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
JAYCO FIFTH WHEEL
EAGLE
(2020) — STRUCTURE:BODY
May 2, 2022
Incident date: May 1, 2022
Structural frame cracks causing weakness over hitch.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
I took the 2009 BMW 528i to Bridgeport BMW to have a prior safety recall (17V-673/19V-273) repaired but, it wasn't fixed and my car caught on fire last year before I got another recall letter stating that there's no remedy for the Recall Campaign No. 22V-119: PCV Valve Heater.
Fire
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
When I first purchased my 2021 Pacifica Hybrid Pinnacle in January 2021, randomly when pressing the lift gate button in the top left of the trunk it would beep multiple times and the lift gate would not move. The key fob, front button, and rear button would not engage the lift gate motor. You had to manually shut the lift gate and it would latch. Then in November 2021 I had the Y50 2021 RU Power... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 2022
Driving at highway speeds, the passenger door suddenly unlatched and "door adjar" notification warning was displayed. Had to exit the highway in order to close and secure door. I have previously reported this same issue, to NHTSA several times before. I have video of the incident.
Incident date: May 2, 2022
My Hatch has been filling up with lots of water not too long after I began leasing it and it sloshes around, it is in my rear lights, has made the inside light of my hatch no longer work. Now, water is leaking in from both rear windows and somewhere in through the fabric of the inside back roof area creating a growing water stain and mold. Spare Tire well in back also fills up with up to 2 inches... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2017
Several areas on my vehicle the paint is chipping in large chunks. The paint is not fading but coming off. I enquired to the dealership about this years ago but they said it was not in warranty for that anymore. The only reason im enquiring about it now is because I see many vehicles (kia optima in pearl white) on the road with the similar issue as me.
Incident date: Jan 3, 2022
Paint chipping on hood and on roof above windshield in huge flakes. Down to primer and possibly starting to rust.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2020
The paint is defective/chipping. Now, rusting has occurred.
Incident date: Jun 15, 2021
Large amounts of paint falling off of vehicle.
DODGE
CHALLENGER
(2021) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 30, 2022
Incident date: Mar 15, 2022
Left frontal Collision between drivers side head assembly and center front of car- with white tail deer about 100-120 lbs. , causing extensive damage to car. $19,000. Payout from progressive for those extensive repairs. And airbags never deployed. This seems highly alarming to me. The abrupt stop, or the sudden heavy damage to front of vehicle seems like it would activate airbags?? Safety issue... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 30, 2022
At 156k I'm getting told I have to replace my slipping transmission. I just recently had to replace my lower control arms. Diagnosed to replace my CV axle. Also, last year I had to pay to have my seat belts fixed since the rear passenger belts would not buckle leaving serious safety risks for my children
Incident date: Apr 30, 2022
Pearl white paint has been rapidly chipping. Dealership has refused to do anything.
Incident date: Oct 28, 2021
Suspension is air ride and is defected. It stops working and makes the truck bounce with any disturbance/bump on the road. Truck sways from side to side. Have had to replace the front axles/joints and the front end alignment. The mechanic stated that something was welded (that shouldn't have been) probably was caused because of the suspension. Every now and again the warning message "service suspe... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2022
Never received notice for XX Warranty Enhancement Program and found out in March 2022 as vehicle cannot pass inspection due to rusty on frame. BRAND ENGAGEMENT ADVOCATE March 09, 2022 at 12:18 PM Dear [XXX], Thank you for contacting Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. regarding your frame concern in your 2009 Tacoma. We are sorry to learn you're experiencing a concern with your vehicle. We were... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2022
My car got stuck and then it caught fire and now is fully demolished
Fire
Incident date: Dec 29, 2020
Frame badly Rotted Purchased used, previous owner stated Frame recall/inspection was preformed Advertised on CL as NO ROT Frame is so bad it can not be safely driven
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2013) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 29, 2022
Incident date: Mar 7, 2022
on 3 separate occasions 3 separate door handles have failed to work from the inside of the vehicle. We had to replace the front passenger side door handle twice and the rear left side once and now the rear right side door handle has stopped working. No warnings whatsoever ever they just stop latching and we are unable to exit the vehicle which is very unsafe. We took it to the Nissan Dealership in... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2022
I turned the key and started the RAV4 parked in my driveway. It immediately made unusual noices (gurgling, spitting, etc.). Within a minute, there was a loud "BOOM" under the hood and fire began coming out from underneath the car. I got out of the car and got a safe distance from it. My neighbors came running over as they heard subsequent explosions and saw black smoke billowing from my direct... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Apr 27, 2022
rear liftgate will only open most of the time it will not close when using the buttons on vehicle or on key fob, ongoing issue since
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2017) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 28, 2022
Incident date: Apr 28, 2022
The driver's side door will no longer open, whether automatically or manually. You cannot manually unlock the door from the inside or open it from the inside, which poses a safety issue, in my opinion.
