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: Nov 17, 2022
The shocks and suspension in my car are almost nonexistent causing multiple almost car accidents
Incident date: Nov 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH and driving over a rough patch of roadway, the steering wheel started jerking to the left and the right. The vehicle had experienced the death wobble. The contact slowed down to 30 MPH and the vehicle started driving properly. The contact resumed driving 55 MPH and the vehicle drove normally. The contact took... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2022
i never received a letter about X69 extendy warranty on cross member frame and now im told the bottom of my frame is all rusted and my back tires are bending in and i cant drive the car safely and needs replacement and that its been like this for awhile had i been informed of this x69 i would of taken my jeep in to get fixed i am extremely upset and would like to know if anyone can help me. and my... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated upon taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic for front brake repair, she was informed that the front side of the subframe and the passenger's side and the driver's side subframe were severely corroded. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that she would need to pay for the repair because an unknown Extended ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 5, 2022
A part of the rear suspension failed, caused the rear wheel to turn while driving at highway speed. Lost control and crashed. I do have possession of the vehicle, I can make it available. Safety - No control of vehicle- safety and life of myself and any other vehicle around me were at risk. Vehicle was inspected by the insurance company to determine value. No warnings, and the affected area looke... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 30, 2022
Drivers side suspension fore-link failed while driving. There was no warning, simply a loud "clunk" sound. I was able to limp the vehicle home, and then to the service center several days later. The fore-link completely failed while driving to the service center, causing the wheel to interfere with the inner fender, requiring us to stop. The dealer replaced the fore-link, however, we were require... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
E350
(2014) - SUSPENSION
Nov 16, 2022
Incident date: Oct 16, 2022
I was driving on the highway and braked for traffic ahead of me. My car swerved hard to the right; however, I got it under control and brought it into the Mercedes dealer as soon as they had an opening. Upon examination, the dealer told me that the sub-chassis had corroded and broken away, damaging the torsion bar and denting the gas tank. A search online quickly showed that this is a common is... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 2500
(2022) - SUSPENSION
Nov 16, 2022
Incident date: Nov 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle began making screeching and clunking noises. The instrument panel displayed that the vehicle was shifting from 2WD to 4WD. The contact stated that after arriving at his destination and parking the vehicle, the vehicle failed to move. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diag... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
Vehicle is 2 years old, with only 21,000 miles. Driving on the freeway, above 65mph, the vehicle wobbles violently if you hit a pot hole or a small bump. It jerks the steering wheel very hard from side to side, making it very difficult to stay within your lane. The only way to make the extreme wobble go away is to slow down significantly (<40mph) or sometimes come to a complete stop. A simple ... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Nov 15, 2022
Started hearing a loud banging noise whenever i would hit a bump or turn left coming from drivers side tire. after getting home, i checked and the entire subframe is rusted out.
Incident date: Aug 16, 2022
When backing up in a level parking lot, heard a loud crunch (something like rolling over a large plastic beverage bottle). Subsequently, heard frequent "scraping" sounds when turning. Took to Tesla for service - technician diagnosed "broken lower driver side forelink" - replaced (at cost of $701.36 to me). Technician reported "inspected passenger side forelink and did not need to be replaced." Tes... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2020
Front wheel bearings wore out at approximately 50,000 miles. Steering became difficult and the bearings produced a lot of noise. Both front wheels affected. Dealer replaced bearings and no problems since.
Incident date: Sep 18, 2022
Honda did not contact me for a year and a half I have been waiting for them to replace my air bag, no response!!! I’ve left numerous messages and still no response I gave a 1 year old daughter, we almost got hit by a car and if it had hit us something could’ve happened! Because I had to swerve off road my suspension and power steering are messed up because of pot holes,Just so I wouldn’t hit... Read more
STONEWELL BODIES
MINI TRAILER
(2019) - SUSPENSION
Nov 15, 2022
Incident date: Jul 20, 2022
My stonewell trailer was less than 3 years old when the axle broke off while I was driving down the road. The tire and part of the axle were sent though a busy intersection. When I called [XXX], the owner at stonewell, I was told that I needed to replace both the broken axle and the other axle on my trailer because they were not the correct axle. He told me I needed to have heavier weighted axles... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model-X. The contact stated while reversing, the contact noticed that the front driver’s side of the vehicle inadvertently lowered, and an abnormal sound was heard coming from the vehicle. The contact examined the vehicle and noticed that the front driver’s side wheel was resting on the inner wheel well liner. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the contact wa... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2022
The death wobble makes controlling vehicle very hard
Incident date: Nov 14, 2022
Vehicle sub-frame broke at point where lower control arm attaches, causing Right front wheel to suddenly turn right. Sub-frame rusted through!
