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: Feb 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact had the vehicle jump started. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated that the gear shift sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was out of warranty. The ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
I was hit from behind and slammed into the car in front of me while stopped at a light. The collision totaled my Atlas at 95% The air bags did not deploy nor did their give a warning for the collision. The damage was so severe that the inner frame of the vehicle is beyond repair. Recent warranty repairs were done to this vehicle prior to the accident one set to the dash electronics in the .ast 4 ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2022 Ram 5500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the transmission became inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced; however, the parts were on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified about t... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle started smoking from under the hood. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated that the wiring harness under the hood had melted and that the vehicle needed a new engine, wiring harness, and catalytic converter. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and advised the... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed during inclement weather, the contact activated the windshield wipers; however, the wiper blades started wiping very slowly until the wiper blades became inoperable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The f... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, she heard a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the noise was intermittent at first but had become almost constant and would occur at various speeds. The contact stated that she recently saw white smoke coming fr... Read more
Incident date: Dec 18, 2019
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact stated while driving approximately 70-75 MPH with the cruise control engaged, the cruise control independently deactivated and the vehicle decelerated. The “Service ABS” message was displayed. The contact continued to drive and after driving over a bump in the roadway, there was a dinging sound detected and the message disappeared. The contact call... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2018
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328I. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light and the ABS warning light were illuminated. The message "Do Not Drive" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V017000 (Air... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2018
The contact owns a 2009 BMW 328I. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light and the ABS warning light were illuminated. The message "Do Not Drive" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V017000 (Air... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH and decelerating, the fuel saving feature malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to hesitate and almost stall. The contact was able to drive the vehicle off the road to turn off and restart the vehicle. After restarting the vehicle, the transmission erroneously shifted to neutral and failed to drive. The cause o... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH, there was an unknown fluid leak coming from the engine compartment. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel lines needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaig... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2023
Windshield seal was defective causing water leakage into the dash.
Incident date: Feb 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Accord. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the contact opened the trunk to the vehicle; the contact exited the vehicle and the front driver’s side air bag deployed without warning or impact. There was no injury from the erroneous deployment. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 253,000.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2020
2011 MERCEDES BENZ E 350. CONSUMER WRITES SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS MADE TO ROTTED SUBFRAME ON VEHICLE.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
The issue is with the driving lights asembly since 2 years ago my driving lights are not providing enough light to drive the vehicle i am forced to have the high beams on. I have changed numerous bulbs to no avail. At this point i am driving and cannot see infrond of me. This is dangerous to my family and pedestrians that cannot see my car or me see them.
Incident date: Feb 28, 2023
The 2007 X3 BMW suddenly accelerates when stopped. This has happened multiple times' and is extremely dangerous. I have to put the vehicle in neutral and hit the gas pedal to stop it from racing. No codes come up when my mechanic scans the computer.
Incident date: Jun 3, 2019
SVC 4WD service light came on 02/04/2023 at 51000 miles 2015 Jeep Cherokee Latitude. Took it into Jeep dealer to check it out and was reported that the PTU was bad and needs to be replaced. Warranty not valid due to more than 5 years.
Incident date: Feb 27, 2023
I purchased a new 2022 Chevy Colorado LT in January. When driving home and it got dark I used the dimmer to see better. When using the dimmer all of the radio dials turn completely off / dark (not illuminated at all). I drove off the road, looking down trying to find them. I notified the dealership the next day. They had the vehicle for about a week and told me it was fixed. I went to pick it up ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle, he noticed that water had leaked in the rear interior cab and at the rear sliding window. The contact then stated that he noticed a water stain on the interior roof liner. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled. The contact... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2023
While driving, all ADAS and Emmision System malfunctioned AND went offline (errors appear on main control panel and these features were no longer working). Fortunately, the car was otherwise still drivable without these features. It was brought to a local Acura dealer and they performed a software update which fixed the problem (at least so far after a week of driving).
Incident date: Feb 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH and above, the radar sensors failed to function intermittently. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer found no cause for the failure. The contact was informed to replace the sensors. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistan... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH and above, the radar sensors failed to function intermittently. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer found no cause for the failure. The contact was informed to replace the sensors. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistan... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2023
Right rear sealed wheel bearing failed and was just replaced at 50,564 miles at a cost of $1,142,82, parts, tax, and labor. I have seen correspondence from approximately 12 other owners of this model vehicle (12,500 imported to the USA by Chevrolet over 4 years), who have all experienced similar failure of front and/or rear bearings at 40-50k miles. These bearings reside in the knuckle assembly of... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2021
The warning "Service the Trailer Brake System" continues to randomly alarm. This was "fixed" multiple times. The fix takes about 5 minutes under the dash and then work for a few months to a year before it alarms again. It was "fixed" once during the warranty but it continues to be a problem. This is similar to the reoccurring problems that were recalled on the 2022 Chevrolet Silverados.
Incident date: Feb 26, 2023
When I started driving the vehicle in 2021, I noticed it had a weak power and it was shaking. I purchased a set of four new coils, and spark plugs at the suggestion of a mechanic. I have had to change coil number 3 -three times since then and less than 3000 miles driving. This has to be a magnufacturing issue. I need someone to look at this issue to see why it is giving me so much problems.
