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 72,878 complaints — component: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Incident date: Jan 9, 2024
When I pulled into a parking spot in a parking lot, the car seemed to go faster than I intended. I swiped a car next to me, which to me as it was not a tight space. I immediately, turned off the engine and dealt with the passenger of the other vehicle, exchanging information. After sometime, I got back in my car to move it to another location. As soon as the motor was running in reverse, in bega... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at unknown speeds and making a turn, the vehicle suddenly accelerated unintendedly. Then the vehicle resumed driving normally. While her husband was driving at unknown speeds and approaching a stop, he crashed into an unknown Tesla. There were no reported injuries. A police report was not filed. There was no fire or air b... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
My car displayed "reduced engine power" and slowed down on the highway while I was doing 65mph. My car would not accelerate past 20mph. There were no issues with my vehicle, and this happened out of nowhere. It caused a lot of other drivers to have to swerve around me, and drastically reduce their speeds as well in order to avoid collision. This was highly unsafe and now I can not safely drive my ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 7, 2023
The wrench light on the dashboard comes on I loose all speedometer readings and mpg. The transmission will not go ro 6th gear or down shift past third gear the transmission also jerks and rpms go up really high. This occurs going down the interstate or anywhere really if I turn the truck of and restart it the warnings will go away but later come back
Incident date: Jan 10, 2024
UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WHILE DRIVING AT A SLOWER SPEED. THE CAR SUDDENLY SPED UP WHICH WAS VERY ALARMING. I HAD TO HIT THE BRAKE TO CAUSE IT TO SLOW DOWN. IT HAPPENED ONCE DURING A 4 MILE TRIP. MY SPOUSE HAD REPORTED A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE EARLIER IN THE EVENING. ALSO MANY FUNCTIONS LIKE PARK ASSIST, TRACTION CONTROL ETC SEEMED TO BE AUTOMATICALLY DISENGAGING
Incident date: Dec 13, 2023
The problem first arose in June 2023. I was driving and suddenly, all the dashboard lights went on and the brakes stopped working. There was no pressure on the pedal. I was able to roll to a stop without incident. I turned the car off and back on again and the brakes worked but the check engine light was still on. I was able to limp the mile back to my house. After almost 6 weeks at the dealer, I ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2023
The problem first arose in June 2023 with a different car, 2022 CT4V VIN [XXX] . I was driving and suddenly, all the dashboard lights went on and the brakes stopped working. There was no pressure on the pedal. I was able to roll to a stop without incident. I turned the car off and back on again and the brakes worked but the check engine light was still on. I was able to limp the mile back to ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2023
While we were driving home (3 people in my car), with no notice, my car lost complete acceleration and broke down while we were on the highway. We hardly had notice to understand what was happening, let alone the other cars/people behind us on the highway where we almost got hit before being able to pull over to the side of the highway. We then had to wait for a tow-truck, again, on the shoulder o... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
This vehicle has numerous software problems. The biggest one is hat there is no roll away prevention. If the car is placed in reverse, and stars moving, if no other imputs are given by the driver the car will continue to roll. Als, if the drivers door is opened during this manuver, the roll continues. This is also true if the car is in drive and at a stop on a hill. If the brake is released th... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2024
I was driving myself and two passengers on a highway at night in the rain. I was using the adaptive cruise control and was maintaining speed when i went through a puddle and I think the car hydroplaned a little. A warning sign flashed up on the dash that said something towards "deactivating cruise control" - i am not sure of the exact warning. I've had a warning similar, im not sure if its the exa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2024
In middle of driving, the vehicle suddenly shifts out of gear and won’t accelerate, multiple warning lights appear in dash all at the same time and car at times the vehicle won’t even turn off
Incident date: Aug 15, 2023
In this vehicle the instrument panel is an electronic display. This display did not show any controls, speedometer, mileage, warning lights, etc. It was black, with only the backlight on. This morning (Jan 10) on my way to work I noticed my instrument panel was not working. The screen was completely black instead of displaying the normal information (charge level, speed, etc).
