Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,245,377 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA, including 140,173 crashes, 56,794 fires, and 8,580 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 2,245,377 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 73,546 complaints - component: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Incident date: Dec 24, 2022
My 2021 Pacifica Hybrid with 19.2K miles threw a "Service Charging System" and Check Engine Light error while I was driving at 65mph on the highway on Christmas Eve in 8 degree weather. The minivan stopped accelerating and the transmission began flashing between P and D. We were forced to stop the vehicle on the highway shoulder, leaving us (2 parents, 2 kids 7 & 11) stranded on the highway. The v... Read more
Incident date: Mar 31, 2022
Truck downshifts periodically from 3rd to 2nd gear or from 4 to 3 of 4th to 2nd, for no reason, while keeping speed same on flat road. This causes tire squealing action in some cases and is unsafe. Also, at the same time, rear motion sensor system failure light comes on with an OK button. I select the button and then a wrench sign lights up indicating service requires. Sometimes also a check engi... Read more
Incident date: Dec 21, 2022
When backing the vehicle out of a parking space on Wednesday, December 21, 2022, the vehicle lurched and moved very slowly. The center HUD displayed the message, "Slow Down. The Vehicle will reduce speed. Propulsion system failure." The vehicle was towed to the Volvo certified dealer in Roanoke VA. The technician "reset" the error code and released the vehicle to me. The dealership could not tel... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2022
Yesterday I had the Crankshaft Position Sensor replaced because of the ongoing stalling while idle and stalling while in motion issues. Today it has stalled 5 times while in motion on surface streets and the highways going over 40 mph and twice in a parking when sitting idle or initial startup. For the times when in motion and it stalled I was able to get off the road and avoid any collisions. Thi... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2022
The screen does not come on, so no heat, no safety stuff, no reverse camera and no sensors. All the above ADAS features do not work either. This is definitely a safety hazard, which I think traces back to the vehicle operating system. Details reported to Volvo in this tweet--> https://twitter.com/ameyaroskar/status/1608642311923339266?t=CUl77cpdg6qWIP8AJqetyQ&s=19
VOLKSWAGEN
PASSAT
(2014) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Dec 28, 2022
Incident date: Dec 21, 2022
I was taking an exit ramp onto the highway when my car just started accelerating on its own. I pulled onto the highway and was cruising at 55 mph. The car then jerked a little and started to accelerate past 60 then to 70. I pressed the brakes and nothing happened. My car then accelerated to 80 mph. I continued pressing the brakes to try to slow down but nothing happened. Then I heard a loud cr... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2021
ABS and Traction Control warning lights flash on and off constantly and there is a warning tone that beeps non-stop on my 2018 Ram 2500. When these warnings appear, the ABS System and the Traction Control are disabled along with the cruise control. This has happened twice already, and my truck only has 4000 miles on it. The first time was in October 2021 when the truck had under 3000 miles on it. ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2022
unsafe condition , throttle becomes unresponsive intermittently no response right after starting the engine , no messages on dash to alert driver like reduced power or any CHECK ENGINE LIGHT that will show a component DTC , vehicle has been twice at the dealer ship with no fix results, last time the computer was reprogramed but problem not corrected , they claim not be able to recreate condition ,... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2022
I have experienced short periods with my Tacoma accelerating when my foot wasn't on the gas pedal. The floor mat was pinned down correctly and not in the way. I was turning left and my truck started to speed up like the gas was being pressed. I had to hit the brakes as a red light was coming and vehicles were stopped at the Red light. I have also had another issue with the truck not responding wh... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2022
Approx. speed of 50 mph vehicle suddenly dropped into 1st gear resulting in rapid deceleration. Both speedometer and tach were fluctuating and had no direct correlation with actual vehicle motion. Defect was momentary and truck resumed to normal shifting pattern and normal speedometer/tach function.
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2020) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Dec 27, 2022
Incident date: Dec 27, 2022
i was stopped at a red light and when the light turned green I accelerated and the vehicle shut off and then came back on. when the vehicle came on i had a service esc light and a system break failure warning telling me not to exceed 62mph. i made it back to my house driving with extreme caution. the breaks were very delayed while driving.
