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 49,170 complaints - component: SUSPENSION

Incident date: Aug 16, 2023

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension) and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly became extremely difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be inspected. The mechanic determined that the rear suspension had a neg... Read more

Incident date: Aug 21, 2023

Loud knocking noise in acceleration, louder on left. Tesla service center says LH/RH Aft Lower Front Suspension Links and Left/Right Front Lower Fore Links need replacing. This is a known issue. Charging $3000 for repair. Although they have stated it is safe to drive. Doesn’t sound safe from what others have experienced.

Incident date: Aug 5, 2023

I have 2 very serious and dangerous issues. The 1st issue, the car will shut off while driving and without warning. I'll be cruzing down the highway and out of no where it shuts off. I then do not have breaks or power stearing. This last Winter my daughter was driving it and it shut off while she was on black ice. The car flew into the ditch and the snow was so deep it was compacted in the entire ... Read more

Crash 2 injured

Incident date: Aug 22, 2023

When driving my vehicle, the engine seems to be stalling as a switching from one gear to the other jolts. The engine is slow in responding to speeding up. I feel unsafe specially when attempting to go on the freeway because the car seems to momentarily stop and between switching gears. I called the dealership where I purchased the car and they said that there is no recall for a similar experience... Read more

Incident date: Aug 20, 2023

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 21V537000 (Suspension) and 20V675000 (Suspension). The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the scheduled recall repairs, and the contact was informed that the toe links could not be replaced due to the knuckles needing to be replaced prior to completing the recall repa... Read more

Incident date: Jun 27, 2023

Rear subframe rotted in half, causing rear driver side tire to sit sideways and loss of rear end

Incident date: Jul 1, 2023

Death wobble--great oscillation and shuddering of steering wheel and vehicle itself after hitting patches of rough road at highway speeds. This has happened 5 times now. Truck is currently being inspected for any faulty equipment. This occurred on interstate 10 in LA, and if not for quick thinking, I would have swerved into other traffic or lost control completely. This is a known problem with... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2023

#1-My rear passenger seatbelt is being cut by some thing down inside of the back seat where the belt is retrieved. This belt is getting more cuts as it is being used since that is where my Grandson now sits. It was not used prior to me having to pickup my Grandson. This is very concerning !!! #2 My drivers side front windshield weather stripping keep popping out and is now blown off, very scary.... Read more

Incident date: Sep 3, 2022

Truck steering wheel bounces, vibrates, shakes violently after going over rough pavement at highway speeds. Truck has 35000 mikes and it has happened several times since it was new. Dealer replaced the steering damper which didn’t help. This could cause loss of control and an accident.

Incident date: Aug 18, 2023

The HVBJB subassembly in ALL Ford Mach-e vehicles has known defects with 'under-designed' main contacts that are known to fail under normal charging and driving conditions as outlined in current open Ford recall notice. Unfortunately, the internal damage to contactors is not visible externally, and warning notices on display only AFTER the damage has occurred, and can result in sudden loss of prop... Read more

Incident date: Aug 11, 2023

I just had the vehicle inspected and was shocked to find out that the rear trailing arms links or toe links failed inspection. Both the right and left side in the rear failed inspection. This was also causing the vehicle to be out of alignment. From these failed parts could've also caused a potential accident. The vehicle is only 4 years old and it has less than 40,000 miles on it. I believe these... Read more

Incident date: Aug 16, 2023

I was making a left turn and something under my feet or floorboard a loud crack. then as i completed the turn there was a continue cracking sound until I stop. I looked for a problem, finding nothing obvious. As I drove off there was a noticeable knocking sound. Did not notice and different in the driving except a slight drift to the left, there is more knocking on rough roads. My 2020 Ram 2500 t... Read more

Incident date: Aug 18, 2023

Front tires look and stay really low no matter how much air is put in. It's leaking brake fluid. The emergency brake barley lock. Also transmission is horrible.

Incident date: Aug 2, 2023

Aggressive steering wheel vibration from 55-70 mph from the day I drove the vehicle off the lot. Ignoring the vibration, Toyota claims this 4runner is operating as it is manufactured to do so. This is causing unnecessary wear on the steering and/or suspension. Without a visual warning sign from the vehicle, this could cause catastrophic failure while driving, ultimately putting the driver and o... Read more

Incident date: Aug 17, 2023

The fuel filler neck has rusted through. If pumping gas into the vehicle, gasoline runs onto the ground by the rear tire. The rear trailing arm of the suspension has significant rust. I am concerned this suspension part could fail and become unattached to the vehicle frame/body. The Canadian transportation board has ordered a recall to repairs these issues. from Transport Canada: Toronto, On... Read more

Incident date: Jun 7, 2023

Front window just cracked like a flaw in the manufacture process nothing struck it. Axles are really close together like one maybe put on backwards. I have photos but won’t let me upload

Incident date: Jun 21, 2023

The Esc display came up then sutbality sensor show and my back wheel went right. My car flipped twice and then landed on the guardrail.

