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 1, 2022
Driving down freeway lost all momentum had to coast to the shoulder almost causing several accidents and getting hit by a semi in the process. The truck had no gears whatsoever and gave me on warning something was as it risk for failing. Was told the entire transmission had failed. This was the second transmission ram had put in. The problem is becoming wide spread across the internet as multiple ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2022
The abs module and hydraulic control unit has failed. This means that my safty and others on the road is put at risk because during heavy breaking you can loose control of the vehicle due to the truck anti break system does not work. Also the traction control does not work which also will cause you to loose control.
Incident date: Feb 16, 2023
While sitting in line with brake applied the idle speed suddenly jumped up and car accelerated forward despite application of brakes. Without any change from me the RPMs suddenly dropped and car stopped again. The car moved a total of a quarter car length, which had I not been angled away from car in front of me would have caused a collision, and had I been at an intersection could have caused... Read more
Incident date: Feb 16, 2023
Throttle Housing cracked. Lessing the power in the engine.
Incident date: Nov 11, 2022
Truck does not brake when any object enters the saftey brake zone leading driver to loose safe distance while driving. Dealer unable to fix.
Incident date: Dec 22, 2022
I was turning right at a stop sign leaving my development and the truck shut off and applied the emergency brake. Thankfully it was at a stop sign in the residential area and not entering the main throughway. From reading online this is a known Ram issue.
Incident date: Aug 24, 2022
The "traffic aware" cruise control automatically slows the car when entering a portion of highway with a reduced speed limit. Sounds good in theory and Tesla says this is intentional and cannot be modified in settings. However, suddenly slowing down from 65 mph to 45 mph when all traffic PERSISTS at 65 mph could lead to rear end collisions or loss of control.
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLA 250
(2018) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Feb 16, 2023
Incident date: Feb 16, 2023
While using Intelligent Adaptive Cruise, the vehicle suddenly thought the speed limit was 85mph and quickly started accelerating. Confused, I hit the brakes to stop the acceleration. I have uploaded a photo of the dash that I took showing that the system read the speed limit sign as 85. I saw no speed limit sign in the area, so, I have no idea what prompted the system to change speed. I was talkin... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2023
Stabilizer trak
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA
(2014) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Feb 16, 2023
Incident date: Jan 27, 2023
• Cruise control braked hard unexpectedly and for no reason. I'm describing a specific instance here, but this happens regularly. Specifically, the traffic aware system frequently misinterprets the data it is collecting. In this case, a car in an exit lane, slowing down to take a ramp. I was not in that lane, but there was no painted line between my lane and the exit lane. My car slowed to match... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 2023
The active and passive safety systems would disable themselves and I would get the following errors from the vehicle. 1. Rear Differential lock 2. Four-wheel drive system 3. Chassis stabilization 4. Drivetrain malfunction 5. Reduced driver assistance 6. Traction control reduced or off 7. Dynamic stability control 8. Dynamic traction control When these errors came up on the multimedia... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 2023
Engine stoped on highway stalled also starting button sticky
Incident date: Dec 19, 2022
The service brake system and service antilock brake system light came on. This light comes on quite often and shuts off intermittently. The pick-up no-longer has anti-lock brakes, traction control, or stability control. When light is on cruise will not work which if it set and light comes on it will shut-off and cause vehicle to drop speed which could cause an accident. Last time I drove it it fel... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2023
My 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe with 90,000 miles needs a new camshaft and all 16 lifters need to be replaced. There was no forewarning about this huge problem. Literally, one day I was out in my car, and the accelerator suddenly stopped working for a while. Then, all of a sudden there was a hard jerk, and it sped up on its own. When I finally found a safe spot to pull over I went to push on the brakes an... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2023
The car shows front camera fault disabling all collision safety features as well as cruise control.
Incident date: Feb 6, 2023
Car refused to exit cruise control, again Instead it accelerated. I pressed again and again cruise control to stop it did not respond. Repeatedly And more frantic I pushed pushed the button as stopped cars grew closer. The car started to accelerate instead and refused to stop Even when pressing the brake. I was able to push the brake down enough to get to engage neutral after multiple attempts. ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2023
I have received two emails from two different shop foreman’s. One from Niello BMW and the other BMW Fairfield. They both said the malfunctions I am experiencing- slipping, delay in accelerations- is the way BMW manufacturer made the car. One foreman said all the cars like mine he has driven have the same issue. It is a hybrid that needs the hybrid battery to have charge to not experience these m... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS CROSS SPORT
(2022) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Feb 15, 2023
Incident date: Feb 6, 2023
While driving on the highway at 59 mph using Tesla Autopilot functionality the vehicle braked so hard the wheels locked up and skidded without warning. There was no vehicle directly in front but there were two semi trucks on either side and vehicle directly behind me. The vehicle behind had to brake hard not to run into me. I took control of the vehicle and pressed the accelerator to regain speed ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2022
After the battery runs out, the engine loses propulsion and fails to run on gas. The car completely stalls in the middle of traffic. The speed drops from 70+ mph to 0. Extremely dangerous to myself and others. The issue suddenly appeared at the end of December 2022 during a long drive. The engine check light remains on and a warning re: reduced propulsion power is displayed every time the car is t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2023
The vehicle accelerated 4 times on its own to the point where i got scared. In addition, it shakes so bad between speeds changes. At first, i thought i got hit by another vehicle from the back. Moreover, over the past two (2) months, the steering wheel has been making some noise as if a plastic bag was being moved. I hope this description makes a sense in regard to the steering wheel situation.
