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: Mar 3, 2023
The rear sub frame is broken (rusted completely) on the passenger side rear. I had a sudden flat tire and took it in to have a new tire put on and the tire company showed me that the tire issue was due to the sub frame being broken.
Incident date: May 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 20-30 MPH, the steering wheel became significantly difficult to steer. The contact was able to continue driving by using his physical strength to steer the steering wheel. There was no further information provided. The contact stated that as he arrived to the residence, the steering wheel locked. The vehicle was towed to the u... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
Hit a shallow pothole at or around 40-55 miles/hour. Estimate. Strut mount broke. Hit a shallow pot hole and strut mount broke and pulled car to the right. Safety issue for 18 year old driver. Dealer refused to receive vehicle and investigate. Said it was an insurance issue. Insurance inspected car. Adjuster said he has never seen a new car break strut mount. Car bottom graphics and underneat... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2023
The frame of the car has had a catastrophic failure, the rear frame has broken away from the body of the car on both sides. This has caused the car to be completely unsafe and unable to be driven. The broken frame was discovered as I was doing basic maintenance on the car, putting new brakes on the rear of the car and checking low air in a tire. At that time I discovered the brand new tires on th... Read more
Incident date: Aug 2, 2023
At 50K miles the control arms on model X seem to always fail. This is a serious safety issue. My last model X had the same issue. Also my friends who have Teslas have many control arm failures.
Incident date: Jul 15, 2023
2017 Audi Q7. Both rear coil springs are broken. The car is garage kept with 45000 miles.
Incident date: Jul 19, 2023
Driving to work in the rain the vehicle began to sway when breaks were applied. The back of the vehicle went right and the car went left. I moved to the right lane and the vehicle fishtailed! I was totally afraid that I could drive into a ditch or be killed on the highway. I drove very slowly to the repair shop, after inspection, I needed struts but then the mechanic looked further and saw that th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2023
Control Arms - lower control arm both sides of the vehicle Confirmed by the dealership service department and given an estimate of cost for repair Has not been inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance or others. No warning lights have come on. Just a crunching & clicking noise coming from under the front end of the vehicle.
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2017) - SUSPENSION
Aug 1, 2023
Incident date: Jul 27, 2023
I was driving down the street after filling up my fuel tank. I drove approximately 1/2 mile when I heard a sound, felt a clunk and stopped immediately. My fuel tank was hanging down on the ground. I called AAA and requested a flatbed and to bring a strap. He did not bring a strap and when my truck arrived at the mechanic the fuel tank had completely separated from the vehicle. The other complaint... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2023
Dealer wants to replace rear lower control arms due to corrosion and the car control arms were never addressed when I took it into the dealer for recall 16V458. The dealer was supposed to add a anti corrosion spray to the control arms in the front and back. The corrosion is very bad with these parts on my car and I am very concerned about safety.
Incident date: Jul 21, 2023
Started noticing the difference with the vehicle around 7,000 miles while driving at different speeds traveling to and from work. it did get worse over time and at 17,000 miles it was at the dealer and they stated that no issues were found or present. Vehicle will have excessive sway / bounce and will dip to one side depending what imperfections you will drive over during the trip. I have no idea ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 30, 2023
Rear subframe rust through, affecting the function of control arm. When braking mildly caused the forward motion of vehicle to swerve into oncoming traffic. It has been reported and is in their possession. There was a small clicking noise like a possible loose shock absorber, a few times in the past month. Then two days ago, the sound became stronger including a clicking noise like two pieces of... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
Severe inner tire wear on the rear tires of Tesla Model S and X. I have a brand new 2022 Model S Long Range model and started noticing heavy inner tread wear on the OEM tires at only 15k miles. The car defaults the suspension to "Low" which goes into negative camber and wears out the inside of the rear tires. This is a known problem and discussed often online. See such forums from other owners: h... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
While towing the trailer loaded with a boat the right hand side single leaf spring snapped in half causing the axle to break free and shift backwards and the tire to begin rubbing against the fender/trailer frame. Luckily this happened at low speed at a boat launch and did not happen on the highway. Previously there were no signs of trouble, but examining the fracture of the leaf spring reveale t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2023
Got in touch with VW regarding recall 42J5 but manufacturer tells me that my vehicle is not a part it the recall. I believe since my car is 2017 which is a part of the recall, there is a chance a defective part could have been used on my car. Also VW refused to provide me with parts numbers for the effected vehicle. I was going it compare with parts on my vehicle which are broken ( coil springs)
FORD
F-150 HYBRID
(2023) - SUSPENSION
Aug 1, 2023
Incident date: Jul 28, 2023
2021 Subaru Ascent with 15,735 miles on it with the factory Falken tires. The tread and metal was showing and separating from the tires. 2 tires, original to the car off the lot. Tires should last 30-40-50 miles. The other 2 tires were labeled as a 4-5 category. The car did not steer to the left or right, no noise at all. If driving on the highway and 2 tires failed, I could have been injure... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2023
While driving on freeway, approximately 70mph, on my way to work, I all of a sudden without warning was unable to control my vehicle with the steering wheel. Somehow I seemed to have lost control of the steering wheel and the vehicle spun around. I could have collided with another vehicle or could have been hit by oncoming traffic, but thankfully I was not near to any other vehicles at the time of... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2023
Pinion separated from front drivers' side of truck while driving, almost causing accident.
