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
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2020) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Oct 2, 2022
Incident date: Sep 24, 2022
While driving on the freeway, with no prior damage, the front bumper came lose and dragged under vehicle.
Incident date: Sep 28, 2022
Door handle is supposed to pop out to open the door. This is the 2nd time my door handle is stuck and does not pop out, making it impossible to open the door from the outside. This appears to be a systematic defect in Tesla Model S cars as seen from numerous online complaints. It is a safety issue as not being able to open a door can prevent help from getting in in case of any accident. Tesla refu... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2020
The door panels are warping and detaching from the door. I'm sure the airbags should be affected as well. I have contacted Porche America but no one calls except customer service who keeps no records of previous calls.
Incident date: Sep 5, 2022
I bought a 2007 Toyota Yaris brand new. It's a one owner car with 216000 miles. 5 years ago, I noticed that the side skirt was rusty near the back wheel. Over time, they rusted out. One month ago, while pulling in at the gas station, I heard a crunch. I felt the drivers side of my car go down as well. Got out and drivers rear wheel was tilted in at the top. The passenger rear wheel was also leanin... Read more
Incident date: Sep 29, 2022
First the driver door won't open from the outside. I called Kia and they said the vehicle was inspected and they didn't find anything wrong at the time, this was before I purchased the vehicle. Second while driving the vehicle, I noticed when making a left turn the headlights would turn off while driving. I turned the headlight switch from auto on to the on position they came back on then kept on... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2022
1.) The wire harness between the body control modules are failing. 2.) When I tow my boat I could loose braking at any time. Display of " service trailer brake system" overrides all other displays on console. Repetitive chiming noise is very distracting and irritating. 3.) Yes, I took it back in soon after i purchased it (a lot of money) and the Chevy rep said it probably was something to do with... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
Purchased new 2014 Yukon Denali in February 2015. Currently have 66,000 miles. September 2022: professional repair of the dashboard performed. Separation began June 2022. Separation of dash became larger, 2" to be exact, then the cracks appeared. Then it became noisy with rattling. According to the repair shop this is a common occurrence in some GM vehicles. GMC does not acknowledge this as... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2022
My Kia is pearl white and the paint is peeling off. I've taken it to a body shop and they said it is a factory prep issue and the paint will continue to peel. And it won't be long before the windshield starts leaking. Upon doing research, I've seen many complaints about the problem I am having. I don't think the mileage should matter.....defective paint job is a big issue. What is Kia doing t... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2022
Undercarriage frame found to be badly rusted, by a AAA Driver who came to my roadside assistance following a brake failure due to rusted and leaky brake lines.
Incident date: Sep 23, 2022
My stepdaughter purchased a 2008 Toyota Tacoma a few months ago. During the time of having the vehicle serviced her mechanic pointed out all the rust throughout the frame of the vehicle. I have contacted Toyota Corporate; they refuse for me to open a ticket and to get this safety issue resolved. Not only is the rust on the frame, but it's also evolving the suspension. There is also evidence ... Read more
NEWMAR
DUTCH STAR
(2018) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Sep 30, 2022
Incident date: Sep 1, 2022
The driver's side window is a dual pane window. The glass has lost its seal letting moisture in between the panes causing a drivers visibility issue. Driver is unable to see in the rear mirror or to the left side of the vehicle. Vehicle manufacturer claims vehicle is out of warranty and denied any remedy.
