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: Apr 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V363000 (Steering); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a... Read more
DODGE
CHALLENGER
(2023) - STEERING
Jun 25, 2026
Incident date: May 12, 2026
Component Involved: Steering Wheel Assembly (Super Cruise Steering Wheel Light Bar / Rim)Safety Defect Description:The plastic insert covering the Super Cruise LED light bar and the surrounding leather wrap located directly on the top rim of the steering wheel are breaking apart, peeling, and separating. This is an immediate and severe driving safety hazard. While executing turns and maneuvering t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
Driving on [XXX] with my [XXX] plus son in the back seat on car babysitting seat. Was turning right to next lane for exit, the steering wheel got stiff, very hard to turn like locked up then airbag suddenly deployed immediately car went to left side hitting the curb. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
The vehicle has suffered a catastrophic, intermittent low-voltage network crash caused by a failing Body Control Module (BCM), resulting in multiple dangerous safety-critical failure modes. On a previous occasion, the vehicle woke up with severe network faults and automatically forced itself into Neutral. When the driver stepped out to get the child and shut the door, the system crashed entirely a... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2026
steering feels loose and jumpy. dealer said it was mis-aligned, but that didnt fix the issue. car feels disconnected from road at times and making it hard to keep straight.
Incident date: Jun 23, 2026
After getting my vehicle from the dealership my steering wheel was hard to turn , took it in and they replaced the struts (The old struts were binding). 6/7 Days later the same thing happened with the steering wheel. They had said it was a switch in the power steering and there was a safety recall and i would have to take it into a ford dealership. When i had called to make my appointment there wa... Read more
Incident date: Jun 24, 2026
Vehicle: 2024 Acura Integra Affected Component: Steering Gearbox Assembly / Electric Power Steering (EPS) Related Recall: NHTSA Campaign Number 24V-744 / Acura TSB 24-054 Description of Incident: My vehicle is actively experiencing the dangerous "sticky," heavy, and "notchy" steering defect outlined in NHTSA Campaign 24V-744, which causes a sudden increase in steering effort at highway speeds. Th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
With less than 10k miles I have excessive tire cupping. Upon a deep dive inspection of the motorcycle I found the bolts to the upper control arm coming loose/ backing out. Excessive amount of threads showing on all 4 corners of the control arm. I Contact the dealer, who informed me that this is normal. Doesn't look like it should be especially with grease showing on the bolts. I have examined othe... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2026
Car was leased on 2/2025, at the end of May 2026 I drove the car for a couple of days when I began to notice there was an issue when turning left. Anytime I made a left turn, the car would get stuck and would pull back to the right. When the left turn was being made, there would be a clicking sound from the front left side of the car. When driving straight, the car felt like it needed to pull to t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving and taking a curve, the vehicle failed to turn as needed. The contact stated that the steering wheel was extremely difficult to turn. The contact stated that the message “Steering Assist Reduced – Drive with Care” was displayed. The dealer was contacted, and a diagnostic test was pending. The manufacturer was n... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2026
The power steering for my 2022 Ram Promaster failed on 3/7/24. The safety issue this caused was that steering the van was nearly impossible. Fortunately, the failure occurred while I was in a parking lot. The van had to be towed to the local dealer. The defective parts were on backorder (part number 6TB16JXWAC Module-steering control) and arrived on 5/21/24. This was covered under warranty an... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2024
Power steering goes in and out while driving which causes the steering wheel to get very stiff and lose the ability to steer the half-ton vehicle. This is a huge flaw in the design and wildly unsafe
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
Steering column sensor issue reported by Hyundai dealership. This has happened a several times before causing the steering wheel to “lock up” when driving making it very hard to turn my wheel. I have had to pull over, stop, and turn off the car and then back on again, which resets it, and I’m able to drive as normal, until it happens again. This most recent time, 6/2026, I was able to take i... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2025
I am reporting a safety concern involving my vehicle’s steering system, front-end condition, and a recall I was not informed about. I brought the vehicle in for a routine tire rotation, at which time I was informed that the front camber was out of specification and that there was uneven wear on the front tires. An alignment was recommended. In addition, the vehicle is experiencing abnormal steer... Read more
HYUNDAI
SONATA HYBRID
(2025) - STEERING
Jun 24, 2026
Incident date: Feb 10, 2026
When driving the truck the power steering would go out and make the truck almost impossible to turn. This is dangerous when driving as you cannot turn, avoid a collision, etc. I've had vehicles without power steering, and this was like the truck is actively pulling against you when trying to turn. The dealership did a diagnostic and said the power steering rack (electronic) needs to be replaced c... Read more
HYUNDAI
IONIQ HYBRID
(2017) - STEERING
Jun 24, 2026
Incident date: May 13, 2026
Bought my vehicle from a dealership advertised as Ford gold certified. Immediately after taking delivery of the car, the steering had an issue. Above ~30 mph the steering wheel does not reliably return to center on it's own. Forcing the driver to manually re-center the wheel. Meaning that if I take my hands off the wheel while turning, the car continues turning in that directly. Brought to the dea... Read more
Incident date: May 28, 2026
Death Wobble. Going over 70 or under 30. Violently shakes the steering wheel and causes driver to lose control. More than once have I gone off the roadway.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
2019 Honda CRV steering problem -- steering binding at highway speeds; ratcheting feeling. Possibly worm gear spring defect. I must constantly tug at my steering wheel to keep the SUV in my lane at speeds over 50 mph. I've mentioned this to my dealer two times now and they don't seem to know about the problem. There is a recall for this on other Honda models -- why hasn't a recall been announc... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2026
Steering wheel has been “sticking” and getting worse the last six months. When I look up recalls online, it shows this specific issue for 2018 Honda CRV but not my VIN. From reading online this could be a serious issue so I’m going to have to go ahead and get the car fixed but would like to be advised if and when a recall comes out to fix the steering issue.
