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 29, 2024
the car is burning through brakes first brakes was repaired under warranty from nissan at 15k miles now the car needed
Incident date: Sep 29, 2024
the car is burning through brakes first brakes was repaired under warranty from nissan at 15k miles now the car needed
Incident date: Oct 6, 2024
We believe our Balmar (the second alternator that powers our Lithium batteries) failed and then created enough heat to either have a small fire or produce copious amounts of toxic smoke. This is a known problem with the Winnebago EKKOs. There has been one round of recalls for the Balmar re-wiring which we had done at the Winnebago Factory Center in Forest City, IA on November 21, 2023. We wer... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Oct 6, 2024
We believe our Balmar (the second alternator that powers our Lithium batteries) failed and then created enough heat to either have a small fire or produce copious amounts of toxic smoke. This is a known problem with the Winnebago EKKOs. There has been one round of recalls for the Balmar re-wiring which we had done at the Winnebago Factory Center in Forest City, IA on November 21, 2023. We wer... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Oct 3, 2024
All tires failed. 225/75 R15 Took my tires in for a routine rotation and balance cracks were on the tires. Dry rot
Incident date: Oct 3, 2024
All tires failed. 225/75 R15 Took my tires in for a routine rotation and balance cracks were on the tires. Dry rot
Incident date: Oct 3, 2024
All tires failed. 225/75 R15 Took my tires in for a routine rotation and balance cracks were on the tires. Dry rot
Incident date: Oct 5, 2024
There is something wrong with the electric power steering. Every time I drive my steering wheel pulls to the left so if I let go of the steering wheel the steering wheel will pull to the left and could potentially cause a car crash and while driving and difficulty steering (either steering feeling too firm or too loose). This is happening without the electric power steering warning light being il... Read more
Incident date: Oct 5, 2024
There is something wrong with the electric power steering. Every time I drive my steering wheel pulls to the left so if I let go of the steering wheel the steering wheel will pull to the left and could potentially cause a car crash and while driving and difficulty steering (either steering feeling too firm or too loose). This is happening without the electric power steering warning light being il... Read more
Incident date: Oct 5, 2024
I got this car (2022 honda civic touring) as preowned a little over 2 months ago. It had 39k miles. I inspected the car and thought it looked perfect and so I got it. In getting it, i opted out on getting extended warranty for personal reason. However the car had 60 days dealer warranty. After several times driving it, i noticed that my arms get sore. I thought it was just the way it drives. I... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2024
While driving the vehicle the vacuum pump failed and caused the camshaft to seize and physically break which caused the break peddle to become hard and breaking the vehicle was limited and almost nonexistent, which caused an extremely dangerous situation on the highway.
Incident date: Oct 4, 2024
The radio main unit started to occasionally produce LOUD deafening static without warning. Turning off the radio unit or lowering the volume had no effect, and this static noise would continue at maximum volume through the speakers for a few minutes until it gradually faded. It made it impossible to drive, and hurt my ears whenever it happened so I had to turn off the car to stop it. The speakers ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2024
Seems that when brake pedal sensor can trigger a "pressed" reading when not actually being pressed. The only way to turn off the car manually is defeated by, you guessed it, depressing the brake pedal. This causes the vehicle to remain on and unlocked. Even if you are able to leave the vehicle in a locked park state, at any point, the sensor can register a "pressed" reading and essentially unlock... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2024
Seems that when brake pedal sensor can trigger a "pressed" reading when not actually being pressed. The only way to turn off the car manually is defeated by, you guessed it, depressing the brake pedal. This causes the vehicle to remain on and unlocked. Even if you are able to leave the vehicle in a locked park state, at any point, the sensor can register a "pressed" reading and essentially unlock... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2024
The contact owned a 2012 Hyundai Elantra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and turne... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Sep 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was an abnormal fuel odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but no cause for the odor was found. The vehicle continued to experience failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
I have a moonroof that leaks whenever it rains. It comes on the sides of the car and also in the middle near my rearview mirror which leaks on my electronics. I am at risk because it brings water into my car when I am driving. It can cause mold and mildew as well. I've taking this to my local VW dealership without any resolution. They just said its a well know issue. The attempted to 'clean' the d... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
There was a prior recall where if there was discoloring or charring of the battery terminal a new battery was suppose to be installed. I reported this and showed the damage, and they just cleaned the terminals and sent me down the road. Now that these are burning houses down I would like to get out of this lease, its almost up anyway.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
The power steering pump completely shuts down and throws a Power Steering Fault Error. When this happens, the car is moved as safe as possible to a safe location, turned off and restarted and the error clears. When the error displays, all power steering is shut off. There is no warning, it operates fine after restart, I have not noticed any correlation as to when it happens, but when it happens... Read more
Incident date: Sep 14, 2024
On 09/12/2024 Ran over a small sharp object in the road and popped the rear drivers side tire and the tire sensor light came on. Two days later on 09/14/2024 we took the car to the dealership and had them change all four tires. We were told the mechanic found a broken off sensor in one of the tires. It was not in the blown out tire, it was in a tire that had no damage to the tire or rim. I talked ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 14, 2024
Failure of component are the curtain shield airbags. The safety of my customers are at risk when car is being rented out due to this concern the Lexus TX has not been in use, for safety concerns. This issue is a known safety risk which was known to the public on June 20th, 2024.