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2011) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Sep 29, 2022
Incident date: Sep 28, 2022
A dealer inspection found a rusted away rear subframe with holes in it and near total failure and undriveable. The part is being removed by a dealer and its whereabouts after that will be unknown. Garage kept and continually cleaned a car such as this should not experience the visible decay it has after such a short time. A defect definitely existed in the sub-par metal products used during produc... Read more
Incident date: Sep 13, 2022
The rear door latch for the lift gate malfunctioned and wouldn’t release. The power motor for the lift gate continued to work, trying to lift the rear gate. The result was bending the left gate hinge and hinge mounting area. The gate latch was corroded, but is supposed to be protected from the elements! The lift gate had to be taken apart from the inside with a number of parts having to be damag... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2022
The frame on this truck is completely rusted. There are several holes and cracks in the frame. You can pull chunks of the rusted frame off with your fingers. It is unsafe to drive and is a hazard to other drivers There are many photos online of this model of truck that have broken in half when the frame has failed. There are stories of people who are driving this vehicle and it breaks in half wh... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2018) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Sep 29, 2022
Incident date: Sep 28, 2022
Left side passenger door stuck and will not open. Minivan was manufactured 12-2017 according to door sticker information.
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLA 250
(2018) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Sep 29, 2022
Incident date: Sep 3, 2022
While driving the vehicle on the highway the front panel immediately in front of the panoramic roof was ripped off. The glue holding the panel in place was defective and is a known issue that currently has a recall out issued by Mercedes Benz. However the vin of our vehicle does not fall under the recall per my conversation with a MB rep. Mercedes Benz knows that this is a problem and will not ad... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2019
The dashboard in this truck has been crumbling to pieces. It is to the point now the gauge cluster and passenger air bag are barely in place. This is a common occurrence on all of these dodge rams and it is definitely a safety hazard
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
Windshield crack on passage edge with no impact or cause at 2,000 miles. Noticeable sounds like sand constantly hitting windshield or air whooshing around was heard prior to seeing small line crack starting from passage side edge. Safety concern is the windshield install issue or faulty glass and vehicle body safety issues. Took vehicle to Honda dealer and service representative took visual assess... Read more
Incident date: Sep 27, 2022
Vehicle was broken into and stolen…steering wheel column damage, wheel locked, wreck…usb cord used to crank car..police report filed #2209013764ME
Crash
Incident date: Aug 19, 2022
Liftgate is unable to be opened from outside, on button press it just beeps three times
MERCEDES-BENZ
CLA250
(2015) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Sep 27, 2022
Incident date: Aug 15, 2022
On May 10th while driving on I-35 Texas highway, the panoramic sunroof of our 2015 Mercedes Benz CLA 250 shattered the whole panoramic sunroof, my daughter describes as some shot at the car. there was particles of glass on the driver side and passenger, very dangerous situation. She pulled over into a gas station and noticed there were pieces of glass shattered all over the interior some. The se... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
CLA250
(2015) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Sep 27, 2022
Incident date: May 10, 2022
On May 10th while driving on I-35 Texas highway, San Antonio Texas, the panoramic sunroof of our 2015 Mercedes Benz CLA 250 completely shattered while wife driving and daughter as a passenger, they heard a big bang and suddenly pieces of shattered glass fell all over the interior some of the glass hitting my wife and daughter in the face, they immediately pulled over to evaluate the situation. T... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
Vehicle has open recall 09v491 for roof panel separation. The roof on the vehicle has separated and come apart in pieces leaving the front seal exposed. Gengras Chevrolet in Ct has ordered and received the replacement panel which has now been sitting at their dealership for approximately 2.5 weeks because they refuse to send it to paint until they rectify the outdated paint supply reimbursement co... Read more
Incident date: Sep 26, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the roof rack clips were fractured and water was leaking into the vehicle, causing the vehicle to shut off intermittently, electrical failures, and air bags malfunction. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the headliners were leaking. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no as... Read more
Incident date: Sep 23, 2022
I have a 2016 F-150 Platinum (VIN [XXX]) and live in West Palm Beach, FL where it rains almost every day. I have noticed over the last several months that I can't open or close (without slamming them) three of the doors. This is a safety issue and one that needs to be addressed ASAP. I have two little kids in car seats and I don't feel safe driving my truck with them in it as is. I have taken my t... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2011) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Sep 27, 2022
Incident date: Sep 15, 2022
Had to replace the rear sub frame due to extensive rust and erosion. Major safety concern. This was brought to my attention at a routine maintenance service appointment. Almost as is they knew they should be looking for this problem. We are the only owners of this car. It is a garage parked car. No rust elsewhere just at the welded connection on the rear sub frame.
