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 49,687 complaints - component: STRUCTURE:BODY
Incident date: May 1, 2023
Driving down the highway at 65 miles per hour, the moonroof glass. Nothing hit or fell on the car.
Incident date: Sep 14, 2023
Rear subframe corrosion and failure. Based on my queries this apparently a common issue. I am adding my report to add weight to this common issue. Vehicle is approximately 13 years old, is in good condition, and has not suffered any accidents affecting the rear subframe. Overall only minimal rust or corrosion is found during a visual inspection while on a lift. This vehicle has passed annual ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that the front driver's side fender liner above the tire detached while driving at approximately 55 MPH. After inspection, the liner was missing. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the fender liner needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage wa... Read more
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
The dashboard has become sticky and I am sensitive to the fumes it is giving off when I drive. I have to allow the car to air out as I have become dizzy when first entering the vehicle. I've contacted the dealer and was told a recall was performed, but I never received notice. No one has inspected my car, but this issue is well known by Toyota. There are no indicators of this issue other than th... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TAOS
(2022) - STRUCTURE:BODY
Sep 15, 2023
Incident date: Jul 26, 2023
Driver's side door check bracket welds cracked and separated. Now there are abnormal, loud popping sounds every time I open or close the door. The care only has 37,000 miles on it and I am very conscientious about maintaining my vehicles.
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLK350
(2012) - STRUCTURE:BODY
Sep 15, 2023
Incident date: Jun 17, 2022
I’m submitting this on behalf of my daughter before someone gets hurt or killed. My daughter purchased a ford escape in 2018. Over years the driver rear door has gotten impossible to open. You have to pull so hard that sometimes the door is rip from your hand and snaps shut. Other times you can pull so hard that it rips the door panel off. So, she stop using that door. She then had a child... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2023
The dashboard of my 2008 Toyota Camry is shining/reflecting from the windshield, making it clear visibility very difficult for the driver. I called Toyota they mentioned they had a warranty extension for a limited period and now they are not covering/fixing it anymore. It should be a "SAFETY RECALL" and all owners should be sent a notice to get the factory defective product fixed. My daughter wa... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
Both of the A-pillar body panels between the windshield and front driver/passenger doors have blown off at different times while driving on the freeway. The second flew off today and the other was months ago.
HYUNDAI
KONA ELECTRIC
(2019) - STRUCTURE:BODY
Sep 15, 2023
Incident date: Jul 15, 2022
I have sever paint issues and the blades wipers thet go bad faster
Incident date: Aug 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 Subaru Outback. The contact stated there was a clunking sound coming from the front suspension location and the vehicle started feeling unstable while driving approximately 30 MPH. The steering wheel began to sway towards the left causing the contact to use excessive force to steer the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the deal... Read more
HONDA
CLARITY PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2018) - STRUCTURE:BODY
Sep 14, 2023
Incident date: Sep 14, 2023
Left and right wheel well liners , front undertray and rear undertray came off while driving at slow speed on a street that had about 8 inches of water during heavy rain. I took the car to the Subaru dealer to get fixed under the guarantee as the car was just 6 months old and 7,553 miles but the dealer said they could not apply the guarantee on this situation because it was consider and act of na... Read more
Incident date: Sep 14, 2023
Just learned from CT Toyota dealer that my 2009 Toyota Tacoma frame has significant corrosion and that it's time to replace frame or vehicle. Very disappointed. Vehicle did go in for recall service on 12/7/17 and CRC spray was applied as frame was determined ok at that time. Looks like that didn't help much to prevent further corrosion less than 6 years later. Voicing my frustration over those... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2006 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to replace the starter, the mechanic observed corrosion on the frame near both rear doors. Additionally, the mechanic noticed that the sub frame was bent near the rear doors. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 124,000.
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
SPOT WELDS ON THE DRIVERS DOOR ARE BROKEN.
Incident date: Aug 30, 2023
My 2020 KIA SPORTAGE WAS STOLEN AFTER THE RECALL WHERE KIA INDICATED THE RECALL WOULD DETECT THAT A KEY WAS NOT INSERTED AND WOULD SHUT DOWN CAR. THIS DID NOT WORK BECAUSE MY CAR WAS STOLEN AFTER THE RECALL!!! CAUSING EXTREME DURESS AND FINCIAL DISTRESS. THIS RECALL WAS JUST A SMOKE SCREEN TO LET EVERYONE THINK IT WAS FIXED AND THAN TACK A COUPLE SECURITY STUFF ON THE WINDOWS. WHEN IS ENOUGH ... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 12, 2023
On several occasions, the passenger door becomes unlatched while driving. Sometimes multiple times in one commute. The door doesn't fully open, but certainly allows for wind noise and "DOOR AJAR" display to go off with audible alarms. Also, the passenger window's auto/short drop feature isn't working and the window does not go back up fully, allowing water, insects, and other hazards to enter the ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 10, 2023
The power liftgate stop working. The liftgate light on dashboard shows liftgate open and the power liftgate does not work open nor closes.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
At 140000 miles I noticed that my entire subframe was ready to completely collapse and no auto shop would work on it whatsoever. I reached out and found out that there was nothing I could do about it It I had the car for 2 years and it’s had this issue the whole time Not cool safety should be first.
