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: Mar 17, 2022
Vehicle won't start and dealership determine it was the battery. Replaced battery now vehicle shuts off completely when making a complete stop. Vehicle will maintain in normal operation if shifted into neutral upon stopping. The vehicle was taken to Harper Motor Dealership where it was determine the starter was bad. After replacing the starter the next the problem remained. Took the vehicle back ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 27, 2022
Vehicle repeatedly applied the brakes while on cruise control. This sometimes seemed to be a response to other vehicles approaching in the oncoming traffic lane, but sometimes seemed totally unexpected. Once, the vehicle even sounded the collision alarm when no collision danger was present. If someone had been following me closely, the inexplicable braking could have caused an accident. A search o... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2022
I was driving to the clinic I go to everyday in the mornings I was in the freeway going about 70mph when suddenly I get a msg saying “engine power reduced” also engine light came on and the car starts slowing down and it’s not letting me go more than 20mph on the FREEWAY! I could have caused an accident, (this is very unsafe specially since my 2 and 4 year old were in the car with me) I got ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2022
The contact owns a 2004 Kia Spectra. The contact stated the cruise control feature was not operating properly. The contact stated while her boyfriend was driving and approaching a traffic light, when depressing on the brake pedal the vehicle failed to stop and accelerated independently to 80 mph. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to stop the vehicle by using ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Nov 1, 2021
Malfunction indicator lights - Check engine, VSC off and TRAC off. The vehicle goes into limp mode. The issue is both a mechanical and engineering defect causing the override of the entire AIP system. Parts affected are Air injection pumps, Air switching valves, Air pump inlets/covers, Gaskets/connectors/clamps and Speed sensors.
Incident date: Jul 13, 2021
Yes, I was on my way to school and as I pulled out into the first busy road along my way my car hesitated, jerked and was very erratic and eventually died completely, all power lost. I just barely missed being hit by another vehicle and somehow I made it within the Double suicide lane. I was extremely terrified because I don’t know anything about vehicles and this is my first car so I called my ... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS CROSS SPORT
(2021) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Mar 27, 2022
Incident date: Mar 27, 2022
driving at low speed in parking lot, alarms sounded, engine and hazard lights came on and then driver's side windows rolled down partially. a few seconds later, the emergency brake automatically engaged, stopping the vehicle. i was able to disengage the emergency brake and continue driving, but dashboard lights remained on. very scary.
Incident date: Feb 8, 2022
I was attempting to park in front of a medical professional building with my foot on the brake slowly rolling between the parking lines when the car experienced sudden unintended acceleration. Although I realized the car was accelerating and lurching forward, the brake was not stopping the vehicle. The car jumped the parking curb and crashed into the building causing damage to both the exterior an... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 25, 2022
Just got the Model Y and drove from Kansas City to Denver and back to Kansas City. When using the cruise control the car would suddenly break for no apparent reason. The breaking rapidly decreases the speed of the car. This would occur multiple time without any warning or apparent consistency. Talking with other Tesla drivers at charging stations, this seems to be a well-known and common problem. ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2022
The Tesla’s operating system on the center screen froze. I was unable to view speed. I was also unable to turn on wipers, blinkers, or switch headlight beam setting. The operating system had to be rebooted while driving. This has happened twice. The first time was 2/11/2022, on I40 W in TN. The second time, noted below, was on I65 S in AL.
Incident date: Jun 14, 2021
My husband was driving and the car suddenly stopped taking gas and said reduced engine power. He got it back home as it was only a few miles but top speed was less than 10 mph. It never did run right anymore and then completely stopped a few days later. Also the key gets stuck in the car if the battery goes dead. I had to leave the key in with the window down because I was scared of getting locked... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2022
My RPMs do not catch up with my speed. While I'm driving rpms randomly fluctuate. The transmission doesn't engage quickly enough. Now my car can barely even stop quickly enough. it gets stuck in a high gear and when I try to accelerate it jerks. I can barely stop my car I have stop so far in advance and even than it will barely stop. THIS A HUGE SAFETY RISK for myself and others. This car still fa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2022
There have been 3 separate instances in unexpected and sudden braking when using cruise control. All instances occurred when there were no nearby vehicles present. The first incident occurred on a 2 lane road when I was driving in daylight. I used the cruise control and twice over 10 min the car suddenly and unexpected slowed/braked startling me. After 2 times, I turned off the cruise control.... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2022
While driving on the highway or freeway, the vehicle suddenly slowed dramatically as if the brakes had been heavily applied. It did this three times over the course of two days, always while the car was set on cruise control (not auto pilot).
