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 117,775 complaints - component: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Incident date: Jul 8, 2024
21st century auto group in Springfield, NJ 908-883-3988 305 US Highway 22, Springfield, NJ 07081 sold me a non compliant vehicle where the esc system didn’t work violating Fmvss 126 when I tried to return the non compliant vehicle they wouldn’t give me money back.
Incident date: Jun 6, 2025
I was traveling at ~65mph on the freeway when the sunroof spontaneously exploded. It was louder than a gunshot—I nearly lost control of the vehicle. The explosion occurred in the outward direction. There was no evidence of impact of preexisting damage. Internet research suggests this is not an uncommon occurrence.
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2016) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Nov 8, 2025
Incident date: Nov 8, 2025
On June 6, 2025 I brought my vehicle(2018 HONDA CRV EX ) to a Honda Dealership due to the vehicle rough idiling. The mechanics said the third solenoid is failing due to coolant being mixed with the engine fluid. Quoted $7496.00 “just to start”. Also stated the radiator would need to be replaced due to this issue and head gasket. Mind you I purchased This vehicle 12 months prior. I took it to ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2025
While driving southbound on I-15 near Exit 300 (5300 S, Murray, Utah), the sunroof on my 2020 Volkswagen Jetta SEL suddenly and spontaneously exploded outward without any impact or external object striking the glass. The vehicle had approximately 72,000 miles at the time. There was no tint, film, or modification to the sunroof. The weather was clear, and the road was smooth. The explosion produce... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
Wife was driving car and it stalled when slowing down for a red light. No check engine light or dash warning notices. Car then displayed instructions to restart the car Tried to restart 4 or 5 times. Finally started. We were lucky she was not on a highway driving at highway speeds.
Incident date: Nov 8, 2025
When car is stopped it completely shuts off, goes into park and does not restart. This has happened 3 times, twice at an intersection and once as I slowed to a stop sign. The car didn’t restart and I had to push the engine start to restart the car. This was dangerously because it has happened while I stopped but also while I was slowing down at an intersection, the car would abruptly shut off. W... Read more
Incident date: Oct 22, 2025
My vehicle is experiencing engine challenges. My check engine light has been on for more that half of this year. I took my car to get a diagnostic , and it was returned reported as normal however the check engine light re-appeared. My car make a noise and does not accelerate properly. My driver door is missing a handle, there was never a handle, the screws to show a handle was placed originally,... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2025
I purchased the vehicle in 2022 & in 2023 the low coolant light turned on. Now at 54k miles the low coolant light has turned on again and the head gasket is definitely leaking. I’m out of warranty because I’ve hit 54k miles. This is absolutely unacceptable for a brand new car.
POLESTAR
POLESTAR 2
(2021) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Nov 8, 2025
Incident date: Oct 5, 2025
The battery died multiple times and has been replaced costing multiple days without transportation. Battery caused additional part repair and has been recently repaired. This is the 5th time going into shop for recall/issues on my vehicle with only 10k miles on it. Now with the safety recall with no solution I do not feel confident that this vehicle is safe and reliable for my family and daily lif... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2023
I was driving on the highway below the speed limit when I heard a pop that sounded like a balloon and instantly the sound of wind getting into the car. I pulled over and found that the sunroof was rapidly shattering. I did not see a rock that had hit it. Maybe the tempered glass just exploded. I was not driving very close by any other vehicles at the time, but was on the highway.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
Faulty slave cylinders , that lead to more damage such as the clutch & flywheel and
Incident date: Sep 15, 2025
So about 3 months ago all the sudden all the lights on dash board came on, everyday in the morning when I turn on vehicle on and start driving it does not go over 10 MPH even after pressing gas padel all the way, then I have to shut off vehicle for some time and starts back on it start running but lights still comes on. Honda repair shop told me to change Fuel Injectors which estimate $1,600. But ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2025
Last year, Feb 23, 2024, I took my vehicle to get serviced for recall 03-088 shift interlock due to losing power while driving. For the last 6 month, my vehicle has lost power and I have taken it to several mechanics paying more than $600 and having to get my vehicle towed due to these exact symptoms.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
The vehicle's HVAC (heating) system failed. It stopped producing heat on one side of the vehicle. My mechanic/dealer diagnosed the issue as a broken component within the HVAC case under the dashboard, requiring full dashboard removal and a repair estimated at over $3,000. This failure prevents the defroster from working properly, which is a major safety hazard as it cannot clear fog or frost from... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2025
While driving, multiple warning lights appeared on the dashboard, including the check engine light, malfunction indicator, and crash sensor warnings. A message then displayed: “ENGINE MALFUNCTION POWER REDUCED SERVICE NOW.” The engine began making loud knocking noises, lost power, and the vehicle entered reduced-power mode. The issue appears to be related to the ongoing engine bearing failure... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2021
2000 toyota tundra SR5 4door 4.7 liter V8. Sunroof glass blew off on freeway at 65mph almost hit car behind me. No police report, no person injured. November 3, 2025.
