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.
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
Showing 78,884 complaints - component: SERVICE BRAKES
Incident date: Feb 14, 2026
When on a hill with the electric being depleted under 8% the vehicles don’t know what to do for power an rolled back with no power forward even when attempting to accelerate causing potential collision with vehicle on the rear. Vehicle manufacturer refuses to service vehicle due to ongoing litigation and known problem.
Incident date: Nov 7, 2024
Front right brakes make grinding sounds when stopping and lose traction when roads are wet. Vehicle causes safety issues when roads are wet. Due to lack of control. Issue was reported to the dealer and I was told Lincoln is aware of the issue but there’s no fix at the time. Vehicle was inspected by dealer at 7,500 miles No warning lights present
Incident date: Feb 5, 2025
On 2 occasions the battery was drained and a tow truck had to jump the battery. On one occasion after the battery was jump started it took several hours before the brakes were able to be used and the car driven safely. Had to drive very slowly (under 50 mph) per note that appeared on dashboard. After nearly an hour of waiting Engine light stayed on and dealership ran diagnostic and found nothing w... Read more
Incident date: Oct 12, 2024
The ABS control module has failed. Anti-lock brake and stability management systems, in addition to vehicle descent control are malfunctioning. This renders the vehicle extremely unstable and difficult to drive. Stellantis is aware of the problem and reports no replacement parts are available and has not issued a recall. The vehicle has low milage and has never been in an accident.
Incident date: Feb 13, 2026
I turned my vehicle on and my brakes, ABS, traction control and anti collision lights all came on. Upon research this is a known problem in 2025 and a recall in 2024. It did in fact end up being the master cylinder and brake system that faulted
VOLKSWAGEN
TAOS
(2022) - SERVICE BRAKES
Feb 14, 2026
Incident date: Oct 14, 2022
•I’m not sure what failed, the car was parked. And yes it’s available for inspection. •I had just parked the car coming from work and at the time. If I was in the car any longer than 5 more minutes it possibly could’ve been catastrophic. • All I know as of right now is that 5 days ago, it was escalated and I received a case number and a case manager 3 days ago. •The car has not b... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
When braking(going down hill) the Bronco comes to a complete stop and the brakes feel good. But a split second after the full stop, the truck starts to creep forward for about a foot and then you hear a "click noise" and the truck abruptly stops. This is a very scary feeling wondering if your gonna roll into cross traffic. This happens every morning(once every day) and the rest of the day the brak... Read more
Incident date: Oct 5, 2025
The vehicle is experiencing a suspected brake actuator / brake booster failure. Multiple warning lights appeared simultaneously, including ABS, Brake, Traction Control, and Master Warning lights. The vehicle produces a frequent buzzing noise from the brake system, especially at low speeds or when stopped. The noise occurs repeatedly when pressing the brake pedal, indicating the system is struggli... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
While driving, ABS, traction control, ESC, forward collision, and AWD alerts were indicated by the car. At the time it had 10 months in service and approximately 12,800 miles accumulated. After 17 days at the dealers service department and a direct call to GM the brake master cylinder and associated components were replaced. I've seen several reports of this generation of Traverse having this same... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 2026
My car was totaled, I lost steering assistance, and it switched off while I was driving. The car was the subject of an open recall. I need this looked at because it might be a crash caused by a fault.
Crash
Incident date: Feb 6, 2026
Description of Incident: On February 9, 2026, at approximately 3:00 PM, I was driving my 2021 Kia Soul on Calvine Road and Winterberry in Elk Grove, CA. A vehicle suddenly merged into my path. I immediately attempted to apply the brakes, but the pedal failed to depress or engage normally. Despite the imminent collision, the Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) failed to provide any alert, and ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 13, 2026
Today 13 Feb 2026, around 3pm I was following traffic it was slow (5 miles an hour) and the traffic light turned red so I pushed on my brake to stop the car and it surged forward I pushed down on the brake again and the my vehicle stopped. Lucy I was travel a couple car lengths behind the vehicle in front of me or we would have ran into his back bumper. This is the second time this year this ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed attempting to park in front of a building, the brake pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle lunged forward and independently accelerated. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle crashed into the building. The crash caused da... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Feb 13, 2026
Date of Incident: February 6, 2026 Time: Approximately 2:30 PM On February 6, 2026, at approximately 2:30 PM, I came to a complete stop at a stop sign. As I began making a turn, the vehicle suddenly and unexpectedly accelerated without my intention to increase speed. This unexpected acceleration caused the vehicle to strike a small tree. The vehicle sustained damage to the passenger-side front are... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Feb 13, 2026
Car took off after going over railroad track, and accelerated without driver being able to control it. The breaks and steering went out as well. It’s like car was being driven remotely. Crashed into fence, and there was no warning. The car accelerated. The car bounces back and forth when brakes are on, and again last year stopped in the middle of traffic. Water damage was leaking in as well afte... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Feb 12, 2026
Unknown. Brakes still squeaking after getting them changed with the bulletin notice. Engine surges and idles rough- dealership could not diagnose. Not accelerating randomly, pedal goes in and it does not engage. Gas tank not filling up all the way. Rear cross tracking warning turned off when it is not turned off. AC smells rotten and musty
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
Parking brake has locked on and cannot be released
Incident date: Jan 28, 2026
Brake booster is not working
Incident date: Sep 27, 2024
Spontaneous failure of brake actuator system.
