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
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2013) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Jul 27, 2022
Incident date: Jul 25, 2022
Over the time we have owned this vehicle the sliding side doors have stopped working & then started. Recently both doors lost power completely . I have read that this is a very common problem with these Vans but the doors when power is lost can not be opened at all from the inside making the passengers crawl out the windows, front doors, or back hatch. If this were a fire, wreck, or emergency this... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2022
The white pearl paint on my 2019 Kia Sorento has started chipping in some spots without any impacts or action that would affect it. I feel that this could expand and maybe chip a large portion of the hood paint while I am driving, which may cause me to react erratically and maybe cause an accident. I have seen many complaints online recently of other owners encountering the same problem. I have t... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLA 250
(2019) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Jul 27, 2022
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
I was involved in an auto accident on 3/1/22 I no longer have confidence or feel safe driving the 2019 Mercedes GLA250 after having a minor" accident and repairs totaling $15,008.53. The steering wheel locked and the left tire was knocked out of place. According to Mercedes, repairs were required to the suspension system, new struts, new knuckles, steering gear. I am terrified to continue driving... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
Driver rear door latch failed, door refuses to open from the outside or the inside. Passenger may become trapped in the event of an accident requiring exit from that door. No warnings or symptoms present before the failure. Multiple forum posts detailing similar symptoms
Incident date: Jun 13, 2022
The tailgate on this truck has opened 11 times now while driving down the road. I take it to the dealer and they do nothing about it and say none of their diagnostics show anything. I have researched this problem and for the past consecutive years prior to this year's model, the same issue has been recalled. This last time it happened, it came down while pulling a trailer which bent the tailgat... Read more
MASERATI
QUATTROPORTE
(2014) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Jul 26, 2022
Incident date: Jul 26, 2022
The Maserati SQ4 car exterior laminated safety glass on the front window shield, the four door side windows and rear window are delaminating from the edges inward. The safety windows are failing on the exterior. I am members of five Facebook Maserati groups and there are many owners that have this issue around the world
Incident date: Apr 1, 2022
2011 Honda CR-V. Excessive rear frame corrosion resulted in rear control arm separation from vehicle. This was subject of recall in Canada but Honda USA not recalling here (upstate NY). Honda has recalled the Ridgeline and Element for very similar issue. The Issue caused me to almost crash and could have been injured. Rear driver side wheel came loose and went sideways causing me to skid off road.... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2022
The contact owns a 2022 CAN-AM Ryker. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed in a severe thunderstorm, he attempted to engage the turn signals to notify other drivers that he was switching lanes however, he discovered that the motorcycle had no turn signals. The dealer was notified and informed the contact that the Year, Make, and Model of the motorcycle manufactured to be s... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Jul 6, 2022
The safety latch on the front hood has failed 3 times. The first two times were not reported to Tesla, because I assumed that it must have been my fault and there was little actual damage to my car. Fortunately, both occurances were at low speeds in a parking lot. The result was that my hood didn’t align properly. There was no other damage to the hood. I read about a Tesla recall for this v... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2021
2017 Elantra - pearl/white paint color, paint is peeling on roof of car as well as the hood of the car. Paint/clear coat gone
Incident date: Jul 14, 2022
The frame rusted and is available for inspection. My daughter was driving our 2000 Toyota 4Runner SR5 which I purchased new in 2000 when she noticed the truck started to wobble when she hit small bumps. I drove it to the garage the next day which is 2 miles from my house. It was doing the same for me. My mechanic went to put it up on the lift, he noticed that the frame rusted out. There was nothin... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2022
On July 22, my sister and I were traveling on I-95 going south. We stopped at the Maryland House near Aberdeen, MD. I was looking for a parking place and was driving very slowly. I slowed further to turn into a place on the right, near the south end of the parking lot and was attempting to put the car in park when the car accelerated abruptly, lurched forward, crossed over the concrete curb at t... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 25, 2022
The frame rails that hold and support the bed/box rotted prematurely. Box could fly off while driving and cause accident
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2013) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Jul 25, 2022
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
I noticed my Mercedes 2013 C300 (approx 89,000 miles) was acting peculiar when braking, it basically fishtailed like i was on ice, especially at a high speed on the interstate. It was very scary. It was also making clunking noises and did not handle on curves very well. Brought it to a local garage as the nearest dealer is over an hour away. Found out the rear subframe is broken on the rear passen... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2021
The tailgate intermittently opens on it's own while driving. This has happened approximately 6-10 times since I purchased the vehicle in November 2021 with 10k miles. One time it was noticed less than 1 mile from home as I was travelling under 45 mph. Other times it has been at higher speeds. I was only made aware of it happening when other cars were motioning to me while I was driving. I alw... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2016) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Jul 25, 2022
Incident date: Jul 19, 2022
Sliding drivers side door will not open. Does not unlock, lock, latch and buttons do nothing. Door is stuck in closed position. Very unsafe! This vehicle is used for a handicap adult.
