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: Nov 10, 2021
Hi, I have a 2020 Acura RDX, and it haves a popping and cracking sound on the speaker even wend the radio is of. And it have being check buy the dealer Bella International in Puerto Rico, and they say they cant fix it, to keep using it like that and that’s not an answer to my problem, know they are not answering the phone, the unit is still on warranty, please what can I do? Thanks
Incident date: Mar 30, 2022
I was stopped at a light and as the light changed to green I began to accelerate to enter the on ramp to 75N. While driving onto the on ramp many warning lights came on as my car shifted into Neutral on its own. I couldn’t accelerate, switch it back to drive.or depress the break as it was locked. The car stopped and would not move on the entrance ramp to a busy highway. I called 911 because I wa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2022
I was stopped at a light and as the light changed to green I began to accelerate to enter the on ramp to 75N. While driving onto the on ramp many warning lights came on as my car shifted into Neutral on its own. I couldn’t accelerate, switch it back to drive.or depress the break as it was locked. The car stopped and would not move on the entrance ramp to a busy highway. I called 911 because I wa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2022
I was stopped at a light and as the light changed to green I began to accelerate to enter the on ramp to 75N. While driving onto the on ramp many warning lights came on as my car shifted into Neutral on its own. I couldn’t accelerate, switch it back to drive.or depress the break as it was locked. The car stopped and would not move on the entrance ramp to a busy highway. I called 911 because I wa... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 Acura TLX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled approximately ten times. The vehicle inadvertently shifted into neutral. The vehicle was restarted after five minutes. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was diagnosed and repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 47,700. Consumer ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2022
These lights just came on Emissions system problem and Electric parking brake problem
Incident date: Mar 25, 2022
These lights just came on Emissions system problem and Electric parking brake problem
Incident date: Mar 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Acura RDX. The contact stated while driving at 70 MPH in the rain, the vehicle upshifted and downshifted independently. The check engine warning illuminated. The vehicle continued to downshift. The accelerator pedal was depressed however, the vehicle failed to respond, and the vehicle continued to decelerate. The contact veered to the side of the roadway and parked the vehi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
Observation 1: Lane-keeping assistance is unreliable and the results of its operation are highly variable. In optimum conditions (daylight, wide lanes which are clearly marked; good contract between lane markings & pavement; no more than very gentle, wide-radius curves), this feature will do one of three things when the vehicle starts to drift from the middle of the lane: (1) the feature will g... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
Observation 1: Lane-keeping assistance is unreliable and the results of its operation are highly variable. In optimum conditions (daylight, wide lanes which are clearly marked; good contract between lane markings & pavement; no more than very gentle, wide-radius curves), this feature will do one of three things when the vehicle starts to drift from the middle of the lane: (1) the feature will g... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
Observation 1: Lane-keeping assistance is unreliable and the results of its operation are highly variable. In optimum conditions (daylight, wide lanes which are clearly marked; good contract between lane markings & pavement; no more than very gentle, wide-radius curves), this feature will do one of three things when the vehicle starts to drift from the middle of the lane: (1) the feature will g... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2022
The vehicle is a 2020 Acura RDX Advance, with 12,600 miles and was purchased new 17 months previously. On March 4, 2022 the MOONROOF EXPLODED. While driving I heard a "pop" from above my head. Fortunately the inner roof cover was closed such that the shattered glass did not enter the cabin - had the inner roof been open driver and passengers would have been endangered due to the broken glass. ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2022
On my 2020 MDX the rear tail light is filling with moisture and water causing the tail light to fail. There is already a recall from Acura for 2014-2019 MDX for the same issue. Apparently Acura did not correct the issue for the 2020 models which uses the same part and did not address the issue. Acura needs to include the 2020 MDX as part of this recall as well. This is a safety as if the light fai... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2022