Incident date: Feb 4, 2026
Adaptive Damper System error on dashboard. Took the car to the dealer and they confirmed two issues. Codes C1646-14 and C1647-14 indicating the stroke sensor has lower limit abnormality. Dealer recommended replacing both rear shocks due to over extension. Once shocks were replaced, codes returned. During further investigation, corrosion was found in the stroke sensor wiring harness. Harness is the... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2025
On January 29, 2026, at approximately 4:00 PM, the vehicle experienced unintended movement while in PARK and powered off. The vehicle had been placed in Park, the engine was turned off, and the driver exited. Shortly afterward, the vehicle rolled unexpectedly while unattended. The vehicle remained parked and was not driven due to safety concerns. Wheel blocks were placed behind the tires until th... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER
(2016) - SERVICE BRAKES
Feb 13, 2026
Incident date: Dec 13, 2025
The contact rented a 2025 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving at unknown speeds and entering into a parking space, the contact applied the brake pedal; however, the adaptive cruise control system engaged unexpectedly, causing the vehicle to accelerate and crash into a building. The driver was unable to turn off the adaptive cruise control system. There were no reported injuries, ... Read more
Crash
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2022) - SERVICE BRAKES
Feb 13, 2026
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
Around 50,000 or trailer brake service and traction control warning came on. Took into dealership was told it was hydraulic control unit and abs module that need replaced
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
The warning lights have been on for months indicating the ABS is malfunctioning, we have had it to the dealership garage several times and they keep telling us we are on the list but the parts are not available even though it has been over a year. If they fail completely we will have no control over the braking system which can cause a vehicle crash. We have to limit the driving we do with our v... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2024
My 2016 dodge dart is losing all fluids after putting fluids in the car . My back calipers keep coming off the system , my hose keep detaching or blowing off. Losing power and it's not shifting . I have called dodge and ford where I purchased the car , I also made reports with corporate office of dealership I bought it from . No one told me there was any problems with the make and model of the veh... Read more
Incident date: Nov 21, 2025
My 2018 Ram 2500 has an active safety recall for the ABS/EBS system that has been open for over two years with no remedy or parts available. The issue was first noticed in August of 2023. I contacted CDJR dealership on how to repair this issue. This is a serious safety defect that directly affects braking stability, trailer brake communication, and emergency handling. Because the ABS module and... Read more
Incident date: Feb 10, 2026
Vehicle: 2020 Volvo XC90 Mileage at first incident: ~60,000 miles Mileage at second incident: ~70,000 miles In July 2025, while my wife was driving our 2020 Volvo XC90 the vehicle experienced a sudden and complete loss of braking. The brake pedal did not provide stopping power, and the vehicle had to be steered off the roadway in order to come to a stop and avoid a serious accident. The incident ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2026
The emergency brake came on and the engine turned off on its own , may be a faulty sensor in the seat. Sensor is detecting no one is in the drivers seat, and you are sitting in it. Car put on emergency brake and shut engine off at red light, as it turned green and you move foot from brake to gas pedal, putting car at risk of collision from behind. Dealership said they can’t reproduce this and th... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2026
I was driving on the Freeway doing about 65 to 70 MPH and all of a sudden on the Dashboard a large orange brake light came on and the vehicle hit the brakes automatically almost causing an accident. I took it to the dealership and all they did was reset some computer board but said they couldn’t find anything wrong with it. If they couldn’t find anything wrong with the vehicle then why reset t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
My car is safely in my driveway. It only has 18,000 miles driven. It became stuck in wheel drive, greatly reducing my ability to drive the vehicle. The 2014 Cherokee is known for PTU failures in which the unit overheats or leaks fluid into the electronics, causing the system to lock in 4WD and display "Service 4WD" or "4WD System Unavailable". Will my dealership fix this problem under a past reca... Read more
Incident date: Aug 6, 2025
Dash light came on for ABS. Took my truck to a Dodge Dealership to be repaired plus other non urgent work to be done. On my way to taking it to the Dealership, I started experiencing issues with braking and right before I arrived, braking meant pushing the brake pedal all the way to the floor, it also felt delayed. While checking in my truck with the Service Department, they mentioned some Recalls... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2026
On Feb. 10th 2026 I was driving north I405 (Los Angeles). The car suddenly applied emergency breaks in the middle of the freeway, while there was no car in front of me, at least for 100m. I was lucky that the car behind me didn't hit me. It could be a serious multi-car collision.
