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: Jul 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving approximately 40 MPH, she heard a loud squealing sound coming from the front tires. The contact stated her daughter pulled off the road into a parking and heard a loud crack. The contact stated that her daughter had not been aware of any warning lights. The contact stated that her husband had the vehicle tow... Read more
Incident date: Oct 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the steering wheel started moving violently from side to side. The contact stated that he had experienced the death wobble. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact depressed the brake pedal until he regained control of the vehicle. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road momentarily. The contact w... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2000 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle began to shake and suddenly veered into the left lane into oncoming traffic. The contact stated that the vehicle had stopped in the middle of the road. The contact was unaware of any warning light being illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle had to be pushed off the roadway. The co... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2022
At 13,500 miles I started hearing a clunking noise in the rear of the vehicle. There is also a strong burning rubber smell after I have been driving. The Kia dealer confirmed that my rear self leveling shocks need to be replaced. I'm not sure if the melting rubber smell is a fire concern. I am concerned that the reduced braking and cornering ability with the defective shocks would make it hard... Read more
Incident date: Oct 28, 2022
The Toyota dealership told me that the lower ball joints (LF & RF) must be replaced and that grease is leaking.
Incident date: Oct 21, 2022
During the conduct of the Fuel Tank corrosion recall, the dealer identified that the location on frame where the rear control arm attaches was completely corroded away and no longer supporting the control arm. They said this was a safety issue that can cause the rear wheel to collapse in. The dealer tried to get Honda of America to cover the repair as a part of the fuel tank recall but Honda of Am... Read more
Incident date: Oct 27, 2022
The contact owned a 2021 Thor Hurricane built on a 2020 Ford F-59 Chassis. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V731000 (Suspension) and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list because she no longer own the RV. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHT
(2001) - SUSPENSION
Oct 27, 2022
Incident date: Oct 27, 2022
There is a crack in the rear swing arm from top to bottom. Have been reading on line forums. Apparently this has been going on for years. Why no recall ?
Incident date: Aug 30, 2022
The contact owns a 2006 Hyundai Azera. The contact stated while driving approximately 2 MPH and reversing out of her driveway there was a loud clunking noise heard. The contact stopped the vehicle and placed it in park(P) and observed that the driver's side rear tire had collapsed inward toward the wheel well. The contact stated that the crossmember had detached from the subframe and was on the dr... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2022
The contact’s son owns a 2003 Ford Windstar. The contact stated that while her son was driving 10 MPH and making a turn into a parking lot, the vehicle stopped as the rear tires collapsed inside the wheel well. The contact was able to park the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear axle had fractured. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and inf... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2010) - SUSPENSION
Oct 27, 2022
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
The rear subframe of this vehicle is made of faulty materials and has completely rusted out leaving the suspension components which connect to it in danger of failing. The left rear wheel connecting trailing arm has already detached from the subframe. There have been numerous complaints about the 2010-2013 Mercedes C300 W204 rear subframe, many of which share exactly the same failure as my own. ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2022
Under heavy breaking the rear wheels of my vehicle lifted off of the pavement. This loss of traction and shift in weight resulted in a head on collision with a vehicle in the opposite lane of traffic. After the accident I discover that the suspension for my vehicle was incorrect to the level that FCA released a TSB regarding the issue. The suspension that was equipped with the vehicle was designed... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Aug 4, 2022
Okay, been hearing a lot of noises up underneath it, got under there and looked at my heat shields, that are just flaking off everywhere. I'm scared that my truck is going to catch on fire at this point. All of the heat shields around pretty much everything are disintegrating and falling apart. I've already filled out several of these and I went and tried to turn the truck in and to no avail. They... Read more
Incident date: Oct 26, 2022
when the truck is traveling at highway speeds and goes over an imperfection in the road surface like a bump, bridge expansion joint etc... The truck will vibrate violently and will not stop until the speed is reduced often times under 50 mph which can be dangerous on a highway. This has been happening for the past year and a half. I have tried brining it to multiple mechanics and have replaced a n... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2022
While reversing into a parking spot, like I have over 1000 times in this car, I heard a loud crack and scrape. When the tow driver got the car up we were able to see it was a Lower A-arm failure in outward loaded bearing stress. This seems like a common problem with these cars as a simple google search found many other drivers with similar issues.
