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 16,985 complaints for ACURA
Incident date: Dec 1, 2020
It is my understanding that the seatbelt on my vehicle is 100% covered under lifetime warranty. However, my airbag light is on and remains on due to a sensor failure in the driver's side seatbelt buckle and the tensioner. I went to the Acura dealer in Chantilly, VA to have repaired and was informed by the Service Manager (Kyle C.) that Acura was only going to pay 50%, which was unacceptable as i... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2020
Headlights problems of the 2014 Acura RDX. Unable to see with headlights at night. I can't see the road. I have escaped couple of accidents luckily.
Incident date: Jan 3, 2022
Car broke down 3 times on the road while driving, it show 12Vbattery failure, ABS failure nd started flashing lights on the dashboard nd broke down while driving. When first time it happened dealer said they have fixed the issue. It happened again md yesterday is 3rd time. Vehicle is 19k miles only it. Pls help us getting this resolved. Dealers make false promises and it’s breaking down again a... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2022
Car broke down 3 times on the road while driving, it show 12Vbattery failure, ABS failure nd started flashing lights on the dashboard nd broke down while driving. When first time it happened dealer said they have fixed the issue. It happened again md yesterday is 3rd time. Vehicle is 19k miles only it. Pls help us getting this resolved. Dealers make false promises and it’s breaking down again a... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2021
The current mileage on my odometer is 69,125. Over the past few weeks (last few hundred miles), I have noticed that my low beam headlights have become very dim and are continually getting dimmer. Having read MANY other complaints about this problem with this particular year model, I took my car to our local Acura dealership to be diagnosed. The findings were that the internal reflector has deterio... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2021
Low beam headlight projectors reflective backing has deteriorated causing loss of reflected light end result very dim low beam headlights. Obviously everyone in my vehicle or on the roadway around me is at risk of injury or death due to poor forward lighting. Problem has been confirmed by a 30 year Master ASE certified technician. Manufacturer has not inspected the vehicle but has notified me that... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
Front headlights (low beams) are very dim even after replacing the bulb. This was noticed on a long drive back home during the night. While passing opposing traffic it was almost impossible to keep visibility of the lane markers and road.
Incident date: Dec 29, 2021
Driving on highway when sunroof exploded
Incident date: Jan 2, 2022
Car went into “limp mode” in a raining day while accelerating - suddenly loses power while check engine light blinks. Nearly hit by following cars on the highway trying to pass other cars. Luckily was able to pull over to the emergency lane. Turned off the engine and turned it back on, the problem went away. A service bulletin related to this well known issue already exists - 20-053. Please a... Read more
Incident date: Dec 6, 2021
While driving on the freeway we experienced 2 conditions 1 The steering wheel jerks back and forth by about an inch in each direction 5 or 6 times 2 when changing lanes the steering wheel moved the car back from the lane we were coming from. It took force to keep the car in the lane A message came up in the dashboard COLLISION MITIGATION SYSTEM PROBLEM Acura Of Roseville CA denies there is a prob... Read more
Incident date: Dec 6, 2021
While driving on the freeway we experienced 2 conditions 1 The steering wheel jerks back and forth by about an inch in each direction 5 or 6 times 2 when changing lanes the steering wheel moved the car back from the lane we were coming from. It took force to keep the car in the lane A message came up in the dashboard COLLISION MITIGATION SYSTEM PROBLEM Acura Of Roseville CA denies there is a prob... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
I was driving for approx. 3 hours on the interstate and exited to return home. After stopping at the red light my car would not excel. The rpm where moving up to 4 plus but the car wouldn’t go over 20 miles an hour when pressing the excelerator. No warning lights came on but I pulled over and turned the car off trying to decide what to do. I couldn’t get back on the road driving 20 miles an ho... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
I was driving for approx. 3 hours on the interstate and exited to return home. After stopping at the red light my car would not excel. The rpm where moving up to 4 plus but the car wouldn’t go over 20 miles an hour when pressing the excelerator. No warning lights came on but I pulled over and turned the car off trying to decide what to do. I couldn’t get back on the road driving 20 miles an ho... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2021
