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: Oct 1, 2025
This is a common issue with these S197 Mustangs. The steering position sensor failed. While driving, this can cause the "Service Advancetrac" warning to come on, meanwhile the wheels spin at different speeds as the car attempts to correct a low traction scenario that isn't happening, causing the driver to crash. This caused me to temporarily lose control of my vehicle. Luckily I didn't hit anythin... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2024) - STEERING
May 16, 2026
Incident date: May 10, 2026
Purchased truck on May 5th. May 7th scuba valve went bed causing air suspension failure. Low voltage system had critical safety failure causing loss of steering and throttle control. Received vehicle back from Tesla shop said they could not repay the issue. Next day while driving system had total low voltage crash resulting in vehicle loosing all power. Loss of steering no throttle response all sy... Read more
TESLA
CYBERTRUCK
(2026) - STEERING
May 16, 2026
Incident date: May 7, 2026
While driving, car engine stutters and stops. The infotainment system went black while driving. The system is hard to steer often while turning. The trunk would not open when touching button for it to open. Took out the key fob and it also would not respond. Used the door release from dash and still would not open. Cancel the control unit then tried again and key fob worked that time. I went to de... Read more
TESLA
CYBERTRUCK
(2024) - STEERING
May 16, 2026
Incident date: Nov 19, 2025
I was slowing down to turn left and felt a stutter, like when antilock brakes activate. Then a red triangle appeared on the display on the dash that said something like "pull over safely vehicle will turn off soon." I came to a stop to wait for oncoming traffic. When I hit the gas again it had barely any power and the power steering had disengaged. I was able to get through the left turn at about... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2026
the steering on the '25 Hybrid Sport L is a little loose? Even small movements make the car drift, and it's hard to keep it straight. the feels like the car won’t track straight. The Lane keep assist does not work like the 10th gen. It’s like a ping pong bouncing off the lines. Who’s experiencing this as well.
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
When turning on gradual curves at highway speeds the steering sticks then suddenly releases resulting in the need to correct the steering in the opposite direction rapidly. This could cause the driver to over-correct the steering leading to a potential accident. From what I understand, Honda is recommending a full steering rack replacement which is estimated between $3k-$5k+. Serious issue.
Incident date: May 14, 2026
The steering is tight/sticking when I back out of my driveway or drive slowly around turns. It does seem stiff on highway speeds as well. Also my auto stop start check light is on about 2 months after replacing both batteries and I did have the recall somewhat associated with this completed
Incident date: May 14, 2026
We purchased this vehicle used from Mazda of Orange in July 2025 with 52,399 miles on it. After 6 months of ownership and approximately 3,000 miles there was a burning smell. We took it to our local mechanic and the following repairs were required: Replacement of cracked belts, Replacement of cracked axle boots, Replacement of an excessively loose front axle, Replacement of valve cover gasket. ... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2026
This vehicle makes a noise that sounds like your driving over rumble strips. The front end shakes and there is a hard vibration. I purchased this vehicle used on 5/5/26 and it’s been in the dealership twice already. The Onstar module is defective and now this noise and vibration. The shaking starts upon accelerating. The dealership, Central GMC/Buick of Jonesboro, AR. told me that GM knew about ... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while steering the vehicle at various speeds, an abnormal, grinding sound would emit from the vehicle without warning. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that the vehicle was NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V162000(SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). The contact made an appointment and spoke with the dealer about the failure. The contact was in... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2021) - STEERING
May 15, 2026
Incident date: Apr 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated that while the fiancé was driving approximately 30 MPH, and turning left the power steering and power brake suddenly failed causing the fiancé to loose control of the steering and and crash to a traffic pole. The contact indicated that prior to the incident the crash detection warning light had activated. During the crash the air bags dep... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: May 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Land Rover Range Rover Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V514000 (Steering); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was notified of the failure and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The ma... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2026
We experienced power steering failure. Our steering wheel control was taken over while backing out of our driveway and while driving on a highway. When this happens, you can’t turn the wheel. It becomes locked and then you become stuck. It is extremely unsafe and put our whole family at risk of getting in an accident. It is currently sitting at the dealership and has been there for weeks. We hav... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHXL
(2026) - STEERING
May 15, 2026
Incident date: Feb 20, 2026
Steering is sticking on center which is causing the driver to oversteering when trying to turn steering wheel from off center. No warning light. Car is scheduled to go to the dealer for inspection.
Incident date: Jan 20, 2026
Subject: Request for Re-Evaluation and Expansion of Recall 23V-770 – Steering Gear Failure I am submitting this letter to formally request that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) re-evaluate Recall 23V-770 concerning defective steering gear assemblies and investigate additional affected vehicles from the 2022 model year. Vehicles sold during the 2022 production year appe... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2024
With speeds in excess of 70 MPH, the car have a violent shake. The shake gets worse as you approach 80 MPH. This is in both the 2025 and 2026 Ford Expedition models. This put drivers at risk, as they must keep control of the car at all times on the highway if they are in excess of 70 MPH. The car has already been inspected by Ford and they did a road balance test and replaced one tire. The car sti... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
Steering is ‘sticky’ at highway speeds, doesnt hold on center, steering wheel gives impression of being stuck.
