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: Jan 21, 2022
While driving on the highway the car started to lose control. Car shop said control link on driver side broke and the one on the passenger side was cracked and they replace both. I took the old parts e Incident (0)to the dealership they said it was a recall.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
There is an active service bulletin for 2017 Chevy Colorados. My vin does not fall under that service bulletin. I started two case numbers with Chevy. My truck is in the shop for ref service bulletin # 18-NA-355. Same problem and the same fix. Mine got so bad the control arms need replaced. Please add my vin to the service bulletin so Chevy will take responsibility for their manufacturing mess... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2023
I received a recall on my Cadillac SRX for a Rear Toe Link Separation Update issue. I had the repair completed at Plaza Cadillac in Leesburg, FL. This repair was completed on 03/11/2022. I have received multiple recall notices by text message, and Official Recall Notices about this work. I feel that there is gross incompetence somewhere in the system between the authorized dealer and GM and I have... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while inspecting the vehicle, the tech stated that the toe link needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer repaired the vehicle under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension). The vehicle was taken to the inspection center again and the tech stated that the toe link needed to be replaced once again and ad... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2023
When driving in the high setting in there is an abrupt, shaking and vibrating coming from the half shaft connected to front drive unit. Caused by the forces put from the drive unit. There has been 100s of report to Tesla so much so if they have created a dedicated service bulletin. There is a potential risk of catastrophic malfunction to occur if enough wear is put on the front half shaft. Tesla i... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2023
While driving at highway speeds and the vehicle goes over a bump, bridge connection, etc the vehicle goes into an uncontrollable “death wobble”. This began with less than 10,000 miles on the vehicle, and the vehicle has not had any alterations from factory (factory wheels, tires, suspension, etc.). I brought the vehicle to the dealer in Oct 2022, and a part was on national backorder, after 2 m... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2020
Rear passenger frame rusted/rotted, rear passenger shock mount completely torn off frame at rust area and rear passenger leaf spring assembly cracked. Vehicle is not drivable and completely unsafe. This vehicle was recalled in May 2008 for inspection of frame rust and passed the inspection with only surface frame rust found and no rust perforation. Vehicle was recalled again in January 2012 for... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
Since November of 2022 the vehicle has been violently shaking in the steering wheel that occurs at speeds ranging from 50-70+ mph. It tends to happen on pavement change see such as bridges or potholes. The wheel shakes so violently that you need to slow to under 50 to get it to stop. I have brought it to multiple dealerships. The first replaced the steering damper on 2/1/23 with the newest FCA ap... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2023
2014 Silverado frame has coating defect. Verified by a former Chevy employee. Frame us completely rusted and splitting and cracked. Just found this out and was told it could suddenly fail. The mechanic said I need to either fix immediately or get another car. This truck was bought and serviced by Best Chevrolet, and they never recalled anything or informed/warned me about it. There is a rich histo... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2021
The right rear coil spring fractured at the lower control end of the coil. This model was subject to a recall (19V188000) for premature fracture of the coil spring. However, according to VW this recall did not affect the VIN of our vehicle. Suspect that the recall either should have included our VIN or that the replacement springs have a similar material defect.
Incident date: Sep 5, 2021
While driving highway speed (approx. 65 MPH) on a paved Farm Market Road, the front end of the truck started vibrating so bad that I temporarily lost control of the truck. The vibration and bucking of the front end of the truck pulled me into the other lane but fortunately there was no oncoming traffic. I reduced my speed and pulled to the shoulder and examined my tires and undercarriage. Upon exa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2023
This vehicle has less than 84,000 miles on it, and the chassis or frame is rotted. The rear anti sway bar already rotted off it, and the front bar is hanging down on the passenger side. I have photos of this, but don't know how to download them. The body has a little rot here, and there, but that is repairable. I spent a lot of money in purchasing this vehicle, and I expected it to last a very lon... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2023
Vehicle was shaking in the rear area for some time at highway speeds. I took the vehicle in to the local tire shop to get the alignment checked. After that the vehicle still shook. I took the vehicle back to the tire shop and the alignment was already off quite a bit in the back tires. I took the vehicle in to the local ford dealership and was informed that the rear passenger toe link was cracking... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2023
The undercarriage and frame is rusted .Ford said it was not under warranty and the truck was unsafe to drive. Most of the rust is mainly at the rear of truck and if the truck was hit in the rear it would be very unsafe to drive.
Incident date: Mar 16, 2023
I will try to give you as concise statement of my complaint as possible, however, I have copies I sent to the manufacturer and others that I'm willing to furnish you if requested. On 3/18/21, I wrote to Toyota's Executive VP , Chief Quality Officer, [XXX], stating my compliance with their notice of 7/9/15, requiring frame inspection, significant perforation not found, therefore they applied CRC c... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2019
On my 2009 Toyota Sienna XLE V6 FWD. The anti-slip indicator light improperly turns-on on dry roads at safe speeds. This causes a distraction to the driver.
