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: May 1, 2024
The problem is commonly called "DEATH WOBBLE". The steering system enters an extremely violent wobble/shake making control of the vehicle nearly impossible. 2 independent service centers have addressed the issue. The first did repairs, including warranty replacement of a faulty part and the truck still has the "DEATH WOBBLE". The 2nd independent service center made note of the 2nd faulty replaceme... Read more
Incident date: May 26, 2024
Over the last couple of months I have experienced the death wobble 3 times! I have had the truck professionally inspected and i even replaced the tie rods, drag link bar, track bar, shocks and stabilizer bars and the problem is still happening. It has happend at speeds of 30 mph twice and a speed of 55 mph once. I don't know what else to do as I've researched and found that this is a common situat... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2024
Multiple issues occuring starting (documented) at 22,719 miles (09/27/2022) - stop/start and remote start had not been functioning properly - vehicle died. Required towing to dealer. Both batteries were dead. Upon leaving dealer they had not reconnected stop/start. Fast forward to 05/04/2024 and vehicle once again unchargeable to start. Took warrantied battery back to dealer and they wanted us to ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 27, 2022
Rear trailing arm attachment points on both sides completely rusted out. Won't pass inspection as being unsafe with possibility of one or both rear wheels collapsing if a pothole is hit. Car is registered in Pennsylvania since 2009.
Incident date: Nov 24, 2023
I noticed a rattling sound that seemed to come from the rear passenger side wheel. I took it to a mechanic who told me that the rear sub-frame was so rusted that the damper had come loose from the sub-frame and caused the rattling sound. He said that he was unable to reattch the damper because the sub-frame was too rusted. The only solution was to remove the loose damper to eliminate the rattling ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was making an abnormally loud stomping sound and the wheels were shuddering significantly. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the suspension yoke had failed and needed to be replaced; however, the... Read more
FORD
ESCAPE HYBRID
(2020) - SUSPENSION
Jun 24, 2024
Incident date: Jun 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2008 Honda Element. The contact stated while driving 20-30 MPH over a bump, the vehicle started fish tailing. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact stated that he noticed that the rear driver's side tire was sideways. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under NHTSA ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH in the snow, the vehicle started fishtailing. The contact was able to continue driving at slow speeds. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an alignment; however, the mechanic informed the contact that the rear suspension toe links had failed and needed to be replaced. The mechanic determined that the fa... Read more
Incident date: May 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving or while stopped, the rear differential seized, causing the rear wheels to lock up. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to move forward. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the rear differential fluid was replaced. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. Th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at slow speeds, the contact became aware that the vehicle was vibrating abnormally. The contact stated the failure had become more frequent over the past several months. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or a local dealer. The manufacturer was made aware... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2024
The contact owned a 2013 Buick Lacrosse. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, she became aware of a failure with the suspension. The contact stated that front and rear ends of the vehicle were lowered, and the vehicle was drifting. Additionally, the contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it wa... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
At 50k miles, in July 2023, I was told by the dealer, Audi, that the rear spring mounts were corroding, and it was not covered by warranty. Everything I have read about spring mounts is that they are not considered a wear and tear part, and should not deteriorate. But I paid about $2,000 for the repair. Now, 11 months later, one spring coil itself has broken, and despite the warranty since it was ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
Excessive Tire wear, even after repeated alignments at Toyota dealerships. Tire excessively weakened within 20,000 miles leading to unsafe driving conditions
Incident date: Nov 13, 2021
Basically, as I was driving on the freeway with my son and his brother, I got 5 lights flashing on dashboard. Abs at temp check engine cruise control hill assist vss etc.. the code were for cut but before I could check them everything shut down. Car went dark, no brakes and burning smell as well as burns oil. Front end damage on car with passenger side damage. Car started back up next day called S... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jun 20, 2024
AS I WAS BACKING OUT MY DRIVEWAY I HEARD A LOUD POP NOISE AND THEN NOTICED THAT MY FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE HAS COLLAPSED MAKING THE CAR UN-DRIVEABLE. HAD I BEEN DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED IT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A DANGEROUS LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THERE I WAS TOLD THAT RANGE ROVER IN CANADA AND THE UK HAD BEEN RECALLED FOR THE SAME MALFUNCTION. MY RANGE ... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 2500
(2020) - SUSPENSION
Jun 21, 2024
Incident date: May 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 19V435000 (Suspension) and 24V031000 (Structure) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2020) - SUSPENSION
Jun 20, 2024
Incident date: Jun 18, 2024
Customer concern confirmed there is a creaking noise coming from the front of the car while turning, I performed a visual inspection and found that both RF lower control arm bushings are torn and the LF frontward lower control arm bushing are torn but this is not the cause of the noise the cause of the noise is the upper control arms I took the load off of the upper control arms and the noise went... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2024
The right CV joint traverses up and down. Once warmed up it loses concentricity and the steering wheel begins to shake. It does not stop until I pull off the highway The shake is completely gone when the vehicle is in 4 wheel drive. There are numerous complaints regarding this. I have taken it back to the dealer and participated in "road tests" and the steering did in fact shake and the tech stat... Read more
Incident date: Jun 18, 2024
Recently while up on the hoist the technician said the frame rust was very severe and the truck was in danger of buckling. Should it be so bad at 114,000?