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2021) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Mar 25, 2022
Incident date: Mar 23, 2022
My 2021 Volkswagen Atlas is having an issue with a faulty wiring harness in the driver-side door that causes the car to brake unexpectedly while driving in traffic, putting me at risk of causing an accident or being rear-ended. This issue also causes the windows the randomly roll down, and I can no longer lock or unlock the driver's side door. When I put the car in drive, the warning light for the... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2022
Brakes were automatically engaged and speed dramatically reduced on an otherwise deserted, two-line highway. Speed was reduced from 68mph to 30mph in a few seconds multiple times in the span of two hours. Adaptive cruise control was active at the time. This would put myself and any vehicles behind me in danger, so I disabled the feature for the remainder of the drive. The behavior has been reprodu... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2022
This Coachmen Prism 2150CB motorhome, built on a 2018 Mercedes Sprinter 3500 chassis, is now going back to the dealer a third time for the same problem. First time, rear wheel speed sensors were replaced while in for other service as a part of a recall. No big deal. But apparently the issue is not isolated to rear wheel speed sensors. At 11k miles, 500 miles from home, another wheel speed sensor w... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2022
The Taycan offers what Porsche calls Porsche Innodrive (PID). PID once activated, the car uses navigation information and road signs to automatically adjust the vehicle's speed to the maximum speed limit of the road. In some locations, the vehicle abruptly reduces its speed because PID misreads a Truck Speed Limit sign, e.g.: the vehicle is moving at 65 mph, then it abruptly reduces the speed to 3... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2022) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Mar 24, 2022
Incident date: Mar 22, 2022
service trailer brake system, service esc, steering assist is reduced, brake system failure. almost had an accident because of the brake system failure
Incident date: Mar 13, 2022
Vehicle will routinely reboot while driving. During this time the turn signals, speed information and other vehicle information is not available while driving.
Incident date: Mar 22, 2022
My wife was pulling into a parking spot at a Safeway in Seattle. The car, instead of stopping, sped up when she stepped on the brakes, slamming into a brick wall. She shifted into reverse, and the car sped backwards, then shifted to drive, and sped forward and slammed into a wall again. She shifted to park and pulled on the parking brake. Then, after 5 minutes with the car off, she drove home wi... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 16, 2022
Brake pedal switch is malfunctioning causing the brake lights to turn on by itself when driving 60mph+ when I am pressing only the gas pedal and then it’s causing the engine to shutoff or power reduced due to “both pedals pressed” alert in the system. This can cause an accident 1st for sending the wrong brake light signal for the drivers behind me and 2nd to shut off engine when driving at... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2022
I have been an Audi A4 owner for more than 10 years. During that time, I have had 2 incidents where I could have easily been killed as well as injured or killed passengers in oncoming vehicles. The latest was this morning on March 23, 2022. The other was nearly 10 years ago. My personal investigation has led me to a conclusion that I have not yet seen anywhere else. In both cases, I am trying to ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 23, 2022
I have experienced issues with my vehicle when shifting since 2017 withal minor “shudder” after shifting into a higher gear. Now, my vehicle has begun to have trouble shifting from first gear to second. When shifting, the vehicle will abruptly stop before catching in second gear and continuing. It has become a concern as I am not confident to pull out onto busy roads.
Incident date: Mar 21, 2022
On Monday, March 21, 2022, at about 11:40 AM CT, I was at the Walgreens pharmacy drive-thru window. I used the brake-hold feature on the vehicle. I did not have my feet on any pedals or the steering wheel. I did not get any notifications, warnings, alerts, or beeps from the vehicle prior to the incident. As I reached my arm out to get my medications and payment from the pharmacy window, the vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2022
The gas pedal sticks to the floor. Ford needs to address this asap!
Incident date: Mar 23, 2022
I have been having intermittent ABS/traction control lights flashing on my dash. When I hooked my truck up to my DTC code reader, it says I have a C0020-21 stored. ABS pump motorcontrol - general electrical failure. I have noticed thousands of complaints on various websites about the same issue. My truck only has 38,000 miles on it. This must be a defective part.....I called and asked my loca... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2022
Faulty crankshaft and camshaft sensors UNKOWN
Incident date: Mar 20, 2022
As I was driving, it felt as if my car had turned off or had no fuel, but no engine lights came on and i had fuel in my tank. Also all my electrical stuff stayed on, only lost power on the accelerator. My safety and others safety was put at risk because there were no warning signs i just had no "Go power" and no one around me knew my car had no power which could lead to an accident, serious injury... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2022
Vehicle was at a stop with brake engaged and then it proceeded to go full speed into a vehicle two meters away without acceleration pedal engaged. Emergency brake did not activate during or slightly before the collision. The brakes had to be engaged manually, but vehicle was already past a certain velocity on its own accord to be able to stop properly without damaging property or harming pedestria... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 328D. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V755000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated to 40 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The EGR cooling message was displayed in the information center. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where she... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 2022
DASHBOARD SPEEDOMETER, FUEL GAUGE, HEADLIGHT INDICATORS, TRANSMISSION STATUS, CRUISE CONTROL DO NOT SHOW, ARE NOT LIT UP. BACKUP CAMERA DOES NOT WORK NOR DO THE BACK-UP LIGHTS. THIS OCCURED AFTER THE AUXILIARY BATTERY WAS REPLACED AND THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS AND BACKUP CAMERA WILL OCCASSIONALLY SPONTANEOUSLY RETURN WHEN THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN FOR A WEEK OR LONGER BUT THEN WILL GO OUT NEXT TIME... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2022
Car accelerated while I was parking in a parking spot and hit fence and unoccupied storefront.
