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: Jan 16, 2022
I almost had a car accident because my car shacked uncontrollably which is dangerous!!! I had my children in the car, the shaking started last year, my car is still new and shouldn’t be having these problems!!!!
Incident date: Jan 19, 2022
I experienced a violent shaking that happened to the front end of my 2017 Ford F350 Super Duty truck (with 25600 miles on the odometer). It typically occurs at speeds over 50 miles per hour. It's also happened after going over bumps or grooves in the road. I brought my truck into a local repair shop because an appointment with my local dealer wasn't available until Mar 16th (60 days). The repair ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2022
Rear air suspension gave out while driving and will not air/raise back up. Air springs and suspension compressor are working but the car still will not rise. Very dangerous. This is a common problem with these car but Cadillac won’t acknowledge.
Incident date: Jan 13, 2016
el carro se bloquea tanto en direccion como en velocidades. pareciera ser que pierde brake fluid and gasoline
Crash
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2017) - SUSPENSION
Jan 18, 2022
Incident date: Jan 17, 2022
When the vehicle was ~1.5 years old following its 10,000 mile maintenance, substantial thumping generated from the rear of the vehicle. Each time, the dealership attempted to resolve the problem finding issues with struts; however, it only went away in late March after having the vehicle in the shop for weeks at a time on 5 different occasions Nov 2018 - Mar 2019. I engaged Toyota HQ (800-331-4331... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that upon entering the highway at 60 MPH, his vehicle hit a few bumps in the road and the vehicle experienced the "death wobble". The contact stated that he had experienced the failure while between two semi-trucks as he firmly held onto the steering wheel. The contact also stated that he lost control of the vehicle and that his vision had ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 28, 2021
Both front and rear subframes have been replaced due to excessive dangerous rust. Also rear trailing arms were replaced due to the same issue. Many other components were replaced as well due to bad bushings. Had to drive the vehicle on the highway to get it home and was lucky to make it. Vehicle did not move after that for almost 2 months until the parts could be replaced. Stalantis received a cla... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2021
My wife made a left turn onto Agana Drive from Patterson Avenue in Santa Barbara, California a few blocks our home. After coming to a complete stop before making the turn, she drove about 150 feet when the car swerved to the right and the right rear passenger side of our Tesla Model Y hit left rear driver’s side of another car (BMW). I drove over to assist her and it appears from the AAA tow tr... Read more
Crash
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2018) - SUSPENSION
Jan 18, 2022
Incident date: Jan 2, 2022
The car has had 10 safety recalls with one being the suspension. The suspension problem hasn’t been fixed as the car makes a loud clunking noise when driving it. My car has been to Volkswagen twice and they stated that the car was fine and they have no solution for the sound. This really needs to investigated. I googled the noise to see what it was and there are a lot of people that are complain... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated while having a routine oil change, the mechanic noticed that the rear shocks were leaking oil and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not replaced. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact to bring the vehicle to a dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 27,137.
Incident date: Jan 17, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac ATS. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 35-40 MPH, the vehicle started making abnormal loud popping sounds, and the vehicle inadvertently stalled. The contact's husband was able to push the vehicle to the side of the road with assistance. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that one of the driver’s side ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2022
Our Ford F-250 lariat has been doing the death wobble more and more we can barley drive the car anywhere without it doing it and we have almost wrecked driving it ! We spent a lot of money on this truck and haven’t had it long for it to start doing this!
Incident date: Dec 11, 2011
I have been experiencing the "death Wobble" for many years, and have gone to various shops to find out the problem but have not been able to fix the "death wobble". The entire car shakes and vibrates uncontrollably when I drive on the free way over a bump, or even when I drive on a regular street and hit a bump. The shaking doesn't stop until I come to a complete stop, and that is very dangerous ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2022
I have 4 recalls on my vehicle that multiple Ford Dealerships tell me that they can not fix because of parts not being available or no remedy is available. This has been going on for almost a year now. With these recalls, I feel that my car is not safe to drive. What needs to be done.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2022
Front wheels shake violently causing driver to have to brake hard and slow vehicle to regain control. Problem happens when vehicle is traveling at a speed of 50-60 mph and hits a rough spot on highway. Problem happens frequently and on several occasions has caused vehicle behind me to brake hard to avoid a rear end collision. The truck is not safe to drive.