Incident date: Apr 4, 2022
While driving my 2013 Nissan Altima on the highway I heard a real loud bang so I got off the nearest exit to check out the car. Upon looking under the rear passenger side of the car I noticed that the lower control arm broke off. I was able to get the car home, but cannot drive it. Doing a little research, I found this is common on 2013-2019 Altima models. I feel this is a major safety concern and... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2021
My 2017 Ford f250 has what my mechanic described as the death wobble. The front end shakes uncontrollably after I hit any kind of a small bump in the road and I'm afraid I'm going to lose control. This has happened several times.
Incident date: Mar 11, 2022
I have aligned to my wheels 3 times and I'm still having issues keeping the steering straight it feels like I'm floating around. Also when reversing I hear I load clunking noise coming from the back.
Incident date: Mar 17, 2023
I have reached out to dealership regarding a noise while turning since my car was bought. They changed parts and noise is still there. I reported this immediatly. REached ot to Mitsubishi Motors also. I expressed to feel unsafe and they said its nothing to worry. I just wanted to get my money back. I have all the paperwork supporting my compliant. Filed complaint to BBB ID# 18151167 Filed complai... Read more
LAND ROVER
DISCOVERY
(2017) - SUSPENSION
Mar 18, 2023
Incident date: Mar 15, 2023
I bought the vehicle used and I was told that it ran fine and there were no issues with the automobile. And then it started having warning issue lights and then I started having problems with steering and holding in the road and it begain popping when I turn the vehicle to the left . And then the recall with the fuel tank I am scared of the vehicle and I do carry children in it. The used car lot I... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 2023
Rusted rear sub frame that needs to be replaced. Premature rusting that Mercedes needs to repair at no cost. Also, premature battery drain on new battery. Needs to be fixed by Mercedes at no cost.
Incident date: Feb 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, she lost control of the vehicle. The contact's wife veered into the median and had the vehicle towed to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed that the rear toe link was fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advis... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2023
When driving at 65 mph and hitting uneven pavement the vehicle will begin shaking violently. When slowed to 45 mph it will come out of it. Jeep Dealership suggested replacing steering stabilizer. When part replaced as well as alignment checked twice the vehicle continues to have death wobble.
Incident date: Mar 6, 2023
2016 Ford Taruas SEL Both Rear Toe Links went bad at around 64,000 miles The car is incontrollable on bumpy roads, which causes the car to veer very hard into the next lane or off the road. making the car very dangerous Same issue with the SHO model of the same year, the issue had been reported and recalled for the exact same issue my model is experiencing
Incident date: Feb 3, 2023
Rear subframe corrosion/complete rot out, suspension complete rot out, and other components due to salt from the road and Mazda not correctly painting the components: 2009 Mazda 6I 2.5 Noticable drop in the back of the car. The tire wells are almost touching the rear tires. The rear tires are leaning inward, also putting inside ware on the new tires. The rear of the vehicle fishtails while drivin... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle started swerving in the lane to the right and the left. The contact heard an abnormal thumping noise from underneath the floorboard. The contact stated that the power steering and brakes functioned as needed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the ve... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2023
We were driving down the highway and it started doing the death wobble.
Incident date: Mar 13, 2023
In Sept of 2022 I took my car to a Tesla Svc Ctr due to the ceiling panel had dislodged. Although there was a recall for this of which I was not notified of but found on my own, I had to argue with the young woman who checked me in. She denied that a recall existed. I had to show her the notice from Teslas own website before she conceded. I later received a note letting me know I needed front tire... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2022
With GM recall N212340980, the toe link was replaced with a nonadjustable toe link and thus it can not be aligned properly causing the tire to wear incorrectly and causing vibration in the wheels and suspension and also causing the vehicle to pull to the center into oncoming traffic. This is a huge safety issue, the vibration can cause the lug nuts to loosen and wheel to come off while at highway ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2023
When driving on the highway, if I drive over a rough spot, bridge abutment, pot hole etc, sometimes the truck will begin to shake violently. Usually the shaking will only stop if I slow down to below 35 mph. This issue seems to be worse when towing a trailer. I have had the steering damper replaced by Ford 2 times. The issue usually gets better for 10-15,000 miles and then will get worse. Fir... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLB 250
(2020) - SUSPENSION
Mar 16, 2023
Incident date: Dec 2, 2022
Passenger rear shock absorber separated at the top of the outer tube. Complete loss of damping and most of the shock oil. The shock absorber was in two pieces. Photos attached.
