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: Apr 22, 2022
While traveling 45 MPH, vehicle dash lights illuminated and vehicle stalled and would not exceed 35 MPH
Incident date: Apr 22, 2022
While traveling 45 MPH vehicle stalled and dash warning lights illuminated. vehicle would not exceed 35 MPH
Incident date: Mar 21, 2022
ABS Hydraulic unit and ABS Module failed at 72465 Causing cruise control and 4x4 to not work. Warning lights flash on off intermitting. ABS module is on back order for at least 90 days. Not a guarantee fix. .
Incident date: Aug 18, 2021
I have a 2012 Chevy Sonic giving a P2138 error code. I have replaced the Throttle Position Sensor and the Accelerator Pedal Sensor and the problem is not going away. I have spent over $700 on this repair and they cannot fix it. It is a known problem with this vehicle but GM is there is no recall for this issue. I wish something could be done. The acceleration loses power and drops to is unable to ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 23, 2022
I also shared this on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TeslaLounge/comments/ubcbuc/phantom_brake_occurence/ My brand new, (February-2022), Model 3 Performance Phantom Braked hard yesterday and almost killed me and my daughter. We were on a road-trip driving from Arizona to California, on the 8 freeway westbound. It was running Tesla software version. 2022.12.3.1. Conditions were ideal. Clear sky... Read more
Incident date: Sep 2, 2021
The car, driving on cruise control at 75mph did an expected and very sharp braking and slowed down to 55 mph. There were no upcoming alerts or indicators of this to happen. The braking was sudden and definitely not expected by drivers behind. This incident was reported to Tesla service team.
FORD
MUSTANG MACH E
(2021) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Apr 25, 2022
Incident date: Apr 21, 2022
While driving around a curve, my car lost all power and went completely dark. I didn't have brakes, steering, lights or any other functions. My car was completely bricked. This happened before daylight and I didn't have emergency flashers to notify other drivers I was stopped on the side of the road. After waiting for 6 hours for a tow truck, I went and tried to find the problem myself. I found a... Read more
Incident date: Apr 23, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle independently accelerated. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle struck the curb before coming to a stop, causing damage to the rim and tire. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2022
On 3/7/22- 3/15/22 I and my wife took our Tesla Model Y 2021 for an extensive trip from San Diego, CA to Sedona, AZ. Our Tesla does not equipped with Autopilot. On 3/7 while on I-8 E Arizona, our Tesla was on cruise control at HWY speed, it suddendly braked from 75 miles/hr to 60 miles/hr and slowly going back up without any appearance reasons! There was No cars near and around. Afterward, it ha... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2022
Water pump keeps going bad 2nd time replacing in 2 years rough idle and failed part problems that BMW service team does not understand. Vehicle has stalled at 0 rpm I'm thinking there is an issue with the engine also reported by previous owner and I also have the same complaints, as well the foot release which I was was told was an option never worked. Please search vin [XXX] for all incident repo... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2022
We were on the highway the power went out. The car did not have emergency brake . We could have gotten hit. We finally was able to stop on the shoulder with the driver not letting go off his foot pedal to keep the car from moving. We called Tesla and he wasn’t able to restart the car and yet he said the car has lots of power. The back door doesn’t open in an emergency as well
Incident date: Mar 16, 2022
My truck appeared to down shift into first gear while driving 50 mph. The RPMs soared and i temporarily lost control of the vehicle and my body slammed forward. Luckily, no other vehicle was adjacent to mine otherwise people could have been severely injured. The event occurred again 5 minutes later. Initial symptoms were an instance where there was no dashboard feedback from my rpm, speedometer ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2022
I leased a brand new 2022 Honda Pilot and after two weeks of leasing it developed a severe leaking problem with the transmission. The pilot was taken to a local dealer, the local dealer refused service. It was then taken to the original dealer, and the original dealer replaced the transmission. There was some sort of metallurgical fault or defect with the transmission casing, necessitating replace... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2020
The abs light, and the traction control light stays on. When illuminated there is no hill start assist available, no abs braking, no traction control, nor cruise control.
