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 114,844 complaints — component: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Incident date: Aug 20, 2024
Transmission went out at 101k miles - transmission needed to be rebuilt which I had done at a large cost. There was no warning, the trans went out while driving. Purge valve for gas (EVAP) also went out without any warning and when I would put gas in the car, the car would not start.
Incident date: Feb 25, 2026
I own a 2019 Acura RDX Advance with a head-up display (HUD). The HUD projection surface suddenly became warped and cracked after sun exposure. This was not gradual deterioration or normal wear and tear—it happened abruptly. The resulting distortion directly affects the clarity of the HUD and creates visual interference in my forward line of sight. This impacts my ability to clearly see the road... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2026
Back window shattered spontaneously. No known cause. No evidence of vandalism. Temperature did drop 45 degrees over night. Shut side door and back window shattered. Had not started car yet. Rear defroster not engaged.
Incident date: Mar 17, 2026
I am submitting this complaint regarding ongoing and persistent mechanical issues with my vehicle since the time of purchase. The vehicle has repeatedly shut off unexpectedly, creating a serious safety concern. Initially, I suspected the issue might be related to the battery, and I have replaced the battery twice within the past 4 years. However, the problem has continued. In January, the vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
Honda hrv 2025 malfunctioning when brake hold system is activated. Brake hold system lets individuals use the brake whenever needed without your foot having to be on the pedal the entire time. You can come to a red light, step on the pedal and take your foot off the pedal and the car will remain stopped until you press on the gas. Over the course of leasing this vehicle sometimes the brake system ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
Twice-- most recently in March 2026, the back up camera and the 360 camera failed. The screen went blank. Putting the transmission in Reverse did not engage the backup camera and pushing the "Camera" button on the dash did not engage the front or 360 camera. The interface screen was blank. After shutting off the car for a couple hours and then restarting it, the cameras worked again. Brought th... Read more
Incident date: Mar 5, 2026
2024 Hyundai Santa Fe purchased new in May 2024. On three occasions since December 2025, while driving, the dashboard went completely black as if the vehicle shut off. The Hyundai startup logo then reappeared while the vehicle was still moving, and the vehicle lost acceleration. The most recent event occurred at highway speed, approximately 65-70 mph, requiring us to coast to the shoulder. No warn... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
My car moves when pushed or pulled and the vehicle is off and in park. Additionally, my car does not accelerate over 5 miles per hour and makes a whining noise when trying to drive
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
Three window regulators have failed, leaving the windows completely useless. The first occurring in heavy rain and making it impossible to close. This is an issue reported countless times online.
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
Issue occurs in [XXX] during normal daily driving, including while reversing and operating the vehicle at low speeds. The malfunctioning touchscreen interferes with safe vehicle operation in parking areas, residential streets, and regular traffic conditions. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLK250
(2013) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Mar 18, 2026
Incident date: Mar 5, 2026
Driving home mid morning Thursday , March 5, 2026 on smooth paved rural road, 50MPH, sunny, temp was 40 degrees, no vehicles anywhere near us, our Panoramic Sunroof shattered on our 2013 Mercedes GLK 250. We heard a loud "BANG", but had no idea what it was. I slowed down, pulled over and while looking up, I noticed the sunroof had completely shattered and cracks were spreading as we sat watching i... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2019
The vehicle was recalled. I took the vehicle to the dealer where it was purchased. It was serviced. The engine issue was addressed, so we thought. The repair/replacement parts did not remedy the issue, despite it being in the shop for over 6 months. The problem persists. It is overheating in a 5 minute drive. The local service department is saying there is no other remedy. They keep asking... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2026
February 23 2026: Discoverd the rear window had imploded on its own overnight. investigated with the neighbor's Ring camera to see if there was suspicious activity overnight and found there was none. I had the glass replaced. I thought this was bizarre to have a window implode but didn't think anything else. March 17, 2026: Driving home from an errand the rear window imploded again with the most ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2026
Have had the truck for 11 months (since new) I have never had the issue. The display (for radio, navigation etc.) just started switching to a different screen. I was using the navigation and the screen switched to display radio information without being touched. When I switched to Google Maps from car play. The map just froze up and would not unfreeze until I turned off the truck and restarted. Ha... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
The upper radiator hose on some huge percentage of these trucks fail (mine has failed at just over 5k miles). You can check the Colorado Chevy forum, youtube, etc., et al, and find plenty of instances where this has failed. As this is the cooling system, it can cause the engine to overheat and potentially ruin the engine. The flaw seems to be an engineering issue with the rubber seal they use (ins... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2026
I heard noise coming from my truck, sounded like it was in my wheel. Feb. 4, 2026 I took it to a repair shop. They told me it was the recall on my truck and gave the nut and bolt that had broken off my truck. I called Stanley Ford where I bought the truck to get the recall fixed. They told me they had the part and would get it out the next day (Friday) because I was leaving that Sunday on a wo... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2026
The vehicle is experiencing a transmission failure that causes sudden jerking, hesitation, and loss of smooth acceleration when the engine reaches approximately 1,500–2,000 RPM. When driving under normal conditions on both city roads and highways, the transmission appears to slip or fail to properly engage or shift gears within this RPM range. When this occurs, the vehicle jerks violently and m... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
I was driving on the highway when all of a sudden, no warning signs, no sounds/car shaking, anything, my car started lighting up with break system, engine light, parking sign, etc. I didn't know what was going on so I pulled over. When I pulled over, I checked the parking break to see if I might have hit it and I didn't. Then the car wouldn't go. The check engine light and all the break system lig... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
My van has had to sit in the extreme cold in my driveway with a battery pack because of no resolution. Dealer still confirms "no parts available". This poses a risk to my kids outside playing in the driveway. I'd like to push this forward or find a solution since I don't have the option of selling the vehicle.
