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.
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
Showing 49,170 complaints - component: SUSPENSION
Incident date: Jul 4, 2023
FOR THE SECOND TIME IN 1 YEAR BOTH MY FRONT SUSPENSION HAVE BROKEN OFF WHILE BACKING UP.LAST YEAR WAS MY PASSENGER SIDE TIRE JUST THIS WEEK MY DRIVERS SIDETIRE JUST FALLING OFF FROM BALL JOINTS. TESLA CONTINUES EMPHAZING IIMPACTED WITH SOMETHING AND THEY WOULD NOT FIX THE BROKEN JOINT, THEY HAVE REFERRED ME TO A BODY SHOP THAT I DISAGREE DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT DOES NOT HAVE ANY BODY NOR STRUCTU... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
Purchased 4 runner from a Toyota dealer in 2018 with 130k miles. During routine maintenance in 2021 with 160k. The frame was found to have several holes and wide spread corrosion. It is absurd that Toyotas was let off the hook for frame replacements. I bought this truck from the dealer and it had structural frame issues that were not disclosed at the time of sale. Frames don’t just fall apa... Read more
Incident date: Sep 21, 2023
The front subframe totally rusted out and the wheel disconnected. I purchased this car in 2009, but it was a 2008 vehicle. Apparently there was a recall on this part for the 2009 through 2018 vehicles but it did not include the 2008, which had the exact same problem. My car was kept in the garage its entire life and the last 10 years, I was retired and did not even drive it in the snow. The... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2023
Issue with control arm and compliance links. Poor design causes corrosion problem.
Incident date: Oct 4, 2023
Brakes front and rear suspension this suv has had rear struts put on within 2 months twice when coming to a stop it is hard to stop had front brakes rotors installed but when braking it continues for a minute then it stops I have had this suv checked and it's wearing brakes and rear end issues
Incident date: Oct 6, 2023
I was backing into a spot and felt the fromt.left tire pull.I then took it too tesla and they told me that the front left fore link was broken. This is a manufacturer issue why are they not responsible.
Incident date: Oct 2, 2023
The rear drop brackets on both sides of the back axle of my 5th wheel RV failed and broke off. The drop brackets attach the leaf springs to the RV frame. While pulling the RV, I noticed a sudden change in how the RV was pulling and it seemed to be unstable. I pulled over and while looking for a cause, I found the broken brackets. I was near a Camping World RV repair store, so I towed it there ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 29, 2023
While traveling approximately 20mph, I heard a loud noise from the front of the vehicle. It sounded like I hit a road hazard, but the road was clear. I inspected the front of the vehicle and there was no visible damage. However, from then on, the vehicle would make a loud clunking noise whenever I made a turn, no warning lamps or messages. I was able to drive to a Tesla Service Center and they dia... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2023
The CVT component on these cars causes it to lose power and acceleration which can cause an bad accident..one morning while going to work i got onto the expressway and car did not want to acceleration and almost caused me to get into a collision with an 18 wheeler.. The next day i took it to an mechanic shop whereas they told me nothing was wrong with my car and i should contact nissan and complai... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that upon changing the oil, he discovered severe corrosion on the undercarriage sub frame. The contact stated that the rust was located primarily around both rear wheels. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 99,200.
