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: Sep 1, 2022
9/18/2023 I had an incident I thought something got behind brake pedal and kept me from pushing the brakes. When I drove it home. Going down the interstate I hit the gas get to speed limit. 3 times the vehicle kept speeding up hitting 80 and still wanting to climb.when I hit breaks hit was hard to press worse then hitting non power breaks and then I forced on the brakes and the vehicle started sha... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Sep 22, 2023
While traveling a message appear "power reduced" a noise was heard like whistle (air whooshing). The time Car was started the engine light was on. The car was serviced by GM/Chevrolet dealership service. They found water in the spare tire compartment, but didn't not agree that it was the cause of malfunction. The asked if the car had been in a flood. I did my own research and found that this wa... Read more
Incident date: Sep 22, 2023
I am receiving an alert in my truck that states, "Service Antilock Brake System." The emergency warning sound and lights on the dash/display appear constantly. This also affects the "Speed Control" as it kicks off the cruise control when the emergency warning sound and lights come on the dash. I have taken the vehicle to a RAM Dealership who diagnosed the issue, but was advised that parts are o... Read more
Incident date: Sep 20, 2023
Occasionally the cruise control when accelerating will exceed the set speed and continue to climb and I will be going 20 miles faster than the set speed and climbing. The only way to sop this is to turn cruise off, slow down and restart. My thought is it happens after I have disengaged the cruise and then when safe reengage which is done by pressing the switch straight down. In my previous vehic... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
in July of 2022 the buttons on the steering wheel like cruise control trip/reset button as well as radio controls eventually all quit working did not become fully aware of this until I was on the interstate and was driving with the cruise control set and when I needed to turn off cruise control it wouldn't turn off by the steering wheel thankfully I know can hit the brakes and the car will s... Read more
Incident date: Sep 21, 2023
The Service Shifter light came on and keeps coming on sporadically. I was dismayed to learn that there are numerous complaints regarding the Service Shifter light on the 2017 Jeep Cherokee. Has this ever been formally addressed.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
My care has an acceleration issues, I had the transmission fixed twice and still does the same thing, I been having electrical issue's, my dome light comes on when I put car in reverse, my car compartment on drivers side back seat fills up with water, front seat floor gets wet underneath mat in winter, locks on doors lock and unlock at will, heating and ac unit comes on at will the car is dangerou... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2019) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Sep 21, 2023
Incident date: Sep 18, 2023
Jittery acceleration. Intermittent accelerator hesitation from a stop. The car hesitates or bogs down which can be unpredictable when pulling into traffic. Sometimes the RPMs surge during low speed without input from the gas peddle. I have had the car serviced twice since leased in July 2023. The dealership is fast to say they are all the same. there are no warning lamps for this issue and the de... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
The ABS and traction control lights come on and off intermittently. When on the cruise control also doesn't work. No traction control or Automatic braking control. Seems to be a common problem with RAM 4x4 trucks.
MERCEDES-BENZ
METRIS
(2016) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Sep 21, 2023
Incident date: May 19, 2022
While driving, using cruise control set to 75mph, I braked to slow down. That worked cruise control disengaged fine. I changed to the adjacent lane that was wide open and pushed the resume button on the steering wheel. I noticed I was passing several vehicles on both sides of me. Looked at the speedometer reading = 98 mph and felt further acceleration. Put my foot on the brake to disengage cr... Read more
Incident date: Sep 20, 2023
Random and recurring Warning light error ‘Engine Malfunction Reduced Power Service Now’ corresponding with reduced acceleration while actively driving. It has been attributed to a Turbo engine malfunction
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
My vehicle shows a wrench on the dashboard and loses power and will not accelerate. We took it to an auto parts store to have a diagnostic test performed and it shows that the OSS ( Output Shaft Speed Sensor Circuit) fault. In my 2014, this is inside the transmission. After doing research, I found this was recalled in 2009 to 2013 models. Could this be an issue in my 2014?
