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: Apr 22, 2026
I own a 2021 VW Atlas. My daughter owns a 2020 VW Atlas. Both vehicles have had a nonfunctioning hood latch. What this means is you cannot under any circumstances open your hood. So, if you need to do any of the multitude of under hood services you cannot. I had to wait weeks for my VW dealer to get it in to make the repair. After speaking with my service advisor at my VW dealership, it turns... Read more
Incident date: Apr 23, 2026
I was driving along I-20/59 Northbound approaching Bessemer, Al near or between mile marker 102-104. Suddenly I heard a “pop” sound coming from behind me and noticed in my rear view mirror the rear windshield had a small hole in it. I had just merged into the far left passing lane when this occurred and then proceeded to merge to exit onto Exit 104 (McAshan Dr./ McCalla). As I continued to dri... Read more
Incident date: Apr 19, 2026
Sunroof completely shattered while driving. Yes, it is available for inspection upon request. Due to the glass spontaneously shattering while driving, all occupants in the vehicle were at risk of injury. Problem was confirmed by dealership close to where the incident happened but later denied by other dealerships close to our home. (Glass shattered while on vacation). Vehicle has not been official... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
Our rig started having problems leveling. The unit made loud popping noises that sounded like it was coming from behind and below the driver seat. Our local tech noticed that there were incomplete or cracked welds in the frame. We notified Forest River of the concerns and they insisted that the rig was safe. All other professional opinions obtained stated that it was not safe and needed to be ad... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
I am submitting this complaint regarding a manufacturing defect, specifically premature paint delamination of the exterior, factory-applied, Pearl White paint. The paint is lifting, bubbling, peeling and flaking exposing primer and metal. This damage did not result from impact, environmental exposure, improper maintenance, or misuse. The vehicle was inspected at a certified autobody repair faci... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
The outside door window seals began rotting and crumbling apart on the front passenger and both rear door windows. The driver’s door window seal is not affected as the entire door was replaced due to a factory defect. This is allowing heavy amounts of water to run down inside the doors, threatening interior equipment corrosion and failure.
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
The A-pillar trim on the driver's side is pulling away from the body of the car. The previous generation of this vehicle had the same issue and has had a recall. The trim can fly off while driving causing damage to other cars and accidents. The dealership body shop inspected the part and said that it needed replaced. I first noticed this due to the sound of wind while driving even with the win... Read more
Incident date: Apr 23, 2026
I closed the passenger door on my car and the rear window disintegrated.
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
my B pillars started coming off on the highway going 60 mph. driver side was hanging by electrical piece for the keypad for door opening. my son looked and passenger side coming off as well. had to pull over and duct tape it on. already had A pillars replaced which left side was coming off, had to duct tape. for some reason their is a recall for this on 2016 and up but not 2015.
HYUNDAI
SONATA HYBRID
(2025) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 23, 2026
Incident date: Apr 7, 2026
On April 8, 2026, I returned to my brand-new 2025 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited (purchased as a new ccar on February 10th 2026)_after being away from March 31 to April 6, 2026 (approximately 7 days of normal parking). The vehicle was completely dead — the 12V auxiliary battery had fully discharged. The car remained fully locked. The hood release lever and the 12V battery reset button are both ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
The paint is peeling off the car prematurely. Hyundai is only acknowledging their responsibility for white vehicles but it is affecting others as well.
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
I am submitting a defect complaint regarding the paint on my vehicle, which has been progressively deteriorating. The issue begins as small bubbles in the paint, which eventually lead to peeling and complete paint loss in affected areas. This condition is currently present on the trunk, roof, and rear sides of the vehicle, and early signs are now appearing on the hood. This defect is more than co... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
I was at a complete stop, made a right hand turn, and as I was turning, the driver side door opened/became a jar and then my car alerted me that the door was open Yes, my safety was at risk because the door was open It beeped the lights were on in the cabin, and there was a notification on my dashboard
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
Known manufacturing defect which results in paint flaking off and exposing bare metal to the body. This will eventually result in corrosion and structurally compromise the safety of occupants inside the cabin. This is a known defect which the manufacturer has set an arbitrary cut-off for production date despite the issue ongoing beyond the limit of their recall dates.
