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: Nov 1, 2023
Driving and all dashboard lights come on and cruise, lane assist, hill descent, emergency brakes, steering assist, etc. is all disabled. Come to dealer & they say it’s due to fuel injector failure which is known across these 2017 Honda CRVs, but they have no recall.
Incident date: Nov 6, 2024
On 11/06/24 while driving around 20 mph I heard a loud pop. I looked around to see if something was hit now let the sunshade back and saw that the sunroof was shattered.
Incident date: Mar 5, 2020
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was unable to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway and the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the engine, informing the contact tha... Read more
Incident date: Nov 2, 2024
The contact's husband owns a 2019 BMW X5. The contact stated while her husband was at a complete stop at the red traffic light, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the starter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired at the contact's expense. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbe... Read more
Incident date: Nov 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated while cold starting the vehicle, the vehicle was vibrating and was idling rough. The contact stated that there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the cam phase... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2024
The straps for the car seat do not secure and are easily untightened. The issue is solely with the Nuna Rava car seat and not the vehicle. My 1 year old was completely unstrapped after driving because he was playing with the straps. After investigating I found I could easily untighten the straps with one hand without pushing the button to release the tension on the straps. Food debris got unde... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2024
in 2022 the abs and traction control lights began to come on together, leading to loss of ABS and traction control in addition to not being able to use the cruise control. Vehicle was taken to the dealer to be serviced and they stated they would replace the HCU but would not replace the ABS module as they would only address one thing at a time. The problem continues to persist with the constant a... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2024
While driving northbound on [XXX], south of Oklahoma City, at normal highway speed, at night, in the rain (on [XXX]), this EV lost all power to the wheels and the regenerative braking ceased to function. It appears that all flow of electrons from the batteries to the drive motors, and from the regenerative brakes to the batteries stopped. I still had dashboard lights, steering, and conventional ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 16, 2024
Tread of the tire delaminated, similar to what a recap would do. This happened at 43,476 miles +or- the first time. This incident occurred In Anton, Texas. My driver got stopped safely and the tire was still inflated. Moved the truck about a 100 yards to be in safer spot and the tire then went flat. Had tire replaced with Identical tire by Loves of Lubbock, TX. Had driver bring the bad tire in, as... Read more
Incident date: Aug 24, 2024
Power steering shuts off while operating vehicle at random times.
Incident date: Apr 17, 2024
The adaptive steering fault light came on. My steering wheel is slightly turned to the right. I took it into the dealership for service and troubleshooting for this issue. As far as I can tell, there is not a recall for this issue, however I am reading about numerous incidents where this is happening in particular with the Ford Edge. The part is back ordered and the repair quote is $4,090, which i... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2024
The tailgate has opened randomly on about 4 or 5 occasions most recently the tailgate opened making a right turn while the horse trailer was connected to it and damaged the tailgate. It seems to open on right turns or when washed or been raining. The key is kept in the console and i always apply the parking brake. It is very random. There was a recall/ owner satisfaction program 21m01 but this tru... Read more
Incident date: Oct 30, 2024
My catalytic converter failed on my car and will eventually needed a new engine. I was driving a busy road doing about 55 miles per hour and my car suddenly dropped down to 3-5 miles per hour without warning now flashing light on the dash nothing. I could have been killed or hit causing a multi car accident. I was so scared and it was so hot I thought my engine was going to blow. I coasted bac... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); 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 contact stated that the driver’s side door trim near the keypad had detached. The vehicle had been taken to ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Harley-Davidson FLHTCU Electra Glide Ultra. The contact stated while riding at various speeds, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the motorcycle. In addition, the contact stated that an abnormal vibration was coming from the handlebars while riding. The contact used a trailer to tow the motorcycle to the dealer where it was discovered that the front and rear w... Read more
Incident date: Oct 30, 2024
Theres been a recall for my car But I never received any letter nothing about this.