Incident date: Sep 19, 2023
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The Car continues to have inconsistent acceleration, hesitation, and sometimes lurches forward. On two occasions, the car felt like it was just going to turn off while driving. I was driving about 75 mph on I295 and driving about 15 mph on a residential road during the second occurrence. How was ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Infiniti QX30. The contact stated while driving at various highway speeds, the vehicle suddenly decelerated to 30 MPH. During the failure the check engine warning light illuminated and the message "Inoperative - See Owner’s Manual" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on several occasions and the ignition module, engine cylinders, brake wiring harness ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 29, 2022
As I drove my Tesla Model X Plaid into my driveway towards the garage to park, the vehicle suddenly accelerated itself (I have FSD but wasn’t using it at that time) and drove into the garage door as it was still opening, slamming and crushing into all the items that were on one side of the garage. When I quickly realized what was going on, I slammed the brakes and made the car stop. My daughter ... Read more
Crash
CHRYSLER
PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2020) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Sep 20, 2023
Incident date: Sep 10, 2023
The failed component is the cruise control. It is available for inspection. Unknowingly, the speed increased by 10 miles an hour, without touching any buttons or controls on the steering wheel. With cruise control on, the driver might be not as engaged with the automobile, as if there was no cruise control. I will have the issue brought before my Ford dealer on Monday, September 25, 2023. There we... Read more
Incident date: Sep 17, 2023
Driving at approx 45 MPH the car suddenly lost propulsion and experienced a complete electrical failure. The power steering was lost, braking was stiff, gas pedal was unresponsive. I struggled to get the vehicle out of the lane of traffic. The police arrived and helped route traffic until the tow truck arrived. The vehicle is still covered under factory warranty and is currently at the dealer with... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
PASSAT
(2018) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Sep 20, 2023
Incident date: Sep 10, 2023
First/only owner of a 2018 VW Passat GP r-line, scheduled maintenance intervals followed religiously and performed by VW; only filled with top tier fuel (mid/premium), no prev. indicator lights ever illuminated until ECM light (no accompanying warning lights) came on while driving at highway speed with Adaptive Cruise Control engaged. Immediate loss of power and shaking vibration upon any attempt ... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2020) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Sep 20, 2023
Incident date: Jul 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at slow speeds and making a left turn, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The vehicle was restarted and worked as designed. The navigation system screen had frozen. While opening the sunroof, the deflector detached. While driving, the brakes was applied without driver input. There were no warning lights illuminated. The ... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2020) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Sep 20, 2023
Incident date: Jul 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving forward into a parking space the brake pedal was hard when pressed and the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and crashed to the side of a building. After the incident, it was discovered that the front brakes had seized and the vehicle was undrivable. The contact indicated that during the crash the... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
Car will NOT go pat 60mph and i haven’t had this car just over 6 months. And the camshaft sensors are gone out. Smoke comes out the pipe when mash on gas…. It is really a bad vehicle. And Southeast auto refuses to fix it. I really honestly think the motor is bad in it. Because I been having issues with it since I had it
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2014) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Sep 20, 2023
Incident date: Jun 20, 2022
Excessive shaking of engine, stalled out while driving on highway, knocking in the engine.
Incident date: Sep 11, 2023
My car is having issues driving over 60miles per hr, I have to keep pressing the gas to get the car to move, the car battery is dead and won’t turn on, I got the car repaired twice and the second time I got it repaired, it just was even worse then before . The car smells like gas , the salesman only told me that I needed a value cover gasket and he had someone repair it , but when I went to auto... Read more
Incident date: Sep 19, 2023
Electrical System is failing. Began with the Electrical sunroof will not open/OR slide all the way open, the sunroof Electrical problem has been this way since I purchased it in 04/2019. Next the touchscreen panel for the radio AM/FM, will shit off while driving down the road randomly and sporadically. CD Player quit working indefinitely, i cant even get my CD out of the CD player. Will not play ... Read more
2 injured
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2021) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Sep 19, 2023
Incident date: Sep 12, 2023
The automatic emergency braking failed.
