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 49,040 complaints — component: STRUCTURE:BODY
Incident date: Mar 13, 2024
pearl white paint peeling off with less than 100k miles.
INDIAN
CHIEFTAIN DARK HORSE
(2019) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 13, 2024
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
The keyless entry keypad - driver sides B-Pillar front door’s trim panel came loose while driving on I-95 today (approximately 70 mph). It was not apparently loose before this event. It dislodged and hit the rear passenger window. This is a safety issue because, were the window down, it would have hit a child passenger. Additionally, with the force that was exerted on the window, breaking the ... Read more
MITSUBISHI
MIRAGE G4
(2024) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 13, 2024
Incident date: Mar 13, 2024
I purchased this truck in 2022 from a Car lot. everything seemed to be ok when we bought it. we have since put less then 7000 miles on it and we took it in for a check up when our mechanic found that the frame is totally rusted out. we contacted the chevy dealership about a frame repair and were told it would need a brand new frame that would cost between $7,000-$10,00 to get it fixed and a 6 mont... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2013) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 13, 2024
Incident date: Mar 13, 2024
2006 Honda Pilot Subframe rust which is causing the subframe to pull away from the body of the vehicle. Known issue with a patch kit, but no dealership or auto body shop willing to fix it. Honda has recalled the Ridgeline and CRV for the same issue, but not the Honda Pilot. Vehicle is in perfect running condition except for this design flaw. Would like to get it repaired instead of junking a perfe... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2024
Component/System Failed: The frame of my 2002 Toyota Sequoia has severely rusted, resulting in a gaping hole. It is available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: The rusted frame jeopardizes my safety and renders the vehicle unsafe for use. Confirmation: A mechanic has confirmed the rust issue. Manufacturer Inspection: Toyota has not inspected my Sequoia’s frame. Warning Signs: There were ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2024
On January 20th 2024 I was cleaning heavy dirt and mud off of my truck, after leaving the car wash and driving about 20 miles, once I parked my tailgate started to open over and over on its own. This happened again on March 4th 2024 after cleaning off a lot of dirt from my vehicle the tailgate opened on its own while my truck was parked in the garage. It opened into the garage door, when I left I ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that upon inspection, it was discovered that the coating on the exterior frame of the vehicle had peeled off and the frame started rusting. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed of a TSB for the failure, but the VIN was not included in the Extended Warranty Coverage. The fail... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2024
2020 Ford Escape. Front driver door made a lot of creaking noise, hard to open and close, couldn't roll window down because hinge had broken was loose in door. Discussed with Mel Hamilton Ford, Wichita KS, while it was there getting another issue addressed. Said it was not covered under warranty. Just a couple thousand over 36,000. Door popping and creaking began before the 36,000 mile warranty ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2024
Fuel door does not open. Mis-aligned door does not open. Car has been back to the dealer twice for this problem. Both times we were told the entire assembly was replaced and both times the door was still visibly mis-aligned. See photos attached
Incident date: Jan 12, 2024
My VW golf has experienced rear door lock issues where both rear dock locks no longer work (lock or unlock) when pressing the lock button on the key or inside the vehicle. The only way to get the doors to lock is by manually locking the doors via a little slot in the door sill on each side. While it can be unlocked internally by just pulling the handle one time. This is a safety issue as door lock... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2017) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 11, 2024
Incident date: Mar 4, 2024
- The front passenger door unlatched at speed while driving around 30 mph. It is available for inspection. - The safety of the passenger seated in the front passenger seat is at risk if the door were to fully open, as well as any objects in the errant door’s way. - The problem has NOT been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. - The vehicle and component has NOT b... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2023
See attached document for complaint
Incident date: Dec 6, 2023
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. issued a recall for our 2010 CRV. The recall identified a flaw in the design whereby "corrosion can form in the rear frame due to the accumulation of road de-icing agents mixed with mud and water. As a result, the rear frame can deteriorate, and the rear trailing arm may fall off. A detached rear trailing arm can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk o... Read more
FORD
FUSION ENERGI
(2020) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 11, 2024
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
The six Spot welds on the driver's door failed. The hinge bracket is adrift inside the car door. Al Packer Ford body shop advised this is a common flaw in the 2021 Ford Escapes.
