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: 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
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
Incident date: Oct 13, 2021
This vehicle was taken in for a recall for a corrosive ECM. 1 hour prior to taking this vehicle in my assigned service writer gave me a call, your vehicle is ready for pick up. I was advised due to their visual inspection of the ECM( Electronic control module)(electrical computer) not having corrosion, they will not change the unit but they have decided to replace the cover on the unit. I've fil... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2021
This vehicle was taken in for a recall for a corrosive ECM. 1 hour prior to taking this vehicle in my assigned service writer gave me a call, your vehicle is ready for pick up. I was advised due to their visual inspection of the ECM( Electronic control module)(electrical computer) not having corrosion, they will not change the unit but they have decided to replace the cover on the unit. I've fil... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2021
This vehicle was taken in for a recall for a corrosive ECM. 1 hour prior to taking this vehicle in my assigned service writer gave me a call, your vehicle is ready for pick up. I was advised due to their visual inspection of the ECM( Electronic control module)(electrical computer) not having corrosion, they will not change the unit but they have decided to replace the cover on the unit. I've fil... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2021
Frank let us Acura would not preform my transmission recall after it locked up “stating the recall has already been done” but they “don’t have any record of it” they claim someone didn’t file the paper work on it but my trans locked up going 70 miles and hour and threw me off of the road
Incident date: Dec 1, 2021
Torque converter shutter at speeds of 30mph - 45mph causing erratic acceleration fluctuations. I addressed the concern with the dealership at around 72,000 miles (just out of manufacturers warranty). I told there was a fluid recall. They changed the fluid which remedies the issue. The transmission fluid has to be changed every 5,000-10,000 for the vehicle to perform with a less noticeable trans... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2021
11/6/21: Mid way home from a trip from Washington to Connecticut on the New Jersey turnpike in the left-hand lane the car lost all ability to accelerate. Concurrently the engine like came on and multiple warning signals came on regarding traction control, breaking, and steering. One can imagine how unsettling that could be but at that moment. Being in the left lane it was apparent I needed to get ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2021
11/6/21: Mid way home from a trip from Washington to Connecticut on the New Jersey turnpike in the left-hand lane the car lost all ability to accelerate. Concurrently the engine like came on and multiple warning signals came on regarding traction control, breaking, and steering. One can imagine how unsettling that could be but at that moment. Being in the left lane it was apparent I needed to get ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2021
11/6/21: Mid way home from a trip from Washington to Connecticut on the New Jersey turnpike in the left-hand lane the car lost all ability to accelerate. Concurrently the engine like came on and multiple warning signals came on regarding traction control, breaking, and steering. One can imagine how unsettling that could be but at that moment. Being in the left lane it was apparent I needed to get ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2019
Headlight low beam do not project can’t see at night I have 2 Acura RDX one is 2015 and 2013 both have the same issue I can only drive with high beams low beams is like driving with them off I drive down 206 to Fort Dix lots of deer I can’t drive with the high beam all the time it will effect the other driver.
Incident date: Nov 20, 2021
On NOV 20th 2021 took the vehicle for Oil change, to Acura dealer. The service tech informed me the hood its not opening. The latch or cable its broken. The part its not in stock. I can't open the hood to check all necessary fluids, especially windshield washer fluid. I think its safety concern when I'm out of washer.
Incident date: Nov 20, 2021
On NOV 20th 2021 took the vehicle for Oil change, to Acura dealer. The service tech informed me the hood its not opening. The latch or cable its broken. The part its not in stock. I can't open the hood to check all necessary fluids, especially windshield washer fluid. I think its safety concern when I'm out of washer.
