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: Aug 23, 2022
Track bar mount welds sheared of the axle housing at 70 mph after hitting a pothole. Vehicle shot to the right almost putting me into a guard rail. Would have been a terrible accident if I did hit said guard rail. No warning lamps or indicators.
Incident date: Aug 24, 2022
I hit a bump in the road and the steering wheel started shaking uncontrollably, to the point I had to stop. When I looked under the vehicle I saw the steering dampener broke off
Incident date: Aug 9, 2022
There is severe rust on the frame, the rear is listing by 3/4 of an inch due to suspension rust, parts of the frame are perforated and lots of rust can fall out of drain holes when tapped. I am unable to steer the truck due to the intermediate steering column rust. The Tacoma was recalled for the same reason, I am assuming the 4runner has not been recalled because it was manufactured in greater nu... Read more
MITSUBISHI
OUTLANDER
(2022) - SUSPENSION
Aug 24, 2022
Incident date: Jul 5, 2022
Somewhere around 9K or 10K miles, the car would wildly react to road imperfections, especially the irregularities at bridges that are not in perfect alignment with the road. When I had the car to the dealer with about 12K miles to have the hood replaced due to excessive flutter (per a TSB vs. a recall), I reported the issue. The dealer found a leaking rear shock absorber. They ordered a new one... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2022
Truck has was is called a DEATH WOBBLE. At highway speeds the steering will vibrate violently after crossing an expansion joint or bump in the road. Braking or rapid slow down will resolve the shaking. The issue seems to be getting worse. The truck was taken to the dealership for repair. The repair will cost several hundred dollars and not covered by the warranty. the mileage of the truck is 80,1... Read more
Incident date: Aug 2, 2022
This car has to recall : CVT recall and fire hazard recall I was driving the car to the stadium and sitting on a traffic not even driving all the sudden the gas pedal stopped responding so the car does not drive even when I accelerate. I had to pull over open the hood then wait 20 minutes while trucking on the way I decide to try again then the car run. I took the car to a Nissant Dealership to b... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2018
When I bought my car in 2018, I didn’t like the way it drives. I had to take it back the next day to return it, but the dealer in North Aurora Gerald Kia said they wouldn’t take it back & I paid cash. I’ve been taking it back and forth from Gerald North Aurora to Bob Rohrman in Schaumburg Il. They have been been telling me every time, there’s nothing wrong. I’m hearing several noises in ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2022
I was driving on the Interstate on 8-23-2022 at approximately 1:00pm. As I crossed a bridge deck, the vehicle started shaking violently. It was hard to hold onto the steering wheel. The problem stopped when I pulled onto the shoulder and slowed way down. I called Beartooth Ford in Columbus, MT and reported the issue. They were very aware of what the issue was. They advised me that there was ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2022
The steering has become very loose, causing the vehicle to feel as though it were drifting with every bump. Entering into a parking lot, or going over speed bumps cause the vehicle to feel as though you are jerking the steering wheel back & forth, with the whole body of the vehicle rocking. Changing lanes requires the upmost care when merging, so as not to cause too much movement, otherwise the en... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2022
Found the Bolt sheered off that connects the Trike kit while I was doing maintenance to the scooter,Can cause the loss of the handling and get in a accident.Tow-Pac wont even stand behind Warranty that it's good until 9-1-2022. Tow-Pac Inc MAILING ADDRESS: 203 South Bridge Street P.O. Box 564 Aroma Park, IL 60910 PHONE: 815-936-0923 866-694-3500 FAX: 815-936-6083 email us at: towpac@towpacusa.... Read more
Incident date: Aug 6, 2022
Front subframe has rotted away in several spots. This makes the vehicle extremely unsafe to drive. With possible wheel loss or control of steering. Problem has been confirmed by independent repair shop during state inspection. No warning lights are on or possible for this issue. Issue was first noticed from noise coming from front of vehicle like rocks bouncing around, followed by strong pulling... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2022
I've heard a loud crack while driving, in a curve. The car felt strange when steering, with noises and strange feeling while driving. I was close to home, so decided to just as park and notify Tesla. While I was parking, I've noticed the wheel touched the car on a sharp curve. I've decided to no longer drive it, scheduled a Tesla service center appointment (3 weeks later). We didn't drive the car ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
The rear frame and rear control arms are completely rusted away. We had it looked at when it did not feel right while driving and it smelled like burning rubber when driving short distances. The mechanic refused to service it because of what he saw. It was not safe, which means it is not safe to drive. The tires are tilted in at the top. It is unsafe to drive. It has @ 141k miles. You all a... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
GOLF
(2015) - SUSPENSION
Aug 22, 2022
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
Both Rear Coil Springs fractured. resulting in poor vehicle stability and potentially dangerous situation.
Incident date: Aug 21, 2022
Traction control said off light on. Car shut down power failure. Car shaking as it stopped in traffic almost causing an accident. Barely made off road. I have seen other multiple complaints and no way to fix this problem. It is a death sentence on the highway. With no other transportation for me.
