehicle started, working good, upon entering San Marcus, Tx low voltage again 10.0 volts. Had to get off hwy and pulled into gas station. Vehicle completely dead.... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
While driving home from work the truck displayed numerous trouble codes including ebc failure, braking failure, traction control failure and trailer brake failure as well as vehicle governed to 42 mph. I took it to the dealership and they checked all of the braking system and could not find any issues. They reset the codes, and changed all 4 pads and rotors as all 4 wheels were 1/32 out of true as... Read more
KIA
SPORTAGE HYBRID
(2023) — SERVICE BRAKES
Jan 20, 2026
Incident date: Jan 6, 2026
ABS module needs replacing. Part on Backorder for a year, won't be available till July 2026. RAM is offers no alternative. 3rd party vendors are saying the computer chip controlling the module has been discontinued by its maker, and in reality, there are no more new modules being produced. Car has no ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, STABILITY CONTROL.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2026
On [XXX], I had a scheduled repair appointment for my 2020 Kia Sportage, which is experiencing swaying and instability, and unable to keep the vehicle straight at highway speeds in the front end, and ABS/brake issue on the driver-side front wheel. During the service appointment, my service advisor, informed me that a metal undershield was not secure and recommended its removal due to not being vi... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
how brake failure caused the Rogue to crash. “I was coming up on a stop and was trying to slowly come to a stop. But I noticed that my car wasn’t slowing down. So, I tried to brake harder by pushing on the brake pedal, but the pedal resisted my foot pressure. I pressed harder on the pedal, but the car didn’t start to beep the collision warning. I was not in control of the braking system (an... Read more
Crash
Fire
Incident date: Jan 19, 2026
Was driving with my son when pulling up in my driveway I had my foot on the brake when all of a sudden the brakes went to the floor and my truck began to continue slowly up the driveway would not stop and drove into my garage door and damaging my garage door had called ford roadside assistance took it to the shop and they had to replace the brake booster
Crash
Incident date: Jan 8, 2026
There are 2 components of the vehicle that I believe are malfunctioning. The first component would be the brake system. At first the problem presented itself when going down a parking garage it was approximately 5 miles an hour while applying the brake and the brake suddenly got stuck and really sticky, I had to apply extreme pressure to the brake to get the vehicle to stop completely. It was only... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2025
My 2023 Cadillac Escalade esv has been at the dealership countless times over the last 2 years with strange engine sounds, acceleration issues, 4 wheel drive would top working and I couldn't make turns without a grinding sound coming from under the hood, check engine light (with no issues seen/heard). The engine recall was "passed" in October even after our concern with the engine sounds and stran... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2024
Anti lock brake module went out on my 2017 ram 1500. Dealerships do not have them in stock. From research it is a common problem for these years but only 2018 and up 1500's are recalled. Even if ai pay for the part the dealerships say they can't even get one. This is an enormous safety issue
Incident date: Jan 20, 2026
10/14/25: Started car and put it in reverse, slow to reverse. Then tried to pull forward, very sluggish with a delay, then when I pushed accelerator a little more, it took off and then it wouldn’t stop. I had to slam on breaks to stop. My head jerked forward and back and hit the headrest. My son was pushed forcefully into his seatbelt to stop the momentum. I turned on/ off car and then started t... Read more
Incident date: Aug 30, 2025
The brake actuator/ABS hydraulic system on my 2013 Toyota Prius failed. The component is available for inspection upon request, as it was replaced by a Toyota dealership. Prior to failure, the vehicle intermittently displayed ABS, Traction Control, and VSC warning lights while driving, which would sometimes clear on their own but eventually became persistent. This condition reduced or disabled ABS... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
Vehicle: 2025 BMW X3 Complaint Description: I am reporting a serious safety defect involving sudden unintended acceleration, braking abnormalities, steering looseness, and electronic system failures. Within days of purchase, the vehicle began experiencing infotainment system freezing and electronic malfunctions. Over time, steering looseness and abnormal brake behavior developed. These issues w... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 5, 2025
Car was found to have the rear subframe corrosion for issue. But also the brake lines were corroded very badly. They should be covered under the rear subframe extended warranty replacement. The rear brake lines are an frequent issue and almost always shows up when the subframe begins to rot. Also the pattern of the corrosion seems to be consistent across multiple incidents. Look at photos I upl... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2017) — SERVICE BRAKES
Jan 19, 2026
Incident date: Nov 24, 2025