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Aug 17, 2023

This year, a 2008 Honda CRV encountered an issue wherein one of the bolts on the rear trailing arm, a crucial component of the vehicle's suspension system, became lodged and partially snapped off within the rear frame of the car. This occurrence had the potential to adversely affect the vehicle's stability and handling. Coinciding with, Honda issued a recall notice for select CRVs this year. The ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 10, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Jayco Alante RV built on a 2020 Ford F-53 chassis. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 21V202000 (Suspension, Power Train) and 22V731000 (Suspension) however, the dealer was unwilling to repair the RV. The contact stated that the manufacturer and the RV dealer were not cooperating with repairing the RV under the recalls. The contact stated that the ... Read more

Incident date: May 20, 2022

Purchased new 2015 Chevrolet Silverado Z71 in March with ziebart rust protection service done yearly to date. Truck has 74,000 miles valued at 28,000- $30,000 before noticing frame has cracks, holes and excessive rust Truck will not pass inspection now.

Incident date: May 9, 2023

After hitting a bump driving normal highway speeds 45+ mph the car begins to shake and vibrate vigorously. It feels like you will lose control of the vehicle and the only way to stop these vibrations is to slow down to 30-40mph. Stopping like this on the freeway seems extremly unsafe when traffic is flowing. The dealership referred to this issue as the "Jeep Death Wobble" and it is apparently a... Read more

Incident date: Jan 9, 2023

I have a 2009 Toyota Tacoma that has a significant amount of frame rust. I have recently learned that Toyota lost a class action lawsuit on this model of Tacoma because the frames would rot quickly. I was not aware of this recall, nor was I notified and because of that I missed the 12-year windows for Toyota to replace the frame. Toyota's Owner app made no mention of this either. The only recall t... Read more

Incident date: Mar 1, 2023

Please require Jeep/Stallantis to initiate a recall for all 2008-2012 Jeep Compass' impacted by excessive corrosion to the subframe and front/rear cross members due to an inadequately designed AC drain located right above the vehicle subframe. Condensation from the AC drain drips directly onto critical frame structures. Therefore, excessive and premature rusting to the front & top sides of the sub... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2013

Just had the vehicle in for the it’s 60k mile service and no issues reported. Today, at 63k miles I had the same dealer look at a headlight malfunction and the service technician reported the rear coil springs are failing and need replaced.

Incident date: May 29, 2023

The contact owns a 2007 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH and making a turn, the passenger's side of the vehicle inadvertently lowered onto the wheels. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the passenger's side ball joint had fractured due to corrosion. The vehicle was repaired. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure. The manufactu... Read more

Incident date: Aug 15, 2023

As I review events in chronological order, I see that a possible disconnect might be caused by clumping the symptoms together and treating as the “death wobble,” when in fact I may be experiencing two separate issues, the first being a failed steering damper and the second being caused by possible bad ball joint[s]. I first started to experience an issue around 7,000 miles in where the Jeep wo... Read more

Incident date: Aug 2, 2023

the left rear trailing arm separated from the body causing the wheel to turn outward and stop moving.

Incident date: Jun 1, 2023

Rear shocks failed causing vehicle to have considerable bouncing making it harder to control.

Incident date: Jul 10, 2023

The contact's husband owns a 2008 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a fellow motorist alerted her husband that an unknown part had been hanging from underneath the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact's husband discovered that the fuel tank had detached from the vehicle due to severe corrosion. The contact stated that several years prior, the vehicle ha... Read more

Incident date: Mar 1, 2022

The rear driver’s side trailing arm, which connects to the frame and body of the car, is rusted out to the point where it can no longer be driven safely. If the arm detaches from the body, it will cause an extremely dangerous situation which can even result in death. I can no longer drive this vehicle, even though the engine and transmission are strong. There is no repair for this without spendi... Read more

Incident date: Apr 13, 2023

The rear frame completely corroded. I was on my way to work this morning and the frame broke due to corrosion. I almost lost my life this morning. According to the recall only the front end was considered faulty. I took the vehicle in for the recall and only the front was looked at and replaced.

Incident date: May 1, 2023

I purchased my 2005 Corvette C6 from a used car dealership on 4/30/2023. The car was fine for the first week. The second week I began getting a lot of error codes specifically: Service Active Handling System Service Traction Control Service ABS Shocks Inoperative Service Fuel System. At times it would go into limp mode. I would find a safe place to pull off. I would shut the car off and it would ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 20, 2023

The contact owns a 2010 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear frame detached from the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V631000 (Suspension, Structure) and the contact related the failure to the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The... Read more

Incident date: Aug 14, 2023

The upper spring perch located at passenger rear is welded to the frame on one side and a crossmember on another. The two vertical welds failed with the remaining welds being at the top of the spring perch. The only indications of a problem were an occasional knocking sound when going over a bump and severe vibration coming from the rear of the vehicle. The noise was caused by the spring perch f... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2023

