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 116,327 complaints — component: STEERING
Incident date: Jul 15, 2024
My wheels will not stay aligned. I’ve had all the property services done to the car, and extra, by a Honda Dealer. I have 8 repair records to alignment on a new car, in under 18 months. Under my state of Virginia laws, only three safety fixes on a car authorize the car as a ‘dud’ and should be a buy back. Honda Corp has in their possession all documents and all notices needed under the law, ... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2026
While driving my 2015 Ram 1500, I was exiting the freeway and attempting to merge into traffic when the electric power steering system appeared to fail or malfunction. The steering suddenly became very stiff, and I struggled to turn the steering wheel while trying to safely merge. Shortly after the steering became difficult to control, the power steering warning light came on. This created a safe... Read more
Incident date: May 23, 2026
During normal driving in rainy conditions, I experienced a sudden and unexpected loss of vehicle control involving steering behavior. At the time of the incident, the lane-keeping/driver-assist system was active, and I had both hands on the steering wheel while actively controlling the vehicle. Without any prior warning lights, dashboard messages, or alerts, the vehicle suddenly began to behave ab... Read more
Crash
3 injured
Incident date: May 22, 2026
While driving the vehicle on a long straight road the steering would bind while driving straight. When moving the steering wheel to make any slight adjustments it'd stick and force me to over or understeer left or right of center making the vehicle very unsafe to drive and hold a straight course on the highway. I've only noticed this happening at highway speeds. It was very scary to drive because ... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER
(2017) — STEERING
May 25, 2026
Incident date: May 20, 2024
On [XXX], my 2017 Land Rover Range Rover HSE Td6 diesel (VIN: [XXX] ) suffered a complete, catastrophic engine failure without warning at approximately 70 mph on [XXX] . My wife and our two infant sons (ages [XXX] and [XXX] ) were passengers. There were no prior warning lights or symptoms. The engine stopped instantaneously, eliminating power steering and power brakes while I was overtaking a sem... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2025
Steering locked up with all warning lights lite up. No control over vehicle. Yes this put all people in the vehicle at risk of death or injury. This happened at an intersection while making a turn-no other vehicles were at the intersection- if there had been or had this happened entering an interstate highway or turning onto a high speed road could have been hit from several directions. Not re... Read more
Incident date: May 24, 2026
My lower control arm weld has cracked. It was checked shortly after purchase and passed inspection at the Chevy garage in Elkins, WV. Now the weld is cracked on both driver and passenger sides and it making a clunking sound. I do not feel safe to drive this vehicle. This problem should of been fixed when the recall came out, they should of replaced with new parts. My husband Inspected the problem... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2021) — STEERING
May 25, 2026
Incident date: May 24, 2026
My truck will not start when I press the push-button ignition. After waiting a few seconds and trying multiple times, it typically starts on the third attempt. Additionally, it will not restart after the auto stop feature activates at stop signs or traffic lights. This is very concerning, especially when pulling into oncoming traffic, as I’m worried the truck could shut off while I’m crossing.... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
Hello, I am reporting a steering-related issue involving the inner tie rods on my 2021 Nissan Sentra. Nissan previously issued safety recall campaign PM985 for bent inner tie rods on certain Sentra vehicles from the same model year. Two separate repair facilities inspected my vehicle and confirmed problems involving the inner tie rods and steering system components. No warning lamps or dashboard m... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2026
My truck after doing all the symptoms stated in the recall a ford technician deemed it unsafe to drive has been grounded since May 9th the dealer nor ford manufacture will give me a rental.or help in anyway..so June 9th will be 30 days for a truck I cant drive and still making payments and have full coverage on that I have to pay for it would appreciate if ford would help or buy it back
FORD
FUSION HYBRID
(2013) — STEERING
May 25, 2026
Incident date: May 23, 2026
While driving a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid Titanium (approximately 157,000 miles), the Electronic Power-Assisted Steering (EPAS) system suddenly failed without warning during heavy rain in Philadelphia, PA. I was driving near the riverfront area by [XXX] when the steering immediately became extremely stiff and difficult to turn. No prior warning lights or steering-related symptoms were present befor... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2026
