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
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2011) - SUSPENSION
Nov 9, 2022
Incident date: Aug 14, 2022
The rear subframe rotted and broke as I was driving. I almost got into a bad accident. This apparently is a common & deadly issue that MB is aware of. Unacceptable that there is not a recall.
Incident date: Oct 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 BMW K 1600 GT. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V023000 (Suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The local dealer was notified of the recall notice and stated that parts were available for the recall r... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 BMW 740I. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the front air suspension failed to perform as designed, causing the front end of the vehicle to remain lowered, making the front driver’s and passenger’s side tires touching the inner wheel well. The vehicle was taken to the local service center who diagnosed that the front driver’s and passenger’s side ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 9, 2022
Please note this is 2nd time in one year my axles being replaced due to vibrations and popping noise. They are also changing this to customer even know they installed wrong design axles previously. This should be still under drive train warranty which is 8 yers and u limited mileage
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2009) - SUSPENSION
Nov 9, 2022
Incident date: Aug 2, 2022
The stability control is off in the rear. No warning lights or noise. Other models of this same year make and model have been recalled for something having to do with this. Please help me our family can’t afford this rn. We have a beautiful 1 year old that needs rides to dr apt
Incident date: Nov 7, 2022
•available for inspection. Unknown exact system failure •issue regularly occurs •dealership service. Transmission had to be replaced at around 10k miles and covered by warranty. •no lights indicating any problems. Forward collision alert activated. Vehicle has a lag between the time pressure is applied to the gas pedal and it causes a delay in acceleration resulting in the vehicle sort... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 2022
“Death Wobble” at Highway Speeds > 45 MPH. The steering wheel begins to “Wobble” after hitting a pot hole or uneven surface such as a bridge joint. I have taken it in and was told everything is to factory specs. This is not the case and I have video. The latest incident occurred Saturday Nov 5th.
Incident date: Nov 6, 2022
I have a 2007 GMC yukon denali xl that have the stabilitrac, check suspension, traction control lights and messages come on the car looses power and being in traffic I was almost t-boned this is a problem that has cost me alot of time and money please help please it is going to cause a wreck this is not a Isolated incident a recall needs to happen
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2014) - SUSPENSION
Nov 8, 2022
Incident date: Nov 8, 2022
frame is rotting out
Incident date: Nov 7, 2022
Traveling at 70 miles per hour, hit bump on highway and front end of vehicle began shaking violently, almost lost control. Took foot off gas and applied brakes, vehicle finally stopped shaking. "Death Wobble ". Vehicle has 22,500 miles, tires original, no modifications to vehicle
Incident date: Nov 5, 2022
Death wobble same as my 2008 wrangler that I traded in for a newer model and same problem! Someone will die, it's terrible!!! It happened 3 times in 1 day. I can't take it on the expressway at all.
Incident date: Oct 20, 2022
I was driving my car around town and heard a slight knocking sound. It didn't seem to be a significant issue. Within a few hours, the knocking turned into a grinding sound. It seemed like the wheel was getting stuck in the wheel well. It didn't appear to be a significant issue, so I drove the car home. There were also no warning lights or indicators. As I drove home, the problem got worse and wors... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Infiniti JX. The contact stated while coming to a stop, the contact felt the vehicle pulling to the left. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced both front struts, front passenger’s side control arm, the radiator, and the brakes however, the failure persisted. The mechanic also noticed that the rear subframe was rusted and had fractured. The manufac... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2005 Hyundai XG350. The contact stated upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for an oil change, she was informed that the subframe was severely corroded and had holes and cracks in the subframe. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer informed the contact that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V124000 (Suspension). The manufacturer was notified of the fai... Read more
Incident date: Oct 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Entourage. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH in a parking lot and making a left turn, he heard an abnormal noise coming from the front passenger’s side tire and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to park the vehicle safely. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the v... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2022
STERRING WHEEL STARTED SHAKING VIOLENTLY BACK AND FORTH, AS WHEEL AS THE ENTIRE VEHICLE SHAKING. AFTER CHECKING ON LINE FOEND THE TERM "DEATH WOBBLE" ASSOCIATED WITH THESE SYMPTOMS. i WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 40 MILES PER HOUR ON A PAVED HIGHWAY. THE ONLY WAY I WAS ABLE TO STOP VIOLENT SHAKING / WOBBLE WAS TO SLOW ALMOST TO A STOP. VEHICLE HAS ABOUT 77,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. I IMMEDIATELY C... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH and turning right onto a main road, there was a loud clicking noise coming from under the front end of the vehicle. The contact stated that the noise was intermittent. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The veh... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 2022
FUEL PUMP CONTROL MODULE OVERHEATS CAUSING THE CAR TO STOP SUDDENLY POSSIBLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT.