Incident date: Jul 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while having a routine service at the local dealer, he noticed that there was a crack on the passenger’s side of the upper and lower control arms. The dealer diagnosed and confirmed the failure, but the vehicle was not repaired. There were no warning lights illuminated. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mil... Read more
Incident date: Jul 3, 2023
Took vehicle to a machine shop to have frame undercoated. The machinist found that the frame had holes in it due to rust. He found that the tab gusset bracelet was cracked ( the part of the frame that holds the A-Arm in place). He said that the vehicle was not safe to drive and needs a new frame. The vehicle has 109,000 miles on it. Toyota should have a recall on all Toyota FJ.I contacted Toyota ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving out of the driveway, the front passenger’s side wheel separated from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the contact was informed that the upper control arm ball joint had fractured and that the front upper control arm needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHT... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2023
My 2022 GMC YUKON DENALI has been at dealership multiple time for defective air ride suspension. The message says "service leveling system" once that show's it's a matter of time the vehicle will slump down. The passenger side air bag keeps busting creating a safety hazard for my family and others on the highway.When problem occurs the vehicle slumps down on front suspension and will bounce out o... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2021) - SUSPENSION
Jul 31, 2023
Incident date: Jul 30, 2023
The rear driver's side trailing arm broke into two pieces.
Incident date: Jul 22, 2023
Front coil spring snapped and slipped off collar. Causing the pickup to lean dangerously to one side and damaged spring is resting on shock absorber
Incident date: Jul 29, 2023
Intermitent severe shaking in steering wheel "Death Wobble". This happen around 10 times now and still dealer dont know how to fix it. During the event it cause you to panic and potential accident.
Incident date: Jul 30, 2023
2013 gl 1800 anti dive device failure causing bumps while riding.
Incident date: Jul 29, 2023
My 2003 Honda pilot rear subframe suspension is rusting and causing control issues. This is a common problem on the 2003-2008 Honda Pilots. In Honda TSB 21-019 Honda states " The subframe mounts may pull away from the body of the vehicle (see images below), but extensive testing has concluded that vehicle stability will be maintained." This is NOT true. Other Honda's have experienced similar is... Read more
Incident date: May 18, 2023
The steering rack and intermediate shaft in the steering wheel Go bad and what happens is it makes having an alignment impossible Not only that but the vehicle clunks with every turn [XXX] Being a Pontiac it was a joint venture between Toyota And GM Thus Affecting many Toyota Corolla Prius and matrix As Toyota got a recall Pontiac did not INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM O... Read more
FORD
F-150 HYBRID
(2023) - SUSPENSION
Jul 29, 2023
Incident date: Jul 28, 2023
The passenger and driver side bolts connecting the shock strut to the lower control arms have come loose. The passenger side nut is missing and the bolt has almost fallen out, just hanging on by a thread. Can make driving dangerous by increasing instability.
Incident date: Jul 28, 2022
my vehicle axel and suspension broke while driving vehicle hit driver side curb while in turning left lane at the intersection during the green light to avoid another vehicle driving unsafe. Hitting a curb should not have cause vehicle axel and suspension to collapse. This could have caused major accident because vehicle behind me could have ran into the rear end of my vehicle while in the turning... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 28, 2023
my vehicle axel and suspension broke while driving vehicle hit driver side curb while in turning left lane at the intersection during the green light to avoid another vehicle driving unsafe. Hitting a curb should not have cause vehicle axel and suspension to collapse. This could have caused major accident because vehicle behind me could have ran into the rear end of my vehicle while in the turning... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 28, 2023
Purchased truck July 1st 2023..after 2 days of owning I’ve experienced death wobble at 48-55mph. It caught me way off guard as I was hauling 40ft travel trailer and family in truck. Truck is currently back at dealership receiving the recalled parts for the newer trucks and have to pay over $3500 in repairs…within the 1200 miles I driven the truck had the death wobble 7 times. Please advise
Incident date: Jul 13, 2023
I took my vehicle in for scheduled maintenance. During the safety inspection the Toyota authorized tech advised me about a serious safety issue with rust on the undercarriage of my vehicle. He advised that the control arms as well as sway bars and suspension , shocks, struts had heavy rust on them. He advised that this is a safety issue as if something breaks I could lose control. I have enclosed ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2023
On 7/23/23 I experienced the death wobble in my 2014 F350 for at least the fifth time since purchasing the truck 4 years ago. This time was the most violent, scary and dangerous time of all. I was on an interstate, in heavy traffic, traveling at 65 miles per hour. Previous incidents have resulted in repairs to the suspension. Everything from tie rod ends, stabilizers and shocks. This most recent... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2023
Purchased in Jan 2023 within a day we had to bring it back, hood latch open error, unconnect box error, lane assistance wouldn’t work. It went every week to the dealership for 2 and a half months; sensors have been replaced, electrical harness has been replaced, display has been replaced and the display still will just shut down and restart; the vehicle will just shut down and engage emergency b... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2023
I am writing today because I am trying to avoid and accident involving injury and possible death as a result of a situation which is present on on above referenced 2018 Honda CRV, with just 54,000 miles on the odometer, we are needing to consider replacement on what would be our 3rd set of tires, as the result of premature tire wear, on the rear axle, because there is no adjustment to the upper re... Read more
DODGE
CHALLENGER
(2019) - SUSPENSION
Jul 28, 2023
Incident date: May 24, 2023
Driving home from work, ABS and traction control light and warning started to go on and off nonstop every 2 seconds or so. No bumps on the road or excessive turning just a straight highway.. will contact dealer today for any recalls but I don’t see any open.
