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
MERCEDES-BENZ
E350
(2011) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Oct 23, 2022
Incident date: Sep 30, 2022
The rear subframe failed as a result of pre-mature corrosion while traveling at 70mph. Control of vehicle was lost and could easily have led to a multiple fatality incident if not for luck. The problem has been reproduced in many Mercedes models around this model year and Mercedes is well aware of the issue with their inferior subframe. NTSA needs to order a recall from Mercedes as class action... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2022
While driving on 55mph road, sunroof suddenly shattered for no apparent reason (no sudden impact from rock or other debris), producing a loud bang, startling driver. Driver momentarily swerved due to being startled by noise from next to head before correcting. No other cars were around on the road at the time and driver is sure no rocks or other objects fell onto sunroof (covered by rooftop cargo ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 19, 2022
what component: drivers side door and door check; yes it can be inspected safety impact: the door check has been disabled and is inoperable reproduced: yes; by 2 dealerships and 2 collision shops inspected: by 2 dealerships and 2 collision shops warnings: no warning lamps, only a clicking noise The driver's side door started experiencing popping noises after a recent detail appointment. After hea... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2022
After buying the truck I noticed over time the body paint was coming off. When I first got it I noticed a few areas where it looked like there was no clear coat applied. About a month after I noticed there actually was no clear coat applied in certain places (mostly around all the windows). When I spoke to numerous dealers they stated they have seen this a lot lately with Ford giving no explanatio... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2019) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Oct 22, 2022
Incident date: Oct 17, 2022
DRIVER SIDE REAR PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK OR OPEN. MANUAL LOCK/UNLOCK LEVER ON DOOR IS STUCK IN LOCKED POSITION. THIS CREATES A SAFETY ISSUE IF THERE ARE REAR PASSENGERS THAT NEED TO EXIT IN A CRASH OR OTHER EMERGENCY. THIS VAN SEATS 4 REAR PASSENGERS AND HAVING BOTH DOORS AVAILABLE CAN BE CRITICAL. THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING. THROUGH RESEARCH I FOUND IT POINTS TO A SEIZED DOOR... Read more
Incident date: Oct 3, 2022
Door actuator stopped working on passenger rear door so door can’t be opened from inside or outside handles. Car is 2017 and under 55,000 miles but dealer says it is not a safety issue and can’t work on it for 3 months. What?!!!!! I can’t get my child out of the rear of the car. This is a HUGE safety issue and happening to a ton Of Hyundai vehicles of 2015-2018 timeframe. So many that there ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2022
On Oct. 14, 2022 I had to take my car in to repair/replace front passenger side window regulator. The window no longer would go up and down. $807.51. Yesterday, Oct. 20 my driver's side front window failed. Another $807 repair. I am a senior citizen (woman) on a fixed income also experiencing recent Ian hurricane damage and repairs. Am I to expect the rest of the windows to fail? Do I have ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 27, 2021
The hood latch was eroded and caused me to crash and shattered my entire windshield.
Crash
Incident date: Oct 19, 2022
Car shuts down in the middle of driving and cannot idle. Had transmission 1x lat year and battery replaced 2x. Even after repairs car randomly does this. I have taken it to shops several times but no one knows what the problem is.... When it randomly chooses to do it, I cannot accelerate, and the car power will go out in the middle of driving decreasing the speed dramatically. Right after it does... Read more
GRAND DESIGN
MOMENTUM
(2021) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Oct 21, 2022
Incident date: Oct 21, 2022
It is a common issue with the Grand Design Momentum G-class travel trailers where the interior floor and possibly the frame are flexing so much that is causes the laminate flooring to lift and separate from the plywood underneath. Bubbles in my laminate flooring were found during our initial walk through when our trailer was purchased, I was lead to believe that it was just a simple adhesive issue... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2022
The frame is damaged from excessive corrosion. The rear cross member that supports the trailer hitch and rear bumper is almost non-existent, which could result in the loss of the trailer being towed, and it will reduce the truck's rear impact resistance. The front right lower control arm has a 2'" x 3/8" lateral hole from corrosion, which could result in a catastrophic failure of the right front s... Read more
Incident date: Jun 27, 2022
Purchased a new 2022 Tahoe from the dealer, Casey Chevrolet Newport News Virginia, in February 2022. Vehicle developed a roof leak in June. The leak caused water to pour out of the overhead console on to the dash, seat belt reels, the overhead light fixtures and on the drivers feet after running through the dash. Taken to dealer where it was in the shop for four weeks, windshield and headliner re... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2018) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Oct 20, 2022
Incident date: Aug 14, 2022
The front passenger door locking system does not function properly. The door intermittently is unable to be unlocked or opened from the outside and must manually be opened from the inside. The door also intermittently doesn't lock. This is a safety concern for thieves. If in immediate danger, ie. accident, no one is able to open the passenger door to access the person. No indication lights appear ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2022
approximately 1 month ago my Nissan began shaking when the speedometer reached 20-40 miles per hour. the shaky would get bad enough to where I was not able to keep it straight and would have to pull off the road. this went on for about 1 and half weeks. My husband noticed that the tops of the back tires were tilted inward. when he inspected my car he found that the rear sub-frame had broke. we als... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2021
Over the last two years, the lift gate has closed in excess of 20 times without direct actuation of the lift gate button located on the lift gate, in the driver compartment or from the key fob. A significant amount of time this includes no sounding of the lift gate closing chime. This happens when the lift gate is open, and you are standing at the rear of the vehicle. The lift gate has closed and ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 19, 2022
Door will not latch while its cold Door will not stay closed when cold outside
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2008) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Oct 19, 2022
Incident date: Oct 16, 2022
While driving the vehicle the back door and glass back panel sometimes release and open unexpectedly . I saw that a "service bulletin" was issued for a problem with the rear door, (T-SB-0091-12), but a dealership told me my vehicle wasn't "covered".
