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: Apr 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while receiving a routine inspection on the vehicle, he was informed that there was corrosion around the windshield of the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who confirmed the corrosion and stated that if the corrosion was not treated, the windshield was at risk of detaching. The structure around the windshield was not r... Read more
Incident date: Nov 10, 2022
The hood unexpectedly opens and can fly up and cause loss of forward vision. The hood can fly off and cause death. With no visibility the a collision can cause death.
MERCEDES-BENZ
EQS 450
(2022) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 11, 2023
Incident date: Mar 15, 2023
I took the Chevy Equinox to the Chevy dealership to have the oil changed. The House Technician said it was unsafe to put it on a lift. The entire frame was corroded. On 02/28/2023, I had the dealership do a Multi-Point Vehicle Inspection. This is their findings: #1-1010: INSPECTIONS INSPECT/CHECK inspect due to customer request Inspected unit due to customers request found excessive re... Read more
Incident date: Apr 11, 2023
The windshield trim flew off and almost caused two accidents and the car is unsafe to drive with this missing as well as what happens when the other one flies off. The trim on the top of the car, both of them have flown off and almost cause two additional accidents. The trim on the back is completely cracked and came that way on the car. This has been very dangerous and could harm my children and ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2015
My car was parking on normal rainy day and my back glass explode
Incident date: Apr 11, 2023
Issue #1. Forward collision sensors not working warnings keep appearing and flashing on dash. Vehicle has 12000 miles. 2. Hood popped open at speed of 90 MPH without a warning or manual operation of lever. Hood was not opened during a 500 Mile trip so operator error is ruled out. The safety latch was able to secured the hood temporarily. It was communicated to Ford Motor Co Under Incident # CAS#... Read more
Incident date: Apr 11, 2023
Right side of windshield frame piece fell off while driving
Incident date: Apr 9, 2023
Inspection is available, but note that car is in very poor shape and melted. All persons in the vehicle at the time of the incident were in extreme danger as the car showed no warning signed in the engine heat or check lights in the dashboard before the engine sputtered and slowed, the electrical sparked, and the whole front of the car caught on fire. The fire spread on a matter of 10 minutes and ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Apr 10, 2023
Vehicle failed inspection, AIR BAG LIGHT ON. Driver seat wire harness open left thorax squib must replace entire harness, air bag circuits cannot be repaired due to high resistance splicing causes. Part on Back order until August 2023!! Car cannot be repaired and is out of service, unable to drive, illegal to drive, I have a $20,000 car loan, Thrifty Car Sales of Westfield, [XXX], violated Massach... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2023
The Soft Close feature of the car continues to close even if there is a hand or finger in its way, I crushed by thumb while getting out of the car. I am concerned about the safety of the feature especially if there are young kids in the car, the injury could have been much more serious.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
While driving on route 95 the passenger door became unlatched. This happened several times (4~6 ?) on our long (12 hr) drive. I researched and saw that there was a recall for this exact problem for 2015 Mustangs, but none for 2016. I have seen multiple reports from other 2016 Mustang owners that they have encountered the same issue.
Incident date: Apr 7, 2023
2021 ford explorer exterior windshield trim is loose and has been shown to come off while driving. it is also causing a wind noise inside of the vehicle while in operration. No warnings shown. Link below shows issue and repair guidelines. https://www.tsbsearch.com/Ford/22-2021
Incident date: Sep 1, 2021
Power sliding doors stopped working. No access to middle row seats due to having no manual opening features. In an emergency, I would be unable to remove my children from their seats. This should be recalled immediately before someone becomes trapped in this car.
Incident date: Apr 3, 2023
Bought the 2016 vehicle January 2017. Shortly after purchase I noticed slight bubbling in the paint on the edges of the hood and especially the bottom of the lift gate. It has progressed over the years and now the paint is coming off- a large piece off the front hood and all along the bottom of the lift gate. Ford has no recalls on it yet, but it's a well cared for vehicle, garaged at night and w... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2021) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 10, 2023
Incident date: Mar 2, 2023
My front sliding panaromic sunroof glass blew right off the vehicle while I was driving on the highway. Not to mention my sunroof was closed. I heard a gust off wind and then my sunshade started flobbing from the wind ans thats when I noticed something was wrong. I pulled over and the glass was completely gone off the car. It could have caused a major accident or even hit and killed someone. Defin... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2023
Our family was driving home and we then heard a LOUD noise coming from the car roof. Startled from the unexpected boom, as there was not a car in front of us nor debris of any kind in the lane being driven in. The windshield was free of any cracks/damage as well as the front body of the vehicle. The sunroof shattered on it's own. Luckily the sunroof cover was closed and glass did not enter the int... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2023
Sunroof of car was leaking profusely during heavy rain. The water was pouring from the overhead panel that has map lights and sunroof controls. The water made the lights flicker and began to drip into the USB outlets at on the dashboard and seats. This seems to be a known problem and the Audi dealership recognized they were familiar with the problem.
