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: Nov 23, 2022
Speedometer light randomly goes off every time I drive the car and it is difficult to see the speed I am driving
Incident date: Sep 30, 2022
Forward collision system continually fails. This disables the vehicles cruise control. The vehicle has been in the shop multiple times with no resolution.
Incident date: Nov 7, 2022
I was driving my 2017 Subaru Outback on a trip from New York to Florida. On I-95 in heavy traffic I hit a bump in the road, and at that instant, nearly every warning light on my dash came on, including EyeSight, lane departure, and emergency braking. My adaptive cruise immediately disengaged causing the vehicle to suddenly slow (this incident was at highway speed). The "brake" light was also il... Read more
Incident date: Nov 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stationary and idling in a pharmacy drive-thru line with the auto hold parking feature activated, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and drove forward driving over a median divider and crashing into a parked vehicle. The contact indicated that the auto-hold parking feature was activated but m... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Oct 28, 2022
Thr lifters shut down the engine and caused it to completely turn off the vehicle while in motion. It is available for inspection. Has not been confirmed by dealer. The code read cylinder 1 misfire but the lifters were not functional. The seizure of the engine and full stop of the vehicle while in motion nearly caused a 3 car pile up and a close collision into a fire hydrant as the steering locked... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2022
When driving down a hill, I downshifted to slow my descent and to not have to use the brakes as much. I downshifted once or twice making sure the engine didn't go far above 3000 RPM. The gear indicator showed 2nd gear but I knew that wasn't accurate because the car had yet to change gear and the RPM was too low for 2nd gear, I was still in 3rd or 4th gear. About a second or two goes by until the c... Read more
Incident date: Nov 20, 2022
Phantom braking. Driving down 395 going the speed limit, no other cars or any obstacles in the road whatsoever, the car would slam on the brakes hard to the point I almost lost control of the vehicle. This happened 3 times in a row before I turned off adaptive cruise control. This is the most glaring obvious example of a vehicle safety hazard that should be recalled that I’ve ever seen on a new ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2022
I was driving to work after dropping my son off and I took a right turn onto a street and my car slowed down and the check engine light came on, flashing. I continued to drive to work as I was one minute away and needed to get off the street asap. (where I turned had no room for pulling over). I parked my car. I had a prenatal appointment to go to, so I started my car. No check engine light when s... Read more
HYUNDAI
SONATA HYBRID
(2016) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Nov 21, 2022
Incident date: Nov 20, 2022
While driving on the highway at speed, I received a red Check Hybrid System error, and immediately lost all acceleration, putting myself and all occupants at risk on a busy interstate highway, as we tried to find a safe way to quickly change lanes and coast to a stop in a safe location. The cause is under diagnosis by a Hyundai Service Center. This was a sudden failure and there had been no previo... Read more
MITSUBISHI
OUTLANDER
(2016) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Nov 21, 2022
Incident date: Jul 25, 2022
The car will no longer drive. It would throw itself forward uncontroably right before the transmission failed. Car has less than 50k mileage on it and was working normally previously.
Incident date: May 1, 2022
While driving, the transmission will randomly down shift into 1st gear and the speedometer will die. The truck flashes a “wrench” icon. There is no pattern, the issue is intermittent. When the speedometer dies, the transmission will only shift in “manual” mode, but will not shift above 3rd gear. The check engine light illuminates and throws codes P0720 and P0722. This indicates an outpu... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2022
All lights warning lights illuminate and gauges stop working. Loss of functionality includes critical control and safety systems and features: •No Speedometer •No Turn Signals •No Tachometer •Odometer not recording miles •Airbag warning •Electric power steering system warning •Steering and driving assist failure •Brake System Failure Warning •ABS Failure Warning •Collision avoi... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2022
While cruise control is on (not adaptive cruise), the slightest turn in the steering wheel causes the vehicle to slow down. Vehicle slows on a small curve up to 5mph, since the brake isn’t being applied anyone approaching from behind may not adjust quickly.