Incident date: Sep 12, 2025
Have been waiting for several months for Ford to remedy BOTH recalls. There obviously is no important reason for them to be productive and do the right thing so this issue will likely never be resolved unless I take action and file a complaint. The two issues are not even that critical so I further don't see why action has not been taken. 1. Interior A pillars separating. 2. Back up camera scree... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2018) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 22, 2026
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
The frame of my 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has rusted through to the point of failing Maine state safety inspection at only 41,000 miles. A licensed Maine inspection station identified structural frame corrosion and determined the vehicle is unsafe to operate. A Chevrolet dealer confirmed the frame rust and stated the truck must have rusted sections cut out and welded to be made roadworthy. The... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2022
Pearl White (077) paint is delaminated from metallic car surfaces. The paint appears to be separating from the surface and peeling/cracking, not consistent with normal wear alone. I previously reported this concern to Lexus Corporate.
Incident date: Dec 8, 2015
I received a Toyota recall notification in Dec 2015 for a frame rust inspection, RO Number 307016. I have since noticed fairly major frame rust, with a long 2-inch by 7-inch opening on the inside of the frame below the driver-side seat. I took the vehicle to Toyota on 20 APR 2026 for a leaf spring recall #302870. I asked them to take a look and was told the recall 307016 had expired. The original ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
A and b trim pillar pieces are loose and I just lost one going down the interstate. It is also causing my car to leak when it rains. Recall was issued over a year ago and still no parts available to fix it.
Incident date: Sep 8, 2022
Frame is rotting away. The tacomas, tundras, sequoia were recalled for this issue. The tacomas frame is very close in design to the 4runner. The main difference is the 4runner uses coil springs whereas the tacoma used leaf springs. Toyota stated that because the 4runner was made in Japan unlike the others that were made in the USA, that the 4runners were not part of the recall.most of the 4runners... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2026
The front lateral links, compliance links, and stabilizer bar link on my 2018 Tesla Model 3 Long Range failed and required replacement in January 2026. Prior to failure, abnormal creaking and clunking noise from the front suspension began appearing weeks before the repair — no warning lights illuminated at any point. The failed components were replaced by a Tesla-certified Service Center and are... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
Front (engine) subframe rusted out in 2026 after recall work was completed in 2023 for the known issue. Here is the service campaign information: "Service Campaign 984 2011-2016MY ELANTRA (MD/UD) UNDERBODY CORROSION PREVENTATIVE SERVICE"
Incident date: Apr 25, 2024
Purchased CPO 2/28/24. Water intrusion defect manifested 5/28/24 (3 months) with electrical failures and dampness odor. Active leak discovered 9/25 - water leaked onto passenger during operation. CHILD HEALTH EMERGENCY: My daughter required THREE emergency room visits for severe allergic reactions after riding in vehicle - suspected mold/biological contamination from water intrusion. MANUFACTUR... Read more
TOYOTA
GRAND HIGHLANDER
(2026) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 21, 2026
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
While driving at approximately 20-25 mph, the panoramic sunroof glass of my vehicle suddenly shattered without any warning. There was no impact from road debris, no visible chip, and no prior damage to the glass. The glass appeared to explode outward, creating a loud noise and causing shattered glass to fall inside the vehicle. This created a dangerous situation that could have led to driver dist... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
Oil cooling system has been replaced. Major leak in AC line needs replacement. Purge solenoid stop functioning and was replaced, now there is an additional major coolant leak
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
2019 Kia Rio Hatchback trunk latch failure buzzing actuator but won't open emergency release does not work dealer says not covered under recall #21V622000 which covers the trunk for 4 door 2019 Kia Rio and this appears to be the same or similar issue with the trunk emergency release not opening creating a safety risk
Incident date: Mar 28, 2026
Regarding the 2024 Titan roof, the rain cutters seem to have seam bonding and no weather stripping. The seam sealant only goes 3/4 of the way along rain cutters on the roof. This is leaving a pocket where water collects and starts to rust. Nissan should repair this under it corrosion warranty . It’s also causing an issue with the windshield where the seam sealant or bonding material is comin... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
A door lock malfunction occurred involving the front driver-side door. The vehicle would not unlock or open using the key fob. Multiple attempts were made to unlock the vehicle, but the driver door remained locked and unresponsive. At the time of the incident, a child was secured inside the vehicle in a child safety seat. Access to the vehicle through the driver-side door was not possible. Acce... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
I was driving down the Interstate and my sunroof exploded without apparent cause. This was in Colorado, and there was a change in altitude, so I thought perhaps a difference in pressure might have played a part. There were no cars in front of me nor any visible debris. I was just driving, and heard a loud bang over my head. My sunroof and shade were closed at the time.