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2010) - STRUCTURE:BODY
Sep 13, 2023
Incident date: Jul 9, 2018
4 door hardtop roof leaks. It is available. There is nowhere, including Ford website, to report non-safety defects.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2022
I received a letter from Mercedes-Benz USA LLC located at 1 Mercedes-Benz drive Sandy springs Georgia 30328 phone number 800-367-6372. This letter advised me of the extension of warranty coverage on the rear subframe of my vehicle to 20 years with unlimited mileage cover. I call my local Mercedes dealership where I purchased the vehicle to inquire about the severity of this problem. I specifically... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
The pop weld on drivers side door is broken, door makes a cracking, popping sound when opening and closing. Window will not roll down on this door. Door opened during driving but no damage or injury occurred. Ford is refusing to fix problem due to being 4 months outside of warranty even though I am under 36,000 miles. Will cost upwards of 3,000 to fix
Incident date: Sep 11, 2023
Drivers rear sliding door is in a locked position and it can not be opened. The dealership said it was a malfunctioned door lock actuator. Its the same part as the 2015 and up actuator that Chrysler extended the warranty on to replace the faulty part. My van falls under the mileage limit, but will not be covered because its a 2014. My opinion is , if the part was found faulty for the 2015 and i... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2023
After a particular strong rainstorm I found 4 areas on the driver hood right above the headlight and 6 spots above the windshield that were cracked, bubbled and pealed off all the way down to the metal frame. The areas on the hood remain small. They bubble and chip off a little at a time. The areas above the windshield is completely stripped 75% across the top and 4-6 inches deep. The paint co... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
I purchased a 2013 Lexus RX 350 pearl white in color. After about 2 years I noticed spots mainly on the roof and now it is everywhere. The curious thing about the spots are that they are under the clear coat. We had the vehicle checked by a paint professional and we confirmed that it was factory paint. I like to report this issue .
Incident date: Sep 12, 2023
When the car is on and in park, there is a button on the front console that drops the tail gate. The truck gives you no indication that the button has been pressed or that the tailgate is open. You can then drive the truck with the tailgate open and have no indication or idea. As a result, it is easy to lose gear out of the truck bed while you are driving. This button is located just above a stora... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2022
Under normal use, the rear Lift gate hinge appears to be failing for no reason. A gap on passenger side of the rear lift gate and body appears to widen and the hinge is squeaking as if it's failing. This causes the power lift gate to not close from time to time. This is still an issue and has not been addressed yet.
Incident date: Sep 12, 2023
My 2018 Q5 has experienced water intrusion due to the defective design of the sunroof/drainage system, causing water to leak into the trunk and rear left cavity where the ECM and battery are located. After several hours of rain, approx. 2 inches was collected in the location of the battery and was extremely dangerous.
MERCEDES-BENZ
CLS550
(2012) - STRUCTURE:BODY
Sep 12, 2023
Incident date: Jan 15, 2016
Frame and suspension components are complete rusted and rotting off of frame. I am afraid to drive the truck in fear of it falling apart on me while on the road.
Incident date: Sep 12, 2023
My husband and I purchased a 2021 alpine Keystone 3712 KB fifth wheel on June 2, 2021 around the end of Aug 2021. We left to Oregon for our vacation. Around the first part of September 2021 our trailer started showing signs of issues. We put it in the camper world in Eugene OR and found out that it had front structural damage where they tore out all the the foam off the front goose neck & replaced... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 8, 2023
Driver door hinge weld broke. The door makes loud popping sound and the window will not go down.