Incident date: Nov 16, 2022
My car has a Google system which fails to operate correctly & needs many system reboots.I've presented the shut problem to the service dept, I'm told they don't know what to tell me because they can't recreate the problem or the car's system is like phones, it freezes at times & needs to be rebooted, Volvo is constantly doing softwhere updates.Nov 14 I was driving on the highway w/the heat & wipe... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2022
When my vehicle is on cruise control it suddenly brakes for no apparent reason. On a road trip, it has happened suddenly and many times during the trip. It’s quite scary and dangerous.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
I floored the accelerator, and heard a pop. The pedal then remained depressed about 50% of the pedal travel. I was able to drive the car normally, but only using about 50% of the pedal range to do so. I took it to Tesla for service and after diagnosis, had to replace the accelerator and brake pedal assembly. The mounting plate that held both pedals broke. They said it was impossible to bre... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2022
Car was at highway speed and was given light input to change lanes. With light input, the engine accelerated in an uncontrolled manner, revving to maybe 5000 rpm. The driver had to slam on the brakes to counteract. Result was a rear-end collision with the car in front (Route 95 near Laurel, MD). For what it is worth, the car also gave an "overheating" alarm for the Powershift DCT transmission ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 5, 2022
When attempting to coast to a stop at slow speeds the throttle stays up and even causes the truck to accelerate at times. The truck will shift hard randomly. The truck appears to get stuck in a high gear and loses power to accelerate, at times. Driving at highway speeds the truck loses power. A mechanic shop pulled codes p0720 and P0722. The mechanic shop referred me to the dealer because the co... Read more
Incident date: Dec 3, 2018
The first time I started to have issue was rear ABS sensor started going in and out got repaired and they said the wires going down the frame rail are getting pinched by the fuel tank in the frame rail then my backup camera went and same issue I was told by dealer and now my drivers side rear blinker is doing the same where starting to not work and from what I found the wires are being broke betwe... Read more
Incident date: Nov 10, 2022
I was driving at about 40 MPH on local road at rush hour, the car was put in parking mode when I made a lane change, the speed reduced to 0 rapidly and put me in extremely dangerous situation like being rear ended. then I cannot put car in drive mode and called maker's roadside assistance and 911. car was towed to service center. 1a. Q: What component or system failed or malfunctioned A: c... Read more
Incident date: Sep 28, 2022
After purchasing this vehicle I started noticing that as I accelerated from a stop the transmission would shift hard into 1st gear and 3rd gear. This is also occurring during deceleration as if the car brakes I'm stages due to the downshifting hard. The dealership has refused to look into the issue. They have refused to add the notes to my vehicle records in effort to avoid accountability.
Incident date: Sep 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2000 Volvo S80. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the vehicle intermittently hesitated in responding while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated during the failure. The contact called the dealer and the manufacturer and was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 06V44... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2022
While freeway driving with autopilot (adaptive cruise control) engaged the car will suddenly break VERY hard when there is no reason to. This is SUPER dangerous when traveling at 70 mph and someone is behind me. This is a known issue (phantom breaking) that has been a problem for years and not resolved.
