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: Apr 10, 2026
RIGHT AND LEFT REAR STROKE SENSOR AND AFTER MARKET CONNECTOR WITH PIGTAILS FOUND CORROSION NEE REAR STROKE SENSOR CONNECTOR CAUSING DTC C1646-F0=== $872.13 right + $872.13 left They are using after market parts with this new Suspension system for Acuras MDX TYPE S. Any car wash or rain storm or snow storm this parts gets corrosion!
Incident date: Apr 10, 2026
RIGHT AND LEFT REAR STROKE SENSOR AND AFTER MARKET CONNECTOR WITH PIGTAILS FOUND CORROSION NEE REAR STROKE SENSOR CONNECTOR CAUSING DTC C1646-F0=== $872.13 right + $872.13 left They are using after market parts with this new Suspension system for Acuras MDX TYPE S. Any car wash or rain storm or snow storm this parts gets corrosion!
Incident date: Apr 10, 2026
RIGHT AND LEFT REAR STROKE SENSOR AND AFTER MARKET CONNECTOR WITH PIGTAILS FOUND CORROSION NEE REAR STROKE SENSOR CONNECTOR CAUSING DTC C1646-F0=== $872.13 right + $872.13 left They are using after market parts with this new Suspension system for Acuras MDX TYPE S. Any car wash or rain storm or snow storm this parts gets corrosion!
Incident date: Apr 10, 2026
Intermittent issues with Bluetooth connectivity. Affects using phone hands free. Cannot have clear conversation. Only option (not an option) is to not use Android/Apple car play which is illegal.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
The low beam headlights have degraded over time and are now barely providing any light, making driving at night unsafe. This appears to be due to the degradation of the low beam assembly reflector. Replacing the low beam headlights with higher quality lights did not make any noticeable difference. This issue has been reported in numerous online chats for the 2015 Acura RDX.
Incident date: Apr 15, 2026
Low beam headlights are very dim and nighttime driving visibility is very low. Both headlights appear to have degraded over time and fail to produce adequate light for driving. This vehicle has been brought to the dealer for repair to address this issue, and has had two related repairs that did not solve the problem. The bulbs have been replaced with new low-beam lamps. The headlight lens has ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 11, 2026
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2016 Acura TLX. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of the purchase the mileage was 86,000. At the time of the registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 259,000.
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
The contact owned a 2019 Acura ILX. The contact stated that while reversing, the backward collision avoidance system activated without any objects or persons behind the vehicle, and the vehicle abruptly stopped. The backup sensor did not sound, and the vehicle then shifted into drive, and the vehicle independently accelerated. No warning lights were illuminated. The air bags were deployed. No inju... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
Complete drivetrain failure while accelerating from a complete stop in the middle of a busy intersection. No warning lights or hazard messages were activated before or after the failure. The car made a massive clunking/banging sound and continued to clunk on acceleration. The car had to be towed to the dealership. My children were in the car with me, and we had just driven on the highway for 45 mi... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
Exterior lighting - HID low beams have become extremely dim and very difficult to see at night. Reading other complaints, seems like this is a very common problem with this vehicle. The manufacturer should address as this is a safety issue.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
The factory‑applied exterior paint on the roof panel of my 2016 Acura MDX has experienced clear‑coat and base‑coat delamination, resulting in complete separation of paint layers and exposure of bare metal. This is not a cosmetic blemish or paint discoloration. The failure involves loss of adhesion between factory coating layers, causing large sections of paint to peel away unexpectedly. The... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
The factory‑applied exterior paint on the roof panel of my 2016 Acura MDX has experienced clear‑coat and base‑coat delamination, resulting in complete separation of paint layers and exposure of bare metal. This is not a cosmetic blemish or paint discoloration. The failure involves loss of adhesion between factory coating layers, causing large sections of paint to peel away unexpectedly. The... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
I was at a stop light, when the lights turned green, I accelerated and heard a loud bang underneath the vehicle. The sound was so loud I thought I had been rear ended. I got out to inspect the vehicle and did not see any damages. I got back into the vehicle and put it in drive to get to the closed gas station. When I started driving, I heard clunking sounds underneath vehicle. I put on my hazards... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2025
Front camera stopped working at 65 000 miles. Seems to be a faulty part as many Hondas and Acuras have the same problem and the dealer wants over $2000 to replace a $700 part that sounds like less than 45 minutes to replace.
Incident date: Aug 15, 2025
Front camera stopped working at 65 000 miles. Seems to be a faulty part as many Hondas and Acuras have the same problem and the dealer wants over $2000 to replace a $700 part that sounds like less than 45 minutes to replace.