Incident date: Apr 23, 2022
Nuisance service advance trac light illuminates which in turn disables hill assist, abs and cruise control. Will reset when ignition is recycled. However no ABS on a large vehicle in adverse weather is unsettling. It’s my understanding that this is a frequent issue in the new Ford F53 chassis. Many consumers have reported dealerships are unable to determine the exact cause and only have the faul... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2022
Suddenly and at random times check engine light comes on with error “Engine power is reduced” car will no longer accelerate even at freeway speeds causing a very dangerous situation. Has happened several times and continues to happen. According to other complaints this is very common and reoccurring for Malibu and needs to be covered by Chevy to resolve issue.
Incident date: Mar 2, 2022
I called OnStar because my car would not start and they sent someone from GM. The guy looked at my car, could not identify the problem, so I got it towed to a repair shop. Ends up, I had to replace the transmission. The repair shop ran electric test on the vehicle and no codes or issues. My dash is now reading service power steering and this is a safety issue that needs to be fixed by the manufact... Read more
Incident date: Apr 19, 2022
On April 19, 2022, I was driving home after picking up my son. The traffic was bumper to bumper. And as I sat in traffic, when I moved my foot from the brake to the accelerator, the vehicle would not move. So while sitting in traffic, and the traffic began to move, I could not move. So I turned the car off, and turned it back on, and I was able to move enough to get the vehicle on to the shoulder ... Read more
POLESTAR
POLESTAR 2
(2022) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Apr 22, 2022
Incident date: Apr 22, 2022
On 12/26/2021, I merged onto the I-5 South highway to Irvine, CA, and engaged Pilot Assist. The “speedometer dial” icon turned yellow (as expected), but the “car in front” and “hand hold wheel” icons remained grayed out. I believe this indicated 2 things: (1) the car was still looking for a lead car, and (2) the car was searching for clear lane markings. Everything appeared to be no... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2022
The slightest gust of wind turns off the traction control which disables cruise control and other important features. If this happens, you have to pull off the road, turn the vehicle off and restart to reset all of the features. Ford is well aware of this and has yet to determine a fix.
Incident date: Oct 16, 2019
Car accident head on emergency break didn’t work bad injuries.
Crash
3 injured
Incident date: Apr 21, 2022
When my car takes off it hesitate to move and when it does it take off. Something In the tires pop when you drive
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2019) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Apr 21, 2022
Incident date: Apr 14, 2022
Front passenger side tire on vehicle ruptured after the driver struck a rock in the road during the morning commute. Driver stopped vehicle and changed damaged tire using the provided spare tire. The spare tire provided with the vehicle by Volkswagen is not a full-sized spare. Upon continuing the commute, the car began to malfunction. The electronic stability control featured engaged, braking ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2021
I have only had the vehicle for a year. On multiple occasions the vehicle feels like it is slipping gears (more often when the autostop feature is turned on). On multiple occasions the vehicle has stalled out and would not do anything when pressing on gas- didn't even rev, did absolutely nothing. These stall outs happened crossing highways, at stop lights, stop signs, etc. There were no warnings p... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while at a complete stop with her foot on the brake pedal, the vehicle independently accelerated. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 21,000.
Incident date: Apr 15, 2022
Car set at 75 MPH cruise control, brakes unnecessary with no obstructions or danger, and reduces speed to 45 MPH while having adaptive cruise control active. Tesla response = this is a Beta feature. Read your manual. This is incredibly dangerous and a rear end collision waiting to happen. I feel like this is reckless and to just blame it on being Beta is borderline criminal.