Incident date: May 31, 2022
The power sliding door on my driver's side completely fell off. This is due to a faulty hinge with plastic rollers that was I told totally disentgrate after being used normally. This hinge is located at back part of sliding door. I had no warning in any way. There was no warning lights or any sounds of any kind that told me something was wrong. I was closing my door after loading my groceries int... Read more
1 injured
LAND ROVER
DISCOVERY SPORT
(2016) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Jul 25, 2022
Incident date: Jul 17, 2022
door pop open during driving, and will not latch. Notifications showing car door is open after incident happens…
Incident date: Apr 26, 2017
Purchased 2014 Pearl White KIA Sorento LX 4/2014. 4/2017 - paint bubbled and chipped on left A pillar. Dealer repaired paint under warranty. 12/2018 - paint continued to bubble and chip on hood and roof. Took to dealer but told would not cover under warranty. Complaint not noted on invoice 7/2020 - paint repaired on left A pillar in 2017 started chipping again. 1/2022 - 13"x3.5" paint section on r... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2022
I'm not happy with the recall! Nissan should have fixed this recall since it was reported 7 months ago. I'm not able to use my car the service that I bought it for. I need this fix ASAP.
Incident date: Jul 23, 2022
The hood primary latch frequently releases causing me to rely on the safety catch. Re-dropping the hood sets it again only to notice several days later that the hood is again unlatched.
Incident date: Jul 23, 2022
The trunk lid does not remain open once lifted up and must manually be held open with one hand. I needed to use both hands to remove something from my trunk yesterday. The trunk lid closed while I was doing so and the metal latch of the trunk lid slammed into my forearm. A golf ball-sized knot started forming almost immediately and I am in a lot of pain today. I am trying not to seek medical assis... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2022
The structure that holds the rear differential and axle to the frame rusted through and broke off from both sides so the whole rear axle unit broke loose and pulled back so the drive shaft pulled loose and the rear tires were rubbing on the fenders. If this happened at highway speeds I don’t know what might have happened. The vehicle was towed to a welding shop to see if it can be repaired. It h... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC 350
(2020) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Jul 24, 2022
Incident date: Mar 8, 2022
Engine coolant after 2000 miles from topped off by dealership got low and sparked fire, and totaled my car. Warning alert was ON to say turn off engine remove key. Articles related to this: 800,000 Mercedes-Benz Owners Warned Their Cars Could Catch Fire (forbes.com) Daimler warns car owners of fire risk it lacks parts to fix | Reuters 800,000 Mercedes Vehicles Are In Risk Of Catching Fire, But T... Read more
Fire
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2017) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Jul 24, 2022
Incident date: Apr 4, 2022
The passenger side automatic sliding door has stopped working. Can’t open it manually either. The door is stuck in a closed position and can’t even unlock the door. This is a safety issue due to in an emergency we can get out of the vehicle using that door.
Incident date: Jul 24, 2022
The passenger door unlatches while the vehicle is in motion. The dealer has reported that this had already been fixed, but it is still happening. It is a major safely issue that needs to be resolved. I can provide video footage.
Incident date: Jul 18, 2022
At the beginning of this week, I was checking fluid levels and upon dropping my hood, I watched a crack in the windshield extend up from the base of the windshield. Then, while I was driving, I watched the crack extend and branch into a second crack. Upon further inspection, it appears cracking started under the windshield wiper and arched downward to the base of the windshield and another a new c... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2020
The vehicle was manufactured with laminated glass for all windows and the glass is delaminating and forming bubbles around glass edges which compromises the integrity of the glass. On my vehicle, it affects all 4 windows and both front and rear windshields. This issue is widely reported on forums and group message boards and seems to affect all years of the Maserati Ghibli from 2014+. I have inqu... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
Front and rear crossmembers are rusted through. Replaced front subframe for $1008.00 in 2021. Available for inspection. Could come to a complete stop if it breaks. Confirmed by independent service center. Not inspected yet. Front squeak heard 2021. Rear squeak heard 2022. This is my 2nd jeep patriot & both jeeps front & rear crossmembers are rusted through breaking apart.
Incident date: Jul 20, 2018
My white snow Kia Sorento paint is peeling and has really bad Delamination. It’s been peeling little by little over the last 4 years. It is awful.