Vehicle had sudden clunking noise near right front tire when being driven. Vehicle had TPMS light on. Vehicle has never been in a car accident, never has hit a bump at a high speed, and has never been crashed into anything. I was alarmed and scared of the sudden loud clunking noise. I took it immediately to the Norm Reeves Honda Center to get vehicle inspected. As I drove it to the Honda Center ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 10, 2023

The stock suspension is dangerously defective. Both front and rear suspension do zero dampening and rebound necessary to keep the vehicle tires in contact with the road. When driving 50 to 70miles an hour on the highway, whenever I encountered a regular dip on an overpass, the front and rear wheels go slightly airborne. On several occasions driving on I-69 in Houston area, at one of the curved o... Read more

Incident date: Aug 12, 2023

According to recall No. 20V-695 Trailers were built with undersized axles with Production Dates : AUG 06, 2020 - AUG 27, 2020. Undersized axles were installed in error. After inspecting my unit I found that my axle size was 2,500 lb. and the unit should have a 3,000 lb. axle. My manufactured date is Sept. 2020 and was not included in the recall. Undersized axles may not support the weight of the ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 22, 2023

At the moment, the vehicle is releasing a strong order smells like burning oil or gasoline. It’s coming from the rear of the vehicle. You can smell it immediately when you step out and in the car. The rear is making a loud cranking noise and starting to shake. It appears based on the information that it’s a huge possibility it’s my rear differential going out. It posses a threat due to the a... Read more

Incident date: Aug 9, 2023

The rear self leveling shocks have locked up resulting in bone shattering jolts. The Telluride forum reveals these shocks frequently fail at low mileage and affect the cornering and stopping characteristics of the vehicle.

Incident date: Aug 7, 2023

There has been no accident- the vehicle is my mother in laws vehicle- my concern is while at work she has at times loaded our daughter into the vehicle- I inspected the vehicle one day while as an employee of Les Schwab- the driver cvc axle vibrates so bad from the boot being torn and having no lubrication- these axles power the vehicle forward and if not maintained can snap and cause damage- the ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 6, 2022

July 10 2023, driving on highway in my 2012 Ford F-350 super duty going 50-55 mph front passenger tire hit small bump in road causing vehicle to “death wobble”. Vehicle violently pulled to the left. Luckily there was not a vehicle in that lane otherwise an accident would have ensued. Steering wheel was shaking uncontrollably and I had no control of vehicle until I slowed down to 25 mph. I... Read more

Incident date: Jun 9, 2023

I was driving and the rear drive shaft fell out of the truck and the rear locked up making the truck undrivable. I heard this is a common problem in dodge rams and it is definitely a safety issue and there should be a recall to address this reoccurring problem that can cause a loss of life or life threatening accident

Incident date: Apr 3, 2023

[XXX] My brand new Indian Pursuit has a death wobble. Many who have purchased this motorcycle experience the same "death wobble". Polaris (owner of Indian Motorcycles) states it's not a real problem and to just keep hands on the handle bars. They've said this after multiple attempts to repair the issue. They don't seem to know what the root cause is. They have defaulted to blame the customer. T... Read more

Incident date: Aug 7, 2023

While traveling at 65 mph, the truck crossed a separator strip resulting in loss of steering control. Vehicle steering wheel began violently "shaking" left to right and began to swerve violently in an area of heavy traffic. The vehicle was towing a 37 ft. 5th wheel at the time of the incident and I had to use a combination of braking and defensive steering to slow/stop the vehicle in the right sid... Read more

Incident date: Aug 12, 2023

I had the front wheels “wobble”. I had shocks replaced and a steering damper installed. The front end still bounces up and down, or wobbles, on every interstate overpass at interstate speeds.

Incident date: Aug 4, 2023

took my truck for a safety recall concerning a potentially deadly defect in my 2017 F-250 Ford truck. I had purchased this vehicle from Brandon Ford new in 2017. The safety recall was to address "The Death Wobble" which causes the vehicle steering to shake violently causing the whole vehicle to lose control. I sent my truck to Brandon Ford 2 time prior stating the same problem. In 2021 they told ... Read more

Incident date: Feb 20, 2023

I was driving down the street from my home and I slowed down turned right and my car was out of control I steered to the curb. I got out and saw that the tire had blown-up and a large piece of the tire which was cut in half was on the ground. I couldn’t drive the car I called a tow truck driver who was there within 30 min he towed my car to BMW. It hasn’t been fully inspected I am waiting for... Read more

Incident date: Aug 11, 2023

The dealer inspection found that the fluid was leaking from engine motor mount. The car has 47,700 miles.

Incident date: Aug 10, 2023

Today doing approximately 65 to 70 miles per hour on highway 20 in Ft Worth just hit approximately 1 1/2 inch transition in pavement where they had added an extra layer of asphalt in the lane I was in the vehicle started wabbeling so bad I thought it was going to change lanes, approximately 10 miles later it did the same thing again felt like the front wheels were about to come off the vehicle. I ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 4, 2023

Rear wheel suspension broke while driving. Wheel forced into wheel well. ( Rear Trailing arm Broke?)

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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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