On March 20, 2022, I was on the freeway going 65 miles per hour in the fast lane and my transmission warning light came on and the car went in to Neutral and lost all power on the gas pedal and the car would not move. I could not put it in Park or it would roll backwards so I put on my hazard lights and kept my foot on the brake. I was almost rear ended several times as it was 9:30pm and no lights... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2003 Acura TL. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked and hesitated to accelerate. The check engine, third and fourth gear, ESP fault, and VSA system warning lights were illuminated. The contact self-diagnosed the vehicle with a code reader and the code P1750 appeared. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechani... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2022
There are so many lights flashing, my vehicle will not go over 50MPH, My steering wheel is no longer straight its actually to the left. I brought it to Acura and they are stating its a REAR TOE ACTUATOR issue and refuse to cover the 5,100.00 fee to fix this issue that has had a SAFETY BULLETIN posted for a 2015 TLX. There has been a bulletin about this according to Carvana so ACURA is aware of thi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2022
There are so many lights flashing, my vehicle will not go over 50MPH, My steering wheel is no longer straight its actually to the left. I brought it to Acura and they are stating its a REAR TOE ACTUATOR issue and refuse to cover the 5,100.00 fee to fix this issue that has had a SAFETY BULLETIN posted for a 2015 TLX. There has been a bulletin about this according to Carvana so ACURA is aware of thi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2022
There are so many lights flashing, my vehicle will not go over 50MPH, My steering wheel is no longer straight its actually to the left. I brought it to Acura and they are stating its a REAR TOE ACTUATOR issue and refuse to cover the 5,100.00 fee to fix this issue that has had a SAFETY BULLETIN posted for a 2015 TLX. There has been a bulletin about this according to Carvana so ACURA is aware of thi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
On several occasions when auto start/stop is engaged the vehicle will shift into neutral on its own upon restart. The engine will just rev and not go back into drive until you put it in park and then drive again. This has caused us to stall in front of a semi and 2 other vehicles. The dealer has replicated the issue on multiple occasions and is now there for a 3rd time. First 'fix' was charge... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
On several occasions when auto start/stop is engaged the vehicle will shift into neutral on its own upon restart. The engine will just rev and not go back into drive until you put it in park and then drive again. This has caused us to stall in front of a semi and 2 other vehicles. The dealer has replicated the issue on multiple occasions and is now there for a 3rd time. First 'fix' was charge... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
On several occasions when auto start/stop is engaged the vehicle will shift into neutral on its own upon restart. The engine will just rev and not go back into drive until you put it in park and then drive again. This has caused us to stall in front of a semi and 2 other vehicles. The dealer has replicated the issue on multiple occasions and is now there for a 3rd time. First 'fix' was charge... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2003 Acura TL. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle then lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA C... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2022
was leaving my and steering wheel locked up.
Incident date: Mar 15, 2022
was leaving my and steering wheel locked up.
Incident date: Mar 15, 2022
was leaving my and steering wheel locked up.
Incident date: Mar 14, 2022
The component that failed is the left and right PAWS steering actuators. My car has 66,000 miles. At 25,000 miles, these parts were replaced by the dealer. Now at 66,000 miles, the parts are again failing. The car is unsafe to drive because the failure of these parts cause the rear wheels to "fishtail." It has happened to me 3 times this month and then I brought the car into the dealer. Alth... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2022
2022 Acura RDX VIN: [XXX] 1. component failure: passenger side air bag did not employ in side collision (t-boned). 2. risk: passenger was not protected during impact by air bag. 3. brought to dealer for inspection and pictures to be sent to Honda HQ. 4. insurance adjuster upon inspection was surprised no air employment occurred. 5. no warning, messages,codes or symptoms prior to issue (mileage... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 16, 2022
Was driving on the interstate with slight rain and trying to accelerate but then the check engine light started flashing and the car would not accelerate. Speed on the interstate is 70mph, but the car immediately dropped down to 35mph. Traffic behind me had to slow down to avoid an accident as I had to move the car to the side of the road. Restarted the car and the check engine light disappeared.
Incident date: Mar 16, 2022
Was driving on the interstate with slight rain and trying to accelerate but then the check engine light started flashing and the car would not accelerate. Speed on the interstate is 70mph, but the car immediately dropped down to 35mph. Traffic behind me had to slow down to avoid an accident as I had to move the car to the side of the road. Restarted the car and the check engine light disappeared.
