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.

2,245,377 Total Complaints

140,173 Reported Crashes

56,794 Reported Fires

8,580 Reported 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

How to Read NHTSA Consumer Complaints › How NHTSA Investigations Work › Used Car: 7 Recall Checks to Run First › The Takata Airbag Recall: Full Story › OBD-II Codes Explained › All Articles ›

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Showing 117,775 complaints - component: UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Incident date: Dec 1, 2025

Stepping on brakes - Car slows then accelerates a few seconds and lunges forward a couple of feet. Extreme safety issue. This occurred yesterday with my sister in the car and we almost rear ended the vehicle stopped in front of us. I have complained to the Cumberland Toyota dealership in the past and was told if they cant recreate the issue and it doesn't happen all the time there is no way to ... Read more

Incident date: Mar 1, 2026

I was driving and slowing down for a stop sign and the engine shut off by itself while still moving at appx 10-15mph. The display had several warning lights appear, and the message "Auto Start Stop, Shift to P, Then Restart Engine". I have the Auto Start Stop disabled on my vehicle, so there was no reason for my engine to shut off while decelerating. I searched online for potential causes and d... Read more

Incident date: Dec 1, 2025

The engine started to fail when I'm driving and on the highway it suddenly loses strength, the oil goes down and I don't know where it's going, the engine starts to make noises and burning smell, the ignition light turns on and minutes later goes out, a triangle signal also sometimes appears for 6 seconds and disappears, when this triangle appears the car starts to fail and give strong jolts, this... Read more

Crash

Incident date: May 15, 2026

I was driving to work, when I got off the exit I stopped at Sheetz. When I got back in the car my brake pedal was stiff as a rock, and there was oil on the ground. A friend of mine does mechanic work so I called him and he said it sounds like the vacuum pump. I had the car towed to his garage, the tow costed me $400 which was very cheap considering where I was located. When I got it to the garage ... Read more

Incident date: May 11, 2026

The car continues to have an issue with the same recalls that were priorly fixed but continued to happen after a few years. The last repair for this recall only lasted six months and I now need to replace the exact same parts again. The vehicle is completely faulty. The computer control valve for the transmission continues to fail. My vehicle will say service transmission, and then you cannot swit... Read more

Incident date: May 15, 2026

Air conditioning evaporator core is leaking refrigerant into cabin

Incident date: May 5, 2026

bought the car the guy stated was in great shape said it had 98k miles failed to tell me the odometer was not working and false i had the ad he clearly states the milage and nothing about it being broke i had a third party deliver it to me so i didn’t find out til it arrived.

Incident date: May 13, 2026

I purchased a brand-new Chevrolet dually truck from Bomnin Chevrolet Dadeland in Miami, Florida. Since delivery, the vehicle has had serious unresolved defects and safety concerns. The truck has ongoing alignment issues that the dealership has been unable or unwilling to properly repair. The vehicle does not drive correctly and there are concerns regarding safe operation while hauling. In additi... Read more

Incident date: Nov 1, 2025

I am reporting a serious and repeated safety defect involving Hehr side windows installed on my 2018 Thor Palazzo 36.1 motorhome (VIN: [XXX] ). Multiple operable side windows on this RV have experienced adhesive bond failure between the scissor arm/operator mechanism and the vent glass pane. This has caused windows to partially detach and violently flap while driving at highway speeds. One rear b... Read more

Incident date: Aug 8, 2022

Ok after done charging my Jaguar I Pace I put my car in reverse it made a clicking noise and then had traction battery warning pop up and high voltage battery warning then battery fault in red the car then just pushed itself forward for no reason and almost ran into the charger so I put it in park it stopped clicking. I honestly thought the car was going to start on fire this was after the softwar... Read more

Incident date: May 11, 2026

My rearview camera froze while I was reversing. Also when I put the vehicle into drive, the screen stayed on the backup camera after it eventually unfroze, showing the road behind me, it was very distracting. I have no photos or videos available because I was driving no warning lamps were visible, no auditory signals were present

Incident date: Apr 1, 2026

My car infotainment system keeps on having a "Ghost Touch" and it keeps on being a distraction when im using the GPS and it is a hazard being on the road especially in [XXX] where drivers are reckless. Other people have been having same issue, at least 80% that i have seen in person and online. This should be on a recall or at least have honda figure out the issue since theyre selling there cars ... Read more

