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.

2,215,138 Total Complaints

138,663 Reported Crashes

56,255 Reported Fires

8,561 Reported 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

How to Read NHTSA Consumer Complaints › How NHTSA Investigations Work › Used Car: 7 Recall Checks to Run First › The Takata Airbag Recall: Full Story › OBD-II Codes Explained › All Articles ›

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Showing 129 complaints for APRILIA

Incident date: Apr 16, 2006

UPON STARTING MY 2002 APRILIA FUTURA MOTORCYCLE ON APRIL 16 2006, WITHIN ABOUT 30 SECONDS, SMOKE STARTED COMING UP FROM UNDER THE GAS TANK. I HAD THE BIKE TOWED INTO THE DEALERSHIP, WHICH IS NOW TELLING ME THERE IS A SLOW LEAK FROM THE FUEL LINES AND FUEL PUMP, WHICH NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $300 IN PARTS AND SEVERAL HOURS OF SHOP LABOR (ROUGHLY $600 TOTAL). PREVIOUSLY, IN SEPTEMBE... Read more

Incident date: Sep 15, 2005

I PURCHASED A NEW 2004 APRILIA RSVR FACTORY MOTORCYCLE IN SEPTEMBER OF 2005. THE REAR BRAKE ON THE MOTORCYCLE HAS NEVER WORKED, MEANING THERE IS NO BRAKING EFFECT WHATSOEVER. I HAVE REPEATEDLY CONTACTED THE SELLING DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. I AM TOLD BY BOTH THERE ARE PARTS TO FIX THIS RATHER SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE, BUT I CAN NEVER SEEM TO GET THEM. THERE ARE MANY ... Read more

Incident date: Jan 31, 2006

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL #05V506000, CONCERNING THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE ANY PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, BUT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE INFORMATION CONCERNING THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER BASED THIS CONCLUSION ON THE CAMPAIGN NUMBER NOT THE VIN.

Incident date: Jul 21, 2005

THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR BETWEEN THE ALTERNATOR AND THE REGULATOR ON MY 2003 APRILIA FUTURA MOTORCYCLE SHORTED AND MELTED. THIS CAUSED THE BATTERY TO FAIL AND LEFT ME STRANDED. THIS REQUIRED THE CONNECTOR BE REMOVED AND THE ENDS SOLDERED TOGETHER. *JB

Incident date: Nov 15, 2003

I PURCHASED A 2002 APRILIA CAPONORD MOTORCYCLE NEW FROM DEALER IN AUGUST 2003. THE BIKE RECEIVED ITS FIRST SERVICE IN SEPTEMBER 2003 AT 500 MILES. ONE NIGHT IN NOVEMBER AT 2300 MILES I STOPPED AND FILLED IT UP WITH 5 GALLONS OF GAS. I GOT BACK ON THE FREEWAY AND RODE THE REMAINING 8 MILES OF FREEWAY TO MY HOUSE. AT THE FREEWAY EXIT BY MY HOUSE I FELT THE REAR TYRE SLIDING AS I EXITED THE 270 D... Read more

Incident date: Sep 24, 2005

POSSIBLE CARBURETOR SLIDE BREAKING AND PIECE(S) GOING INTO ENGINE, CAUSING ENGINE LOCK UP, CAUSING REAR WHEEL LOCK UP, CAUSING CRASH. *JB

Crash

Incident date: Sep 9, 2005

2001 APRILIA SCARABEO 150 CC MOTORSCOOTER, THE THROTTLE SLIDE WILL SUDDENLY BREAK LEAVING THE RIDER W/O ANY POWER TO EXTRACATE HIMSELF FROM TRAFFIC. THE RIDER IS SUDDENLY EXPOSED TO AUTOMOBILES TRAVILING AT MEDIUM SPEED WITH NO WAY TO GET OUT OF AUTOMOBILIST WAY. THIS CERTAINLY PLACES THE SCOOTER RIDER IN A MOST DANGEROUS SITUATION. I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL TO REPLACE THESE DEFECTIVE THRO... Read more