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2017) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Apr 19, 2022
Incident date: Apr 16, 2022
Torque converter failure, only 33k miles on vehicle. Had a load of dirt in bed of truck, while going home had too pull to side of road. Cause - truck shook violently almost lost control, thought someone hit me at first. While getting started again, noticed transmission was shifting funny but got home and symptoms went away for approx 2 months. April 16 while going for a drive on the highway, tru... Read more
Incident date: Apr 19, 2022
Text sent to Toyota. Copy to NHTSA. Hello, my name is [XXX]. I am writing to both Toyota and NHTSA with what I perceive as a safety problem. I have owned three Toyotas including a 2017 4runner. I have been pleased with them except for one characteristic they all shared. The turn signal sound volume is just too low. My son's F-150 and my wife's Audi A4 both have very clear and distinct turn... Read more
Incident date: Apr 19, 2022
Car was driving on major highway when the alarm went off and check engine light came on saying reduced engine power. Car dropped down to 20mph at roughly 2,000rpm's on a major interstate. No prior indicators and mechanic said one of the sensors was the issue. Reading up there is apparently a class action lawsuit with GM and nothing has been done about it. NHTSA needs to address this matter ASAP.
CHEVROLET
CAPTIVA SPORT
(2012) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Apr 19, 2022
Incident date: Mar 30, 2022
Engine light came on lost compressions. Engine wouldn't turn off. Steering was loose like we were on water. Traction control and stabilitrac were disabled and unable to turn bsvjninuiHas to press breaks to the floor. If I was going any faster I could have lost control. The repair shop replaced the fuse box and Bcm not even 3 miles engine light came back on and it misfires, pistons problems, comp... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while her daughter was reversing out of a parking space, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration. The vehicle drove forward and crashed into a brick post. The contact's daughter did not sustain any injury but later received medical attention. There were no airbags deployed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 19, 2022
Brake lights stay on when the car is in drive. Cruise control will not work. There are other intermittent electrical issues that are not safety related. With the brake lights always on, other drivers don't know when I'm stopping. The problem is ongoing and has been confirmed by an independent mechanic. there were no warning lights or messages. the problem started several years ago before I owned... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2022
Purchased vehicle from a private seller 10 days prior to incident. Seller informed me they had replaced throttle body sensor to fix unintended acceleration issues. Drove vehicle home on 4/10/22 with one incident on highway where I attempted to slow vehicle after reaching approx 70mph, and vehicle seemed to jolt/shudder as if unable to brake smoothly. Did not drive again til 4/18/22: I attempted to... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2022
While driving on the highway, the electronic throttle control light suddenly flashed and the car refused to accelerate. This happened multiple times while driving so I took it to the dealership and they say the throttle body needs to be replaced for $993. Many reviews online report the same exact problem and the dealership just laughs at them and says there isn't a recall on the part. The speed li... Read more
Incident date: Apr 16, 2022
While on cruise control, the car will, out of nowhere, apply the brakes very aggressively ("phantom breaking"). This despite there being no vehicles nearby or any potential threats to safety. This phantom braking is obviously very dangerous and is a reason why I don't really use it anymore. It has happened 3-4 times since I bought my car, and that's despite not really using cruise control very oft... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2022
Full tank of fuel and dashboard is showing 30 miles until empty warning. I have received the engine warning ⚠️ sign on my dashboard as well when this happens. This issue also affects me on the road when I am pressing the accelerator and the engine will not respond, this gas been an issue since they did the fuel pup recall. With a delay in acceleration comes a delay on the brake system as we... Read more
FORD
TRANSIT CONNECT
(2014) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Apr 17, 2022
Incident date: Apr 12, 2022
While driving, the speedometer dropped to zero, the car milage displayed as ------, the ABS light turned on, the traction control light turned on, and there was a warning that the hill assist was unavailable. I was driving with 4 children in the vehicle and was unable to discern if it was an actual safety issue or an electronic malfunction. We suspect a wheel speed sensor on one of the four ti... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2020