Incident date: Apr 2, 2022
The rear turn signal fill up with water and burn out the bulbs
Incident date: Mar 31, 2022
2008 Honda pilot Rear subframe on both sides rotted out! horrible design! Lots of Honda pilots with this issue!! you could've killed my family due to this!! This is a known issue now take care of your buyers!!!
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2016) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 27, 2022
Incident date: Apr 12, 2022
The driver side rear door failed to unlock and open and is available for inspection. This happened about two weeks ago 04/12/2022. When this started, my grandson was unable to get out that door, but fortunately, the other door opened fine. If there was an accident, and the other door got damaged, passengers would be unable to exit without climbing to the front of the van or out the backdoor. I... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2013) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 27, 2022
Incident date: Aug 10, 2021
Rusting subframe to point of hole thru rust be leaf rear wheel/tire area. Garaged daily since purchased 2013. Reside in Ohio. Approx 80k miles.
Incident date: Apr 22, 2022
Vehicle failed inspection due to rust on the frame. Bought vehicle because it is supposedly ruggedly built and for the frame to rust out when the vehicle has 103k miles and not driven off-road for more than a few times since we owned it is ridiculous. Dealer quoted $11k for the frame alone, not including labor. The fact this vehicle shares the platform with the Tacoma which was recalled for fra... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2022
My Acura TL has many issues and is dangerous to drive
Crash
Incident date: Apr 24, 2022
After running my van through the car wash we found water leaking into the left rear interior through the roof. We took the vehicle to the dealer and they showed us the left rear seam under the roof trim was not completely sealed and had a hole in it. The seam sealer from the factory is painted in color and we had to pay to have our roof resealed due to factory defect. This could be safety related ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2022
Purchased a 2019 toyota corolla from carvana that was delivered 2/26/22. When delivered, driver pointed out front end date that apparently happened "during transport". Vehicle had bad brakes & rotors that I replaced. Vehicle has one door that does not match the rest of the car. The history was disclosed as clean, no accidents. Carvana is refusing to switch the car out and has no record of me askin... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2022
All four of my vehicle doors panel are coming apart leaving all the wiring getting damaged by heat and cold. They have so many complaints about this matter and these Dealerships are saying they not responsible for it. Total cost $2400
Incident date: Jul 20, 2020
Rear tailgate fails to open consistently making it impossible to enter or exit the vehicle from the rear, through the rear tail gate door (the 5th door). Nine times we have brought vehicle back to authorized Subaru dealerships over the last two years of ownership in Hanover Ma-Planet Subaru; San Francisco -Serramonte Subaru and lastly in San Diego- Kearny Mesa. The rear tail gate does not open co... Read more
FORD
MUSTANG MACH E
(2021) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 26, 2022
Incident date: Apr 26, 2022
The vehicle started saying a door was ajar without indicating which one. Sometimes we would get an intruder alert while the car was plugged in at work but nothing was open or unlocked. Occasionally the passenger door would open on its own after turning off the car. Now we get a door fault alert after starting the car. We have contacted a local dealer as well as our purchasing dealer but both indic... Read more
KIA
SORENTO PHEV
(2022) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 26, 2022
Incident date: Apr 13, 2022
I was traveling on the highway with no cars around, under no overpasses, and the panoramic sunroof exploded. It sounded like a gunshot. It was around 50 degrees and there was no previous sunroof damage.
Incident date: Apr 24, 2022
Within the last 6 months, (fall 2021 – spring 2022), one of the doors in my car has opened multiple times by itself, while I was driving the car. The door was closed properly when I started driving and I did not accidently pull on the door handle. This occurred so far only with the driver side door, while the top was down, (the car is a convertible), and while driving at highway or close to high... Read more
TOYOTA
FJ CRUISER
(2007) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 25, 2022
Incident date: Apr 25, 2022
Heavy rust continues to occur and rot frame from seemingly within the frame. Terrible build quality. I have spent thousands keeping this car alive. Plenty of 07-era cars on the road with not this much rust and I clean my CAR!