Incident date: Jun 2, 2005

THE COMPLAINT REVOLVES AROUND A 2001 APRILIA SCARABEO 150, WHICH SUFFERED INTERNAL DAMAGE DUE TO AN ABNORMAL FAILURE IN THE CARBURETOR. THE CYCLE HAS A 1 CYLINDER, 150CC ENGINE, AND IS CURRENTLY AT 15,000 MILES. 1) NORMAL 12.5 MILE DRIVE TO WORK. TEMPERATURE IN THE 70S, CLEAR. 2) WHEN POWERING DOWN TO MAKE TURN INTO WORKPLACE, THE ENGINE CUTS OUT WITHOUT WARNING. ATTEMPT TO RESTART ENGINE P... Read more

Incident date: Jan 1, 2005

I HAVE AN APRILIA FALCO MOTORCYCLE. IN THE FUEL LINE IS A COLDER MADE PLASTIC DISCONNECT EQUIPMENT THAT HAS BEEN SPLITTING APART ON MANY OF THE OWNERS VEHICLES. THE FAILURE RELEASES ALL THE GAS FUEL ONTO THE RIDER, REAR TIRE AND ROAD. A RECALL SHOULD BE REQUIRED OF THE MANUFACTURER. PLEASE REQUIRE A RECALL OF THE MANUFACTURER APRILIA. A RECALL FOR THE PART HAS BEEN MADE BY TRIUMPH AND OTHERS. THAN... Read more

Incident date: Jul 5, 2005

THIS IS A PICTURE OF A FAILED FUEL FITTING ON MY APRILIA FUTURA. THIS FAILED IN NORMAL USE. I DO NOT RACE, HAVEN'T MODIFIED MY MOTORCYCLE IN ANY WAY, AND TREAT IT LIKE THE FINE MACHINE IT IS. I NOTICED A GAS SMELL ON MY WAY TO WORK ONE DAY AND THOUGHT IT WAS THE OLD CAR NEXT TO ME AT THE STOP SIGN. WHEN I GOT HOME LATER THAT DAY I REALIZED IT WAS MY BIKE. WHEN I PULLED THE TANK UP I SAW A VER... Read more

Incident date: May 3, 2003

THE PLASTIC QUICK DISCONNECT ON MY FUEL LINE BROKE AND POURED GASOLINE ALL OVER MY HOT ENGINE. I WAS LUCKY TO GET OFF THE BIKE AND SHUT IT DOWN BEFORE IT CAUGHT FIRE. MY BIKE IS A 2003 APRILIA RST1000 FUTURA. A FRIEND OF MINE OWNS A FUTURA AND HAD THE SAME PROBLEM IN MY PRESENCE. WE WERE ATTENDING THE 2003 MID OHIO SUPER BIKE RACE. HIS FAILED ON HIM AT A RESTERAUNT ON A SUNDAY. HE WORKED FOR... Read more

Incident date: Jun 20, 2005

DT: WHILE THE CONSUMERS MOTORCYCLE WAS AT DEALER HAVING IT'S OIL CHANGED, THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT THE FRAME WAS CRACKED. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THIS WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. MANUFACTURER AGREED TO REFUND THE PURCHASE PRICE IF THE CONSUMER SIGNED A NON-DISCLOSURE FORM.*AK

Incident date: Aug 23, 2003

SUBJECT: 2002 APRILIA RST FUTURA: ACCESSING THE ENGINE FOR MAINTENANCE REQUIRES THE FUEL TANK TO BE LIFTED. DURING LIFTING OF THIS FUEL TANK IT IS SOMETIMES NECSEARRY TO DISCONNECT THE THE FUEL LINE. THIS CAN BE DONE WITH A QUICK DISCONNECT PROVIDED ON A STOCK MOTORCYCLE. HOWEVER THIS FITTING IS MADE OUT OF PLASTIC AND IS NOT DURABLE, PARTICULARY WHEN SUBJECTED TO ENGINE HEAT. THIS FITTING S... Read more

Incident date: Jun 19, 2005

THE VEHICLE IS AN APRILIA FUTURA. I NOTICED SOMETHING DRIPPING FROM THE MOTORCYCLE AND AFTER INVESTIGATING FOUND IT TO BE THE QUICK DISCONNECT ON THE LINE FROM THE FUEL TANK TO THE THROTTLE BODIES. I HAVE NOT MOVED THE TANK IN 3 MONTHS SO I DON'T SEE HOW IT COULD BE BROKEN FROM THAT. I HAVE ORDERED A METAL REPLACEMENT AS THE ORIGINAL WAS THIN PLASTIC.