Incident date: Aug 30, 2022
My paint is peeling off around the rear windshield of the car. Not sure what is causing this. My honda civic is a cobalt blue color, when brought to the dealer it was stated they have seen this on the color blue my car is as well as white. Car was not in a accident and no one is at risk.
Incident date: May 15, 2015
The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that water was entering the vehicle through the driver’s side door frame causing the 2-inches of water to pool inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the rubber seal was replaced; however, the water continued entering into the vehicle. Additionally, the contact noticed water inside the instrument panel. The vehicle wa... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2022
On/or about 8/23/22 the vehicle door jammed while trying to close the door and would not close. After several attempts to close the door it closed. Upon closer inspection of the door it was found that metal had fatigued and cracked around multiple welds on the door frame allowing the weld to separate that hold the door check and intrusion beam in place. In addition the door pops open when a rou... Read more
Incident date: Sep 27, 2022
I was driving and the other person ran the stop light and hit my car making me go in and hit another car from the other side.
Crash
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2013) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Sep 27, 2022
Incident date: Jun 17, 2022
Rear subframe cracked; car has less than 95,000 miles and looks great. My two children of driving age were using the vehicle at the time, driving others as well. Fortunately, I happened to drive it not longer after the issue and took it to the shop immediately. They put it on the lift and saw that the rear subframe was cracked all the way through. As it turns out, it is becoming very common on thi... Read more
THOR MOTOR COACH
MAGNITUDE
(2019) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Sep 27, 2022
Incident date: Dec 9, 2020
The engineering and structural integrity of 80%+ of the thousands of Thor Magnitudes /Omnis produced from 2019 through 2023 are extremely questionable from a safety perspective. Thor Motor Coach, Inc. takes no responsibility for this, but the front caps of these motorhomes are separating from the rest of the coach. Thor refuses to issue a recall or further to cover a proper repair for this signifi... Read more
Incident date: Sep 25, 2022
The paint on the vehicle is chipping away. There are a few spots on the vehicle that the paint is chipping away. This can lead to rust. I purchased the vehicle new and the vehicle does not even have 5k miles as of now.
Incident date: Sep 18, 2022
I am experiencing the same issues stated in the recent recall. My battery is draining fast, there is corrosive liquid on the left front side of my recently purchased vehicle and there is a white residue on the front outer part of the car. There is also corrosive material on the front brake and on the metal parts of the connection to the front left tire.
Incident date: Sep 25, 2022
There were 7 recalls on my make, year, model vehicle. Three of which were Brakes, Air Bags, and the TPMS tire monitoring system. Other body parts, doors and hood releases had recalls along with hvac/air conditioning systems. Radiator/fan motor failures. Doors flying open during transit. The ABS control module could cause the brakes to lock-up during braking. Shorts from unused connectors f... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2022
Rear passenger doors would get locked stuck, and can not get unlocked from inside or outside. This issue would remain even after locking/unlocking car multiple times or enabling/disabling child lock multiple times. Dealer suggested this is common issue in this model of the car, and needs an expensive repair of the latch mechanism. This is a safety hazard as this would would trap the passengers i... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2022) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Sep 24, 2022
Incident date: Aug 13, 2022
Hood scoop is painted in a gloss and the angel makes the sun reflection on the back of it blind the driver. Needs immediate attention
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2013) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Sep 24, 2022
Incident date: Sep 19, 2022
Rear subframe of vehicle rusted under regular use conditions and the left trailing arm mount broke off as a result. This caused vehicle braking to become extremely unstable and dangerous, even at low/medium speed. This is a known problem from this manufacturer and the Fed government should take action to force recall.