Incident date: Oct 30, 2024
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The "Actually Smart Summon" failed. It is available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The "Actually Smart Summon" function did not detect the post next to my vehicle as it was exiting the parking space. It immediately turn right into the post instead of pulling... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Oct 30, 2024
It’s almost been a year since the recall came out. The dealerships are saying Honda hasn’t issued any parts. Called the Marysville Service Center, was told Honda wasn’t fixing any cars unless having problems. Am I supposed to wait until something happens, get in an accident???
Incident date: Oct 26, 2024
Background: Nothing failed or malfunctioned. There is no incident. This reports describes a design defect that puts the driver at risk. The dealer has acknowledged that the cars performs this way and says it cannot be fixed. Toyota customer service says this is how the car operates and short of a recall will do nothing about it. Problem: When the headlights are turned on, the dash and screen b... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2024
Hi, I’m having issues with my fuel pump / engine and I seen online there was a previous recall for this issues regarding my year make and model but when I search my vin it’s not included? Not sure why when I’m having issues related to that exact recall. I believe it can be related. I took it to Acura and they want to charge me 5,000 dollars for repair. I have a 2018 Acura tlx 3.5 v6 which is... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2024
Cylinder 2 misfire code p0302. I replaced the spark plugs, coil, and injector. Code still remains. Vehicle seems to run fine.
Incident date: Oct 18, 2024
Cylinder 2 misfire code p0302. I replaced the spark plugs, coil, and injector. Code still remains. Vehicle seems to run fine.
Incident date: Oct 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at speeds between 65 - 80 MPH with the cruise control activated, the cruise control malfunctioned, and the vehicle decelerated to 10 - 20 MPH slower than the cruise control was set for. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to diagnose the vehicle. The vehicle had not been re... Read more
Incident date: Oct 19, 2024
1. my car has steering wheel gearbox recall. I contacted the dealership where I purchased the car in "Phillipsburg Easton Honda" but they vaguely answered me saying that they don't have the part to repair it and will let me know when they have. Without telling me any time frame to repair it. 2. The gate door malfunctions when trying to open it manually from outside using the rubber handle on the ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
While in auto mode my headlights turn on and off randomly. This is very dangerous at night and has happened several times. When the head lights go off I can not see and no one can see me. There is no warning when this happens. The first occurrence was on August 4, 2024. Kia dealers say it has to be happening when I bring it in but the problem is intermittent. Many other owners have stated they hav... Read more
Incident date: Oct 24, 2024
I've brought the car to the Honda Dealer located at 2400 N State Rd 7 Hollywood FL 33021 for over a year I have complained that the car jumps and that there is a few recalls on my vehicle. I was told that the part isn't available and they can't fix it but did not offer any remedies to this issue. The car will shut off on me while I'm driving and it's very dangerous. I've mentioned this to them man... Read more
Incident date: Oct 16, 2024
Estimated cost to replace engine long block per technical service bulletin for coolant leaking in cylinders .
Incident date: Oct 10, 2024
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Automatic transmission failed two times. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Vehicle stalled in the middle of the road while driving which put me and my family in a very dangerous situation Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2024
About 2013 the 2000 acura rl vsa and abs lights came on then the tilt on the steering wheel up and down stop working then the srs lights and seat belts light came on and want go off. So from then till now I have spent about 15k to correct the vsa and abs issues. Replace rotors bearing wheel sensor tires rack and pinion ball joints and power steering pressure hose. But I found out that the problem ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2024
Front Dashboard is made out of very glossy plastic and it causes very severe glare at almost any hour of the day or even at nights whenever passing by a street lights. Amount of glare is so severe that driving at sunrise or sunset is almost impossible without a polarizing glass. Visibility is severely affected due to the material choice.
Incident date: Oct 23, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Oct 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle sputtered abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the torque converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was m... Read more
ACURA
MDX SPORT HYBRID
(2020) — FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Oct 22, 2024
Incident date: Oct 21, 2024
Unknown
Incident date: Oct 22, 2024
While driving the emergency brake self engages causing the Jeep to come to a sudden stop.
