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: Jan 10, 2026
I was involved in a serious crash in a 2014 Nissan Juke. The vehicle broke through a fence, traveled downhill, and rolled multiple times before coming to rest upside down. The crash caused severe structural damage: Roof crushed down to seat level Windshield shattered Rear of vehicle pushed into back seat Door panels detached Despite the severity of the rollover and final inverted position, no airb... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 10, 2026
Multimedia component is not working correctly and it could cause an accident due to trying to change/control the component over and over again. It has a mind of its own. I turn it off and it turns on by itself. It switches radio stations by itself. The screen changes apps all by itself. I can't correctly use any of it anymore. I try using my phone and even though I don't want it sent to audio on t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 10, 2026
I am submitting a complaint regarding a 2021 Kia Sorento SX that experienced a premature and catastrophic transmission failure at approximately 76,000 miles. The vehicle developed loss of power, hesitation, and erratic shifting at low speeds (0–30 mph), creating a potentially dangerous condition when attempting to accelerate into traffic or cross intersections. A Kia dealership diagnosed the is... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
The front passenger door lock does not fully engage or disengage with the key fob or when putting the car in park. The lever must be maually controls by hand to unlock or lock the door.0
Incident date: Apr 9, 2026
On 3/19/2026. Battery was at 20% SOC. Plugged in my home L2 charger. Car did not start. Took vehicle to dealer the next morning 3/20/2026. It was diagnosed as an ICCU failure. Parts ordered car left at dealer but still waiting on 4/9/2026 for issue to be resolved.
Incident date: Mar 17, 2026
To whom it may concern at NHTSA, I am filing a formal complaint regarding a critical technical discrepancy in Honda’s manufacturing records that is preventing essential safety diagnostics and maintenance for my vehicle. Vehicle Details: • VIN: [XXX] • Model: 2022 Honda Civic Touring (11th Generation) • Manufacturing Plant: Honda of Canada Mfg. The Issue: According to the NHTSA Part 565 su... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
My 2015 Nissan Rogue Select, driver side rear door, Door lock has failed with the door in the locked and closed position. I understand there is an ongoing lawsuit over this failure and I am making a complaint to support that this is a safety hazard. While other means of escaping the vehicle are available for an emergency situation, they are less than ideal if the door lock has failed. So far this ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
Rear view camera won’t display when out in reverse. Also, when the camera does come on, it’ll flicker off and on
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
While driving on the highway, something (likely a small rock) from oncoming traffic flew into the windshield. Upon contact, the windshield cracked and shattered in a manner I have not seen a windshield break before, immediately spraying glass shards across the interior of the vehicle (to include dashboard, seats, and floors) and the driver. From the outside of the windshield, the area of damage is... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
In 2018 Honda Accord with the 1.5-liter, four-cylinder turbo engine that had a head gasket fail at 110k miles which has been diagnosed and confirmed by local Honda dealer with misfire codes/counts on cylinder 1 due to coolant leaking inside cylinder 1 and 2 due to this bad head gasket. Due to the bad head gasket and coolant leaking into cylinders, this caused the fuel injectors to clog and fail. ... Read more
AUDI
E-TRON SPORTBACK
(2022) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Apr 9, 2026
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
When the weather is warm or hot the car will drive less than a mile then cuts off but still drives. No air conditioning no radio or camera works how car shuts off but can still drive.