Incident date: Feb 21, 2022
B pillar separated from the frame during collision causing catastrophic intrusion into the cabin upon impact leading to death of the driver. No other occupants in the vehicle. Multiple investigators noted the B pillar failure upon inspection. Independent, certified crash reconstruction expert also noticed immediately that the B pillar had failed which caused cabin intrusion to an extraordinary deg... Read more
Crash
1 injured
1 deaths
Incident date: Nov 16, 2022
Yesterday, I was accelerating at a reasonable rate from a stop. My Outback stopped responding to the accelerator pedal and kicked up to 3500-4000 rpm. My brakes could barely hold the vehicle back and it forced me to slip my transmission in and out of neutral to prevent a crash. I pulled over twice to restart the car, hoping to reset something and address the issue, but it was still present when I ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 30, 2022
I just picked My Car up from Bakersfield Motor Ciry Lexus . My engine was replaced with a engine at this location with 65k . I have now notice my car jerk during acceleration from a stop position or uphill possibly from the transmission . I respectfully requesting a claim be opened on this issue as I didn't have the issue until engine replacement. I am also requesting a courtesy evaluation an... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2019
The CVT in this car is faulty. The transmission has been rebuilt but it still has the same issue. The transmission doesn’t di room properly and although the rpm’s increase the car will not accelerate. I’ve taken the car to Nisan dealerships. They now deny that this issue exists and will not offer a fix. The car is a safety hazard. It loses the ability to accelerate at low and high speeds. Wh... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2022
About 2 years ago I began having issues with my 2017 Chevy Malibu right before I hit my 100k mile extended warranty. The error message "Engine Power Reduced" appeared on the dash while driving on the interstate and my car began rapidly decelerating on its own. I had no where to get off the interstate and pulled over on the side. I shut my car off for a couple minutes, restarted and went on my way ... Read more
FORD
MAVERICK HYBRID
(2022) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Nov 16, 2022
Incident date: Nov 14, 2022
Accelerated to merge onto highway. Vehicle alerted to pull over safely when possible. Internal combustion engine shut off and vehicle "limped" in electric only mode until I could find a spot to park. This all happened while traveling at 70MPH on a busy freeway. Once I shut the vehicle off, I was able to start it again and travel to my nearest dealer. Dealer was unable to diagnose the issue but adv... Read more
Incident date: Nov 14, 2022
I was driving on Monday Nov. 14th. and I was at a complete stop and started to turn left. As I was accelerating and turning left... the steering wheel locked up and I could not turn the wheel left or right. I got home safely, and I looked online and noticed there is a current recall identical or very similar to what happened to me. The Recall number is VB9
Incident date: Oct 28, 2022
I had the airbag repaired during the recall. However, the airbag warning light remains on. In addition, the speedometer has stopped at 299,999 although the trip meter still works. The paint is peeling and the roof is rusting which is classic for toyota.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2021
The car keeps overheating and it has been to the mechanic multiple times and the problem exist. If I get on the highway my transmission hot engine idle light comes on. I have had a transmission replaced and a lot of other things repaired and the issue continues
Incident date: Nov 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undetermined speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate and stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that an engine replacement was needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and informed him that he had failed to complete ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2022
The vehicle's fuel pump continues to run even when the vehicle is turned off causing the overheating of electrical wiring and draining the battery, it's a serious issue and a fire hazard that will set the fuel tank on fire, I filed a complaint back in June and no action has been taken.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
When I would hit my breaks and sit at a red light . My car would start vibrating really bad and then force it’s self up even though my foot would be on the break and almost his someone walking and a few other times in a car . It also would shut its self off and back on . When I put it in park it would die and when I put it back in drive it would die . Sometimes turn its self back on & I have a ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2022
For the past 5 months the acceleration will not work intermittently. I have almost gotten into two accidents on the interstate and in the city. I’ve taken the vehicle to the dealership twice and Firestone auto care twice they cannot replicate the issue it is a hazard to drive with the car behaving this way.
Incident date: Jan 27, 2022
Randomly when trying to accelerate from a stop or a slow roll (less than 5 MPH) the throttle doesn't respond for 2-3 seconds then the truck will surge. When I say it doesn't respond I mean nothing happens no RPM increase or anything. The dealership wants me to believe that it is turbo lag, but that is just a decrease in power, not total loss of acceleration. This has been an issue since delivery.