Incident date: Nov 14, 2021
2019 RDX with 20k miles. Was accelerating to go over a rise from low speed to passing speed and power cut out and had to pull to shoulder. Was slightly raining when occurred and 44 degrees out. Check engine light came on. Had to stop vehicle on side of road as power was lost. If wasn’t 0600 in the morn and during busier hours it could’ve caused an accident since I was accelerating to merge. ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2021
The contact owns a 2001 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while he was at a stop light, the vehicle inadvertently switched gears to neutral independently. The contact stated that he switched gears to drive and was able to drive the vehicle; however, the vehicle switched gears to neutral when he made another stop. The contact also stated that the vehicle started jerking. The check engine warning l... Read more
Incident date: Jul 30, 2021
Air Bag light shows on dash but when driving the air bad light flashes off and on. It happens often
Incident date: Nov 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2015 Acura RDX. The contact stated that while driving at night, the low-beam headlamps failed to illuminate. The contact replaced the bulbs. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed. The contact was informed that the headlamps needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA for ass... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2021
The headlight reflector material has deteriorated causing headlight brightness to dim so much that they are not much brighter than the running lights. Makes night driving EXTREMELY dangerous. No warning lights. Has not cause me to crash yet, but have come close several times. At this point the car is essentially unusable at night. New bulbs don’t make a difference. Entire headlight assemblies m... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2021
The headlights on my vehicle don’t project adequate light to see while driving at night. I’ve reported this issue to the dealership on multiple occasions and the only solution they’ve suggested is replacing the entire headlight assembly. In my research of other vehicles of the same make, model, and year, shows that there are numerous customer complaints and issues with the functioning of the... Read more
Incident date: Nov 21, 2021
Vehicle has ongoing rough transmission shifting issues. It jerks between gears when accelerating at stop signs or stop lights. I have also received a letter from attorney alleging ongoing transmission issues with this model - 2017 MDX. Car has only 23k miles. I used your website to search for possible recalls and did not see any. However, I wanted to share my experience to hopefully help other... Read more
Incident date: Nov 21, 2021
The vehicle put emission system and electronic parking brake warning lights on panel, allowed vehicle to be placed in drive "D", then suddenly switched to a flashing "P," stalled in parking lot, and would not allow the vehicle to be changed to any other gear.
Incident date: Oct 8, 2021
The fuel pump appears to be malfunctioning. The car is basically inoperable when driving in any other mode besides Eco. From 10/5/21 - 11/19/21, I’ve filled my fuel tank 11 times and never received any errors or warning messages. I am willing to have the vehicle inspected to confirm by Acura.
Incident date: Sep 18, 2021
The brakes are not working warning light has flashed several times. In numerous calls and dealer visits Acura has no resolution the say it’s under investigation. There is a service bulletin from May of 2021 but I was never advised of this issue and I am very uncomfortable driving the car with a brake problem.
Incident date: Sep 18, 2021
The brakes are not working warning light has flashed several times. In numerous calls and dealer visits Acura has no resolution the say it’s under investigation. There is a service bulletin from May of 2021 but I was never advised of this issue and I am very uncomfortable driving the car with a brake problem.
Incident date: Nov 17, 2021
Driving East on Interstate 20/59 10 miles East of Meridian, MS November 17, 2021 around 2:00 PM. A lot of trucks on the road. Had speed control set at 69 MPH. Came up behind a semi doing about 65, pulled over to the left lane to go around him. When I got about half way all of a sudden all hell breaks loose. Vehicle goes in into emergency stop with lights flashing all over the dash. Vehicle b... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2021
Driving East on Interstate 20/59 10 miles East of Meridian, MS November 17, 2021 around 2:00 PM. A lot of trucks on the road. Had speed control set at 69 MPH. Came up behind a semi doing about 65, pulled over to the left lane to go around him. When I got about half way all of a sudden all hell breaks loose. Vehicle goes in into emergency stop with lights flashing all over the dash. Vehicle b... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2021
Driving East on Interstate 20/59 10 miles East of Meridian, MS November 17, 2021 around 2:00 PM. A lot of trucks on the road. Had speed control set at 69 MPH. Came up behind a semi doing about 65, pulled over to the left lane to go around him. When I got about half way all of a sudden all hell breaks loose. Vehicle goes in into emergency stop with lights flashing all over the dash. Vehicle b... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2019
The contact owns a 2015 Acura RDX. The contact stated that while driving at night, the headlights were very dim making it difficult to see the roadway. The contact mentioned that the hi-beam headlights needed to be activated to clearly see the roadway. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that each headlight housing needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The man... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2021
The main halogen headlights are dim and do not project, making it very unsafe to drive at night. This has been an ongoing issue over the last five years with my car but now it is worse to where I can't even drive at night. The high beams work fine. Yes, the car is available for inspection. It is not an issue with the plastic cover over the headlights or the light bulbs. In multiple conversations ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2020
The contact owns a 2015 Acura RDX. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the low beam headlights were very dim, causing a visibility issue while driving at night. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the headlights needed to be adjusted. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2019
At night, I noticed the low beams were very dim. Not sure of the issue I replaced with brand new bulbs, then later with brand new led bulbs. Both did not make an improvement on lighting at night. It is very difficult to see at night, crash likely is greatly increased. High beams are needed to see properly at night. 10/29/21- Told the dealer I replaced new bulbs and headlights were still dim. The... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2021
Deteriorated low beam lighting, so bad that you almost cannot drive at night. Bulbs are new and lens isn’t fogged. It seems on other models in the same year there was a recall due to deterioration of the headlights yet no recalls are open on my RDX.
