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: Oct 16, 2023
Started today, I would put my car in park and I’d would display in the dashboard “Shift to Park” even though I’m already in park. I tried to turn my car on and off and switch gears but everytime I turn it off and it’s in park, it would keep reading that message. It eventually stopped but I don’t want this to keep happening.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
When in my vehicle, there is a very loud POP and STATIC that is sufficiently loud that it is startling and dangerous. I've experienced this issue 3 times now. I contacted Ford, and their support team just pointed me to my dealer. This issue will eventually cause someone to crash, lose hearing, cause a seizure, etc.. Very dangerous. After experiencing the issue, I began doing online searches and fi... Read more
Incident date: Oct 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, there was an abnormal noise and noticed that the vehicle's windshield wiper and blinkers had become inoperable. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had been diagnosed by an independent mechanic. The contact was informed that the failure was due to a faulty wiper transmission linkage, a relay, an... Read more
Incident date: Oct 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to shift into the intended gear. The contact noticed smoke coming from an unknown location of the vehicle and the vehicle started to shake. The contact also stated that the steering wheel became stiff and difficult to operate. The transmission warning light was intermittently illuminat... Read more
Incident date: Oct 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Edge. The contact stated after refueling the vehicle, she attempted to start the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to restart. The contact stated that she was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the check engine warning light consistently illuminated while starting the v... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLA250. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 25 MPH, the transmission inadvertently shifted into neutral(N). The Reverse Inoperative message was displayed. The contact's wife turned off and restarted the vehicle before driving to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was ma... Read more
Incident date: Oct 17, 2023
To Whom It May Concern. Good afternoon. I really need your help on this. This particular vehicle has a defective DEF emission system that renders the car inoperable when the DEF sensors start acting up. Between 2022-2023, I took this vehicle to the Volkswagen dealership on numerous times, over ten different times. This vehicle was still protected under a factory emissions DEF extended warranty. T... Read more
Incident date: Oct 11, 2023
2021 Jeep Gladiator High Altitude with 29000 miles and in stock configuration. Experienced the "Death Wobble" after hitting slight depression in roadway at 65mph. Jeep front end would not stop vibrating until at complete Stop. This appears to be a design flaw. Reporting the occurance to the dealer for resolution.
Incident date: Oct 15, 2023
My engine oil consumption is more. I have driven 70 miles the oil comes from full to low level
Incident date: Feb 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was making an abnormal squealing sound while turning left or right. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated the steering rack and pinion was warped and needed to be replaced. The local dealer was called, but the vehicle wa... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for rear wheel alignment. The contact stated that rear toe link fractured during the rear alignment process. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 74,576.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
MY PURGE PUMP HAS GONE OUT 3 TIMES. I DO NOT OVERFILL MY TANK. THEY HAVE ALSO STATED IT IS DUE TO NO LID ON THE GAS TANK BUT THIS TRUCK IS DESIGNED WITHOUT A LID FOR THE TANK. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAS NOW GONE BAD PER THE DEALERSHIP. THE TRUCK ONLY HAS 121000 MILES ON IT. I SHOULD NOT BE HAVING THESE KINDS OF PROBLEMS. I WANTED TO REPORT THESE SINCE THE TRUCK IS NOT THAT OLD SO THIS MAY B... Read more
Incident date: Oct 14, 2023
My vehicle has 57 thousand miles bought it at Ford Dealership with 48k miles and already having transmission issues. Tow truck driver who picked my vehicle up claimed “Every Ford escape i pick up for a tow is always a transmission issue” Horrible car, Waste of money.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2020
Back window of car shattered while driving. No impact from foreign objects. There was no warning- glass will be replaced by safelite in which they explained they had 6 cars with the same issue. As I googled the situation, it seems as if this has been an ongoing problem with Honda and some of the Acura models.