Incident date: Dec 27, 2022
While driving the vehicle shut down, I lost all steering. It has a history of stalling while driving, stalling while idle, and not restarting for random periods of time. After getting the vehicle restarted it stalled again two more times while driving. I parked in a parking lot for a shopping center. When I cam out after a period of 30-45 minutes - the vehicle will not start and just turns over an... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2016) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Dec 26, 2022
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
Sensor temperature transmission
Incident date: Dec 19, 2022
This has happened about 3 times since I purchased the vehicle in end of 2018. While I was driving out of no where the car will just brake, there is nothing in front of me or blocking me and one time I was going about 40 mph and the others were when I was going about 30 and 50 so it’s been a range. Luckily every time I’ve been driving there has not been anyone behind me but for sure if someone ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2019) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Dec 26, 2022
Incident date: Dec 23, 2022
Steering assist failure at low and highway speed. Lurching and speed fluctuating at low and highway speed. Adaptive cruise control failure at low and highest speed. Yes, it is reproducible.
Incident date: Dec 25, 2022
I was driving at approximately 30mph on a road the traction control/stability track light came on and my car lost almost all power. it went from 30 to about 5mph. thankfully i was on a slower road and close to my house so I was able to get home. If I would have been on a highway I could have been killed. i quick google search showed thousands of other complaints with the same problem, my question ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
Purchased a low mileage, 2019 Subaru Outback Limited, had 16,407 miles on vehicle, had accident damage reported by CARFAX. At 27,383 miles an oil leak in valve cover gasket was discovered, Subaru fixed leak under warranty, engine removed. Upon driving the vehicle home following repairs, the car lunged forward through the garage door, into the garage, and damaged vehicle and garage interior as I a... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 19, 2022
timing chain issues resulting in a loss of power of the vehicle while driving. The vehicle stalls out and shuts off. Or it will go into power saving mode and slow down to only 20mph. It did this to me one a MAJOR HIGHWAY and I almost was in an accident. Way to many issues with gmc owners and the timing chain on their vehicles
Incident date: Dec 26, 2022
We were driving at 55mph and every warning light came on. It quickly decelerated to 20mph then wouldn't shift from first gear. We were in an area where there was no places to pull over. We pulled over and the car wouldn't shift from park. We were told to let it sit 15min then try again. After 20 min the car worked normally. The computer system deletes all the errors once it sits. The dealership sa... Read more
Incident date: Dec 25, 2022
Tesla "Traffic Aware Cruise Control" occasionally unnecessarily applies brakes aggressively for no apparent reason when cruise control is in use. This presents a hazard to other driver's who may be behind the Tesla. This phenomena is well known to Tesla owners who have repeatedly posted about it in Tesla's Owners Forum. It is often referred to as "phantom braking". There is no option for the Tesla... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2022
I was driving on the highway at 50 mph with my 3 kids and my vehicle stop accelerating . I almost got in a major Car accident . I had no warning lights at all . I contacted the dealership to tow Car and the transmission failed internally, I ask for Assitance since the 8 speed transmission has a class action lawsuit and Chevy denied Assitance since I have a 6 speed transmission. I believe this is a... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
Throttle pedal becomes unresponsive right after starting the car at times , I am concern this may happen while driving , dealership claims they can not reproduce the problem , second time back to the dealership the reprogramed the engine computer but problem continues, car is not cover under warranty , it is a 2019 Camry LE with 2.5 engine , they claim not been able to find the cause of the pro... Read more
Incident date: Nov 27, 2022
While changing the lane towards right, suddenly my vehicle over accelerated and was about to crash the vehicle ahead of me and quickly I decided to maneuver towards the right shoulder lane and within few seconds and speedy semi-truck passed from the left and saved our lives of 4 people in the car in the busy highway approaching the O'hare Chicago Airport. Safety: Had I not taken towards right to a... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2022
