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 21, 2023
For about two years, I have been experiencing problems with my Mercedes Benz, and Mercedes Benz has done nothing to help. The jolting issues on my 2019 Mercedes Benz A220 4 matic have never been fixed. I am afraid to drive because I am a young woman, and I cannot afford to get a new car due to financial issues. I have been without a car for several weeks because they haven't been able to fix the s... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while parked, the radio and instrument panel failed to illuminate as designed. The contact stated that after inserting the ignition key into the ignition switch, the vehicle failed to start; however, the windshield wipers inadvertently activated. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V461000 (Equipment) however, the VIN was not in... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated he received a notice of Ford Campaign Number: 21M06 for enhanced unintended tailgate opening remedy. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the repair was completed. The dealer then informed the contact that he would need to press the power release button twice in order to open the vehicle; however, upon testing the vehicle, the tailgate f... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
This car is unsafe. 70K+ purchase price with the inability to use basic cruise control, must-less the 10K FSD purchase that is USELESS. The phantom braking is constant while trying to use the basic cruise control, auto-pilot/FSD. Driving this car makes me a nervous wreck and I am beginning to HATE it and regret my purchase. I am seriously concerned for the safety of myself and other Tesla owne... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2023
Windshield trim flew off while we were driving on the highway. It hit the windshield flying backwards and almost hit a driver behind us. It startled us and almost caused an accident while we were going 75MPH with our kids in the vehicle.
Incident date: Mar 2, 2023
With the autopilot engaged, on the freeway, and at freeway speeds, the car will automatically brake without reason and without any traffic in front of the car. In a stretch of 100 miles, the car did this 8 times. The car even "phantom brakes" on regular cruise control. This is not only alarming but dangerous! Had the road been wet, or slick, we could have easily crashed! THIS MALFUNCTION NEEDS IM... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
Electrical System. Yes. While driving in traffic both on surface streets and the freeway the power in my vehicle stopped. The vehicle went from Drive to Park on its own. The battery light came on. The Start/Stop light went from solid green to blinking green. Vehicles around me had to stop suddenly to avoid a collision and the wait until I could restart the vehicle. This has happened a few ti... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2023
Hello I am very upset I was driving down the street normal day then all of a sudden my steering wheel got hard to turn... Then esc/power steering light came on. My steering wheel does shakes a little because it's dangerous to drive. I called to the Chevy dealership they said that they couldn't fix the problem because it was pass the due date. But there's a big problem with this because there were ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2023
There is no known dealership near my location for the recall to be fixed.
Incident date: Mar 16, 2023
AFTER SERVICE ON 04/12/2022, MY RECEIPT UNDER COMMENTS SAID,"REP LUG NUTS". THAT'S ALL. 44,286 MILES AT THAT TIME. I TOOK F-150 FOR OIL CHANGE & TIRE ROTATION AGAIN ON 2/22/2023, WITH 47,882 MILES ON TRUCK. SERVICE RECEIPT SAID THEY DID NOT ROTATE TIRES. I ASKED WHY, AND I WAS TOLD "BECAUSE LUG NUTS ARE WORN". I TOLD SERVICE MANAGER THAT YOU GUYS ARE THE ONLY ONES TO HAVE EVER REMOVED THE LUG NUT... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2023
AFTER SERVICE ON 04/12/2022, MY RECEIPT UNDER COMMENTS SAID,"REP LUG NUTS". THAT'S ALL. 44,286 MILES AT THAT TIME. I TOOK F-150 FOR OIL CHANGE & TIRE ROTATION AGAIN ON 2/22/2023, WITH 47,882 MILES ON TRUCK. SERVICE RECEIPT SAID THEY DID NOT ROTATE TIRES. I ASKED WHY, AND I WAS TOLD "BECAUSE LUG NUTS ARE WORN". I TOLD SERVICE MANAGER THAT YOU GUYS ARE THE ONLY ONES TO HAVE EVER REMOVED THE LUG NUT... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Wrangler. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V767000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine) 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 con... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 2022
I would be driving and then the car would not want to pull after I would wait awhile it would start back driving. The most recent incident was I was driving and stopped at a light and accelerated to pull off and the car started moving and then stopped in the middle of the street. After a while it started back driving so I took it to get check and was told my transmission was gone. I did do a chec... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2023
Whenever the truck goes over mildly rough road the steering wheel shakes and the tires follow the ruts of the road . When this happens steering wheel jerks out of hand and have to be overcorrected to keep in lane . With the shaking of steering wheel the steering wheel itself came loose one time and was repaired by peterbilt by applying locktite to the bolt.truck have been to peterbilt dealership 4... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2019
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, without incidence, the vehicle abruptly stopped. During the failure, no vehicle nor objects were nearby. There were no warning lights illuminated nor messages displayed. The contact stated that the failure occurred a second time and the vehicle was taken to the local dealer who performed a software upda... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2019
Pulling out into traffic, without warning my car lost power and shut down! The car had to be towed to the dealership who advised that the engine had a catastrophic failure and needed to be replaced. I was told by the dealership that KIA would not cover the repair for two reasons: 1) I was beyond the warranty period (the car has 60,264 miles on it and apparently as the second owner I am only c... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated while driving approximately 45-50 MPH, the horn, windshield wipers, and several unknown warning lights were illuminated and flashing. The vehicle turned on and off until the battery drained. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the auxiliary battery, fuse, fuse box, and battery needed to be replaced. The ve... Read more
Incident date: Jun 7, 2010
The contact owns a 2019 RAM 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V406000 (Fuel System, Diesel) 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 contact had not experi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2023
Lamp: Electrical system malfunction: safely stop vehicle. I have read that they car would have next shut down and loss of control while driving.