Incident date: Apr 10, 2023
I purchased this vehicle on 12/16/2019 with 20,990 miles on it. Now the vehicle has 33,000 miles on it and I was told by an independent service station that I have a large hole in the frame. I brought the truck on 4/07/2023 to a Toyota dealer and they said the recall for a new frame expired 12 years after the vehicle was purchased. I called Toyota and they told me the same thing. I had know idea t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2022
While doing a routine cleaning of the unit, I noticed a nut that was clearly loose. This is a nut that holds the main wall structure to the frame. After further inspection I determined that about 90% of the nuts were not tightened to the proper torque. Some were more than 2 full turns from snug as seen in the pictures. Without these nuts being secure it compromises the entire structure of the vehi... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2023
Chevrolet issued a recall for my car August 25, 2022 and still has not provided a remedy. It has been eight months since the recall was issued.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2017
Passenger side door opened while driving at low speed. Also, both front doors do not open from the outside.
Incident date: Jan 10, 2022
Chipped paint around my windshield and other areas of the car, such as the trunk and various other areas of the vehicle
Incident date: Apr 8, 2023
As with 2 million other Ford Explorer drivers my passenger side windshield trim came off.
Incident date: Apr 8, 2023
2017 VW GTI, incredibly common issue of the sunroof surround cracking and allowing water to leak into the electrical components and headliner of the vehicle. VW does not care to admit fault on this even though there are hundreds of documented cases about this issue. Less than a year out of warranty and now dealing with potential mold issues or worse, an electrical shortage problem that could cause... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
I have not had my car a year and the seatbelt light came on 2 days ago. I am keeping the services up and all of these things were supposedly passed during the inspection before I purchased my car. Also, the paint is peeling off the car. There are so many cars that has peeling paint when passing. Paint should not peel like that. I've never had this problem with any car I have purchased.
MERCEDES-BENZ
E350
(2014) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 10, 2023
Incident date: Apr 3, 2023
The trim around my windshield on my driver's side blew off of the car. It is totally missing. Upon research, this appears to be a pretty common problem and it is very dangerous. Parts coming loose while driving could injure other drivers. No warning that the piece was loose. I am not sure who to report the problem to, I am going to call the dealership tomorrow and my warranty company. My concern i... Read more
Incident date: Nov 14, 2020
Frame of the body is completely rusted through to the point that it is almost unsafe to drive. It was identified when attempting to replace the rocker panel on the passenger side and the list put a hole in the frame. The vehicle has been well maintained but the amount of rust seems unusual for the age of the vehicle. I know the previous owner and he took painstakingly good care of the vehicle a... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2023
The wall has separated from both sides of the unit. As well as The roof is leaking water. The unit has been sent to the manufacturer and dealer over 15 times.
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2019) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 9, 2023
Incident date: Feb 25, 2023
The Air Bag Light remains on. I was told that it is responsible for the Driver's Side Air Bag. It was formally documented on February 25th, 2023 by Firestone on King St. in Northampton, MA 01035. It has been brought to LIA DODGE KING STREET in NORTHAMPTON, MA 01060. THEY TOLD ME THE WIRING PART TO REPAIR THIS IS ON BACKORDER AND NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL AUGUST 2023 and not guaranteed to be available. ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
The roof/ window leaks creating rot in floor and wall operation. Has been to manufacture as well as dealer to many times. 10 plus times.
Incident date: Apr 7, 2023
Since purchasing this vehicle in 2018 we have had an ongoing issue of the car randomly going into a violent shaking when exceeding speeds of about 60mph, it happens without warning, and other than coming to an almost standstill, it is impossible to recover the vehicle. This is extremely dangerous on the freeway. Have taken the vehicle to Chevrolet dealership multiple times without any resolution... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2023
The Rear Subframe was found to have two significant holes that would not allow the car to pass a safety inspection, and I was told a significant hazard that required immediate repair. This is the only part on the vehicle with rust and is the same issue of rear subframe rust that Mercedes Benz is covering under warranty on the same-year cars due to a manufacturing defect. Audi Tysons had serviced t... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2023
I own a 2014 Kia Sorento that the peeling is rapidly peeling off ( or what the body shops call Delamination ) . My paint began peeling in a tiny spot I thought was a chip from a rock but rapidly began peeling all over. The vehicle is hand wash and the peeling continues, any water pressure continues to peel the paint including natural weather rain conditions. Mileage of vehicle is 113,000. This is ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2023
Rear window trim piece almost flew off while I was driving. This could have caused an accident or damage. Come to find out you have to replace the whole window to fix the problem too and not just the trim piece.