Incident date: Nov 14, 2022
Esc off light comes on and transmission does not shift has loss of power gets extremely bad gas mileage. Whole engine shakes and bucks as if misfiring., cruise control nor sport mode engage.
Incident date: Nov 11, 2022
I WAS TRAVELING WEST ON INTERSTATE 74 AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH WHEN I DROVE OVER A SMALL IMPERFECTION IN THE ROAD SURFACE (AN OVERPASS TRANSITION) THE VEHICLE STEERING WHEEL AND FRONT OF THE VEHICLE STARTED TO VIOLENTLY SHAKE UNCONTROLLABLY AND CAUSED ME TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND DRIVE OFF OF THE ROAD. IT HAPPENED ON THE RETURN TRIP AS WELL HOWEVER, I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES THIS TIME AS S... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2022
The contact owns a 2002 Kia Optima. The contact stated that after he replaced all four tires, the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an alignment; however, the mechanic was unable to perform an alignment due to the subframe corrosion. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V183000 (... Read more
Incident date: Oct 3, 2022
Twice I have experienced the "F250 Death Wobble," both incidents were on the highway traveling at about 65-70 mph on level freeway when the vehicle began to oscillate and vibrate in an EXTREMELY VIOLENT MANNER. I was scared to death and I could barely control the vehicle, but in both incidents I was able to apply brakes and slowly get the vehicle to a full and complete stop to arrest the violent s... Read more
Incident date: Nov 9, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made abnormal sounds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rear axle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and transferred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while his son was driving at 35 MPH, he noticed that the rear passenger's side tire was not rolling smoothly. The contact stated that upon arriving at his destination and parking the vehicle, his son noticed that the rear passenger's side tire was pushed in. The contact's son was able to drive the vehicle to his residence. The contact ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2022
The rear end creaks and the 2nd gear grinds and pops out in the manual transmission
Incident date: Nov 13, 2022
Experiences what I found to be called the death wabble. It’s getting worse
Incident date: Nov 11, 2022
Heard loud clicking noises upfront when turning hard out of parking spot.Immediately I Checked front wheels manually on looseness, but could not detect any movement. Decided to drive home (20miles).I was very careful not to steer to hard through curves. Upon turn into my driveway ( hard right turn which I took very slow) ,left front wheel suspension came unhooked and an approx 3” long x 1/2”... Read more
FOREST RIVER
VIBE
(2019) - SUSPENSION
Nov 12, 2022
Incident date: Nov 11, 2022
On Friday, November 11, 2022 while traveling to North Carolina from Ohio, our travel trailer suffered a catastrophic incident. One of the axles broke while driving on I64E, resulting in the tire coming off, damaging the body of the camper, and leaving my husband stranded several hours from home. After waiting for hours, he was not even able to find anyone to tow the vehicle, so he had to make his ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2022
Rear crossmember/ subframe rusted thru and broke. Replaced front several years ago. Car has always been garaged.
Incident date: Jun 11, 2021
The front end wanders and grabs any road deformities severely enough to put you in another lane
FORD
F-150 HYBRID
(2021) - SUSPENSION
Nov 12, 2022
Incident date: Nov 12, 2022
Passenger side, rear wheel axle blot sheered off, been loose for ??? Was told not to drive the vehicle, safety issue. Seems to be a common problem with the Mac towing package.
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2011) - SUSPENSION
Nov 12, 2022
Incident date: Oct 26, 2022
My Jeep's air suspension system (Quadra lift) has failed 4 times within the past year. At the beginning, the only signs there was anything wrong was that it took the vehicle several minutes to raise from the "park" setting and it would sit extremely low when parked for long periods of time. Upon bringing it to a Jeep dealer in October 2021, they informed me the front air suspension lines had a lea... Read more
Incident date: Oct 6, 2020
The frame is rusting out and broke while driving. The frame is almost totally destroyed from rust . The rear started swinging violently but luckily got it stop without crashing. The entire frame is a joke. I can't believe it hasn't been recalled STILL. The body is in perfect shape but a frame that can snap at any moment....I thought Toyota put safety first?
Incident date: Oct 5, 2022
Rear Carrier Assembly is making grinding noise. Mechanic says that driving car could be life threatening. GM and Cadillac dealership has no parts. So car is useless. The car has 56,000 miles. There should be a recall and remedy for this Model, 2014 Cadillac 3.6L CTS. Especially when the V version of this car already has a recall. GM should be held accountable for this design flaw.
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2020) - SUSPENSION
Nov 11, 2022
Incident date: Nov 10, 2022
Drivers side upper control arm failure. Threw truck into oncoming traffic. Dealership has inspected multiple times stating everything was good to go. Been complaining about a loud clunk to dealership for months
Incident date: Sep 30, 2022
The vehicle begins to shake violently after hitting a sudden bump in the road causing the vehicle to become uncontrollable. This happens at speeds in excess of 40mph. We asked both the dealer and jeep to look at the issue and they said it was not covered by the warranty and there were no warning light indicators.
