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: Oct 6, 2023
My abs brake light goes on and off cruise control just stops in the middle of the highway. I was almost hit by an eight wheeler while commuting because of it. I loose traction driving on wet roads. I have taken it to the dealership more than twice to fix the problem. So solution in sight.
LAND ROVER
DEFENDER
(2023) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Oct 15, 2023
Incident date: Oct 14, 2023
My Anti Lock Brakes, Traction control and power steering have gone out repeatedly on this vehicle. The ABS pump HCU unit has failed at 8,433 miles. The same thing failed again at 12,924 miles. As of this complaint the same thing has failed again at 20,000 miles. I have not had it repaired because Ram will not guarantee the new part they put in is not defective, like the original part and the 2 oth... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2015) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Oct 15, 2023
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
When parked letting the car warm up constant shaking kinda a rough ideal at times. From park to reverse it shifts hard the to drive its ok I guess then on the go it's like driving a boat on land loud knocking sounds seems like the tires are flat or about to explode off the car really nerve-wracking
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(1999) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Oct 14, 2023
Incident date: Oct 13, 2023
Driving on the highway at 65mph, engine light started blinking then stayed solid and my speed declined to 40mph and would not go higher. Had to stay in slow lane to get off and get back on to make it home. I was unsure as to what was happening.It was the weekend so had to wait until Monday until i could find out and the dealership told me it was the valve cover gasket (which is brand new). I was a... Read more
Incident date: Oct 14, 2023
I have had my 2014 Chevy Cruze for 2 years now and have kept up with regular maintenance. My vehicle rocks back and forth while on the brakes, there’s an constant issue with the traction control system, my automatic lights don’t work (I have to many turn on the light in order for the brake lights to turn on), the vehicle shakes side to side when braked, and so much more. When I take the vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2023
have a 2013 Scion IQ (auto/cvt). I had the 'check engine' and 'trac control' lights come on a few years ago.. I was driving on city streets. All I noticed was that the car didn't respond as it should when I gave it gas. ( nothing drastic ) I ran the codes. It said the gas pedal was the problem. I removed the pedal assembly. (it's easier to unplug it that way. I unplugged it and looked at the ... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA CRUZ
(2023) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Oct 14, 2023
Incident date: Jul 31, 2023
At around 50,000 miles my truck began to turn off cruise control while driving, ding, and the ABS ,as well as, the traction control light came on. It goes on and off repeatedly while driving. This is incredibly distracting and quite possibly dangerous for braking and handling. The local dealership is aware and have stated that even though it is still under warranty, there is no available part to f... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2015) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Oct 14, 2023
Incident date: Oct 2, 2023
The Highway Drive Assist (HDA) designed to auto change cruise speed according to posted speed limit signs - at 80mph limit will auto change to 83mph and 85mph limit will auto change to 95mph. Hyundai has said this is not available to inspect.
Incident date: Oct 12, 2023
Engine blinking and smell burnt while driving, ABS button turn on automatically
Incident date: Oct 8, 2023
Without warning while driving my vehicle loses the ability to excelerate. I am lucky I haven't been hit by another car. I patiently wait and after a few seconds it will move forward into the turn. I do not get a reading or warning lights of any kind. This has just started happening and it has occurred 4 x this week. I have an appointment to have it serviced. After reading countless on-line repo... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2023
On 4/10/2023, I took my vehicle to a local GMC dealership because it was stalling and didn't have any power. Upon accelerating the vehicle it would stall and take off at a high speed. The dealership has had my vehicle periodically from April 2023 and it presently sets at the dealership because they ain't getting a code, But after the dealership drove the truck for over 200 miles, they were finall... Read more
Incident date: Sep 22, 2023
Two times in one week with two different drivers driving the same vehicle the vehicle experienced sudden unintended acceleration while parking. In the first incident this resulted in damage to the bumper into a wired fence which the vehicle did not alert but rather accelerated instead of applied regenerative breaking. Four days later the same incident happened with sudden unintended acceleration o... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Sep 2, 2023
ABS module and HCU failure. Constant service ABS, traction control, and service brake system warning lights. I lost control of truck on snow covered road when warnings came on causing me to go into the ditch. Knowing that FCA refuses to address the safety concerns, I have not brought the truck to the dealership.