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2012) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Nov 8, 2025
Incident date: Oct 29, 2025
Ever since the last recall got resolved the car has failed to go into the gear it’s set to. Such as it fails to go in park when you shift it into park. This is a serious issue as I have now almost rear ended cars in parking lots a few times because of this issue.
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2012) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Nov 8, 2025
Incident date: Oct 29, 2025
Tesla remotely disabled Supercharging access on my vehicle without any warning, safety errors, or mechanical problems. The vehicle charged normally for months, including recent Supercharging sessions, and still operates safely. Tesla stated Supercharging was disabled due to a “salvage” title and now demands a $1,900-$2,400 “inspection” to restore access, with no diagnostic evidence of any ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2025
When the weather is warm and the vehicle get washed or experience heavy rain fall and vehicle is exposed there is a strong mildew Oder coming threw ventilation. Definitely a air quality problem.
Incident date: Aug 6, 2025
I do not no at this time
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
When driving, occasionally, there is a strong buildup of static coming off the speakers, the problem persists for a long time and seems to calm down if the Radio is turned to full volume. It happens at random after driving for a few minutes, if the A/C is on it can get worse, I think it could be a faulty wiring issue from wear and tear or a frequency change that everyone with a 16’ Accord has as... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2025
We traveled from bullhead Arizona to garden Grove California. We didnt hit nothing on the road and we parked our car and have full visibility of it. Nothing touched my new car. When we walked out there was a huge windshield crack right in front of the camera. I had to get a new windshield. This is a well known issue with kia. Is there windshield crack while in the highway.
Incident date: Nov 8, 2025
The car experienced major issues and nearly stalled while driving. It was pulled off a road into a driveway where it caught fire and burned to the ground. No recall information was ever sent to my house. Very dangerous occurrence. We are lucky that no one was hurt.
Fire
Incident date: Oct 23, 2024
The vehicle intermittently shows shift to park error message. It takes several tries of moving the shifter for the notice to disappear. This has been an ongoing issue since I purchased the vehicle and since the dealership couldn’t replicate it at the time, they did not fix it.
Incident date: Nov 7, 2025
I was 15 minutes into my commute home on route 9 in Massachusetts when I stopped at a red light. When I took my foot off the brake and stepped on the gas the car would not accelerate more than 5 miles an hour. I was stuck in the intersection for about 10 minutes and had to put on my hazards and get into the right lane and Keep driving at 5 mph until I found a place to pull over and restart the car... Read more
Incident date: Nov 3, 2025
I purchased this 2025 GMC Acadia on 3/29/2025. About a week into owning it, the navigation stopped working. OnStar was able to reset my system. Then, about a month later, the vehicle locked my keys in the cabin without my knowledge. OnStar was able to unlock my vehicle remotely. Then, on 10/23/2025, I noticed my navigation was not showing my true location. I tried the Google Assistant, and it wasn... Read more
Incident date: Oct 16, 2025
Summary: Engine seized due to internal bearing failure with metal shavings found in oil filter. Full Description: My 2018 Honda Odyssey experienced a sudden engine failure around 116,500 miles. The dealer confirmed the engine is seized and showed significant metal shavings in the oil filter and pan. I have performed all maintenance according to Honda’s recommended schedule using the correct oil ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2025
The moonroof spontaneously shattered while driving on the freeway at night. This limit the speed to less than 20 mph since the moonroof continued to shatter at a higher speed.
Incident date: May 22, 2025
My cars paint is peeling uncontrollably due to delamination of the paint. The issue with the paint has been reported by others also.