Incident date: Oct 1, 2022
The 2022 Ford Maverick has a design flaw the harms the environment and places driver and passengers at risk. Specifically the vehicle does not have a metal skid plate which places the Evap System at risk for damage. If the system is damaged the vehicle is still driveable, but doing so allows gas vapors into the environment and worse, possibly into the passenger compartment. Looking under the veh... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2011) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Oct 19, 2022
Incident date: Oct 19, 2022
Rusted left rear ear of rear subframe.
Incident date: Oct 7, 2022
The back-right passenger side door was opened by pulling on the outside handle after a hobbled passenger was cautioned that the door was going to slide open and moved a few inches away from the vehicle to allow for that. The door required more clearance than either of us anticipated. The passenger fell backwards either trying to avoid being hit by the door or by actually being hit by it, leading t... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Oct 19, 2022
When I pushed the button on the handle to close the back sliding door, my 2 year old suddenly stuck his hand in front of where the door was shutting and the door did not stop. Thankfully I was able to push the button back open almost immediately but his hand bruised immediately. We applied ice and the swelling went down but it could have been much worse hadn't I opened the door back up right away.... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Oct 11, 2022
Heard a large popping noise when open door driver side tack weld to hinge popped off holes in door
Incident date: Oct 13, 2022
The car was being driven at a low speed across a school parking lot when there was a loud bang, the car dropped in the back and stopped movong. The rear trailing arm came apart from the body causing it to be inoperable. If I the car wasn't in a school zone and traveling at a high rate of speed this could have been a very serious accident. If there was a vehicle behind they would have rear ended th... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Oct 18, 2022
Honda Accord paint completely fades after 10-15 years of owning the car, very embarrassing to drive the car. This did not happen to Ford Mustang and Cadillac Escalade I own that are at same age. I would like this issue be resolved during recall.
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2007) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Oct 18, 2022
Incident date: Oct 18, 2022
I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED INNER AND OUTER ROCKER PANELS ON BOTH SIDES, REPLACE COMPLETE BED 6-14-2019 AND NOW MY WHOLE FRAME FROM THE COWL NEEDS TO BE REPLACED
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHTK
(2015) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Oct 18, 2022
Incident date: Sep 29, 2022
Saddlebag fell off while driving. Dealer inspected and did not find cause. Previous recall fix had been completed.
Incident date: Oct 15, 2022
The tailgate recall was supposed to have been fixed, but it didn't work. The tailgate has dropped down at least 4 or 5 times since the supposed recall repair. The last time, it hit the jack on the trailer I was pulling and did quite a bit of damage to the tailgate. I have already submitted this information to Mopar around the 15th and was told I would be contacted within 1 business day, but was n... Read more
Incident date: Oct 11, 2022
Trunk keeps popping open on its own while driving. Has happened at ranging speeds between 5 and 60 mph, different hours throughout the day, Temps between 27 and 70 degrees F. The Key fob is in clear site, on its own no one holding or any chance of button being pressed. Has also happened while in park, car not running. Came outside and it's open, also no chance of key fob being pressed. Happens mul... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2022
I was parked in my driveway and put my 2014 Toyota Prius in reverse to back up and park in front of my late husband’s workshop about 15 ft. away,on Oct. 10, 2022. The car sped up so fast I could not brake fast enough (no warning).It stopped when it hit the large door of the workshop, and damaged it and the back of my car, costing about $2,000 to the car. I contacted my insurance agent right away... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Oct 15, 2022
Hello, On October 15th, close to 5 pm, I was driving on a busy highway surrounded by other cars when suddenly, the hood of my 2015 Nissan Altima slammed into my windshield. There was damage to the hood, a cracked windshield, the left side wheel was pulling to the side, and there was damage done near the sunroof top of my car. The interior light box inside the car was hanging. My insurance was mad... Read more
Incident date: Oct 17, 2022
The passenger doors on the back of this van do not latch properly. Oddly enough almost EVERY Ford Model from this year has a recall for the same door latches-but not this model. I'm not sure why this hasn't been recalled except that maybe because there are less of these model Fords on the road-less reports have been made.