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2019) - SUSPENSION
Jul 28, 2023
Incident date: Jul 26, 2023
Both front struts have failed within 55000 miles, the passenger one had a failure at 43,000 miles and the driver side has failed at 54000 miles. The dealership stated that the struts had "corrosion" and were not damaged. The strut failures cause the car to shake when hitting even a small bump. There were no warning lamps or messages.
Incident date: Jul 28, 2023
We bought Winnebago Revel RV from La Mesa RV center at Davis, CA in May 2023. We took a trip from San Jose, CA to San Luis Obispo in June, the brake fluid was total running out during our driving on Hyw 1! We contact a local Mercedes-Benz shop, they found out the issue was caused by an aftermarket suspension installed improperly. This incident is a life threaten one, luckily we were driving at 35... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2023
On 26 July 2023 I was driving on the feeder road on west 610 south in Houston Texas. While making a left turn onto MLK Blvd my power steering quit in the middle of the turn. The service power steering light illuminated and the steering was very difficult. I was able to manhandle it back to the house but upon arrival it was almost impossible to get the truck into the driveway due to the steering be... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2023
First of all suspension has a noise when going over speed bumps or bumps on the road have taking it to dealer they say they cant find nothing. And the transmission has a pop noise from time to time they say at the dealer that is due to the DCT transmission but it hasn’t stop doing it plus a loud noise when you stop and go. They say there is no recall. Very disappointed with this tranny.
Incident date: Jun 26, 2023
When my daughter returned home from college this summer I took her Santa Fe to a local shop for an oil change and other preventive maintenance. During the vehicle safety inspection, the mechanic noted the subframe and front suspension components were failing due to excessive corrosion and the Santa Fe was not safe to drive. My question is about the effectiveness of Campaign 947 - Underbody Cor... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Volkswagen Beetle. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V945000 (Air Bags) however, parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Additionally, the contact stat... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2023
On Wednesday June 21st, I was driving home when a warning light came up on my vehicle. It said: Warning Chassis Control Error see owner's manual. I continued to drive until I reached my house. I wasn't hearing any noises or seeing any fluids, so I decided to look at the manual when I reached the house. I pulled into the driveway and my husband asked what was wrong with my back tire. He could see ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 27, 2023
Air suspension system fails causing dangerous driving condition. This is an ongoing issue which began periodically when temperatures dropped below 32 degrees. Now it is occurring more frequently causing the vehicles steering and stability to be compromised. Fuel tank strap failed due to heavy rust causing one end of tank to drop and scrap on the road surface. Potential safety and fire hazard.
Incident date: Mar 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V413000 (Suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair were unavailable. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer had been notified of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount ... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2023
I keep shutting down, not going on something with a forward assist on top of that. I have no control over my car does whatever ones and it’s very unstable Fawzy no control is very unstable very bumpy road to the point I don’t even wanna drive
Incident date: Apr 15, 2023
I have previously filed complaint on this vehicle with no satisfaction. I have a Lincoln 2015 MKZ. This vehicle has a low front end clearance which I believe to be a serious safety concern. The front bumper is only 7 1/2 inches off the ground. Most cars are at least 9 plus inches off the ground. This car can not traverse any type of graded driveway or access road. The front bumper constantly ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
PASSAT
(2002) - SUSPENSION
Jul 26, 2023
Incident date: Jul 25, 2023
The front subframe and engine cradle broke while driving (corrosion). Car began swaying and brakes were affected. Car pulled hard to the right when applying minor pressure to brakes on highway immediately after hearing the part break. The car only has 110,000 miles on it and according to the repair shop and dealership this is an increasingly common problem for the car make and model for this spec... Read more