Incident date: Oct 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, the power steering failed, and the vehicle started fishtailing. The contact used excessive force to regain control of the vehicle. The contact was able to get the vehicle to stop. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer. The contact learned that the rear t... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2022
i recieved a recall for the rear axle pinion nut, took truck in and was told my truck was not involved. then i recieved another recall for the same thing and took truck in and they installed a retainer on the nut and this was supposed to fix the problem. now at 85,000 miles the pinion came loose so the retainer was not the answer. took to dealer and they want me to pay then try to get my money bac... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2022
hit a bump going on to a bridge and the truck goes into a death wobble
Incident date: Nov 4, 2022
While parking, i heard some noises underneath the front wheel area and turns out the tires are rubbing against the wheel well liner and the pins that were holding the wheel well in place were popping off. When driving off, i noticed the alignment was off and felt the car shifting around in a weird way so i pulled over into a parking lot and can see the liner nearly ripped off. Took it to the tes... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2012) - SUSPENSION
Nov 7, 2022
Incident date: Oct 7, 2022
Corroded rear cradle driver side. Causing instability driving. Cradle on back order for months according to local Mercedes parts department
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2017) - SUSPENSION
Nov 7, 2022
Incident date: Jun 2, 2022
The rear sway bar mount on frame had completely broken off and the sway bar was making a loud clunking sound as we were driving which caused difficulty to control the vehicle. Upon inspection, mechanic found that the sway bar had broken away from the bottom axle area. This caused the body of the vehicle to be off center which caused the vehicle to rub the left tire which in turn rubbed the fuel ne... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2022
The rear sway bar mount on frame had completely broken off and the sway bar was making a loud clunking sound as we were driving which caused difficulty to control the vehicle. Upon inspection, mechanic found that the sway bar had broken away from the bottom axle area. This caused the body of the vehicle to be off center which caused the vehicle to rub the left tire which in turn rubbed the fuel ne... Read more
HYUNDAI
ELANTRA TOURING
(2010) - SUSPENSION
Nov 7, 2022
Incident date: Nov 7, 2022
Turning onto my street and continued two hundred feet to my driveway I had to turn the steering wheel one quarter to the left to keep the car straight on the road. On inspection of the vehicle I noticed the left rear wheel was at an angle. Further inspection showed the suspension had departed.
Incident date: Jan 24, 2022
Four times within 8 months of the vehicle being new and now being the fifth time I have experienced what is termed "death wobble" where loss of control due to violent pounding/shaking of the front end occurs where most times it is necessary to slow down or stop drastically from highway speeds to get vehicle back in control.
Incident date: Oct 27, 2022
I’ve had my car for seven months now and since then it’s been problem I’ve spent way over money to fix problems both sides driver and passenger side axle popped twice my brake fluid keeps running out but mechanic can’t find leak my lights inside the car comes on and off one day it’s saying I need oil or my brake lights come on than another day they goes off and it always sounds like some... Read more
Crash
PRESTONE
BRAKE FLUID
(9999) - SUSPENSION
Nov 6, 2022
Incident date: Oct 27, 2022
I’ve had my car for seven months now and since then it’s been problem I’ve spent way over money to fix problems both sides driver and passenger side axle popped twice my brake fluid keeps running out but mechanic can’t find leak my lights inside the car comes on and off one day it’s saying I need oil or my brake lights come on than another day they goes off and it always sounds like some... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 4, 2022
I’ve had this vehicle for a few years now and at the time of purchase the vehicle had 16,000-18,000 miles on it. It’s a 2016 and I believe I purchased the vehicle in 2019 so I’ve had it for about three years now. I didn’t really start to pay any attention to the shaking/shimmy/wobble that the vehicle has until about a year after I purchased it because at first it wasn’t nearly as noticea... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2022
The control arm of the driver side fail during driving , I lost control of my Tacoma then the alarm stering activate. Then is was dificult to control the pickup and i almost hit a car that was next to me. When i take to the machanic shop he was alarm by the situation he told me that this was very dangerous , he found that the driver control arm was with a welding failure that i should make a requ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2022
Lower ball joints, lower control arms, and axles failed on the front right and front left of the vehicle while driving. The wheels were partially disconnected with no ability to steer or drive my vehicle. Both failures happened within 2 1/2 months. After the right side failed, the auto mechanic checked the left side yet it failed regardless of all inspections including the annual state requirement... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Oct 13, 2022
Lateral and Comp Links Failed and Upper Control Arms Failed causing steering issues. Car has barely been driven and shouldn’t require repairs to these parts so early in its life.
Incident date: Nov 5, 2022
2019 F250, 13,000 miles: While traveling along interstate 64 in Virginia, I crossed a bridge in the early morning, pre-dawn hours which caused the truck to "bounce" as it transitioned across the joints that joined the bridge to the pavement. Immediately after crossing, the truck entered into an uncontrollable vibration that caused me to lose positive control to the vehicle. The loss of control las... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
CLS550
(2006) - SUSPENSION
Nov 5, 2022
Incident date: Nov 5, 2018
Fuel/propulsion system failed during operation on X-Way. Squeaking noise front suspension. Wheel rims cracking. Replacement key fob not working.