Incident date: Oct 14, 2023
I've owned this car less than a month and this has happened to me twice. I start to drive the car and experience a severe loss of power. The accelerator is pushed to the floor and the car barely moves. This happened when I was attempting to pass another vehicle. Could have had disastrous consequences. No indication on the dashboard that anything is wrong. If this happened while trying to merge ont... Read more
Incident date: Sep 28, 2023
the car shut off doing 60mph it was very scary took it to mechanic it had 2 codes the check engine light was on they cleaned the throttle body it ran but was struggling and rough idling drove to work and it wanted to stall multiple times put it in neutral to get idle up at a light then it stalled at a light drove home very afraid that it would shut off again took to the same mechanic to explain wh... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2023
On June 30 2023 my 2018 Ford eco sports “oil engine pressure low” light turned on while I was trying to get on the freeway. Only seconds later my car will hardly accelerate, and I was forced to pull over right after merging onto the highway at about 35 mph. Thankfully I did because when I got to the shoulder I noticed the brakes were extremely hard to push down. Even after when I tried to res... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2021) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Oct 13, 2023
Incident date: Sep 12, 2023
I was sitting at a traffic light stopped when all of a sudden the truck tried to accelerate, I stood on the brakes to get it to stop then all of a sudden it was like i was giving it gas again and I hit the car in front of me again but harder the second time.
Crash
Incident date: Oct 13, 2023
Car jerking and started to not move forward when step on gas pedal then had to pull over and stop car. Was on local road. Brought car to dealer and they found it was due to TCM mail notice saying this car year / model needs replacement, but they have ordered parts 6 months ago and none has been received nor do they know when they will receive. This would be covered by Ford. Dealer also said Clu... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2023
ABS & TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS KEEP COMMING ON, THEN THE CRUISE STOPS WORKING,
HYUNDAI
SONATA HYBRID
(2016) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Oct 12, 2023
Incident date: Oct 12, 2023
When I achieved my desired speed while driving on the highway, I turned on my adaptive cruise control as I usually do. This time, the car began accelerating dramatically, set on 110mph instead of my desire 55mph. It did this twice, even after I turned off the cruise control. I parked on the side of the street and restarted the car before it returned to normal. My life was very much threatened whil... Read more
Incident date: Oct 11, 2023
Phantom braking continues. This time the vehicle was traveling on an Interstate highway at 70mph, until the phantom braking occured, which caused the speed to drop immediately (within a few seconds) to less than 30mph. This safety problem was extremely prevalent when the car was within its first six months of use. It has improved, but has not gone away completely.
Incident date: Oct 3, 2023
Having issues with my car upon accerlation. 35-38 mph I hear a noise briefly that is hard to pin point as it doesn't happen every time I accelerate. Took it in to find the cause and was told that its just my tires making a noise. however I have taken to a few mechanics and tire shops and told me that it wouldn't cause my car to be sluggish. tires are basic wear and tear.
MERCEDES-BENZ
AMG GLE43
(2019) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Oct 12, 2023
Incident date: Sep 23, 2023
I purchased a Certified Pre Owned Mercedes 2019 GLE 43 AMG from West Covina Mercedes-Benz Dealership in 2020 with 8,252 miles on it. This year I started to hear a noise upon accerlating which later lead to a rough acceleration. It feels like my car is struggling to get going. I took it to get diagnoised by three different mechanics and they have all mentioned that; Directory Control Valve & harnes... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA SPORTWAGEN
(2012) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Oct 12, 2023
Incident date: Oct 6, 2023
1.) Throttle Control failure, and is available for inspection 2.) My and the public saftey was put in risk, as I lost control of the vehicle an almost had an accident, and could have hit another vehicle or person or building. 3.) The problem has not occured again other than the multiple times on 10/10/2023. The problem has not been confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. I had O'Reill... Read more
MAZDA
CX-90 PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2024) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Oct 12, 2023
Incident date: Oct 11, 2023
I was driving on the freeway on the fast lane and the vehicle slowed from 65mph to zero in about 30 seconds and came to a complete stop. It happened so fast I couldn’t change lanes to get to a safe spot. I was left stranded on the fast lane of the freeway with traffic coming right at me. Vehicle displayed a Hybrid system malfunction message.