HONDA
ACCORD CROSSTOUR
(2010) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 11, 2024
Incident date: Feb 27, 2024
Passenger rear sliding door on my 2015 Chrysler Town and Country will not unlock with the remote. This happens all the time and has become a great concern as it causes not only frustration for me but has caused stress for my grand children thinking they are stuck in the vehicle! This also causes my wife to have to open the passenger front door and reach between the seat and the "B" post to reach t... Read more
Incident date: Sep 25, 2023
Sunroof lets water in and floods in car causing electrical problems, mold, rust, ruining roof interior and carpets. The air bag and horn stopped working and clock spring needs to be replaced. I had no prior warning of that these problems would occur. I have spent thousands of dollars in repairs for electrical trying to figure out why the car stopped working and also how water was getting into car... Read more
Incident date: Feb 13, 2024
Check engine, right mirror, door, alignment. My safety is not good, the car jerks and merging into another lane. Yes it has been inspected by insurance representative. It appeared when I was hit on 02/13/2024
Crash
Incident date: Dec 24, 2023
Paint on hood started chipping away few months back. Now entire car hood paint is peeled off and starting to get corrosion perforation. Some parts of hood shows material fatigue and potential to have structural damage/holes into hood. Vehicle was inspected by authorized dealer (AutoNation Honda Hollywood, Florida) of Honda. Report # [XXX]. Case number with American Honda Motor Company [XXX] . Bo... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC 300
(2018) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 11, 2024
Incident date: Mar 4, 2024
I am the owner of a 10 year old Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with less than 82000 miles. Chevrolet has Service Bulletins out regarding frame rust, but I was unable to have a dealership repair the surface rust for the 7 years I have owned the truck. My frame is now rusted out to the point it is not safe to operate and will cost over $15000 for Chevrolet to repair since the Service Bulletin was not reso... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2024
Rear window glass shattered on its own.
Incident date: Mar 8, 2024
The passenger side front and rear floor are getting wet when it rain or when is taking to car wash and the fuse box and battery compartment under the passenger seat is full of water electrical component can fail car was taken for repair in January 2024 and will be in the shop [XXX] again with same issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Feb 28, 2024
On Feb. 27, 2024 approx. 04:15 left for gym and work. When arrived at gym and began to park, I put truck in reverse to check back line and noticed I was looking at my license plate. I then put into park and got out of truck and shut tailgate. Thinking not much about it, I must've touched the button the night before and hit a bump on way into work. Since I have a toneau cover, it fits pretty tight ... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2019) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 10, 2024
Incident date: Nov 9, 2023
My wife and I were driving our 2015 C-Class Mercedes on a highway, traveling at roughly 55MPH on 2/25/24, at approximately 2pm, conditions were sunny but windy, when suddenly we heard a loud noise above our heads. The noise sounded like it came from around our sunroof, and it sounded as if maybe the car had been hit by a piece of debris, although neither of us saw anything. We looked in our mirr... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2015) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 10, 2024
Incident date: Feb 25, 2024
Drivers front door began popping when opening and now will not close and window is now not operational. While traveling down highway the door wouldn't latch fully as well. Window now will not go down and door is making a heck of a popping noise
Incident date: Dec 5, 2023
My 2020 ford truck driver side door locks freeze when temperatures get below freezing. When this happens the door does not open and when I open it from the inside the door doesn’t latch. I have to use a bungee cord to hold the door closed if I’m going to use the vehicle. Also the rest of the doors don’t lock when driving the vehicle. I believe other year ford trucks have had this issue and t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2024
Paint is peeling all over and I see there is a lawsuit for this for my truck. How will this be covered?
Incident date: Mar 10, 2024
Passenger side A-pillor flew off car on hwy near sweetwater tx luckily there wasn’t a car behind while driving hwy speed
Incident date: Jul 13, 2023
When raining the water will leak throug the sunroof or headliner not sure where it comes through but it comes from 2 places one hitting the arm rest / middle console which caused the terrain selection to go out and im worried it will cause the screen or something else to go out and catch on fire as I read it is common with these problems , when I purchased the vehicle as well they said it was jus... Read more
Incident date: Oct 17, 2023
Panoramic sunroof spontaneously shattered while driving under normal conditions. This happened while I was driving on a freeway. Luckily I maintained my composure and safely drove home with broken glass all over myself. My car insurance paid for most of my sunroof replacement. There was no symptoms or warnings prior to this incident.
Incident date: Aug 18, 2023
Door would not properly close window would not roll down. On investigation weld's on door hinge were broken
Incident date: Mar 7, 2024
Right Rear Door (Right rear passenger) will not open. all other three doors open and close. Right rear door will not unlock to open. This is a safety concern.
Incident date: Mar 8, 2024
Paint has began chipping and p Delamanating starting on the driver side column and hood.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
The Moonroof/Sunroof’s motor always breaks down in winter due to snow freezing and water entering the roof and engine, I've had it repaired twice at the dealership, but every winter the problem returns, I talked to owners of the same model of vehicle and the same thing happens to them.
Incident date: Mar 7, 2024
I took my 2013 Silverado to my local mechanic for an airconditioning repair. While the mechanic was checking the undercarriage he discovered the frame had cracked due to corrosion on the passenger side just behind the cab. My truck has 144k miles and I am apalled that this has happened so soon. This level of corrosion seems very advanced for a 11 year old truck with below average mileage.