Incident date: Dec 10, 2025
I bought this car new and it does not have a FRUNK emergency release or a FRUNK light.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
I have a 2017 Lincoln Continental that the passenger side front door will not open from the inside.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
Power steering stops working causing to the wheel to jerk and almost lock up while driving.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
Front facing camera, located in front grill, has inadequate water proofing, which eventually shorts out the camera and causing it to become inoperable. This creates a blind spot when backing up or driving in tight spaces with such a large truck. When the front camera blacks out, you lose visibility in front of the vehicle. This is a safety issue, because the size of the truck, how high it sits f... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
Scenic sunroof shade has drooped and sagged down impeding my visibility in the rear view mirror to check traffic while backing out and seeing my grandchildren in their car seats
Incident date: Feb 12, 2026
It’s the transmission failure, most owners have complained about the same issues and Toyota ain’t doing nothing about it
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
I was traveling to Kentucky from NYC in December 2025 and while in Pennsylvania a sign on my dash stated your safety equipment was out because of a build up on the front lens outside of the car and it stated to stop and clean it off, so I pulled off to the side of the highway and stopped my car and when I stiffed it into park there was a griming noise from the transmission. When I went into the... Read more
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Fire
Incident date: Feb 7, 2026
1 WATERPUMP FAILED AND LEAKED WATER INTO MY OIL AND BLEW MY ENGINE. THERE WAS NO WARNING. MY CAR HAD NO POWER AND I COULD NOT DRIVE. I WAS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE WATERPUMP IS NOT A RECALL BUT THERE ARE ALOT OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE ON THE SAME MODEL . THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE. 2. PILLAR/TRIM RECALL IS NOT FIXED AND WATER IS GETTING INTO THE INSIDE OF MY CAR AND SHORTING OU... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2025
Center console glossy trim around the gear shift gives off a blinding glare from the sunlight coming through the front windshield. Almost side swiped the adjacent vehicle on my right when blinded. This was noted and photographed after just owning the vehicle for one day. Talked to Toyota Corporate who told me to take it to local dealership. Toyota of Fort Worth said there is nothing they can do an... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
I believed Tesla full self driving (FSD) was in effect. My Tesla proceeded at 35 miles an hour toward a stop sign and I had to manually stop the vehicle to prevent blowing the sign. It turns out that Tesla sent an email 2 days ago (April 7 2026) that notified me that FSD had been cancelled because my credit card was declined (I had to replace a card on April 7 due to a lost card). I did not see th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
Recently, while driving on the freeway The drivers B pillar, came off and was only held on by the wires for the keyless entry. While driving on the freeway, I had to hold the B pillar until I could get off the freeway. When I called Ford, they told me to bring it in to get it looked at to proceed with the repair, but was then informed there is no parts at this time and had no time line when they w... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2026
My mother's vehicle caught fire while in park and it’s listed under a fire-risk recall. Another car got damage with the fire. I want to open a claim.
Fire
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2026) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Apr 9, 2026
Incident date: Mar 4, 2026
Multiple warning lights 4WD, Advance track, power train, hill start coming up on in my 2020 Ford Escape Titanium. Some go off for a few days and then come back on, some go on and off while driving. Also purge valve evap codes come up
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
Vehicle has performed an OTA update to version 3.8.11 on Saturday April 4, 2026. Prior to that there were no failures or warnings reported. After the update has completed there is a warning “Emergency call function is limited. Please service vehicle”. The SOS button in the cabin is Red instead of Green. Other users in the N.A. as well users in Europe are reporting the exact issue in the forums... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2024
"fuel pump issues directly cause injector system failures". Today Honda assured me than the fuel pump recall could not interfere in the injector system, that's totally false Now I have to changed injector system and spark plugs to my own expense. On Monday 6th of April 2026 showrd engine light as well as stalling when driving On Monday 30th of March AC COMPRRSSOR SMOKED, ALSO NEED TO BE REPLACED
Incident date: Apr 7, 2026
The white paint on my 2016 Honda Civic keeps peeling, which looks bad and is leading to structural rust developing in several areas of my car. Fixing it will be costly, and the paint quality on these vehicles isn't very good, causing frustration for owners. Furthermore, my steering wheel has been sticking for some time, and I've consulted several shops for their thoughts. This also comes with a he... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
I was driving home from work on the interstate. It was not overly crowded and not many vehicles around me. I was going the speed limit. All the sudden I heard a loud pop and a very loud sound. I wasn’t sure exactly what happened. I thought maybe I blew a tire so I pulled over to the side of the road. I then figured out that my sunroof had shattered/exploded in my brand new 2026 ford explorer.... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2018) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Apr 8, 2026
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
Recall Number A0C and NHTSA Recall Number 25V-674 has yet been addressed by the dealer or manufacturer. I contacted the dealership back in October of 2025 when learning about the recall at which time I was told there was no remedy as of yet. We are now in April of 2026 and there remains no remedy for a recall that imposes a risk of losing control of the vehicle's movement which ultimately will and... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
Dear American Honda Motor Co., Inc. ,I am writing to formally document my experience with a premature failure of the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) in my Honda HR-V. The vehicle was covered under the extended warranty program Honda implemented specifically for the known CVT issues affecting 2016–2020 model years.In On 3/10/26 the CVT failed at approximately 96,000 miles. The vehicle w... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
The component that failed is the cowl panel weather stripping/seal located at the base of the windshield on my 2022 Subaru Outback. The material is visibly peeling and deteriorating despite the vehicle having only approximately 23,000 miles. The defective component is still installed on the vehicle and is available for inspection upon request. While this issue has not yet caused a direct accident... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
Glass roof panel behind sunroof (over rear seats of crew cab) shattered while driving on the highway at 5:30am with no other vehicles within several hundred yards. No sign of impact, remaining glass seems to be pushed outward.