Incident date: Dec 1, 2021
I was informed to report the incidence of paint chipping on this form, although it is not a safety risk. From the images I upload you can see 2 years ago (4/23/2020)there were a couple of small areas of paint chipping where the windshield meets the roof of the car. These areas to my knowledge had no previous damage to them. There are/were a couple areas where there were minor dents (not pictured)... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2017
I had my paint recall fixed on my 2010 Honda Civic at a local Honda dealership. They had it for 4 weeks without any loaner car, and now the paint in peeling off my car. The body doesn’t seem to be put back together correctly. The rubber were the body fits together is coming apart.
Incident date: Apr 10, 2022
My husband bought a BMW through the military sales program, had it delivered to the United States, and we took it with us to Germany where we currently live. The car is made to U.S. specifications and I had been driving the car weekly in Germany to keep the battery running while he is away on a deployment. On April 11, 2022, as soon as I pressed the ignition button, the dashboard flashed a strang... Read more
Incident date: Oct 7, 2020
The paint on my pearl white Sorento began delaminating or peeling off in sheets on the A bars on both sides of my windshield October 2020. Lots of rust beginning as a result. Auto body shop had never seen anything like it. I did not attempt repair bc of expense and uncertainty that a spot repair would be insufficient if it were to continue in other areas. Out of warranty due to age of vehicle.
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2019) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 23, 2022
Incident date: Jul 3, 2021
The passenger door interior handle cracked off on July 3, 2021. I was exiting the vehicle normally and did not use much force to try to open the door. The lack of an operational handle made it impossible for me as the passenger to open the door myself from the inside. What if there was an accident or the vehicle ended up in the water? I would not be able to exit from my side. I would be trapp... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2021
For about the last 12 months, my truck has what they call the death wobble. This is happened continuously at speeds of 40 to 60 miles an hour and sometimes even takes me off the road and I have to pull over and stop. In addition, I believe the brakes went out due to the continuous wobbling
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2019) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 22, 2022
Incident date: Apr 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the hard tri-fold bed cover detached and flew off of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.
MITSUBISHI
OUTLANDER
(2022) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 22, 2022
Incident date: Apr 22, 2022
Both front Struts bearing are rattling in every corner or bump stopper when driving. Was notify since the second week of buying and they replace the parts but it get worst. Hood fluttering, Gas smell in the cabin when you are park with the a/c on after 20 minutes. Engine lose power the last month and they have to update the computer software. The cellphone wifi charger presented problem and they h... Read more
Incident date: Nov 12, 2021
Rear Door lock failed with the first symptom of not being able to open the door. Once door was opened the door failed to close/latch. I think this is a safety concern because it would be impossible to get at the rear seat occupant in the event of a crash/heath issue. Then once the door finally opened it failed to latch which made it dangerous to drive the car at all because the door would fling... Read more
FORD
TRANSIT CONNECT
(2013) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 21, 2022
Incident date: Mar 21, 2022
The muffler split open most likely from a clog. Because of that, the exhaust was directed toward the floor of the truck instead of going out of the muffler. As a result, it burnt through the heat shield, the back of the truck, melted the wiring harness, and burned a hole straight through the fuel tank. A mechanic took out the fuel tank and when it was being dropped out fuel spilled everywhere and ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2022
I would like to express that in December 11 they gave me the vehicle at the car dealer and I had not been driving for even 20 minutes, when I heard a noise and looked and my glass had shattered. I turned to the dealer and they replaced him on March 11. Today April 21st I am driving on the highway with no car near me and I come back I hear a noise and I look and again my glass is broken. It is i... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving approximately 20-25 MPH, the rear passenger's side frame stiffeners detached and separated from the vehicle. The contact veered to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. Additionally, the contact stated that the frame stiffeners were severely rusted. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notifi... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2022
My doors wasn't latching or shutting all the way. The power doors and windows wouldn't work sometimes. Then the back sliding door fell off. Engaged the automatic door and damaged the side of the van. I seen there were recalls but none for my Vin I don't know what to do.
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the grille shutter needed to be replaced. The contact stated that she replaced the grille shutter herself. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2022
Trunk opens while vehicle is in motion. Warning light will alert me the trunk is open but it has happened twice over the last week. My knee cannot reach the trunk open button and the key is a fob with a flip out key, so there is no way to have accidently hit the button on the fob while in motion. Nothing in the trunk is high enough to accidently pull the emergency latch.