Incident date: Mar 17, 2026
The drivers side door latch froze and stopped working, the door wouldn’t close and the lock would glitch when trying to lock or unlock it, once the door did close it reopened while driving, so it never really closed all the way, and it started working just fine once the weather warmed up. There are recalls on this issue but not for my vehicle specifically.
Incident date: Oct 18, 2025
I need antilock breaking module part number 68194693AF. The manufacturer has put it on a back order with around 1000 orders waiting. Please check why they are not issuing a recall when so many people are waiting for the same issue.
Incident date: Nov 24, 2025
The engine light will come on and go off at various times for no apparent reason and the odometer/mileage will start flashing and do so for periods of time, When this occurs certain features become unavailable such as the remote start will not engage. The warranty item/part has been confirmed by dealership and they do not have the part to correct with no expected repair time for this warranty on t... Read more
Incident date: Nov 25, 2025
On 11.25.25, my MDX was involved in a multi-car hit and run on highway 101 SB at the Laurel Drive off ramp. The vehicle sustained two points of impact: (1) substantial front/driver side impact (2) rear-passenger side impact. Despite the severity, location of impact and speed of travel at the time of the collision, all airbags deployed except for the driver side curtain airbag. Importantly, at t... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Feb 22, 2026
ICCU went bad. Battery warning light appeared a few hours before Vehicle stopped. Vehicle was inoperable and needed to be towed.
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
I purchased a 2022 camero ss convertible I August 2022. On March 13 I noticed my rear window glass is separating for the top. It started on the drivers left back bottom corner and now it’s starting on the right side. If it separates the window would fly off and could injury someone. The problem seems to be a known defect caused by adhesive failure and has been reported in years from around 2016 ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2026
Rear view camera 360 camera when backing up is going to a blue or black screen. When it’s not going black or blue the image is very grainy and hard to see image while backing up.
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
Vehicle was parked in driveway, got into vehicle and rear window exploded, vehicle wasn’t in motion.
Incident date: Mar 14, 2026
Was trying to drive EV. As soon as I pulled out of driveway it gave me a warning sign; to check electrical system/stop vehicle and check power supply. I couldn't drive car anywhere, had to get it towed to dealership. When tow truck arrived we couldn't turn car on, it had no power. Mind you, I had full charge on EV.
Incident date: Feb 22, 2026
While driving at normal speed, the vehicle’s engine compartment caught fire without any collision or external impact. I pulled over immediately, and the fire originated from under the hood. The vehicle had approximately 25,000 miles and no prior mechanical issues. This incident occurred without warning and posed a serious safety risk.
Fire
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
CAR WOULD NOT START AND WOULD NOT CHARGE. WHEN JEEP SHUT OFF IT WOULD SHOW THE RED PLUG SYMBOL. ONCE IT FINALLY STARTED, I NOTICED THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. IT FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STALL SO I COULDN'T COME TO A COMPLETE STOP FOR VERY LONG IF AT ALL. IF I DID COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND I WAS ON A HILL, IT WOULD START TO ROLL BACKWARDS. WHEN I WOULD ACCELORATE, IT FELT LIKE IT WAS STUCK IN 2ND ... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2017) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Mar 17, 2026
Incident date: Mar 17, 2026
The rear window on my 2017 GMC Sierra shattered unexpectedly without any impact. The vehicle had been remote started in very cold weather and the rear window glass suddenly shattered while the truck was parked. There was no rock strike or external damage that would explain the failure. I later learned about GM Customer Satisfaction Program N192265660 regarding rear window defroster thermal events... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
I had to replace the thermostat which is a well known, documented defect/issue for this vehicle/Cadillac. I would like reimbursement from Cadillac.