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2009) - SUSPENSION
Jun 19, 2024
Incident date: Jun 6, 2024
took car in for oil change and was informed that car should not be driven because rear subframe had rotted thru and rear link was completly unattached and hitting gas tank. havent had a response from 2 dealerships this car is unstable and hitting the brakes requires a lot of attention to keep on road
Incident date: Jun 19, 2024
The CV drive shift on either the driver side or passenger side of tbe hybrid model is going bad prematurely, currently at 20,000 miles but multiple other Maverick Hybrid owners have experienced the same issues and this is a safety risk as it could break while driving and cause an accident. It has not happened to me yet, as I'm not driving it until it can get fixed by the dealership but it's a conc... Read more
Incident date: Jun 18, 2024
I have had my vehicle inspected and supposedly repaired for the death wobble by two separate ford dealerships (Castle Rock Ford in Castle Rock, CO and Phil Long Ford in Colorado Springs CO). I continue to have safety issues as when I hit pot holes or rough roads, the steering and suspension system shakes the front wheels and steering wheel to the point that I have to come to a full stop. The entir... Read more
Incident date: Mar 29, 2024
My car has a warning of gauge display on the warning says: Range & Fuel , my gas tank is always full. also when I brake the car made a movement if the motor mounts are old and not holding my motor of my vehicle.
Incident date: Jun 11, 2024
The bags or compressor failed. Dealer could not diagnose which is a common problem. They just change parts and charge you until it’s corrected. Safety factor is off the charts because it makes it undrivable if it loses pressure with no warning. No lights or warning and front will slowly lose pressure until it bottoms out
Incident date: Nov 18, 2023
Completely rusted rear crossmember subframe
Incident date: Mar 15, 2024
Severe shaking at 60mph and above. Numerous attempts to correct the issue through dealership, private mechanics with balancing and high speed balancing did not correct the issue. It was determined through several mechanics that the ABS Module is no longer working and could contribute to the shaking of the vehicle. The dealership advised the manufacturer does not make these parts anymore. I tried p... Read more
Incident date: Jun 18, 2024
The car shakes between 30-40 MPH, with or without acceleration. I’ve done a lot of research on this issue many people are having the same issue and can’t find a solution.
Incident date: Apr 12, 2023
Car was being driven and coils snapped caused, tire to pop damaging front end. Car was being driven and randomly shut off in middle of road. Driving vehicle shifting into gear lags, check engine light is on, had reader and said that valve 2 has low pressure. As a result clanking and loose noise sounds are heard when driven from drivers side.
Incident date: Jun 11, 2024
25k miles. Rear end began to shake Balances tires 4 different shops. Doesn't follow tires. Come to find out I have 3 ujoints leaked out all grease and both rear shocks are soaked in their own oil
Incident date: Jun 17, 2024
I have been having nothing but problems with this truck since I purchased it and I'm looking to see if anyone can help me out with this truck. I have had it now almost two years and the truck was in the shop for 3 months of it getting worked. I have had nothing but problems with the braking system as well. The dealer wouldn't sell me the original pads for it, they sent someone to car quest to get ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2024
This truck consistently gets the death wobble even after having several things repaired on It to fix the problem. This needs to be looked into. This has happened several times with this truck
Incident date: Jun 15, 2024
Worn out rear suspension toe links at low mileage. Taurus SHO model years 2013-2018 were recalled for the same issue. The problem persists in Model Year 2019.