Incident date: Jul 22, 2024
2023 Dodge Challenger was parked and not running. Opened driver's door and windshield cracked from pillar on passenger side. No prior stone chips, no prior cracks. Car had less than 3000 miles when crack occurred. Appears that windshield was not properly bonded to the vehicle. Paid Safelite $348.03 for windshield replacement.
Incident date: Oct 3, 2024
The sunroof broke while being opened which required immediate repair since it was propped open. The only fix according to the dealer was to replace the entire unit which cost more than $5k with parts and labor
Incident date: Jul 31, 2024
Wheel Bearing failure at 70,000 miles. Almost caused a head on crash.
Incident date: Oct 22, 2024
Misfire in the engine I took it into Ford did their inspection and said that it is due to coolant intrusion into the cylinders. There are recalls for this vehicle for this problem but this vehicle specific VIN numbers are not included in this recall. Engine started to fail while driving causing multiple cylinder misfires
Incident date: Oct 22, 2024
Engine start to make noise while driving Took my truck to a auto shop Mechanic said that it is a fabric defective engine
Incident date: Oct 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2025 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, there was a loud screeching sound detected. While reversing there was a noticeable loud screeching sound heard. While making a turn, there was an abnormal knocking sound detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V104000 (Electronic Stability Control (ESC)... Read more
Incident date: Oct 14, 2024
The screens go black during driving and the gps flickers on and off creating a dangerous distraction. VW told me they do not have the technology yet to fix it, even though it is a huge hazard. in addition the car has a problem charging and holding the charge. The display of the miles is not accurate as to how much energy the car holds. In addition the contract said I had 3 years of free charg... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2024
Check engine light came on. I took to dealer and was told I needed a new engine. Antifreeze was found in one of the cylinders. I had 89k miles on vehicle. This is a design problem and recall should be issued.
Incident date: Jan 5, 2022
1. Electronic brake system failure - the vehicle exhibited this issue and so far it appears Volkswagen does not have a resolution. Vehicle has been at the dealership for almost 2 months and they have not been able to fix. Several other reports show that this is a consistent issue with the ID4 (probably the first edition). Fixed are often temporary and the issues resurfaces again 2. Battery Modul... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 35-40 MPH, the rear turbo failed. There were no warning lights. There was smoke emerging from the rear exhaust. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, while test driving the vehicle determined that the front turbo blew out and an engine replacement was needed. Additionally, the fan was moved by the turbo fai... Read more
Incident date: Oct 3, 2024
The vehicle started giving red overheating signals to the dash. I put in coolant. A week later it happened again and the car would only go 5 MPH. I called a mechanic and was told that this EcoBoost 2.0L was defective and that is was very common for the head gaskets to fail and poor coolant into the block. I had the vehicle towed to this mechanic and he confirmed the engine needed to be replaced. H... Read more
Incident date: Oct 3, 2024
The contact's wife owns a 2023 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the front struts had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred several times. The dealer replaced the front s... Read more
Incident date: Sep 14, 2024
I am currently experiencing a safety recall regarding the Sterring Gear box on my 2024 CRV Hybrid and the fuel system recall as well. The dealer is currently refusing to take the vehicle in until they have parts available in DECEMBER. This is clearly to avoid lemon law and I would like to report the dealer for engaging this behavior.
Incident date: Oct 18, 2024
11/15/2023: Kitchen slide of the RV partially opened while traveling down the road. My husband does have video of this occurring as we have a camera system installed on our RV. 6/25/2024: Kitchen slide of RV "raised up" and landed on an island drawer pull while traveling down the road. The slide could not be "lifted off" of the drawer pull and we were forced to activate the slide and allow it to t... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2024
11/15/2023: Kitchen slide of the RV partially opened while traveling down the road. My husband does have video of this occurring as we have a camera system installed on our RV. 6/25/2024: Kitchen slide of RV "raised up" and landed on an island drawer pull while traveling down the road. The slide could not be "lifted off" of the drawer pull and we were forced to activate the slide and allow it to t... Read more
Incident date: Oct 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2025 Honda CR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V744000 (Steering) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.