Consumer Safety Complaints

Search 2,245,377 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA, including 140,173 crashes, 56,794 fires, and 8,580 deaths.

2,245,377 Total Complaints

140,173 Reported Crashes

56,794 Reported Fires

8,580 Reported 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 2,245,377 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

How to Read NHTSA Consumer Complaints › How NHTSA Investigations Work › Used Car: 7 Recall Checks to Run First › The Takata Airbag Recall: Full Story › OBD-II Codes Explained › All Articles ›

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Showing 49,687 complaints - component: STRUCTURE:BODY

Incident date: Jan 1, 2026

All four rear/side door latch mechanisms have exhibited intermittent failure to release the door from the interior and/or exterior handle. Repeated operation or increased force can sometimes cause the door to release. This creates a potential safety hazard because an occupant may be unable to exit the vehicle through an affected door during an emergency. The manufacturer has previously issued an e... Read more

Incident date: Aug 14, 2026

I am submitting a formal vehicle safety report regarding a hazardous mechanical reassembly failure involving my 2018 Volkswagen Beetle Coast. On August 14, 2026, the vehicle underwent service evaluation at Stohlman Volkswagen Tysons Corner. Immediately upon exiting the facility, a critical 'Brake Fluid Low' safety alarm and a flashing Red BRAKE Warning Light triggered on my dashboard, creating an ... Read more

Incident date: Sep 4, 2026

2022 Infinity QX55 Luxe.....Rear door lock system issues...The door jams and you cannot open the door from the inside and outside of the vehicle. This creates a serious safety issue. People can be trapped inside the car and first responders cannot get the door open...It is a problem with the door actuator and unlock cable design. I have had one door fixed previously with new factory parts by the d... Read more

Incident date: Sep 4, 2026

There is significant rust on the frame and undercarriage of the vehicle. There has been no actual safety concerns yet, but it may lead to severe issues if unaddressed. It has since an active recall exists for the corrosion of the rear subframe. A specific rust-related inspection is on hold until I receive further direction from the dealership I purchased the vehicle from.

Incident date: Jul 30, 2026

- SUNROOF CHANNEL REAR DRAIN TUBES CORRODED/FAILED, CAUSING WATER INGRESS INTO CABIN, FILLING FLOOR WITH APPROXIMATELY 2 INCHES OF STANDING WATER. - TECHNICIAN FOUND IMC AND AUDIO AMPLIFIER TO HAVE DAMAGE DUE TO WATER INFILTRATION. NO COMMUNICATION WITH AUDIO AMPLIFIER, SATELLITE DIGITAL AUDIO SERVICES MODULE WITHIN IMC IS NOT RESPONDING. - CORRODED SUNROOF DRAIN CHANNEL FITTINGS LEADING TO WATER... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2026

- CORRODED SUNROOF DRAIN CHANNEL FITTINGS LEADING TO WATER INTRUSION INTO THE VEHICLE - CORROSION AND RUST IN THE SUNROOF OPENING PANEL FRAME WATER DRAIN. - SUNROOF WATER DRAIN TUBES HAVE A NOTABLE AMOUNT OF CORROSION AND RUST IN DRAIN TUBE OUTLET AND RUBBER HOSE. - SAFETY HAS BEEN PUT AT RISK FROM THE WATER INTRUSION DISABLING ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS IN THE VEHICLE - PROBLEM HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 27, 2026

On August 27, 2026, after riding approximately 6 miles and less than two hours after taking delivery of this brand-new 2026 Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide ST (5 miles on the odometer from the factory), VIN [XXX], I came to a complete stop at [XXX]. When I attempted to turn right after stopping, the handlebars suddenly locked or jammed, preventing the motorcycle from turning. The bike continued o... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

CRITICAL VEHICLE SYSTEM SAFETY & TELEMATICS FAILURES: 1.ELECTRICAL & ELICTRICAL DEFECTS: The vehicle's primary infotainment and factory navigation display module suffers a total software and hardware failure. module suffers a total software and hardware failure. While operating on public roadway, including [XXX] entering [XXX], the tracking telemetry completely losses spatial orientation. mapping ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 2, 2025

After having a recall, performed on the emergency parking brake it would engage while parked, but when trying to put it in drive or reverse, it would not disengage this began happening approximately two weeks to one month after the recall was performed. It isn’t happening constantly, but it does happen often. On occasion, while driving, it will engage and pull the car to the side nearly pulling ... Read more