Incident date: May 24, 2022
The rear end suspension is sagging on my vehicle. When I look up the VIN number on the nhtsa website it says that there is not a recall, but when I look up my vehicle by year it says that all vehicles of this year should be recalled for rear suspension repair/check. I called usa toyota and they said that they could not send the ticket to my local toyota dealership to for repair because my vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
Unknown, ohio car, the sub frame is rusted through, can't even weld a plate to fix
Incident date: Oct 3, 2023
Here is a Tesla Model Y in the junkyard. [XXX] The front wheel has wrenched itself off. This phenomenon is known as Full Self Whomping. The car has not been in a crash, no air bags have deployed and there is no other damage to the car apart from the wheel going walkabout. The top ball-joint has simply popped apart which indicates woefull manufacturing and lack of quality control. It is fortunate ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
On February 14, 2023, around 6:30 PM the right front passenger front coil spring broke on my 2011 Hyundai Elantra. I was driving while crossing railroad tracks when the front end dropped down on the right side and the car wouldn’t move. I continued to push the accelerator to get my car off the tracks and on the side of the road- spring cut my tire ripping the inner tire wall. I made several call... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
METRIS
(2017) - SUSPENSION
Oct 3, 2023
Incident date: Sep 7, 2022
On 8/16/2022 I was involved in an accident due to front driver side suspension breaking.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
UNKNOWN. Lots of vibration issues through the body and steering wheel shimmy. Whole cabin harmonic vibrations put new tires on and road force balanced. Still having issues. truck veers left and right without input when going over bumps. Steering wheel shimmy’s left and right when going over bumps. Transmission seems to lock up and release while going over bumps while stopping.
Incident date: Oct 3, 2023
I am having severe transmission issues. Gears are 'unavailable' and will switch me into D1, D2, and so on, all the way up to D8. I can feel the gears shifting (not in a good way), and if the brake is applied too suddenly it will fall out of gear and the service engine light is on, the car will not move. This has happened several times to me, while driving (on the freeway!) VEry dangerous. I see th... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2022
Horrible death wobble. Entire front end has been rebuilt and the truck is still experiencing the death wobble.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 MPH, and at various speeds, the vehicle would vibrate and then would start to sway, and the contact could not maintain lane control. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the wishbone and motor mou... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2023
DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT A SPEED OF 65MPH AND MY CAR JUST BEGAN TO IDLE AND SLOWED DOWN TO REDUCING SPEED QUICKLY. I COULD NOT GIVE IT ENOUGH ACCELERATION TO PICK UP SPEED. I PULLED OVER TO SHUT MY ENGINE CAR OFF. TURNED CAR BACK ON AND MY RPMS TO SHIFT TO 2ND GEAR WERE LOW. I HAD TO SHIFT MY GEARS QUICKLY TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE. SINCE THEN, MY ENGINE LIGHT IS BLINKING AND I CANNOT GO FASTER THAN ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2023
Started getting a vibration I thought was a tire problem. It would only show up after 30 minutes or so of driving. It happened several times while trying to have the tire store figure it out. On Friday 15 Sep 2023 we drove at highway speeds to Dayton and back. Noticed it occur twice. The next morning we were a few miles from home checking out a dog boarding place. We went to leave and heard a loud... Read more
FORD
F-150 HYBRID
(2021) - SUSPENSION
Oct 2, 2023
Incident date: Sep 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V413000 (Suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and stated that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
Just bought this trailer a couple of months ago and before it was about a month and a half old found that the spring shackle bolt that connect the frame to the leafspring were falling out. Tried to contact the company. They said it wasn’t him warranty and didn’t really seem to be worried about the fact that the Springs wJust bought this trailer a couple of months ago and before it was about a ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2023
Catastrophic engine failure while driving at highway speeds in dense traffic led to seized engine and highly dangerous situation. Root cause wasn't determined due to volume of damage. Three pistons, rods, and crankshaft where shattered beyond recognition along with a cracked block. Engine was highly maintained and showed no signs of failure prior. Completely torn differential bushings around the ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 29, 2023
This travel trailer is dual axle. Each side has 3 couplings welded to the frame. The leaf springs bolt to these couplings. During a routine inspection on 9/30/2023, found cracks on the aft passenger side coupling. The aft welds are cracked all the way through and the front welds are cracked half way through. The coupling is pulled away from the frame. This coupling has less than 1 inch of th... Read more
Incident date: May 16, 2022
I was washing my truck October,1,2023 and while spraying the underside with water I noticed the fuel tank hanging extremely low from the back while further inspection I observed the rear fuel tank strap had rusted off and the tank was hanging by the front strap which is very corroded along with all inner structure and frame rails which is rusted corroded and completely rotted out. This truck has b... Read more
Incident date: Sep 23, 2023
Steering wheel locked up while vehicle was in motion (moving). Yes. Steering noise coming from steering column. Lost control of steering while driving, drove into oncoming traffic. I was injuried while trying to get my vehicle in control. Yes, grease was but onto the steering boot by the dealer and charged. The steering wheel stiffens from time to time. After my accident with the my vehicle the d... Read more
1 injured
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLC 300
(2023) - SUSPENSION
Sep 30, 2023
Incident date: Sep 29, 2023
I was driving along on slightly rough pavement and the car sort of twitched in the rear end and then every few rotations of the rear wheel, the car shuddered-accompanied by a grinding noise. Then I noticed, that to continue in a straight line, the steering wheel was about 30 degrees, clockwise, to the right of center! I managed to limp on down the shoulder of the road at 10 mph and made... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2023
Engine failure/thrown rod in engine while drive. 90k miles.
