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: Jan 26, 2026
My vehicle was recently in for service and upon inspection the technician observed a rusted fuel tank shield. The reason this problem occurs is because of a process called galvanic corrosion. The fuel tank shield is bolted onto an aluminum heat shield, and the pairing of these two different metals accelerates the corrosion. While there is no specific national NHTSA recall for the 2017 Range Rove... Read more
Incident date: Jan 27, 2026
Front grill cap blew off while driving.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
The roof is delaminating causing a danger to my vehicle and others
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
During normal winter operation with the heater in use, the center console area becomes excessively hot. I have measured surface temperatures exceeding approximately 130°F using an infrared thermometer. The affected area includes interior touch surfaces, cup holders, and a factory-installed wireless phone charging pad. The heat appears to originate from HVAC ducting routed through the center cons... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2026
2016 FORD Explorer EXTERIOR A-PILLAR & B-PILLAR APPLIQUE TRIM CLIP THIS MAY RESULT IN THE B-PILLAR TRIM APPLIQUES DETACHING WHILE DRIVING. A B-PILLAR TRIM APPLIQUE THAT DETACHES WHILE DRIVING CAN CREATE A ROAD HAZARD FOR OTHER VEHICLES, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. The problem been confirmed by a Ford dealer The vehicle has been inspected by the Ford Dealership with no resolutions availabl... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2026
Please see Ford TSB SSM50543. In my case the driver's door has been freezing in the lock position. Door will not unlock and cannot be opened either from the inside or outside. The key in the outside will not unlock the door and pulling up on the knob inside cannot be done (even tried with pliers). The electric door locks for the frozen door do nothing. This made it possible for me to only get ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 26, 2026
Car was assessed for recall related to service bulletin 23-032. Recall was performed, but the mechanic who performed the recall says the car is not repaired because the rear frame corrosion, as described in bulletin 23-032, is so severe that a large piece is missing from the rear frame. The mechanic says the repair as described in the bulletin is not enough to fix the car. The service bulletin rem... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2022
I noticed a sticker in driver door stating recall however no evidence. The vehicle will not pull hills, back up on a hill and will not accelerate over 25 miles per minute. Dangerous to drive on roads. Took vehicle to a GMC dealer for diagnostic test, received the report for what the report found. Took the report to auto shop to get repaired however the vehicle still continues with same issue. Took... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
This is a second formal supplemental complaint. Vann York Honda sold this car as new, but a Honda America provided Carfax proved it was a prior personal use vehicle. The car has catastrophic phantom braking, causing a physical friction rash on my skin. Multiple witnesses are now afraid to ride in the car. The vehicle has suspension failures documented by irregular tire readings. Despite an active ... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 25, 2026
Tesla’s Obstruction of Repairs Tesla deleted my original service complaint and annotations regarding these delivery defects. The associated service appointment was cancelled without notice or rescheduling. No repairs were performed despite the issues being raised during the warranty period. This prevented reasonable repair attempts and allowed the defects to persist. Current Nonconformities and ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 25, 2026
Rear sliding doors have an electrical issue that can cause a warning that the door is open to be displayed on the drivers information screen while the vehicle is in gear, and being driven. After a moment you will hear a relay click, the error message goes away, and after a while the error message shows up again this repeats in cycles. Attempts to disable the sliding door system for safety removing... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2020
On January 29, 2020, while driving my 2016 BMW 5 Series under normal operating conditions, the engine compartment caught fire without warning. Smoke and flames originated from the engine bay while the vehicle was in motion. I was forced to pull over and exit the vehicle immediately. The fire spread rapidly, and the vehicle was declared a total loss. At the time, both my insurance carrier and BMW r... Read more
Fire
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2014) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Jan 26, 2026
Incident date: Jan 26, 2026
My rear glass mirror shattered. This occurred after I closed the door.
Incident date: Oct 16, 2024
When driving our Rav 4 we heard loud bang type noise. We stopped and pulled over and looked all around the Rav 4 and didn't see anything. When I checked the roof I found our sunroof had shattered. The sunroof was closed at the time. No one was injured at the time.
Incident date: Dec 8, 2025
On 1/20/26, we purchased a ‘24 Chevy Silverado EV from a Chevrolet dealership. 2 days later, on 1/22/26, while my husband was driving on the interstate, the tonneau cover partially detached and flew backwards lifting upwards and flapping violently. One of the metal crossbars detached completely from the tonneau cover and flew off the truck, and a second crossbar began to tear away. The cover wa... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2019) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Jan 26, 2026
Incident date: Dec 15, 2025
In August 2025, AutoNation Toyota on Sahara, checked the VIN of my Toyota Sienna and contacted Toyota while I was present. Toyota confirmed a broken fuel-door hinge was covered under a Customer Support Program. Instead, AutoNation attempted to repair, rather than replace, the hinge. This caused the metal fuel cap door to end up bent, paint to be gouged out from the bottom of the fuel door area, mi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2026
Windows have detached from adhesive and the window does not shut or seal. There is a recall on the windows for this problem but when I put my vin number in here it does not come up as a recall.
