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: Mar 11, 2022
When closing the drivers sliding door the door fell off both hinges completely, crashing to the ground.
Incident date: Mar 13, 2022
My daughter was driving my car on the interstate the airbags deployed and hit her in the face, filled the car up with smoke, she couldn’t see anything she hit the iron poles that are together by cables. My car is totaled. My back tire broke completely off of the car. These cars aren’t built safe. I owned my car and now I’m without a car. Has anyone else ever had this happen? Air bags deploy... Read more
Crash
1 injured
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2012) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 14, 2022
Incident date: Jan 3, 2022
Vehicle was in for state inspection at an authorized inspection station. It failed inspection due to severely rusted and deteriorated rear K-Frame which had to be replaced to pass inspection. This is a major defect I feel caused by manufacture negligence. There were no warnings, messages or any signals indicating a problem. This issue could have severely caused an injury or even death had it not b... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2022
dash is cracked air bag is not secure seat are torn
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER VELAR
(2018) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 14, 2022
Incident date: Mar 5, 2022
On 3/5 we were out of state on vacation, after we completed shopping for the day I was placing my shopping bags in the trunk of the vehicle. My friend, unaware that I had not stepped out of the way activated the self closing trunk door. The door failed to detect that there was an obstruction (me) and closed striking me on the top left side of my head causing me to have a concussion. I was seen ... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 12, 2022
There is water stains on passenger A and C pillar interior headliner and C pillar on the drivers side interior headliner right around the air bags
Incident date: Mar 11, 2022
The black parts of the front grill is melting.
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2020) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 13, 2022
Incident date: Mar 13, 2022
The front portion of the panoramic sunroof/moonroof blew out with a loud boom while my husband and I were driving on interstate 75 south in Florida. The flying glass could have injured us had the shade not been closed or if it had been raining and possibly caused an accident. I saw that another person had the same experience with a 2018 Toyota Highlander XLE with a panoramic moonroof listed on To... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2022
VEHICLE 2008 VOLVO C70 HARDTOP CONVERTIBLE. Doors randomly unlatch/open while the vehicle is in motion. This occurs on both the drivers side and passengers side doors during vehicle operation in drive. It has occurred numerous times while driving on straight flat non bump roads and in roundabouts, while cornering. It is a serious safety issue. It occurs when the top is up and when the top is ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2022
Corrosion on the rear subframe as a result of salt on roadways used to clear snow
Incident date: Jan 1, 2020
the inside door handle broke was unable to open the door, the inside door assembly was broken also... drivers side also the window door motors malfunctioned window would go up and down not knowing what direction and also change directions disallowing window to be opened or closed
CHRYSLER
TOWN AND COUNTRY
(2013) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 12, 2022
Incident date: Mar 11, 2022
Used key fob to open rear liftgate in order to put packages in , liftgate opened like normal I bent in to place packages inside and the liftgate came backdown and hit my head and then went back up a few inches and came back down again hitting my head again before I had a chance to move out of the way. I had to go to the hospital, I had head and neck pain ,to get checked out and was told I wad whip... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 9, 2022
Hitch broke off due to ford common frame rot. Frame is rotted from leaf spring shackle and back
Incident date: May 19, 2021
The rear trunk latch will not close and latch so the trunk is left wide open
Incident date: Mar 8, 2022
The passenger side window that is part of the door started to come off. I was able to catch it coming loose in time to prevent it from coming completely loose. A Google search reveals that this is not an uncommon occurrence with the airstream basecamp models. There are several reports online from previous owners. We were lucky that the window didn’t come off during transit! I’ve called airstr... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2022
Floor board got flooded with water! The back seam that is in the roof is faulty. The seam is above opening when lift gate is up ( not the seal around the gate). Front, midde and compartment with the spare was drenched. Water ran down the pillars ( nose was angled up). Ford refused to give any assistance. My concern is all the electrical components can be dangerous and the possibility of mo... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2014) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 11, 2022
Incident date: Mar 11, 2022
While my wife was driving down the street, about 25 mph, the hood suddenly popped open, hitting the windshield, and twisting and tearing the metal on both fender panels. It was terrifying. What if it had happened on the highway?
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLE350
(2017) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 11, 2022
Incident date: Mar 11, 2022
The sunroof rails are damage from wind force while driving. Sunroof is unusable and not covered by warranty. Cheap plastic parts used. Heard of issues where sunroof flipped back. Now am paranoid to use it. There are so many reports available online of problems that there should be a recall.