Incident date: Jul 11, 2022
While on a trip I periodically check the torque on the trailer wheels and pin box. While down at the tires I noticed severe tire wear on 3 of the 4 tires and had to replace them prematurely in order to continue on. Not understanding why one tire was fine I crawled underneath to find the rear suspension hanger on the roadside had broken free from the frame it was welded to. I hired a Mobile Welder ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2022
I have replaced the lower control arms four times within the last 3 years that part is defective there are supposed to last 10 years. It affects your steering when breaking. This part needs to be recalled immediately. The last time I replaced the lower control arms was April 16th 2021.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
Swaybar mount is ripped from the frame. Only on the passenger side
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2008) - SUSPENSION
Aug 21, 2022
Incident date: May 28, 2022
As with many chevrolet trucks the frame and cross members have rust to the point that they are breaking off. This is a major safety concern as the support the fuel tank and suspension mounts. It is also a major concern to the structural integrity of the truck. No it has never been inspected by anyone else, as it don't need to be it is very obvious on all GM trucks.
Incident date: Aug 20, 2022
Was turning into a parking spot at a convenient store and my driver front lower ball joint snapped at the base it is a clean break you can hold part in back to gather without gaps. Only if I could glue it back together it would look unbroken. Just joking but yeah at least I wasn’t driving down the road
Incident date: Aug 20, 2022
We took our 2004 4Runner for annual vehicle inspection and the service provider told us the vehicle would not pass safety inspection due to the excessive rusting on the steel frame and the suspension of the vehicle. Welding and patchwork will not fix this issue. My husband depends on this vehicle to work. The attached pictures give a small window into the extent of the damage. There is no curren... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2022
I tried to make apointments to local dealers they set up appointments and than don’t do nothing about it they said the don’t have any certified tech to do the job so I left with this mess not knowing when my ride is going to give. Out on me I got about 319000 miles Toyota should be proud and thank me for keeping my ride up to date I do my part to have it running good but they not doing there p... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 18, 2022
This is a follow up to my last two complaints of sudden swerves that are probably causd by suspension failure. It is in my opinion highly probable that the suspension is likely to snap when brakes are suddenly slammed on hard at speed. This is known as Tesla "Phantom Braking" and you have hundreds of complaints about this on file. This situation is extremely dangerous. Not only might a Tesla tha... Read more
Crash
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2011) - SUSPENSION
Aug 20, 2022
Incident date: Aug 14, 2022
I am reporting a big safety hazard issue on these Mercedes C300 model year 2011. The suspense bracket just breaking off with obvious no visible issues. The suspension support bracket is got rotted with rust from inside out and broke off while driving on the highway. The issue was obvious when I braked suddenly and the car just pulled itself to the right side. This could easily cause an accident. ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA SPORTWAGEN
(2010) - SUSPENSION
Aug 20, 2022
Incident date: Aug 16, 2022
In June of 2021 my car had a warning light for the DPF filter come on and told me to follow the instructions in the manual to drive it on the freeway at certain RPMs to get it to clear well that didn’t work and eventually the check engine light came on as well, I took it to the dealership and found out that the Diesel Particulate Filter was bad and needed to be replaced, the DPF was under an ext... Read more
Incident date: Aug 19, 2022
My 2016 F350 tried to kill me! I was driving 58 mph on local Hwy 146 (where the speed limit is 60mph) with rainy conditions and put my blinker on to switch lanes and when doing so I ran over the reflective lane divider, located all down the roads for safety purposes that are designed to be drove on, my truck's steering wheel and front suspension began to violently and dangerously shaking uncontrol... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2022
I found a piece of rusted metal on my garage floor. After having both my mechanic and the man who did earlier body work on this vehicle it was found that the shock tower is rusted. To the extent that the driver's side back wheel is leaning into the fuel line. Making my Escape unsafe to drive. There are many Youtube videos that discuss this problem. So, this is not an isolated case. This is a sa... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2022
Vehicle developed a loud squeak coming from driver’s side front wheel well that sounded like a something vibrating or rubbing a spring at ~54300 miles. Reported issue to Tesla via the Tesla app. Tesla’s recommended solution is to replace both the right and left Upper Control Arm. Further research found that this is a widespread problem reported by Tesla owners on the web. Indeed when I was... Read more
Incident date: Aug 18, 2022
When driving on uneven roads (bumps/potholes) the front end shakes almost like it’s hydroplaning or skipping across the road.