Incident date: Oct 10, 2023
On four occasions in the last five weeks, I have been driving at relatively low speed (20-30 MPH), and when I attempt to accelerate, the vehicle will not accelerate when I press the gas pedal. The tachometer shows the RPMs are maxed out, but the vehicle does not accelerate no matter how hard I press the gas pedal. I have to pull off the road, turn off the vehicle, and restart to fix it. I am ce... Read more
CONTINENTAL
PURECONTACT
(9999) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Oct 12, 2023
Incident date: Jul 4, 2023
I turned my vehicle on and noticed the instrument panel screen was completely off. I tried to turn it off and on again and it stayed off. I had to drive home with no instrument panel. after 5 hours I turned on the truck and it finally came on
Incident date: Oct 3, 2023
My car is loosing oil, I have to keep putting oil in my car. I think this is affecting the performance of the Cadillac converter that makes the car lose power, make noise and overall make the car not run correctly.
Incident date: Oct 8, 2023
Anti Lock brake system and service electronic brake system message keeps going on & off every 30 seconds & will shut down cruise control if it is engaged. Happened in 10/11/2021 & now 10/8/ 2023.
Incident date: Apr 2, 2023
My vehicle speed up and slow down all that itself. It will not maintain speed even with my foot steady on the gas. It will not accelerate, but the major problem is my seatbelt gets stuck all the time I’m afraid to get buckled. I am unable to remove my seatbelt multiple times so now I have buckled my seatbelt behind me so I can start getting tickets. I’ve gotten like four tickets because I’m ... Read more
Crash
FORD
ESCAPE HYBRID
(2020) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Oct 11, 2023
Incident date: Oct 10, 2023
I received this new car 11 days ago - it has none of its safety assist driving features and Tesla is not responding to my requests for assistance. I can't get a response to my requests for help. The clearly is absent of multiple points of functionality. Thank you
Incident date: Jun 21, 2023
This is the second complaint filed for the same issue. Tracking number 11441949. I understand there is an investigation open for this issue. PE 22-012. Opened 11/28/22. My truck was repaired under warranty December of 2021 It has failed again in September of 2023. after less than 2 years and 20,000 miles. The ABS/Traction control system as well as cruise control unexpectedly without warning sto... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2023
The ABS/ Traction control is intermittently failing. It is aviliable for inspection. When the light comes on I have no ABS or Traction control which may cause me to lose control under certain circumstances. The dealer has and the manufacturer has confirmed the problem. The dealership was able to reproduce the issue. The component was inspected by the dealership. There are the ABS/ Tractio... Read more
Incident date: Oct 8, 2023
1.Issues with Navigation / Map display 2.Issue with Speedometer display changing location on dash while driving Have previously written re: issues with the backup camera system on this vehicle. This a new recurring issue with the Navigation system and Driver Information Center display. 10/02/23 – Upon starting vehicle, map only displayed on the bottom 1/3 of center 10” display. Attempts to re... Read more
COSCO KIDS
SCENERA
(9999) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Oct 10, 2023
Incident date: Oct 10, 2023
The ABS and traction control light are coming on and off and malfunctioning with a dinging bell alert. With a message that says service antilock brakes soon. On wet roads the steering seems off and brakes lock up. Very unsafe, The Ram dealer said the parts to fix are under engineering review and not available until February 2024. My truck is a 2017 Ram 2500 with19,850 miles. I bought the truck new
Incident date: Sep 3, 2023
I took my 2014 Honda Accord Ex in for repairs on September 4, 2023 and the Honda dealership informed me that after replacing the battery that the it that the VSA Modulator on the car has gone bad which has been a common problem with this year Honda Accord and others from 2013 all the way to the 2017. And this part has been on back order for months. This a shame.
