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: Jan 5, 2024
Loss of power steering while driving nearly causing an accident, very dangerous situation.
Incident date: Jan 4, 2024
Delivered an unfinished or car with a broken part,Seat Problem not locking properly, Electrical Problem, Engine Light Came on, ESP warning, Suspension Problem, Battery Problem, Steering Jerking, Mirror Problem which they said Mercedes Benz aware of it, some sort of sound, car getting hot excessively.
Incident date: Feb 25, 2024
The Model Y abruptly stopped in traffic creating a collision hazard and impact of the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was completely disabled and had to be towed. Upon inspectiong by the Tesla service, the Power Conversion System had failed for the rear motor system which is part# ASSEMBLY - FRONT VEHICLE CONTROLLER GENERATION 3.1(1583991-10-D). The attached document has links to other owners... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Feb 22, 2024
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Electrical malfunction errors came on, brakes, and engine control warning lights came on. The speedometer dashboard went dark. The car started shaking. The car started to slow down on its own. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I was traveling at 76mph on a six lane highway. Th... Read more
Incident date: Nov 9, 2023
The contact owned a 2015 Hyundai Accent. 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 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 contact heard a loud pop... Read more
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 20, 2024
January 28, 2024 I had a car accident and the air bags on my left side never deployed. The other vehicle crashed into the right side (passenger side) of my 2019 mini clubman which caused my 2019 mini clubman to spin around and hit another car on my left rear bumper. As a result, I suffered a fractured rib and a brain hemorrhage.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in park, the brake was released, and the vehicle lunged forward and collided with a Rental Movie machine coming to a stop at a building. No safety features were activated. The air bags were deployed. The contact sustained leg, hand, stomach, breast, and chest injuries. Medical attention was sought. A police report wa... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Feb 9, 2024
Heater box went out due to a defective heater door. This caused the front windshield to ice over and not being able to see other traffic. No warm air would come out of the vents .Heater box was replaced by the Dealer at the cost to owner.
Incident date: Jan 17, 2024
Vehicle's engine will not start. When attempting to start, it will turn on all usual electrical components, but will immediately show an warning message to "Stop Safely Now" along with an engine light of a red outlined truck with exclamation mark. Followed by a message of accessory mode on, however the engine will not start with no access to power steering or shifting gears. Normal attempts t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2024
On January 20, th 2024 my Connecting (Rod Bearings In cylinder # 1 failed ! My 2010 Kia Forte Started making a loud rattling noise from inside the Engine! I immediately parked my car. On February 13th, Kia Of Carson ca. Excepted my Kia for service check ! They tried to charge me $235.00 (see service check receipt! Then they later retracted the bill ! Today is February 25th and my Vehicle in still... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2023
Sunroof faulty. I've had car less than 3 years. I work from home and keep car under a carport. After a downpour of rain when I was out of town the interior front sides and floor were soaked. I wash the car myself with hose because drive thru washes will have water come in thru side of front n back sides of the interior. Whe n I got the car th flooring was already lifted on driver n passenger front... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2023
The contact owns a 1998 Jeep Cherokee equipped with Goodyear Tires, Tire Line: Wrangler Radial A/S, Tire Size: 275/75/R15, DOT Number: 1PJHLFNWR. The contact stated that he had purchased two tires from Walmart that were installed in the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle started wobbling. The contact stated that the failure occurred increasingly... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2019
ABS, Traction Control, and cruise control not functioning due to failed ABS module. The part # is 68228991AD and they have been on back order for over a year according to my local dealer where I purchased the vehicle; and with no ETA available on when one will become available.
Incident date: Feb 21, 2024
While driving with a passenger in the front seat, I noticed the passenger airbag was not enabled. Seems the passenger is not detected. Sometime having the passenger moving around or adjusting the seat/seatbelt would fix the issue and the airbag will enable. Randomly occurs and randomly fixes. Once it is enabled it seems to stay enabled for the remainder of the drive.
Incident date: Feb 18, 2024
The explorer started having issues with the heater not working when stopped. After some research it recommended that we check the coolant level. The coolant was low. Then we refilled it and then it happened again 3 weeks later and the coolant was low. This made us believe there was a coolant leak. After removing the bottom cover under the car it was saturated with coolant with drops coming from va... Read more
Incident date: Feb 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated that the air bag warning light had been illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the wiring harness failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure where it was confirmed there was no warranty or recall coverage on the vehicle. The failure mil... Read more
Incident date: Feb 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds on several occasions with the vehicle in 2WD, the contact observed a loud clicking noise coming from the front wheels. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed twice that the driver's side actuator and the passenger's side hub assembly and actuator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired.... Read more
Incident date: Feb 22, 2024
As I was driving, my car started making a loud clicky noise and then stalled in the middle of the road and I had to call a shop to come and get it into neutral so it could be moved. My car has been broken since November because the engine bolts are unavailable. BMW has taken too long to get this easily fixed.