Incident date: Aug 15, 2025
Front camera stopped working at 65 000 miles. Seems to be a faulty part as many Hondas and Acuras have the same problem and the dealer wants over $2000 to replace a $700 part that sounds like less than 45 minutes to replace.
Incident date: Apr 9, 2026
I was refueling my vehicle at Fullerton Costco, the internal metal flap of the capless fuel filler neck is stuck closed and preventing me from inserting a gas nozzle to refuel the vehicle. I could not refuel my gas tank. Luckily, my vehicle still has some fuel left, enough for me to get to the nearest Acura dealer (Cerritos Acura) to have them fix it. It was expensive though for an issue that shou... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
The rear glass in my 2020 Acura RDX Aspec randomly shattered when I closed my rear driver side door. My car was not running and hadn’t been running for over a hour and there were no signs of impact to the glass. There is a TSB from Honda about this being an issue already. I bought the car used and have owned it for a year. My extended warranty doesn’t cover the rear glass. It was going to cost... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
The rear glass in my 2020 Acura RDX Aspec randomly shattered when I closed my rear driver side door. My car was not running and hadn’t been running for over a hour and there were no signs of impact to the glass. There is a TSB from Honda about this being an issue already. I bought the car used and have owned it for a year. My extended warranty doesn’t cover the rear glass. It was going to cost... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Transfer case and yes, it is attached the vehicle. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? At this time there is a leak and the power is being redistributed which could lead to loss of power at any times. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent ser... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2024
Common problem with the headlights of this model. The regular headlights become too dim, causing danger to driver at night. Using brights is mandatory during night time driving. Entire light housing must be replaced due to dimming. Replacing bulbs does not solve issue.
Incident date: Mar 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended and to exceed 5 MPH. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the roadway. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmissio... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
The contact owns 2016 Acura MDX. The contact stated that after the State Inspection was completed, the State Inspector informed the contact that the vehicle had failed the inspection due to an inoperable driver's side tailgate light. The contact was also informed that there was moisture inside the tailgate lid light assembly, and that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V259000 (Ex... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
The contact owns 2016 Acura MDX. The contact stated that after the State Inspection was completed, the State Inspector informed the contact that the vehicle had failed the inspection due to an inoperable driver's side tailgate light. The contact was also informed that there was moisture inside the tailgate lid light assembly, and that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V259000 (Ex... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2026
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Acura MDX. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 85,000. The contact stated that on the day of the purchase; after refueling the vehicle and then attempting to pull out of the gas station, the Emissions, check engine, and parking brake warning lights illuminated on... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2026
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Acura MDX. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 85,000. The contact stated that on the day of the purchase; after refueling the vehicle and then attempting to pull out of the gas station, the Emissions, check engine, and parking brake warning lights illuminated on... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2026
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Acura MDX. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 85,000. The contact stated that on the day of the purchase; after refueling the vehicle and then attempting to pull out of the gas station, the Emissions, check engine, and parking brake warning lights illuminated on... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
While driving the car, several warning lights turned on all at once, saying that the following components were disabled: Lane Keep Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic High Beams, and Collision Mitigation Braking System. Not being able to use these features is more dangerous, not to mention that the warning lights associated with their disabling are distracting (making it likely that, if ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
While driving the car, several warning lights turned on all at once, saying that the following components were disabled: Lane Keep Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic High Beams, and Collision Mitigation Braking System. Not being able to use these features is more dangerous, not to mention that the warning lights associated with their disabling are distracting (making it likely that, if ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
While driving the car, several warning lights turned on all at once, saying that the following components were disabled: Lane Keep Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic High Beams, and Collision Mitigation Braking System. Not being able to use these features is more dangerous, not to mention that the warning lights associated with their disabling are distracting (making it likely that, if ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure m... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2026
Rear Window of 2019 Acura RDX shattered while car was parked at my home after using remote start. No other damage to vehicle, there is currently a TSB 22-014 for this exact issue by Acura where they acknowledged that this happens to RDX models from 2019-2022 but there is no recall to fix this potentially dangerous issue. I luckily was not driving when this happened
Incident date: Aug 16, 2025
Experienced loss of all wheel drive with no notification, warning lights, etc. Vehicle is only in front wheel drive. Issue caused the vehicle to perform very poorly in inclement weather and myself, wife and children became stuck in the snow. The problem has been confirmed with Acura dealership. Currently it is in the shop awaiting further info.