HYUNDAI
SONATA HYBRID
(2021) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 7, 2024
Incident date: Mar 6, 2024
2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup truck has very extensive frame damage for 115k miles which has caused it to be unsafe to drive and basically scrap. I am the 2nd owner of the truck. When I bought it at 70k miles it definitely had rust on the frame, but no major holes. It has now rusted through in multiple spots. Is there anything that I can do or am I pretty much out of luck?
Incident date: Nov 22, 2023
Rear passenger door cannot be opened from the inside. Lock operates remotely and manually and door can be opened from the outside. This is a safety issue. The door cannot be opened from the inside in an emergency. The door has not been assessed by a dealer tech. I have an appointment at the dealer to repair. There were no warning lights, messages or warning tones.
Incident date: Mar 6, 2024
I am getting 2 warning messages- fault electronic parking brake and error driver door contact switch. The car seems to think my door is open and therefore turns on the emergency brake for safety. This has happened when I am parked and also when I am driving.
Incident date: Feb 15, 2024
Empty, fresh water tank fell through the underbelly of the avenue in June of 2023. This transpired as we were driving home from a trip. The fresh water tank along with framing, wiring and misc items were dragging behind the 5th wheel. The 5th wheel was dropped off to the dealer for repair in July 2023 and is not fixed as of today 3/7/2024. The dealer claims that they have been working with t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
The paint on this vehicle failed and matches photos in Acura service bulletin [XXX] which deals with failure of paint color [XXX]. When calling Honda I was told that that recall is VIN specific and that my vehicle was not affected. The attached photos clearly show that the paint is defective and therefor should be covered. According to the service bulletin a warranty extension was issued for 8 ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 7, 2023
The rod holding up the hood appears to be an dangerous arrangement.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
On [XXX] traveling south from [XXX] to merge onto [XXX] via the on-ramp, we hit a rough patch of road with potholes/ruts at the shoulder. There was a loud bang, we felt the front of the car drop, and felt an immediate change in steering/stability. We could hear loud scraping/grinding noises, and we pulled to the shoulder as quickly as we could. At first we suspected a flat tire, however the tir... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2024
I purchased this vehicle from the dealership on Nov 24, 2023. On Dec 9th, 2023 I found evidence of mice chewing and droppings. I checked the air cabin filter and there was evidence of mouse droppings and chewing as well. I set traps and caught three mice. I took the vehicle to the dealership to identify where they were coming in from and to assess what kind of damage was done to the vehicle, as it... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2024
The vehicle was involved in a single vehicle roll over crash. The sheet metal of the roof pealed down and away from the frame of the vehicle. The windshield separated from the metal at the top portion of the windshield. The metal then began to separate from underneath the weld along the sides of the roof. The metal was then rolled inward into the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The metal p... Read more
Crash
2 deaths
Incident date: Dec 16, 2023
This unit experienced frame flex or frame failure. This frame was constructed by Lippert and has failed causing broken welds, the body to shift and move causing visible stress cracks in the exterior of the body. The interior incident happened in December of 2022 and repairs were attempted in March 2023 only to happen again. This has resulted in the trailer being unsafe to tow and could cause bodil... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2022
Paint peeling and chips easily.
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC 300
(2018) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 7, 2024
Incident date: Mar 5, 2024
Rear passenger pillars between passenger doors and trunk plastic trim pieces have both broken off. The plastic clips are so flimsy they broke off.
Incident date: Apr 20, 2023
My 2022 tundra seat panel start to fall apart. Front bumper coming out. Door rattle. Windshield distortion makes my visibility can’t see good. Windshield molding coming loose. The tires keep loosing air pressure and Toyota refuse to add more air pressure .radio keep getting disconnected from my Bluetooth .i have all video and evidence showing all this defected happen but Toyota will not fix unde... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2024
There appears to be a defect in the body part of vehicle. Please note that I have uploaded pictures of the Rhea body of the vehicle to show where the defect is protruding from the vehicle.
Incident date: Mar 3, 2024
While unlocked, passenger doors go through unlocking phase, door locks click, parking lights flash and tail gate comes open. Along with this, an electric motor sound comes from underneath the vehicle (pre start fuel pressurization sequence?) that goes on and on, doors locked, or unlocked, that, left unchecked, drains the battery. Must be hooked to battery recharger round the clock.
Incident date: Mar 6, 2023
CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM 23TE08. The initial notice went out, I need to know a remedy or at least a timeline of events. I'm attempting to trade my vehicle and this paint issue is affecting my trade-in value. In addition to the paint peeling, I've also encountered several random circular areas of dull paint in different areas of the truck. the paint issue needs addressed.