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 17,413 complaints for ACURA
Incident date: Jun 20, 2022
Brakes are squeaking very bad
Incident date: Jun 18, 2022
Idle Stop does not restart car & is difficult to restart since car remains in Drive after restart fails. A recall notice was issued, but the software update is not available at any dealers as of June 18, 2022. Product Update required for PGM-FI Software.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2021
Gas petal is very touchy. It accelerates to fast even when you try to barely push the petal. And causes to shift hard.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2021
Gas petal is very touchy. It accelerates to fast even when you try to barely push the petal. And causes to shift hard.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2013
Paint has pealed away, exposing the metal on the body which is starting to rust. The major areas are on top of hood, roof and top of trunk.
Incident date: Jun 9, 2022
Under heavy acceleration, the vehicle began "bucking" and then lost all power. The check-engine light began flashing. The engine was still running but did not provide power. I Had to pull off the road, shut the engine off and then restart to clear the problem. This has happened twice in two days. The Acura dealer says it is an issue with moisture entering the turbo-charger but did not have any... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2022
On Friday May 10, 2022, as I was merging from a local road to the highway, I tried to accelerate to complete a safe merge however, the car stated loosing power and jerking, I had to floor the accelerator to get the power needed to avoid a collision with the vehicle behind me. About 1 mile later, the care started loosing power again and cut out. I restarted and continued driving, a few yards late... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
Consistent issue with the auto idle start stop system. This has been a continuous problem during the life of the car. It has happened while stopped at traffic lights, in traffic and while in the drive thru line at fast food restaurants. As a deterrent, I try to remember to disable the auto idle start stop every time I start my car.
Incident date: Apr 19, 2022
Auto Stop/Start feature fails to restart vehicle, rendering vehicle inoperable. Powering off the vehicle and then powering up the vehicle thus far has restarted everything, much to the frustration of myself and the drivers behind me.
Incident date: May 1, 2017
The contact owns a 2017 Acura TLX. The contact stated that since purchasing the vehicle, the vehicle experienced stalling failures without warning. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. Additionally, the contact also stated that she turned off the auto start option. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the battery to be replaced. The contact ... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2022
The auto start stop feature failed to start vehicle in 3 different occasions, leading to a traffic jam every time and vehicles behind me almost hitting me because they thought I will be moving with traffic, still waiting on acura for appointment to bring vehicle
Incident date: Jun 8, 2022
Headlights seem to be defective. So dim, you cannot see at night. This has been a problem with several years of RDX from what I am reading.
Incident date: Jun 2, 2022
This 2016 Acura MDX with the 9 speed automatic transmission and the Auto Engine Shut Off function will sometimes fail to restart the engine after cutting off. This presents a safety issue as the car stalls in traffic. This has happened multiple times over the last 4 years (most recently 06/02/2022). This issue was noted to the Acura service department who stated they could not find an issue.
Incident date: Jun 7, 2022
Auto start-stop system failed on several occasions, the car shut itself down Since then every time I start the cat I disable it. Transmission feels clunky, there is kick to it between 2nd and 3rd gear, many complaints found on the web. Bought the car with 16xxx miles 2 years old.
Incident date: Jun 7, 2022
Auto start-stop system failed on several occasions, the car shut itself down Since then every time I start the cat I disable it. Transmission feels clunky, there is kick to it between 2nd and 3rd gear, many complaints found on the web. Bought the car with 16xxx miles 2 years old.
Incident date: May 11, 2022
We purchased the vehicle on April 2nd. The front left strut airbag burst while we were driving at 23 miles an hour. Thankfully were weren't going fast when the failure occurred. I would imagine that at highway speeds this could greatly impact your driving ability as the front left of the car dropped down about 6 inches. The dealer currently has the part on backorder but has yet to attempt a repair... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2022
In many instances while driving about 40-60 MPH and with no vehicles in front the car would suddenly brake.
Incident date: May 29, 2022
Car has feature that kills engine when at full stop. Car fails to automatically restart, often stalling at intersections and causing a dangerous situation. Car has to be turned off and restarted, a process that can take 15 to 30 seconds. With a brand new battery and/or full charge, the car performs flawlessly. It appears that the electrical demands of the car system exceed the ability of the bat... Read more
Incident date: May 29, 2022
Car has feature that kills engine when at full stop. Car fails to automatically restart, often stalling at intersections and causing a dangerous situation. Car has to be turned off and restarted, a process that can take 15 to 30 seconds. With a brand new battery and/or full charge, the car performs flawlessly. It appears that the electrical demands of the car system exceed the ability of the bat... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2022
My car has 80,000 miles. My headlamps do not provide adequate light to safely drive my car at night. They have gradually gotten very dim over the past 2-3 years and now I can barely see the road when I drive at night. I work 7AM-7PM so I must drive to and from work in the dark during the fall-spring. The dealer said it is $2800 to replace the headlamps. I do not have the money right now so I am pu... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
The power steering alert light suddenly when I drive my friend on the road. Turning the steering wheel becomes very difficult. I rushed over to the lawn by the side of the road and luckily there was no one and no trees. Fortunately, no accident happened, and no one was hurt, but I am very worried and scared about driving this car again!!!!!! Recall this car !!
