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: Mar 24, 2024
I am writing to report a concerning issue with my Acura RDX 2017, which I believe poses a significant safety risk and requires immediate attention from your organization. The problem I encountered while driving jeopardizes the safety of both myself and others on the road. About five days ago, while driving at approximately 20 mph, my vehicle began emitting loud, thunderous sounds, accompanied by ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2024
While driving up hill a check engine light and power train malfunction/ reduced power warning appeared. This caused my vehicle to be unable to accelerate and could have caused the vehicle that was behind me to collide with my vehicle. This is the second time this issue has happened and the dealer I have taken it to has been unable to figure out the issue. As far as I know only my dealer has insp... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2024
While driving up hill a check engine light and power train malfunction/ reduced power warning appeared. This caused my vehicle to be unable to accelerate and could have caused the vehicle that was behind me to collide with my vehicle. This is the second time this issue has happened and the dealer I have taken it to has been unable to figure out the issue. As far as I know only my dealer has insp... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2024
I customer Ordered 2023 Bronco from Ford in 1/2023. It was delivered on [XXX]. I paid for vehicle in full. Upon getting in Bronco to drive home I noticed a Defective Steering Wheel with bumps all over it. They cut into my fingers. I notified Ford right then on [XXX]. I also noticed Defective knuckle punch on rear tail door of Bronco that holds Spare Tire, etc. I notified Ford. They have wasted a y... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was mad... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2024
paint is peeling off vehicle.
Incident date: Dec 19, 2023
The steering becomes “sticky” and is resistant to turning both at low and high speeds. This results in situations where significant force must be applied to the wheel to create a direction change. It has resulted in sudden movements after “breaking” the steering wheel free from its “stuck” position in the middle. It even affects driver assist systems, which will also demonstrate diffic... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2024
Motorcycle has 45000miles and the transmission started to stutter in 4th gear, the symptoms match the recalled transmission for 2017 bmw k1600. This is very dangerous and in 4th gear the vehicle is traveling at around 50mph, when applying throttle the whole bike bucks and becomes unstable
Incident date: Apr 19, 2019
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Wrangler. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V116000 (Power Train) 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not exper... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2023
Coolant intrusion - coolant leaking into the motor because of the engine block design and the head gasket failing. Can cause fire
Incident date: Mar 26, 2024
Catastrophic engine failure While driving at 50 m.p.h. engine failure caused brake failure all electronics failed. Complete engine failure diagnosed by Hyundai dealership. Only inspected by qualified Hyundai mechanics. No warning lamps, no messages. UNKNOWN The contact stated please remove the complaint as it will be revised and resubmitted at the end of my current arbitration during class action ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2024
The fuel gauge is non linear and erroneous. It is a safety issue because the level of fuel left is unpredictable and I have run out of gas in unfamiliar areas because of this.
Incident date: Mar 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manuf... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing a hard pull to the right while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the failure occurred while driving from a complete stop and while driving on the highway. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V746000 (Suspension) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
I am an [XXX] living on a remote ranch in northern Montana. Owning a 2017 Chevy Trax that has be in the repair shop 6 times since October 2023 to fix the heater fan blower motor that keeps burning up, leaving me without heat or defrost. Driving home on the evening of [XXX] the fan motor burned up again (6th time since Oct. 23) and left me with out heat or defrost. At night, about 10 miles away f... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 22, 2024
