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 73,546 complaints - component: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
While using adaptive cruise control the vehicle regularly decelerates for no reason and without warning "phantom braking". I experience this about once a week, but experienced it multiple times on a longer drive this weekend. The unexplained abrupt braking could result in being rear-ended by another vehicle.
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
The ABS warning light and alarm come on while driving. Loss of ABS and cruise control, near rear end collision by following vehicles on the freeway while using cruise control. Ram knows they have a problem with 2017 and 2018 2500 pickups. Why no recall? Safety problem!
Incident date: Sep 9, 2024
Abs light and traction control warning light constantly coming on and off while driving and a warning sound playing every time the lights come on in the dash, which is very annoying and frustrating. The truck is under 30 000 miles and unfortunately is out of warranty. I don’t drive this truck very much and having this kind of problems with it is totally unacceptable.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2024
The car is frequently but intermittently reporting a failure with the front camera: "Front camera fault Service required". When this happens, the adaptive cruise control and other ADAS are disabled, which is a safety hazard while driving the car, especially at highway speeds. This issue began very infrequently in March 2024 and now happens on the majority of trips when driving the vehicle. I too... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2024
The noted vehicle is one of 7 Teslas (6 Model 3s and 1 Model Y) that I have rented from Hertz for a round trip from Orlando Fl to Naples Fl. Over the last 7 months. Each of the Model 3 vehicles was different, I never got the same Model 3. Each of the vehicles exhibited the same or similar glitch when traveling on [XXX] at [XXX] when either the navigation and/or the adaptive speed control was eng... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
Vehicle will display Service Electronic braking system randomly throughout driving the vehicle. The cruise control is not available when the code shows up. Also, the ABS and Traction Control lights pop up. The problem will shortly go away when I press the brakes all the way.
Incident date: Aug 27, 2024
I drove on [XXX] from Los Angeles towards San Diego in the morning. I followed the traffic in the middle lane and turned on the ACC, including the lane-keep assist, at the same time. The speed was set at 78 mph, but the traffic was moving faster than that. The distance was set to level 3 for ACC auto brake. After passing a speed limit sign, the head-up display suddenly showed a speed limit warni... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2024
I had this issue 2 times so far, and I thought I was crazy since it hasn't happened since, but I noticed another report of someone else having the exact same issue. This prompted me to include my own report, as this could be a fatal flaw that needs review immediately. While I was pulling out into traffic from a stop sign to cross multiple lanes, my engine on my 2022 Corolla Cross XLE shut off wi... Read more
Incident date: Aug 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while reversing, after releasing the brake pedal, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated to 4 MPH. While driving, after releasing the brake pedal, the vehicle independently accelerated. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who informed the contact that the vehicle was working as designed. T... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
Adaptive Cruise Control has applied brakes multiple times while cruise has been sent at speeds ranging from 55-75 MPH. Vehicle aggressively slowed down 10-20 MPH then picked up speed. No vehicles in sight ahead of vehicle, aggressively applied braking without warning. Aggressive braking could cause traffic behind vehicle to crash into me while driving at high speeds. Multiple other reports of this... Read more
Incident date: Sep 6, 2024
Recently I've noticed that when I try to accelerate or take off from stop it does not pick up speed as use to. My engine rpms rise but speed is getting less and less. I've also noticed my transmission temperature is staying between 190-200 degrees which gm has already had recalls over pertaining to this style transmission having issues due to high heat. Vehicle has always had maintenance kept up w... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2024
The anti break having issues. Sterling controls having issues Supsention having issues
Incident date: Jun 18, 2024
While driving my car made a loud beep sound and Faulty Brake Booster appeared on the dash and the BRAKE light came on and the brakes would not work properly. I was almost rear ended because of this.
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2022) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Sep 13, 2024
Incident date: Sep 12, 2024
Periodically tachometer revs, speedometer and odometer stops working, and the Powertrain Malfunction/Reduced Power/Electronic Throttle Control as well as the Service Engine Soon lights come on. Sometimes will reset when stopped, and the vehicle is turned off for about ten seconds before turning back on.