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
I reported last year that my dash board has been coming off dut to the heat. Told me I had to repair myself. It's already to the pint where the whole thing is almost completely off
Incident date: Dec 23, 2022
A persistent and dangerous safety defect regarding my 2026 Hyundai Tucson. Since February 19, 2026, I have experienced a chemical/burning odor when the heater is in operation. More alarmingly, exposure to these fumes while driving causes me and a passenger to experience severe headaches and dizziness, rendering the vehicle unsafe to operate. To date, I have presented the vehicle for repair on fi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
I went to open the trunk on my 2022 Tesla Model 3 using the normal electric trunk button above the license plate. When I clicked the button, the trunk opened a few inches, made an abnormal noise, and then came crashing shut. At this point, I opened trunk manually to see what occurred and immediately saw the electrically-operated trunk strut separated from the trunk and also a crack in my rear glas... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
Complaint Summary: Post recall catalytic converter failure on 2016 Kia Soul with 1.6L GDI engine (SC176 recall previously performed). Complaint Details: I own a 2016 Kia Soul equipped with the 1.6 liter Gamma GDI engine (engine code G4FD, emissions family GKMXV01.6DBE). This engine is part of Kia’s SC176 recall for catalytic converter overheating and thermal damage. My dealer performed the SC17... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
• I experienced trouble with my splash guard being damaged from hanging and scraping the ground about a month after purchasing the vehicle. Also, my hood paint started chipping after a recent cold front experienced in my state earlier this year. Yes it is available for inspection upon request. Regarding the splash guard, not applicable. • It’s was very inconvenient to drive with a portion ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
There is a recall for my vehicle with the evaporator core freezing leaking on certain chevy 2017 impala just like mine and my car has the same issue but they only recalled a certain number of vehicles with this problem. Is there anything I can do to resolve this issue.
Incident date: Dec 10, 2025
My infotainment screen goes blank when I backup instead of displaying my backup camera. There is an active recall on this but there is no remedy and no estimated remedy date. Ford Motor Company is only prioritizing 2026 model years so they can sell brand new vehicles. They are not trying to fix previous model years. This poses a safety risk that can result in a crash and/or death. Cars are require... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2026
Sunroof shattered (exploded) with a boom sound or gunshot when driving on highway.
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
Sun roof exploded while driving at highway speed.All glass came into vehicle and caused a critical issue requiring me to pullover in an unsafe manner in order to not get cut by glass.
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
I am reporting a recurring defect involving the sunroof drain system in my 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum that has caused multiple interior flooding incidents. The vehicle has flooded three separate times due to failure of the sunroof drainage system. Water enters the cabin during rain events and accumulates inside the vehicle, causing damage to the interior and raising concerns about potential ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
My car is experiencing the starting issue that is listed as auto start/stop feature. However, since I almost always have the AC on or start/stop disabled because the car will not start when hot after a few stops and was scared it would do it in traffic. So far I can get it started again but need to completely turn car off and try again, sometimes more than once. Had been going on for a year and t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 16, 2025
3 unresolved safety defects on 2024 Lexus NX 450h+ plug-in hybrid leased May 2023: ELECTRICAL/BATTERY: Rear seat occupant sensor produced continuous false alerts since weeks after lease began, preventing vehicle from locking. High-voltage components including on-board charger located beneath/near the rear seat area per dealer representation at time of sale. Service manager acknowledged liability i... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2026
To whom it may concern, I am writing to formally express my profound dissatisfaction and escalating concern regarding a persistent mechanical issue with my Honda vehicle, which remains unresolved despite numerous attempts to secure a repair since its purchase in June 2024. Upon acquiring my brand-new vehicle in June 2024, I soon detected a distinctive clicking or thumping sound emanating from t... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2026
Onstar isnt working the clock wont stay on time the telematics control module went out on a brand new truck just past the 36,000 mile warranty
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
*The vehicle cuts off randomly while driving without warning . *Error lights come on randomly on dash and states to shift to park. *Trouble starting the vehicle and putting in reverse. *There have been many random occurrences with this vehicle which began shortly after October 2025. * I have taken it to the dealership twice complaining g of the issues and the service department states "that th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2024
PROLONGED RECALL BELOW 4 CARS BEEN IN RECALL SINCE LATE FEBURARY. NEED FIX ASAP!!!! 3VW5X7BU4SM073489 3VW5X7BU3SM088081 3VW5X7BU4SM064677 3VW5X7BU1SM088872
Incident date: Jan 8, 2026
Rear Window of 2019 Acura RDX shattered while car was parked at my home after using remote start. No other damage to vehicle, there is currently a TSB 22-014 for this exact issue by Acura where they acknowledged that this happens to RDX models from 2019-2022 but there is no recall to fix this potentially dangerous issue. I luckily was not driving when this happened