Incident date: Feb 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle began to hesitate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and the contact was informed that the knock sensor detection system (KSDS) was defective. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the ve... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2022
Engine seized while I was driving
Incident date: Nov 6, 2021
It is extremely difficult to see at night without having to use my bright lights. The low beams are useless and poses as a hazard to the driver and the driver of the approaching vehicles. I have replaced my headlights and I have purchased fog lights as an attempt to fix the problem but it still did not fix the problem. These additional costs were well over $500. I am requesting that Acura corr... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2021
My car started cutting off while driving no warning lights on. I had a diagnostic test done and they didn’t find anything wrong. I’m so confused about what’s going on with this car but it’s very dangerous to drive on the highway. I have had three service checks on my car and it still cuts off in the middle of traffic. I had my brakes and rotors replaced because everytime I hit a pot hole o... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2021
My car started cutting off while driving no warning lights on. I had a diagnostic test done and they didn’t find anything wrong. I’m so confused about what’s going on with this car but it’s very dangerous to drive on the highway. I have had three service checks on my car and it still cuts off in the middle of traffic. I had my brakes and rotors replaced because everytime I hit a pot hole o... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2022
Paint on the vehicle is delaminating. Starting on the hood an "A" pillars. It is the snow pearl color and is a wide spread problem.
Incident date: Feb 23, 2023
I took my car in on 2/22/23 to fix the second back up camera recall. However on the night of 2/23/23 the whole screen went blue when put in reverse, and on the morning of 2/24/23 just the rear camera went blue. In both cases I fixed the issue by turning off and restarting the car.
Incident date: Feb 23, 2023
The contact’s son owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated and the engine misfired. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that coolant had leaked into cylinder #3, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2023
Vehicle was stopped at a traffic light (transmission in Drive) and the automatic idle shutoff engaged, turning off the engine. When the traffic light turned green, the brake was released and we found that the transmission had shifted to neutral and would not shift back into Drive. We had to restart the car. Being stalled at a green light is a serious safety hazard as approaching vehicles woul... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2023
Hi, I have a 2005 Toyota Tacoma, the chassis is rusty and has holes in it. I went to complain at Toyota, they said the car didn't have a Recall but neither the first owner nor I had news that I would have to change the car's frame. I would like help to resolve this. all parts under the car are very rusty
Incident date: Feb 23, 2023
Hi, I have a 2005 Toyota Tacoma, the chassis is rusty and has holes in it. I went to complain at Toyota, they said the car didn't have a Recall but neither the first owner nor I had news that I would have to change the car's frame. I would like help to resolve this. all parts under the car are very rusty
Incident date: Feb 18, 2023
Took our vehicle in for regularly scheduled maintenance - oil change and tire rotation. Received a call from the dealership stating that when they removed the left rear tire the axle retainer bolt was broken and fell out. The service technician phoned to let us know that this needs to be fixed and would have to order parts. Also informed us that there is CSP BULLETIN 22B34 issued on February 14... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2023
I was driving on the freeway at about 75 MPH. I wanted to pass another car, so I pressed the accelerator petal to 100% (floored it) and took my foot off the petal immediately because I changed my mind. Roughly 1 to 2 seconds after the inputs, the engine rev'd up to about 3000 rpm, and then changed gears, jerking my truck so violently I could have lost control. I was able to get the behavior to ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 18, 2023
I was in a head on collision with another car. None of my airbags deployed. The fire department and police department were concerned and shocked that they did not deploy. They cut the wiring to the battery for fear it would deploy late and I was injured in the car with a firefighter holding my neck. My car was a total loss.
Crash
6 injured
Incident date: Feb 13, 2023
On December 29, 2022, the heater unit in the car failed. This caused ice to form on the inside of the car, all windows. Winter in Chicago. Dealer said they are aware of other Tacans having this came issue but there are no parts available and could be 4 to 6 weeks for parts. it is now February 15th and still no parts and the car is unsafe to drive as you can not see out of the windows. If you look ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 19, 2022
The "traffic aware" cruise control automatically slows the car when entering a portion of highway with a reduced speed limit. Sounds good in theory and Tesla says this is intentional and cannot be modified in settings. However, suddenly slowing down from 65 mph to 45 mph when all traffic PERSISTS at 65 mph could lead to rear end collisions or loss of control.
Incident date: Feb 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Ram 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V140000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic Stability Control) 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 made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not mad... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2023
My check engine light was on when I was driving on the highway. I was terrified that something was very wrong. Right after, I took the car to the dealer and was told that the valve for the crankcase ventilation. The actuator was blocked. I was also told that this is not caused by something I did. It's the design of the car that caused the problem.
Incident date: May 13, 2022
Transmission Control Module went out on my 2014 Ford Focus that I had just purchased March of 2022. The vehicle had only 40,000 miles wen the TCM went out and luckily it happened while I was in my driveway. I had the car towed to Owen Ford in Jarratt , VA. Of course, we had to wait for the part to come in which took a few months. At first we were told that we would have to pay for the TCM and ... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked, and the power steering warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2022
The truck stalled at a intersection and applied the emergency brake. This seems like a common problem with the torque engine.
Incident date: Feb 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle overheated and stalled. The engine misfire warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the head gasket was blown, and that antifreeze was leaking into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provid... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2023
2019 MERCEDES BENZ. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO ILLUMINATED ENGINE LIGHT.
Incident date: Feb 11, 2023
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM: vehicle hesitates at times when stepping on gas pedal and then just blasts off. When entering a roundabout after a standstill, the power is not there, oncoming traffic is still advancing. First reported and assesssed on 5/19/20 with software update performed. Issue has never been resolved completely. No warning lamps or messages ever appeared.