Incident date: Jan 6, 2024
This is my second complaint to NHTSA. I purchased my certified pre owned Acura on 01/06/2024 After I added my Acura to my Car Insurance. They notified me and told me that there is an open Recall Associated with my vin number. That recall is for a (seat weight sensor) RECALL # 24v-064000 RECALL DATE 02/01/24 -- REMEDY NOT AVAILABLE. I filed a complaint with NHTSA ID# 11572570. After I filed my firs... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2024
My driver door began clicking and popping and I was unable to open my door to exit the vehicle . My driver window would not roll down. The following day the metal door arm had popped loose. And where the hinge was welded to the door. 3 holes were found and the metal hinge in the door started moving freely. I am a home care nurse and depend on my vehicle. It feels like the door is going to fall off... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Honda Tucson. The contact stated while driving 74 MPH with the cruise control activated, the Forward Collision Avoidance system activated, after which the Automatic Emergency Braking activated, causing a rapid deceleration to the vehicle. The contact was able to regain control of the vehicle by lightly tapping the brake pedal, deactivating the system. The vehicle returned t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2024
DCM is a parasitic drain on the battery according to the dealership. Replaced battery twice. The "fix" online is to pull the fuse but starlink and hands free won't work without it.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the engine overheated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with coolant leaking into the cylinder and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determine... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2024
I was driving on the toll road during afternoon rush hour. Suddenly the “Service Power Steering” message came up on the dash. It was the first time that message came up, no prior symptoms. The steering wheel locked, thankfully I was able to exit the tollway without any accidents. Taking it to an independent mechanic. Fear it’s the rack and pinion. 2013 Ram 1500, 5.7, approx 185k miles
Incident date: Feb 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine had failed due to extremely low engine oil. The contact was informed that the engine oil was four quarts low. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2024
Forward Collision Warning feature On 02/16/24 I was traveling east on I-630 at about 60 mph. While driving at that speed I saw a foreign object in my lane but I could not swerve in neither right or left lane as there were vehicles traveling in both lanes when my car hit the foreign object the object became lodged under the car dragging it at least 20 to 30 feet the car lost power myself and pas... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Dec 18, 2023
In Sept 2020, GM issued Service Bulletin 20-NA-170 regarding rapid popping or clicking noises coming from the I-Booster hardware under the hood in the braking system. Earlier fixes for this issue involved replacing the I-Booster hardware, but that didn't solve the problem. The new fix called for a software update to the Brake Booster Control Module. The Bulletin states: "Correction -- DO NOT repl... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2024
My vehicle's throttle position sensor malfunctioned while I was driving on a busy highway at 55-60MPH, causing it to suddenly enter limp mode and display the error code P2138. This resulted in a rapid and unsafe reduction of speed to 30MPH, then down to 15MPH posing a hazard to myself and other drivers. Despite replacing both the gas pedal and the sensor itself in an attempt to rectify the issue, ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 17, 2024
No incident yet! Having to park my car outside because of this recall in the rain. Always have parked in my garage. I want to know when this is going to be resolved. It’s taking too long!!!
Incident date: Feb 11, 2024
Approximately on 2/10/2024 shortly after i added my 2021 Acura to my auto policy my insurance co. GEICO notified me about the open recall. Nobody else has notified me on the open recall. I just purchased the vehicle on [XXX] from Autonation Acura In Torrance California. The recall notice Says "there is no remedy availableI" i purchased this beautiful CPO vehicle and I put $20,000 cash ( debit card... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2024
Emission system problem warning sign come and go
Incident date: Feb 11, 2024
While traveling to California my battery in my 2023 Nissan Pathfinder was faulty and I had to be towed to Albuquerque, NM from Gallup, NM for it to be replaced. I have never been Reembursed $682.00
Incident date: Feb 18, 2024
On [XXX] I dropped of my truck at Jim Click Green Valley/Sahuarita Arizona. I was hearing a knocking noise while truck in parked / stopped position. On [XXX], I was advised the truck was ready for pick up. The results read, “C/S: Engine knock in engine bay *check and advise -partners Perform engine diag perform 2 extensive test drive load test the vehicle and listen to the engine noise, only the... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2024
I am a paraplegic. I drive an adapted van with hand controls that include a Sure-Grip A600 spinner knob. This is equipment purchased from and installed by my mobility vehicle dealer, and is intended to allow operating the steering wheel with one hand so that the other can operate the throttle and brake, as well as other controls. Today while driving and making a hard turn, the plastic knob pull... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 12, 2022
The is an open recall on this vehicle since 7/14/23. It is for rear camera wiring harness. If has been 7 months and there still is no information about a repair to this defect. When will Mazda address this issue and have repair parts?
