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
(2014) - SUSPENSION
Feb 4, 2022
Incident date: Dec 28, 2021
This car has 63,792 miles on it and has been continuously garaged and well cared for. All maintenance has been done timely and by Mercedes-Benz of Tysons Corner (Virginia) since it was purchased there on 01/08/14. All required maintenance was completed as advised and the car was covered under a 7 year 75,000 mile warranty. At the recent regularly scheduled yearly maintenance service completed o... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving over 60 MPH, the vehicle would shudder and produce a loud noise coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the lower control arm bushing and transmission pan needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of th... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2022
Emission System Problem All Wheel Drive Problem Warning light on and off on Dashboard.
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA SPORTWAGEN
(2014) - SUSPENSION
Feb 4, 2022
Incident date: Jan 28, 2022
Last year a front coil and strut broke. This week the rear coil spontaneously broke making it dangerous to drive. It is currently available for inspection. It put my safety and others at risk had it punctured a tire or come loose and hit the car behind mine. There were no warning lights. It has been inspected by a mechanic and myself.
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2019) - SUSPENSION
Feb 4, 2022
Incident date: Feb 4, 2022
Both the driver side and passenger side front struts have leaked oil and failed. The driver side occurred after 33,000 miles and the passenger side at 45,000 miles.
Incident date: Nov 15, 2021
On my last vehicle inspection, the mechanic told me that he will fail me next time due to a rotting frame. This is a serious safety hazard. Through my research, this is a common problem with this year truck (2008) and other years. To my knowledge, I was never contacted by Toyota as far as any recall. This truck still looks new and I am very dissapointed with what I read about this so called "Recal... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2016
Subframe rusted through on the passenger side where the cause is a manufacturer defect of condensation from the air conditioning dripping directly above onto the subframe on the passenger side, which created a perforation of the passenger side subframe. Subframe holds the suspension and steering components together and if the passenger side frame from the manufacter defect were to break traveling ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the starter had failed and needed to be replaced. The starter was replaced. The independent mechanic also informed the contact that the brake pedal needed to be replaced, and the rear trailing arm was corroded and could fracture while driv... Read more
Incident date: Jan 25, 2022
I have a severe shake in front steering ,over bumps or driving over bridge entrances. This occurs at highway speeds approx. 65-70 mph when temperatures are 30 deg. F and below, so bad you have to brake heavy and pull off road to get it to stop shaking and it is dangerous when traffic is heavy trying to get off road. I have had it to dealer they can’t verify concern, contacted Jeep last week stil... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while turning the steering wheel there was an abnormal knocking and ticking sound detected. The maintenance warning light was illuminated. The contact called the local dealer and was provided a fee for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number 21V5... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 2021
There was a recall on the springs and this was done on my Fifth Wheel. Less that a year after springs be changed, the spring bracket that is welded to the crash tubes busted into the crash tubes. The Service Manager at the dealership said he is not sure if the spring broke causing the causing the crush tubes to break or the crush tubes broke first causing the spring to break. But he did say the cr... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2022
Whenever I hit a bump the front end starts wobbling. The steering wheel shakes. This has been known as the "death wobble". You have to come to a complete stop for it to quit. This can cause accidents as it happens at random times. It has happened on four different occasions thus far.
Incident date: Feb 3, 2022
Right rear shock assembly failed. Car has less than 45,000 miles. Ford claims they are not shipping this part.poor build quality. Afraid to drive the car very far. Poor response from Ford
Incident date: Jan 30, 2022
I experienced the Death Wobble running around 60 mph. It was one of the scariest moments I have ever experienced. I took my Truck into the Ford dealership and they replaced the Steering Stabilizer. It has really made me scared to drive my Truck.
Incident date: Jan 28, 2022
I was not notified from Ford about the serious safety recall on my 2015 Ford Taurus. I'd like to have this safety concern fixed immediately so I don't end up in a severe auto accident. I can drop my vehicle off. I've never had this happen and I'm nervous to drive the vehicle. I have noticed a difference in the way it drives please help get this sorted out with my local Ford Dealership in Fort Myer... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2022
Car been smelling like gas for awhile engine light pop on and off. My car will not start I have replace the fuel pump car still won’t get gas . Replaced battery numerous of times battery keep won’t stay charge . I have a recall on my car I believe the suspension is under recall as well. I also had to replace my windshield wiper motor a few times slapped against my windshield and cracked winds... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Feb 1, 2021
The front end especially on the drivers side front suspension. The noise seems to be coming from the control arms and ball joints area. I have reported this to the dealership many times since purchasing the vehicle new. They continue to say that there is no issue but the noise is not going away. I believe it is associated with this TSB but no recall has been made. I am very concerned as the steeri... Read more
FOREST RIVER
CHEROKEE
(2012) - SUSPENSION
Feb 2, 2022
Incident date: Sep 1, 2021
bolts that have attached to cab of trailer have broken and or detached, causing cab of trailer to come off. Because of shifting of cab this has caused leaf springs brackets to bend and frame to crack.