Incident date: Oct 25, 2022
Ford has issued a recall on the steering dampener. The ford brand part is on back order. There are several aftermarket options available however ford refuses to cover the costs of these parts. They are also refusing to cover the cost of a rental vehicle similar to what I a currently driving. Basically forcing me to drive a vehicle with a serious steering defect.
Incident date: Oct 26, 2022
This is the 2nd Ford F 150 pick up with which I've had rusted frames! The 1st, a 1999, I ended up junking. This one needs $2000 of welding to make the frame safe to drive. The proprietor of [XXX] Welding says he's done over 40 F 150's for the same problem with the frames. My mechanic, [XXX], at Shaw's Automotive, says he's seen F 150's that have collapsed around a lift when they were in for a... Read more
Incident date: Oct 8, 2021
I have a 2019 Ford F250 and I have had the Death Wobble happen to me two times. The first was with my entire family in the truck. Going 60 mph and the truck starts to shake violently and is uncontrollable until you get to 15 mph. The second incident was a week ago just outside of Haskell TX. Speed limit is 70, my son and I were travelling at 72 mph and the truck shook so violently that he was ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2010 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while his girlfriend was driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle was bouncing and swaying left to right. The air ride system was inoperable. The steering wheel was unstable and hard to control. The suspension warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacture... Read more
Incident date: Oct 24, 2022
I have experienced the “death wobble” on (5) different occasions driving on highways and/interstate roads. I have contacted a Ford dealership and been told that they have not heard of this happening with the 2021 vehicles. I had to take it to an automotive mechanic shop to ask them and they said that they have numerous customer complaints of exact death wobble incident. No visible and obvious... Read more
Incident date: Oct 8, 2022
With no warning and only 45000 miles on car rear air suspension motor failed on expressway! I quickly noticed my steering anti red seemed out of control! I quickly pulled over not knowing what was wrong. My husband came to meet me and immediately asked what was in my trunk! I told him nothing he said my back tires were 1/4 inch from hitting wheel well. The rear end was so low if I did not pull ove... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2011) - SUSPENSION
Oct 26, 2022
Incident date: Sep 26, 2022
I have a 2011 Mercedes C300 that I purchased as a Certified Vehicle - this car was purchased at The Mercedes Dealer in Kansas City. I believe I purchased it around 2013 - I have recently found out that the rear sub frame is completely rusted out. I have had the car repaired at my auto shop - Not a MB dealership, as there was not a dealership that was able to see the car in any reasonable amount ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2022
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Windstar. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle was wobbling. Once the contact arrived at her residence, her husband noticed that the rear of the subframe was fracture. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 10V385000 (Suspension). The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 136,000... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
E350
(2014) - SUSPENSION
Oct 25, 2022
Incident date: May 11, 2022
Owned the car for only ONE winter season and it failed to pass a vehicle safety inspection required in my state for operation. Mechanic reported a rear subframe deteriorating from winter road salts and related weather conditions, and that this was a common issue for my car in these particular climates, but Mercedes refuses to cover the cost in the US, but is currently covering the cost of repair i... Read more
Incident date: Sep 19, 2022
I was driving home from a neighboring city after picking up a friend and on my way there on the interstate I noticed the back end of the vehicle was very loose. Upon arriving at my apartment and parking the vehicle I contacted a friend who was a prior state safety inspector, he looked under the vehicle and said the frame right where the shackle for the leaf spring on the driver's side had complete... Read more
Incident date: Oct 14, 2022
My mechanic found excessive premature rusting to my truck's under carriage/frame. He suggested that I contact Toyota to see what could be done about this condition. Having never received a notice of recall I searched for recall information and called Toyota's "Brand Engage3ment Advocate". I found out that the recall for the frame expired 6 months ago. This is intolerable since the truck I own n... Read more
Incident date: Oct 22, 2022