I was driving my brand new 2025 Kia Telluride that was purchased from the dealership 3 weeks before the incident. The engine died while driving approximately 40 mph on a flat road. The engine died and then there was a loud beeping and a flashing alert on the dashboard in the circle where the righthand indicator camera view appears that said, “Engine Off-Shift to P or N then start engine.” This... Read more
TOYOTA
GRAND HIGHLANDER
(2025) — STEERING
May 25, 2026
Incident date: May 21, 2026
While driving my new Grand Highlander, I have experienced a serious and recurring safety issue. Even with lane assist turned off, the vehicle automatically steers to the right when I exit a regular highway — apparently misinterpreting the widening road as a lane shift. When this happens, the steering overrides my input and I am forced to pull the wheel hard to regain control and stay in my lane.... Read more
Incident date: May 24, 2026
My 2022 Honda CRV is experiencing a "STICKY or CATCHING" steering wheel under normal driving conditions. The vehicle will not self-correct to the center unless some manual effort is attempted. (Especially when re-centering from a left-hand curve). The issue has become increasingly more pronounced over time. It became apparent that this was a design flaw once I began to investigate the problem on... Read more
Incident date: Apr 19, 2026
The vehicle's power steering does not work properly, especially at slow speeds and when attempting to back up. However, it has also failed while traveling on the interstate highway at high speeds. When you attempt to make a turn, the power steering feels like it is fighting you and wants to pull the vehicle back in the opposite direction. I took the vehicle in to be serviced, and they replaced ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2026
I had a red sign on dashboard saying:*chassis failure, park the car carefully.* the car was towed to Porshe. And, was released after one week as safe to drive and dismissed the sign as a glitch. The second day of releasing the car, I had a major accident while parking the car in the garage. The accident resulted in damage to the outer wall and to cabinets. I requested an investigation of the car a... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 7, 2026
Notice the steering seems to be sticking on slight movement of the steering wheel. Later noticed clicking notice associated with the sticking. When making turning the sticking and notice seem to get louder. Steering wheel feels like something is loose.
Incident date: May 22, 2026
Death wobble almost caused me to go head on with a semi at 57mph.. it doesn’t matter the speed either . I’ve had it to two different dealerships they replace the steering stabilizer that made it worse . They tell me it doesn’t do it when they have it .It’s been aligned 4 times replaced tires and it’s getting worse. Something needs to be done I know several people with this issue. And I k... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
Se traba y se pone duro el "gobierno" junto con la cremallera electroasistida el volante no gira ni con el carro prendido, no eh echo uso de la campaña 15S18, nunca ah Sido asistido por el fabricante Ford, ni mucho menos lo eh metido a un taller de servicio independiente ni con aseguradoras y no me marco algún sensor del tablero antes de que me sucediera este problema con la "dirección asistida... Read more
Incident date: May 23, 2026
I purchased this vehicle at the end of February 2026. Since the purchase this vehicle has on numerous occasions for no reason applied the brakes and made the steering wheel shake. This has almost caused an accident on several occasions, with today another instance on 5-23-2026. I would turn the system off but from what I understand it re-engages itself after every drive. I like the vehicle but im... Read more
Incident date: May 21, 2026
I took my vehicle into the dealership. Almost three weeks ago for a recall on the front end, a steering component. However, they told us that the parts were back ordered several days after the vehicle had been there for three weeks. And then all of a sudden, they call and a week and a 1 after that. And send a vehicle is done. I picked up the vehicle yesterday and it is not fixed. The problem still... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
My pillar are coming off to the point when it rains water get inside my car. It’s messed up my system in my car. I can’t close my sun roof and water comes down from my lights that’s above my head where you put your sunny sunglasses in. I been calling around and still haven’t got no where.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
The clicking and ratchet sounds that my vehicle make while driving, but especially while turning/reversing along with the looser feeling of the steering during these times. It seems very unsafe almost like the axle is going to break while driving. Only had vehicle for 3 months.