Incident date: Jan 1, 2026

My vehicle has been in the shop over 6 times due to the malfunctioning of the EMERGENCY BREAKING SYSTEM. Less then 2.5wks after I purchased this vehicle, I started experiencing my E brake randomly engaging while driving it down the road. I called the dealership. They suggested I bring it to a jeep dealer. I’ve brought it to a jeep dealer where it’s been several times since I purchased the vehi... Read more

Incident date: Apr 18, 2026

Lose his power steering while driving down the road. System says needs work on ABS when you hit a bump the radio changes itself. The anti-theft is on when key is in ignition and going down the road it's saying it's theft mode service engine light is on even after servicing the engine

Incident date: May 5, 2026

The sunroof spontaneously shattered as I was driving down the road.

Incident date: Apr 25, 2026

Travelling on a highway with 70 MPH posted speed limit, the vehicle dashboard signaled the check engine light and a variety of warnings that "power reduction measure" was enabled and to "service brake assist." At the next available exit, I was able to exit from the highway and go to a gas station, where upon pulling next to a pump the brake pedal became extremely hard and nonresponsive, resulting ... Read more

Incident date: Oct 21, 2025

• Component/system that failed: A/C compressor (shaft seal leak confirmed by Mt. Kisco Honda dealer diagnosis). The vehicle is available for inspection. • Safety risk: No direct crash risk, but loss of A/C in hot weather (NY summers) reduces driver comfort and can cause fatigue or window fogging in certain conditions (e.g., defrost mode struggles when compressor doesn’t engage). No warning... Read more

Incident date: Oct 10, 2025

Sliding rear window leaking, causing mold and ruined seats. Had it "fixed" in 2023 only 3 years of owing it. Now here 3 years later the same issue is occurring and they're not willing to make it right. Mold causes a safety hazard for my children and anyone in my vehicle. My truck only has 30,000 miles on it and I shouldn't be having this issue

Incident date: Apr 22, 2022

The vehicle is experiencing premature clear coat failure on the hood and roof. The affected areas show widespread oxidation, dulling, and breakdown of the clear coat, while vertical panels remain unaffected. This indicates failure limited to UV-exposed surfaces and does not appear to be normal wear. The condition is uniform across the panels and not caused by impact, chemicals, or improper mainte... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2023

The vehicle’s HVAC/A/C system malfunctioned. The primary symptom was hot air blowing from the driver-side vents while the passenger side intermittently continued blowing cooler air. The issue appeared suddenly with no prior indication of problems. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. 2. I currently live in [XXX] , where extreme heat makes functioning air conditioning an importan... Read more

Incident date: Aug 9, 2024

Multiple switches that make the windows go up and down in the car all broke around the same time. The switches are inoperable meaning the doors cannot be locked or unlocked and the windows cannot be rolled up or down in for multiple windows.

Incident date: May 1, 2026

I am filing a complaint regarding Toyota’s handling of a known paint defect affecting my 2014 Toyota RAV4 Limited in Blizzard Pearl paint. Over the past several years, the paint on my vehicle has progressively peeled and deteriorated. Approximately 50% of the vehicle’s paint is now damaged. This issue is clearly consistent with Toyota’s known Blizzard Pearl paint defect program. However, I... Read more

Incident date: Mar 10, 2026

Vehicle is has an active safety recall and my local dealership has not received the update

Incident date: Mar 10, 2026

My sunroof glass spontaneously shattered causing glass to be everywhere inside my car while I was driving. It scared me and now my car is undrivable until the glass is repaired. I see many thread online of other Kia K5 owners have experienced the same issue. My initial thought was that my tire popped so I tried to pull off to the side of the road but cars were just trying to get around me. I opene... Read more

Incident date: Mar 6, 2026

Porsche leather dashboard shrunk and staples pulled out. I was told if the vehicle was in an accident the airbag may not deploy properly. The Porsche dealer looked at it recommend that it be replaced. This is a known manufacturer defect that has been occurring with many of Porsche leather dashboards in different models. The manufacture is not taking responsibility in repairing or recalling this da... Read more

Incident date: May 6, 2026

I purchase a 2019 CRV at 80.00 miles. it had problems in the first year. I was driving the car stop while was driving in a residential area with no warning sign. I have pics, the next things my rear view mirror fell down I just stop driving to tape it up, next my wire harness broke blacken my dash broad. After that my hatch back stay up it couldn't get it down I drove with it up until I got t... Read more

Incident date: Apr 30, 2026

The cars fan is constantly running even when the car is cool. I think it has to do with the ITMS I contacted the dealer and they said there’s nothing they can do about it this happens every time the vehicle is started even when I am parked. The fan is constantly running at 100%.