Incident date: Jan 14, 2022
I own a 2018 Tesla Model 3. On December 1st, 2021 I heard a clunk in the front left wheel area while backing up. I stopped and found a 3 inch long 1/2 inch diameter bolt on the ground. I had my vehicle towed to the Tesla service center. They claimed that this was not associated to the recall for similar failure on 2019 and 2020 vehicles, but they extended the warranty and replaced the entire front... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2022
Going down Interstate 99 in Pennsylvania I hit a bump on the approach of a bridge at 65mph front end started shaking violently almost lost control of truck had to pull to shoulder and slow down until it cleared up. I got out and checked everything could not see anything visibly wrong with the front end. It is a 2018 F-250 with 23,000 miles on it. When I bought it the dealership said the death w... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2021
Car shudders at the acceleration. Service center said it’s a widely known issue with front half shaft and clevis mount. Tesla already admits it is a design fault but wouldn’t cover it under the drive unit warranty. Can nhtsa make it a recall? Thanks
Incident date: Jan 10, 2022
I’ve been experiencing the death wobble, which is a violent shaking that happens to the front end of my Ford F250 Super Duty trucks. It typically occurs at speeds over 50 miles per hour. It also happens after going over bumps or grooves in the road. To stop the shaking, I must quickly slow way down or even stop completely. It’s terrifying, especially when I’m driving with my 2 children in th... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2022
I was on the interstate traveling at or near the posted speed limit of 70 mph. I crossed over an eroding seam on the roadway at which point the vehicle, and steering wheel, began to shake uncontrollably. I pumped the brakes cautiously and kept the vehicle on the roadway. At approximately 50 mph the shaking quit and I was able to continue my trip without any additional issues.
Incident date: Jan 5, 2022
Front stabilizer broke off from the body of the SUV not secure swab bar to the on Suv this could have make the SUV roll over, it is a 2008 GMC Yukon Denali [XXX]. I called the dealership to ask if this was a common problem on these vehicle. So I would like to report this problem on my SUV. My name is [XXX][XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(... Read more
Incident date: Jan 8, 2022
The rear passenger side Adaptive Suspension wiring harness was either installed improperly or routed improperly and rubbed against the inside of the tire. After many miles, this harness was worn down to the point of breaking electrical contact, which puts the vehicle into a fallback state. When the dampers are disabled, the car becomes floaty and disconnected and is dangerous to drive. There were... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2022
My Jeep experienced sever wobbling, as if the front wheels were coming off. So, I took it to a repair shop and they said it was the "death wobble." When I took it to the Autonation Jeep Dealership, South, Columbus GA. I was told that they had a recall on that 2 years and 3 months ago, and since the 2 year warranty expired, there was nothing they could do about it. If a recall doesn't work, the... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2022
On the morning of Thursday January 13th I pulled in my place of employment which had a small pot hole at the entrance. Upon entering the parking lot I hit that hole and noticed that my car had a bit of a sway, but did not understand what the issue was. After working 8 hours I was going to leave and noticed the same issue with the vehicle. I then exited my car to inspect my tires thinking I had a f... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Lexus IS250. The contact stated that the rear tires of the vehicle were wearing out quickly. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on a different brand of tires that she had purchased including Pirelli and Continental tires. The contact also stated that the tires were only lasting for 3,000 miles. The vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics who diagnosed t... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2009) - SUSPENSION
Jan 13, 2022
Incident date: Oct 6, 2020
I am 80 years old, and disabled. Gave this car to my son, (age 53). Within a month, he experienced a potential LIFE THREATENING incident with the car. While driving, the car became very unstable and steering was almost impossible. The car was towed to A-1 Auto Repair in Pitman, New Jersey for analysis. This establishment has an excellent reputation for Mercedes-Benz repairs. Upon extensive revie... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2021
The front dash assembly is melted over time and is so bad I cannot see out the front windshield. I told the dealership that I believe this was a recall and they said it was but that the specific job for that expired ? I didn’t know recalls expired. They are willing to fix the current situation with the current system failure of the over heating window switches but a major problem is the visibil... Read more
Incident date: Jan 11, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH, he heard a popping sound coming from the vehicle. The contact exited the vehicle and inspected the vehicle but found no failure. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact continued driving however, at 5 MPH he heard another popping sound. The contact called a local towing company to have the veh... Read more
FOREST RIVER
CHEROKEE
(2021) - SUSPENSION
Jan 13, 2022
Incident date: Oct 15, 2020
The contact owns a 2021 Forest River Cherokee RV. The contact stated that as the tires of the RV were frequently flat, the RV was taken to the dealer to determine the cause of the failure. The dealer diagnosed that one of the axles was bent due to the overloading of the RV. The contact stated that the dealer did not provide any further information on the axle that had failed. The contact stated th... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2022
Total rust of the bottom of the car. Front sub frame has to be replaced and rust on the back of the car. 107473 miles.
Incident date: Jan 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2010 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V473000 (Suspension) however, immediately after the repair she noticed that the vehicle had been fishtailing while driving. The contact called the dealer who completed the recall repair and was informed to bring the vehicle back for further review. There were no further repairs per... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2020
1) The vehicle idle is too high. It jerks forward every time I'm at a stop then I want to go forward. I have almost ran into the back of other cars while waiting at a stop sign. 2) The bolts and Subframe is coming detached from the car. It has been confirmed by dealership and franchise auto repair places (2 of them) that the car motor is knocking around and the subframe is loose! I've currently sp... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 12, 2022
At 60 mph, vehicle front end occasionally starts shaking violently (death wobble) after bump in road. Have to slow down or stop to correct the wobble. Loss of control of the vehicle. I have heard of the problem on same type f250 in the past. No warnings before issue occurs.