Incident date: Jun 16, 2025
Intermittent abs brake light on return trip in June 2025 diagnosed as a bad abs module. Dealer did not have any stated on back order, now almost a year later as of 5/20/26 Jim Browne Chrysler still states module on back order. And as you know there are no aftermarket parts for replacement. With this issue it keeps other functions of the truck from working. This has been way too long for the gover... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2026
I own a 2023 Toyota Tundra that is part of the major engine recall due to machining debris in the 3.4L V6 engine. A few days prior to the failure, I called the dealership to raise concerns that the acceleration was starting to not act right. Despite this, while driving at 70 mph on the highway yesterday (May 22, 2026), the engine suddenly failed and died without any prior warning, it is my belief ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 2026
I was driving on a busy highway at a high but legal speed. For a few seconds the vehicle appeared to reset. I lost control and the screen went blank. It was a miracle I did not hit another vehicle. I contacted the dealer and they stated unless it was happening frequently - there is nothing they could do. I spent hours on the phone with the dealer attempting to schedule an appointment, they st... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
P0128CODE P0024 CODE SECOND Cam Shaft sensor failure Thermostat failure, stuck open Electrical issues from low battery power Failure to shift to park when shutting off vehicle
Incident date: May 22, 2026
Sticking steering during gradual turning from 30-70mph.
Incident date: May 21, 2026
The 2010 Ford fusion has 2584 complaints the second highest from 2010 to 2014; mine has been giving me intermittent issues for 3 years now and some times there is no error code and inspection cannot find anything wrong- but for 2010 year their has been none even though those years are the same generation car. Thats not fair stopping at 2011-the 2010 is the same car with the same issue-issue a reca... Read more
Incident date: May 17, 2026
After an over the air software update this past week 2026.14.6 my Tesla Model 3 power steering has failed. EPAS shows ACTICE in service mode, calibration was successfully completed and there are no active EPAS/rack faults. Power steering assists at higher speeds but fails below 20mph. Tesla has a history of steering related software problems and needs to take ownership of the problem.
Incident date: May 10, 2026
Steering randomly will fail to return to center in turns, causing the driver to have to manually turn wheel back to center. Happens in both sharp and sweeping turns in both the left and right direction while accelerating, decelerating, and maintaining speed. Issue occurs several times a week. I nearly hit an oncoming car head-on in a very gentle sweeping left hand turn on May 10th when my Bolt ... Read more
Incident date: May 7, 2026
I just bought this car and discovered that the steering system is actually unsafe; the vehicle makes noises and vibrates at the steering column.
Incident date: May 2, 2026
Major steering issues car loses the power steering randomly, will be driving around a corner and the car won’t turn at all very dangerous car only has 13,000 miles on it
Incident date: Apr 23, 2026
A major drivetrain service and repair was completed by an authorized manufacturer dealership. After picking up the vehicle, an unusual front-end/steering noise was immediately reported to the staff. Over just 390 miles of driving, the symptom worsened. A subsequent formal inspection by a separate, independent authorized service center confirmed the root cause of the safety failure: the primary axl... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2026
When driving, the steering wheel became less responsive. The next day, we drove a few hundred miles and got gas. After turning the car back on, the steering became even less responsive, resulting in a lot of force being needed to be used in order to turn the vehicle. In addition to this, the car was extremely difficult to keep straight, making driving on a single-lane road extremely dangerous. We... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2026
The vehicle started to hydroplane in rain on the highway and the lane keeping assist aggressively tried to push me back, which ended up causing us to hydroplane more and causing the vehicle to flip around backwards and we ended up sliding completely off the highway into a ditch totaling the vehicle.