Incident date: Apr 15, 2026

Frame weld cracks. Wall support framing cracks. Damaged cargo doors from flexing frame. Slideout damage from frame support break which may or may not keep it locked in placed during travel. Has been returned to manufacturer twice. 2024, 2025. Same issues again in 2026.

Incident date: Apr 5, 2026

NHTSA VEHICLE SAFETY COMPLAINT Vehicle Information: - Year/Make/Model: 2024 RAM 1500 (V6 eTorque) - VIN: [XXX] - Current Mileage: ~70,000 miles - Warranty Expired: 60,000 miles - Purchased/Serviced at: Smithhaven Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, [XXX] Complaint Summary: I am reporting multiple recurring safety-related electrical, lighting, and drivability issues involving my 2024 RAM 1500. The vehicle... Read more

Incident date: Nov 19, 2025

I received a safety recall notice 26S28/NHTSA Recall 26V237 On the same day that this occurred in my truck. Luckily for me, I was within 2 miles of home, the only way I could get home was to drive in first gear up the mountain road to get there. My truck is not drivable. If this happens on a freeway, I most likely would be rear ended as the vehicle stops suddenly. What recourse do I have from Ford... Read more

Incident date: Apr 27, 2026

Hello, I am formally documenting a serious safety incident involving my recently purchased 2026 Dodge Ram 3500 Tradesman 6.7L dually, purchased from Towbin Dodge in [XXX] , on May 9, 2026. On May 13, 2026—only five days after purchase—we were operating the truck for our dumpster business while towing a GN trailer loaded with approximately 5 tons. We were traveling down Mount Charleston after... Read more

Crash

Incident date: May 11, 2026

The issue I'm experiencing with my 24 Prologue is the infotainment screen (which controls a lot of the vehicle) sometimes having issues showing the backup camera, or issues with the car not allowing me to utilize ACC (says temporarily unavailable), etc. I feel less safe in the vehicle as a result. The issue is an OPEN recall and the dealership I've contacted 5x [XXX] ) has refused to do the upda... Read more

Incident date: Oct 17, 2025

I had been hearing a ticking or clicking sound from the engine. When I brought it to a Honda dealership that I had used about a year ago for the 100,000 mile maintenance, I was told that the truck had a rod bearing failure and that I needed a new engine. I was told that if I kept driving it as is, that I could have catastrophic engine seizure without warning at anytime. This is a disaster waiti... Read more

Incident date: May 14, 2026

Our Carnival had the SC266 recall repair done on July 3rd, 2023, at 3074 miles. Then our [XXX] daughter was injured as a result of the safety function not working and the door closed without any chimes. [XXX] (my spouse) is a cardiac nurse at our local hospital, and I have combat medical training, so we took care of the minor injury. Her small hand was spared the devastation a larger one would s... Read more

1 injured

Incident date: Jun 5, 2025

Having to have the torque converter looked into, 2nd vehicle in the last 2 years with what appears to be same shifting / shuttering problem!

Incident date: Apr 23, 2026

Sunroof glass was shattered while on freeway. No rock or debris hit. She was driving back to home from office and other car drivers reported something falling out from top and when she stopped and checked, everywhere was glass debris. This is 2026 Honda crv hybrid sport and just 35 days old bought from dealer. Dealership is saying its not covered under warranty so have to pay from either pocket or... Read more

Incident date: Sep 15, 2024

MY BACK-UP CAMERA HAS NOT WORKED IN ABOUT 3-4 YEARS. THE SCREEN IS COMPLETLY BLANK. MY MECHANIC WILL NOT TOUCH IT AND I'M AFRAID TO GO TO THE DEALER BECAUSE OF THE COST. I DID NOTICE THERE IS A RECALL ON NEWER MODELS OF THIS VEHICLE.