Incident date: Sep 3, 2026

While my 2026 Honda Odyssey was parked and stationary, I operated the driver-side power sliding door normally. The door began opening but became stuck. When I activated the power sliding door again, there was a sudden mechanical failure involving the sliding-door mechanism. The sliding-door rail was severely damaged/deformed, the mechanism appeared to disengage from its normal track/rail path, and... Read more

Incident date: Aug 23, 2026

At approximately 32,916 miles, the powered trunk lift strut on my 2022 Tesla Model 3 separated from its mounting ball stud during normal use. There was no collision or external impact. When the strut separated, it struck the rear glass and caused the glass to break. Tesla inspected and repaired the vehicle. Tesla’s final service invoice states: “Strut failure was responsible for breaking back ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 19, 2026

Sunroof / moonroof failing close. Driving on roads / high speeds exposed to the elements for a moonroof that will not close leaving me and my family in danger when its our only vehicle and means of transportation. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? - Yes Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance repre... Read more

Incident date: Sep 4, 2026

Driver door would won’t latch I tried wd40 and put the latch back in place noting working I thought I should notify that it is a safety risk

Incident date: May 4, 2026

The trim on the back of the exhaust is a rough manufactured cut on all their X5s and instead of filing the rough the edge BMW leaves this untouched. Was washing my car and ran my finger over the trim and it sliced my finger open like a razor blade.

Incident date: Aug 7, 2026

The vehicle was purchased Aug 7th and since delivery date the car has been having issues. The primary issue is the infotainment system, the monitor sometimes disconnects from apple CarPlay abruptly. During the use of this feature the navigation system will also disconnect making it unsafe when using navigation. The vehicle has a persistent problem with squeaking and tapping noise coming from the e... Read more

Incident date: Aug 15, 2026

"My 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness is subject to safety recall Campaign 26V346000 for moonroof adhesive failure. A yellow chemical fluid leaked out from the driver's side moonroof seal assembly and ran down the body panel, burning completely through the factory clear coat down to bare metal. While the fluid is not actively dripping at this exact moment, Landers McLarty Subaru explicitly documente... Read more

Incident date: Sep 2, 2026

Leak is causing black mold, creating an unsafe environment inside the vehicle where child is expected and required by law to be buckled right above a black mold infected carpet and behind headrest

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

The short inserts in the front grille of my 2026 Nissan Rogue SV have noticeable free movement at their attachment points. All short inserts can move forward/backward, laterally, and angularly. The longer grille inserts do not exhibit the same condition. I reported this condition to authorized Nissan dealers because of concern about the long-term integrity and retention of these components when s... Read more

Incident date: Sep 1, 2026

At highway speed, vehicle repeatedly started shaking and vibrating violently after hitting any bump or uneven portion of the roadway. Steering became extremely difficult to control and was completely useless for a period of time. A vehicle that loses the ability to steer at highway speeds puts everyone at risk of accident/death. In looking online, this has been experienced by many people and is... Read more

Incident date: Sep 3, 2026

When turning any direction or hitting speeds of 75 mph +, vehicle makes loud noise and starts shaking. Took it to an independent mechanic and ran a diagnostic, they said the rear differential is going out which isn't normal for vehicles with this mileage and said it was a manufacturer defect. When I took the vehicle to a Ford dealership, the tech laughed and said there's a one month wait for parts... Read more

Incident date: Aug 28, 2026

My 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 was subject to GM safety recall N242490120 / NHTSA 25V060 for an upper grille deflector that could detach from the vehicle. The recall repair was completed by my GM dealership in June 2025. In late August 2026, while driving normally on the highway, the same upper grille deflector detached again in the exact manner described by the recall. There was no collision, impact, o... Read more

Incident date: Sep 3, 2026

I was driving 9/3 and my left blinker light came on solid. I was not using my blinker. Within a few seconds my check engine light came on and another light. Then within 2 minutes the front left engine/tire caught fire.

Fire

Incident date: Sep 1, 2026

The liftgate on this car is faulty. There are hundreds of reports online that I found when it happened to me, which has been several times now. The liftgate has a sensor that is activated by your foot, but when you are inside the hatch it will trigger and close on you. There is no sensor to stop it from falling and it traps you inside and has hit me on the head, bruised my shoulders and back and I... Read more

1 injured

Incident date: Sep 2, 2026

Defective spot welds of interior door hinges bind resulting in destruction of 3 remaining spot welds making door inoperable, not closing correctly, damaging other hinge and locking mechanisms. Local and corporate denied. out of warranty at 42645 miles.