Incident date: Jun 24, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while attempting to make a left or right turn, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. Neither the dealer nor an independent was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V744000 (STEERING). The ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 19, 2026
While driving and making a turn at a busy, high-traffic intersection, a red steering service warning message/light suddenly appeared on the dashboard. Immediately after the warning appeared, the steering became extremely difficult to operate and felt as though it had locked or jammed. I had to use significant force to turn the steering wheel in order to complete the turn. At the same time, a box ... Read more
ALFA ROMEO
TONALE
(2024) - STEERING
Jun 24, 2026
Incident date: Jun 24, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the power steering feature was intermittently inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. A technician attempted to diagnose the vehicle, but no diagnostic trouble codes were retrieved. The contact was informed that the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that the failure had progressively worsened, causing the ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2026
When driving, initial steering input requires excessive torque to initiate direction, causing oversteer which has to be readjusted with opposite input. I consider this a safety concern.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2020
After driving for approximately 30-minutes in a heavy rain i pulled over and the automatic engine shutoff feature activated while i was waiting to go inside for an appointment. When attempting to restart the car, the engine would start but then shut off showing a "low power steering" warning message on my dash. The problem persisted for approximately 15-20 minutes. Eventually after about 10 attemp... Read more
Incident date: May 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH and driving around a curve, the steering wheel was turned; however, the vehicle failed to respond and crashed into a guardrail. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V626000 (Steering). There was extreme damage to the underbody of the vehicle, and several parts were separated from the vehicl... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jun 24, 2026
While driving the steering wheel will jerk and pull the wheel to the right then have no power steering at all. This has happened three times now with one time I ran off the road while going around a corner , luckily on a fm road with no traffic. I have to stop turn the vehicle off wait a few minutes then restart and it is fine again for awhile. I used a code reader to find a torque shaft sensor co... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2026
I purchased a used 2022 Honda HR-V with approximately 32,000 miles. Upon experiencing severe steering anomalies, a professional mechanical inspection revealed that a non-compliant, off-market/aftermarket steering rack had been installed on the vehicle. This was done without my knowledge or disclosure at the time of sale.This unapproved component presents an immediate safety risk of sudden steering... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist, the speedometer was inoperable, and the transmission failed to shift into gear. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who inspected the brakes and reset the check engine warning light, ... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2026
I started the vehicle and steering wheel was frozen and EPS, Brake, and lane departure lights on the dash. I shut the car off and let it sit for five minutes. Restarted and the steering wheel came back to normal. but all light remained on. I drove the car about half a mile and the lights went off. When I got home, I shut the car off and started it again. The wheel was frozen again, and all the lig... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Gladiator. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V363000 (Steering); 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Incident date: Jun 10, 2026
I have noticed a hesitation in the steering of my 2022 Honda CR-V. I can only describe it as a knock but it's a feeling rather than a sound. It's like a "hitch" or "catch" in what should be a smooth motion. I initially though it was something temporary, maybe weather related but it's continued and I now see others reporting the same issue online. It seems this was covered in a recall of 2023 -... Read more
Incident date: Jun 22, 2026
Steering feels catchy or like it is hesitating
Incident date: Jun 12, 2026
We have a video of the incident from our ring camera: [XXX] My daughter pulled our 2022 Bronco Sport out of our driveway onto [XXX] and then made a right turn onto [XXX] After completing the turn, my daughter said the car pulled to the right like the lane assist kicked in and locked and would not allow her to turn the wheel. My daughter does not remember if any warning lights or messages lit up... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Feb 24, 2026
I am experiencing an intermittent "sticky" and stiff steering sensation while driving my 2018 Honda Civic EX-T at highway speeds (between 60–70 mph). While attempting to maintain a straight line on the freeway, the steering wheel resists minor, smooth adjustments and feels briefly locked or stuck. When I apply extra physical force to override the resistance, the steering suddenly releases, which... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
E 350
(2025) - STEERING
Jun 23, 2026
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
My 2018 Honda Civic is experiencing dangerous steering wheel sticking/binding while driving at highway speeds, accompanied by heavy creaking at full turn. My VIN is not included in the existing electronic steering rack recall, but the vehicle is exhibiting the exact mechanical failure symptoms described in Campaign 18V663000
Incident date: Jun 22, 2026
Brake caliphers went bad 2 days after I purchased, now a heavy humming sound that I literally feel vibration in my seat, loud weird noise when making sharp turns, turning the wheel while in park grinding noise, loud rumbling when air conditioner is on, jerking forward when press on gas. This car is horrible
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2017) - STEERING
Jun 23, 2026
Incident date: Feb 7, 2026
While shift gear into drive the gear came loose. And then when attempting to shift gear into park shift wouldnt go into park.