Incident date: Jan 24, 2023
The shift knob for the manual transmission broke off the shift assembly while accelerating and merging onto the freeway. This is what happened the first time the knob broke off. It has happened 3 times due to the part being physically broken. My safety and the safety of others was at risk. When a car is moving at speed and no longer has the option to shift into a higher gear, you become stuck at... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2023
The car was being driven on a normal day and while in gear and driven the car stalled and would no longer shift automatic. The car will not come out of 3rd gear. Took the car to repair shop and was told is a known issue with this model and even the transmission or transmission valve body needs replacement. Infinite will not issue recall and I have reach out to corporate on the issue the repair wan... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2023
Started truck and dash lit up like a Christmas tree service brakes trailer brake failure do not exceed 43 mph. Check engine light was on multiple other lights were on truck is currently at dealership and gm doesn’t have a fix for issue. Part that is needed is on National back order. Haven’t made first payment and truck is Already in the shop and is not safe to drive due to this issue.
Incident date: Oct 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while approaching a stop, the contact attempted to accelerate however, there was a delay in responding. The contact stated that after a while the vehicle accelerated. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who admitted knowledge of similar failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not co... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2023
Constant Phantom Breaking at interstate speeds. Tesla insists this is not a problem.
HYUNDAI
SANTA CRUZ
(2022) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Feb 14, 2023
Incident date: Feb 14, 2023
The instrument cluster on the dashboard and continuing down the center console, entertainment screen, heating/ cooling controls to the usb ports on my 2021 Nissan Titan..the entire cluster of indicator lights, alarms, settings etc. create a dangerous element of distraction never experienced in my driving history. Take a look! Please investigate the entire aray of the dash lights when illuminated a... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2014) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Feb 14, 2023
Incident date: Feb 6, 2023
The vehicle constantly stalls out when we driving on the freeway. The vehicle loss of the power on the freeway put me and my family's life in very dangerous situation when we drove the vehicle. Brough my vehicle to the dealership, and it verified the problem with engine light error code P0A43-00. The dealer stated that they are not able to fix it due to the issue was related to a active recall ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2023
The vehicle has a shudder at accelerating that will prevent proper acceleration. I had a few incidents where I needed to get out of a traffic situation that out me in danger and the vehicle almost stalled. I read about this shudder, Toyota das a warranty engagement notification-ZE5. However it was for 8 years and under 150000 miles. I am well under 150000 but just over 8 years.
Incident date: Feb 14, 2023
I was driving my vehicle and it began displaying messages that my collision mitigation system, road departure mitigation system, adaptive cruise control system, and lane keep assist system all have problems. Simultaneously, my backup camera has ceased working. This is causing my vehicle to randomly lurch forward without being propelled by me, which is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS! All of these issues/codes... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2017) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Feb 14, 2023
Incident date: Jan 26, 2023
Brake ABS and traction control system is malfunctioning due to failed ABS Hydraulic Control Unit as diagnosed by Ram dealership. Malfunctioning includes illuminated warning lights for ABS and electronic braking system. Malfunction also effects use of cruise control system. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Safety is at risk due to unknown effects on use of ABS system. Problem has b... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2019
The Electrical System has failed. The center sound system shuts off and reboots on its own every hour or 2 causing electronic failure and has proven to get worse over time. Following that the Jeep will randomly not start, mechanics have told me that it must be the Electrical System because it is not starter, alternator or the battery. Failure to start engine has occurred over 20 times...effecting ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 13, 2023
Car is has been having BCI Malfunction warning come up. This has happened numerous times since purchasing. It has been taken to the dealership multiple times for this issue. They have replaced brake switch sensors and even the battery and calibrated everything and the problem continues to persist. This has left us stranded on the side the road with the car not starting. It has caused sudden brakin... Read more
Incident date: Sep 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that on two separate occasions while the cruise control was engaged at approximately 86 MPH, the RPM increased and the vehicle inadvertently accelerated; however, the contact’s husband was able to disengage cruise control to slow down. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician determine... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2022
The Engine Light is on and when you first take off ,you can’t press the gas pedal as much as the engine start shaking
Incident date: Feb 13, 2023
I was backing out of a parking spot, and there was a telephone poll behind me in my path. I needed to pull forward to navigate around this poll. After backing up some, I put the car into drive to pull slightly forward, and the car lurched aggressively, so much so that I got out to see if it'd caught on something. It did not -- there was absolutely nothing there. So I got back in and tried to conti... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
At 200k miles I got an air bag light on my guage cluster. The blinking code corresponded to a bad connection at the CLOCKSPRING. I also noticed my cruise control and horn were also inoperable, also an indicator of a bad CLOCKSPRING. Ford part number 1l5z-14a664-ab is the replacement part and is currently unavailable, for the last 6 months. This part covers a few different models and has been exh... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-150. The contact stated while parking the vehicle, the vehicle independently accelerated. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact desperately depressed the brake pedal and was able to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The dealer was contacted, and the mechanic stated that the failure was not a known failure. The manufacturer was not contact... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
Clutch cable broke at 3300 miles , was serviced at 800 miles , could not shift to neutral . could have caused a wreak if i would have been in heavy traffic . looked on line for clutch cable problems and there are large amounts of riders that have had to replace multiple cables within short mileage ranges . reference www.indianmotorcycles.net/threads/clutch-cable-failure.351519/ , i am trying to ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 1994
For a while now it jerks or pulls, and it only goes up to 1-2 gears like it doesn't want to accelerate. It doesn't shift gear properly more like transmission issues. There is no power.