Crash
5 injured
Incident date: Sep 14, 2023
BREAKS STOPPED WORKING AND ALL WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON ON THE DASHBOARD. RAN OFF THE ROAD AND RAN OVER A SIGN CAUSING DAMAGE TO Rf QUARTERPANEL. THE LEALER SIAD THAT MY HABNDICAP PLACKART HAD CUT THROUGH THE WIRING IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR, SHORTING OUT THE SYSTEM. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE PLACKARD WAS BEIG HUNG AS INTENDED. PLACKARDAS ARE HARD PLASTIC AND COULD CUT TH... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Sep 17, 2023
This 2016 Subaru Forester PCV Valve does not regulate the combustion system properly, this allows oil to enter this chamber. It causes loss of power and acceleration when driving. Hazardous driving conditions can cause accidents. crankcase ventilation issues engine oil system issues
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
When driving on a freeway or highway, without cruise control on, & the pavement surface changes color &/or texture (eg: going onto a bridge/overpass) the vehicle will decelerate quickly & without us pressing the brakes. All the systems were checked by Dodge Ram & were showing no errors with software etc, as we thought this was traction control not working properly due to a software problem etc.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2017
My vehicle has all symptoms of the timing chain slipping or being loose. Just as millions of others who owns a chevy equinox with a 2.4 motor. Drives like crap, stalls out unexpectedly, which is very dangerous, exhaust fumes enter cabin of vehicle, toxicity to lungs. Extreme fuel intake consumption, erotic idle issues, extreme oil consumption all these issues have progressively gotten worse. This ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2023
I was driving on a highway going 65mph when my engine suddenly, and without warning, failed. My foot was on the gas pedal when it suddenly went to the floor, but my car stopped accelerating. My check engine light began blinking as well. I was in the far left lane and, without the ability to accelerate, had to merge over through 3 lanes of highway traffic in order to safely pull my car over on the ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2023
Electronic braking system and ABS lights intermittently come on and off an throws a code c0020-01 which many dealers say should replace the HCU and ABS modules and research has shown that this if a short-term fix on a fault component. Please hold ram to task.
Incident date: Sep 16, 2023
As I am accelerating to merge onto the highway from an on-ramp, while the gas pedal is depressed, I will get a series of sensor alerts simultaneously (city brake malfunction, park assist malfunction, lane assist malfunction, etc.) and my gas pedal becomes non-functional at 60-70mph. It is terrifying especially when there is other traffic around my vehicle. This exact issue has happened 6 times w... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2023
2017 Honda Accord EX-L 4 Door Sedan 4 Cylinder 2.4L While driving my car I noticed shaking then my car dropped down to 10mph on the highway. when I pressed the pedal to speed up my car started jerking and did not go any faster. all the lights came on my dashboard including ABS. Me and my child safety was at risk because i was doing 10mph on a 45mph highway. we could have been hit. I took my car... Read more
Incident date: Jul 26, 2023
Turbocharger leaked oil into the engine causing irreparable damage to the engine. Oil leaking cause engine failure, smoke coming out of the tailpipe, several blown gaskets and steering wheel malfunction. Cars computer system froze, enabling vehicle to move forward. Motor mounts were faulty, loose and unstable. Grinding sounds coming from wheels, vehicle alignment is unsteady. Issues with this v... Read more
Incident date: Sep 11, 2023
Speedometer stops working. My 16 year old daughter can’t tell how fast she is going when the speedometer stops working. And the screen freezes. Cruise control does not work.