After the Mercedes dealer replaced the corroded rear sub frame under the 20 year extended warranty, my brake line failed so I took it back & found out that the brake lines were corroded. I paid nothing for the subframe since it was under the warranty but I ended up paying $4114 to replace the corroded brake lines. The dealer should have checked for corrosion while the subframe was out of the car, ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2025
Notice brakes would not hold vehicle and begin to drift into intersection. Depress brake pedal more and it would stop then start to drift again, then placed into neutral as the brake pedal was almost to the floor. So as you were at a red light the brake pedal never moved but wasn't applying constant pressure to keep vehicle stationary then I'd have to apply more brake pedal and repeat. Ma aged to... Read more
Incident date: Jun 18, 2025
Vehicle: 2016 Hyundai Sonata VIN: [XXX] While stopped in traffic with my foot firmly on the brake, my vehicle begins to accelerate before I release the brake pedal. This is not normal “creep” — the engine increases RPM and the vehicle moves forward as if the accelerator is being applied, even though it is not. This condition has occurred multiple times and creates a serious safety risk. T... Read more
Incident date: Oct 14, 2025
I parked my car on a driveway with a slight incline. After putting the car in park, I stepped out of the vehicle and the car rolled back into the street. I brought the car back into the driveway, again put the car in park and engaged the parking brake this time. The car rolled back out into the street again. Thankfully, the grandchildren were not playing behind the car and there was no one was par... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2020) — SERVICE BRAKES
Jan 19, 2026
Incident date: Jan 5, 2026
Rear brakes backing plates rotted prematurely despite garage kept and well maintained status. While driving, noticed loud scraping and grinding noises from the rear left wheel. Took to mechanic and he found severe rust, with deep corrosion and flaking "rotted". He said I was lucky because this was very close to causing the entire brake assembly to fail, which would lead to serious braking problems... Read more
Incident date: Nov 14, 2025
The ABS Control Module failed in my 2013 Ford Edge. I no longer have anti-lock brakes and my wife does not feel safe driving the car. I talked to a number of different Ford Dealerships and every service technician I talked to told me they don't know how this issue is not a recall as it is happening so often that the part is back ordered by a year. I had the problem confirmed by in independent s... Read more
Incident date: Sep 6, 2025
I experienced an ongoing grinding/rattling noise from the wheel/brake area. The vehicle was serviced multiple times by a franchised dealer, which diagnosed the issue as brake-related and performed brake repairs. The noise was not resolved, and the vehicle was returned in the same condition. Shortly after service, an independent mechanic discovered a cracked/broken brake pad installed on the vehic... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2025
The Anti-lock braking system and the electronic traction control system are both failing. There were previous recalls on both systems that say they have been repaired, but the lights for both are constantly on. The brakes do not work fully, and it has caused me to slide down the street from my workplace. The electronic traction control system not working has caused it so that my four-wheel drive d... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2026
Brakes have squeaked since the day we bought our brand new vehicle. I have contacted the dealers and called corporate. The answer I have received from both is”it is the material they are making the brake pads out of.” We paid over $50,000.00 for our vehicle and do not want to deal with squeaky brakes all the time. They will not do anything about it.
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2018) — SERVICE BRAKES
Jan 19, 2026
Incident date: Dec 19, 2018
I purchased my vehicle 6 months ago. I had no prior issues outside of a rough drive or a very slight burning smell from time to time. 12/2025 I found out through my auto insurance that my vehicle had a active safety recall (25S76) so I scheduled with my local Ford to get the temp software PCM update done until the remedy becomes available. Immediately after the software update I started getting a ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2026
tRACTION AND STABILITY CONTRAL LIGHTS (YELLOW) AND BRAKE FAILURE LIGHT (RED) CAME ON AND APP ON PHONE ALARMED TO INDICATE A FAILURE DEALER SAID THIS IS NORMAL IN SNOW. THIS ALSO OCCURED IN 2024 AND WAS NOT FIXED THEN
Incident date: Dec 29, 2025
Right front caliber went out at 47,186 miles in 11/14/2025. No abs sensor went on alerting me to the problem. Had it fixed. Two months later, 1/05/2026, at 47,620 miles later, the control HCU and module ABS went out. Again, no sensor alerting me to a problem. I could hardly drive it. Had Ford look at it, assess the problem, and had to drive home due to another cost. Could have been on the highway ... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE HYBRID
(2024) — SERVICE BRAKES
Jan 19, 2026
Incident date: Nov 15, 2024
When the brakes are applied during normal driving the pedal travels 2-3 inches before the brakes start to apply. During a panic stop and a strong force on the pedal it will travel almost to the floor. ABS never applies except on loose surfaces, i. e., snow, gravel and sand. I have had the vehicle to the dealer on three different occasion's for this problem. The dealer and the service technicians s... Read more