Incident date: Oct 13, 2023
At around 50,000 miles my truck began to turn off cruise control while driving, ding, and the ABS ,as well as, the traction control light came on. It goes on and off repeatedly while driving. This is incredibly distracting and quite possibly dangerous for braking and handling. The local dealership is aware and have stated that even though it is still under warranty, there is no available part to f... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2023
I received a recall dated June 2023 about my transmission. It is the first one I have ever received. I had it towed to Stanley Ford McGregor and service said that there wasn't anything wrong. I was told I need to pay them $165 for a recall review???? I don't feel safe driving it as it slips, bucks, jerks, shudders, delay when shifting as well as having difficulty in changing gears causing many "a... Read more
Incident date: Sep 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that she initially received a notice in the mail about a Customer Satisfaction Program-19B37. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the program was cleared off the vehicle. The contact then stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal as the "Servic... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2023
I turned my vehicle on and noticed the instrument panel screen was completely off. I tried to turn it off and on again and it stayed off. I had to drive home with no instrument panel. after 5 hours I turned on the truck and it finally came on
Incident date: Jan 28, 2023
High beams quit working I. Weather conditions and now high beams don’t work period and have to replace head light do to problem with assembly driver side and passenger side high beams don’t work
Incident date: Sep 30, 2023
While driving on the highway the car will lose power and acceleration, unable to accelerate. Power steering will begin to slowly lock up. After trying to safely pull over, ABS, battery and traction control light comes on. Then when I turned off the car, the car will not turn back on. Had to get the car towed to dealership. Car is now there, technician determined to be alternator issue. I read oth... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2021
The contact’s daughter owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his daughter was reversing, the rear-view camera image was blue and black. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 75,... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2023
The engine shuts off while driving, especially when switching gears or when braking too hard (such as when traffic ahead suddenly stops). I had the engine shut off while I was making a left turn at an intersection and lost control abilities of the steering wheel.
Incident date: Oct 9, 2023
My 2021 4XE Wrangler Rubicon has already had the Loss of Motive Power Recall performed a year ago. Jeep stated that the recall software update would prevent this incident. It is not corrected!!! Yesterday, while traveling on I-70 near Virginia at about 70 mph (the speed limit), the Jeep displayed a Jeep Vehicle with the PHEV High Voltage Cables and Battery Pack Diagram drawn over the Jeep in Brig... Read more
Incident date: Oct 5, 2023
June 6 2023 -- While making a tight turn the POWER STEERING LINE "POPPED" with no warning creating a loss of steering and braking capabilities and placing us in danger. There is a Ford recall (22S08) for several vehicles of this same make/model but our vehicle was not included and we don't know why. It has taken a Ford shop nearly 4 months to repair. According to the Ford shop only the hoses we... Read more
Incident date: Oct 14, 2022
- The power steering does not work. - The car is very difficult to steer especially at slower speeds, which increases the risk of an accident. - The car has been taken in for service and verified by the dealership "Walt Sweeney Ford" in Cincinnati, Ohio - The warning light in the vehicle says "Power Steering Assist Fault" - I think this should be covered under "Safety Recall - 15S18 - the ca... Read more
Incident date: Oct 6, 2023
Vehicle randomly keeps accelerating past the set speed when cruise control is set. Problem was first noticed in March. Have a video of the cruise set at 69 mph and the vehicle continued to accelerate to 87 mph before I disengaged it. Vehicle has been to two different Hyundai dealers for the issue but were unable to duplicate or find the issue. One moth ago were on a road trip and the cruise would ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2023
The car suddenly stalls during driving. It has been root-caused to engine oil consumption. I used my car for only 3K miles after my previous service (normal recommended oil change is 7.5K miles) before I saw the same stall issues and all kind of weird check lights going off. I had to top off my car with an additional 3.5 quarts of oil to be able to drive again.
Incident date: Sep 24, 2023
The CVT component on these cars causes it to lose power and acceleration which can cause an bad accident..one morning while going to work i got onto the expressway and car did not want to acceleration and almost caused me to get into a collision with an 18 wheeler.. The next day i took it to an mechanic shop whereas they told me nothing was wrong with my car and i should contact nissan and complai... Read more
Incident date: Sep 28, 2023
I took it in to have the recall fixed, they told me they couldn't fix it, that I should not drive it, do not let a passenger ride in the front, they are having an issue they haven't encounterd with the other traversese he contacted somone to find out what to do and as soon as they get a letter he will let me know. I asked if it was safe to drive the look on his face was absolutely not, to just par... Read more
Incident date: Sep 28, 2023
I took it in to have the recall fixed, they told me they couldn't fix it, that I should not drive it, do not let a passenger ride in the front, they are having an issue they haven't encounterd with the other traversese he contacted somone to find out what to do and as soon as they get a letter he will let me know. I asked if it was safe to drive the look on his face was absolutely not, to just par... Read more
Incident date: Sep 28, 2023
I took it in to have the recall fixed, they told me they couldn't fix it, that I should not drive it, do not let a passenger ride in the front, they are having an issue they haven't encounterd with the other traversese he contacted somone to find out what to do and as soon as they get a letter he will let me know. I asked if it was safe to drive the look on his face was absolutely not, to just par... Read more
Incident date: Oct 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes Benz GLK350. The contact stated that after driving approximately 30 minutes or more they would begin smelling a fuel odor coming from the rear end of the cabin. There were no warning lights. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The contact found their vehicle's failure related to the recall 2012 howeve... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2020
Interesting enough there was a recall for 2022-2923 rams for issues with backup camera. My 2016 has an issue where the backup camera screen gets all covered on multiple colored lines.