VOLKSWAGEN
GTI
(2022) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Mar 17, 2026
Incident date: Mar 17, 2026
- Recurring intermittent failure of the backup camera on this vehicle. The camera intermittently turns off while vehicle is in Reverse. - This has occurred numerous times while the vehicle was moving and in the presence of pedestrians and other vehicles creating a hazardous driving situation due to the sudden loss of visibility. - The dealer claimed to remedy the problem by using a software upda... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2026
On Sunday, March 15,2026, I was driving from Houston, TX to Pharr, TX at the speed of 75mph on the left lane to pass an 18 wheeler, with another 18 wheeler behind me, and my truck started idling erratically. I lost speed and my service engine light came on. My truck slowed down and I almost got in a car accident with the 18 wheelers because the truck did this. The truck behind me slowed down on ti... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2026
Start/Stop button will not start the engine at times. May take several attempts before engine will start. Had to have Audi Roadside Assist come to my location to get the vehicle car started. Drove vehicle to nearest dealer with the "engine light" illuminated. Was advised that Audi has a software update that needs to be installed. Update was supposed to drop by week 10 of 2026 but it is still ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 5, 2026
purge solenoid unplugged, several times for years, which causes the vehicle not to start up after getting fuel. Check engine light come on often due to this. When I bring vehicle to Mecanic shop they plug it right back. P0443 evap purge control valve “a” circuit
Incident date: Nov 10, 2025
The windshield on the 2024 Subaru Outback obtains cracks easier and more often than my 2017 outback. Is there a possibility that Subaru did not fix the issue with 2020-2022 outback windshield?
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2022) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Mar 17, 2026
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
Fuel tank and def tank issues that throws error codes that will make your engine go into slump mode
GMC
SIERRA 2500
(2015) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Mar 17, 2026
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
After starting the vehicle, I turned on the rear defrost button and within a few minutes the rear window started producing smoke inside the vehicle. I turned the truck off immediately and then approximately 30 seconds later, the rear window on the passenger side shattered. There is a recall that was issued for this exact problem but when i contacted the dealership, I was informed that the recall a... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
Both rear doors will not open. The door locks stopped functioning so we are not able to open and close both rear back doors. In addition, the right rear door window stopped rolling up and down.
Incident date: Mar 17, 2026
Rear bucket seat crushes occupant of seat belt is not buckled. Rear facing car seat is crushed posing huge risk to baby
Incident date: Mar 5, 2026
The backup (rear) camera worked intermittently, then did not work at all. Safety was put at risk by a lack of image during the backing event. The vehicle was taken to a local Ram dealer, where they reproduced the issue, diagnosed that the camera had an internal malfunction, and replaced the rear camera. No warning messages were displayed, only a black screen when backing.
Incident date: Mar 17, 2026
The recall for the roof rails was not properly fixed. Ford is not willing to fix their mistake.
Incident date: Jun 14, 2024
My car was / is one of thousands of Kia cars based on the eGMP platform to experience an ICCU failure. This is believed to be a design issue. While the repair was covered, reports indicate that the problem is not solved and will re-occur in time.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
Error shift to park it come and go all the time. You cannot lock your car when this happens. Cost $500.00 to repair.. common problem for r This year.
Incident date: Feb 20, 2026
The telematic control module drains the battery. I bought the car in February 14, 2026 and it was towed to the dealer on February 20. Today is March 17 and I have had no results. I opened a case with GM directly but I receive nothing but canned automatic emails. The dealer isn't taking my calls. Please help.
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
Back-up camera shuts off during operation. Works intermittently and never for a full operation. This is a 2016 vehicle. Ford has be unable to remedy the situation. Camera has been replaced as well as software updates installed. No fix in sight.
Incident date: Feb 13, 2026
As of today, March 17, 2026 , my 2025 Hyundai Tucson keeps having safety issues. On March 8th , 11th, 14th and 25th the car once again shut down mid-drive. This issue occurred last month as well but dealership claims no DTCs were found. I am noticing that the forward collision warning comes on without any cars or objects in front periodically since the purchase of my car. The light will remain o... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
Put the vehicle in park, exited the vehicle, vehicle rolled away after walking away from the vehicle.
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
Despite multiple repair attempts by Volvo Cars Sugar Land — including software reloads, module reprogramming, and the completion of Recall R10333 — the vehicle continues to experience failures that directly compromise my safety and the safety of my wife. I no longer feel safe operating this vehicle. My XC40 has undergone five documented repair visits, including: • Electrical system failures ... Read more