Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,215,138 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA — including 138,663 crashes, 56,255 fires, and 8,561 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 2,215,138 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 48,554 complaints — component: SUSPENSION
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
I do not live in the salt snow States my coils snapped my wheel almost flew off and the dealer is very difficult
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2011) — SUSPENSION
Oct 6, 2021
Incident date: Oct 5, 2021
I purchased a 2011 chevy silverado on 3/16/20 from a car dealership. 69k miles when purchased.88k now.I recently went to have a fuel pump repaired that happened out of the blue and was told that the frame is completely rusted out. I looked online only to discover that this is a ongoing problem for these trucks. Makes no sense how I have a truck I owe 14k on and now find out my frame is rusted to t... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2011 Saab 9-4X. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V473000 (Suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the "Check Rear Axle" warning light was illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the recal... Read more
Incident date: Oct 6, 2021
The contact owns a 2013 Buick Lacrosse. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V764000 (Suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified however... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
Violent shaking of the steering wheel and front end of the truck at 65 MPH while on the highway. The shaking initiated in a right hand curve in the highway. Would not stop shaking until I reduced speed to around 40 MPH and pulled to the shoulder. I had difficulty controlling the truck in traffic until I slowed way below traffic speed. This was a frightening experience to say the least.
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2014) — SUSPENSION
Oct 6, 2021
Incident date: Oct 23, 2020
The contact owns a 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced abnormal vibration and shaking. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who rotated the tires, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 67,000.
Incident date: Sep 22, 2021
The contact owns a 2007 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that the rear driver’s side axle was corroded causing the rear driver’s side tire to detach from the vehicle. The contact called and made the local dealer aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2021
2015 Tahoe with a very stiff ride. ASE certified mechanic who uses OEM parts says front struts and rear shocks are frozen and have to be replaced. Cost is $3600 and he says all parts are on backorder as this is a common failure. The ride is so firm that the car leaves the ground when riding over bumpy roads.
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2012) — SUSPENSION
Oct 6, 2021
Incident date: Sep 2, 2021
The rear drivers side had a loud chunking/clanking noise while driving and the vehicle was unable to control and break when in motion. Driving was impossible as the breaking component was a total failure and car could not be controlled while traveling down 45-50mph zone. I reduced my speed to 20-25 mph by letting off on the gas to get better control of the car if breaking would need to be suddenly... Read more
Incident date: Oct 5, 2021
Driving at highway speed going over a bridge and went over a expansion joint an out of no where the entire front end started to violently shake. I had to apply brakes which because it was shaking so bad the abs kicked in and started the wheels to skid. I was sure that the front wheels were coming off the truck. Still continues and ford has the truck now. No Warnings.
1 injured
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
Backing up into a parking space I heard a loud pop, soon after driving back home I noticed something felt loose on the LH side , come to find out my left fore link had snapped , my vehicle has low miles not even 25k and it snapped ! What if this would have happens at higher speeds! Supper scary! There needs to be a remedy to this!! RECALL!!
Incident date: Oct 4, 2021
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the contact experienced the death wobble after driving over a bump on a bridge. The contact pulled the vehicle off to the shoulder and coasted the vehicle until the rattling stopped and the vehicle resumed normal operation. The dealer and the manufacturer were both notified of the failure and neither offered any assistanc... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V746000 (Suspension) the vehicle experienced rear-end stability issues causing the vehicle to fishtail while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no... Read more
MITSUBISHI
OUTLANDER
(2004) — SUSPENSION
Oct 5, 2021
Incident date: Jun 21, 2020
The entire undercarriage is rusted out, it was taken to Ricart near columbus ohio where they simply sprayed an anti rust coating over the existing rust. There is now rusted holes and the vehicle has spun out driving in straight due to control arm issues and whatever else. The vehicle is not believed to be road safe and needs to be addressed.
Incident date: Oct 4, 2021
Rear frame has rusted to the point of failure. Because of inadequate water drainage in the rear frame and suspension components, the bottom frame has rusted out. And the rear control arm mounts have rusted off because there was no drainage in the mounts.
Incident date: Sep 22, 2021
Brought the car in for an alignment and I was told they couldn’t do it because of all the damage to the frame from rust, parts of the frame are not even there anymore, the front row hooks are gone, they said that all this damage ca impact the handle of the car and that it can’t be properly aligned and possibly won’t pass inspection.
Incident date: Sep 30, 2021
I was driving at a speed of 55 mph and hit a bump in the road and the front in shook violently. I thought the whole front end was gonna fall out. It happened 3 more times in the same day. I read up on it and they call it the death wobble.