Incident date: Jun 13, 2024
This truck shakes (trembles) usually at highway speeds triggered only when there is an irregularity on the pavement, it continues doing that even after I pass the irregularity, until I reduce the speed. My truck has only 2103 miles on it, I have not driven it off roads or any extreme driving. I first noticed the problem at 610 miles. I took the truck to the dealership so they can fix the problem. ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2024
The wheel wells on the front of my vehicle do not properly fit the well. One has been replaced twice the other once and recently the dealer made the decision to cut the wheel wells so they would no longer rub. I was told it was the best they could do. The other choice is to keep replacing them when they fail. I am concerned that somthing from the road may fly up in their and get lodged in the e... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2024
After a recent oil change, they informed me that the cross bar was very rusted and looks very unsafe. Upon further research I was informed there was a recall for this problem. I am the only owner and at this time all maintenance is up to date. Because the car has low mileage, I want to keep the car so during my research I was informed the part is unavailable. Not sure what to do at this point look... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2024
My 2015 range rover had a catastrophic failure of the driver side steering knuckle while underway. This caused me to lose control of the vehicle and the wheel almost fell off the car. Fortunately, I was going less than 30 mph. The failure was caused by the regular application of brakes approaching an intersection. Without the support of the steering knuckle the wheel has no support and the ste... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2024
2016 ram 1500 sway bar stabilizer bar cracked in the recall areas but the dealership won’t fix it for me also another part from mopar that is on back order for 6 weeks
Incident date: Jun 4, 2024
Steering locked up lower control arm snapped at the ball joint where it's connected to cv axel. Sent my car into the rails and nearly.killed me and my passenger.
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: May 26, 2022
the vehicle was leaking gas. the vehicle rarely would start. fuses easily burn out or go bad due to possible electrical problems. now I am having to purchase maybe it is called a drive shaft? or something that makes the vehicle not go or start?? I am not a mechanic but I pay a lot of money on this vehicle every month, the repairs are extremely high and not wating to ruin my credit due to neglec... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2024
Sub Frame corrosion rust out / crack(s). Control arm (s) corrosion. All verified by independent repair facility, A & B Collision Staten Island NY. This has been an issue with previous years as per driveaccord.net
Incident date: Jun 9, 2024
The vehicle did not pass PA state inspection due to broken front shock mounts and severe frame corrosion.
Incident date: Jan 22, 2024
Frame is severely rusted and has holes started at 40k miles
Incident date: Jun 6, 2023
The low tire pressure light came on and noted the left front tire had 27 pounds of pressure. Inspection revealed tire cord damage only on the inside edge of both front tires. This is clearly a suspension defect as the car only has 29000 miles. The rear tires have been checked to have 6.5/32 and the front are less than that. Tire wear appears to be even across the face of the tire but the inner... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2006 Dodge Ram 2500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started wobbling, and the contact lost control of the vehicle and almost crashed. The contact stated the failure had been persisted for a while. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer w... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2023) - SUSPENSION
Jun 12, 2024
Incident date: Jan 17, 2024
The rubber covering on the rear passenger side strut top insulator disintegrated twice. It was replaced in 2022 at 20,000 miles and now again in 2024 at 57,000. It was confirmed by the dealer and acknowledge that this is a known problem. The issue caused a loud knocking sound when I drove and vehicle instability. I was afraid to drive my vehicle until it was fixed. There were no messages, w... Read more
Incident date: May 21, 2024
yaw sensor, codes C0063, C006C, rear end feels like it's trying to break free from the road.
Incident date: Dec 11, 2023
The rear suspension is incredibly creaky sounding. It constantly makes noise at every slight bump and turn regardless of speed. Kia service admitted there is a known issue with the self levelling shocks on the '23 Tellurides and said I should replace them.
Incident date: Feb 13, 2024
Drivers rear wishbone control arm has a baseball seize hole corrosion. Passenger rear wishbone has surface cracks. Significant safety consern if driver rear wishbone failed while driving . Dealer recommended not to drive vehicle replacement of the component is required
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
Today the “control arm” and “axel” suddenly broke and stopped my car.