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLE350
(2017) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Sep 23, 2022
Incident date: Sep 20, 2022
The sunroof exploded spontaneously and shattered without warning while driving on a highway (I20 ) from Tyler TX to DFW airport around 10 AM bright sunny Tuesday morning.I was terrified and now feeling unsafe to drive this car with this kind of unsafe sunroof product henceforth. I called Mercedes Benz USA and said the car is out of warranty and did not want to check and investigate this safety fai... Read more
OSPREY CUSTOM
OC90
(2022) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Sep 23, 2022
Incident date: Jun 14, 2022
Water leaks from multiple sites when it rains from the front driver, passenger and rear compartment doors, as well as the overhead glass roof. The rear jumper seat on the passenger side does not properly latch in place such that it is easily lifted without having to first use the latch release, this is of great concern because when someone rides in that seat if there is a collision of any sort th... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2021
Door latch failure, would not lock. had to get back door latch replaced cost $1600 for something that was Ford’s fault.
Incident date: Dec 25, 2019
Broken spare tire carrier. Seems to be a common problem on XLE sienna. I have 2005 LE and my spare tire carrier is completely broken. Tried getting a replacement from 5 parts car sienna and they were all broken as well! Another common problems Sienna have are rack and pinions. They always leak. I owned a 1998 then a 2003 sienna and they both leaked from the power steering pack. Spare tire carrie... Read more
Incident date: Sep 22, 2022
MY ROOF GLASS CRACKED FROM INSIDE OF THE GLASS THAT IS SANDWICH TO IT. THEY REPLACE THE ROOF GLASS FOR FREE. A FEW MONTHS LATER, WHEN I PULL INTO A PARKING LOT AT AN ANGLE, THE WINDSHIELD IS CRACKED FROM INSIDE OF THE GLASS JUST LIKE THE ROOF GLASS. NO DAMAGE FROM OUTISDE AND INSIDE OF THE GLASS. BUT TESLA WANT TO CHARGE ME FOR NEW WINDSHIELD.
Incident date: Mar 2, 2022
In my 2018 F350, I experienced my power tailgate opening on its own. It happened when the vehicle was unattended and while the vehicle was in motion. I brought it to the dealership for the recall repairs to be performed on March 2nd, 2022 at 115k miles. I received the truck back and in the time since the recall repair was performed, the tailgate has opened, on its own, while the vehicle was in ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 23, 2021
The hydraulics that are intended to hold up the rear lift gate have failed. After opening the lift gate and leaning in to get something out of the rear of the car, the lift gate will begin to close and hit or hurt the person that is standing at the back of the car. I have not shown this to a dealer or independent service provider, but it is easily reproducible. Likewise, I have not shown this t... Read more
Incident date: Sep 23, 2022
The locking mechanism on the rear passenger door has broken twice. The electric switching mechanism does not lock or unlock the door. Has to be done manually. Additionally the child safety lock also had to be replaced on the same door. Causing the door to only be able to be opened from the outside. Both are potentially very dangerous in the emergency situations.
Incident date: Aug 31, 2022
Truck frame is rotting from the inside out, Could not tell the extent of damage from looking underneath, I have to get it repaired before it snaps in half.
Incident date: Sep 12, 2022
The paint is delaminating . It is peeling off down to the primer. This is a know problem with Kia. The Kia service manager stated Kia would not make good for the repair stating it has been more the 36 months and the warranty has expired. A heavy rain furthers the peeling. Under the right circumstance in the rain with the peeling sticking to the windshield could cause limited vision during driving ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLB 250
(2022) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Sep 22, 2022
Incident date: Sep 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLB250. The contact stated that upon purchase of the vehicle, he noticed a glare coming from the ridges of the hood which became distracting while driving. The contact stated that as the sun began going down, the glare worsened, forcing the contact place his hand over his eyes to deflect the glare. The manufacturer was notified of the issue and informed the co... Read more