Incident date: Aug 27, 2026

While driving on the highway the roof polycarbonate top started to buffet at speed prompting a rapid deceleration of the car for fear of the roof flying off. The car has been evaluated at the Mercedes dealer which stated that the roof was delaminating. I am now unable to drive to convertible with the top up for fear of a mechanical failure placing other motorists at risk of flying debris.

Incident date: Sep 1, 2023

The roof of the BMW started delaminating a few years back, and it is compromising the structural integrity of this vehicle. In an attempt to fix the roof, epoxy was applied after it was smoothed down and the roof looked aesthetically pleasing for about a year, until it started delaminating rapidly in the same spots. Now, the roof liner is starting to collapse, telling me that moisture is getting ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 28, 2026

I took my 2014 Ford Edge in for an annual inspection and discovered severe rust over the entire frame and a large hole rusted through the subframe. The rust had spread to the suspension and exhaust pipe. The car failed inspection and after seeking multiple consultations from auto body repair shops it was deemed the car needs a whole new frame, subframe, suspention within 1 year and a new exhaust p... Read more

Incident date: Aug 17, 2026

My liftgate has been making loud noises upon closing. The dealership checked it and diagnosed that the trunk door is mis-aligned, leaving a gap so that the door WOULD NOT SECURELY CLOSE. I was referred to the body shop to have the shocks and hinges changed. Further discussions mentioned this was a common problem with the Toyota RAV-4 where the hydraulics fail causing a bad alignment therefore affe... Read more

Incident date: Aug 12, 2026

The electronic tailgate struts/motors have failed for the 3rd time in the cars lifetime. The risk this presents is sudden dropping of the tailgate on heads, fingers or anything in between the ground and the lifted tailgate. The dealer has given a quote for replacement but will not give a quote on the diagnosis instead, simply telling me over the phone the struts need replaced and sending me a $138... Read more

Incident date: Aug 22, 2026

while driving my 2023 GMC Sierra AT4 at highway speed, the front grille piece (GM part 84957848, roughly 3 feet or longer) detached from the vehicle without warning and flew off into the roadway. The piece landed on the shoulder rather than in a travel lane, but given its size, it could easily have struck another vehicle or caused a serious accident if it had landed differently. I was then forced ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 19, 2026

The piece in front of the hood detached and flew off while riding down the highway.

Incident date: Aug 1, 2026

Both of the front doors have developed loud popping noises while opening and closing. A temporary fix was done by Lincoln on the passenger front door (at my expense) and the driver door is not having the same issue. Vehicle not under warranty now, so cost to me will be >$4000. Based on discussions with Lincoln body shop personnel and web search, this is a problem that has occurred with other Fo... Read more

Incident date: Jul 5, 2026

The front plate on the trailer detached from the unit and was barely attached. It was extremely heavy holiday traffic and fortunately was discovered in time.This hazard was an accident waiting to happen. Forest River was contacted and declined assistance.

Incident date: Aug 31, 2026

Vehicle Affected: 2007 Honda CR-VRelated Recall: NHTSA Recall Campaign Number 23V228000 (Rear Frame Stiffener Brackets)Description of Incident:I am reporting a severe safety issue regarding how a Honda dealership and American Honda Motor Co. are executing Safety Recall 23V228. I presented my vehicle to an authorized Honda dealer for the rear frame rust inspection. (Lundgren Honda of Auburn MA) The... Read more

Incident date: Jun 24, 2026

The left sail applique was nearly disconnected from the vehicle, so I removed it the rest of the way manually before it could fly off while driving at speed. The right one is still a little loose, but doesn't seem to be in danger of flying off. The model number stamped into the piece that came off indicates that it was replaced during recall work in Nov 2024 as part of Safety recall 24V-457, howev... Read more

Incident date: Aug 19, 2026

1. The car makes a squeaky sound when I accelerate. The faster I go the louder the noise becomes. I took the car to the Toyota dealership and was told that the transmission needs to be replaced. The car is only 5 years old. I checked online and noticed a lot of other people are also complaining about the same issue with their 2021 Toyota Highlander. 2. While driving on the Turnpike a few months ... Read more

Incident date: Sep 1, 2026

The factory adhesive/anti-flutter sealant that bonds the outer hood skin to the inner structural frame has physically separated. There is a clear gap where the outer panel is no longer attached to the frame. As a result, the outer hood skin flexes and vibrates, especially at highway speeds. Impact / Safety Concern: The vibration and movement of the outer hood panel occurs directly in the driver’... Read more