we bought this Acura RDX in 2015 and noticed the headlights are dim; as we drive more often in nights recently, it becomes obvious that this kind dim headlights are very dangerous for driving in nights, particularly on high way. I was looking for repairing but was told this was all without faulty from the original equipment. I searched online and realized this was a safety problems many drivers h... Read more
Incident date: Oct 29, 2021
The fuel pump was replaced in July 2020 due to a safety recall. That new pump failed on October 2021. No fuel pump fails so quickly unless the pump has same situation. Dealer replaced pump but charged me for part and labor of their own bad job form July 2020. I was lucky that it failed while I was moving at a slow speed in a safe place
Incident date: Oct 16, 2021
When my car got to the 80000 mile mark, my headlights became progressively dimmer. I have cleaned the lens, and replaced the bulbs 3 times in the last 3 months, and now they are so bad that I don't dare drive the car at night. I googled the problem and found a whole litany of Acura RDX owners who have experienced the same problem at the same time. see: https://www.carproblemzoo.com/acura/rdx/head... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2021
This is a white car with no after-dealer modifications. The paint is peeling from around the windshield and rear window.
Incident date: Dec 24, 2021
Rear windshield shattered while parked in my drive way. Vehicle was not being driven. I have read several reports of this happening to other Acura rdx. I have contacted the dealership and Acura who have both told me I need to pay out of pocket to get this fixed. This is an Acura problem and Acura was unable to help. I should not be responsible for getting this fixed as vehicle was in driveway when... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Acura RDX. The contact stated that while driving at night, the low-beam headlights were dim. The contact had to utilize the high-beam headlights while driving. The contact called the local dealer but, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the reflectors inside the headlight housings were def... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the Forward Collision-Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking suddenly activated causing the vehicle to abruptly stop in the middle of the road. During the failure, the dashboard warning lights and messages remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who serviced the vehicle. No further... Read more
Incident date: Sep 6, 2021
The vehicle VIN - [XXX] The vehicle, 2021 Acura TLX, was purchased on June 8, 2021, from the showroom floor of Metro Acura Dealership. The vehicle was sold as being compatible with iPhone, Bluetooth HandsFree Link, and Apple CarPlay. Not to mention the innovative technology, Automatic Lighting Control, and Auto-Idle Stop System. The vehicle was purchased with a full 4 year/50,000-mile warran... Read more
Incident date: Sep 6, 2021
The vehicle VIN - [XXX] The vehicle, 2021 Acura TLX, was purchased on June 8, 2021, from the showroom floor of Metro Acura Dealership. The vehicle was sold as being compatible with iPhone, Bluetooth HandsFree Link, and Apple CarPlay. Not to mention the innovative technology, Automatic Lighting Control, and Auto-Idle Stop System. The vehicle was purchased with a full 4 year/50,000-mile warran... Read more
Incident date: Sep 6, 2021
The vehicle VIN - [XXX] The vehicle, 2021 Acura TLX, was purchased on June 8, 2021, from the showroom floor of Metro Acura Dealership. The vehicle was sold as being compatible with iPhone, Bluetooth HandsFree Link, and Apple CarPlay. Not to mention the innovative technology, Automatic Lighting Control, and Auto-Idle Stop System. The vehicle was purchased with a full 4 year/50,000-mile warran... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2021
I was driving my 2013 Acura Tl on my way to work and suddenly I got an electronic power steering error that resulted in my steering wheel stiff and I had to use all my strength to pull over to the emergency lane. The vehicle's steering became very heavy and was very hard to turn. I am fortunate not to be in an accident when it occurred. There is so many people with Acura TL having this issue and ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2021
I was driving my 2013 Acura Tl on my way to work and suddenly I got an electronic power steering error that resulted in my steering wheel stiff and I had to use all my strength to pull over to the emergency lane. The vehicle's steering became very heavy and was very hard to turn. I am fortunate not to be in an accident when it occurred. There is so many people with Acura TL having this issue and ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 21, 2021
The airbag warning indicator keeps appearing. When message is pressed it says that airbag may not deploy when needed. States to turn car off and restart to see if indicator disappears- if reappear take to dealership to inspect.