Incident date: Jun 6, 2023
My car has a detached tie rod ball joint and is causing a loss of steering control, and increasing the risk of a crash. My children are in danger yet your site says my vin has no safety recall after I reviewed the safety recall for my vehicle and noticed a connection. I can’t afford any repairs and I shouldn’t have to risk my life over a recalled problem with my make model and year vehicle.
Incident date: Sep 28, 2023
At 20,000 miles I notice a popping coming from the right front wheel area at low speeds or turning to park. 2 dealerships told me nothing was wrong. At 45, 650 I insisted the dealership fix the problem as it was now on both sides of the front wheel area. Top hats and motor mounts needed replacement. The car only had 45, 650 miles on it.
Incident date: Sep 9, 2023
Just noticed a loud bang sound from back and got it checked. Finally found out that the rear subframe has all rusted out which is very dangerous.
MERCEDES-BENZ
CLK500
(2005) - SUSPENSION
Sep 29, 2023
Incident date: Jun 27, 2023
On September 29, I took my 2019 Traverse to the dealer for its annual state inspection for Virginia at Radley Chevrolet in Fredericksburg. The dealer failed the car due to needing a rear toe link replacement. The dealer told me that this is common in the 2019 Traverse and are replacing quite a few of them. The cost for the repair is going to be about $600. It only has 41,500 miles and has bee... Read more
Incident date: Sep 28, 2023
While shopping for Ford fusion hybrids, I notice they all displayed abnormal tire wear, specifically on the inside edge of the rear tires. After purchasing a 2017 fusion hybrid I have seen a significant tire wear issue on the rear inside edge of my tires causing premature tire replacement. I have had the wheel alignment checked and was told it was good. this seems to be an issue with this model. F... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2023
Rear cross members and majority of the subframe rusted out, but this only was an issue 2 years after the extended warranty expired.