Incident date: Sep 12, 2024
Both screens turn off while I’m driving 70+ mph on the highway therefore none of the features work like adaptive cruise or lane assist. It caused me to almost get into an accident a couple of times. Volkswagen says they won’t buy it back or fix it since it’s under the recall. I don’t know what to do. These cars are not safe for the road and are putting people’s lives at risk being driven... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2024
My vehicle will not shut off. It states "shift to park". Sometimes it takes 30 minutes of trying to get the car to shut off. Since this began, we were on a road trip, it's causing issues with accelerating on the highway & I believe it's damaging the transmission. 2020 Chevy Malibu had other models under recall for this same reason. I called Chevy dealership & they said they cannot help me. They ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 29, 2024
Vehicle is sluggish and will not accelerate from a dead stop for several seconds. The gas pedal often has to be pushed much farther down than usual so then when the vehicle actually starts moving it lurches. It often seem like it can't find the proper gear so it will buck and stutter while driving. The shifting is not smooth at all and you never know how the vehicle will respond making for a ver... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2024
I fear for my safety in my vehicle because it’s been a lot of trouble since I first bought it. The vehicle reduces power and won’t let me accelerate even though the agency said they had fixed it already, the auto stop malfunctions and messes with the vehicle’s engine. Now that this new incident happened with the engine/gasoline that the car started shaking and just wouldn’t turn on I am ve... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2024
I went out from my house and got in my vehicle, turned it on, and the instrument cluster screen was not working. I turned off the car and turned it back on and the screen was still not working; I did not have any way to display my speed on the dash. I turned the car off again for a few minutes and then back on and the instrument cluster screen still did not turn on. I had to go pick up my child ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 7, 2024
Multiple, random occurrences of hard braking at highway speeds when there was no object or obstruction ahead. In the 2-1/2 years we’ve owned the car this has happened on two lane and multiple lane highways, generally at speeds over 50 mph. Also, the windshield wipers randomly deploy even when turned completely off. They generally work when it’s raining but the delay function is also randomly ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2024
We have been having repeated problems with the dash freezing in place for several days needing a battery to be disconnected to reset the issue. When the issue is going on, the dash is completely frozen in place. There is no way to know how much fuel is left, how fast you are going or anything else from the cluster due to it not changing at all. When the issues were brought to the dealers attenti... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
The vehicle has erratic acceleration. It will either be extremely slow and jerky or it will jump forward with great speed and force. This is dangerous and may cause an accident. You have no control when it comes to acceleration whether you are leaving a stop light or trying to avoid an accident.
Incident date: Aug 28, 2024
Driving in my newer GM Yukon Ultimate at 13k miles on the freeway. Vehicle with no warning shuts down while going 60mph in the middle lane. Was able to safely steer the car to the side of the road to avoid a collision. Vehicle lost all electrical contact. could not shift into neutral to tow. Turns out vehicle engine had to be replaced. GM approved a new engine replacement and are planning to re... Read more
Incident date: Sep 11, 2024
The transmission Valve Assembly Control Module and Vehicle Speed Sensors have both failed. The car will not shift out of 2nd gear and cannot go faster than 40 mph. This is a safety issue. I had my car inspected by a certified mechanic and he diagnosed the problem. He also stated that that he has seen this a lot with Infinitis. I have maintained my car well but this is Not a maintenance issu... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2020) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Sep 12, 2024
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
Main instrument cluster and infotainment system locked up during driving after dark, the screens froze and then went black. All exterior lights went out during driving. No speedometer or other warning lights are working. It is a serious safety issue! Turning the car off, waiting 10 minutes, and starting it again did not fix the issue no matter what i did trying to recover the system. The screens e... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2024