Incident date: May 15, 2026
The vehicle experienced a sudden steering malfunction involving the electronic steering gear. While backing out of a parking structure, the steering wheel suddenly jerked and locked instead of naturally correcting, resulting in collision with a pillar. There were no warning lights, steering fault messages, or prior symptoms before the incident. Restarting the vehicle did not resolve the issue. Th... Read more
Crash
Incident date: May 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized with no warning. warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an unrelated failure, and during the inspection, the mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with a failed rack and pinion steering assembly that needed to be replaced. The vehi... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2026
My 2017 Tesla Model X (VIN: [XXX] ) is experiencing stiff and binding steering caused by corrosion at the lower steering column I-shaft universal joint. The steering intermittently binds and resists normal turning force, which has caused Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system to disengage due to abnormal steering resistance — a direct safety concern. Tesla’s own Service Bulletin SB-20-32-004... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Acura RLX. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at an undisclosed speed, the power steering became inoperable, the vehicle steering wheel veered left or right and is misaligned. The warning lights lane departure, forward collision, all wheel steering, power steering and other warning indicators illuminated. In another occurrence, a noise could be heard.... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 RAM 3500. The contact stated that when he took his vehicle to be aligned, he was advised that the vehicle was not able to be aligned, due to a previous recall repair where the drag link was welded unless the drag link was replaced. The manufacturer was notified of this issue. The failure mileage was approximately 55,526.
Incident date: May 14, 2026
Had steering centering go out. Data cable pinched or broken somewhere in system and transmission got out. Also 4x4 system went out.
Incident date: Feb 1, 2025
Power steering assist fault while driving with total loss of power steering. Caused difficult steering, particularly at low speed and made for a dangerous driving situation with what seemed like complete loss of steering ability. Power steering fault and lane keeping assist failure warnings lit on display at the same time. Vehicle was towed to dealership and problem was isolated to steering module... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
While driving on the highway, I first noticed the vehicle becoming difficult to steer. The steering felt unusually heavy and sluggish, as if power steering assistance was reduced or failing. Shortly after this began, multiple warning lights illuminated across the dashboard. At that point, braking performance also became severely compromised. The brake pedal felt soft and traveled nearly to the fl... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2026
I recently purchased my vehicle from Big Star Dealership in Baytown Tx. At a little over 1000 miles i was towing a camper. The vehicle stalled, fuel pouring from engine. It was towed and repaired due to fuel pump failure. At a little over 3000 miles the vehicle would not start. Dealership initially said water contamination then changed it and said gasoline contamination and now they say DEF c... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
After returning to my vehicle, I received an alert that the chassis stabilization system had a fault. The car was free, rolling and had no parking brake while it was on an incline. There was zero ability to turn the steering wheel. I consider this a life-threatening safety issue.
Incident date: May 14, 2026
I have had my vehicle in the dealer on 4 or 5 occasions, where the issue persisted, where the steering wheel made a clicking noise. I was able to duplicate the issue for the dealer a few times, and they were unable to fix it. The dealer replaced the master cylinder, the steering rack was adjusted, and still the issue persists. After many trips to the dealer, I got sick and tired and got into an ar... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2026
Electronic Steering Column Lock (ESCL) failed leaving me stranded as car was unable to start. There was a recall on the 2009 model but not my 2008 even with identical part.