Incident date: Mar 4, 2025
Car horn stopped worked a year and a half in
Incident date: Nov 4, 2024
Door sensor not working, lights stay on and the battery keeps going off, very common issue from research online
Incident date: Nov 4, 2025
My clutch was recalled and I brought it in maybe around 10 times after because the service transmission light immediately came up after the recall fix. After bringing it to jeep for a year and engineers giving me the run around. First they said it was the way I was driving the clutch then after a year they said that the recall was to put a new sensor in and that is why the service transmission lig... Read more
Incident date: Oct 30, 2025
Every time I drive my car randomly something sounds like a big pebble hits my windshield. My car is available for inspection upon request. My safety is put at risk cause it scares me(makes me jerk). This can cause me to accidently jerk my steering wheel and cause me to leave my lane & possible hit another vehicle. I have an appointment with the dealership repair center on Nov 9, 2025. I can get i... Read more
Incident date: Nov 3, 2025
Multiple times now, the rear view camera stays on while driving and there's no way to get it to turn off. Hitting the x in the corner of the screen does nothing, the power button nor the screen off button work, and I cant access anything on the screen. While driving, theres a constant view of the road behind me and it's incredibly distracting. This appears to line up with Recall 20V-191, althou... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2025
I’ve been having issues that align with the Safety Recall 239 to repair a condition involving the Electric Power Control Unit ("EPCU"). I seem to be having by a coolant leak, my car is overheating, has stalled and has struggled to start. I started noticing something wasn’t right a couple of weeks ago but wasn’t sure what until more “symptoms” have occurred since and I found the re... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2025
The headliner in the truck is falling down. It appears that this is happening to a lot of them due to some faulty velcro. Seam to ve a pretty wide spread issue and is definitely a sadety concern if this happens while driving.
Incident date: May 7, 2024
I have a 2024 Lexus GX 550 Overtrail with about 4,500 miles on it bought in December 2024. I went to start it this afternoon and I got a message saying "Low Steering Power". All the electrical things on the car seemed to be working: lights, dash lit up, courtesy lights, all the screens, etc. It just wouldn't turn over. I shut the car off and gave it a minute or two then tried again. Nothing. ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 2025
The clear coat is delaminating and the Paint is peeling off in multiple areas of the car.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
While I was driving on this day [XXX] all of a sudden my car started to shut down and I couldn’t give my vehicle any gas really. I got a hybrid system warning, and my red brake light came on, and I got indicator for me to check the brake. My brakes felt like they were grinding and hitting the ground. I managed to get my Kia into the dealership where the service manager, Jose looked at my car bri... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2025
The 2022 Ford Maverick repeatedly experiences complete electrical system failures, including engine shutdown, loss of power steering, brakes, and the electronic parking brake, while driving at highway speeds, resulting in total loss of vehicle control and creating a life-threatening situation for the driver, passengers, and others on the road; prior warning signs included the 12-volt battery not s... Read more
Incident date: Oct 30, 2025
Dashboard indicates issue with forward collision warning or AEB. Car does not brake when cars in front of me brake. Took back to dealership and was told they needed to reprogram and configure sonar unit. And cost would be $437. This car was purchased in JULY
Incident date: Sep 19, 2025
I wish to file a complaint regarding my 2014 Ford Focus, which is experiencing transmission failures related to the known defective transmission system. Ford acknowledged widespread issues with this transmission in customer satisfaction program 14m02, which extended coverage for the transmission control module (tcm). The TCM module was replaced, under recall, in April 2025 and during that same vis... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2022
Driving out a town 400 miles away, with a young passenger in my car on [XXX] in rush hour traffic, i started hearing a slight ticking sound then moved into a full blown knock on my drivers side ( I recorded it). within minutes, my oil light came on and my dash notification reading "engine overheating idle" with the knocking really load. I had to cross 3 lanes to traffic quickly to get to the s... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2025
The emergency call system on the vehicle has failed and I am getting an error message. The service center at the dealership informed me that water ingress into the shark fin that houses the system caused the system to short and fail resulting in the need for a complete replacement of the system at a cost of $3100. BMW has issued a service bulletin (SIB 65 12 22-Roof Mounted Antenna Housing Seal No... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2025
Rear subframe rusted out, car is not safe to drive
Incident date: May 14, 2023
I was trying to park my vehicle on a normal street and Tesla's Automatic Emergency Braking APP_w050 kicks in and aggressively brake when i try to parallel park.
Incident date: Nov 7, 2025
Backup Camera not working
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHX
(2024) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Nov 7, 2025
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
The put in park shows after engine is turned off, have to restart and shift out of park and back to park. This could take several times to accomplish.
Incident date: Sep 27, 2019
Unknown; Stop/Start sends error and malfunctions.
Incident date: Nov 7, 2025
I have had to replace my rear brake pads, rotors, and the whole braking system (not related to sensors) three times in a year. I received the recall notice after the third time and had a mechanic fix my brake hose as a short-term remedy for my car. Not only does my car have a delay in breaking it is a delay in the monitoring service. Technically the sounds related to my vehicle are not related to ... Read more
Crash