Incident date: Apr 24, 2021
Unknown
Crash
3 injured
1 deaths
Incident date: Oct 2, 2021
The contact owns a 2008 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle was shaking. Additionally, the passenger’s side front wheel was shaking, and the vehicle was drifting to the right. The contact who is an independent mechanic noticed that the front lower control arm was fractured. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacture... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2013 Buick Lacrosse. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V764000 (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 and the manufacturer were made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failu... Read more
Incident date: Sep 14, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Cadillac XTS. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer for a routine maintenance checkup. Upon inspection of the vehicle, the mechanic discovered that the drive shaft had disconnected from the rear differential and needed to be replaced. The contact was then given an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle remained i... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. While driving the vehicle swayed. The engine power reduced message was displayed. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21V473000 (Suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diag... Read more
THOR MOTOR COACH
ACE
(2021) — SUSPENSION
Oct 4, 2021
Incident date: May 3, 2021
The contact owns a 2021 Thor Motor Coach Ace RV. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V202000 (Suspension, Power Train) 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 and the manufacturer were made aware of the issue. The contact had n... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2010 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would independently decelerate with the stabilitrak warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle to resume normal driving. The contact then received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V473000 (Suspension). The dealer was notified of the failure and a... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2021
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V633000 (Suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer had been notified about the recall the contact was informed that the part was available. The manufacturer had been notified of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonab... Read more
Incident date: Sep 26, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle hit a pothole and inadvertently started shuddering violently. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred several times while driving whenever the vehicle drove over a pothole. The contact stated she reduced the speed to 40 MPH and the vehicle stopped shuddering. Th... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2019) — SUSPENSION
Oct 4, 2021
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
While entering a business park's parking lot, my vehicle suddenly and immediately stopped all forward movement. I was thrown against the steering wheel, injuring the right side of my chest and scraping the skin off my right forearm which was covered with the sleeve of my shirt. I was dazed, had no idea what happened, and thought that I had hit something but yet no airbags had deployed. When the ve... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 29, 2021
I was driving down the highway going 75mph and hit a slight bump on the overpass and my vehicle began to shake very violently. I had to come to a complete stop in the middle of the highway with people flying by me. There was no shoulder for me to pull over and it was by far one of the most terrifying experiences I’ve been apart of in a vehicle. This is known as the Death Wobble and it’s a huge... Read more
Incident date: Dec 25, 2020
Front lower control arm ball joints are worn on both sides an it's only the bottom ones. No Safety hazard yet but I'm sure if it fails it will be scary. Multiple other vehicles made prior to the moth this one was manufactured had a recall on the lower ball joints. I believe this vehicle is also affected by faulty front lower control arm ball joints. No warnings an I've had excessive play in the ba... Read more
Incident date: Feb 10, 2021
On the Highway driving about 60 mph and the front end and the steering wheel starts to shake uncontrollably. I had to slow down to about 20 mph on the highway before the shaking stopped. It’s done this over 10 times now. Each time scarier than the last.
Incident date: Sep 27, 2021
I was backing out of my drive when we heard a loud sound from the rear of the car. We though I had ran over something. As I drove we could hear a thumping sound from the rear of the car when we drove over a bump in the road.. It became louder the more I drove sounding like a hammering sound. I crawled under the car and discovered the frame had rusted allowing a bolt and bracket to move. This is ca... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2021
When I reversed in a parking lot, the tire arm on my front passenger tire broke, causing my car to lean on the tire. I found oil on the ground after my car moved. It had to get towed to the NISSAN dealership in Lincoln, NE. Before I got towed, I talked to the police because the damage was so significant. The dealership said that the ball joint came off because of a missing screw. I had no warning... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2021
On 7/10 I'm driving down the road towards the freeway. I hear a very loud pop that startles me. I pull over & discover lower ball joint has separated causing the lower control arm to slip out of socket into the wheel & than separate from wheel. I mean its still attached to the vehicle but vehicle is completely disabled. It caused significant damage to the right front wheel and somewhat minor damag... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2021
I HAD THIS REPAIRED ONCE BEFORE AND NOW IT IS DOING IT AGAIN. THE STABILITY AND TRACTION LIGHT ARE ON AND ACCESS BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHTS AND TPMS LIGHTS ARE ON. IT MAKES A GRINDING CRUNCHING DRAGGING NOISE WHEN TURN THE WHEEL. SOMETIMES SO BAD ON THE DRAG LIKE ITS RUBBING AGAINST SOMETHING IT ALMOST STOPS THE VEHICLE. AS FAR AS SAFETY RISKS YES THE DRAGGING CRUNCHING SOUND STOPS THE VEHICLE AND IF TUR... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
PASSAT
(2015) — SUSPENSION
Oct 2, 2021
Incident date: Oct 2, 2021
Engine time chain skipped. Fuel rail leak from regulator(dangerous to drive as it can catch on fire). Suspension problem car shakes over 40mph(alignment and balance did not help), problem due to coils or other components. Mechanic shop checked car and they denied to work on it due to fuel recall.