I was driving in EV mode and was behind another vehicle waiting to turn out of a plaza. The exit is on a slope which is important to mention. The car in front of me began to turn and as I was releasing the brake to move up the hill, the car engine kicked on, the RPM’s went up extremely high as if the accelerator was being pressed all the way to the floor, the car jolted forward on its own and hi... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Mar 4, 2021
Excessive oil consumption causes need for engine rebuild or replacement, cylinder head, head gasket, and timing chain repairs
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLS 450
(2020) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Sep 11, 2024
Incident date: Sep 8, 2024
My car since 45000 miles has had an acceleration issue. When I engage the gas pedal, 3- 5 seconds pass before the vehicle moves. Once moving, the engine will stutter or slightly jerk forward and backwards, almost to a stalling point. The safety issue is the potential for accident as cars may collide with me from the side or rear not seeing the issue I’m having. Dealership refuses to fix tellin... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2024
The adaptive cruise control feature of this vehicle on various highways [XXX] , [XXX] and the [XXX] ) and in various locations while traveling at highway speeds has mis-read speed limit signs and aggressively decelerated(I assume by using its regenerative braking) to as low as 35mph while traffic is moving at 65+mph. The dealership was unable to duplicate this issue. No faults are displayed to th... Read more
FORD
MAVERICK HYBRID
(2022) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Sep 11, 2024
Incident date: Sep 7, 2024
I had backed in to a parking space in a parking lot. To exit, I shifted the car into Drive, gently touched the accelerator (which should have accelerated the car to 2 MPH) and turned the steering wheel about 90° clockwise with my left hand to straighten the wheels. In doing so, the base of my left thumb inadvertently pushed the Set button on the cruise control, causing it to set to 15 MPH, its mi... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Aug 26, 2024
While the cruise control was engaged on the highway without touching anything the with the speed set to 65mph the speed would suddenly increase to in excess of 75 mph before I could catch it and reset the speed back to 65mph. Also there would be times when the speed would decrease below 65mph by 10 to 20 mph and not reset to the 65mph speed. This was happening when the AutoGlide self driving fea... Read more
FORD
MUSTANG MACH E
(2022) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Sep 11, 2024
Incident date: Aug 10, 2024
Vehicle has a control module failure causing the ABS, Traction Control, Cruise Control and other braking systems to intermittently turn off and on. The vehicle has been brought in for this issue and we have been told they are unable to get parts to replace the module at this time. This has been an ongoing issue for multiple years, with the failure occurring at a higher percentage of time the vehic... Read more
Incident date: Sep 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E. The contact stated while reversing at slow speeds in a parking area, the vehicle suddenly independently accelerated. The contact briefly lost control of the vehicle and came to a complete stop after striking the curb. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who was unable to diagnose the vehicle or duplicate the failure.... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2024
When vehicle in cruise control going anywhere 55 to 70 mph. Coming to slight grade hill, the vehicle down shift so hard from 9 gear to 4th gear and the RPM goes almost to 6000. There was some waters running over the road and almost causes me to lose control. I have complaint to the ORR dealer in Ft. Smith from the beginning and they said nothing wrong. It been a problem since I brought it new.
Incident date: Sep 2, 2024
I just purchased my 2024 Nissan VERSA two weeks ago August 24, 2024. Since I have had it my car doesn’t seem to want to shift speed like it should. My transmission seems to be stalling to change out. My car also constantly makes a growling noise when left I’m on my brakes sitting. I took my car back to the dealerships and they tried tell me that it was the compressor which is false my AC nor m... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2024
The contact called on behalf of their son who owns a 2020 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while their son was decelerating, speed was unknown, and coming to a stop sign. The next thing their son was able to recall was that the vehicle had suddenly turned right crashing into an electrical pole nearby. The air bags deployed. The driver had lost consciousness during the crash making it diffi... Read more
Crash
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 10, 2024
ABS and Traction control warning lights are on display. Cruise control and 4x4 will not engage due to this issue. Also causing malfunction while towing a trailer.