Incident date: May 13, 2023
On May 13, 2023, I was involved in a severe frontal collision on the passenger side while driving my 2021 Kia Forte. The impact caused significant damage, and my insurance company declared the vehicle a total loss. Despite the severity of the crash, none of the airbags deployed. I experienced body pain for several days following the accident. Given the nature of the collision and the damage susta... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jun 1, 2020
OEM Running boards, non powered. It is available for inspection. The running boards are slippery evetime they are wet. Does not matter what shoes you have. I have slipped 4 times since owned the vehicle and even broke the interior panel of my driver side door in 2023 which lead to a$500 repair bill. My wife and I both slipped today (1/26/26) and bruised pretty bad. Kids have also slipped in t... Read more
2 injured
Incident date: Jan 25, 2026
I am submitting this complaint to report a potential vehicle safety defect involving the factory-installed running boards on a 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe. The running boards become extremely slippery during light snow or minimal winter precipitation, creating a significant risk of slipping while entering or exiting the vehicle. This occurs during normal use and does not require heavy snow or ice. I hav... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2026
I was driving on the highway (using cruise control) when the front bumper grill started vibrating (so I tried to slow down) but it kept flapping and flew off before I was able to pull over. I then pulled over on the shoulder and had to walk back to retrieve it. My safety was put at risk because it could have hit my windshield and caused me to have an accident, or, it could have hit someone or anot... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2026
2011 Mazda6 A serious safety defect occurred on my vehicle and matches NHTSA Recall 19V-323 / Mazda Recall 2818I (front cross member corrosion due to insufficient coating) despite this recall not being associated with my VIN. Front cross member cracked due to rust, causing loss of steering control, wheel misalignment, and scraping from the front wheel. This is exactly the failure described in the ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 7, 2026
The car failed inspection due to rust which had formed at the attachment points where the body is bolted to the chassis. The importance of this location made this rust a severe safety risk. The problem existed on both left and right sides of the vehicle. The fact that water was channeled to these locations with no opportunity for drainage or rust protection is a clear design flaw. The vehicle had ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
My L405 has an issue with rusted fuel tank shields. This is a safety issue being that these shields are also responsible for holding the tanks in place. My dealer in Bedford, NH recognized the problem and recommends shield replacement.
Incident date: Jan 8, 2026
Windshield stress crack. From driver side A pillar across the windshield. Widely known factory defect issue. Causing many windshield replacements. No impact, no chips. This was due to improper bonding of the windshield during manufacturing, and body flex of the vehicle.
GMC
SIERRA 2500
(2023) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Jan 24, 2026
Incident date: Nov 22, 2025
On three separate occasions the back doors of the truck opened while the car was at speed. The first time (1/20/26) it was the passenger-side back door. No one was sitting in the car aside from the driver. Driver noticed the door ajar light come on after being at speed and then looked back to see the back door slightly opened, then pulled over and closed it. The second time (1/23/26) was three day... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2026
Sudden breaking of panoramic glass on sun/moon roof. I believe this is related to the clicking noise that is caused by the improper bolting in this model. There is an active service bulletin for the improper bolting/flexing in the panoramic glass. I called the Acura dealership where this was bought and they didn’t acknowledge that. I had my two children, toddler and infant, in the back. They li... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2026
Powered sunroof exploded while driving. Contacted Volkswagen and explained the issue to no avail. Also contacted local glass repair business that said they have replaced 3 sunroofs on the same vehicle for the same issue
Incident date: Dec 27, 2025
The tailgate lifting mechanism consistently creaks and groans and rubs against the body panel due to insufficient lift balance from both mechanisms. as a result, Ive already had to replace the lift rods once. I used OEM parts and the exact same thing is happening again.
TOYOTA
SIENNA HYBRID
(2025) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Jan 23, 2026
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
Open recall with no anticipated date of being fixed. The second row seats are unsafe for passengers which makes the vehicle unusable for a family.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2026
i was driving down the road the front piece of the grill flew off the truck and hit my windshield, then flew into oncoming traffic.
Incident date: Jan 22, 2026
Our truck is currently experiencing issue with the driver side door. In cold temperatures, the door will not open from the outside of the vehicle nor the inside of the vehicle. This is a known Ford recall with the F150 series as well. TSB/SSM 50543: SSM 50543 is a Ford Special Service Message addressing freezing door latches on 2021-2022 F-150 trucks. It addresses issues with doors failing to ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2025
Rear lift gate hinge bent. No known cause other than hinge may be faulty
Incident date: Oct 26, 2025
Windshield glass on lift gate shattered spontaneously. Car was not on, windshield had no previous notable cracks or damage. Weather was fair, not extremely hot or cold when incident occurred.