Incident date: Oct 3, 2023
4 times on our 300-mile trip on I-90, where it is a 4-lane divided highway, our Tesla braked unexpectantly (phantom braking) at highway speeds in excess of 65 mph. There were no warning bells or chimes - just violent unexpected braking for no apparent reason. There were no obstructions in the lanes ahead of us and no apparent reason for the sudden braking. Fortunately, there were no cars immedia... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2023
My wife's Ford Fusion started having issues in 2021. I was responding to check engine lights for things like spark plugs, O2 sensors, variable valve solenoids, etc. Eventually, as these check engine lights continued, in 2022 I took the car into the dealer to have it diagnosed. They told me that the whole engine needed to be rebuilt. They obviously see this problem frequently, as the woman I spoke... Read more
Incident date: Sep 20, 2023
When taking curves the vehicle is making a cracking noise but, mechanic said they don’t see anything. My W213 Mercedes Benz E300 just like all other Mercedes is have a “Crankcase” issue, it failed the engine keep revving but, not catching speed. I’ve seen multiple Mercedes is having that issues and it’s very common. My vehicle computer communication system failed to communicate with t... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
Need new engine after rough idling.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
I'm driving and the Forward Collision indicators come on. I've taken it twice in the same month and they can't find the problem.
Incident date: Aug 31, 2023
Dear NHTSA, I am writing to report a serious safety issue with my 2023 Kia Sorento, purchased in February 2023 from Ken Garff Kia Avondale. In July 2023, I began experiencing alarming issues, including flashing lights, dashboard error messages, and malfunctions, despite the vehicle being unused for several days with no visible damage. The air conditioning system malfunctioned, blowing hot air eve... Read more
Incident date: Sep 28, 2023
Power steering fault, lose power steering , alway at low speed, under full wheel turning
Incident date: Sep 9, 2023
Just noticed a loud bang sound from back and got it checked. Finally found out that the rear subframe has all rusted out which is very dangerous.
Incident date: Sep 28, 2023
I don't see anywhere else on this site to give feedback on the recalls 23V652000 and 23V651000 issued on 09/25/2023, so I will give it here. Hyundai/Kia's "fix" for this recall isn't a fix at all, but a band-aid meant to save them money, so they don't have to fix the vehicles. A fuse isn't going to stop the o-ring in the HECU from leaking and disabling the HECU (and the ABS) - it's just going to... Read more
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
My airbag light came on 1000 miles over the warranty mileage while on vacation. Had the issue checked and it was a 'pre tensioner', driver side, that shorted out and in turn shorted out the airbag module. This is a huge safety problem and should not happen. It should also be covered, due to no fault of my own. I have tried to resolve the issue with Hyundai customer care, but no help from them. I h... Read more
Incident date: Aug 31, 2023
Car was at a stop light, went to accelerate and car would not accelerate- all the lights came on. I had to put it in park and turn it off and back on, then it accelerated and there were no other issues.
Incident date: Aug 31, 2023
Car was at a stop light, went to accelerate and car would not accelerate- all the lights came on. I had to put it in park and turn it off and back on, then it accelerated and there were no other issues.
Incident date: Aug 31, 2023
Car was at a stop light, went to accelerate and car would not accelerate- all the lights came on. I had to put it in park and turn it off and back on, then it accelerated and there were no other issues.
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
THIS VEHICLE AND MODEL HAVE A DEFECTIVE ENGINE; I HAVE MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS SINCE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FROM THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THIS ISSUE CORRECTED, AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE, AND IT IS A WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM; THERE ARE SEVERAL CLASS ACTION SUITS REGARDING THIS ENGINE, AND THE MANUFACTURERS STILL HAVE NO RESOLUTION FOR IT. THE VEHICLE... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
THIS VEHICLE AND MODEL HAVE A DEFECTIVE ENGINE; I HAVE MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS SINCE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FROM THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THIS ISSUE CORRECTED, AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE, AND IT IS A WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM; THERE ARE SEVERAL CLASS ACTION SUITS REGARDING THIS ENGINE, AND THE MANUFACTURERS STILL HAVE NO RESOLUTION FOR IT. THE VEHICLE... Read more
Incident date: Sep 24, 2023
While driving the MB sprinter with distronic cruise control and there are no vehicles around the cruise control option on the sprinter will disable itself and fail to restart until it senses another vehicle object around. I have noticed this many times while driving long distance on the interstate.
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
HEADLIGHTS ARE VERY DIM. At night, it is very hard to see the road unless I put the high beamers on. I've inquired about this with the dealership and shared my concerned on how this is a safety issue and front lights arent bright enough. the response "we are aware, it is common in that year and model but nothing we can do." then proceeded to state it would cost $2k to replace. This clearly is a ma... Read more