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 117,788 complaints - component: STEERING
Incident date: Nov 2, 2023
During some Christmas shopping within the past few weeks, my cars power steering went out completely with no warning or sounds to repair or seek assistance. Not only was my life in danger, but the safety of others in the vehicles surrounding me. I couldn't even turn my wheel if I tried. There have been other instances in other cars where I could strong arm the wheel and be ok, but there was absolu... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Jul 16, 2024
Power steering stopped working suddenly. Truck was at the dealership for an oil change and the power steering stopped working. If you would have been on the highway this could be very dangerous especially if you are someone without a lot of arm strength because the steering becomes very difficult.
Incident date: Dec 16, 2024
CV joint axle. This car does not maintain its lane. Drives misaligned and sounds like there is a cracking noise like something is breaking under driverside steering wheel. Attention assist comes on often. This issue appeared shortly after purchasing 05/24. The vehicle had been inspected multiple times by Mercedes. Supposedly there were looks bolts underneath that were tightened. Problem persists e... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
steering wheel has excessive play. i have had it looked at by two different dealerships and they are trying to convince me that this is normal. there is about 1 inch of dead band in the straight-ahead position. the dead band movement of the steering wheel shaft does not move the pitman arm at all. the last time i took it to the dealership i asked if they could check the over center preload on the ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
When driving my vehicle the rear axle snapped causing the vehicle to fishtail. When checked by insurance company for repairs they found the Air suspension and rear axle snapped. It took out the air ride suspension, and bent 2 rims. It caused damage to the front fender as well as both interior wheel wells on the driver's side. Due to the suspension issue it caused a rock to come up and cracked wind... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2024
Intermittently failure of my power steering. Fluid is full, all components appear fine when inspected by mechanic. Upon further research discovered could be an issue with the circuit board. Unable to drive my truck due to the lack of power steering causing a major potential safety issue.
Incident date: Mar 12, 2024
My car catched on fire after my steering wheel light keep coming on and off and my Abs and break light was on couple days before it catched fire .
Fire
Incident date: Jun 13, 2024
HAS VERY STIFF STEERING,HARD TO KEEP CA,R GOING STRAIGHT,CAR WANTS TO WANDER FROM SIDE TO SIDE IN LANE. HAS 400 MILES ON IT.DID THIS WHEN NEW, GETTING WORST EVERY DAY.
Incident date: Aug 21, 2024
As we are driving on a highway the truck steering begins to fiercely and violently wobble and cause us to nearly have an accident. This is a serious issue and we want this addressed please. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
GRAND DESIGN
IMAGINE
(2021) - STEERING
Jan 1, 2025
Incident date: Aug 3, 2024
I brought my car in to the local dealer in Olympia WA for a routine oil change and inquired about a wobble when driving on the freeway. I was told that my 5 year tires (purchased less than 1 year ago$800 full set) needed replaced on the drivers side ($224) and that my car maybe out of alignment ($119). I inquired about the Sentra recalls and was told there aren’t any. This is concerning to me a... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The steering system appears to have malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to consistently pull to the right, even after multiple alignments with perfect specifications. This issue is ongoing, and the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at ri... Read more
Incident date: Nov 27, 2024
Truck loses power when you accelerate at any various moments. Forces you to put it in park and then I'll have to restart the engine and then it'll drive normal like nothing happen. Power steering is a little hard which cruise control doesn't work when this is happening.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
Vehicle Drive Shaft makes clicking noise at the CV Joint. Vehicle part is backordered due to nationwide shortage caused by vehicle defect on numerous 2024 Honda Prologues. There is no code on dashboard. Honda service has looked at vehicle and stated noise is caused by the CV joint for the drive shaft. Still says to drive due to backordered parts with no resolution. Vehicle has less than 6000 miles... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2024
Occasionally, while driving on normal roads, my steering wheel locks up completely when I am changing lanes or accelerating. This issue typically resolves only when I reduce my speed to around 20-30 mph. Details: - The problem occurs intermittently and without warning. - No warning lights or error messages appear on the dashboard when this happens. - I have already taken the vehicle to the dealer... Read more
Incident date: Nov 25, 2022
The horn on the steering wheel stopped working recently. Horns are important safety features on any vehicle, and electric vehicles are especially quiet so the horn is essential. The other buttons and scrollers on the steering wheel also stopped working. It's unclear if the airbag still functions.