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2009) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Oct 17, 2022
Incident date: Oct 3, 2022
I bought this car for my 18 year old son based on Mercedes reputation for safety and longevity, only to discover that Mercedes has a widely acknowledged issue with rotted sub-frames -- it's a serious safety issue and recalled in other countries. My son was was driving on the highway and the tire exploded. He was so close to being killed because the car went out of control. After getting it towed ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2022
The door latches freeze at low temperatures (e.g. -10F) and I can not access the vehicle. This can be very dangerous in emergency situations (sick child that needs to go to the hospital, a dangerous person in a dark parking lot, extreme cold in a remote location etc.). Volvo does not have a fix and cannot recommend preventative maintenance for this.
Incident date: Oct 17, 2022
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was having a routine oil change performed at an independent mechanic, she was informed that the subframe was rusted and there was metal missing. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate fa... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2018) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Oct 17, 2022
Incident date: Oct 12, 2022
Passenger door lock actuator stuck in the unlock position. When manually locked, actuator began buzzing when unlocking using electric methods. The van will not always unlock the doors via key fob since this has happened. I have small kids, and in the event of an emergency, it is important to be able to reliable unlock the rear doors if vehicle evacuation were necessary. I am in the processes of or... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2014) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Oct 17, 2022
Incident date: Oct 17, 2022
This truck has a 5 star crash rating, but is rusting very badly due to a defect in the design of the truck. There are tracks in the roof that lead down behind the cab. The water rolls down and then there is an indentation that holds the water. This water holding creates rust, horrible rust. The rockers, frame and the fuel pump rusted badly due to this defect. The 5 star crash rating comes into hug... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2022
Drivers side rear door will not unlock and open from either the outside or inside of vehicle.
Incident date: Oct 15, 2022
My vehicle, was parked and pulled out of the parking lot on a doing a complete left steering turn, couple of nuts&bolts carrying the vehicle control arm fell to the ground and the entire control arm disengaged out of the shafts. This could have been very fatal, if my family or me were riding the car. Tesla was trying to tell me that saying that, this is caused due to a high impact etc, not doing ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2022
See accompanying letter.Cracked panoramic sun roof, with no evidence convincing stone damage, people with similar issues , involving same model.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
Paint is peeling off car in several places, causing rust. Paint peeled in sheets from roof of car and hood. Paint is peeling off of side panels as well. Currently a class action lawsuit against Kia/Hyundai regarding improper curing of white pearl paint on models from 2014 to present. Dealership admitted to issue being replicated among same make/models of that color. No warnings were issued, h... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
2013 Hyundai Sonata has massive white pearl paint peeling. Large swaths on both read roof racks (each about 48 square inches), trunk peeling (across the entire width on the trunk top edges), front engine compartment hood (4 spots ranging from 3 - 15 square inches). Paint peels away down to undercoating level - poor bonding of the paint to the undercoat).
Incident date: Sep 1, 2022
The rear hatch door of my SRX has been not functioning properly. It opens and closes with erratic function. Regularly I've hit the button to open it and it has begun to close on me with shear force trying to crush my body while loading groceries. It has hit me in the head and the back causing pain. This is very dangerous because it isn't falling suddenly its closing with force. If I try to push i... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2022
The 2007 Toyota Camry has a manufacturing defect related to sticky/melting dashboards as a result of heat or humidity. Toyota sent me a warranty notice for an extension for 10 years from the date of first use of the vehicle, which they determined was the date that I purchased the vehicle on July 31, 2007. In 2013, I took the vehicle to a Toyota dealer, however, they refused to replace the dashboa... Read more
DRV
MOBILE SUITE
(2017) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Oct 13, 2022
Incident date: Jun 13, 2022
Cracked Frame. On June 13th, 2022 I was made aware through social media to check for a possible cracked frame do to others having similar issues. After investigation I found major cracks in my DRV’s left and right gussets. These were visible both standing on the front landing legs and while attached to the tow vehicle. Safety. Cracked frame could cause the whole front to completely cr... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2022
There is a bulge in the drivers side door. Every body shop I have brought it to has never seen it nor can explain how it happened
Incident date: Oct 11, 2022
I'd like to report a safety issue with the RAM PROMASTER 3500 chassis. Ours is a Winnebago Solis PX Campervan. The sliding van side door is often impossible to open from the inside. There is a plastic lever that doesn't catch and is ineffective. I've been locked in many times after pulling and pulling on it and when the front seats are turned around for camping it's difficult to use the front ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2022
My daughter was concerned with the car making strange squeaking sounds on turning and braking and so I met her where her car was parked in a lot and drove it for less than 1 minute and could tell something was very wrong and that it didn't seem safe to drive home. My husband came to check as well and zeroed in on the problem being the front driver's side tire/suspension. Fortunately the Subaru dea... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2022
Sunroof leaked & water dripped into top center light assembly and down either side of the windshield support frames, then into the back of the plastic panels under them, continuing down the supports that lead to far left & right frames and into the carpet under the rubber mats.Very concerned about water mixing with electrical parts of the lights in the overhead area over the dash & starting a fire... Read more
Incident date: Sep 14, 2022
Paint peeled off hood, initially causing a distraction while driving, while it fluttered, then when departing the hood it stuck to the windshield causing a visibility issue before using the wipers to remove it. Dealer said it's a known issue with this paint color, but said the warranty period was over.