Purchased vehicle on 10/06/2022. Within a week noticed surging and /or loss of power. I also smelled buring of some sort. Contacted the dealership and tried to make arrangements for car to be diagnosed and repaired. Codes began to show on the dash. When I took it to be read it showed throttle issues. On 10/18/2022 I was at a complete stop at a stop sign. When I released the brake and touched the g... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 25, 2022
On certain sections of highway unsuccessfully attempted to activate auto-steer (two down clicks) multiple times in a row. Did this multiple times in a row but was unsuccessful to activate auto-steer. Instead a supposed "easter egg" (which activates with 4 down clicks) very loudly plays loud jarring music (called "rainbow road")...this is NOT FUCKING FUNNY--I nearly ran my car off the road and into... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2022
My Motor vehicle shift selector bushing broken out the ford issue is also in the 2017 models
Crash
Incident date: Dec 23, 2022
I was driving in stop and go traffic about 4 hours into a road trip on I95. At around 60mph, an error popped up on the dash saying “Service Charging System” then it quickly went away and said “Shift to P to Start” at which point I lost all propulsion. I was in the left lane and had to make my way to the side of the road with my family of 6 in the car. This was extremely stressful and dange... Read more
Incident date: Dec 21, 2022
The car accelerated unexpectedly, yes it is available for inspection, I have not taken to dealer. Car has not been inspected by any police dealer etc. No warning lights appeared. Yes car accelerated toward several on coming cars. I shifted gear from neutral with brake to drive with unexpected acceleration.
Incident date: Dec 12, 2022
I got P2138 code, i replaced the accelerator pedal on my cost because the dealer told me my car VIN is not include in the recall, the code keep coming back even after replacing the pedal. The problem it happen two time were I was driving on thruway "65 mph" the speed suddenly reduced to less than 30 mph which put me and the other drivers safety in dangerous situation
Incident date: Dec 22, 2022
Driving west on 1-10 west of TLH vehicle suddenly decelerate if if there was slowed or stopped traffic ahead. I was alone on road.
Incident date: Jul 24, 2022
This happened with my new Tesla Model X Plaid with installed Self Drive software. The AUTOPILOT or SELF DRIVE mode was NOT enabled when the incident happened. Turning into a parking spot at a Target superstore, (next to a damaged at the rear end car, parked to the left of the spot I was pulling into), the car went out of control with unintended acceleration as if the car's Emergency Evasion system... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 19, 2022
Our defrost system on windshield is only working on one side. First things first, the Vin number and the picture listed does not match our vehicle so I will be calling the the safety line to get it fixed. When googling the Dodge recalls. It popped up as a recall but I guess it’s not on our vin number dodge yet? Then the truck automatically started smelling like antifreeze. When driving it... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2016) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Dec 23, 2022
Incident date: Dec 23, 2022
At various speeds from 35mph to 70mph, van will accelerate without manual input to the accelerator pedal. To stop the acceleration, the pedal must be "smashed" several times before the throttle responds. It is as if the cruise control acceleration spontaniously activates even though cruise control is not ON or being used. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!!!
Incident date: Dec 22, 2022
I purchased this SUV new and noticed an issue with the automatic intermittent wipers. The dealership has replaced the windshield sensor and issue is now unreliable at best. Service department told me to simply wipe the sensor off or pour water onto the sensor to get the wipers to work. That seems to work for about 3 wipes and then stops again. Also, the driver seat changes position by itself ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2022
In July 2022, the esc/abs dash lights as well as the ‘service electronic brake/service ABS’ warning began intermittently flashing with resultant loss of traction control and ABS including cruise control. It would continue to activate/deactivate numerous times over the next couple of months. The dealer has identified the hydraulic control module as defective requiring complete replacement of th... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ID.4
(2022) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Dec 23, 2022
Incident date: Dec 23, 2022
While driving on the highway the car suddenly slowed down refusing to go faster than 27mph. Regardless of how hard I pushed the accelerator. Very dangerous. Almost caused an accident. Continued for 10miles till trip ended.
Incident date: Dec 21, 2022
Phantom braking during a drive on highway. Out of no where, the car breaks even when there is no one stopping in front of you. This resulted in car behind panicking and almost rear ending.