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
We pulled up at Hillgreen circle Cockysville MD To drop my boyfriend off at his apartment. I went to pull in the parking spot.I went to put the car into park and it had no brakes. I was slamming them and pumping them. It excellerated and took off. Jumped the curb,went down the hill and into the apartment building. A red light had came on the dash, right before it took off. Seemed like it was chang... Read more
Crash
3 injured
Incident date: Feb 6, 2026
I was entering my drive way waiting for the garage to open suddenly my car just accelerated and hit the wall.
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Feb 9, 2026
I was driving across a major intersection when the car slammed on the brakes for no reason. There were no shadows. I was not under a bridge. It is an overcast day. No direct sun. My safety was at risk because I could have been hit by oncoming traffic when I was trying to go forward.
Incident date: Mar 22, 2025
Received recall C4B/NHTSA 24V-896 on 27 Nov. 2024. Remedy for this defect has not been completed as of this date. I tried on AUG 1 2025 to have it corrected at the Berlin City Ram dealership with no luck. I asked the dealership again today 12 Feb 2026 about the repairs and was told they do not have a remedy yet for this. I called Chrysler Customer Care 12 Feb 2026 and was told there is still no... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2026
Vehicle Safety Complaint – 2024 Chevrolet Equinox I am reporting a safety defect involving unintended vehicle movement and improper shutdown behavior. While operating my 2024 Chevrolet Equinox, I was able to shut the vehicle off even though it was not in Park. After shutdown, the vehicle rolled forward on its own and struck a tree. At the time of the incident, the radio remained on despite the... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
All lights came on when starting vehicle. Had no power steering, blind spot monitors failed, etc.
Incident date: May 10, 2025
Car initiated emergency auto break while traveling on the freeway at high speed (70 plus mph) in Phoenix, AZ for no reasons. There were no objects or cars within 500 feet, however I was approaching an overpass. This occurred multiple times on the freeway and on local roads. Reported to Honda, no fix.
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2010) - SERVICE BRAKES
Feb 12, 2026
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WHILE BRAKING ON MORE THAN 1 OCCASSION
Incident date: Jan 20, 2026
On Feb. 03, 2026 around 5:30 pm, driving 290 west going 65 mph. No cars on either side of me and the next closest car 6 lengths of me, my car slammed on the brakes and alarmed. The sudden braking lasted 1-2 seconds.
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
while applying the brake i had complete brake failure. I learned the brake booter and master cylinder were leaking as describe in the recall.
Incident date: Feb 12, 2026
I have a 2015 Ram 1500, my experience is not unique and this issue is well known online. The ABS module (Part No: 68228991AD) is no longer working and my truck has been having an issue with this for about 3 years. The Parts departments in dealerships will typically say that the manufacturer is "looking" for a new contract parts supplier and say that a certain date is upcoming, but it always gets p... Read more
Incident date: Nov 9, 2025
2011-2024 Jeep JKU ABS module failure with no resolution for repair, This is supplemental information to complaint 11717461k The supplemental information will be uploaded as a PDF file
Incident date: Feb 6, 2025
In November 2025 my breaks quit working. I had AAA haul my car to a repair shop. They ran the codes on the car and found that it was related to a recall on 2021 BMW 540i's for the oil vacuum pump assembly, pan and gasket. I then had it towed to BMW and found out that my vin was not in the recall. BMW quoted me $4587 to repair this on a car with 45,000 miles. I then had it towed to a repair sh... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
k my abs and traction control and brake light came on my truck has 86k miles well took it and got it scanned said abs control module internal short so went on line to order one on back order and no date when available so went to dealer and they said no can’t get one nationwide back order so now my trucks brakes are not safe and i contacted ram with no response so idk wat to do and i thought car ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLE 350
(2021) - SERVICE BRAKES
Feb 12, 2026
Incident date: Jan 25, 2026
Jeep Wrangler JK ABS Module Issue: History, Stellantis Response, and Safety Concerns Background: The Discontinued ABS Module Problem Jeep Wrangler owners (particularly Wrangler JK models from 2011–2018) have been plagued by failures of the Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) control module – a critical component that controls the vehicle’s anti-lock brakes and stability control. The problematic pa... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2026
My abs, traction control, trailer brake lights are on. Error code C2200-49. What is worse; there are no parts! As I tow a camper it is a serious issue! I cannot understand why this issue is common with this vehicle but ram doesn’t have remedy. (Rebuild option or shock- have someone make spare parts for it) I will be forced to fix it myself with junk yard parts. Why is it so hard to get competen... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
I am writing to formally report a series of catastrophic and life-threatening mechanical and electronic failures in my 2025 Ford Explorer Active (VIN: [XXX] ]), purchased in Bogotá, Colombia. Despite immediately notifying the Ford Post-Sales Support Line after the first incident, the technical response was insufficient, leading to a second, more severe event that nearly resulted in a fatal high-... Read more
Incident date: Feb 10, 2026
When starting the car up and backing out of my garage It sounds like my rotors or brakes are grinding I took it to the dealer, and they told me that that was standard on the 2025 CRV. It is grinding so loud and hard like it is cutting into the rotors. I need someone to take responsibility.My car is only less than one year old.It will be one year on 2/20/2026. This is my seventh c r v and i've neve... Read more