Incident date: Nov 15, 2021
The contact owns a 2004 Acura TL. The contact stated that while driving at 10 - 15 mph, a burning odor was detected and smoke was coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The contact inspected under the hood and noticed there was fluid leaking onto the catalytic converter that was causing the smoke. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. Th... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Oct 28, 2021
Last week I was driving the 2020 Acura RDX on the Massachusetts Turnpike during very wet weather. Three hours into a planned four hour drive, while accelerating up a hill, the car power cut out. Engine was running, but no oomph. Check engine light, and other lights, flashing on dashboard. Car kept slowing, and there was no place to pull over at that point on the pike (mile 68). Finally, car m... Read more
Incident date: Oct 28, 2021
Last week I was driving the 2020 Acura RDX on the Massachusetts Turnpike during very wet weather. Three hours into a planned four hour drive, while accelerating up a hill, the car power cut out. Engine was running, but no oomph. Check engine light, and other lights, flashing on dashboard. Car kept slowing, and there was no place to pull over at that point on the pike (mile 68). Finally, car m... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2019
The headlights have become so dim that driving at night is unsafe. Replacing bulbs does not fix the problem. This is a design defect and is very unsafe.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2019
The contact owns a 2007 Acura TL. The contact stated that the hard-plastic dashboard material cracked near and around the location of the air bag. The contact was concerned about a safety hazard should the air bag deploy. The cause of the cracking was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the issue, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 70,000.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2019
The contact owns a 2007 Acura TL. The contact stated that the hard-plastic dashboard material cracked near and around the location of the air bag. The contact was concerned about a safety hazard should the air bag deploy. The cause of the cracking was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the issue, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 70,000.
Incident date: Nov 3, 2021
Unfortunately, I am writing to report a dangerous situation that occurred while I was driving on November 3rd, 2021. This involved a safety issue that could have resulted in serious injury to me and other drivers on the road. As I was traveling on a very busy street in Miami, FL at a speed of 45 MPH, my steering wheel suddenly became very heavy and hard to turn which made me have no control over... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2014 Acura RDX. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle at night with the headlights activated, the low beam headlights illuminated very dim causing a visibility hazard for the driver. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the light bulbs and cleaned the headlight assembly, but the issue persisted. The cause of the failure was not determined. The man... Read more
Incident date: Oct 12, 2021
Car airbag system check light is on all times, garage ran diagnostic check airbag inflator malfunction
Incident date: Nov 4, 2021
Internal vehicle fire started around front passenger seat and burned for an unknown amount time before it extinguished on its own while vehicle was off and parked. Fire department was contacted upon fire discovery and they confirmed it was out, could be electrically related, and disconnected my battery Vehicle is available for inspection for the time being (pending insurance). If I or any passenge... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Nov 4, 2021
Internal vehicle fire started around front passenger seat and burned for an unknown amount time before it extinguished on its own while vehicle was off and parked. Fire department was contacted upon fire discovery and they confirmed it was out, could be electrically related, and disconnected my battery Vehicle is available for inspection for the time being (pending insurance). If I or any passenge... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Nov 4, 2021
Internal vehicle fire started around front passenger seat and burned for an unknown amount time before it extinguished on its own while vehicle was off and parked. Fire department was contacted upon fire discovery and they confirmed it was out, could be electrically related, and disconnected my battery Vehicle is available for inspection for the time being (pending insurance). If I or any passenge... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Nov 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2012 Acura TSX. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, the "power steering failure" message was displayed, and the steering wheel was very difficult to turn in either direction. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The fa... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2021
Our panoramic sunroof spontaneously exploded while driving down the road. The explosion caused us to swerve the car and could have potentially caused a crash. If the sunroof shield had been open, glass would have fallen all over the driver and passengers in the car. We immediatly drove to the dealer and were told that something probably hit the sunroof and caused the damage. After advising the... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2021
Driving on the highway and suddenly the moonroof imploded. Luckily no other cars nearby and did not go through an underpass when this occurred. No signs of any impact to cause this from remaining glass. Waiting for Acura dealership to assess damage but told me the part was backordered due to this happening with multiple vehicles.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2021
The front headlights have failed and now hardly illuminate the roadway at night. I brought the vehicle to the dealer and they polished the outside housing of the headlamp assembly, but that failed to remedy the problem. I brought the vehicle to a local repair shop, and they report this is a common problem with Acuras and they state that the entire headlight assembly needs to be replaced. The headl... Read more
Incident date: Oct 30, 2021
After getting my tires rotated, the Check emission sensor, check transmission light, and check blind spot system all came on at once and my transmission began jerking.
Incident date: Sep 12, 2021
I have been stopped by traffic or stop light when I put my foot on the gas to start up, the car stalls. The whole dashboard is lights up and I have to try several times to get engine started. This is very scary.... I took the car to dealership. After 4 hours at the dealership and $155, my car is stalling again. I am scared I could get hurt in this car!