Incident date: Feb 26, 2005

DT: FUEL LINE QUICKLY DISCONNECTED ON 2004 APRILIA RST FUTURA. CALLER WAS TRYING TO DISCONNECT FUEL LINE. WHEN IT WAS TOUCHED IT FELL APART IN HANDS. BOUGHT NEW METAL, QUICKLY DISCONNECTED FUEL LINE THAT REPLACED THE ONE THAT BROKE.*AK

Incident date: Jul 7, 2004

WAS PERFORMING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON MY MOTORCYCLE, WICH REQUIRES LIFTING THE FUEL TANK UP, PER OWNERS MANUAL, IN ORDER TO REMOVE AIR FILTER. AFTER FINISHING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, I TURNED THE IGNITION KEY ON, AND AS THE FUEL PUMP PRESSURIZED THE FUEL SYSTEM, I HAD A LARGE AMOUNT OF FUEL POURING OUT OVER THE FLOOR OF MY GARAGE. I QUICKLY TURNED THE IGNITION OFF, AND ROLLED THE MOTORCYCLE OUT OF TH... Read more

Incident date: Apr 24, 2005

THE FUEL LINE QUICK DISCONNECT ON MY 2002 APRILIA FUTURA MOTORCYCLE CRACKED SPONTANEOUSLY, SPILLING GASOLINE AFTER BEING PARKED IN A GARAGE. THANKFULLY THE WATER HEATER WAS FAR AWAY SO THERE WAS NO FIRE, AND THANKFULLY I WAS NOT STRANDED. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO OBTAIN A METAL CONNECTOR (THE PLASTIC CONNECTOR WAS MADE BY THE COLDER CORPORATION AND I CONTACTED THEM AT WWW.COLDER.COM BUT HAVE NOT YET... Read more

Incident date: Feb 19, 2005

I HAVE A 2001 APRILIA FUTURA MOTORCYCLE. WHEN LIFTING UP THE TANK FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE, THE QUICK DISCONNECT FUEL FITTING UNDER THE TANK BROKE, CAUSING THE ENTIRE TANK OF FUEL TO LEAK OUT ALL OVER THE FLOOR. I HAVE SEVERAL FRIENDS WHO HAVE THIS BIKE AND ALMOST ALL HAD HAD A SIMILAR FAILURE. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC IF A FIRE HAD RESULTED. THE QUICK DISCONNECTED DID NOT APPEAR TO HA... Read more

Incident date: Jan 15, 2004

STRONG SMELL OF FUEL PROMPTED INVESTIGATION. FOUND TWO PLASTIC FUEL LINE QUICK DISCONNECT FITTINGS CRACKED AND LEAKING. FITTINGS REPLACED WITH METAL VERSION AVAILABLE FROM OE VENDOR, BECAUSE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER CONTINUES TO SUPPLY PLASTIC PARTS AS SERVICE REPLACEMENTS. THE LEAKAGE WAS DIRECTLY OVER THE TOP OF THE ENGINE. PROMPT ATTENTION TO SYMPTOMS LIKELY AVOIDED A FIRE. NOTE: THE MODEL OF THIS ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 25, 2004

QUICK DISCONNECT FITTING ON MAIN FUEL LINE FROM FUEL TANK TO THROTTLE BODY FAILED. FAILURE CAUSED FUEL TO LEAK ONTO THE ENGINE WHICH WAS FORTUNATELY NOT HOT AT THE TIME. PERFORMED TEMPORARY REPAIR USING STANDARD BRASS FITTING IN ORDER TO MAKE THE 300 MILE TRIP HOME. *AK

Incident date: Feb 25, 2005

I WAS RIDING 2002 APRILIA FUTURA RST1000 MOTORCYCLE DAY 0F 02/25/05 . RETURNED HOME AND PARKED BIKE; RETURNED TO GARAGE LATER TO FIND LARGE FUEL LEAK. GAS WAS DRIPPING ONTO GARAGE FLOOR AND THERE WAS A PUDDLE THAT SURROUNDED THE MOTORCYCLE. I LIVE IN AN APARTMENT BUILDING AND THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL MOTOR NEARBY THAT I WAS CONCERNED COULD IGNITE GAS DUE TO LIMITED VENTILATION; I THREW SAND ON TH... Read more