MERCEDES-BENZ
E350
(2011) - SUSPENSION
Nov 11, 2022
Incident date: Nov 10, 2022
I noticed fluid on the ground under my car in the driveway. Turns out it was brake fluid, the vehicle alerted me to low brake fluid. Here was a broken brake line which appears to have been caused by the subframe being rusted out. The issue is with the rear subframe on the Mercedes’ E and C class dating from 2008 on. Mine is a 2011 E class. The subframes on these vehicles rust and rot out cau... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2005) - SUSPENSION
Nov 11, 2022
Incident date: Aug 10, 2022
The transmissions are bad on these cars and when it's shifting gears it jerks and almost takes you off the road. I've had my car completely stop as I was driving and almost cause a wreck hurting myself in the process of not trying to kill someone walking because these cars are KNOWN TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM THERE WAS AN ENTIRE LAWSUIT AGAINST VOLKSWAGEN AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. Please help if there ... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Oct 11, 2022
October 11, 2022 I hit a steep curb while pulling into a gas station before heading to work, which caused alignment issues. I originally thought it was just about that time for an alignment so I drove my car to tire discounters. [XXX] the manager there called me and told me pretty much the sub frame on my car was rusted so bad that he doesn’t even know how I made it to their facility, and pretty... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2022
1. The car will stall while driving at highway speeds and/or will turn on the emergency brake after stopping due to a stop sign or traffic. Yes this is available for inspection. 2. Not as of yet, Jeep said it was a battery problem. 3. The vehicle has been inspected by Jeep. 4. There were no signs or symptoms of the problem prior to failure. It occurred from one day to another and has not stopped... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2022
Brought car in for any state inspection and found the front suspension crossmember to 100% rusted thru. Car failed inspection. Found out that this is a common failure on this model of infiniti. In addition replacement part is on national back order. So on top of a poorly designed part they are unable to keep them in stock.
Incident date: Nov 10, 2022
******* DELETE VOQ ******* THIS COMPLAINT IS BEING MARKED FOR DELETION BECAUSE THE CONSUMER PLACED THE REQUEST.*DJR ******* DELETE VOQ *******
Incident date: Apr 18, 2022
I was driving on a local street when all of a sudden I started hearing a rattling sound coming from the front of the car. Next day, I took it to a mechanic. They notified me the struts needed to be replaced. Struts replaced and fine for awhile. 2 months later im on the highway heading to work. I hear the same sound starting again. I take it back to the same mechanic. They say the sway bar link nee... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2022
While driving on State highway 59, a small bump in the road sent the truck into a violent shake where I almost lost control of the vehicle. This violent shake is and can be life threatening to my family and I, as well as nearby others. Now Ford is charging me for fixing the life-threatening defect. It does not seem right that Ford by their defect threaten my family life with a year-old car and I ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and driving over a bump on the road, the vehicle experienced the death wobble. The contact stated that no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated he had experienced the same failure several times. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the front suspension... Read more
Incident date: Nov 10, 2022
I was going approximately 70mph on the interstate and hit a bump and the vehicle began to shake violently and I had to make an emergency stop in the middle of the interstate to get it back under control! I’ve been told this is the death wobble. The vehicle has approximately 125,000 miles. This was very serious!
Incident date: Sep 15, 2022
My 2020 KIA Telluride has faulty suspension related to KIA's factory installed towing system. This makes the vehicle very noisy while everyday driving and unsafe when towing. Yes the problem has been confirmed by the dealer, KIA has put out a service bulletin, but hasn't extended the warranty to cover their known defect. This started a couple months ago.
Incident date: Oct 20, 2022
The contact owns a 1999 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, an unknown popping sound was coming from the rear-end of the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact discovered severe corrosion and a crack that had formed on the rear passenger’s side fender. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mile... Read more
Incident date: Nov 9, 2022
Driving at highway speed, swerved slightly (in lane) to avoid road debris, front aft suspension snapped suddenly and separated from ball joint causing wheel to collapse in, disabling vehicle and causing temporary loss of control in rainy conditions. There was no warning, noises, looseness or other symptoms present prior to this event, vehicle had to be towed. Pictures were taken as well as a pol... Read more
Incident date: Nov 2, 2022
My 2014 ford focus will not reverse. It also does not lock the doors while driving and have had problems opening the back hatch.
Incident date: Nov 9, 2022
i recently purchased the 2005 Tundra I was instructed to take the Tundra to Westbury Toyota for inspection and they didnt even took at the truck they claimed according to the VIN is not eligible for any consideration from Toyota North North America The frame has recessive deterioration. We understand the truck doesnt have lifetime warranty but I am disappointed in Toyota's response