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: Jan 1, 2020
Numerous complaints and visits to the Honda dealer and phone calls to American Honda, About the stereo system in my 2017 Honda Accord, while driving the radios abruptly cuts off and starts making extremely loud static noise, even after turning the system off the static persists with no way to shut it off without having to turning the car off or pulling over to remove the fuse that powers the syste... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2020
When using Apple Car Play and Sirius radio through Apple Car Play, the radio station controls on the steering wheel do not function properly and actually function differently than when using the native Nautilus radio. When using Apple Car Play, in order to change radio stations, you must use the display screen to change stations. This forces the driver, if driving alone, to take their eyes off... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2025
Because of this water intrusion, the following safety systems have malfunctioned or failed: • ABS and DSC (stability control) warnings • Chassis stabilization warning • Frontal collision and pedestrian warning malfunction • Airbag system warning • Loss of audible warning tones • MOST bus communication failure • Electrical modules intermittently shutting down or throwing codes These... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2025
Because of this water intrusion, the following safety systems have malfunctioned or failed: • ABS and DSC (stability control) warnings • Chassis stabilization warning • Frontal collision and pedestrian warning malfunction • Airbag system warning • Loss of audible warning tones • MOST bus communication failure • Electrical modules intermittently shutting down or throwing codes These... Read more
Incident date: Nov 3, 2025
My 2019 Nissan Kicks experienced a sudden and dangerous CVT transmission failure. The vehicle began jerking, struggled to accelerate, and at times would not move forward when pressing the gas. The check engine light came on during these incidents. The car also revs without engaging properly and loses power unexpectedly, creating a serious hazard when merging into traffic or crossing intersections.... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted. The dealer informed the contact that the notice was for information purposes a... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2025
My 2022 Kia K5 EX has a serious fuel-system safety defect involving fuel tank expansion, which caused rear seat pan deformation and rear seat strap deformation. Kia America’s engineering review confirmed this in their findings. The fuel tank expansion caused the rear seat to lift/warp from underneath, creating a risk of fuel leakage, fire, and structural failure in a crash. This is a significan... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2025
My 2019 Jaguar F Pace has been leaking fluids for over 2 years. A mechanic repaired a coolant pump, however there continues to be fluids leaking. A mechanic informed me my car is making a sound as if the power steering is about to go, which will cause engine failure. After researching, it was brought to my attention this has happened to thousands of f pace owners. I am the only owner of my car whi... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2025
While driving down the highway at 70 miles per hour ater driving 2.5 hours our 2021 Pacifica hybrid minivan flashed a warning on the vehicles display saying approximately "Warning Engine Shutting Down". The engine immediately shut down in the middle of the highway and we were forced to coast off the highway to the shoulder. The engine warning light came on. We turned the car off for a few minutes... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2025
The timing chain and tensioner in my 2014 Audi A4 Quattro (VIN: [XXX] ) failed without warning, causing the engine to suddenly stall and become inoperable while in motion. This presented a serious safety hazard. Although my vehicle is slightly outside the settlement mileage and time limit, timing chains are considered a lifetime component and are not a maintenance item, meaning they are not expec... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2025
We had the oil changed like always and shortly after I was checking the oil and it was not even on the dipstick so I added some and checked for leaks anywhere did not see any than we had problems with it barely accelerating so took it to dealership the performed the anti knock sensor upgrade for free and when I asked about the oil consumption they said that I needed to do a engine clean and all ki... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2025
On November 13, 2025, the vehicle, a 2022 Volkswagen Atlas 2.0T (EA888 Gen 3 engine), experienced a catastrophic engine failure while driving on the freeway at 71,602 miles. What Happened A loud bang was heard, followed immediately by heavy smoke billowing from the engine bay and profuse oil expulsion onto the engine, exhaust, and roadway. The failure caused the vehicle to lose all motive power,... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2025
My transmission was serviced under the cable bushing recall - since then the main complaint is the grinding, loss of power, losing gears etc. the rear camera also fails to function over half of the time. this has been validated by fletcher car care. they said the transmission is now faulty. i have seen this issue repeated throughout the other safety reports on your website. this is an overarching ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2025
I am writing to report a safety concern regarding my 2019 Jeep Cherokee. I recently learned that a specific part on the 2018 Jeep Cherokee was recalled due to a known defect (Oil Pump Recall (Recall T65 / NHTSA 17V-670). My 2019 Cherokee is now experiencing the exact same issue that was identified in the recall for the previous model year. Because the problem appears to be identical to the 2018 r... Read more
Incident date: Nov 10, 2025