Incident date: Feb 10, 2026

I was driving down the highway, in light rain around 9pm, very little road traffic, when all of a sudden the forward glass of my sunroof exploded, it sounded like a gun shot. But then I heard wind noise and realized the glass on my sunroof just imploded towards the sky. Very alarming, no other sun roof issues previously on this vehicle. Safe lite replaced the sun roof, but it took several weeks fo... Read more

Incident date: Apr 7, 2026

The drivers side inside door handle has quit working twice. The dealer has temporarily fixed it both times, but advised us to "just be more gentle with the handle". The cable is falling off of the door hinge inside the door, and the dealer claims they don't have a way to permanently fix it. They just put it back on its mount. We are afraid that the driver will not be able to escape the veh... Read more

Incident date: Jul 6, 2026

Rear tailgate does not open and sometimes will show a warning on the dash that the tailgate is open when it is not. The tailgate for the heavy duty 2500/3500 trucks were recalled for the same reason but not the 1500 trucks. This is a common issue on the truck forums and is an unsafe condition.

Incident date: May 30, 2026

Client left the road and the vehicle hit a tree by the roadside. The vehicle caught fire and client was incapacitated and unable to operate the door handle from the inside or unlock the doors. Bystanders attempted to open all four doors from the outside, but they were all locked. Bystanders noted that the handles themselves were functional and believe it was an electrical issue keeping the door... Read more

Crash Fire 1 injured

Incident date: May 12, 2026

Suspension subframe crossmember (Upper)(part number 8K0505235AQ) has severe rust Corrosion perforation, and is available for inspection. Fear of unsafe vehicle operation due to the Structural integrity being severely compromised rendering the vehicle unsafe to operate. The rusted subframe as been confirmed by an Audi dealer and an independent service center. The vehicle has been inspe... Read more

Incident date: Sep 1, 2026

There is an interior design defect on the 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross XSE regarding sharp, overlapping hard plastic edges located directly underneath the steering column and lower dashboard assembly. The clearance in this specific area is too narrow for normal vehicle ingress and egress. As a result, the driver's knees repeatedly strike and scrape against this sharp plastic seam when getting in and ... Read more

1 injured

Incident date: Sep 1, 2026

Vehicle purchased from dealer with concealed total loss history and federal/state odometer fraud. Official state title records show the odometer froze at 73,539 miles between Tennessee title issued March 2025 and Ohio title issued January 2026. Live OBD-II scanner diagnostics confirm true vehicle mileage exceeds over 86,278 miles. Vehicle was in a severe crash (December 2024) resulting in a Junk/S... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2025

The paint is peeling really bad .It's been peeling and rusting horribly.

Incident date: Aug 28, 2026

I purchased a new 2026 Kia Carnival EX and noticed an unusually intense amount of heat coming from underneath the vehicle on the passenger side, particularly around the rear passenger door/second-row seating area. I first noticed the issue while the vehicle was parked and I was standing outside the open rear passenger door installing car seats and floor mats. The heat radiating from underneath th... Read more

Incident date: Aug 30, 2026

I was driving home from family’s house 2 hrs away and got home late. When I got home I noticed the upper front grille assembly or top chrome trim piece for the 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate flew off at some point while driving. That could have caused an accident for others and myself but luckily no one is harmed.

Incident date: May 22, 2026

COMPONENT: Rubber cover running nearly the full length of the trailer roof, protecting the solar panel wiring. The trailer carries a solar array and a 45 kWh battery system. The trailer is available for inspection on request; the cover itself was lost on the road. After towing the trailer to Lake Casitas CA on 05/22/2026, the entire roof wiring cover was missing. Given when it was found, it most ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 9, 2026

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Rear Exhaust System How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Fire hazard as it was similar to a blowtorch, melted several rear panels, lights and trim while driving. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The dealership (Elyria Hyunda... Read more

Incident date: Jul 7, 2026

All four exterior door handles on my 2021 Cadillac CT5 have experienced the same intermittent failure. The handles initially work intermittently and then become unable to release the door. This has occurred on all four doors. This creates a serious safety concern because occupants may be unable to enter or exit the vehicle normally, and emergency responders may be unable to access occupants throug... Read more

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Consumer Safety Complaints

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

How to interpret what you read

If you've experienced a defect

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