Incident date: Jun 15, 2004

MOTORCYCLE. APRILIA. FUTURA. 2001. MODEL: RST 1000. FUEL SYSTEM. UNDER-TANK QUICK DISCONNECT. UPON LIFTING FUEL TANK FOR SERVICE, PLASTIC FITTINGS CRACKED ALLOWING FUEL TO SPEW OUT UNCONTROLLABLY! I ORDERED FITTINGS OF METAL FROM AN AFTERMARKET SOURCE. I PAID OVER $50. APRILIA CUSTOMER SERVICE COULDN'T CARE LESS ABOUT THIS EXTREME HAZARDOUS POTENTIAL PROBLEM! SOMEONE NEEDS TO PROD THEM TO TAKE S... Read more

Incident date: Dec 5, 2003

1. PERFORMING MANY NORMAL MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES ON THIS MOTORCYCLE REQUIRES PIVOTING THE GAS TANK UPWARDS. A PLASTIC FUEL QUICK DISCONNECT APPEARS TO BE STRESSED DURING THIS PROCEDURE WHEN THE FUEL LINE IS PULLED TAUGHT.*AK 2. THE PLASTIC FUEL QUICK DISCONNECT CRACKED AND GAS LEAKED ONTO THE ENGINE AND THE GAS TANK EMPTIED ITSELF SINCE I HAD NO WAY TO SHUT OFF THE FLOW OF FUEL FROM THE TANK O... Read more

Incident date: Oct 1, 2004

2001 SL 1000 WAS PARKED IN GARAGE - UNMOVING. LARGE FUEL SPILL OCCURED WITHOUT WARNING. FUEL LEAK AT FUEL PUMP MOUNTING PLATE AND AND PLASTIC FUEL TANK JUNCTION. REPLACED EXISTING O-RING SEAL; NEW O-RING UNABLE TO SEAL LARGE GAP CREATED BY WARPED PLASTIC GAS TANK. FUEL LEAK DUE TO TANK WARPING ALONG LOWER EDGE BETWEEN FUEL PUMP MOUNTING PLATE SCREWS.*AK

Incident date: Jul 29, 2004

I OWN A 2001 APRILIA FUTURA MOTORCYCLE. IT WAS PURCHASED IN 2003 AS A DEALER DEMO LEFTOVER. THE MOTORCYCLE CURRENTLY HAS 16,000 MILES. NO SIGN OF ANYTHING WRONG UNTIL LAST WEEK (JULY 29TH). WHILE RIDING MY BIKE UPHILL ON THE ROUTE 9 BRIDGE IN PERTH AMBOY, NJ, I HIT A POTHOLE. I IMMEDIATELY FELT MY LEFT LEG GETTING COOLED BY SOMETHING AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS FUEL SPILLING FROM UNDERNEATH TH... Read more

Incident date: Jul 16, 2004

2002 APRILIA RST1000 FUTURA MOTORCYCLE. INSERVICE 9 MONTHS, 8000 MILES. THE FUEL LINE PLASTIC QUICK DISCONNECT FITTING FRACTURED AND THE FUEL LINE BECAME DELAMINATED. LEAK RESULTED IN FOUR GALLONS OF GASOLINE FLOODING MY GARAGE FLOOR. THANKFULLY THERE WAS NO SPARK PRESENT, AS I WOULD HAVE LOST MY VEHICLES AND HOME - AND POSSIBLY MY LIFE OR MAYBE A LOVED ONE'S LIFE IN A FIRE DUE TO THE SPILLED GASO... Read more

Incident date: Jun 9, 2004

I PURCHASED AN APRILIA, ATLANTIC 500 SCOOTER FROM MOTO BRAVO, LLC IN ATLANTA GEORGIA AND WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE COULD BE OPERATED ON THE HIGHWAYS AND ROADS OF GEORGIA WHEN IN FACT IT CANNOT. I HAVE SPENT MORE THAN $6300.00 AND HAVE A USELESS SCOOTER THE DEALER REFUSES TO TAKE BACK AND REFUND MY MONEY. THE DEALER REPRESENTED TO ME THAT THE SCOOTER WOULD BE REGISTERED AND TITLED AFTER THE SALE SO FA... Read more

Incident date: Aug 29, 2001

THE FUEL TANK LEAK GAS. *JB

Incident date: Mar 13, 2003

ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE IS A 2003 APRILIA ATLANTIC 500. *JB

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