Incident date: May 13, 2026
While driving on a high-speed interstate with two children in the vehicle, and without any prior warning signs or issues, the dashboard began displaying sequential warnings from multiple Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) sensors. As the vehicle continued cycling through numerous dashboard warnings, the power steering failed, making the vehicle difficult to control. Additional electronic sy... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
STICKY STEERING WHEN TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS
Incident date: May 9, 2026
Our 2012 Ford Fusion had a sudden and complete loss of power steering & “Power Steering Assist Fault’ flashed on dash. The steering immediately became extremely difficult to operate, requiring both hands and excessive physical force just to turn the wheel. It felt less like driving a passenger car and more like wrestling a fully loaded dump truck with flat tires. This created a serious safety... Read more
Incident date: Apr 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Forcus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed power steering pump. The contact was informed that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2022) - STEERING
May 14, 2026
Incident date: Dec 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Mazda. The contact stated that the vehicle was braking randomly while driving. There was an unknown malfunction code that flashed quickly. The steering was stiff and failed to turn. The steering wheel adjusted and guided the vehicle into the wrong lane. The RPM was sporadically reeving. The RPM increased, and the vehicle stalled without acceleration. There was smoke emergin... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
Nissan had a recall 2 years ago for a tie rod issue. When I brought the car in for that recall Nissan said that the tie rods showed no sign of bending so they didn't replace them. Two years later my car is not steering correctly and making noises. I find out that Nissan has a new tie rod recall (recall R23B3, NHTSA #23V-581) that requires the tie rods to be changed regardless if they show any sign... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2022) - STEERING
May 14, 2026
Incident date: Apr 5, 2026
Vehicle: 2019 Land Rover Range Rover Sport HSE While driving approximately 65-70 mph, a red battery/charging warning appeared instructing me to pull over immediately. Within approximately 3-5 minutes, the vehicle rapidly lost electrical power and became completely disabled while driving. EVERYTHING in my car started shutting down; no air, no lights, no steering. Steering and vehicle functions beca... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER SPORT
(2019) - STEERING
May 14, 2026
Incident date: Mar 5, 2026
Thermostat failure causes steering assist to be reduced. This leaves more difficult steering especially in an emergency situation, thus a safety concern. The vehicle displays a warning: "Steering Assist Is Reduced, Drive with care". An internet search shows this is a well-known problem across all General Motor vehicles. This is also indicated by the technician notes on my repair invoice that a bul... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
Hybrid battery failed causing electrical issues. - Fix in October 2024. During this time Service repair for the recall related to the power steering. Car became jerky and would lose the ability to hold turns. Took to mazda and told there was a gear housing need to be replaced. Was quoted at 4000 for the repair due to car having 49000. Mazda customer service stepped in and dropped the price i... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
I took my car to have recalls fixed. The next time I drove it after that my power steering shut off while driving. The warning lights for "Hill Start Assist Not Available" and "Service AdvanceTrac" came on. After some research it looks like I have the exact problem for recall 19S26. However when I called the dealership they couldn’t find the documentation if they fixed this or not on my vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
When first started sometimes power steering does not work. Temporary fix is to restart the car. It's gone out while I was driving. This is very scary and hard to turn when it goes out.
Incident date: May 8, 2026
On 2 seperate occassions I had a wheel on my 2019 Toyota Tacoma come off while driving. Both after Toyota signed off on work orders and bill of sales showing they accessed the wheels. On 4/11/26 the front left drivers side fell off. Upon picking it up after repairs on April 28, May 6th the left rear wheel fell off while driving again. My safety could have been fatal but luckily no injuries ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: May 9, 2026
Steering randomly sticks while turning and requires some force to release. Seems to happen most just off center and while turning left.
Incident date: Sep 25, 2025
I keep getting this warning "Action Required Steering Assist Is Reduced Drive With Care" . This warning has occurred randomly for several years. Recently, after getting this warning the check engine light came on and the engine temp gauge stopped indicating. I have seen a bulletin from GM that this condition is covered under a 'special warranty extension' for a single model year, but it is c... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2026
2020 Cherokee owner from dealer purchased as CPO w/23k miles in 2023. Shortly after purchase rear differential failed and was replaced under warranty at 25k miles. At 42k full Steering Rack failure. Daughter on 5 hour drive home from college experienced a completely random failure at highway speeds. Failure occurred with zero warning. It was a dangerous situation. Dealer quoting $3600 to repair.... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
The first code it threw was for the master air flow sensor then it started bogging out not going over 1RPM -throwing the code "P17F0 CVT Judder" and has left me in some really,really bad situations in traffic, and when it boggs down like that (no matter how many times I turn it off and restart it, even if the battery drains all the way out and I have to get a jump) I have to wait two hours after ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2026
2024 Toyota Camry in 50000+ miles. While driving, a warning sign on dash stating Steering Power Low. Steering was loosing power became hard to turn. After few seconds, warning sign disappeared car went back normal. It happened times in last few days.
Incident date: Sep 19, 2024
The truck was working fine, went to start it and the trucks electric power steering was no longer working. We brought to shop and got an est of $3,000-$4,000 to fix the repair. We didnt have the money at the time and brought the truck home. It proceeded to work randomly after a turn but next start up failed to work and has been like this for a year. There is a warning like that comes on that says ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 19, 2024
When the vehicle was started, the steering wheel was impossible to turn. A message on the dash showed “Steering assist fault, Service required”. After shutting the vehicle off and restarting, the power steering was restored. The problem persisted on 2 more vehicle starts on the same day.
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2019) - STEERING
May 13, 2026
Incident date: May 11, 2026
Component/System: Steering System (Electronic Power Steering / Steering Rack) What happened? I am experiencing a recurring and escalating failure of the steering system on my Mazda CX-90 PHEV. Currently, the steering wheel momentarily "locks up" or experiences a sudden, significant increase in resistance (stickiness) during left turns, especially when a large steering angle is applied. This occur... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
Driving downhill at 70mph on highway. crossed from #2 lane to #1 lane. I did not hit any potholes, I believe I just drove over the "bot dots". This started the "death wobble", the uncontrolled oscillations in the front suspension/tires. I had to take my foot off the accelerator and let the vehicle come down to about 35mph before the violent shaking stopped. I could reproduce this on my own by hitt... Read more