Crash
VOLKSWAGEN
TIGUAN
(2018) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Mar 22, 2022
Incident date: Mar 12, 2022
At 48k miles, fuel efficiency began to significantly drop. At next start up, engine would not turn over and EPC light came on. I waited 30 minutes, unlocked the steering wheel and was able to start the vehicle and EPC light turned off. I took it into Volkswagen dealership to have it looked over and they could not duplicate the issue nor find cause for lower fuel efficiency. The issue with fuel per... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2019
Took my 2019 RAV4 to Toyota of Orange. Like couple months ago for fuel pump recal but my vehicle stalls when driving on freeway or streets. Looses speed for 4 seconds and its scary reported issues to Toyota of Orange and they don’t fixed anything they only want to sell. They offer me services I don’t need for my vehicle. Got 2021 RAV4 rental from Enterprise and that one work just find no probl... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2019) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Mar 21, 2022
Incident date: Jun 30, 2021
Windows roll down by themselves. Parking brake applies itself without warning. Multiple warning lights saying parking brake error, start stop error, hill assist error, window sensor code, and constant dinging. Hill assist will come on even when not on a hill jarring you at higher speeds. Airbags deployed late during no fault Accident. The flaws in the vehicle didn’t cause the car accident, yet... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Oct 14, 2021
My problem started with the engine first sending me a code “reduced engine power” and this code would appear one week and gone the next. I have taken it to mechanics and had parts replaced and temporary fixes. After getting it back from the mechanic and them telling me that the cylinder one isn’t holding the correct pressure and the exhaust value is burnt due to the consistent auto engine sh... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would hesitate or fail to accelerate upon depression of the accelerator pedal; the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact initially took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic code showed that the throttle position sensor was defective. Upon further investig... Read more
VOLKSWAGEN
ATLAS
(2020) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Mar 21, 2022
Incident date: Nov 1, 2021
We've had our Atlas since 5/2020. Since then, we've had multiple issues similar to what I have seen reported on VW's upcoming recall. I am not sure how VW intends to identify which VIN's are an issue, but ours should probably be included. Here's a list of issues... 1) Emergency braking goes off when backing up, even though there is no risk. 2) Emergency braking goes off at the end of a decline... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2022
I was driving on a divide highway at 70 mph in the HOV lane with cruise control activated, not auto steering, when the car abruptly slowed down. No car was visible in front of me. If someone was following closely behind me an accident could have occurred. I reported this to Tesla.
Incident date: Mar 19, 2022
The vehicle suddenly and without visible obstruction in the road and with out warning applies the brakes aggressively which decreases velocity in an unsafe manner. This occurs while the enhanced autopilot is active. The component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or other. The only prior warning is that the aggressive braking has occurred on several occa... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 2500
(2020) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Mar 20, 2022
Incident date: Jan 31, 2022
DEF system failed. Wire harness burned out. Tank failure. Truck went into limp mode. I personally know 3 others with the same issue.
Incident date: Jan 26, 2022
Phantom breaking several times daily. Now I don’t feel safe using it and I am only able to use the feature when I am sure there is no one behind me. One incentant almost resulted in rear end collision. Car thought something was there and applied break abruptly and person behind was following closely and almost crashed into me. Since then I am not able to trust this feature. A major software fla... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2022
ESC reduced power reads across my monitor's screen. It could be numerous of these that cause this. I've done what I can afford, but no luck. I've done research & it's very common for this to happen among these. Please help me out with at least pinpointing the problem, thanks!
Incident date: Mar 14, 2022
The Tesla will slam on the brakes unexpectedly while using cruise control. It does this for no apparent reason and has almost cause several accidents including me being rear ended while cruising at 60mph.
Incident date: Mar 20, 2022
My car has problems with uncommanded slowdowns while cruise control and/or Autopilot are active. The vehicle will slow down suddenly in any number of predictable and unpredictable situations. The extent of the slowdown is variable as well. It can range from a slight “hiccup” in the speed, which is simply unpleasant, to a significant, rapid decrease. (Like, more than 10mph, very quickly.) This ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2022
On two lane highway semi truck approaching car slammed on brakes. If someone had been behind us we would have caused an accident. Went from 60 to 28 in a flash.
Incident date: Mar 17, 2022
On interstate. Semi was passing. Cruise control hit the breaks.
Incident date: Nov 10, 2021
At 1:10 pm on Wednesday, November 10, 2021 we were travelling SB on I-5 near Longview, WA. The day was clear and dry. We were in Lane 2 of a 3-lane stretch of interstate. There were no vehicles in either lane right next to us; a semi-truck was in Lane 1 (outside lane) several car lengths in front of us; a passenger car was 1-2 car lengths behind us in the same lane as us (Lane 2). No overpasse... Read more
Incident date: Dec 6, 2021
Multiple problems with transmission and electrical. Electrical: 1) While traveling 80mph in the far left lane of the highway, I had to make a hard break when someone changed lanes and moved into my path. When I did that, the car turned off completely. (The key fob was still secured in my cup holder.) I could no longer accelerate and it was slowing down quickly. There was no way for me to turn the... Read more