Incident date: Mar 15, 2023
K Neal International delivered an unsafe school bus to me. The bus leaks when it rains; onto the seats and students. This is a brand new 2023 school bus. Also, my suspension has already begun to leak. NHTSA doesn't have any recall information listed for my VIN, but I've received recall paperwork from IC Bus, LLC/Navistar about a recall on the hex flange lock nut. Why do you, NHTSA, not have t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
K Neal International delivered an unsafe school bus to me. The bus leaks when it rains; onto the seats and students. The stop arm malfunctioned; staying in the open/on position, causing confusion for other drivers. This turned out to be an electrical relay problem. The driver side window has a gap in it large enough for a small animal to get through. When it's windy out, the entry door opens o... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that the rear passenger’s side suspension air bag had failed causing the rear passenger side of the vehicle to lean down and reducing the height of the vehicle. The contact also indicated that the failure had rendered the vehicle undrivable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the passenger’s side rear suspension and air s... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2023
When I first purchased the car I unlocked the lever to adjust my steering wheel and from that moment further my car never drove the same. If I do not play with the lever for the tilt steering and move steering wheel up and down while driving my car does not drive normal. The tires either feel like they were laying down flat when making a turn either way to the left or the right and the car seemed ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2023
Whenever the truck goes over mildly rough road the steering wheel shakes and the tires follow the ruts of the road . When this happens steering wheel jerks out of hand and have to be overcorrected to keep in lane . With the shaking of steering wheel the steering wheel itself came loose one time and was repaired by peterbilt by applying locktite to the bolt.truck have been to peterbilt dealership 4... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
I had the F-250 Death Wobble. I hit a bump at 70mph and the entire truck started shaking violently. It didn’t stop shaking until I slowed down to 30mph on the highway. This had the potential to be a life threatening accident if I would have lost control, especially since this happens at high speeds. Thousands of people have had the death wobble, why won’t the NHTSA mandate Ford to fix this?
Incident date: Jan 2, 2023
Driving on the highway, when the roadway changed from paved to a bridge roadway, the vehicle began shaking uncontrollably and i had to hit my brakes and pull off the side of the road. I was going 75mph at the time. The vehicle now shakes uncontrollably when i hit any type of bump and i have to pull over. my front tires start shaking like a broken shopping cart wheel and it looks like they’re abo... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2023
This is a follow up to my first submission to include the pictures of the defective subframe we had to replace and the cost for the replacement for a new OEM subframe on this 2011 Nissan Murano SUV. As indicated in my first submission on 1/25/2023 for this car, two repair facilities (Nissan or Fort Lauderdale, Fla and Autobahn of Fort Lauderdale, Fla) inspected and wrote quotes to replace the def... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2023
i was driving in the highway 50 mph and i was braking and my car slipped in the other line of the highway and almost had and accident !!!! and cars switched off when driving almost had incident!!!! i saw that many people have the say problem like me about rusted component please do something because people are losing their lifes.
AUDI
A6 ALLROAD
(2020) - SUSPENSION
Mar 14, 2023
Incident date: Mar 14, 2023
While driving my car on the open highway, I noticed that the steering wheel became somewhat sticky and resistant. This started in September of 2022 and the problem has become increasingly worse. The steering wheel requires excessive force to turn at speeds above 40mph, making micro-adjustments to the steering very difficult and causes oversteering. If there is a bend in the road and I turn the ... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2023) - SUSPENSION
Mar 14, 2023
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at an independent mechanic to replace the water pump, the mechanic determined that the rear axle was cracked and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the previous owner had the vehicle serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 10V385000 ... Read more
FORD
F-150 HYBRID
(2022) - SUSPENSION
Mar 14, 2023
Incident date: Mar 9, 2023
At 45 to approximately 60mph, I have twice encountered the infamous "Death Wobble" where hitting a small bump in the road triggers a violent shake of the entire front suspension, steering wheel, and this continues violently until the vehicle is brought to a full stop. A firm hold on the steering wheel is needed to prevent an accident, but this is a serious accident just waiting to happen.
Incident date: Mar 14, 2023
At the low speed, the car suspension failed (most likely the control arm) and the vehicle swung to the right and crashed into the car bridge rails. As a result of this, the right front wheel dislodged completely, which would not be possible if there were no mechanical problems with the suspension. Tesla Dublin had worked on my suspension three weeks prior to the accident. The full video from the d... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 1, 2021
In 2019 my 2011 jeep compass front subframe rusted really bad which cause corrosions. I called Chrysler and advise if there was a recall on this and they told me no. I paid for the repair to get it fix, fast forward to today I took my car in for an oil change and was informed the rear subframe has now rotted and is also causing corrosion. I called Jeep and was advise the recall expired in 2021 and... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2023
A problem with the rear subframe had occurred in which it had started to rust. Due to the severity of the issue I noticed my car started veering when hitting the brakes as well multiple concerning sounds and stability issues with the vehicle. Mercedes has not contacted me about replacing the part nor has their been any warning lights or any indication of the issue being present other than when the... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2023
I was driving on Route 80 outside of Des Moines, IA around 75 mph in normal driving conditions. Twice driving westbound and once driving eastbound, I hit an otherwise unremarkable bump/crack in the highway and the Jeep ‘Death Wobble’ occurred. Having owned a 2012 Wrangler before and with less than 20,000 miles on this Jeep and no modifications, I was quite surprised. After slowing down the wo... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2023
The rear toe bar had a recall on it that was replaced. The replacement part is not adjustable. The back wheels are pointed out because of the rear tow bar not being able to be adjusted. This causes the car to pull side to side while driving on snow and ice. I can't go over 30 mph or the car loses control.
Incident date: Mar 12, 2023
March 9th I went to take my 2008 Toyota Tacoma in for an inspection, failed due to 3 rustholes in frame and frame is warped,there is only 90838 miles on this vehicle Cost of repair is very $$$$