Incident date: Aug 12, 2024
ABS and Traction control warning lights are on display. Cruise control and 4x4 will not engage due to this issue. Also causing malfunction while towing a trailer.
Incident date: Aug 10, 2023
ABS control module failed while driving. This also took out cruise control and electronic stability. This can cause brakes to lock up and/or a loss of control in inclement weather.
Incident date: Aug 26, 2024
Received intermittent warnings that the front collision warning system, cruise control and front camera were not working. The problem I think began after having my roof/windshield removed/reglued under recall. It was intermittent and I could not tell if software updates were resolving the problem, but then the problem became permanent at which time my car was out of warranty. Which does not seem f... Read more
Incident date: Sep 2, 2024
The contact owns a 1993 Ford F-150. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 05V017000 (Vehicle Speed Control); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while replacing the brake master cylinder, the contact noticed that there was brake fluid leaking onto a connector. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was... Read more
Incident date: Sep 10, 2024
Chime comes on. Then displays parksense temporarily unavailable. Then a few seconds later another chime and a display come on and reads service shifter. And if my cruise control is on the vehicle disengages the cruise control. When this happens occasionally will disengage the transmission and I will have to pull over and shut the vehicle off then start it back off. Then it will let me put it back ... Read more
GRAND DESIGN
MOMENTUM
(2021) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Sep 10, 2024
Incident date: Aug 26, 2024
Car was burning oil rapidly. While driving heard loud noises, shaking, smoke started coming through vents and car turned off. Kia is stating that there are many recalls on vehicle, but the only recall I received is for a tow hitch. I don't have a tow hitch. Very dangerous if I was going somewhere with a higher speed limit. Kia dealership is saying corporation won't offer extended warranty due to r... Read more
JEEP
WRANGLER 4XE
(2024) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Sep 10, 2024
Incident date: Aug 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration causing the driver to lose control of the steering and crash into a second vehicle. During the crash, the frontend of the vehicle was severely damaged but the air bag did not deploy. The contact sustained a right-hand injury that did not require... Read more
Crash
4 injured
Incident date: Sep 7, 2024
I bought my 2018 Ram Truck in 2019 new from a dealership. the first sign of a problem started at about 25,000 mi. It started sending tones with the message "Service Electronic Braking System" and "Service Antilock Brake System". It would toggle between these two messages and sound warning tones while the truck is in operation. The first shop I took it to replaced my carburetor. That was not it. I ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2024
Car will accelerate and get stuck in a high gear rpm gauge will not work as well You will come to a stop not knowing you are stuck in a high gear car will not downshift. I tried to cross the intersection from a stop and almost got hit because I could barely accelerate. I was stuck in 5th gear. Car will also stall while stuck in in a high gear at a stop I can turn off the vehicle and start it and ... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2014) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Sep 9, 2024
Incident date: Jul 20, 2024
My 2019 Honda Odyssey was involved in a total loss car accident recently on Aug 20 2024. The cause was delayed acceleration due to a fuel pump recall by Honda Motor Corp from Dec 2023; and to date they have failed and neglected to provide the part to repair. For over a year I have experienced delayed acceleration issues with this auto. I purchased this auto new from the local dealer in 2019 and ha... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 16, 2024
I have replaced my transmission in 2019. Car still has transmission problems. I’ve replaced my passenger headlight and lamp but the light still won’t work. My brake lights or back blinkers don’t work even after changing the fuses. Tire pressure light won’t go off. I have had this car since 2010..
Incident date: Sep 6, 2024
P0500 vehicle speed sen/cir P0720 a/t veh speed sen/ circuit-or- output speed sensor P1574 ascd vhcl apps sensor - or lcc vhl spd sen (icc models) My safety was put at risk when the vehicle hesitated and stop changing gears while traffic was behind me. The vehicle was inspected by a local dealership which was Nissan and also Infiniti including a transmission shop named ammco. There were no war... Read more