Incident date: Jan 20, 2021
There is bubbling all along the hood of the van and now it is chipping. We inquired about this when we were getting oil changes at the dealer and no one said anything. I have a friend who said hers was recalled but I never received anything. We inquired a couple times and was brushed off. I now know that there was a recall and that this is a known defect. I only have 43k miles on this van it’s a... Read more
FOREST RIVER
PUMA
(2023) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 20, 2026
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
Got it in sept 2022 brand new the shower leaked water the seal of the slide leaked and the power inlet got very warm which would kick the breaker occasionally
Fire
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
I have super white (040) paint and it's flaking off due to original manufacturer paint defect. Paint is flaking off my passenger back door and a large piece/area of roof. flakes of paint will come off at highway speeds, creating a vision hazard for drivers behind me or a distraction when flakes hit the windshield.
Incident date: Apr 11, 2026
On April 11 2026, I was involved in a serious accident involving my 2026 Tesla Model Y. At the time of the incident, I was returning home from my daughter’s event in downtown and had just entered my residential driveway. As I approached the driveway, I applied the brakes and slowed the vehicle. While momentarily stationary or near-stationary, I spoke to my wife, who was seated in the front passe... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
The car which is barely driven, suddenly caught on fire while parked in my home driveway after sitting there for close to 8 hours. so the car wasn't in use at the time. It's completely gone.
Fire
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER SPORT
(2010) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 20, 2026
Incident date: Apr 17, 2026
Previous recall repair on rear spoiler falling off did not work and it is falling off again. Dealer and manufacturer will not re-repair the manufacturers defect nor their work, leaving the hazard unaddressed. Sees below. NHTSA, Please be advised that Jaguar Land Rover North America is not adhering to the required National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s official recall, 21V635000, whe... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2026
Around 4:30pm on April 17, 2026 I got in my SUV in my driveway. Shut door and started the engine, heard a loud noise, looked in rear view mirror and saw the lift gate glass had blown out from inside the vehicle!
Incident date: Apr 10, 2026
I am submitting a formal safety complaint regarding a failure of the power tailgate system on my 2023 Honda Odyssey. The issue involves water intrusion into the liftgate control system, which has resulted in corrosion and subsequent failure of the power tailgate. This malfunction presents both a safety concern and a significant reliability issue, particularly for a vehicle of this age and mileage... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
After more than two years with an open recall, Ford has not been able to repair my 2013 Ford Explorer due to an inability to source the replacement parts. On Sunday, April 12th the defective A-pillar trim on the driver’s side detached while driving at highway speeds on the interstate. My Ford dealer states that there is a backorder of over 80,000 A-pillar covers. It doesn’t seem that they are... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
The vehicle’s instrument cluster appears to be a non-original unit that may not be correct for the model year. The cluster is responsible for displaying the odometer and communicating with other vehicle systems. After purchase, I observed that diagnostic scan tools could not consistently access or communicate with multiple modules, and an experienced mechanic indicated the instrument cluster may... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
The chrome lamination/sticker is peeling from the underside of the door handles. This peeling causes an extremely sharp edge that cut my finger. This issue is noted rather constantly over the internet. The sharp edge is hidden by the retracting mechanism of the door handles, and so you don’t see it until you grab it and cut yourself.