Incident date: Oct 9, 2023
While driving after the electric battery is used and switches over to gas, I have been getting the check engine, ABS, steering, parking, and brake lights. I have lost power steering, lost the speedometer, lost fuel range, lost stabilitrak, it has randomly turned on the emergency brake while all these other things are happening, It also has said “shift to park”, propulsion power reduced. I hav... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2023) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Oct 9, 2023
Incident date: Sep 30, 2023
I just bought this car 2 months ago after saving for a whole year. I’ve been having problems week into the purchase due to the transmission. My car has been overheating with the transmission (almost every 4 miles), going on limp mode (when pressing the gas), jerking (while driving), not reversing and not starting right away. Im trying my hardest to get on my feet after a being in a domestic ab... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2022
the abs module and the hydraulic pump have a issue that turns on the abs and light and turns off the cruise control and reverts to non abs braking due to faulty module and pump assembly that was changed already and now the wont cover this under any warrenty known faulty part
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
ABS, service brake system, cruise control failed and no parts available to fix it.
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
ABS and Traction control light come on intermittently causing cruise control to kick out and not work. Also causes an alarm to ding over and over. This is a known problem with the Ram HD for this year.
Incident date: Sep 8, 2023
1st problem happened when I was at a complete stop, at a traffic light, in rush hour traffic. All the sudden steam started coming out from underneath my hood. I instantly looked at my temperature gauge and it did not show anything however I knew something was wrong when the light turned green I immediately pulled over, out of the street as far as I can get without being hit by other cars. I put on... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2022
The ABS Brake control module malfunctioned causing several electrical issues. Fortunately the vehicle was able to function. RAM Service center noted a wait time of over 3 months. When I brought the vehicle to another Service center looking to see if the part was available, I was told to make an appointment and they charged me $90 to tell me what I told them. Uggg.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
While driving down an interstate at approximately 58 miles per hour, I turned on the cruise control and went to adjust it to 65 miles per hour. The car rapidly accelerated and it appeared on the dash that the cruise control defaulted to 110 miles per hour, which appears to be the maximum on the system. I tried to turn the speed down, but the cruise control would not go below 110 miles per hour. I ... Read more
FORD
MUSTANG MACH E
(2022) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Oct 8, 2023
Incident date: Oct 4, 2023
I've experienced many problems with the Google built in system in this Volvo. But the one that keeps happening is the speed sensors. The car is supposed to read traffic signs, including speed signs and alarm when exceeding the posted speed limit. It does not work. For example on I66 East bound in Virginia, the speed limit is not 80mph, it is either 60, 65 or 70 if using the express lanes. ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 3, 2023
I was driving at 75 mph on the freeway when suddenly I lost acceleration and the ability to accelerate. There was a message "Hill Descent Control". I did not have time to see if it said error or failure. Then "Check Manual". I was very lucky to get 3 lanes over to get off to the side of the road without being rear ended. I turned the vehicle off in order to regain my composure, then back on wit... Read more
Incident date: Oct 8, 2023
Driving down the road and vehicle suddenly switches out of gear into neutral. Very dangerous situation. Another time we’re driving at 45mph and the vehicle suddenly starts flashing 3 error codes and decelerating. We have to continue to drive 45 mph with the car sounding terrible all the way home. Once home the vehicle somehow resets itself and all of the flashing lights turn off.
Incident date: Oct 6, 2023
The breaking lights, skid lights and another light associated with breaks came out and I lost the ABS abilities, the hv battery is not charging while breaking. These lights comes out randomly. Very risky especially while breaking.
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2018) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Oct 6, 2023
Incident date: Sep 30, 2023
2018 Ram 2500. Trouble code for service electronic brake system, traction control deactivation, cruise control deactivation, ABS deactivation occurs at all speeds and all surfaces intermittently and the trouble code will activate and deactivate for up to approximately 45 minutes continuously . Ram certified dealership service departments in 2 states have declared it a known issue, have stated ther... Read more