Incident date: Mar 9, 2021
told the Hyundai dealer 2 years(March 2021) ago that I was concerned about my oil light flashing periodically between scheduled oil changes. No action other than oil changes and one time they added a couple of quarts "no charge" as it again was low. Continued to change oil more often than necessary and the frequency increased. Multiple other car repairs have been happening and the oil now has to b... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2022
UNKNOWN the air bag on my dash board come on and off ALL THE TIME even if I have no one sitting in my passenger seat.I got this vehicle for the winter thinking it was going to help me save gas and be a good reliable car for my daily routine to work, school, and my kids school. But it’s definitely the opposite. I’m struggling financially and In a hole now the engine light is on and I can’t ge... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2018) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Nov 14, 2022
Incident date: Sep 23, 2022
My car Engine stopped working while I was driving to work. Middle of traffic was not safe and the safety of others was effected because my car was unable to move, it was a high risk dangerous situation. Problem was reported to mechanic as well as insurance company (geico) car was pushed by strangers into a nearby parking lot, which then I waited for a towing truck. The car was inspected by a mech... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2022
My 2018 Nissan Sentra is currently in the shop at my local Nissan dealership because it needs a transmission replacement. The car lurched ahead causing me to run into my garage door causing damage. It also while driving loses power, the rpm meter will drop for a few seconds and you will see and feel it re engage a few seconds later. It does this frequently at various speeds.
Incident date: Nov 13, 2022
During routine highway driving while using the included Autopilot (Adaptive Cruise Control) software, the vehicle will suddenly and without warning abruptly slow and apply breaks. This slowing can occur when traveling at 70mph (the posted speed limit) and attempt to slow to a speed of 45mph. This change causes a great safety hazard in the event of being closely followed or rear ended. This phenome... Read more
Incident date: Oct 3, 2022
The car would slam in park of you went over 30 all lights and windshield wipers would move and flash would not accelerate after slammed in park said door was open when wasn’t. There diagnostics was that some how liquid came from cup holder and got wiring harness wet please see whoops there where a few drops in there and I spoke with tech and they said there is nothing protecting the femal end fr... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2021
My 2013 honda accord coupe has had severe steering problems for the past year, the steering does not want to respond where i cant even drive my car anymore
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2022) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Nov 14, 2022
Incident date: Nov 13, 2022
While driving at a constant speed of approximately 45 mph the vehicle suddenly skidded sideways and launched to the right, causing us to nearly hit a guardrail. I dropped speed to 30 mph and this continued to occur at random for the next 10 miles until destination was reached. Road conditions were patchy snow up to fully covered in snow. Other vehicles passed at 50+ mph with no issues. No warn... Read more
Incident date: Nov 12, 2022
The car will jerk while driving. The problem was fixed last year and again it is happening now.Worse..the car while being driven will suddenly slow down inspite stepping more on the gas pedal.
Incident date: Nov 7, 2022
I only used my VIN to get this far. The issue that I have concerns a very important safety feature that I have yet to see on any vehicle. With more and more vehicles being produced with automatic braking systems, I am wondering why the automakers don't have a specific light option on the rear of the vehicle that illuminates when the ABS is activated. There are still millions of vehicles on the roa... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2022
10/25/2022 started the suv at a Wal-Mart parking lot and as I drove out of the parking lot onto a street my suv made a motorcycle sound then it started to loss power with my foot still on the gas pedal. Suv came to a complete stop and was towed home. 11/03/2022 Picked up suv from Kia dealership. Drove 43 minutes home and parked inside garage. An hour later started the suv to go pick up kids from... Read more
Incident date: Nov 12, 2022
The text coincides with this video I made. Here is its URL. https://youtu.be/hpA-Dw_-ihY This is my second time reporting this issue. My first report was comprised of just text. I was told that a video would be more helpful. The issue follows: Periodically when I have been using Adaptive Cruise Control the van will automatically, harshly apply the brakes in the middle of the highway. It took ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2022
Picked up car from the dealership same day and had only 40 miles total on odometer. The car was running smooth. I was driving with my daughter in the passenger seat (12 yrs old) and got 2 error codes and my car went limp in the carpool lane. Basically went into neutral. Deceleration from 75mph .I had to avoid cars next to me to get to the shoulder and was driving at most 30-40 mph hoping a car wou... Read more