Incident date: Aug 6, 2019
Sliding doors on both sides will not close reliably. When closing the sliding doors, the door slides along the track smoothly initially but when it is close to shutting anywhere from 2 feet to a couple inches (usually within inches of closing) the moving door studders its motion, or hesitates and then the door opens again. This has been ongoing for a couple years and although it is intermittent, i... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2022
Air conditioner drain drips directly on subframe cross brace for front cradle, erosion and road grim along with neverending dripping water even from using defrost leads to rust and cross brace breaking into and well you can use your imagination for what happens next. Drain needs extended and re routed because I know I can't be the only one with this problem.
Incident date: May 1, 2021
The Honda Odyssey I own has paint coming out from the roof and tail. Looking around on the road, I saw many other white Honda Odyssey with similar problems. When doing a search on the web, I saw the recall notice for Honda Odyssey 2011-12. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10161239-0001.pdf My Honda Odyssey is a 2010 model but with same color and similar problems with exterior paint. This... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2022
Paint on the Vehicle is chipping off and getting oxidized. It started happening an year ago and its never ending. We are able to see the patches almost everywhere on the body of the car.
MITSUBISHI
OUTLANDER
(2022) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 9, 2022
Incident date: Sep 20, 2021
I purchased 2022 Outlander in September of 2021. The hood on the vehicle at any speed looks as though it is going to fly up but gets much worse at higher speeds and on the highway. It actually looks like it is going to break loose and fly up and hit the wind shield. It is scary to drive at times thinking this will happen. Also the leather material on each side of the console has come undone and ha... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2022
Sunroof exploded while driving on the highway
Incident date: Mar 9, 2022
Foggy headlights cannot see… reported by multiple srx owners.
MITSUBISHI
LANCER
(2006) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 8, 2022
Incident date: Mar 8, 2020
My lancer has very bad rear end chassis rust where the rear subframe is fastened to the monobody. In this area all the suspension components and rear drivetrain are located. Damage occurs due to salt and other corrosive agents that are used for roads in Connecticut to melt snow. These agents rust the car where Mitsubishi failed to properly protect the steel under the rear end of the vehicle. It is... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2022
Fuel Tank Hanger Broke. The fuel tank was hanging. Repair person confirmed the frame had rotted, and the mounting bracket was not good. Fuel tank needed to be removed and the new bracket was installed and the fuel tank reinstalled. Safety was at risk - fire/explosion hazard. Contacted the Dodge dealer and was unable to secure an appointment for two weeks . This was unacceptable. First noticed pr... Read more
TOYOTA
REDUNDANT SIENNA
(2021) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 8, 2022
Incident date: Jan 25, 2022
While driving during snowy weather suddenly smoke began to billow from steering column area and vehicle slowed down, then stopped, while simultaneously several malfunction indicators lit, I tried to restart the vehicle to pull to a berm, it was unable to restart or even shift into neutral, the vehicle lost all power and had to be towed. This alone could have caused an injury or accident. The probl... Read more
Incident date: Jan 25, 2022
While driving during snowy weather suddenly smoke began to billow from steering column area and vehicle slowed down, then stopped, while simultaneously several malfunction indicators lit, I tried to restart the vehicle to pull to a berm, it was unable to restart or even shift into neutral, the vehicle lost all power and had to be towed. This alone could have caused an injury or accident. The probl... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2022
The plastic frame at the top of the rear back glass has two cracks causing significant leaking into the cab of the vehicle.
Incident date: Mar 23, 2018
After leasing our car for less than 1 year - the power liftgate malfunctioned (which coincidentally there had been a recall in the past on our honda odyssey 2009 for appears to be the exact same issue.) It seems to be exactly the same thing happening again with the 2018 model we have now. So that the trunk won't open by itself. So for the past few years we had too manually lift the trunk and it... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2020
Van doors opened by themselves going 60 down the highway while my children were in the vehicle. Happened 3 separate times.
Incident date: Mar 7, 2022
I took my Lincoln to a Ford dealership regarding water in my trunk. The technician said it was the factory wields off the assembly line that have failed. Lincoln said they would not cover the repair due to not enough complaints on model and car was over any warranties. I returned the vehicle to the same dealership to get the repair. I was told it was not the wields, but the trunk lid. I paid for a... Read more
Incident date: Oct 14, 2021
The frame of the vehicle has rusted out at the bolt where the rear trailing arm connects to the frame. The rust has caused the vehicle to fail Maine State Inspection. This vehicle defect has led to a recall in Canada: “On certain vehicles, the rear frame could rust. In extreme cases, this could result in a rear trailing arm separating from the vehicle. This recall applies to vehicles originally ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2012) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 6, 2022
Incident date: Nov 5, 2021
While driving recently we noticed that the vehicle pulled to one side while braking, and very hard under quick stop tests. Vehicle handling felt extremely dangerous when performing a hard brake test. An inspection was performed, and the service center found a rotted out rear subframe, and cracking around the suspension mounting brackets. After researching this repair, we found this to be a co... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2022
The A pillar of my car came loose while driving and is now flapping there. The A pillar on the other side was loose when I bought the car and the dealer fixed that one at that time. I fear these pillars coming loose and flying and hitting other cars while driving. Seems like a safety issue Ford should do something about.