Incident date: Mar 15, 2022
I have owned this vehicle for about 9 years and been seeing major cracks in the IP trim, around passenger airbag area. The cracks started to develop about 5 years ago. They were insignificant in the beginning but have accelerated very quickly over the past year or so and seem to be getting worse by the month. I am concerned that these cracks would result in malfunctioning of passenger side airbag ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2022
I have owned this vehicle for about 9 years and been seeing major cracks in the IP trim, around passenger airbag area. The cracks started to develop about 5 years ago. They were insignificant in the beginning but have accelerated very quickly over the past year or so and seem to be getting worse by the month. I am concerned that these cracks would result in malfunctioning of passenger side airbag ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2022
When trying to accelerate after braking the vehicle has a MASSIVE hesitation where it just sits there doing nothing literally for a solid second. Not only being very frustrating it's IMO very dangerous. If I'm at a yield and then need to merge quickly, if I'm getting on a highway from a parking lot, if I'm trying to switch lanes in traffic, etc etc the vehicle just bogs down and does nothing for t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2022
When trying to accelerate after braking the vehicle has a MASSIVE hesitation where it just sits there doing nothing literally for a solid second. Not only being very frustrating it's IMO very dangerous. If I'm at a yield and then need to merge quickly, if I'm getting on a highway from a parking lot, if I'm trying to switch lanes in traffic, etc etc the vehicle just bogs down and does nothing for t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
When at a red light, I pushed the brake and the auto idle stop feature become engaged. When the light turned green and I lifted my foot off the brake, the car went into neutral and would not move or start. In order to turn the car back on, I needed to put the car in park mode and then restart the car. This is a safety hazard since this happened at a busy intersection, with no warning, and cars ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
When at a red light, I pushed the brake and the auto idle stop feature become engaged. When the light turned green and I lifted my foot off the brake, the car went into neutral and would not move or start. In order to turn the car back on, I needed to put the car in park mode and then restart the car. This is a safety hazard since this happened at a busy intersection, with no warning, and cars ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2022
NHTSA RECALL NUMBER:19V-060 appears to be EXACTLY what is going on with my vehicle. I was broke down on the side of the road with warning lights on my dashboard. After having it towed to my mechanic they were able to identify the issue is related to the fuel pump. I looked up issues with my 2019 Acura TLX and fuel pumps and found that there is a recall. Only my VIN does not qualify for the recall.... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2022
dash is cracked air bag is not secure seat are torn
Incident date: Mar 8, 2022
dash is cracked air bag is not secure seat are torn
Incident date: Mar 8, 2022
dash is cracked air bag is not secure seat are torn
Incident date: Mar 12, 2022
I was driving at 65 MPH on the highway in the left lane during a rainstorm. Suddenly the engine shuttered and began to shut down. I could not accelerate the engine. The engine light came on and was flashing. I was fortunate enough to maneuver through traffic to the shoulder of the road - sitting there where other drivers would not be expecting to see a car. I turned the car off and sat there in a... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2022
I was driving at 65 MPH on the highway in the left lane during a rainstorm. Suddenly the engine shuttered and began to shut down. I could not accelerate the engine. The engine light came on and was flashing. I was fortunate enough to maneuver through traffic to the shoulder of the road - sitting there where other drivers would not be expecting to see a car. I turned the car off and sat there in a... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2022
Rear glass shattered right after I got into my car and closed my door, 100% sure I’m not the only one having this issue. Acura RDX 2019
Incident date: Mar 10, 2022
May the water leak causes fire . I have many issues going on on my new 22 MDX 7k miles on it , the car is acting crazy no keyless entry working, remote is not working, I called many dealers after they checked it they said we have to keep the car for few days because there's water leaking on the driver side, it was a shocking for me that a brand new car having that, I called the worst company eve... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2022
While I was reversing my car on my driveway, I heard the loud pop sound and back window was shattered. My car did not hit any thing. It just happened without any impact. I have been told that this is an ongoing problem with this vehicle and manufacturer has back order for the windows and no time frame when it can be replaced. This is very bad as I will not be able to drive the car until the back w... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 2022
All warning lights came on dashboard. Car wouldn't turn off
Incident date: Feb 7, 2022
All warning lights came on dashboard. Car wouldn't turn off
Incident date: Feb 7, 2022
All warning lights came on dashboard. Car wouldn't turn off
Incident date: Jan 20, 2022
Rear lift gate window shattered while parked. Nothing came into contact with the vehicle or the glass before it shattered. Reached out to insurance company and was referred to Safelite. Safelite inspected the glass and crash wrapped the window. Other 2019-2021 RDX’s are experiencing the same issue hence the glass to fix it, is backordered. If I had been driving the vehicle it would have bee... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2021
The contact leased a 2021 Acura TLX. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle, a loud abnormal, squealing noise would emit from the brake pedal upon depression without warning. The contact had taken the vehicle back to the dealer where they acknowledged the failure but stated that the parts for the repair were not yet available. The contact was given a loaner vehicle of the same model; ho... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2021
The contact leased a 2021 Acura TLX. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle, a loud abnormal, squealing noise would emit from the brake pedal upon depression without warning. The contact had taken the vehicle back to the dealer where they acknowledged the failure but stated that the parts for the repair were not yet available. The contact was given a loaner vehicle of the same model; ho... Read more