1. The vehicle experienced a fuel injector failure, which is part of the engine fuel delivery system. This failure appears connected to an open Fuel System Control Unit Software Update Recall (Campaign 2024080006) that has been open since May 2024 but was not performed on my vehicle, despite the vehicle being serviced at the dealership in January 2025 for other recall-related updates. The failed i... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2025 Honda Prologue. The contact stated that upon entering a parking lot at 5 MPH, the contact was attempting to park into a charging station. As the contact depressed the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to stop without warning. The contact repeatedly depressed the brake pedal as the vehicle accelerated and hit a tree. The air bags did not deploy upon impact as the contact's gla... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
ENGINE BURNING OIL AND BLOWING WHITE SMOKE OUT TAIL PIPES. HAVE TO ADD OIL EVERY 1500 MILES OR SOONER IF TOWING. HAS BEEN AN ISSUE SINCE FIRST OIL CHANGE. VEHICLE IS NOW AT 88057 MILES
Incident date: Nov 18, 2025
I have had a 2013 Honda Insight since September 2024 and I have complained about excessive oil consumption since October 2024.This past Saturday my car stopped on the highway when I tried to accelerate. It was towed to Honda and the diagnostic comes back as piston ring replacement with spark plugs. Last November I had 2 spark plugs replaced and my ignition coils. There was an ESB put out by Honda... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Elantra. The vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V393000 (EQUIPMENT). The contact stated that the fuse on the modified Tire Mobility Kit failed after it was replaced as stated in the recall repair. The contact replaced the fuse with one of the extra fuses provided by the dealer after the recall part was replaced. The vehicle was not taken to the deal... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2021
Despite going back to the dealer to address the issue, and trying all the recommended modifications, the Forward Attention Warning (FAW) goes off repeatedly when the car is utilizing adaptive cruise control. I have written and called Hyundai National to ask to defeat this feature and it is not allowed. This FAW alarm (ironically) diverts my attention from driving as I am having to constantly respo... Read more
Incident date: Nov 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Ram 2500. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the steering wheel shifted while turning. The contact self-diagnosed the vehicle and found that there was slack in the track bar and brackets that needed to be reinforced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by a dealer or independent mechanic. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving 30-40 MPH, the messages "Save the Battery", "Turn off Engine", and "Restart" were displayed. The program restarted, and the screen went blank, and the instrument cluster became inoperable. Additionally, the contact was informed about NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V126000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to the local deale... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2024
We bought the car today at Audi South Atlanta brand new and were driving back home. The car suddenly showed the engine light, showed drive system malfunction please safely stop, and then the car slowed down and stopped on the highway. The steering stiffened up and almost caused a car crash. It was very dangerous. The Audi dealership said that software issues were all resolved before allowing the p... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2025
On 09/16/25, I was exiting the Florida turnpike onto Sawgrass Highway via the exit ramp on exit 71. As I decelerated from 60 MPH to 35 MPH to match the speed of the exit ramp, I was in the left most lane in the two-lane exit ramp. My car spun out and I lost control of the vehicle, which caused the vehicle to spin through the two lanes of the ramp several times and ended up drifting onto the edge o... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 16, 2025
The front axle support and the right front control arm bearing bracket may be separating, which is causing my vehicle to continually fall out of alignment. This ongoing issue is leading to accelerated tire wear, despite the fact that I have not driven many miles. The manufacturer needs to address the underlying cause, as the dealership continues to recommend alignments without resolving the root p... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2024
At about 30mph the sunroof suddenly flew of of my car and almost hit the car behind me thst had to avoid the flying part, for a good luck it didn’t cause a major accident because I was about get in a busy highway and this hazard could’ve caused a major ctash envolvimg multiple cars, the vehicle behind me has a dashcam that recorded the event. For God nobody got injured.
Incident date: Nov 16, 2025
The front axle support and the right front control arm bearing bracket may be separating, which is causing my vehicle to continually fall out of alignment. This ongoing issue is leading to accelerated tire wear, despite the fact that I have not driven many miles. The manufacturer needs to address the underlying cause, as the dealership continues to recommend alignments without resolving the root p... Read more
Incident date: Oct 16, 2024
I continually have the same issue with this vehicle. It started only a couple of months after initial purchase and has happened various times since. Today was one of those days it occurred, the ABS system will turn on along with the traction control light in the middle of the freeway causing the vehicle to immediately slow down, I could not accelerate and was almost hit by the car behind me beca... Read more
Incident date: Oct 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger’s side blind spot warning system located on the exterior side mirror failed to function as intended. The light flashed on the side mirror; however, the beeping sound was inaudible. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the fail... Read more
Incident date: Oct 16, 2024
My backup camera operates intermittently, even after a recall was performed updating some software.