Incident date: Jul 19, 2023
I was driving on I-35 from Kansas City to Des Moines on 9-11-23, and three times the car experienced phantom braking (i.e. the car suddenly braked for no apparent reason) while the adaptive cruise control was activated. During these instances the car would suddenly brake and slow down and on one occasion I had to accelerate immediately to avoid possibly being rear ended. On all occasions there ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 18, 2023
Unintended acceleration.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2020
Electric Power Steering - 10/2020 Suddenly went out while driving. No warnings beforehand. This made sharp turns extremely difficult. It says that my car is not part of the recall, but is still as dangerous as the vehicles that were part of the recall. From the research that I have done, the motor seems to be in good working order. The sensor is what seems to be the issue. Cruise Control - 08/... Read more
CHRYSLER
TOWN AND COUNTRY
(2015) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Sep 18, 2023
Incident date: Sep 16, 2023
Vehicle has intermitten reduced engine display while traveling down the high way. Causes the vehicle to downshift and significantly increase engine RPM. I’m fearing if this continues to happen it will blow up my engine. The ecu shows code p2138. After some research I’ve learned GM is aware of this fsult in their vehicles and I believe they should be the one paying for their mistake. Not me.
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2011) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Sep 18, 2023
Incident date: Sep 5, 2023
Dangerous and terrifying vehicle malfunction. I have done extensive research on the vehicle and I am beyond upset that this has not been resolved for everyone who owns any Nissan vehicle experiencing this problem. While driving either on the highway or local streets after approximately 10-15 minutes of travel time at any speed there is a loud whining noise while accelerating and total power loss. ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving forward into a parking space at a very slow speed and while pressing the brake pedal, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and drove over the stop bump and a curve before crashing into a building wall. During the crash, the contact sustained a head injury which later required medical treatment. A polic... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Oct 17, 2022
While driving on I-40 East between Raleigh, NC and Benson, NC I was trying to use the Blue Cruise self driving feature on my Mache. The system is frightening to me because it tends to default towards the marker between lanes and requires more attention than so called hands free driving is supposed to need. However, in this situation, there was a stretch of the highway where the lane markers were... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Mustang Mach E. The contact stated that while driving slowly in reverse and reversing of a parking space, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and erroneously drove across the street before crashing into an apartment building wall. During the crash, the driver sustained a lower back injury and left arm laceration which required medical treatment. Th... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jul 23, 2023
Traveling at 70 mph on cruise control, tapped breaks to turn off, multiple warning lights flashed, vehicle lost power, and breaks with multiple messages including “Break system failure, top speed 62 mph”. I lost all breaking control on the highway and nearly crashed into other vehicles due to inability to stop. Was able to pull over, turn off vehicle, and turn back on, when the breaks were w... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2023
1). 3 days after purchasing the vehicle I wasn't sure but I could tell that something was wrong so I called my husband and told him while driving the car that something was wrong and he needs to notify the dealership. 2). 5 days after purchasing the vehicle I went into a grocery store. When I came out the car was on/running, all by itself. 3). Additional problems occurring on a daily basis with th... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2023
Instrument pan is completely out and ford has no fix for it.
Incident date: Sep 14, 2023
My 2013 Ford F-150 recently began experiencing transmission shifting problems. As I accelerated from a dead stop, the transmission would not shift out of first gear. The only short term remedy was to pull over to the side of the road, turn off the ignition, wait for 60 seconds and restart the engine. This worked sometimes, sometimes not. I understand there had been a 2011 thru 2013 Ford F-150 tran... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2023
I was driving and car accelerated without warning. Hit partially open garage door, only stopped after hitting and damaging back wall of garage. Significant damage to car, items in the garage and garage wall. There was no warning whatsoever. As of yet the car has not been assessed as to the cause of the malfunction.
Crash
Incident date: Jul 18, 2023
On 09/11/2023 at approx. 6AM CST, my wife went to a nearby Walmart store for groceries. As she was parking the car in the parking space, the car started to accelerate by itself and went around the parking lot in random directions. She couldn't control the steering and brake despite the continuous tries. It was such a traumatic experience, and the car went on to hit couple of other parked cars and ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jun 18, 2023
Great hesitation, in acceleration, clicking of gears and drive and while putting in reverse also clicking of the years when accelerating