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2012) - SUSPENSION
Nov 5, 2022
Incident date: Nov 5, 2022
Applied brakes coming down a slight grade and vehicle made a clunking noise and became unstable. Pulled and pitched as brakes were applied and released. Upon checking brakes it was very visible that the rear subframe had failed on the right side and the left was severely compromised. I hard braking situation would have resulted in a crash… The severe damage was not visible a week ago until it r... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2022
About a year after purchase (new) a loud popping noise emanating from the rear suspension was reported to my Hyundai dealer. At first I was told it was a normal characteristic of the car. After escalating the complaint I was told it had a bad rear shock, which was replaced under warranty but the noise continued. They told me that a Hyundai tech specialist would contact me for resolution. That was ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 12, 2022
Severe "Death Wobble" occurred on the highway at 70 mph after running over a bump in the road (bridge seam), let off the accelerator and the wobble increased. I experience "Death Wobble" routinely with this vehicle but, never this bad. Stock, no lift or modifications, 45K miles, properly inflated newer tires and steering damper replaced. Vehicle steering feels consistently unstable and cannot d... Read more
MITSUBISHI
OUTLANDER
(2007) - SUSPENSION
Nov 4, 2022
Incident date: Aug 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle was wobbling. The tire pressure monitoring system warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the front subframe was corroded and the front lower control arms and ball joints needed to be replaced. The contact associated the failure with... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2012) - SUSPENSION
Nov 4, 2022
Incident date: Oct 20, 2022
This issue concerns rear Sub Frame corrosion. My car has always been serviced at the Mercedes Benz dealer where it was purchased as recommended. Upon recievieing my car after a service I was informed that the subframe in my car was badly damaged by metal corrosion. In fact I was told that the car was unsafe and should not be driven as total failure would likely cause lose of control of the vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2019
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, a vibration was felt and heard coming from the front passenger’s side wheel area. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer for routine services, the contact made the mechanic aware of the failure; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that after... Read more
Incident date: Nov 3, 2022
My vehicle was subject to a frame corrosion Limited Service Campaign. I brought the vehicle in for inspection and was advised there we 2 options: Frame replacement or Corrosion-Resistant Compound treatment. The dealership advised the vehicle did not qualify for frame replacement, and opted to apply CRC. The CRC application was performed June 11, 2014. I have documentation. I was recently advis... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2021
coach battery wiring drain repaired at lazy days 50 miles . Adapter on power steering\power breaks leaking at 300 miles. ford could not get hose and adapter parts. auto zone got parts fixed myself. Left rear sway bar attachment bracket missing one bolt and bushing at7000 miles knippen truck rv repair replaced bolts, cap, bushing . Right rear sway bar attachment bracket bushing worn out at 13000 m... Read more
Incident date: Oct 21, 2022
Odometer: 45847. Two weeks ago I hit a bump on GA 400 going about 70MPH and the death wobble happened. Had to brake heavily to get it to stop. No warning lights. Knew there was an ESB on the Steering Dampner and took it to the dealer to have that replaced along with the other recalls. The service advisor calls today and wants to charge me $1800 to replace the tie rods. Ford should be taking care o... Read more
Incident date: Oct 11, 2022
When driving above 50 MPH and hitting a small bump in the road, the vehicle has gone into a sever wobble in the suspension almost to the point of losing control of the steering of the truck. I had to reduce the speed to below 30 MPH to get the truck to return to normal. This has happened to our truck twice.
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2004) - SUSPENSION
Nov 3, 2022
Incident date: Jul 8, 2022
When the steering wheel is turned either completely to the right or left while moving forward or in reverse, a scrubbing noise is heard that appears to be the tire wheel coming in contact with the suspension.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
The Sub frame has a crack where it connects with the control arm I posted a picture in the forum group for Cadillac owners of the same vehicle and over 20 owners I’ve counted have the same crack in the same location it has unfortunately failed for some members already. I fear that this was an engineering flaw that needs to be taken care of or examined before some one can get seriously hurt or l... Read more
Incident date: Nov 2, 2022
Violent shaking in front end (commonly referred to as “ death wobble”) usually associated with hitting a rough spot in road. Happens between speeds of 50-60 mph. Ford replaced steering stabilizer under a service bulletin and it did nothing to help. Tires have been replaced and tire rotation is done every 5,000 miles. Ford acts like there is no problem but there is a serious and dangerous on... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2022
2015 Hyundai Sonata 2.4L Hybrid with 35,333 miles has a broken front driver's side strut spring. Contacted Hyundai corporate and was told there is no recall on this year model. Dealer has been contacted regarding repair and they cannot inspect car till Dec. After research this looks the same as NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V629000 (SUSPENSION). There were no warning indicators and I had noticed a noi... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F53. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V731000 (Suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the rear stabilizer bar had detached. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who stated tha... Read more