Incident date: Oct 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Land Rover Range Rover. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message “Suspension Failure” was displayed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V840000 (Steering); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the front suspension u... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2024
Steering is becoming sticky while on roadway. Seems like it is developing hard spots.
Incident date: Dec 31, 2024
Steering stopped working during drive home. It is now at my house. Safety was impacted because it became problematic during the drive. I had an independent mechanic evaluate the car today, he stated that this make and model of a vehicle is known to have this problem, and diagnosed it with a need to replace the steering rack. A warning appeared during the drive right before we got home, now car won... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the messages "Tract Off" and "Service Power Steering" were displayed, and the steering wheel became very difficult to turn in either direction. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was inform... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2024
Power Assist Fault warning is displayed and the power steering stops working while driving causing a dangerous situation. Stopping the truck and turning off the ignition and restarting it clears it. This condition is becoming more frequent and harder to clear. The last occurence was 12/28/2024. It happened about 10-12 times in a row.
Incident date: Dec 9, 2024
Electronic power steering intermittent failure. Vehicles power steering ‘service now’ light comes on and abruptly shuts off power steering and will abruptly turn back on several miles/ days later. This causes a severe safety risk as the module will autocorrect steering mid turn or shutdown completely causing the vehicle to lose control. The problem has been reproduced by a third party mechan... Read more
Incident date: Nov 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the ABS and Traction Control warning messages had been displayed and the power steering had failed causing the steering wheel to become difficult to turn in each direction. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the steering column was faulty. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local... Read more
Incident date: Feb 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 30-40 MPH in cold weather, the vehicle started making an abnormal clunking and rattling sound near the wheels. The contact was unable to determine the source of the noise. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V091000 (SUSPENSION, STE... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
This happened on [XXX] in Oakland CA, it was a rainy day. I drove off the freeway and then parked the vehicle in the parking lot. The car was in idle mode. After about 10 minutes the engine started to stall, and then shut off completely. I tried to restart the engine but it failed. The dashboard showed an error message "Engine Stopped, Steering Power Low". I suspected that rainwater entered in... Read more
Incident date: Oct 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The service power steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the Power Steering Control Modul... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
2022 Jeep 4xe Rubicon, 13,000 Miles - At about 5,000 miles I first noticed an occasional wobble in the front end at speeds around 50mph or above. The wobble has progressively gotten worse and at around 9,000 miles has developed into a full blown "death wobble". At 60mph or above it is most likely to happen. When is does happen it is started by a small bump or depression (smaller than a pothole wil... Read more
FREIGHTLINER
CASCADIA
(2024) - STEERING
Dec 30, 2024
Incident date: Aug 19, 2024
It is hard to impossible to drive the truck in a straight line (compared to models without the smartvalves), and often drifts side to side randomly without any warning or feedback. The steering requires constant input, and the "feel" of the truck is not correct to allow intuitive steering. When driving in tight areas, I find that I need to stay at least a foot away from barriers or other objects... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2024
I PURCHASED THE TRUCK NEW, AND IT HAS NEVER EXPERIENCED THE DEATH WOBBLE UNTIL DEC.25, 2024. THE TRUCK NOW HAS ONLY 45K MILES ON IT. I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND HIT A ROUGH PATCH IN THE ROAD AT 70 MPH, AND THE TRUCK BEGAN TO VIBREATE AND SHAKING, MY SON WAS IN THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME AND SAID IT LOOKED LIKE THE CAB WAS GOING TO FALL OFF IT WAS SHAKING SO BAD. i HAVE TAKEN THE TRUCK TO TWO R... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
The steering wheel will often stick while turning at high speeds on the high way, causing forceful correction of the steering wheel for it to un stick. This also happens at moderate speeds on city roads. The force required to unstick the steering wheel can cause sharp swerving motions with the car. This can be unsafe.