Incident date: May 28, 2022
The vehicle stalls and loses all power when coming out of auto idle stop. This is a default feature that shuts the engine off when the vehicle stops to create fuel efficiency. But it is creating a terrible safety issue of having vehicles unexpectedly stopped on the roadway. The feature cannot be permanently turned off. Common issue on MDX forums without any real solution from dealership mechanics.
Incident date: Mar 23, 2022
While driving on the interstate miles in cruise control vehicle started to reduce speed quickly. upon pressing the accelerator (as a semi was right behind me) nothing happened. I attempted to pump the gas pedal in desperation of not being hit as no pull off lane was available. After about 4 minutes vehicle was able to accelerate once again no warning signs or lights came on at this time (i had ... Read more
Incident date: May 26, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Acura TLX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently shifted to park (P) and then stalled. The transmission warning light and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2022
on 2/3/22, after only 12 hours of owning the vehicle, I merged onto 287 South and upon speeding up and merging into the center lane, I lost all acceleration and my dash lit up like a Christmas Tree. An 18 wheeler was coming behind me in the middle lane at 65 mph while my car slowed down to 25 mph. I was thankfully able to get over to the side of the road without being hurt or even killed. Upon bri... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2022
on 2/3/22, after only 12 hours of owning the vehicle, I merged onto 287 South and upon speeding up and merging into the center lane, I lost all acceleration and my dash lit up like a Christmas Tree. An 18 wheeler was coming behind me in the middle lane at 65 mph while my car slowed down to 25 mph. I was thankfully able to get over to the side of the road without being hurt or even killed. Upon bri... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2022
on 2/3/22, after only 12 hours of owning the vehicle, I merged onto 287 South and upon speeding up and merging into the center lane, I lost all acceleration and my dash lit up like a Christmas Tree. An 18 wheeler was coming behind me in the middle lane at 65 mph while my car slowed down to 25 mph. I was thankfully able to get over to the side of the road without being hurt or even killed. Upon bri... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2022
There is an issue with the windshield. When driving into direct sun the total windshield appears to be pitted and visibility is hampered. I reported this to Southern Motors in Savannah and the service manager photographed the windshield and said he would follow up. I went back about a week later and was told that Acura had him photograph all RDX's on the lot. All of them had a similar issue, i... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2022
2/26/2008 STEERING: HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKING ONTO A HOT CATALYTIC CONVERTER WILL GENERATE SMOKE AND POSSIBLY LEAD TO AN UNDER- HOOD FIRE. Summary HONDA IS RECALLING 273.000 MY 2004-2008 ACURA TL VEHICLES. PROLONGED HIGH UNDER-HOOD TEMPERATURES MAY CAUSE THE POWER STEERING HOSE TO DETERIORATE PREMATURELY CAUSING THE HOSE TO CRACK AND LEAK POW... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2002 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving at speeds exceeding 50 MPH, the front end of the vehicle would shake and vibrate with an abnormal chain-like sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not determined. There was no further information available. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2022
I shifted to sports mode plus while at a stop light on the Bay Bridge. After light turned green, I accelerated and my car stalled and wouldn't go past 20mph on the Bay Bridge which is dangerous, everyone was going about 60-75 mph. All of my hazard lights were on- my brake light, VSA light, Check Engine Etc. I went to the mechanic and he could not find anything wrong with my battery, transmission ... Read more
Incident date: May 18, 2022
The headlights on this model get worse and worse each day. I've replaced the bulb but there is a more serious issue.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2021
unknown, i cant keep a mobil phone connected to the car bluetooth and tpms system always seems to show light as well as all the other senors. lots of parts have been tampered with
Incident date: May 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Acura TLX. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle remained running however, failed to respond to the accelerator pedal being depressed. The contact coasted the vehicle safely to the side of the road. The contact disconnected and then reconnected ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2022
I have owned this car since new, this is not the first time this has happened. The car has an auto idle stop feature. Which when certain contains are meet and the car is at a stop it will turn off the engine. When the brake pedal is released, (and from other factors) the car will restart the engine so driving can resume. The issue that I am reporting is that the car does NOT restart, the engin... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Acura TLX. The contact stated while driving approximately 45-50 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently shifted into neutral causing the vehicle to slow down and stop in traffic. The contact was able to pull over and call a tow truck to take the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the emissions warning light was illuminated. The ... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2022
It was raining and I was accelerating hard to pass a slow vehicle when the engine malfunction light started blinking and I lost power and could no longer accelerate. I had to pull over into an empty driveway. Had I not been able to pull over into a driveway, I would have been stuck on a 2 lane road with a 55 mph speed limit and no way to get the car completely off the road, endangering myself, an... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2022
Electronic Stability Control Problem-available for inspection upon request. 1. I have had issues with the rear end fishtailing for a few seconds that would correct itself. Today after I pulled out of work, the car fishtailed when I was entering the highway. All the warning lights started flashing-paws, brake assist,power steering, hill,lane departure,etc. 2. This is very dangerous and a safety i... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2022
Power steering rack and pinion leaked and was replaced with an Acura remanufactured part. A few years later it is leaking again.
