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: 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!
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
Rear rotors warped after only about 15000 miles. Calipers failed early too. This causes the vehicle to shake very hard when braking, and creates an unsafe condition. Competent mechanics have inspected the vehicle and confirmed this.
Incident date: Oct 25, 2021
The projector low beam lighting is NOT providing enough light output to be safely driven at night. I did a search online and it seems this is a well-known issue among RDX owners. It looks like there were enough complaint for the 2014 RDX, but no safety recall done on the 2015 models. It is extremely dangerous to drive this vehicle at night and I hope a recall is enforce before someone gets kill... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2021
The gears are very jerky i got this tlx at 70k miles and its been jerky ever since. Car looses power when turning from stop the steering get hard sometimes. Transmission chirping noises.
Incident date: Aug 17, 2021
The gears are very jerky i got this tlx at 70k miles and its been jerky ever since. Car looses power when turning from stop the steering get hard sometimes. Transmission chirping noises.
Incident date: Aug 17, 2021
The gears are very jerky i got this tlx at 70k miles and its been jerky ever since. Car looses power when turning from stop the steering get hard sometimes. Transmission chirping noises.
Incident date: Feb 2, 2021
The contact owns a 2015 Acura RDX. The contact stated while driving at night the driver’s side and passenger’s side headlights lo-beam was too dim while driving. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer who inspected the vehicle and attempted to replace the headlight bulbs to fix issue however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of th... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2021
My Acura TLX engine Drive reduced completely on the highway, Went going 60 to 25 roughly up to date maintenance 100% oil life and Now Im concern that’s my vechile has been manufactured failed. Since I purchased my vehicle my seat beats get stuck unable to clip belt. My car came with speakers not working dealer tried to tell me I was crazy, until the speaker system was check Yess sure enough no s... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2021
My Acura TLX engine Drive reduced completely on the highway, Went going 60 to 25 roughly up to date maintenance 100% oil life and Now Im concern that’s my vechile has been manufactured failed. Since I purchased my vehicle my seat beats get stuck unable to clip belt. My car came with speakers not working dealer tried to tell me I was crazy, until the speaker system was check Yess sure enough no s... Read more
Incident date: Sep 29, 2021
I'm writing this complaint form concerning to a 2019 car I finance at Acura Of Milford. In 9/29/2021 I was driving my 2019 car I smell something burning coming from the car, with no insistence I drove straight to the Acura company. when I got there a lot of smoke is coming Out from the car and its Overheating about to explode. The service advisor gave me a courtesy car to drive .and he told me he... Read more
Incident date: Oct 19, 2021
I was driving and all of a sudden the car started to slow down and wouldn’t accelerate. After a couple pushes on the pedal it just completely shut off. Every mechanical light was on or flashing. I was in the middle of the road terrified but was able to steer over to the side of the street. I called 911. 2 gentlemen tried helping push it out of the way of traffic but we couldn’t get the ca... Read more
Incident date: Oct 19, 2021
I was driving and all of a sudden the car started to slow down and wouldn’t accelerate. After a couple pushes on the pedal it just completely shut off. Every mechanical light was on or flashing. I was in the middle of the road terrified but was able to steer over to the side of the street. I called 911. 2 gentlemen tried helping push it out of the way of traffic but we couldn’t get the ca... Read more
Incident date: Oct 5, 2021
Pulled out to pass and when I tried to accelerate, the engine basically died. It didn't turn off, but dropped to limp mode and the check engine light started flashing. Engine stayed in limp mode until being turned off and on again. In limp mode, car would not even go 10 mhp on even a slight uphill incline. Doubt it would have made it up more of a hill. This could be a huge safety problem if there ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2021
Paint started to peel off at upper side of rear roof (under the upper side of the gate). I have reported this issue el the dealership and as of today they haven’t yet responded. Vehicle sleeps in the garage every day and.only has about 72,000 miles. Same issue happened with my 2012 Honda Odyssey (same white diamond color). Honda fixed the van under extended warranty. So I hope Acura (Honda)... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2021
Headlights (low beams) are way too dim making driving in the dark impossible. Replacing bulbs and aligning lights did not correct problem. Driver in another car said headlights were barely visible on their end.
Incident date: Dec 25, 2020
The visibility of my headlights are so bad that I am unable to drive my car at night. At first, I thought that I was imagining it and maybe my eye sight was going bad, but my husband noticed it too. This has been going on for about 8 months or so. I didn't notice it much at first because I was not driving as much with the pandemic. The only way that I can drive my car at night is if I keep my hea... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2021
Car brake warning lights will flash when there is nothing in front of me, car keeps braking and losing power while driving on freeway for no reason.
Incident date: Oct 15, 2021
Lights are so dim cannot drive at night without brights. Have replaced lights to brightest and had lenses professionally refinished with no help.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2021
Power Steering Hose Leak. I took my vehicle in to have the oil changed and mechanics noticed a power steering leak. The mechanic looked up any recalls on my vehicle and noted this was a previous recall. Upon searching, 2010 there was a bulletin that went out, and the car was taken in 2010 and inspected and released. Upon further searching the other day there was a 2018 release and update of the sa... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2019
Headlights are very dim. Sometimes need to use high beams to see at night. From what I read on line, it is a common problem with the headlight housing on 2013-2015 Acura RDX. This is a serious safety risk and Acura should repair. I purchased the car used about 2 years ago and the problem has gotten worse
Incident date: Jan 1, 2020
After owning my car for a few years, the front headlights began to dim. I've replaced them multiple times even with LED lights and now they are dim all the time. For example, the LED lights were installed in June and immediately there was no improvement. The car cannot be driven at night at all. It is extremely dangerous. I was told by the dealership that the 2015 base model is known to have ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2021
driving 65-70 MPH on highway the car would feel sluggish like it needs power then I can hear the engine roar louder then i get alerts on my dash that my brakes are not working my blind spot or lane keep assist or any safety features in my car is not activated working properly is what my car tells me i Almost lost my life twice those two times I almost got rear ended my semi truck on highway going ... Read more