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 16,369 complaints for AUDI
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
I received a notice of a recall for a known problem with GMC transmissions. it is very well known that these transmissions lock up and cause problems with braking and can cause the vehicle to slide off the road when the tires lock up. it also causes hard shifting, which I have experienced. GMC said they will not fix the transmission, they instead will add a device to monitor the transmission, so ... Read more
AUDI
RS E-TRON GT
(2022) - SERVICE BRAKES
Dec 20, 2024
Incident date: Dec 11, 2024
On December 19th at about 5pm, I was pulling into a gas station driving at about 10-15 MPH when my brakes locked up and the car started shaking. It felt like the anti lock braking system was activated and I did not have full braking control of the vehicle. I was driving slow enough that the vehicle did finally come to a complete stop. The gas station was flat and the road appeared in good conditio... Read more
AUDI
RS E-TRON GT
(2022) - AIR BAGS
Dec 20, 2024
Incident date: Dec 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V464000 (Air Bags); 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 contact had not expe... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
I had an issue with the AWD not engaging and the 4x4 light illuminating when driving on snow and ice. No indicators when driving under normal conditions. I had no traction and had difficulty maintaining control of the vehicle while driving at speeds less than 25 mph. I had difficulty gettting momentum from a stop as the tires were spinning and engaging tracion. I took the car into a Mazda dealersh... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2024
I was informed at routine maintenance that engine was burning oil. This was an issue since I purchased vehicle at 16k miles. Shortly after 80,000 engine spontaneous started knocking. I had it towed to the dealership that confirmed it was a spontaneous engine failure.
Incident date: Dec 12, 2024
Rear window driver side passenger failed and won’t go up or down bad regulator Transmission failure needs replaced at 1 year old Rear camera frozen no remedy on recall Engine failure during acceleration shifts to neutral then shifts to acceleration Engine acceleration at slow stops jerks forward during breaking Tires 1 year old under 25k miles no tread and needs replaced already Display ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 12, 2024
Rear window driver side passenger failed and won’t go up or down bad regulator Transmission failure needs replaced at 1 year old Rear camera frozen no remedy on recall Engine failure during acceleration shifts to neutral then shifts to acceleration Engine acceleration at slow stops jerks forward during breaking Tires 1 year old under 25k miles no tread and needs replaced already Display ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 12, 2024
Rear window driver side passenger failed and won’t go up or down bad regulator Transmission failure needs replaced at 1 year old Rear camera frozen no remedy on recall Engine failure during acceleration shifts to neutral then shifts to acceleration Engine acceleration at slow stops jerks forward during breaking Tires 1 year old under 25k miles no tread and needs replaced already Display ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 16, 2024
There are problems with these items which are covered under a Ford recall. My vehicle is at Liccardi Ford dealer in Watchung NJ and I feel a tremendous resistance from the dealer to repair the recalled ordered repairs.
Incident date: Dec 16, 2024
There are problems with these items which are covered under a Ford recall. My vehicle is at Liccardi Ford dealer in Watchung NJ and I feel a tremendous resistance from the dealer to repair the recalled ordered repairs.
Incident date: Dec 16, 2024
There are problems with these items which are covered under a Ford recall. My vehicle is at Liccardi Ford dealer in Watchung NJ and I feel a tremendous resistance from the dealer to repair the recalled ordered repairs.
Incident date: Nov 28, 2024
My retentioner bolts broke off in my motor and nobody can explain why this happened. Belt wasn’t broken and the actual retioner wasn’t broken. I wasn’t going but about 25 to 30 mph because I was getting on a off ramp.
Incident date: Nov 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Odyssey. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experi... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was restarted but failed to exceed 30 MPH while driving. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where the engine was replaced. The vehicle was r... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Kawasaki KLX250. The contact stated while riding 10-20 MPH and depressing the rear brake piston, the motorcycle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact engaged the front brake and the engine brake, and the motorcycle responded as intended. The motorcycle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rear brake piston had failed due ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Transit Connect. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and stalled. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistanc... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2024
Drove less than one mile and the car suddenly dropped from 45 mph to 20 and would not accelerate (I was almost rear ended by a bus). I was able to pull off the road and the battery died.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
Car had to be towed to dealer due to engine failure. The car was diagnosed with coolant leaks into two cylinders, which could have caused a fire. The engine failure happened as I was driving the vehicle, putting my safety and the safety of others at risk. The problem has been confirmed by a Ford dealer. Error codes for misfire appeared right before. Vehicle was inspected shortly before malfuncti... Read more
Incident date: Sep 22, 2023
Horrific screeching sound while braking. Braking when going down slight hill grinds and drags when braking. Brake sound occurs after car stops in addition to the grinding screeching sound during braking. Took vehicle in to VW and they report brake pads are 8mm and no issues found but stated there is a defect in the composite of this models brakes and will notify once they get more information. Th... Read more
Incident date: Sep 22, 2023
When the Vehicle is put into Neutral Tow Mode and Towed behind a vehicle while using a supplemental braking system. The Bronco's Brake system becomes intermittently Active. Causing the slightest pressure to lock up the brakes. The Same issue as reported in. SSM 51415 . The Bronco power brake system is supposed to be de activated once it is put into neutral tow mode. Thus you set the supplemental... Read more
Incident date: Dec 16, 2024
The display went black. I reset it. It came back but none of the cameras work.