Incident date: Jan 17, 2023
None of the 3 navigation apps work in my BRAND NEW 2023 BMW. You’ll see it has me going thru oceans & thru forests or golf courses to get to my destination. But, MORE IMPORTANTLY, the incorrect GPS data is also being sent to EVERY app that utilizes GPS. Therefore, if I need the police or 911 & look at my phone on any app that has GPS my location could be off by miles. If my car is stolen & I loo... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2004 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the transmission was shifted into drive(D) and the vehicle shuddered. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 04V176000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the transmission fluid was flushed 3 times; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the f... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2023
Front driver side seat belt does not retract/lock as it should. I'm worried for our safety if an accident occurs and the seatbelt does not hold driver in place. Has not been seen by dealer due to dealership wanting me to pay out of pocket. First started a few months back and has not resolved its self.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
ABS light and alarm come on and goes off at random intervals. This issue was repaired before on 03/04/2020 and now the issue is reoccurring when rain or hight humidity. The original ABS code on the system was C0020-01 (ABS pump motor control - general failure). The HCU part #68143491AA was replaced and ABS module the issue corrected. My concern is that the ABS is disabled on the vehicle once the c... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2023
Car randomly slams on the brakes while cruise control is active. Happen most frequently mid-day while the sun is out. Most frequent when coming over and overpass or small hill on the interstate. ~5 time in a day and of travel. Brake are apply and vehicle slows from 80 to sometime as slow as 60 in a couple seconds. No visible hazards or vehicle on the road at the time. Very scary and dangerou... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2023
Engine caught fire , oil consumption, miss firing, knocking brought to dealer they found nothing wrong with it back in December 2022. Car stopped working on March 11,2023 had fire underneath police had vehicle towed to the house. Insurance company will be here Monday. Will also be contacting Kia dealer in alliance Ohio on Monday. The engine light was on and checked missing firing cylinder one
Fire
Incident date: Dec 25, 2021
Actuator failed and car makes a loud buzzing sound when locking or unlocking the door. Back driver-side door won't open.
Incident date: Feb 19, 2023
TPIM is going on it causing fault codes that won't clear causing to fail inspection. Chrysler Dodge has known about defective TPIM for years and chose not to do anything about it.
Incident date: Jan 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2009 Infiniti FX35. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 178,843.
Incident date: Feb 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the transmission failed to shift into gear. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the TCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where the TCM was replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with th... Read more
Incident date: Aug 31, 2022
**I have made the dealership aware of the ongoing situation as well as Honda Corporate but I am waiting on a call back.* A month ago, I had my car on cruise control going around 76mph on flat land. After a while, while driving on flat land, my RPM's shot up to almost 6000 and the speed got up to 88mph in less than 10 seconds. I pulled over, shut the car off so I could calm down before driving aga... Read more
Incident date: May 24, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate properly. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the mechanic stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the manufacturer stated that th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while entering or exiting the driveway on an incline, the automatic braking system engaged and locked up the tires in icy conditions. While reversing, the contact noticed that he was unable to turn off the integrated braking feature. While driving the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to brake efficiently. There were no ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2023
Tire sizes: 245/70r17. Three tires went bad between November 2022 and March 9th 2023. First tire, the front right, replaced because its outside tread was going bad really quickly. I could see the metal sticking out of it. Two tires need replacing because they are bulging. The back left tire bulged so bad my car was shaking up and down until I took it off. Thought everything was fine but the bac... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2023
Driver's side door won't stay latched.