Incident date: Jun 17, 2026
I was just driving and I lost power steering, it was incredibly difficult to steer and it was Heavy Steering, and warnings appeared on the dash.
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
While driving and turning, the car loses power steering. This has happened multiple times to my wife at lower driving speeds. These disconcerting safety incidents have randomly occurred without warning since the first week of May. The incident was first reported and taken to the Hyundai dealership on May 6th. The dealer looked at the car and stated no issues with steering. It has occurred multiple... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2026
On May 2, 2026, I took my 2024 Mazda CX‑90 to Mazda of Orange because the steering wheel was getting stuck and there was a loud chirping noise when turning the car on and off. The dealership kept my car for 28 days. When I picked it up, they told me the noise was fixed. After three days, the noise returned. The next morning, the car would not start, so I had to jump it and take it back. They sa... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2026
My husband was driving our 2022 Honda Accord home eastbound on [XXX] on Friday, [XXX] from Oswego to Saratoga Springs from a funeral. It was extremely hot that day. It started to rain and he was going the speed limit and the steering locked up. He ended up doing at least one 360 possible two and then hit the guardrail. We never had a recall on our steering but a lot of issues while driving on t... Read more
Crash
Incident date: May 15, 2026
For past nine months vehicle power steering intermittently stops working while operating vehicle. Inquired with dealer about NHTSA recall VB8 ... NHTSA 19V757000. Dealer indicates my vehicle VIN is not included in this recall. However, this is a manufacturing issue that has been identified in other 2019 RAM 1500. This problem is a serious safety risk--especially, not knowing the moment when th... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2021) - STEERING
Jun 23, 2026
Incident date: Jun 19, 2026
Violent front-end oscillation at 65 mph after hitting a bump, resulting in temporary loss of vehicle control. Happened y times. All at legal highway speeds. I had to bring the shuddering vehicle across multiple lanes of traffic to pull over and stop the vehicle to stop the violent shuddering. Vehicle is stock.
FORD
EXPLORER HYBRID
(2022) - STEERING
Jun 23, 2026
Incident date: Aug 30, 2025
2023 Honda CR-V, purchased new in Mar 2023 from Friendly Honda, Poughkeepsie, NY. All regular service completed at Lia Honda, Brewster, NY. On [XXX], car was driven without incident and parked inside a garage. On [XXX] upon ignition, car immediately displayed a “christmas tree” of warnings for every major system, including but not limited to: Electric Power Steering, AWD, Adaptive Cruise Con... Read more
HONDA
CR-V HYBRID
(2023) - STEERING
Jun 23, 2026
Incident date: Jun 19, 2026
Vibration at low speed when turning. hangs in position during turning creating safety issue because the steering wheel needs to be yanked in the opposite direction. steering wheel locks in position at speed unable to turn at all. entire front end has been preplaced except for rack and pinion / electronic steering box happens every time the vehicle is driven
Incident date: Apr 2, 2026
Hi! I [XXX] [XXX] my vehicle streeing wheel struck or lock when the vehicle slow down or stopped. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
My 2022 Jeep Wrangler is subject to NHTSA Recall 26V363000 involving power steering wiring that may overheat and cause a vehicle fire. I was advised of the safety risk and informed that repair parts are not expected to be available until approximately August 2026. Due to the risk of fire, I do not feel safe keeping this vehicle at my home or parked near my residence until the recall repair is com... Read more
Incident date: Jun 22, 2026
DAS issue that I have been dealing with for two months now, issue is still not resolved even after taking out a personal loan for 6k to fix the modules at Douglas Infiniti, waited weeks for the modules, they replaced the modules, did the calibration but a new issue is happening where I'm losing control for a split second and the car would either pull to the left or right egregiously. I took it to ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Land Rover Range Rover Sport. The contact stated that while driving 2 MPH in the driveway, the rear latch opened unexpectedly. The trunk ajar message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V514000 (Steering) and 19V390000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The contact was informed that the parts were not yet available. ... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER SPORT
(2016) - STEERING
Jun 23, 2026
Incident date: May 31, 2026
The electronic steering suddenly went out while driving. Became an intermittent issue for a couple days and then fully died all the components and fuses have been checked. Just a service steering light on the dash is on, once the problem started. I am an independent technician. The vehicle can be inspected at any time. There was no warnings or any symptoms the power steering just turned off and b... Read more