while making a left turn the right front brake comes on and causes the steering to shake and the rear to seem to fishtail. the bike has been back to the dealer for repairs several times. the last time it was there 10 months. got it back in march and it was good for almost a month and then it started again. the dealer is trying but can-am doesn't seem to be much help. been in the shop for over 15 m... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2022
On April 15, 2022, I experienced two incidents of sudden braking while in cruise control on a round-trip four-hour drive in my Tesla model Y. I was driving at between 60 and 65 miles an hour on a four-lane road. Between the incidents, I reached my destination and the car was parked for several hours. In each case, there was no car in front of me in my lane, and in one case, as I remember, there w... Read more
MITSUBISHI
OUTLANDER SPORT
(2019) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Apr 15, 2022
Incident date: Apr 15, 2022
The car does not accelerate if it goes pastb40 mph the vehicle shakes. Also the battery goes down quickly. Also the oil change does not last as it should. The car has been repaired several times.Also the battery had to within one year. Something drains the battery. I recently had to purchase another battery. Something is draining the battery
Incident date: Apr 14, 2022
The engine will randomly loose power. This has happened three times now. You must coast to a stop, turn the key off and try to restart the car. Sometime it will take several tries to restart. I see this as a real safety concern in heavy traffic. Especially so if heavy traffic makes it impossible to reach the side of the road safely. The service code points to the throttle peddle position sens... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2022
I like to report the incident with the sudden collapsing of the ECU car electronic on 01/23/2022 during night, which had raised my serious concerns regarding the car safety in general. During driving the car in the nighttime of Sunday 01/23/2022, my wife was on her way to return from Pompano, FL to her home in Plantation, FL, using the Turnpike, she experienced that ECU engine speed control had re... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2021
Started the car, the check engine light was on and the traction control light was on. Check engine light code said lost communication with steering sensor. The windshield wipers were at full speed and could not be turned off. All controls on the steering wheel were not working. I lost the use of my blinker and horn. Making my car unsafe to drive. It happens at random times and I’m not able to us... Read more
Incident date: Apr 9, 2022
Four times in the last six weeks (three while driving) the car has lost all power. My screen either freezes or goes completely black so I have no speedometer, the blinkers do not work, I cannot control the windows or open the doors without the manual override. This usually lasts for 3-5 minutes, sometimes longer - and then the computer resets and everything reloads. Tesla is telling me it is a ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2022
The car kept stalling while I was trying to accelerate on the highway. I pulled over and turned it off and the problem resolved itself
Incident date: Apr 7, 2022
The emergency automatic brake, cruise control and auto pilot feature gets disabled frequently. All 3 features gets disabled at same time. Contacted tesla service center in decatur-GA. They are saying they cannot find the problem and hence cannot solve it. They say the engineers are looking into it, and my car needs a firmware update. No estimated time to fix these issues is given. The service c... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2022
Traction control is too sensative. I was in a stop sign. Then tried to press the acceleration but vehicle lost power. Too sensative traction control caused me to stall in the middle. There were car coming from the left or right to me. I am glad I was at safe distance and could regain control of the car.
Incident date: Jun 23, 2020
I have has consistent problems with the braking system. It will brake and/or show the warning when nothing is there. The jerking of this has caused me to get in an accident June 2020 while moving to a new duty station. It was raining and there were no other cars on this highway thankfully. It was scary and I was even going below the speed limit. This caused my car to become nearly uncontrollable. ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Feb 16, 2022
Compotent : Throttle position Sensor Risk\ High level to vehicle occupants Highest to pedestrians Unfortunately, after inspection was TOTALED inforrned us of an investigation currently ,by NHTSA regarding throttle components. The insurance adjuster was a forrner mechanic. there wear warning lights on to indicate a problem
Incident date: Apr 13, 2022
I was driving on a city street at around 30 mpr with no cars in front or behind me when my CRV came to sudden jerking stop and then continued forward. It was so abrupt that my head snapped forward and I slid toward the steering wheel. Luckily, no one was behind me otherwise, I would have been rear ended. This has created a great fear in driving my CRV. I still intend to contact the dealership an... Read more