Incident date: Jan 7, 2021
The contact owns a 2000 Acura RL. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V027000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact called the local dealer who confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2021
We have been the original owners of our 2005 MDX. on December 12/18/21 at 630. We were wearing our seat belts. We were driving in clear weather on a new street at 35 miles an hour. The passenger side seat airbag and the right side curtain deployed. My wife was sitting in the front passenger seat. There was no collision or hazard. The Airbag just exploded. We were not hit by any metal objects. The... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2021
The contact owns a 2021 Acura RDX. The contact stated while the vehicle was stationary in the driveway, he noticed that the rear windshield had shattered. Upon inspection, the contact stated he did not see any near objects that would have caused the windshield to shatter. The contact read online of other vehicle owners experiencing the same failure due to the cold weather. The contact called the l... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2019
The contact owns a 2015 Acura TLX. The contact stated that while his son was driving at various speeds, the vehicle would shut off without warning. The contact had initially taken the vehicle to an unknown dealer in West Virginia which has since closed, and a software update was performed; however, the failure persisted. As the failure became more frequent, the contact drove the vehicle to another... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2019
The contact owns a 2015 Acura TLX. The contact stated that while his son was driving at various speeds, the vehicle would shut off without warning. The contact had initially taken the vehicle to an unknown dealer in West Virginia which has since closed, and a software update was performed; however, the failure persisted. As the failure became more frequent, the contact drove the vehicle to another... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2021
12/20/21 Clear, 41 degree day, I got in my Acura RDX, closed the door and heard a very loud pop( I thought I had been shot at it was so loud). When I looked out my review window, I noticed the hole in the back windshield. The car was not on. I just closed the door. The whole back hatch windshield was shattered.
Incident date: Dec 20, 2021
Car miss shifts especially in the 25 to 40 mph range. Sometimes hesitates when taking off. Also stays in one gear and will not upshift when entering the Freeway. Very dangerous. I found numerous complaints on the web in reference to these problems, but still no recall??? Have told the dealership about these problems with every service, but they said that there is nothing wrong.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2019
Low beam headlights are so dim I can’t safely drive at night.I have replaced bulbs with higher quality and brightness,but still very dim.Its like driving with parking light S on!Called the Acura dealership Crown Acura in Greensboro,N.C. and they said the reflector deteriorates on 2013-2015 models.Cost to replace both headlight fixtures 1500.00 my question is why Acura does not have a recall .Thi... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2021
Vehicle is having problems w original recall issues. Car stopping on its own on the highway, car says it’s on E all the time but has gas, car hesitates continually and sometimes just stops, electrical system is having major glitches, transmission and engine having major issues with hesitation and delay. I’ve bright it back many times and I’m beyond frustrated with no resolution. It’s unsaf... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2021
Vehicle is having problems w original recall issues. Car stopping on its own on the highway, car says it’s on E all the time but has gas, car hesitates continually and sometimes just stops, electrical system is having major glitches, transmission and engine having major issues with hesitation and delay. I’ve bright it back many times and I’m beyond frustrated with no resolution. It’s unsaf... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2021
Vehicle is having problems w original recall issues. Car stopping on its own on the highway, car says it’s on E all the time but has gas, car hesitates continually and sometimes just stops, electrical system is having major glitches, transmission and engine having major issues with hesitation and delay. I’ve bright it back many times and I’m beyond frustrated with no resolution. It’s unsaf... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2021
Since I purchased my car in 2014 the headlights have dimmed tremendously. So much that my husband pulled the car to the side of the road the other night because he insisted the headlights were burnt out. I explained that they've been that way for a long time. We absolutely cannot drive my car at night because it's as if we have no headlights. I think this poses an extreme safety hazard.