Incident date: Sep 8, 2021
Left front wheel rubs against wheel well when turning and a rubbing sound is heard at speeds around 55 mph. The dealer inspected and said that the suspension had failed and needed replacement.
Incident date: Sep 22, 2021
When I entered elementary street in Lousville CO, to pick up my three grandchildren, the steering got so hard that I couldn't maneuver between so many cars, I couldn't turn, I was very scared if children started to come out, I got to the parking and parking badly, I called for help, to pick up children, and a man said turn it on again, it will work, my brother took the car to my house, and accordi... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2021
While I was driving in the access road I heard a pop and my car started making. A weird noise just for me to get out my car and my tire wasn’t straight it was dislocated I bought the car in april
Incident date: Dec 31, 2020
The contact owns a 2010 Buick Lacrosse The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V764000 (Suspension) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified. The con... Read more
Incident date: Sep 28, 2021
ON TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2021 I WAS DRIVING MY F350 2016 ON THE FREEWAY AT FREEWAY SPEED 75MPH I WENT OVER SOME ROUGH ROAD AND MY TRUCK STARTED TO VIIOLENTLY SHAKE WITH OUT ANY WARNING. LUCKILY I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE SO I PROCEEDED TO STEER IT INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE FEARING FOR MY LIFE NOT WANTING TO HIT THE CONCRETE BARRIER. I TURNED MY EMERGENCY LIGHTS ON AND GOT OUT OF MY TRUCK EXPECTING TO FI... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, she heard an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and was diagnosed with needing the sway bar links replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure but offered no assist... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2020
At least 10 occupancies of the death wobble since Fall 2020. Had it addresses by dealership in Feb 2021 by having the stabilizer replaced at no charge under program 20n04. The fix lasted approximately 6 months. Taking the truck back in on Tuesday, 10/5/21 to be reassessed.
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2011) — SUSPENSION
Oct 1, 2021
Incident date: Sep 17, 2021
Rear suspension is rusted and the arm to the wheel has disconnected. This vehicle can’t be driven and is a major safety issue - per the Mercedes dealership. From Mercedes : The rear sub-frame serves a number of purposes. It adds to the rigidity of the rear body structure and supports the vehicle's cabin and some chassis components. Most importantly, the sub-frame helps to protect occupants in... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2021
While driving at highway speeds the steering seems to "stick" a little. I would explain it as the front end seems to pull from side to side, and then the drive wheels seen to stick so you have to fight with the steering wheel to get the vehicle to maintain lane travel. The dash lights came on that same night when this started. Maintenance req, airbag, seatbelt, battery, brake, low tire pressure, ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 29, 2021
The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Armada. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 10E019000 (Suspension) and 10V517000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer for recall repairs; however, the dealer only completed the recall repair for 10V517000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the collar weld of the vehicle was separating. The contact ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 29, 2021
While driving back from a dinner with family in Coeur d'Alene Idaho I was in I-90 heading west in my 2019 F-350 there was some construction and some bumps in the road I was going approximately 65 miles an hour and hit some of these bumps. My front end just started shaking extremely and I had to pull over to the edge of the Freeway and slow down I had no choice but to put my foot on the brake to h... Read more
Incident date: Sep 23, 2021
My 2014 Nissan Altima’s transmission has to be replaced. The Nissan dealership gave me a quote of $4,093.00 to replace it. The car starts to run fine, then when at a stop and go, the car doesn’t go when I step on the gas or is delayed in going and the RPM’s are high and it feels forced. I was on the freeway and the car lost speed which was very scary because I could’ve have caused an accid... Read more
Incident date: Sep 11, 2021
While driving, without notice at all, the drivers side rear suspension ,wheel, and all the holds it together became dislocated/disassembled from the car while going about 40mph. Upon further investigation, I found the whole frame mount for the rear suspension had completely rotted away and caused this whole issue. NO PRIOR WARNING AT ALL!! This is a potentiality deadly issue.. I had just come off ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 16, 2021
At accelerating speeds between 37mph and 62mph, the steering wheel trembles and vibrates and shakes profusely. At decelerating speeds between 62mph and 37mph steering wheel trembles and vibrates and shakes profusely. Entire vehicle begin to shake. Driving is hazardous. Vehicle has been and is still been inspected by certified repair centers and there is no solution and the issue remains.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2019
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Camaro. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, while steering the vehicle wobbled without warning. The contact stated that the wobble occurred with the rear wheels. The contact stated that the inside tread on the rear tires was worn and the tires needed to be replaced. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where they performed a diagnostic tes... Read more