Incident date: May 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated while his wife was driving 80 MPH, the steering wheel seized. The contact stopped the vehicle to regain control, and the steering wheel independently resumed normal functionality. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated the vehicle had been in the dealer’s possession for two weeks. The ma... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
When driving at least 45 mph+, the steering wheel "sticks" in a certain position. When trying to turn the opposite way, it takes more effort than normal, and it over corrects itself to a point of serious concern. I am afraid of my daughter's safety, as this is her car, and if she over corrects too much, it jerks in a way that would be in risk of an accident. This problem has gradually increased ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 25, 2024
Incident 12/29/2024 while making a stop at a Stop sign while making a left turn steering wheel broke free with no resistance what so ever??? Turned off the vehicle opened the hood discovered the intermediate steering shafts had separated??? retaining bolt missing causing shafts to slip out of each other, putting my life & passenger's at high risk how this happened there is no explanation to this f... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the steering wheel was constantly sticking. The failure caused the steering to become difficult to turn. There were warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was informed of the failure and confirmed that there were no recalls on the VIN related to steering. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired.... Read more
FORD
MUSTANG MACH E
(2024) - STEERING
Dec 30, 2024
Incident date: Dec 30, 2024
Headed westbound on 285 in Georgia; hit on passenger side front door and vehicle swerved several lanes and hit a wall going 60 miles per hour. The airbags did not deploy. I was injured badly and the vehicle was totaled.
Crash
1 injured
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2006) - STEERING
Dec 29, 2024
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
We were sitting in a parking lot and the car was started, the steering wheel was very difficult to turn. Yes, the vehicle is available for inspection. No one’s safety was at risk. This is the first time this has happened, we have had the car since July 2024, we have not taken it to a mechanic yet. The vehicle has not been inspected yet. There was no warning light or other symptoms prior to this ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2024
Truck has a random death wabble and differnt speeds. I've taken the truck to three differnt ford dealers multiple times and they alll can't find any worn parts, the dealers all with say ford knows there is a saftey issue with the trucks but don't have a real fix for the issue. several other ford owners have the same issues
Incident date: Aug 15, 2024
The clock spring that controls the steering wheel, horn and other electrical accessories doesn’t work. This put my life and family’s lives at risk. This is a known issue for Subarus 2015-2019. There’s multiple videos online, I have spoken to multiple owners personally that have encountered the same issue. I spoke to the Subaru dealer and they said due to no recall has been issued for the vin... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2024
My vehicle had a previous recall done concerning the steering - recall #24V022000 of 2024-01-17. That corrected a problem I was having with a 'notchy' feeling in the steering when going down a relatively straight road. The problem I am having now with the steering is different and IMO is more dangerous of an issue. The problem is a notchy and "locked" feeling when the steering wheel is turned a... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2024
In the dash bord power steering not aveleble warning also stop start not responding then servic charging....... not safe to drive this car at all. I had to go the dealership more than four times a year recently spending a lots of time and money. Again engen lights come up.
Incident date: Dec 29, 2024
Brought this vehicle and drove it for 1 month before power steering went out. I was driving on the interstate at a high speed when the power steering light came on. I was unable to steer the vehicle off the road so I had to stop on the interstate and call a tow truck.
Incident date: Dec 29, 2024
Steering not working correctly it is ver hard to turn steering wheel. Cluster lights went out so dashboard lights do not work, brake lights not working seems to be electrical problems with the vehicle
Incident date: Dec 28, 2024
Advanced power steering light came on and my steering wheel was hard to turn. The body underneath came apart, and the transmission recall is being handled by my attorney.
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
My 2024 Rav 4 showed a power steering level low message on my dash then powered off, after I was sitting in a parking lot for 10 mins in park, windshield wipers had been going that day. Tried restarting - vehicle did restart but seemed to have issues, was shaking slightly, let me drive for about a minute more in the parking lot then had a message showing to park in safe place and power steering l... Read more
FORD
ESCAPE HYBRID
(2023) - STEERING
Dec 28, 2024
Incident date: Oct 16, 2023
Electric steering assist failure, no previous warnings. Alert on dash to have steering system checked when putting truck in drive. Restart of engine did not correct. Extreme difficulty steering the vehicle. Will take to dealer for initial diagnosis.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
Steering is sticky while driving at highway speeds. Starts mild and increases stickiness over time. Has gotten worse over the years.
GRAND DESIGN
IMAGINE
(2023) - STEERING
Dec 28, 2024
Incident date: Dec 22, 2024
Power steering is sticky when turning wheel to left between 10 to 11 o clock position
Incident date: Dec 24, 2024
Truck became undrivable when power steering failed without warning. I was lucky to not have been on the road, otherwise it would've likely been a serious accident.
Incident date: Dec 4, 2024
The steering wheel jerks when driving.
Incident date: Dec 17, 2024
Active lane keeping function feature disengages without audible warning leading to multiple near collisions. Happens without warning or any particular trigger. Was brought to the kia specialist attention and he did not seem surprised or concerned. Happens almost every time this feature is utilized at some random point in the drive.