While driving down parkway on 10/22/2022 at about 1530 hours at about 74 miles per hour the steering wheel started severely shaking uncontrollably after hitting a bump in the road. I immediately started slowing down and finally came to a complete stop. If someone had been in the other lane I’m sure we would have wrecked. It has been reported to the dealer. The dealer was already aware of this sa... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2022
Lower ball joints gave out on driver’s side while turning, snapping the wheel/tire from the car and dropping vehicle down abruptly. Dealership who fixed the lower control arm and hitch recalls, did not fix and said there was no Lower Ball Joint recall- which was a confirmed recall and lead to vehicle damage and safety hazard
Incident date: Jun 18, 2022
In the 2 years we have owned our trailer, we have had two roadside emergencies. The first is that the two rear wheels experienced very early wear in the first year of traveling resulting in a blowout on the freeway. A tire shop manager did inform me that the quality of the tires was low. The second was also wheel related. The front passenger side wheel sheared of the wheel posts and fortunately... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2022
Drivers Front fore link cracked. Suspension failure at speed Tesla TSB over this issue that says to replace parts. Tesla TSB SB-17-31-001 Tesla stated this doesn’t apply to my vehicle even though it clearly does.
MERCEDES-BENZ
S560
(2018) - SUSPENSION
Oct 25, 2022
Incident date: Jun 20, 2022
The Smell of fuel is present inside the vehicle around 50 percent of the time. When parked in the garage the vehicle emits an extremely strong fuel smell as if it has leaked fuel with no visible spills or leaks. While driving the smell of fuel is present almost always.
Incident date: Oct 22, 2022
At only 3,000 miles front suspension “clunks” at low speeds over speed bumps, potholes, and other uneven surfaces
Incident date: Oct 4, 2022
J197 module is always falling the car is 26,000 and the suspension goes bad need readapt few times They need to check that module
Incident date: Apr 29, 2021
Hello my name is [XXX], I'm the first time owner of this vehicle, purchased this vehicle new of the dealer with 5 miles, ever since I bought it the car has an issue that it steers to the right at any speed, road, condition very dangerous. Over the past months and years I told Subaru dealers, service department, sales guy and Subaru corporate about the issue, long story short I've gone to the servi... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2022
I have been experiencing what is known as the Death Wobble. The death wobble is a violent shaking that happens to the front end of many Ford F250 and F350 Super Duty trucks. It typically occurs at speeds over 50 miles per hour. It can also happen after going over bumps or grooves in the road. To stop the shaking, drivers must quickly slow way down or even stop completely. In addition to the shaki... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2013) - SUSPENSION
Oct 24, 2022
Incident date: Oct 17, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 35 MPH and attempting to abruptly stop the vehicle to avoid a crash, the vehicle suddenly drifted into the opposite lane while depressing the brake pedal. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the rear control arms had failed. The vehicle was driven to the local mechanic who diagnosed tha... Read more
Incident date: Oct 8, 2022
From the day I bought the truck in November 2019 it would jerk aggressively when hitting expansion joints. 6 Months ago I asked a dealer to fix it and they did nothing. Then, between 10/8/22 and 10/15/22 we experienced for incidents of the death wobble on E470 and north I-25 in Colorado. Each incident occurred in heavy traffic. The only way to regain control was to pull off the road and completely... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2022
This started out intermittently after hitting a bump in the road, but now the vehicle shakes uncontrollably at 50 mph and above. The vehicle feels like it is falling apart. I need to put my hazzards on and move slowly to the side of the road and come to a stop to get the shaking to stop. I have several videos of the condition, but they are too large to upload (11MB and 33MB). I am taking my vehicl... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
E350
(2014) - SUSPENSION
Oct 24, 2022
Incident date: Oct 7, 2022
The rear sub-frame involving vehicle stability under braking and turning. A component that should remain attached to the vehicle has broken off due to corrosion. My vehicle is not that old that a key structural component of the car should break at the weld/attachment point. I have video of this defect. But its greater than 10MB and will not let me upload it is there an email I can send it to ?