Incident date: Apr 7, 2026
Stopped for a red light at a busy intersection with the auto start/stop feature turned on. After releasing the brake pedal to begin driving after the light turned green, the vehicle attempted to start the engine, but struggled and in doing so, the vehicle stalled out. After two or three attempts of placing the foot onto the brake and pressing the start ignition button, the vehicle finally starte... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
The drivers seat is lose and can be felt and heard making noise when driving, even at low speeds. It shifts back and forth upon acceleration and deceleration. Ive had a mechanic look at it and determine it is in fact shifting around while driving, which is extremely unsafe. Upon further research found that many othet Acura/Honda users have had the same issue especially in the MDX model mentio... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Acura RDX. The contact stated that while entering the vehicle and closing the front driver's side door, the rear windshield shattered unexpectedly. The contact took the vehicle to Safelight Repair to replace the windshield. The failure reoccurred approximately 2 years and 3 months later. The dealer was not informed of the failure. The manufacturer was informed about the fai... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
The AWD system failed and now its only FWD
Incident date: Apr 7, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Acura ILX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V859000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were on back order. Another local dealer, Jeff Wyler Acura of Dayton (60 Loop Rd, Dayton, OH 45459); wa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2026
My car is AWD. Occasionally when I am driving my car will feel like its stalling and an error message appears on the dash saying there’s an error with the AWD system and only front wheel driving is working
Incident date: Apr 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Acura TLX. The contact stated the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) but the fix failed to repair the vehicle. The contact stated that after the repair was performed, there was an abnormal fuel odor coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer approximately five times to be diagnosed, and it was determined... Read more
Incident date: Aug 21, 2025
Transfer Case has gone out. No longer getting power to the rear wheels as it is a AWD car. Problem has not been checked by the dealer yet. There were no warning lights on the dashboard when it went out.
Incident date: Mar 3, 2026
On March 3, 2026 my son was driving our 2020 Acura MDX when we lost power in the middle of an intersection. The following day we had it towed to Montanto Acura in [XXX] where we were told we had a blown engine due to a bad crank shaft and possibly engine bearings. Prior to this the car drove fine with no warning signs. My son who was [XXX] old was at a dangerous intersection and had to wait for ... Read more
ACURA
TLX TYPE S
(2022) — STEERING
Apr 6, 2026
Incident date: Apr 4, 2026
Subject: Vehicle Data Submission for Investigation DP26001 To the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), I am submitting maintenance data for my Acura TLX Type S (VIN: [ВСТАВ ТУТ VIN]) to assist with the ongoing DP26001 investigation regarding the AWD Transfer Case (PTO) splines. The vehicle is a US-specification model currently operated in [XXX] . Maintenance Facts: At 29,000 km... Read more
ACURA
TLX TYPE S
(2022) — FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Apr 6, 2026
Incident date: Apr 4, 2026
Subject: Vehicle Data Submission for Investigation DP26001 To the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), I am submitting maintenance data for my Acura TLX Type S (VIN: [ВСТАВ ТУТ VIN]) to assist with the ongoing DP26001 investigation regarding the AWD Transfer Case (PTO) splines. The vehicle is a US-specification model currently operated in [XXX] . Maintenance Facts: At 29,000 km... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Acura TLX. The contact stated that there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the lower control arms needed to be replaced. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was concerned that the control arms might fracture. The contact stated that the part to repair the vehi... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
Air suspension/vehicle height Brake systems were taken away (adaptive cruise, anti collision and lane mitigation) Yes confirmed by dealer Yes Yes warning lights
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
Air suspension/vehicle height Brake systems were taken away (adaptive cruise, anti collision and lane mitigation) Yes confirmed by dealer Yes Yes warning lights
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
Air suspension/vehicle height Brake systems were taken away (adaptive cruise, anti collision and lane mitigation) Yes confirmed by dealer Yes Yes warning lights
Incident date: Apr 4, 2026
My 2017 Acura MDX unexpectedly shifts into neutral while I am driving, specifically when slowing down approaching stop signs. When this happens, the vehicle loses power and will not accelerate, creating a dangerous situation in traffic. I have to manually press the Drive button to put the vehicle back into gear while still on the road. This has happened multiple times without warning and no recall... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2026
My 2017 Acura MDX unexpectedly shifts into neutral while I am driving, specifically when slowing down approaching stop signs. When this happens, the vehicle loses power and will not accelerate, creating a dangerous situation in traffic. I have to manually press the Drive button to put the vehicle back into gear while still on the road. This has happened multiple times without warning and no recall... Read more