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
Report #1 - My grandma brought this 08' Explorer back in 2014, and after she passed, my mom drove it for the next 2 years. It started having general maintenance issues, then the cats were stolen, but then, one night my mother was coming home from a relative's house, when she was trying to keep up with the flow of traffic on [XXX] , and she noticed that the vehicle was not accelerating at all and t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2022
vsa modulator in the honda accords go bad, SPECIALLY the 2013-2017 Model Years. There are so many bulltins etc on the internet if you look it up youd see ,millions of people are having the same issue. This affets braking & traction. Traction control is no longer useable and the ABS System does not work since this is all apart of the ABS system. search honda accord vsa modulator recall 2016 honda a... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2023) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Jan 10, 2024
Incident date: Jan 10, 2024
Several things have happened multiple times now. While driving on an interstate the truck suddenly lost power then from 70 mph dropped almost immediately to 30-35 which almost caused the vehicles behind me to slam into me. Another time the auto stop came on waiting at a red light then when the light turned green the truck threw all alerts on the dash and died. Now I was parking and the esc control... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2024
When driving, if the accelerator pedal is depressed to merge into the highway or overtake other vehicles, the vehicle abruptly stops accelerating, and the RPM reaches max revs. The vehicle quickly loses momentum until it abruptly slams back into gear, causing a loud bang and startling the driver. This vehicle had a TSB for similar issues that was repaired by our dealer 2 times previously. We ha... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(1997) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Jan 9, 2024
Incident date: Dec 26, 2023
I brought my 2023 Volkswagen id.4 Pro S EV to the Volkswagen dealer where the vehicle was purchased new earlier this year. This service visit was for the routine 10,000 mile inspection. Upon leaving the appointment, I drove out of the exit driveway of the dealership and made a left turn across a 5 lane road. Shortly after pulling out into the road (at approximately 15-20mph driving in "B" regenera... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2024
[XXX] on my way to pick up kids from school in Dallas and take them home. I was driving about 65 mph trying to accelerate to pass an 18 wheeler, to exit. As I press on the gas there was no acceleration. All l hear is motor revving as if I’m in neutral, it feels like it slipped the gears resulting in the inability to speed up. At this point, I’m in front of the 18 wheeler, which is coming up o... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2023
Radio not turning on at all
Incident date: Jan 9, 2024
The battery in our van weakened and needed to be replaced. Upon replacement with brand new battery, a ton of new warnings began. These included problems with: Adaptive cruise control; lane assist; collision avoidance; auto high beam, and maybe another. Doing some research online, I found that many other Odyssey owners experienced similar issues associated with battery replacement. Local Honda... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2024
ABS Module and traction control do not work. Cruise control does not work. The ABS and traction control continually blink on and off. Was told that there is no replacement part for the ABS module and that is it unavailable indefinitely.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
ABS Brake system failure. Multiple reports of ‘17-‘18 yr models with exact problems.
Incident date: Nov 24, 2023
ABS, Electronic control system malfunction. Constantly failing causing safety to driving.
Incident date: Jan 6, 2024
Vehicle has hard jerking when increasing speeds. Vehicle takes several seconds to gain power from being stopped at red light and shifts very hard. Sometimes feels like gear slips into neutral and loses power after accelerating slowing. Takes several seconds to recognize being in reverse and jerks hard when it gets going. Started at around 37,000 miles and getting worse at 45,000. Been told severa... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2022
-What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Forward collision warning and accelerator pedal How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Traffic travelling at 45+ mph had to change lanes to avoid rear ending me after I pulled out onto the frontage roads from a stop and the accelerator pedal stopped responding (rpms went to idle... Read more
Incident date: Jan 8, 2024
When driving in a parking lot, due to the design of the cruise control set switch, it is very easy to unintentionally set the adaptive cruise control. Specifically, when maneuvering in a parking lot at low speeds (below 5mph) and allowing the wheel to return to center by spinning in your hands, the cruise control switch which is a dial/lever that sticks out beyond the surface of the wheel, catches... Read more
Incident date: Jan 19, 2021
In tighter corners the car coasts/brakes unnecessarily while cruise is on. Seems like a safety feature possibly or a malfunction as I haven't had that on any other cruise controls on other vehicles. Then after the corner it accelerates. I find very annoying. If this is considered a safety feature then ok but it is way to sensitive currently and needs an update.