Component or system failure: Complete failure of the headlights and interior lighting, including the dashboard after post remote start - ignition on. Safety risk: Headlights and other interior lighting would not activate leaving the vehicle completely dark. The only remedy was to completely restart the vehicle. Reproduced?: No. The vehicle is brand new with less than 100 miles. Inspected?: No ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked; however, while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed fuel modular control regulator and the fuel modular control regulator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made awa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated that when he would place the vehicle into reverse, the backup camera would malfunction and either show a distorted image or a black screen. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that when the backup camera would malfunction the radio display would also be blank showing no selections. The contact h... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the recall repair of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension) was previously completed on the vehicle. The contact stated he noticed that the tires were shredding after the recall repair. The contact stated that the tires were replaced four times due to the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was inform... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2024
I Keep getting code p2138 car stalls check engine light turns on, stability control flashes. I have to erase code to get it drive again, but will do it again soon. Been doing it for 4+ years now. The worst time it has done it is when I'm in the freeway where I have to pull off to the side if I can, I almost got into a bad accident because of this issue. Took it to my mechanic and he says take it t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2023
L-FRONT TIRE SHOWED A SIDEWALL BUBBLE. THE TIRE COULD HAVE BLOWN OUT WHILE RUNNING AT A HISH RATE OF SPEED, AND CAUSED LOSS OF CONTROL THE DEALER (CHECKERED FLAG, VIRGINIA BEACH, VA)., HAS THE TIRE. THEY THINK IT WAS A CURB HIT. I HAVE A PHOTO OF THE TIRE ISSUE. I WAS TOLD, BY THE DEALER SERVICE WRITER, THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST TIRE SEEN AT THIS SELLING DEALERSHIP WITH THIS ISSUE. I INSPECTED T... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2023
L-FRONT TIRE SHOWED A SIDEWALL BUBBLE. THE TIRE COULD HAVE BLOWN OUT WHILE RUNNING AT A HISH RATE OF SPEED, AND CAUSED LOSS OF CONTROL THE DEALER (CHECKERED FLAG, VIRGINIA BEACH, VA)., HAS THE TIRE. THEY THINK IT WAS A CURB HIT. I HAVE A PHOTO OF THE TIRE ISSUE. I WAS TOLD, BY THE DEALER SERVICE WRITER, THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST TIRE SEEN AT THIS SELLING DEALERSHIP WITH THIS ISSUE. I INSPECTED T... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Dodge Grand Caravan mobility vehicle. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side rear wheel air bag was deployed. The vehicle was driven to the contact's residence. The contact stated that the vehicle had been converted into a mobility vehicle by Compacity Trucks. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 27, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver as well as it was no longer centered. The adaptive steering warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure was diagnosed as the steering effort control module (SECM) was not communicating and the steering wheel needed to be replaced. T... Read more
Incident date: Jul 27, 2021
The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the power train warning light illuminated randomly but disappeared. Additionally, the contact stated that on several occasions when the vehicle was started, the steering wheel became stiff and was difficult to turn. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notif... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2024
Transmission failed without warning while driving on March 18, 2024. There were no previous issues, warning lights, symptoms, etc. The acceleration suddenly stopped, and the car struggled to move. This put me and other drivers at great risk of physical harm. The problem has been confirmed to be a serious transmission issue by our master mechanic and now needs to be replaced.
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
Child lock windows seem to be activated, even though, button isn't pushed in. I cannot roll any window down except drivers window.
Incident date: Mar 9, 2024
Oil Pan is Rusting and thin. Oil Pan gasket leaking warranty will not cover parts/labor. Oil pan holds vital lubrication for engine operation. Read tailgate handle does not operate properly. Must push closed to keep rear tailgate door from opening when vehicle is in motion
Incident date: Mar 16, 2024
Regarding [XXX] . I made an appointment to get the Important Safety Recall for the High Pressure Fuel Pump repaired. When I took the vehicle in for the repair on [XXX] I was informed that they did not have the part and they had been waiting a year for parts. Why I wasn't informed of this when I made the appointment is beyond me. If this Safety Recall is so important why is this dealership unable t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 6, 2023
We purchased this vehicle from a local dealership (2/5/2024) and 25 days after purchasing it (3/1/2024) we had to have it towed as the torque converter and transmission went out and we could no longer drive it. This was quite costly at $6600.00.