Incident date: Jan 22, 2026
I purchased this truck in November 2025. While in the service department for an unrelated repair (software update), a body panel defect was noticed and reported to me. The “uniside” panel on the driver side of the truck there is a split in the metal that should have never made it through the factory or especially to the dealership for a customer to purchase. This is a safety concern because th... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2026
GAS TANK SHIELD HAS ROTTED DUE TO GALVANIC CORROSION AS THE FUEL TANK SHIELD IS BOLTED ONTO AN ALUMINUM HEAT SHIELD. THE PAIRING OF THESE TWO DIFFERENT METALS HAS CAUSED THE SHIELD TO BECOME UNSTABLE AND IS PART OF HOLDING THE GAS TANK ITSELF IN PLACE. EXTREMELY UNSAFE.
Incident date: Jan 6, 2026
I was driving on the interstate when the hood deflector blew off suddenly and unexpectedly damaging my hood and hitting the windshield. This vehicle was recalled for this part defect last year and the fix was applied by the dealer. It appears that some sort of adhesive was applied to the retainers but they still ultimately failed. This was a very dangerous situation that could have ultimately caus... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2026
I purchased this vehicle new in June 2020. Since January 2022, it has experienced recurring water intrusion into the passenger cabin during heavy rain. Water leaks from the ceiling around the overhead console near the front reading/map lights. During heavy rain, water pools and causes the interior lights to turn on unexpectedly while driving. Generally, the lights cannot be turned off or immediate... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER
(2017) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Jan 22, 2026
Incident date: Jan 22, 2026
I just discovered that i have a rusted fuel tank sheild that is falling apart. This issue is a safety issue and needs to be repaired asap.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
We were driving on interstate at 70 mph. It was sunny and 45 degrees outside. Suddenly with no warning, our front sunroof glass exploded. The bang was so loud that my ear was ringing hours after. Fortunately no car was following closely so no other vehicle was hit with flying debris. Also, our interior visor was closed so we were not struck by any of the flying glass. We pulled off and removed any... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2026
Was driving 70 mph on nj 287 when all sudden I hear something that sounded like implosion and air was coming from sunroof. Ended up being sun roof glass flew out of car sunroof frame. Toyota knew it was a defect as they did inspection but did not want to cover it because they said it’s out of warranty. Thankfully no one was driving behind me at that time
Incident date: Jan 20, 2026
I am requesting executive-level review and assistance regarding a documented paint failure on my 2022 Toyota Tacoma, finished in paint code 040 (Super White). Toyota has informed me that my VIN is not included in Customer Support Program #XXX. However, this determination does not align with the physical condition of my vehicle, which exhibits the same defect described in that program. The paint on... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2026
The vehicle has experienced repeated electrical failures over an extended period of time despite multiple repair attempts. After the most recent repair, which required the vehicle to be kept for approximately 10 days and included a battery replacement, the same electrical issue returned shortly after the vehicle was returned. The vehicle has previously stalled in traffic, creating a safety concer... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2025
Front driver side bottom bumper has unclipped randomly. I’ve spoken to a group with other 2023 Kia K5 GT-Line owners and at minimum 30 others have had the same exact clip from the bumper randomly detach. This could cause a hazard for other drivers if the bumper were to detach and possibly hang while driving at a high speed on the freeway.
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2024) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Jan 21, 2026
Incident date: Nov 21, 2025
door-handle safety recall had previously been completed on this vehicle. While driving at normal city speed, the front passenger door opened unexpectedly while a passenger was seated inside, creating a serious safety risk. The passenger was restrained by a seat belt, preventing ejection. The vehicle was taken to a Volkswagen dealership, which inspected the vehicle and documented that multiple doo... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2024
Water entered the passenger cabin of my vehicle during normal rain exposure while the vehicle was parked overnight. The failure occurred at the roof glass/seal system, allowing rainwater to intrude into the interior behind the second-row seating area and soak the carpet and underlying padding. This resulted in persistent moisture and a strong musty odor inside the cabin, consistent with microbial ... Read more
Incident date: May 24, 2025
On or about May 23 or 24, 2025, while using FSD to park the vehicle, I engaged reverse mode. The vehicle was fully under FSD control during this maneuver. Unexpectedly, the car reversed into a fixed pole, impacting the rear of the vehicle and causing a noticeable dent. The system did detect the collision and stopped upon impact, but failed to avoid it entirely. This incident occurred despite my h... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2023
There have been several issues for which I had to take my vehicle to the dealer. I did the engine oil recall. Then 4 months later my engine was destroyed. I’ve had several issues with oil leaks. I had an issue with my running boards a few times. And I’ve had an ongoing issue that the dealer hasn’t been able to fix - a water leak (I believe stemming from the moonroof), water gets into my v... Read more