Incident date: Nov 5, 2025
front camera fault, service required, pre-collision avoidance not available. Lane departure warning fault, service required. This is an ongoing problem since date of purchase, 9/23/2025
Incident date: Nov 7, 2025
The vehicle experienced an engine and power train failure while driving on the highway, resulting in sudden loss of power. The electrical system also failed after the dealer visit, causing the battery to die every morning. Yes, the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. My car suddenly lost power on the highway and would not accelerate, forcing me to pull over on the shoulder with traf... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
My Ford jerks and shutters as I accelerate from 0 to 40 per hour. I took it in to Capitol Ford in Carson Ctiy, NV. They told me the transmission computer software need to be upgraded. I'm afraid the transmission is going to go out and cause a accident. No accident has happen yet.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
Took truck to dealer with concern of higher than normal braking force needed. Couldn’t verify concern. Looked today under the steering column and the brake booster is leaking fluid inside the cabin of the truck when the brake pedal goes through the firewall. There was Almost no brake fluid inside the reservoir causing the brakes to fail with no warning. Looked at similar trucks and all have brak... Read more
Incident date: Nov 14, 2025
shift to park issues when placing the vehicle in Park
Incident date: Nov 14, 2025
Right after the 73c recall, the high voltage battery is experiencing a drain while sitting. Typically the longer it sits after it has been charged, the more depletion it experiences. It is currently at the dealership for this problem. They charged it to 100% on a Friday and was not driven. By Monday, the high voltage battery was at 50%.
Incident date: Oct 28, 2025
Date of Incident: 11/09/2025 • Location: I-30 near Cumby, TX (towed to Audi Fort Worth). Daughter was stranded on busy highway in middle of nowhere. Texas State Police came to her aid and helped w tow truck which cost $650. Engine catastrophically failed at ~50k + miles due to metal shavings throughout oil — Audi Fort Worth made the statement and I have picture of metal shavings. Which is th... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2025
Windshield made a very loud bang noise as if something hit it but nothing was observed to hit. After arriving home, I inspected the windshield and discovered a 4 inch straight hairline horizontal crack with no sign of debris impact (no chip, scratch, etc). Safelite inspected it and says it is a stress crack, not caused by debris impact. After doing some research, apparently Subaru has a long hi... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2025
Engine turns off completely traveling at moderate speeds in drive gear while approaching and then stopped at lights or stop signs. Issue became more constant and prevalaint with time. Message then shows up " Please start engine manually P". Vehicle then has to be put in "park" and manually restarted. All this is completed in a panic and a rush as your are on a road with traffic and cars behind ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2025
The seat heater pins have melted, leaving black residue. thus showing possibilities of a fire
Fire
Incident date: Nov 12, 2025
There’s a chemical smell entering the cabin of my vehicle from the engine ever since my car was serviced at the dealership. I’ve had headaches burning, watering eyes, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, eye twitching, and generally unwell. My daughter has had a cough and they refused to acknowledge any issue. They changed the filter and clean the vents and they’re saying nothing‘s wrong. There’... Read more
Incident date: Oct 30, 2025
The transmission started slipping in 1st and 2nd gear.
Incident date: Oct 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a black image while reversing. The message "Camera Unavailable" was displayed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or re... Read more
Incident date: Nov 12, 2025
Noticed a fuel odor around the vehicle. Then it started to smell in the cabin also. I took it in to the dealership and the fuel flange has a leak and needs to be replaced.
Incident date: Nov 12, 2025
There’s a chemical smell entering the cabin of my vehicle from the engine ever since my car was serviced at the dealership. I’ve had headaches burning, watering eyes, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, eye twitching, and generally unwell. My daughter has had a cough and they refused to acknowledge any issue. They changed the filter and clean the vents and they’re saying nothing‘s wrong. There’... Read more
Incident date: Nov 10, 2025
My 2026 Tesla Model Y with under 3,000 miles experienced a sudden and total loss of power steering while driving. The car became extremely difficult to control. Tesla towed it to their service center, where they claimed it was a software-related issue that could not be replicated. The service center released the car back to me but refused to provide written assurance that the vehicle is safe to d... Read more
Incident date: Oct 29, 2025
My car started using a lot of oil,one day it just started jerking and lost speed had to change the spark plugs after that I was constantly putting oil in it and changing the spark plugs every 2 weeks
Incident date: Nov 11, 2025
Even after the recall service performed, the ICCU still failed 10 months later. DTC P1E011C is listed and will not charge. This is the same issue for the KIA EV9 and a TSB needs to be issued the same as the TSB 339 KIA did for the EV9.
Incident date: Oct 29, 2025
My engine blew up and started smoking while driving