Incident date: Sep 30, 2021
The contact owns a 2007 Jeep Liberty. The contact noticed that the front control arm and front subframe were rusted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and it was confirmed that the full front suspension needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact mentioned that after leaving the dealer, the front control arm fractured. The vehicle was towed back to the contact’s residence. The... Read more
Incident date: Aug 7, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while having routine maintenance performed at an independent mechanic, he was informed that the control arm and ball joints were rusted. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the vehicle was diagnosed that the control bushings were worn, and the lower control arm was inspected. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer ... Read more
AUDI
A6 ALLROAD
(2020) - SUSPENSION
Feb 2, 2022
Incident date: Jan 18, 2022
The contact's wife owns a 2020 Audi A6. The vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V295000 (suspension), however after a few months the contact had an issue with the vehicle's rear tires. The vehicle was taken to a tire center where they were unable to replace the rear tires due to severe damage to the undercarriage and rear axle on the vehicle. The local dealer who performed the reca... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2012 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a grinding sound coming from the rear-end of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted; however, no additional assistance was provided. The contact stated that the fa... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2021
When driving above 45 MPH, there is a shuddering sound that comes from the front left of the car. After taking the car in for service, I was told that "the front AFT and Fore links are bad on the car" and need replacement.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2012 Cadillac SRX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V473000 (Suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the recall repair was not being completed, it caused the inner sidewalls of the rear tire... Read more
JAYCO FIFTH WHEEL
EAGLE HT
(2019) - SUSPENSION
Feb 1, 2022
Incident date: Dec 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Jayco Eagle HT RV. The contact stated that the front tires had experienced excessive wear and tear. The RV was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the front axle was bent and needed to be replaced. The cause of the failure was not determined. The RV was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 5,000.
Incident date: Dec 15, 2021
The contact owns a 2004 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that after work was completed on the tires, the independent mechanic informed him that due to severe undercarriage corrosion, the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The contact also took the vehicle to a dealer who provided the same information as the independent mechanic. The manufacturer was then notified of the failure and informed him that there... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2022
The car was slowly making right hand turn when we heard a loud noise and stopped the car Once we got out, we saw that right wheel was completely torn out. We have videos and pictures. If it would happened on the higher speed, we would be dead. The car shop told us that they never seen anything like that in the past. Per their report, upper control arm broke off then the rest followed: lower contro... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2022
I was driving on a street and needed to stop fast to avoid rear ending a stopped car. The control arm of my car broke. There was no debris on the road and I didn't hit anything. My car was towed to a Tesla Service center and they replaced both control arms (per the service person) and charged me only $200.
Incident date: Jan 25, 2022
I backed out of my driveway and heard something loose from the front part of the car. It wasn’t concerning enough to stop, thought it might be something moving around in the frunk. I drove to an appointment 3 miles away, parked, took out the tow bar from the frunk. After the appointment, I backed out, once the wheel was turned fully, I heard a snap. I got out and looked at passenger front tire. ... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2009) - SUSPENSION
Jan 31, 2022
Incident date: Jan 26, 2022
on 26/Jan/2022 i driving on highway suddendly the front wheel passanger side lock, luckily i quickly get off drive land to emergency land. The Brake Malfuntion light come up, i so scare, do not what happen. But i should do complaint about brake system on this vehicle. Thanks. Vu Dam.
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2020) - SUSPENSION
Jan 31, 2022
Incident date: Jan 30, 2022
A vehicle with 45,000 Miles had ball joint shear from the upper control arm of front left suspension resulting in wheel separation from the ball joint. Similar situations happening with similar 2020 GMC Sierra's (Note: NHTSA Recall Notice, No. 21V718). Could have resulted in a vehicular crash if speed had been increased prior to separation.
Incident date: Jan 31, 2022
The contact's daughter owns a 2014 Nissan Juke. The contact stated that while her daughter was reversing at an undisclosed speed, the power steering assist failed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with a fractured front axle and a fractured driver's side control arm. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not made... Read more
COACHMEN
FREEDOM EXPRESS
(2015) - SUSPENSION
Jan 31, 2022
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
This RV trailer was being towed on an Interstate Highway when the right side (curbside) rear spring hanger detached from the I-beam. The right rear axle, of this double-axle trailer, shifted forward causing the rear tire to grind into the front one. Fortunately, the right middle and front spring hangers held the axles somewhat in place and the truck&trailer coasted safely onto the shoulder. Althou... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2022
Experiencing severe shaking in the steering wheel intermittently. this has happened several days in the past week, it occurs at different speeds usually around 30 to 50 mph. It seems to only last a few seconds, but it feels like the vehicle could loose control in the event of needing to make a quick response to something.