Crash
FORD
MAVERICK HYBRID
(2022) — STEERING
May 22, 2026
Incident date: Apr 26, 2026
Front end of vehicle suddenly started to shake violently when accelerating. Issue was reproduced any time when accelerating. No warning was indicated by the vehicle. Car was undrivable above 50 mph. Vehicle had 25K miles. Dealer reproduced issue. Diagnosed it as a catastrophic failure of both CV joints and front bearing(s). Dealer would not release vehicle as it was undrivable due to extreme saf... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became inoperable and became difficult to turn and felt very sticky when attempting to steer with no warning lights illuminated. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileag... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 2026
Steering wheel became stuck when making a long left turn while driving on the freeway. The turn lasted approximately 30 seconds. Around 3-4 seconds into the turn, the steering wheel suddenly locked up for approximately 1-2 seconds. Eventually the steering wheel was released resulting in a sudden jerk, leading to the car veering to the right lane. A correction was made using the steering wheel to m... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2026
Steering wheel will not turn. Tried to reset but that did not work. Mechanic diagnosed it as a power steering rack failure. Steering rack needs to be replaced.
Incident date: May 21, 2026
While driving, a critical heavy-duty front lower control arm / lateral link bolt completely detached from my vehicle and was found intact on the ground with factory green threadlocker still visible on the threads. The undercarriage and chassis show absolutely ZERO signs of external impact, scrape, or road hazard damage. This structural failure caused an immediate, severe safety hazard, rendering t... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2026
We were informed of safety recalls for our Toyota Rav 4 2009 . We called the local Toyaota dealership for the recalls and was told on the phone after we dropped it off that they did the inspection to make sure the recalls could be completed and informed us that they could ,but they needed to keep overnight because they had to order the parts. Prior to dropping the vehicle off the car was able to b... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2021) — STEERING
May 22, 2026
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
Shift to park dings continuously and vehicle won’t turn off draining battery leaving doors unlocked. Don’t want to force into park and break anything more.
Incident date: May 21, 2026
The vehicle experienced a loss or severe reduction of power steering assist. The steering became very difficult to turn, creating a safety concern while operating or maneuvering the vehicle. The issue appears to involve the electric power steering system, steering rack/rack-and-pinion, and/or related electrical harness or connector. The problem occurred on or about 05/21/2026 at approximately 490... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA CRUZ
(2026) — STEERING
May 22, 2026
Incident date: May 21, 2026
The lake keep assist safety feature works inconsistently. Many times, the system has allowed my vehicle to cross the yellow or white lines, when it shouldn't have. Even worse, during wintertime, the vehicle gets confused as to what is road and what is not, jerking the vehicle in directions that it shouldn't be going (either off the road, or into incoming traffic). This is quite a violent jerk, so,... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2004) — STEERING
May 22, 2026
Incident date: May 20, 2026
Hello, I am the Buyer of the subject Vehicle, Upon doing my research, I found out several reports stating that The subject vehicle's 2.4L engine has manufacturing defect, that causes Head Bolts to get stripped/melt down in to oil causing Engine failures and Life threating risk in the middle of the road.
Incident date: May 21, 2026
No power steering hard to turn left and right
Incident date: Dec 5, 2025
Power steering starts leaking in cold climates resulting in tightness and difficulty in steering wheel . recall code s08
Incident date: May 19, 2026
Component: power steering (gearbox) Safety at Risk: steering wheel would not turn properly (excessive sticking) especially high speed. Reproduced/Confirmed by Honda dealer: YES Vehicle/Component inspected: YES and replaced by Ed Morse Honda, Riviera Beach, FL Prior Warning: NO (gradually got worse over approximately three month period)
Incident date: Apr 26, 2026
Positions during small steering corrections, especially at highway speeds and during straight-line driving. Condition feels like temporary increased steering effort or intermittent reduction of electric power steering assist. Additional force is required to move the steering wheel past the sticking point 11 o'clock or 1 o'clock. Once resistance releases, steering may suddenly move farther than in... Read more