Incident date: Jun 22, 2016
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while entering the driver’s side front door, she noticed that the trim panel cover material had separated at the top of the window. The contact also noticed the failure on the passenger’s side front door. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The mechanic linked the failure to the manufacturer’s Customer Sa... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2022
When in direct sunlight in temperatures above 80 F rear doors (referred to as Falcon Wing Doors, FWD) will not open reporting an “Obstacle Detected” error. The on-screen manual override will not work in this situation. You just use the interior physical control on the pillar near the door you are trying to open. For this control to work you must disable the child protection control. Manual... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2022
This VIN number was totaled due to a bent frame after being rear ended on June 10th. I fear my insurance company (USAA) will attempt to commit fraud by not reporting the title as salvage.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jul 7, 2022
Front trunk (hood) flew open while driving at approximately 40mph. The front trunk lid/hood opened completely and smashed into the windshield, completely blocking driver visibility and breaking the glass. It is unclear as to how the front trunk became unlocked, but in the event it was unlocked while the car was in park, the car should not have been able to shift into gear. Tesla Model Y's Owner... Read more
JEEP
GRAND WAGONEER
(2022) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Jul 21, 2022
Incident date: Jun 18, 2022
The contact owns a 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the hood of the vehicle suddenly became unsecured and flew open, striking the front windshield, and creating a visibility hazard for the driver. The contact indicated that the locking mechanism bolts had erroneously unscrewed from the hood causing the failure. The vehicle was taken to the local... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2022
White pearl paint chipping off on front bumper and hood.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2022
The door handles on my car get excessively hot in warmer weather. My 7 year old daughter burnt her hand attempting to open the door. I’m unsure of what material they are made out of, however it is impossible to open without using something to put over them first. I will be getting a temperature on them today. I’ve never had this be an issue with any other vehicle previously.
Incident date: Sep 16, 2021
A roof moulding flew off my vehicle on the expressway. Apparently there is a Honda Service Bulletin that came out to the dealership that indicates these mouldings need to be secured better. However, they listed only some of the VINs and mine wasn't one of them, but the moulding ended up flying off anyway. It sounds like is a problem for other VINs that Honda didn't indicate.
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2015) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Jul 21, 2022
Incident date: Jul 7, 2022
Both rear passenger doors will not unlock or open.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2021
Delamination of SWP paint. Paint all over the front of the vehicle is peeling off.
Incident date: Jul 20, 2022
The rear hatch can be opened while the car is in drive or reverse from a remote input from the app. On several occasion my hatch has opened from a remote input while in traffic while stopped at red lights. Tesla says this is normal behavior. So what is possible is someone can open the hatch from a remote input from anywhere without being able to see the car. My concern is when this has happened it... Read more
GRAND DESIGN
REFLECTION
(2021) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Jul 20, 2022
Incident date: Apr 20, 2021
The contact owns a 2021 Grand Design Reflection RV. The contact stated that the structural slide seized and was inoperable. The RV was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a faulty camber. The mechanics and the manufacturer's technicians performed numerous repairs by welding the frame; however, the failure recurred. The RV was then taken to the manufacturer's factory where the technicia... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2022
Paint peeling by the rear window
Incident date: Jul 16, 2022
Frame is rusting away. I bought this vehicle in 2019 from a dealership and was just informed of this issue. No recall for this vehicle is showed on the website or Toyota dealership. I think the original owner along with previous owner never looked at the recall for this vehicle. I’m not sure what else to do.
Incident date: May 25, 2022
We were in an accident with minor exterior damage but when closer look the frame is damaged and even bolts to engine bent. Insurance company first totalled then decided to repair with new frame . All car experts say that the vehicle will decrease substantially in value. My concern is that we have no control or protection about how it is repaired and if we sell it with the current VIN number, it... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 15, 2022
The passenger door opened by itself by driving in a highway. There was no one seating in the passenger seat, no bumps, just in the middle of the highway at 65 miles per hour. Is the 4th or 5th time this happened the last year
Incident date: Jul 13, 2022
******* DELETE VOQ ******* THIS COMPLAINT IS BEING MARKED FOR DELETION BECAUSE THE CONSUMER PLACED THE REQUEST.*DJR ******* DELETE VOQ *******
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2013) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Jul 19, 2022
Incident date: Jul 14, 2022
So I took my car to get new tires and the tech told me that my rear subfram was rusted and cracked ,unsafe to drive . I called mercedes and they asked to take it to the dealership and get a quote. I did this and there response was to do nothing .this issue has been recalled in Germany and also Canada. But nothing done in United States. This is a serious safety issue .let's say I never got my tire... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2022
The windshield trim has flown off of my car twice. It's happened twice bc I repaired and then 3 mos. later it happened again. The 1st time it flew off I was driving home in rush hour traffic in downtown fort worth, tx and it flew off into the oncoming traffic. I could have seriously injured someone or caused a wreck, having car parts flying off at high rates of speed in the middle of a major cit... Read more