Incident date: Mar 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Sierra. The contact stated that when doing the initial start, the rear of the vehicle began smoking and caught on fire. The contact turned off the vehicle and the fire settled however shortly after the rear window fractured. There were no injuries and no medical attention needed. There was no fire report. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer who stated that t... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Sierra. The contact stated that when doing the initial start, the rear of the vehicle began smoking and caught on fire. The contact turned off the vehicle and the fire settled however shortly after the rear window fractured. There were no injuries and no medical attention needed. There was no fire report. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer who stated that t... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 1, 2020
The Whole upper control arm came off due to the recall on the right upper suspension in the front...I reported this when it happened may 2022 and no response or help from the jaguar company by that time I could not afford to get it out of impound because I was in the parking lot of the government post office right by the Evansville police station
Incident date: Mar 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, an abnormal, knocking noise was coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact discovered that the oil level was low. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure due to a lack of engine oil. The manufacturer w... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while she was driving at approximately 35 MPH, she was involved in an accident after another vehicle t-boned her vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact stated that she did not require medical attention; however, she sustained a mild concussion, a knee injury, and neck pain. A police report was filed. The vehicle was to... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Feb 28, 2023
This car has excessive oil consumption and burns oil because the piston rings are faulty. Eventually can cause the engine to stop working and put lives on the road in danger. This was proven in a class action lawsuit against Volvo and they extended the warranty to 8 years or 100,000 miles however some cars are over the 100,000 miles and are still needing to add oil every 2-3 weeks. The low oil ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2023
The contact owned a 2008 BMW 128i. The contact stated that after driving at an undisclosed speed in inclement weather, she parked and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle later caught fire when she returned. A bystander witnessed smoke coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact noticed there were flames coming from the engine compartment. The fire department arrived on the scene and extingui... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 6, 2022
A Retaliatory Action to cause personal harm. Believe original vin was placed on this car because of a complaint against medical doctors now under investigation. Took pictures and other proofs. Note on this vehicle says there are hazard mercury arts used on vehicle like lighting and lists other parts and advises removal to be done as hazardous materials etc. can upload photo of it.
Incident date: Sep 16, 2021
*1. The Fuel Tank and components and/or system failed or malfunctioned. *2. After filling the gas tank, the odor of strong pungent gasoline fumes fills the cabin of the and lingers for some time in the car and garage until the gasoline level goes down after being driven for a few miles. *3The car has been taken to a certified Mercedes Benz Dealership Service Center and was told that the problem wa... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2022
Code p0850 for the tcm. Transmission would not go in park it happened 3 times on 3/3/2023 and 2 time 3/4/2023 truck would not shutoff due to the issue engine light came on and remains on. Had to set emergency brake so truck wouldn't roll and jump start the following morning because ignition had to stay on after seeing a chunk of snow fall off the transmission about 18"x10"and 6"thick it now shifts... Read more
Incident date: Aug 6, 2022
Dual clutch transmission needs replaced and my vehicle only has approximately 44,500 miles on it. Mechanics including Ford mechanics say that it is no fault of my own but a common problem with the 2017 Ford Focus transmission. The automatic transmission loses power, hesitates and shakes between gears sometimes, especially on inclines. It also when going from reverse to drive which started yesterda... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2023
My rear camera intermittently goes off in the middle of backing up.
Incident date: Jun 3, 2020
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that the remote start feature on the key fob was used to start the vehicle, which then automatically activated the window defroster. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from the rear passenger's side window, and then a loud explosion was heard. Additionally, a strong fuel odor was... Read more
Incident date: May 25, 2018
My rear left tire locks when I’m doing sharp turns and I don’t see any traction control lights come on when that happens
Incident date: Dec 1, 2021
I lost power steering while driving twice. Now, the power steering no longer works. When cranking the truck, you get service power steering message. Ram issued a recall for defective eps rack and pinion units. The serial number on my unit is TIC0583B5480, it is not one of the serial numbers included in the recall, but it has failed at 75,100 miles. I have not taken to the dealer because I am not g... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Ford E-450. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the steering wheel felt loose, and the vehicle was difficult to control. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated no failure was found, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the vehicle was repaired. The contact was unsure w... Read more