1 injured
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2021) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 20, 2026
Incident date: Apr 19, 2026
On April 19, 2026, my 2021 VW Tiguan experienced a sudden loud gunshot-like sounding noise and my sunroof exploded. I fortunately had the screen closed, but large pieces of glass fell and were caught by the screen. It endangered me and my 3 children in the car. It was extremely stressful, as I was worried the entire sunroof would collapse on us and I was traveling at a high rate of speed. After pu... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2026
The power tailgate control unit (part #74970-THR-A12) failed on my 2023 Honda Odyssey at approximately 46,000 miles and 3 years of age. The tailgate stopped functioning entirely. Upon removing the interior rear trim panels to diagnose, I discovered the failure was caused by water intrusion into the rear body of the vehicle. Behind the interior panels I found: significant rust on interior sheet met... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2023) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 19, 2026
Incident date: Oct 13, 2025
We took this vehicle in for a previous recall for defective exterior door handle. The previous one worked fine, but was replaced do the the recall. The new handle broke within days of being installed. We have requested to have it replaced numerous times by the dealer who says that parts aren't available. It has been more than six months. We are worried about it failing and being unable to enter or... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2017) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 19, 2026
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
The vehicle is experiencing a massive paint adhesion failure (white pearl paint), which is peeling off in large sheets from the hood and roof. This is a severe manufacturing defect. At highway speeds, paint flakes fly off, posing a significant safety hazard to other drivers and obstructing visibility. Furthermore, the exposed metal is prone to rapid corrosion, which compromises the structural inte... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE L
(2022) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 19, 2026
Incident date: Jun 18, 2024
My front windshield has been replaced 2 times now due to significant cracks starting at the bottom seal of the windshield. These cracks were NOT due to rock chip, they started in the exact same spot both times creating the exact horseshoe type crack from the bottom and went stair to the top of the windshield. These cracks have continued to develop around the entire seal of the windshield including... Read more
LAND ROVER
RANGE ROVER
(2019) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 19, 2026
Incident date: Apr 17, 2026
The steel fuel tank shield and mounting cradle assembly on my Land Rover Range Rover (L405) is experiencing catastrophic structural failure due to excessive corrosion. This appears to be a result of galvanic corrosion between the steel cradle and the aluminum chassis components. The corrosion has caused the metal straps and support brackets to rot through completely, compromising the physical sec... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
Rear trunk won't open.
FOREST RIVER
SANDPIPER
(2025) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Apr 18, 2026
Incident date: Apr 11, 2026
We have repeatedly reported to both the manufacturer and the dealership that there are multiple screws and staples protruding throughout the RV, creating an ongoing safety hazard. These issues were present from the time of purchase and have been documented during prior service visits. The RV has been returned to the dealership numerous rimes for repairs and has been out of service for a significan... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 4, 2026
The passenger door of the vehicle is stuck and unable to open. It is currently in the body shop as they will need to cut into the door to fix the issue. It has gotten stuck previously but has been able to be opened, this time it will not open know matter how much effort is put in. I believe this is a major safety issue, as you will not be able to get out if an accident or incident occurs
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
Driver's side power sliding door stopped latching and alarms, but doesn't hinder the vehicle from moving. This is an obvious safety risk, especially when our kids sit in the back next to that door. Evidence indicates that this was a known issue for the previous years of this vehicle, but the recall didn't include 2019 models, even though the issue looks to be the same.