Incident date: May 14, 2026

I own a 2015 Kia Sorento with Snow White Pearl paint. The paint is prematurely peeling/delaminating from multiple areas of the vehicle despite normal maintenance and no accident damage. The vehicle was inspected by a Kia dealership, and I was informed that the condition appears to be a paint defect rather than normal wear and tear. The paint failure is occurring in a manner consistent with numero... Read more

Incident date: May 14, 2026

Vehicle: 2019 Land Rover Range Rover Sport HSE While driving approximately 65-70 mph, a red battery/charging warning appeared instructing me to pull over immediately. Within approximately 3-5 minutes, the vehicle rapidly lost electrical power and became completely disabled while driving. EVERYTHING in my car started shutting down; no air, no lights, no steering. Steering and vehicle functions beca... Read more

Incident date: May 14, 2026

The brakes make a squealing noise when backing up and this has been reported on many 2025 enclaves. There is also a repeated clicking noise after turning the vehicle off.

Incident date: Mar 5, 2026

The main instrument panel on numerous occasions remains locked on “Experience Drive Connect”, usually when starting the vehicles, but occasionally when the vehicle is being driven. Sometimes when we can turn off the car and restart, the screen will begin normal functions. Yesterday the screen remained locked after 5 shut-downs and we had to drive with a locked screen. This causes the loss o... Read more

Incident date: Apr 24, 2026

I am writing to escalate a safety and reimbursement concern regarding my 2018 Jeep Cherokee, VIN [Your VIN], which is subject to recall 01C / 25V‑011 (Power Transfer Unit Snap Ring Defect). Before the recall remedy was available, my vehicle experienced a sudden loss of drive power, grinding, and jerking, which led to a full transmission replacement. I was stranded on the side of an interstate ra... Read more

Incident date: May 14, 2026

Vehicle was parked and turned off in a residential driveway when a fire spontaneously ignited in the engine compartment. There were no warning lights, unusual sounds, or symptoms prior to the incident. The fire department responded and extinguished the fire using dry chemical suppressant and water. The vehicle was a total loss. The fire appears to have originated in the front engine compartment... Read more

Fire

Incident date: May 12, 2026

The Ford Escape 2017 experienced a transmission malfunction involving delayed shifting, sudden jerking during operation, and difficulty shifting gears properly. Unusual noises were also coming from the transmission, along with ongoing symptoms indicating a clear mechanical and technical defect. This defect placed the driver, passengers, and other motorists at risk, especially during acceleration ... Read more

Incident date: May 12, 2026

"The vehicle suffered a critical failure of the shift interlock safety system. After parking in a driveway, the ignition key was able to be fully turned to the 'off' position and removed from the ignition cylinder, even though the transmission was not successfully secured in 'Park.' After the key was removed and I and went into the house the van rolled away. It traveled downhill, crashed through a... Read more

Crash

Incident date: May 13, 2026

When I come to a stop and the auto stop/start disengages the car makes a grinding noise

Incident date: Nov 21, 2025

Oil drains very fast even with regular oil changes and maintenance. The vehicle began shaking and then completely stopped with very little warning. Check engine light flashed for under 60 seconds then vehicle would not move forward on the highway creating a major safety hazard. Engine smelled hot and like burning rubber.

Incident date: May 13, 2026

The first code it threw was for the master air flow sensor then it started bogging out not going over 1RPM -throwing the code "P17F0 CVT Judder" and has left me in some really,really bad situations in traffic, and when it boggs down like that (no matter how many times I turn it off and restart it, even if the battery drains all the way out and I have to get a jump) I have to wait two hours after ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 29, 2025

The light component above the dash completely just fell out while i was on the highway, hanging by wires and obscuring my vision. Also there is a Bluetooth audio issue where no one can hear me when my phone is connected via Bluetooth or wired.

Incident date: Nov 21, 2025

The upper radiator hose on some huge percentage of these trucks fail (mine has failed at just over 35k 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 (in... Read more

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Consumer Safety Complaints

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

How to interpret what you read

If you've experienced a defect

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