Incident date: Sep 10, 2023
Twice I have been driving down the highway and have had the right front passenger side trim break off of the car. The first time it was caught between the door and the passenger side mirror and I was able to retrieve. Took to the dealer and they repaired. The second time it happened the same piece came off and flew off into freeway. A month ago I heard a loud noise while driving sounding like s... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2023
Exterior automatic door handles sometimes automatically close on a person's fingers. My child's 4 fingertips were caught by the automatic door handle closing and I had to frantically find a way to release the door handle. My own fingers have come close to being crushed by the automatic door handle closing. Its a flaw in the design. Safety of myself and others who operate the door handle are all at... Read more
Incident date: Sep 11, 2023
While driving on the freeway, the driver side windshield trim broke and flew off the vehicle. The safety of the vehicle traveling behind us was put at risk due to the flying debris. There were no warning lamps or messages displayed prior to this happening. The vehicle has not been inspected yet.
Incident date: May 9, 2023
The windshield bottom rubber trim is Descente grating and falling apart.
Incident date: Sep 7, 2023
Cracked or broken spot welds in the left front door at the check arm attachment point, popping noise” when the door comes open and the door can be unable to latch when closed or can suddenly come open when it had been closed. Window would not go completely down
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2021) - STRUCTURE:BODY
Sep 11, 2023
Incident date: Sep 11, 2023
The windshield trim on the passenger side flew off the vehicle unexpectedly while driving at highway speeds. The piece hit the windshield and then flew off causing me to almost run off the road. Thankfully, it did not strike another vehicle.
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2019) - STRUCTURE:BODY
Sep 11, 2023
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
Front windshield side panel flew off on freeway. Other side very loose as well. Glue, rubber seal crumbling. I have talked to dealer and they said “It just happens sometimes. They just fall off” Happened within the first week of purchase. Luckily no one was close behind me on the freeway. No warning besides the loud noise of it flying off and now there is a noise of air coming through since ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2023
I have had 2 major issues, the idle stop feature has multiple times caused my car to stall. It has even happened on the highway during traffic where the car went into idle-stop mode and would not restart the engine. Last week it happened again on a major road and the only way to restart the car is shift to park in the middle of a busy 4 lane road, turn off the car completely and then attempt a res... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Jun 3, 2023
On my 2020 Ford escape the drivers door pops when I open and close the door. It is at the point right now I must pull the door in very hard and push it out very hard to open.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2020
Okay so on the first of September I noticed my driver's side door was squeaking and this thing you know couldn't shut it and my spot welds were gone and pretty much my doors just hang in there and I'm going to send pictures for you I can't drive my car I had to drive from south Carolina to West Virginia
Incident date: Sep 10, 2023
Sunroof shattered while driving.
Incident date: Aug 7, 2023
My right side A pillar flew off of my car while driving on the highway. Luckily this did not cause an accident but very much could have. I have seen numerous other Ford Explorers with the same piece missing from their windshield. Very dangerous! I uploaded my car (the black explorer) and another car I seen on the highway with the same piece missing. I also have a friend who has an Explorer and h... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
Vehicle's paint has been peeling off or delaminating specifically near ALL the window glasses. The worse affected area which has started getting rust spots. Below and above the sliding door glasses have started peeling off and starting to show primer or under layer as well as below the back door window. I have only gotten quotes for temporary solution which would be to paint current affected areas... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2023
Purchased car 8/22/2023 when driving from dealership to home alert came on for daytime driving light error and drivers side door was letting water intrude into the car from the bottom of the door. 8/23/2023 took it to nearest dealer and made first appointment available for repairs. Neither repair could be made by the dealership (invoice 491449) although they tried several times to adjust the door.... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2023
On August 24, 2023 I took my 2011 Silverado WT extended cab 4X4 to a local independent service facility for a required annual safety inspection. It has failed an annual vehicle safety inspection due to frame rust through. I am scheduled with the repair shop to repair this new rust section September 12, 2023. This is the second year in a row that it has failed due to frame rust through after havin... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2011) - STRUCTURE:BODY
Sep 9, 2023
Incident date: Aug 24, 2023
Driving highway speed, passenger side A pillar trim flew off of vehicle. Called Ford, they responded that no support was available for this incident. Self-repaired.
Incident date: Sep 8, 2023
Driving highway speed, passenger side B pillar trim flew off of the vehicle. Since Ford denied any responsibility with first call (complaint 11543574) I did not contact. Self-repaired.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2021
Driving highway speed, top part of driver's side B pillar trim (key entry pad) broke off. This required emergency pullover to try and secure remaining bottom part of the pillar that was attached with keypad wiring. Unable to secure, I continued travel on service road at slow rate of speed and secured with duct tape later for my drive home. Since Ford refused assistance for first incident (1154357... Read more
HYUNDAI
KONA ELECTRIC
(2020) - STRUCTURE:BODY
Sep 9, 2023
Incident date: Sep 9, 2023
Frame is rusted beyond normal use and has spread to cross members