Incident date: Sep 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact stated that the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the image on the screen was blank. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mil... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Lexus ES350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2020
Drivers screen goes blank while driving.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2019 Jaguar I-Pace. The contact stated that the traction control system and battery warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not charging over 75 percent. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V183000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the l... Read more
Incident date: Sep 27, 2024
The truck was traveling west on [XXX] towards Stockton when the instrument panel illuminated with a “Low Fuel Pressure” warning and the coworker (CW) immediately pulled over. Once on the side of the road, the CW confirmed the truck was leaking fuel and the local garage was contacted. It was found that a line running to the secondary fuel filter had come loose and was leaking from the fittin... Read more
Incident date: Sep 16, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Sep 16, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2021
Death wobble happened 5 times driving on the interstate. Couldn’t control steering and everything was violently shaking.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 60-65 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was unable to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the residence. The contact stated that the vehicle later restarted; however, the failure recurred while driving. The contact was able to resta... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2024
Enginge defect, ecoboost 2.0, Coolant intrusion
Incident date: Jan 23, 2023
Heading westbound on I-70, taking Exit 29 off ramp from highway, I drove over uneven pavement. My traction control, ABS and brake lights illuminated, the brakes suddenly felt mushy. As I approached the stoplight at the end of the exit ramp, I questioned whether I would be able to stop. Scared me immensely. Luckily no cars were near me. I now do not have ABS, Traction Control, stability control OR ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer opened a case... Read more
Incident date: Sep 10, 2024
I Serviced my vehicle with a Nissan Dealership, and was told brake pads were good. Within a couple of weeks there was a scratching sound like the brake warning indicator. I brought my car to a mechanic to be repaired but brake pads were confirmed to be fine. Further investigation indicates a bad brake caliper in the rear. Mechanic contacted Nissan to order a rear caliper and was told it’s a know... Read more
Incident date: Aug 19, 2024
I received a notice in March 2024 regarding a recall for my 20 CRV involving a Seat Weight Sensor Circuit Board. I contacted my local Honda Dealer, Serra ,Honda Grand Blanc, Michigan to inquire about obtaining a time to service the recall. I was told at that time that they did not have the parts available and to call back in the fall to schedule. I spoke to the same dealership on September 27, ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2007 Ford Mustang. The contact received two unknown recall repair notifications for the driver’s and the passenger’s frontal air bags. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the unknown recall repairs were performed. The contact stated that when the vehicle was picked up from the dealer, the horn and the radio were inoperable. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and th... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
On my model year 2023 RAM 3500 equipped with the Cummins 6.7L High Output engine, the premature failure of the camshaft valve lifter has caused the engine camshaft to have abnormal wear due the valve lifter roller bearing seizing. This has also caused metallic debris to contaminate the engine oil causing further damage to other engine components. This potential safety hazard of this incident, pote... Read more
Incident date: Nov 23, 2023
When putting it in park and shutting the car down it says on dash to “shift to park.” There are other 2016 malibu that have this recall but for some reason not mine.
Incident date: Sep 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at various speeds on several occasions, the vehicle leaned to the right and then to the left intermittently. The contact observed an audible warning chime and a message to "Service Air Suspension Soon" was displayed. Additionally, the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2023
A crack in the windshield suddenly appeared with no apparent cause starting at the very upper edge about a third of the way across from the driver side and traveled about half way down and then turned to the right for about eight inches. It is available for inspection upon request. As of this date it has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. It has been repor... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
I had my top engine block (not sure why not a full engine replacement) replaced under warranty June 2023. Shortly after the fix my AC unit stopped working. Once I got my AC unit fixed, about 1.5 months after my engine was not performing. My car would not turn over and when it did, it was in limp mode and would not run properly. I had it towed to dealership who could not find the issue until af... Read more
Incident date: Sep 26, 2024
I would like to report a hazardous issue with the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado trailer braking power mode. The trailer braking system turns on and off when the loaded trailer is connected; this represents a security hazard since this truck is used for work and we move heavy pieces of metal and glass. This issue was reported several times to the dealership Lou Bachrodt Chevrolet in Coconut Creek, FL. A... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
Our 2023 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid developed an issue with the forward radar. At speed, the car produces a warning ding and then a warning message is displayed stating, "Critical Forward Safety functions are limited. Radar blocked." If the adaptive cruise control is engaged at the time of the warning, it immediately disengages, forcing the driver to quickly respond. If there is a vehicle in the adjace... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
- replaced catalytic convertor twice - Check engine light on , needs another catalytic convertor - Exhaust fumes are coming back into my car through the AC vents , I’ve had to pull over due to being nauseas and extremely dizzy. - The dealership will not answer my phone calls , but will answer another phone because I have called from another phone and they picked up immediately - Was told fro... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the driver’s seat independently moved backward and slightly tilted. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that there was a failure of the feature to adjust the seat to assist while an occupant was exiting the vehicle had operated erroneously. The dealer informed the cont... Read more
Incident date: Sep 24, 2017
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the service brake warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while attempting to stop the vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact smelled an abnormal odor coming from the brakes. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was determined that the fro... Read more
Incident date: Sep 24, 2017
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Odyssey. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (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 manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while driving approximately ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed fuel leaking from under the hood of the vehicle. The check engine, and electronic power control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the fuel rail bolt had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer was not contact... Read more
Incident date: Sep 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that during a routine oil change, the contact was informed by the dealer that the oil pan was leaking and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the oil pan was replaced eight times. The contact stated that there was an excessive amount of oil leaking from the oil pan and there were puddles of oil on the drive... Read more