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
The cruise control has been braking for no apparent reason, putting myself and the people behind me at risk. It also tried to stop at multiple green lights rather than continue driving. The his also outs me, my passengers and people behind me at risk. There were no warnings about this behavior. I have the latest update and will also contact Tesla about the issue.
Incident date: May 10, 2023
I was driving on a road when the car suddenly accelerated for no apparent reason. I hit the brake and nothing happened. When the car accelerated, it was like when you hit resume when you have cruise control on. I did not have cruise control on. To avoid hitting a vehicle in front of me, I went off the road to the right, hit a chain link fence and stopped in a field. The car was declared a tot... Read more
Crash
HYUNDAI
SONATA HYBRID
(2013) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Jan 8, 2024
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
seems like this is an on going issue honda safety systems failing around 30k miles. loss of all systems VSA, RMS, ACC, CMS. prior to all loss, the system would out of the blue activate when there was no cause. system will not reset and all dash warnings are on all started when the front right wheel might have had a slip issue going through a puddle of water. with the large amounts of failures, hon... Read more
Incident date: Jan 8, 2018
On 1/3/2024 the car was at a low speed - once when parking and once stopping at an intersection - when it suddenly accelerated without the accelerator being touched. The only way that the car stopped was that I was able to shift it into neutral. According to online forums, this has been a known issue with several Kia and Hyundai models.
Incident date: Dec 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle continued to accelerate forward before coming to a stop. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on several occasions but no cause for the failure was found. The contact was informed that the vehicle operated normally due to the hybrid system. The manufacturer was not contacted. The... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2023
THE TRANSMISSION "BUCKING" DURING SPEED ACCELERATION. THIS CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO DE-ACCELERATE BEFORE ACCELERATING TO DESIRE SPEED. PROBLEM: PROGRAMIMG OF THE PCM FOR THE TRANSMISSION. ACCORDING TO THE DATA COLLECTED ON THE FORD FORUM THIS PROBLEM AFFECTS ALL FORD RANGER FOR 2019 MODELS.
Incident date: Jan 7, 2024
Engine check light came on on 1/4/24 took it to dealership they ran a quick check and they said it had multiple misfires. The car has a lot of carbon buildup and they recommend a 24 hour cleaning which will cost me over $700.00. The car stalls and starts shaking as I speed up. I don't feel that a care with less than 70,000 miles should have this problem. Mine also has now been using up the oil v... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2024
My truck has an intermittent ABS light along with a traction control light and a message displaying Service antilock brake system and service electronic brake system. these lights also sometimes stay on until the next ignition cycle or even several ignition cycles. it also disables the cruise control as well causing an extreme loss of speed on the highway especially when traveling up steep grades.... Read more
Incident date: Jan 7, 2024
Our car was stopped and then engine started intermittently lunging forward for no reason. Rear ended the car in front of us and had to use the emergency brake to stop the car. Jeep Corp sent an independent inspector to check the car but only shared the car was drivable and didn't say there was a problem. They wouldn't share the computer findings with us or the dealer, only that is was drivable. ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 18, 2023
While driving on highways using adaptive cruise control, the vehicle will slow down quickly from highway speeds of 60 to 75 mph, down to 40 or 45 mph without the presence of an obstruction in front, such as a vehicle, or even a shadow, that could fool the vehicle’s camera. This puts us at risk of being rear-ended on the highway. The problem happens randomly. I have reported the issue to Tes... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2024
I was yielding to make a left hand turn , in the middle of the intersection, and my car turned off and wouldn’t turn back on. In addition the car occasionally jerks as I’m driving almost like if it changes gear. Sometimes I can’t get the car in park position I have to press the button multiple times. The recall going on right now can cause a fire crash or injury and they cannot replace the p... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
When I start the engine, I switch the gear from parking to drive mode and give it a gas, but the gas doesn't reach the engine the way it should, then after it starts running super fast even if I barely give it a gas, the timing belt is now making a cranking noise. Dealers told me it was an engine problem inside the engine. The dealer mechanic are even very surprised why this happened and after aga... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2024
When driving on the interstate the truck suddenly downshifted causing the tires to lock up and the vehicle to swerve out of control. There is already a recall for this issue for Lead Frame in 2011-2013 vehicles. The recall needs to be extended to the 2014 model vehicles as well.