Incident date: Dec 11, 2021
Headlights are extremely dim - dangerous to drive at night. Reported issue to dealer, who cleaned the lens but problem persists.
Incident date: Nov 12, 2021
The contact owned a 2013 Acura ILX . The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle in front of her suddenly stopped. The driver depressed the brake pedal however, was unable to stop in time and crashed into the rear of an unknown Audi. The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained injuries to the chest, neck, and head. The driver believes the impact knocked her unco... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Nov 15, 2021
In San Diego on 11/15/2021, my daughter side swiped a parked vehicle in residential area driving about 30 miles. No airbags deployed. A minute later the car stopped and would not start and started to have smoke and flames come from under hood and through inside windshield and dash. My daughter was able to get out and take her 3 year old son out of his carseat and run for their lives as the car com... Read more
Crash
Fire
Incident date: Nov 15, 2021
In San Diego on 11/15/2021, my daughter side swiped a parked vehicle in residential area driving about 30 miles. No airbags deployed. A minute later the car stopped and would not start and started to have smoke and flames come from under hood and through inside windshield and dash. My daughter was able to get out and take her 3 year old son out of his carseat and run for their lives as the car com... Read more
Crash
Fire
Incident date: Nov 15, 2021
In San Diego on 11/15/2021, my daughter side swiped a parked vehicle in residential area driving about 30 miles. No airbags deployed. A minute later the car stopped and would not start and started to have smoke and flames come from under hood and through inside windshield and dash. My daughter was able to get out and take her 3 year old son out of his carseat and run for their lives as the car com... Read more
Crash
Fire
Incident date: Dec 6, 2021
MY hood floats and rattles at freeway speeds. It is concerning in that other Honda vehicles also exhibit the same symptom and are now being recalled for hoods opening unexpectedly due to structure issues.
Incident date: Dec 5, 2021
The diminished light output of the low beam headlights began to diminish visibility so significantly that it was reported to the dealer at 89,000 miles, in March 2020. The dealer response was "normal operation of the headlights compared to other RDX." The driver's visibility is now decreased to the point the visibility is like only the lo output driving lights are on. Hi beams have to be used whe... Read more
Incident date: Dec 5, 2021
The diminished light output of the low beam headlights began to diminish visibility so significantly that it was reported to the dealer at 89,000 miles, in March 2020. The dealer response was "normal operation of the headlights compared to other RDX." The driver's visibility is now decreased to the point the visibility is like only the lo output driving lights are on. Hi beams have to be used whe... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2021
Certain areas of the roof and tailgate are peeling off, exposing bare metal. This is a one owner Car that has been garage since new.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2021
Had starter replaced on my vehicle and still doing the same thing it was doing before. I click the push to start button and just get a grinding noise or sometime nothing will happen. I been reading forms and a lot of Rlx owners are reporting the same issue. Other problem I’m having with the vehicle is the Paws system can feel the car wanting to kick out in the rear wheels feel like they are turn... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2021
Had starter replaced on my vehicle and still doing the same thing it was doing before. I click the push to start button and just get a grinding noise or sometime nothing will happen. I been reading forms and a lot of Rlx owners are reporting the same issue. Other problem I’m having with the vehicle is the Paws system can feel the car wanting to kick out in the rear wheels feel like they are turn... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2021
I think this recall needs to be expanded: Honda and Acura have recalled 2019 and 2020 vehicles including the CR-V and Accord for fuel pumps which can malfunction and cause the engine to lose power. My wife recently had her 2019 MDX stall on her in an intersection and she had to turn off the car and turn it back on so it would work. It sounds exactly like the below: “While driving, the vehicle s... Read more