Incident date: Sep 14, 2023
When driving at speeds above 55 miles per hour the pickup will develop a violent vibration commonly known as the death wobble most commonly happening when hitting a dip in the road or a bump. When this happens myself, passengers and other motorists are put at risk of a deadly accident. Most recently it happened doing 75 mph on the freeway, we were almost struck by others trying to stop the pickup... Read more
Incident date: Sep 28, 2022
I bought the car in March 2023 and took the car for maintenance of 5k at Acura dealership at north Orlando and after that the car came never the same. The car is making so much noise skewing and clicking noise every time you turn the streering wheel. The dealership said the noise is from nuts and bolt and they did change it and noise became more loud 2nd time they said it is the front break and th... Read more
Incident date: Sep 6, 2023
REAR SUSPENSION HAS FAILED OR IS FAILING, CAUSING UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS AND RISK OF LOSS OF CONTROL. THE VEHICLES RIDES SHAKES AND BOUNCES ON NORMAL STREET CONDITIONS. AFTER REPAIR OF FACTORY RECALL FOR TRAILER HITCH, VEHICLE REAR SUSPENSION FAILED AND IS UNSAFE FOR CHILDREN ESPECIALLY IN REAR OF VEHICLE IN NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS>
Incident date: Sep 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2010 Mitsubishi Galant. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she became aware that the vehicle was maneuvering abnormally and experienced a brief loss of control. The contact stated that while attempting to turn or slow the vehicle, the front end briefly swayed from left to right, then pulled in one direction. The vehicle was taken to an independent mec... Read more
Incident date: Sep 28, 2023
Catastrophic failure today. Car was towed with special tow truck to dealer after hours. Will know more tomorrow. While driving Passenger right front tire: upper tie rod broke, lower control arm broke, trans-axel broke, smoke came out of hood. Right before this happened the car experienced a shimmy in the steering wheel and to keep car driving straight I had hold steering wheel at angle to the r... Read more
Incident date: Sep 24, 2023
2011 Nissan Murano, While pulling into a parking area the left rear (drivers side) wheel collapsed. Fortunately this happened at a very low speed, (under 10 MPH). Upon inspection it was discovered that the lower control strut had rotted out and separated from the frame causing the wheel to collapse. If this had occurred on a main road at speed it could have caused a very serious accident due to lo... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHTK
(2016) - SUSPENSION
Sep 27, 2023
Incident date: Aug 18, 2023
i have an 07 chevy silverado 1500 it has a rusted fram the dealer i got it from sed it had a littel rust on the fram .he also told me that the traction control senser needed to be replaced.but he did not tell me about the passenger sied wheel hub i have put in right around $ 1,800 on new parts & labor i had to have the wiering all redone.now it is going to cost me onther $ 959.95 to fix the fram.... Read more
Incident date: Sep 27, 2023
The front suspension started making a lot of loud noises, the service center acknowledged that it's a control arm issue potentially however my VIN is not listed in a recall that was conducted for this manufacturer and they're doing more recalls on it but the manufacturer says that I have to pay for the repair despite it being a safety issue for the control arm not being tightened to the frame and ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2016
When turning the vehicle to the left there is a rubbing noise that comes from the front end.
Incident date: Sep 26, 2023
Vehicle front and rear suspension has unsafe shock/strut equipment, which causes lack of control while driving, audible noise within the passenger compartment, and rough handling.
Incident date: Sep 25, 2023
I brought in my car to Audi of Peabody for routine service at approximately 62,000 miles. I was told both rear coil springs were broken. The car, purchased new in July 2017 has been routinely serviced at the dealership. There were no warnings on the vehicle. The dealer said this is a common failure for the Q7 and not covered by warranty or recalls. Checking user message boards of other owners with... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2021) - SUSPENSION
Sep 27, 2023
Incident date: Sep 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2008 Dodge Sprinter 2500. The contact stated that while self-inspecting the vehicle, he noticed that both rear axles were detached. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that both rear springs had a cracked eye on the rear axles. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to the NTSA Campaign Number: 08V347000 (Suspension).... Read more
Incident date: Sep 23, 2023
The frame under neath is rusted in two in several places and the springs are broke off I just bought a month ago and owe 19000 on this truck and it's not safe to use
Incident date: Nov 22, 2022
Ref: NHTSA Recall #23V-228 We are requesting that the recall be reopened and revised to add complaint regarding Smail Honda located 5043, RT 30, Greensburg, PA 15601 who damaged our car when doing the recall. The dealership damaged the vehicle when they did recall attachment of braces, to the point where it will no longer pass Required PA Safety Inspection. On 9/21/23 we took our car to Smail Ho... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2017) - SUSPENSION
Sep 27, 2023
Incident date: Sep 14, 2023
Dealer has reported rear subframe if broken. I googled this and found recall 03v153000 which seems applicable but subaru says it does not apply to my car. Problem description seems identical.