Incident date: Apr 7, 2023
The whole underneath sub frame, floor which it connects to, the left & right frame rails are completely rotted away so the shocks are hanging without a piece of frame on them.Completely unrepairable. Not worth fixing. What shall I do? This is a significant safety issue & concern . My mechanic will not give this an inspection sticker until it is road safe.
Incident date: Jan 10, 2023
The windshield trim on the driver's side flew off of the vehicle when I was traveling on the interstate (at interstate speed - about 70 mph). It did not hit another vehicle, but certainly could have if another vehicle had been to my left or close behind my vehicle. I was unable to stop and retrieve the part. No inspection has been made by police, insurance, etc. I now need to have the trim piece ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
Roof rack design and grommet failure allows for water to flow into cabin headliner and down a-pillars and other areas where curtain airbag and other electrical components are housed. This can cause malfunction and/or failure of the vehicles crucial functions at any given moment. A class action lawsuit is filed on this. You need to step in and make it a recall and hold toyota responsible.
Incident date: Mar 22, 2023
The tempered glass panel between the windshield and panaormic sunroof spontaneously shattered. We saw and heard nothing hit the vehicle when driving. We came out one morning, and the glass piece was shattered with missing glass. There are several complaints online of Kia sunroofs and this particular glass panel spontaneously shattering. If nothing is done, we believe someone could get injured.
FORD
CROWN VICTORIA
(1997) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 7, 2023
Incident date: Feb 7, 2023
I picked up my Tesla Model 3 Performance less than a month ago and from day 1 it has been having vibrations from 40mph all the way up to 80-85 mph. I haven't driven it faster than that due to safety concern. I took it to Tesla and they said they needed to balance the wheels (why wasn't that done on a brand new car already?) Anyways, I take the car back and I was still having the same issue. Tesl... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2022
Drivers side door will not shut due to spot welds failing which causes the door check assembly to come off the inside of the door.
Incident date: Apr 7, 2023
Windshield will groan and shift when driving , sound is always present and gets louder on uneven roads and bum. Ford stated it was a normal sounds, several maverick owners have had this problem
Incident date: Feb 28, 2023
The spot welds where the check arm bracket attaches at the left (driver's) door failed, causing the internal bracket to detach. Once the bracket was no longer attached to the door, any attempt to close the door was met with resistance. Instead of the check arm receding into the door, the act of closing was trying to have both the check arm and bracket recede into the door; the bracket was at ris... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the windshield trim panel started to detach from the windshield and partially separated. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, who informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was ap... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2022
2012 Ford Edge -The passenger door will shut but the alarm that came with the car says that the door is not shut. The alarm will not work when the car detects the door is not shut, so the interior lights will not turn off. Will this affect my battery? When I drive with the sensor on the dashboard states the door is not closed and the interior light will not shut off which becomes a distraction a... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2023
Outside water (rain, carwash, etc) is leaking through the roof into the A-pillar and C-pillar areas and into the interior. Water is likely entering the air bag components in the front A-pillars on both sides, potentially causing a safety issue. Also concerned that water could be entering the electrical components in the dashboard. When researching the issue, found multiple complaints of this issue... Read more
Incident date: Feb 18, 2023
In the 4 corners of the moonroof where the metal roof meets the moonroof, there is a visible dent/metal tension in each corner. After receiving professional opinions for local body shops, they've all come to the same conclusion: The moonroof was improperly or poorly installed at the factory, which is leading to the moonroof dragging down on the metal corners of the roof leading to visible tension/... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2023
I purchased my 2023 KIA Sorento Hybrid on 11/20/22. On 1/12/23 is when the incident occurred, I had the vehicle for 53 days. 1/12/23 I was driving on the freeway going the speed limit with no one around me and my sunroof exploded. Initially I thought that it was a gunshot and someone was shooting at me. I sped up and then thought I had a flat tire. After pulling over, I realized it was in fact m... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2020
Rapid Delamination and paint peeling.
Incident date: Feb 9, 2023
The right turn signal bulb keeps blowing. Break lights were stuck on. I got pulled over because the blinker wasn't working and parking light wouldn't go off. The officer was nice because I had just got the car and didn't give me a ticket, just a warning. Blinker on passenger side won't work with lights on and fuses for that side keeps blowing
Incident date: Mar 18, 2023
Discovered several inches of water in the spare tire boot area. The entire back seat was also soaked through. Water appears to be leaking into the car from rear pressure vents behind the bumper or from another undetermined source, posing risks including black mold and damage to the spare tire.