Incident date: Jan 13, 2022
I was traveling on the highway at about 60 mph, hit a small bump in the highway and nearly lost total control. Pulled over and came to a complete stop. Re-entered the highway and nearly lost control even at a slower speed, 55mph.
Incident date: Jan 6, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds on two separate occasions, the vehicle was shaking violently and experienced the death wobble. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,426.
Incident date: Jan 12, 2022
The ESC and engine light came on and then the stability track light came on for a matter of a min and then all the lights just went off. I seen there are recalls on these issues but not for my vin number.
Incident date: Jan 12, 2022
When you hit a bump, the truck violently shakes. This usually occurs at speeds greater than 40mph. The only way to get it to stop is to come to almost a complete stop. Very dangerous if someone is behind you and you have to stop fast to get it to stop. This occurs very frequently. I replaced parts the repair ship tells me is bad and the problem continues to occur. This occurs almost every time I d... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2021
I was informed at inspection that the main front cross member has a huge hole in the center of it and is rusting out badly. At 162,356 miles this car will not pass safety inspection. This car is not safe for me or my family. No warning lamps or messages. I was told that one bad bump could do us in. We were told to contact the dealership and found out about the extended warranty that had already pa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2010 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle made abnormal sounds and was wobbling. The vehicle was towed to a collision center and diagnosed with corrosion in the lower rear suspension. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the collision center. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000. ... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2012) - SUSPENSION
Jan 12, 2022
Incident date: Jan 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH, the vehicle would shake uncontrollably while driving over a bump in the roadway. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mil... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2021
I was driving my vehicle and I ran out of gas. The gas gauge maintained a quarter of a tank and the gas light never came on. I check for recalls and it turns out this is a known recall for this vehicle, but it says 0 recalls. But the problem still persists, therefore the vehicle is still suffering from this problem. After filling the gas after the car ran out. I tested this theory 2 more times to ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2022
AUDI A8 HAS BEEN USING LARGE AMOUNT OF COOLANT. HOWEVER, ITS NOT RUNNING OUT THE CAR. YET IM STEADY BUYING COOLANT BECAUSE ITS SAYING ITS LOW. AND WHEN I GO TO PUT THE COOLANT IN MY CAR IT IS LOW. SO WHERE IS THE COOLANT GOING? IN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE MY COOLANT WAS GOING OR WHY WAS IT CALLING FOR SO MUCH I DID SOME AUDI RESEARCH ON MY VEHICLE AND SAW THAT IT HAD A PRIOR RECALL. I PURCHASED ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2021
at 30K miles, the car started to make loud noises when driving over speed bumps, the smallest of road variations. Dealer detected the issue until Hyundai executives were contacted. Then, the dealer changed their story and confirmed the shocks on the car need to be redesigned in reinstalled and it's becoimg a national/ international problem. They are talking about the rear shocks only and not inc... Read more
Incident date: Jan 8, 2022
Lower control arm broke due to excessive rust/ corrosion on ENTIRE underside of vehicle. Nearly caused accident . Scared the bejesus out of us . Now afraid to drive.
FOREST RIVER
ROCKWOOD
(2014) - SUSPENSION
Jan 11, 2022
Incident date: Dec 15, 2021
The tires are hitting the bottom floor if you hit the bumps or pot holes in road and causing the tire to bottom out on the floor of the trailer causing the tires to blow out and wear out prematurely. This was noticed on previous year models…
Incident date: Dec 16, 2021
While driving on freeway between 55 mph and 65 mph the truck shakes violently when driving over an uneven bridge transition or uneven bumps is highway. Impossible to control and had to pull over to stop. This has happened 3 times within a months time
Incident date: Dec 10, 2020
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 contact called the local dealer and was informed that there was a waiting list for parts. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer wa... Read more
Incident date: Nov 10, 2021
I am the original owner of a 2017 RHD Jeep Wrangler with 15,538 miles on the odometer. While under normal driving conditions, the trackbar bracket on the frame side broke away from the frame. Upon inspection by the dealership, it was noted that only one side of the bracket had been welded at the factory. Jeep will not accept fault and since my vehicle exceeds the 36 month warranty they state that ... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
E350
(2015) - SUSPENSION
Jan 10, 2022
Incident date: Sep 15, 2021
The rear suspension feels like it’s loose and Mercedes Benz dealership says it’s nothing wrong I almost lost control of the car
Incident date: Aug 1, 2021
Took the truck in for tire rotation and was told they couldn't do it due to the rear frame being severely rusted out I have noticed this is a very common problem with this year truck in the same area mine is rusted out