Incident date: Nov 30, 2018
TRANSMISSION SLIPS,AND HESITATES TO SHIFT NORMALLY AND THEN GOES NORMAL AGAIN. VEHICLE IS IN MOTION WHEN THIS OCCURED ,IT HAPPENED WHILE CRUSING AT 35 MPH, AND AT 50 MPH, STREET ,AND HIGHWAY. I HAVE TAKEN IT INTO THE DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES TO FIND THE ISSUE AND ANYWAYS END UP WITH NO ANSWERS, I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND MULTIPLE PEOPLE WITH THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL THAT HAVE THE SAME ISSUES WITH THEIR ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2018
TRANSMISSION SLIPS,AND HESITATES TO SHIFT NORMALLY AND THEN GOES NORMAL AGAIN. VEHICLE IS IN MOTION WHEN THIS OCCURED ,IT HAPPENED WHILE CRUSING AT 35 MPH, AND AT 50 MPH, STREET ,AND HIGHWAY. I HAVE TAKEN IT INTO THE DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES TO FIND THE ISSUE AND ANYWAYS END UP WITH NO ANSWERS, I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND MULTIPLE PEOPLE WITH THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL THAT HAVE THE SAME ISSUES WITH THEIR ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
The standard driving headlights have become very dim over the past 2 years. Have replaced the bulbs with two different manufactured light bulbs with no discernable brightness change in the headlight. The lights did not illuminate any of the road when driving at night. Very dangerous situation. Had to use high beams to get any road illumination. Replaced the entire lighting assembly as online for... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2022
Rear tail gate lift motors are overheating and won't open rear hatch. The motors will lift the gait for about 5 or 6 openings, then the gate will not lift at all. The vehicle has to sit overnight for the system to "cool down". Once it cools down, the tailgate will operate the next date, but will operate only once. The car has to once again, sit overnight, in order to lift the tailgate 1 time. ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Acura TLX. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH, the sunroof panel shattered without impact and glass fragments entered the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the sunroof panel to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufactur... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 2022
04 acura tl my transmission wen applying the brakes feel like a big part of tranny broke u feel it move like it grinding about to brake it can cause a big accident or death .if wen fully apply brakes complete stop .it will b bad it say a recall yrs ago 4 this same thing I'm telling u now about trannie i got kids I take n car seat belt lock don't work n back lights keep flashing n back at nite out ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 2022
04 acura tl my transmission wen applying the brakes feel like a big part of tranny broke u feel it move like it grinding about to brake it can cause a big accident or death .if wen fully apply brakes complete stop .it will b bad it say a recall yrs ago 4 this same thing I'm telling u now about trannie i got kids I take n car seat belt lock don't work n back lights keep flashing n back at nite out ... Read more
Incident date: May 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 Acura TL. The contact stated that the passenger's side dashboard was cracked near the passenger's side air bag housing. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the dashboard needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN and ... Read more
Incident date: May 2, 2022
Dealer says two warped rotors Brakes pads are good there has been no abnormal breaking while driving the car. I feel this is a faulty rotor
Incident date: Apr 29, 2022
Starting around 20,000 miles, my car started to majorly hesitate when I would step on the pedal trying to accelerate. Over time the problem became increasingly worse to the point where the car would slip into neutral causing a major hazard driving on the tollway when my car would decelerate when stepping on the gas pedal. This has caused me to have several very close near accidents. The dealership... Read more