Incident date: Feb 28, 2022
My Nissan altima dashboard is melting and the reflection is causing glare on windshield in the sun. Salt buildup on the windshield in combination with a flash of bright sunlight suddenly caused visibility out of the windshield to be nonexistent. I caused an accident when this happen to me on the freeway, as I lost all visibility and started to swerve and slow down. I had pull to the shoulder bli... Read more
Crash
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2019) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 5, 2022
Incident date: Jan 10, 2022
In Jan 2022, the air bag system error light lit up at start-up and remained lit. A first-available dealer appointment was made for 1/28, two weeks away. During those two weeks, the car started to issue a burst of random alerts during cold startup - driver door contact switch failure, cruise control (ACC) failure, start/stop system failure, and the rear driver side window would roll down several in... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2016) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 5, 2022
Incident date: Mar 4, 2022
The passenger side sliding door no longer locks manually or by remote. I was broken into because of this at a hotel I was staying.
Incident date: Mar 4, 2022
The frame has rusted so bad it has completely separated from the body. The Ranger frame rusting is a known problem but it has not been recalled like the Toyota Takoma has been.
Incident date: Sep 28, 2021
Front passenger seatbelt is stuck won’t expand to buckle up, when turning on right blinker the high beam lights turn on. Which is unsafe for other drivers being blinded by the bright lights. Back hatch does not operate at all, could potentially be life threatening if that was an only exit due to unexpected Circumstances
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
The drivers side door showed it was latched there weren’t any lights saying that the drivers side door was open or any other door was opened. I was driving and turning left and all the sudden my drivers side door flew open and struck objects on the side of the road people had placed out for garbage pick up. My safety was put at risk by my drivers side door coming open while I was driving. I star... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Feb 26, 2022
I have a 2016 Kia Optima Pearl White and the paint on the hood just started peeling! It looks awful. What should I do to get this problem fixed?
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2015) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 3, 2022
Incident date: Feb 26, 2022
Back window glass shattered when shutting drivers side door. Happened on the 26th of February 2022, Illinois is still very cold in February, thankfully no passengers were in the back seat. Had to drive home very slow as not to drop glass on the highway. Found a Program Bulletin on the internet, bulletin No: 14815 from a Customer Satisfaction Program that stated this could happen due to structura... Read more
HONDA
ACCORD HYBRID
(2019) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 3, 2022
Incident date: Nov 2, 2021
Passenger door well not unlock from key fob (keyless unlock a door) or inside unlock switch. This is an intermittent problem and Honda dealer cannot resolve it. I believe this imposes a safety hazard. I cannot get in unless I use the key or go round to the passenger side and crawl over to the inside door latch.
Incident date: Apr 3, 2020
Moved my vehicle from California to New York and when the temperature reached around 30 degree's i noticed that that paint would begin to bubble and flake off. Since i have owned the vehicle the vehicle has not been in a location where temperatures reach below 55 degree's. since I relocated to NY for the past 2 years I have had consistent issues with paint flaking and chipping off my vehicle once ... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2017) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 3, 2022
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
Left sliding door is stuck. Unable to open inside and outside. Some times the smell of burned plastic. In state of emergency it is impossible to evacuate from the car.
Incident date: Mar 3, 2022
Paint chipping on the body, the paint has chipped down to bare metal
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2019) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 2, 2022
Incident date: Mar 2, 2020
I bought this vehicle in 2019. I have had an intermittent safety issue even now in 2022. I have taken this vehicle into the dealer 3 different times. Every time they said that they did not see anything wrong. Now the vehicle is out of warranty and it still has the intermittent problem, which is that the right sliding door occasionally does not stay oven when you open it. It opens all the way,... Read more
Incident date: Nov 3, 2021
I have an issue with my paint peeling off the hood and other parts of my car in large sections during rain and high winds adhering to the windshield hindering my field of vision at times. This has forced me to stop the vehicle on the roadside and remove it in order for me to continue. The paint peeling on the pearl white vehicles is a known issue since 2010. I've contacted the manufacturer numerou... Read more