Incident date: Sep 15, 2022
Jeep Patriot 2011 Latitude with severe corrosion to front and rear subframe assemblies. Noted for recent emergence of clunking sound on front end when passing over dips and bumps. Made arrangement for towing of vehicle to personal mechanic to check out and also make state inspection. Noted to have severe fracture of front subframe then resting on axle and wheel assemblage parts. Rear subframe me... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated while her husband was driving 60 MPH and turning the steering wheel to the right, the vehicle would drift to the left. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to continue driving to his destination. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the vehicle needed ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
E350
(2011) - SUSPENSION
Oct 23, 2022
Incident date: Sep 30, 2022
The rear subframe failed as a result of pre-mature corrosion while traveling at 70mph. Control of vehicle was lost and could easily have led to a multiple fatality incident if not for luck. The problem has been reproduced in many Mercedes models around this model year and Mercedes is well aware of the issue with their inferior subframe. NTSA needs to order a recall from Mercedes as class action... Read more
Incident date: Oct 22, 2022
On a Clear day, no rain while traveling on an interstate hwy at approx 70mph, I drove onto a bridge and my truck starting violently shaking , the complete front end was causing the truck to move from side to side and I could hardly hold onto the steering wheel! My wife was was so afraid we were going to roll over, as was I! Finally after taking my foot off of the gas, at about 30 or 40 mph it stop... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2022
The right rear suspension rusted from the frame of the car ,making the car unable to drive!
Incident date: Oct 12, 2022
At 20,000 mile my 2020 f150 has a horrific freaking noise coming from the passenger side lower control arm. It was aligned at ford dealership 10,000 miles ago. I did check the nut and bolt to confirm they were tight. It is obvious via witness marks that the bolt is moving and removing the frame powder coating. This noise is ridiculous and I’m concerned it causing further damage.
Incident date: Oct 21, 2022
The car was left parked for 12h in a parking lot were I work. Whilst driving there and upon exiting the car, nothing out of the ordinary was observed. Getting back in the vehicule, the car seemed ok. Upon backing up the car, a loud sound plus weird wheel camber on the rear driver's side wheel were observed. Upon verification, it looks like a tie rod broke. Given the condition (no excessive load on... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2022
1. OeM audi windshield started leaking water inside the vehicle. Thia is very unsafe when driving thru rain as water pours down the inside of the glass. 2. Uneven and creaky suspension. Vehivle pulls on side where suspension is not leveling thw vehicle out. 3. Followed all processes in changing brake pads, toros, sensors etc. Brake light doesnt go away after replacing all brake components and ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2022
In May of 2018, I purchased a 2005 Toyota Tacoma. After arrival of new title, I received a safety recall notice from Toyota in regards to possible abnormal frame rust. I was instructed to take my Tacoma to nearest Toyota dealership for frame inspection. Prior to taking Tacoma in for frame inspection, I scoped the frame myself, and noticed abnormal rust forming throughout both sides of the frame. T... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2017) - SUSPENSION
Oct 22, 2022
Incident date: Oct 10, 2022
The van slid backwards then accelerated at a higher speed going from a stop to slowly with a light tap on the gas pedal. The speed does not go higher than 15mph with the rmp too high when this occurs. It jerks back when trying to drive it forward. Has not left the dealership parking lot. Drove out 3mile out with this occuring. 3 attempts to fix. Still not driving well and can't leave the dealershi... Read more