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
Car slams the brakes while on autopilot with no obstacles on the highway. Car speed reduced at least 20 miles for no reason. Weather was clear.
Incident date: Jan 5, 2024
My car will lose all power as I'm driving, switch between gas/ elec and almost stall, it will accelerate when I take my foot OFF the gas , it will lose power on a turn.. it's random. form what I understand it's the BECM and it happened just after 100k miles. I have 105k.
Incident date: Dec 29, 2023
While driving at hwy speeds in the #2 lane the #1 lane to my left was closed with construction cones. I was in the lane with cruise control activated and driving at approx 70 mph with flow of traffic. I had been in this lane for a few miles when all of a sudden the car rapidly decelerated approx 10-15 mph in a very short distance. I took control of the acceleration by quickly taping my brakes. Lu... Read more
HONDA
CR-V HYBRID
(2022) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Jan 5, 2024
Incident date: Dec 22, 2023
When driving, the gas pedal will get stuck down and you will not be able to apply more pressure to the pedal to accelerate. This often happens when I go to change gear and then go back to the gas pedal to accelerate again. This typically will only happen from time to time but today it occurred every time I went to change gears. I had to pull over on the highway because I was unable to keep up with... Read more
HONDA
CR-V HYBRID
(2022) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Jan 5, 2024
Incident date: Dec 22, 2023
I got car accident on 12/22/23 due to brake failure. I was at Stop Sign - zero mph (at Parking Lot near shopping mall in Concord, CA), suddenly my car unexpectedly revved and lurched forward. It then jumped the parking curb. I had to control on steering wheel to the left because the right side was Chinese Restaurant. I tried to brake and press on "P". They did not work. My car hit one of the car t... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 24, 2023
It's its been about 4 times for myself and twice for my husband. When pulling out of parking lot onto busy street making a right hand turn, the car failed to accelerate so that I can merge onto the street. I almost got reareded twice because of this not being able to get up to speed. I have taken it to the dealer twice. The first time they told me there was a computer recall so he would do the... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle and shifting to reverse, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact continued to reverse the vehicle and felt a pulling sensation. The "Traction Control" failure light illuminated. The contact decided to move forward and park the vehicle. After several hours, the contact restarted the vehicle ... Read more
FORD
FUSION ENERGI
(2019) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Jan 5, 2024
Incident date: Jun 27, 2023
Was driving to work while raining.hit a water puddle hydroplaned, The stop brake warning light came,vehiical slammed on the brakes, and the steering wheel locked up. There where not other vehicals on the road.Rolled the vehical 3 times. On several occasions our honda van has slammed on the brakes without any vehicle or obstacle present.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
SUA Sudden unintended acceleration while making a U-turn to park in front of our home my wife, [XXX] was driving when the vehicle suddenly accelerated rapidly jumping the curb onto the sidewalk onto grassy front lawn then stopped. This was a ‘loaner’ vehicle from Volvo whom I called to have it towed back to them. Luckily there were no injuries or damages. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO TH... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2023
While driving, the vehicle display screen and lights start turning off and on. The warning lamp says " service trailer brake system" and the vehicle is unable to accelerate at all. Leaving me at a stand still in the middle of the road. It's a safely hazard because it happens suddenly and without warning and I am unable to move my vehicle so I'm just in the middle of the road. I haven't taken i... Read more