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2021) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Dec 22, 2022
Incident date: Dec 22, 2022
Bought vehicle in October - dealer was only able to give me the vehicle 2 months later. When I picked up the vehicle it smelled like something electric was burning. I texted my sales guy from the lot he didn't respond immediately I thought maybe it's just something outside the vehicle. Brought it home found it there is a recall on this vehicle and it doesn't accelerate efficiently. When I took it... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2022
Critical Failure - Alternator/48v Generator Issue in Audi Q8 Prestige. By now, I am well aware that the problem I'm experiencing is in the top 25 repair issues for Audi and currently there are 15,000 cars affected in the United States according to my dealer, waiting for these parts. Out of nowhere while driving on an interstate, at a high speed I got all mix of signals and the amount of time to re... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2022
The following occurred at approximately 10:40 am: While traveling on our way home from grocery shopping, heading west on G Ave (Kalamazoo County, Michigan, on the north side of WalMart), cruise control was set to 53 mph (55 mph speed zone). Vehicle began to accelerate up to 59 mph, well beyond speed control setting, whereupon I pushed the “Cancel” button. Engine immediately revved up to about... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2022
On Tue, 12/20/2022, I was driving on I-94 westbound between Moorland Road and WI Hwy 164 at about 60-70 mph. The car suddenly stalled and I lost all ability to accelerate the vehicle. The brakes and steering wheel still worked fine. The dash was displaying a message: "Service charging system. Shift to P to start." This has happened to my vehicle multiple times before. I was in the right lane and... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2022
I was operating the vehicle at a rate of 35-45 mph while getting on a highway ramp. As I merged and attempted to accelerate, the vehicle downshifted into 2nd gear itself and suddenly dropped in speed. This same incident has taken place multiple times in the past two weeks. Today I was able to catch it on video.
Incident date: Dec 20, 2022
Bought a 2009 Malibu (2.4 engine with electric power steering) a few weeks ago. Pulled into my driveway today and the power steering goes out and the traction control light comes on and service ESC message comes across the message center. Turn the car off and back on and the light goes out, power steering comes back for a second then the light trips again and it's out again as soon as I turn the w... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2022
I have a 2010 Hyundai elantra. Two times in the last 3 months I was driving and for no reason at all my car would rev up and my speed would accelerate. In October this happened I was so scared that I quickly turned into a gas station and was hit by another vehicle. The next time it happened I was lucky on the road that wasn't busy and I was able to just take my foot off the gas until it returned t... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Oct 18, 2022
- Traction control engaged at high speed(70 mph on interstate) causing the vehicle to brake abruptly and pull the vehicle to the right. Had I been traveling in the left hand lane, I could have been forced into the right hand lane causing a collusion with another vehicle. Also occurred at lower speed(30 mph on a windy road) causing the same issue as described above, almost causing the vehicle to le... Read more
Incident date: Dec 21, 2022
The sensor shuts off and warning beeps “Unavailable Front Radar Obstruction” which then shuts off cruise control and crash avoidance. This happens in dry weather with no rain or snow.
Incident date: Dec 21, 2022
Phantom braking: While in cruise or autopilot mode, it suddenly brakes on freeway without any obstacles observed.
Incident date: Dec 21, 2022
It was 12/21/2022 at about 3:15 PM in the afternoon and I had just turned right into the parking lot of St. Alexius Medical Center, 1555 Barrington Rd, Hoffman Estates, IL 60169. I took a left turn, and went north about fifty feet and stopped at a stop sign. A car was stopped at the same intersection from the right facing west. As I waited for the other car to turn in front of me, my 2011 Kia Ri... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2022
While driving with Autopilot engaged at approximately 65 mph the car suddenly decelerated to less than 40 mph and then accelerated back to 65. This happened again within a minute of the first occurance and I turned off Autopilot but left cruise control on. It then happened again and I turned cruise control off. Fortunately there were no cars following close behind me nor was I following close ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2022
Good morning, I want to report extreme safety concerns about my KIA Forte GT - Line 2023.When I first came home with the car days later the car shut off in the middle of the street while driving just one house up from my house. I attempted to turn it back on and the car would not turn back on and it automatically proceeded to call roadside assistance.I immediately informed the dealership. The car... Read more
Crash