Incident date: Dec 6, 2023
My Jeep only has 85,266 miles on it and my pistons/ calibers are locked up, resulting in my cailbers, rotors, and brake pads to all be replaced. This job is projected to cost me over $1,000. My car is currently undriveable.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Chrysler 200. The contact stated that the seat belt warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the front driver's seat headrest was defective. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, who provided a cost for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 1... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and low oil p... Read more
ACURA
MDX SPORT HYBRID
(2020) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 18, 2024
Incident date: Mar 18, 2024
The charging system would not work after purchase. Without careful planning I could have been stuck hours from home, stranded. I tried about 8 different chargers and called support with no luck. We ended up having to tow it to the dealership. We've now waited 3 weeks to be told 2 electrical wiring harnesses are corroded ( brand new car ) and they are not able to order the parts they need.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
The issue is when I'm decelerating to around 5 mph and go to accelerate again, there is a horrible grinding sound from the transmission and I can no longer accelerate. I then have to stop and re accelerate. This is dangerous if there is a car coming and I pull out and have to stop all of a sudden. I have 2 separate videos of the issue. The dealership won't fix it under warranty because they c... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2024
If you review the Chevrolet Colorado for the last number of years, one will find that there is an issue with the key not removing when turning the vehicle off. I am experiencing this problem with a 2021 Chevrolet Colorado. In some of the previous years the issue was referenced to a issue where the shifter needed repaired or replaced. My point is that it has been an ongoing problems for years ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2024
TSB found 22-2433. TSB says vehicle needs fuel filler tube replacement. This item should be a recall fix not paid by vehicle owner. This article supersedes TSB 22-2176 to increase the labor operation allowance and update the part list. Some 2020-2022 Escape/Corsair vehicles built on or before 3-Jan-2022, 2020-2022 Explorer vehicles built on or before 14-Feb-2022, 2020-2022 Aviator vehicles built ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2024
Basically it has the recall for clogged cats and O2 sensors it has [XXX] my pistons I use quart oil every 100 miles I talked to customer service last night was told all ve fixed and I could have rental went to get it cause my car dies at every stop from not having right fuel mixture. Now they changed story . Lawsuit ? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2022
[XXX] car malfunctioned. First said that the gear was working incorrectly, then accelerator stopped working and Drive light on gear shifter started blinking. I pulled over to the shoulder and the brakes continued to work, and all the messages in my video came up. I started on cruise control going 78 then once I got to [XXX] my parking break came on. Once stopped I tried to go back into drive, whic... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2022
[XXX] car malfunctioned. First said that the gear was working incorrectly, then accelerator stopped working and Drive light on gear shifter started blinking. I pulled over to the shoulder and the brakes continued to work, and all the messages in my video came up. I started on cruise control going 78 then once I got to [XXX] my parking break came on. Once stopped I tried to go back into drive, whic... Read more
Incident date: Feb 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to diagnose the ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 21, 2024
I recently purchased a NEW 2024 jeep wrangler 4xe. Within the first week of ownership, the car broke down twice and was unable to be driven during a trip. The car started fine and was able to be driven at first, but twice, while stopped at a traffic light, it was unable to start again. The car needed to be towed to the local dealership on both occasions. This caused significant traffic hazards... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2024
Shortly after I merge onto a highway and pickup speed my cruze apears to be slipping gears. It does not do it every time but it appears to be happening increasingly often. It starts to shake violently, becomes hard to stear and refuses to excelerate even though the rpm's are rising significantly higher then they should be, leaving me going 35 - 40mph on a 65mph highway, it does not fully decelerat... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
While driving on the highway at about 65/70mph, my seatbelts locked and the emergency brakes engaged along with the lane departure warning and a couple other warning lights I’ve never seen. This has happened approximately 3 times.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
Unintended acceleration after I tried to park take off before I can parked it violently crash into the wall.
Crash
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
Unintended acceleration after I tried to park take off before I can parked it violently crash into the wall.
Crash
Incident date: Mar 12, 2024
The brake pump which pressurizes the nitrogen accumulator kept cycling on more and more frequently until it was cycling on every 8 seconds after stopping while trying to maintain pressure in the automated brake system. Brake pressure began pulsating when applying brakes and was slowly becoming noticeably more unstable as time progressed. I could also hear a steady flow of fluid through the booster... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2024
The seatbelts do not click into the buckle properly and the springs have broken.
Incident date: Dec 18, 2023
car kept stalling and electrical system was off ..
Incident date: Mar 13, 2024
I bought my vehicle 10 months ago the Ram 1500 rebel 2018 without knowing its suspensions issues when the cold weather started my air suspension issues started I wen to the dealer they couldn’t do anything about the price to fix is to much to pay at once out pocket for something much rams rebels go through in this case mine the worst part when I did the oil change and alignment the dealer stated... Read more