Incident date: Feb 16, 2024
The inside of my truck has condensation. The inside lights console don’t work. Because water comes in by the rear top headliner.
Incident date: Feb 14, 2024
I've been having issues with the steering on my 2024 Acura Integra. It has roughly 8k miles on the odometer. There is an intermittent issue where it feels like my steering gets hung up/takes more effort to make a turn. When the issue recurs on certain drives, but doesn't occur at all on other drives. I've noticed the issue most frequently when traveling on the highway. The issue feels similar... Read more
Incident date: Jan 27, 2024
I have a 2014 Malibu with 87,450 miles. It has worked perfectly up until 6 months ago. It started stalling in traffic intersections and at stop signs, which is a dangerous safety issue. The Auto Stop would engage and then when I put my foot on the accelerator, it stalled out. I would turn the vehicle off and restart it. I took it to countless mechanics who could not figure out what was causing the... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2024
I received a recall notice (B9A) for my 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe due to a risk of vehicle fire. The notice states that we should not recharge the vehicle and not park inside buildings nor near other vehicles. I spoke with FCA recall assistance today and they confirmed that there is no remedy available and, despite it being more than two months since sending the notice, no timeline for when a remedy... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2024
I bought my car in July 2023. The steering wheel always felt stiff but i assumed it needed to be "broken in" so I thought nothing of it. Since November 2023, my steering wheel feels sticky when I'm driving straight. Sometimes it feels like I'm fighting my steering wheel before it allows me to adjust it. I've gotten it inspected at the dealership and the technician was able to reproduce the sticky ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 26, 2021
Engine is burning excessive oil have to add a quart every 3000 miles
Incident date: Nov 26, 2021
The image in my reverse camera on my dashboard is upside down when I put the gearshift in reverse. Impossible to see if anything is behind me. I have not had it looked at yet by a dealership. Just began happening a few days ago. No warning lights at all came on. There are examples of this happening to other cars on YouTube. Seems like a common but dangerous problem with certain Fords.
Incident date: Feb 6, 2024
This truck is for sale in Oregon with HOLES/RUST on the frame and the frame mount. It is being sold with a clean title which clearly with the frame damage it is considered a branded title. The car lot that is selling the truck will no disclose the frame issue when asked about the structure damage on the truck. BUYERS BEWARE!!!
Incident date: Feb 10, 2024
Power steering and yes it is. Not safe to drive because of the steering. The dealership has changed the part under the recall as well as the warranty Yes by several people No warning lights or anything came on to show that there was a issue
Incident date: Feb 16, 2024
I didn't know about the recall until now. The dealership where I bought the vehicle did not. let me know about no recall other than he did all the service himself and come to know nothing was done I'm still waiting on my registration . I was turning into my driveway when I heard a strange clicking noise coming form the steering wheel column. As soon as I heard the clicking sound the airbag indic... Read more
Incident date: Dec 18, 2023
I am adding to the list of those that have reported serious safety hazards surrounding a KNOWN MANUFACTURING DEFEAT detailed in LAND ROVER TSB #N221NAS2/NHTSA TSB # [XXX] issued on [XXX]. This particular Range Rover Evoque was domiciled in California by the previous owner until I purchased the vehicle in November 2021 from CarMax. Never experienced an issue is the very dry climate of Sacramento.... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 2024
Unknown
Incident date: Feb 13, 2024
problem with milage range and charging rate . The vehicle will not charge above 24Kw--no fast charing possible "the vehicle has been found to be operating as designed and no repairs are being recommended" Leased vehicle in October 2023
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
The rear lift gate is not opening. The lift gate motor and latch have been replaced. The lift gate module seems to have water/moisture after a rain storm causing the gate to not open. Their is an error on the display saying there is a lift gate error and the car is beeping while driving.