Incident date: Jan 28, 2022
i took to my local mechanic after noticing that the car shakes very time i hit bumps while driving my mechanic inspected it and noticed that there's a crack in the the weld in the front track bar bracket. same as the safety recall UA5 that FCA has for the same year and model jeep for that year and when i called them they said that mine was built after that by a month.
Incident date: Jan 31, 2022
The contact's family owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact stated that while driving at 48-55 MPH with the vehicle hitched to a tow trailer transporting a vehicle, the rear driver's side wheel inadvertently detached, rolled away, and crashed into the front end of a vehicle that was driving on the opposite direction. The contact engaged the trailer brakes and the vehicle brake pedal to stop his vehicle... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 30, 2016
The front suspension and sway bar with all attachments should be recalled. I am not sure if other 2015 dodge Journey users have experienced this or not but since I got my car in 2016 i have had to replace all the parts on 4 different occasions. It is ridiculous and to me is a safety issue.
Incident date: Dec 27, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 – 25 MPH uphill and going around a corner, the contact heard a snap and the traction control immediately activated. The contact then lost control of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was unsure if the she had encountered a patch of ice on the roadway. The contact stated that ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Aug 1, 2019
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Equus. The contact stated that on multiple occasions, the front end of the vehicle would lower to the ground without warning. Each time the failure occurred, the contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer where it was repaired; however, the failure would return soon after repair. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 27, 2022
The "death wobble." When driving over 55mph even the slightest bump will set off a violent chain reaction of vibrations. This causes unsafe driving conditions and loss of control. The only way to regain control is to quickly slow down to less than 55mph and at highway speeds this is extremely dangerous. Jeep has failed to fix this and wont even acknowledge that it is an issue.
Incident date: May 15, 2020
I had to replace my engine, my transmission is slipping and not shifting gears properly. It has been doing it for almost 2 years now. The suspensions are horrible
Incident date: Dec 16, 2020
Front shaft shudder and vibration at high acceleration and this worst when it normal height or raise height. Design issues. Tesla know this issue for long time.
Incident date: Sep 19, 2021
I have a clunking from the rear of my 2017 nissan altima when going over bumps and the front end of the car is also very unstable going around curves at highway speeds, the clunking is heard after going over bumps or dips in the road and it's the same noise that generated recall p9324 and I have attempted to get it fixed at the dealer to no prevail
Incident date: Nov 14, 2020
Left suspension front fore link broken, damaged left front tire and wasn't driable.
Incident date: Jan 28, 2022
The recall was performed on my Cadillac SRX back in November. The recall fix that GM put out has now cause more problems than there was before the fix. What has happened is that the solid toe link is to long and has put my cars alliagnment way out to the point that the car is not safe to drive. I had new struts, shocks and front toe links put on just before the recall fix and there was nothing wro... Read more
Incident date: Jan 28, 2022
Traveling on Interstate at 65mph and truck shook violently out of control after hitting small pothole. Felt like front wheels were wobbling with no ability to steer safely. After braking hard , problem went away around 35 or 40 mph. Super scary and extremely dangerous. Also charged $660 dollars for wheel alignment and placement of shims with a camber adjustment that “wheel wobble will never hap... Read more
Incident date: Jan 28, 2022
After riding over a pothole on Interstate 24 with left front tire, vehicle began to shake violently and continued to shake until able to slow the vehicle below 20mph. This incident repeated further down the highway. Vehicle control was extremely difficult during onset and braking seems to make vehicle harder to control.
Incident date: Jan 4, 2022
TRUCK STEERING STARTED WOBBLING OUT OF CONTROL AT 60 TO 65 MPH AFTER RUNNING OVER A SMALL POT HOLE ON FREEWAY. COULD NOT GAIN CONTROL OF TRUCK. IT FORCE ME INTO ON COMING TRAFFIC. I ALMOST HAD A HEAD ON CRASH INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY FORD (VERY DANGEROUS.) I AM AFRAID TO LET WIFE DRIVE THIS VERY EXSPENSIVE VEHICLE. (OVER $80K). FORD MUST DO SOMETHING BEFORE SOMEONE G... Read more
Incident date: Jan 28, 2018
The contact owns a 2000 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, he noticed that the front wheels would frequently turn to the opposite direction of what was intended. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the upper ball joints had failed and needed to be replaced. The independent mechanic replaced the upper ball joints with the same mod... Read more
Incident date: Jan 18, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and going over bumps in the roadway the vehicle was difficult to control. The contact stated that while merging onto the highway at approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle drove over a small bump in the road and became difficult to maneuver. The contact stated that he was able to safely slow down and pull to t... Read more