Incident date: Jul 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Honda Accord. The contact stated that the vehicle was pulling to the left while driving, making it difficult to maneuver the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who stated that there were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or covered for repair. The contact stated that the rack and pinion had caused of the failure. The vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2021
The passenger side control arm is messed up and this is throwing the vehicle out of alignment
Incident date: Aug 17, 2022
Excessive corrosion rear suspension near control arm. Honda has already issued a recall in Canada. I was unaware of this problem until a big piece of rusty metal fell off the bottom of my car when I closed the rear driver’s door. My control arm is ready to fall out which could have led to a fatal accident. There are Honda forums all over the internet with thousands of posts in the USA with the s... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle experienced the death wobble and began to violently shake and vibrate causing the driver to nearly lose control of the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the tie rods, drag link, steering components, and performed a wheel alignment to repai... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2022
I was driving my Murano when out of the blue it started swerving almost uncontrollably and my tires were squalling. I thought I got a blown tire at first and luckily nobody was around me at the time or someone could have been seriously hurt or even killed as I was barely able to get it back under control. I pulled over to the side of the road and got out of the car. I instantly noticed that bot... Read more
Incident date: Aug 18, 2022
This is a follow up report on the issue of sudden swerves by Teslas that have often proved fatal. Please note that I have used a random VIN since the VIN of the car in the crash is unknown. Also please not that as a non US resident I have had to use a dummy US address to enable the report. My true contact details are supplied. Here is a video taken by dashcam showing a Tesla ( actual year and mod... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 19, 2022
The car was brought back to the dealership after a few months after noticing that the steering wheel would shake and the car would jerk when brake was applied to slow down. In normal street driving as well as during highway driving. The dealership since it was under the warranty replaced the front rotors and the brake pads to solve the issue. Within the one year of purchase of the car, it was onc... Read more
MITSUBISHI
OUTLANDER
(2022) - SUSPENSION
Aug 19, 2022
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
My outlander is not 1 year old yet, I have 3 thousand miles on my dash, and I hear noises in the steering wheel, in the dash, in the passenger seat, in the back seats, I hear air coming in the window behind the driver It's very sad for a new car.
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2014) - SUSPENSION
Aug 18, 2022
Incident date: Aug 8, 2022
Failed component: The subframe on my Mercedes C300 broke on one side and was almost broken on the other. It would be available for inspection as it is sitting in the Mercedes dealer bone yard waiting on the part to be shipped from Germany around September 17th. It also ruined my back tires & now I have to replace them too. I understand that in the UK the Mercedes dealers are fixing this problem f... Read more
Incident date: Aug 3, 2022
Date of incident was 8/3/22. The parts involved in the failure are the passenger side suspension control arm that is in front of the rear wheel and attached to the unibody chassis stiffener panel that it is attached to. The panel rusted out and control arm tore loose from it. My wife had just left home and was traveling approximately 20 MPH when the passenger side rear wheel suddenly rotated si... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2021) - SUSPENSION
Aug 18, 2022
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
I took my truck to the dealership because of my issues and they said they had many trucks going in with the same issue but there was no fix to it. The issues Popping Noise Heard On Hard Turns and/or Going Over Speed Bumps, Creaking Noise While Turning Wheel Left and/or Right, Clicking Noise Heard On Slow Sharp Turns.Also when you go over a bump the truck makes a spring loud noise to the point tha... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2022
The contact owns a 2003 Subaru Forester. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V464000 (Suspension). The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer where an inspection was performed but nothing was replaced. The contact stated that while driving at unknown speed, the lower control arm cracked. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the l... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2022
My mechanic says the frame on our 2003 Toyota Tundra is rusted to the point that the pickup is unsafe to drive and is about to break in half. I have contacted two local Toyota dealers with no response. This vehicle had a recall to fix the issue but it appears the was a time frame placed on when Toyota would repair the frame. This truck is unsafe to drive and it makes me wonder how many of thes... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
Front Hubs, Bearings have gone bad, and they are on backorder. 6500 on waiting list. I have been on this list since Janurary. Was told today that the company making the part, are not even make them. This could cause an accident if the bearings lockup. The ABS and the traction control does not work. Making for unsafe driving. Especially with fall and winter coming.
Incident date: Jul 25, 2022
The car has had numerous ball joints fail over its service life. None were covered under warranty (at least the first set should have been). Tesla doesn't consider this safety critical, and for the latest round, made me wait over a month for parts to arrive. I don't know how severe the problem actually is and whether its dangerous or not, but they never even bothered to inspect it. This is cle... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Explorer. The contact stated there was a loud rattle coming from the rear passenger side wheel of the vehicle. The noise progressed when on rough roads. The contact inspected the rear passenger side toe link which seemed as though it was loose and malfunctioning. The contact did not take the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The man... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Colorado. Upon inspection of his vehicle, the contact discovered a hole in his vehicle's subframe. The contact then had an independent mechanic perform a further inspection of the vehicle and two additional holes were discovered in the vehicle's subframe. The contact called the dealer who sold him the vehicle and was informed that the vehicle was sold as is. The c... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2022
While on highway, experienced an uncontrolled suspension vibration commonly know as the death wobble. It required me to slow down to 25mph on the highway to stop the uncontrollable vibration. This led to a chaotic situation with cars and trucks around me at the time.
Incident date: Aug 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-250. The contact stated he experienced the "death wobble" on four occasions in a single day. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to regain control of the vehicle and drive to his destination. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure m... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2022
2018 Tesla Model 3 LR RWD with approximately 56,000 miles. A loud squeaking/creaking noise started on front driver side when turning at low speeds. This progressed to higher speeds. I inspected the car and found that the noise is coming from the upper control arm ball joint. It seems this is a common issue for this vehicle according to online research. This is a potential safety issue as this... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2022
The rear subframe crack due to erosion