Incident date: Feb 12, 2023
I had trouble with the cluster display periodically going out. It would come back on after restarting the car. This happened 2 or 3 times. Then, it went out and never came on. This started with 40,000 miles on it. When it to the dealer they tried an “ipc” reset on it with no change. They tried a “hard” reset with no luck. They disconnected and reconnected both batteries, again with n... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2023
While on regular cruise control (not autopilot), our Model X will abruptly decelerate. This has happened before. Usually on highways I. Road trips.
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2011) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Feb 12, 2023
Incident date: Feb 12, 2023
The Traffic-Aware Cruise Control has been braking unexpectedly and for no valid reason. The most recent example was when we were driving along US Hwy 24 between Wilkerson Pass and Fairplay, CO. The car suddenly braked even though there was no hazard. This has been happening regularly on this drive, in both directions, multiple times per drive. When this happens, the road is generally straight,... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2023
I was driving my car on the way back from a trip, about an hour away. While driving about 70 MPH on the highway, my car started to feel like it was lurching forward, and the RPMs started shooting up and down uncontrollably. I tried to write it off as faulty cruise control or the shoes I was wearing, so I switched both of these things. Finally, the RPM shot up to 7000 without warning or cause. I dr... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2023
While I am driving it is hard shifting and idling high, sometimes it doesn't want to pick up speed when starting from a stop. The wheels locked up going down a off ramp. There are no warning lights or anything on the dash. I will have it checked Monday but this started out of the blue. I have had regular maintenance on the vehicle and have all my receipts for proof. This is a serious issue especia... Read more
Incident date: Dec 3, 2019
When driving with autopilot engaged, the vehicle sometimes gives alerts even when there is no vehicle or obstacle in its path. Immediately once the driver takes control, the autopilot does not disengage but continue as usual. The autopilot suddenly brakes or slows down even when there is no obstacle on a freeway.
Incident date: Feb 10, 2023
Check engine light came on after vehicle starting losing power in steering column. Speedometer was moving up and down with some other gauges doing the same simultaneously. The vehicle provided warning of stabilitrak after dismissed, it gave another warning stating, “Steering Assist is Reduced Drive with Care.” It became harder to accelerate and very distracting as the stabilitrak error continu... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2023) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Feb 10, 2023
Incident date: Feb 8, 2023
When I am stopped the vehicle routinely lurches as I touch the gas. I’ve complained to the dealer about it and they can’t reproduce the problem. It does lurch for my husband also. It hasn’t caused any injuries or damage, so far.
Incident date: Nov 21, 2022
Front drive shaft, chain sprocket ‘Nut/lock washer’ has came loose and fell off on the highway. Could have locked the chain around the wheel and cause a major crash, also could have severely damaged the engine casing. It damaged the rear swing arm and a piece piece near the stater. I replaced the nut & locking washer tab, exact replacement only To have the same issue just I didn’t allow it t... Read more
Incident date: Jan 28, 2023
Vehicle will not go out of 3rd gear when on the interstate. The vehicle will go pass the redline and hit the fuel cut off and will not accelerate. Have to slow the car down and attempt to speed up again. Vehicle has almost been in accident multiple times due to almost being rear ended because can not get the vehicle up to speed.
Incident date: Feb 10, 2023
Unwanted acceleration happen more the 5 to 6 times. While driving in highway exit ramp my vehicle lurched forward while I was trying to slowdown. Dealership had the vehicle for more than 2 days and unable to duplicate the issue. Currently Toyota dealership informed they don't any know issues or condition like this. I am not very confident in driving this vehicle due to this experience.