Incident date: Dec 18, 2024
This incident is the result of poor operation of safety warning and navigation systems in a Tesla Model 3 leading to an accident. I rented a Tesla Model 3 from Hertz at Seattle Tacoma airport. At a traffic light I followed navigation directions making a left turn into Southcenter Mall in Tukwila WA. This turn placed me in the direction of a Subaru which hit me in the driver side rear side. The... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 18, 2024
The infotainment system in my 2018 Nissan Armada failed. The issues include unresponsiveness of the touchscreen, frequent system freezes or restarts, glitches with Bluetooth connectivity, loss of backup camera functionality during reboots, and a black screen. The most significant issue is incessant random reboots, which occur without any apparent cause. These reboots can continue for the entire du... Read more
Incident date: Oct 27, 2024
Driving home from work 7/1/2024 approx 5:15PM Smelled burning smell, no noise or dash lights, thought it was another car. 1 minute later, heard a thump from under hood and "Charging System Failure" came on dash. Decided to take to Chevy dealer, which was 5 minutes away. Within next 2 minutes steering failed. As I came to next intersection, brakes failed, went thorough red light, luckily not hit by... Read more
Incident date: Dec 12, 2024
The Check Engine light turned on and took it to dealership on 12/14/24 and they stated that Throttle chamber may have issues. Used scanner and code P0101- Mass Air Flow Sensor Circuit was read on scanner. Vehicle struggles to get air flow into engine causes speed to struggle when trying to accelerate.
Incident date: Dec 14, 2024
Engine oil pan gasket and oil filter housing have failed shy of couple hundred miles of manufacturer warranty
Incident date: Dec 14, 2024
GM has a know issue with the side detection system and refuses to do anything about it even after there service bulletin expired. When this fail it can cause other issues with the dashboard system failure and more. In this case the system would never shutdown draining the battery.
Incident date: Dec 14, 2024
GM has a know issue with the side detection system and refuses to do anything about it even after there service bulletin expired. When this fail it can cause other issues with the dashboard system failure and more. In this case the system would never shutdown draining the battery.
Incident date: Sep 9, 2024
Recently, I started having problems with my electric power steering. While driving I would experience sudden loss of power and the power steering service light would start flashing. This happened on multiple occasions without a warning. It also happens at random times so I decided to do some investigating on NHTSA’s website. I saw there was a recall issued for Ram 1500s models between 2013-2016 ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Sep 1, 2024
The upper ball joint on the passengers side failed or separated. This caused the truck to lose brake pressure and put the occupants lives in danger. The vehicle is currently at a GMC dealership in Killeen, TX being repaired. There were no warning signs or lamps.
Incident date: Dec 11, 2024
Vehicle was throwing codes P2196 O2 sensor stuck rich, P0290 post catalyst fuel trim lean, P01720 system too rich, P016B closed loop air/fuel ratio control at limit. Brought to local dealership where they did an inspection and could not find any major issue that, in their words, “would affect drivability”. Recommended I start using premium fuel and in the future consider a fuel system cleaning... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
Oil leak found on driveway. 2018 Jeep Cherokee Limited taken in for an oil change and diagnosis. Jeep Cherokee has oil leaking into the oil filter housing. Oil filter housing is plastic and needs to be replaced with a metal housing and new gaskets, along with a coolant change and oil change. This appears to be a common failure. Repairs are costly.
Incident date: Dec 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at night, the low beam headlights failed to properly illuminate and the headlights were extremely dim, creating a visibility hazard for the driver. The contact stated that upon inspection, the contact discovered that the inside of the plastic headlight covers had several abrasions and cracks. The cause of th... Read more
Incident date: Dec 6, 2024
Fuel is leaking inside cabin whenever I turn on my heat
Incident date: Dec 9, 2024
Driving on a single lane road with no other cars on road (in front or behind) and car suddenly brakes to a complete stop and the crash warning sound become audible inside the car. This happened 1 other time about 1 month prior but car did not come to a complete stop that time. That incident there were other vehicles on the road but were at a fair distance away from the car and those vehicles wer... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2024
Driving on a single lane road with no other cars on road (in front or behind) and car suddenly brakes to a complete stop and the crash warning sound become audible inside the car. This happened 1 other time about 1 month prior but car did not come to a complete stop that time. That incident there were other vehicles on the road but were at a fair distance away from the car and those vehicles wer... Read more
Incident date: Dec 12, 2024
Electric power steering failed suddenly while making a left turn, on a two lane highway, left me in the oncoming lane with risk for near head on collision. My [XXX] old old drives this truck, she would not have had the strength to turn the wheel enough to avoid collision or hit a tree. No signs of this problem before incident, took me by surprise. The service power steering light came on after an... Read more
Incident date: Dec 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that during inclement weather, rainwater was entering the on the left and right side of the vehicle and the middle console. The contact covered the screen to avoid damage. There was a moldy odor inside the vehicle. The contact stated that while opening the door the contact was aware of water inside the vehicle. There was no warning ligh... Read more
Incident date: Dec 12, 2024
Cracked cylinder head requiring full engine replacement at ~80,000 miles. Out of warranty. This is one of two vehicles, purchased at the same time from same dealer in 6/2021 with the same engine failure at ~80,000. Second vehicle is [XXX] . It is likely that these two vehicles came off the assembly line fairly close to each other, during covid and all the issues that that brought to supply cha... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle started accelerating slowly. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. There was an abnormal dinging sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determine... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle started accelerating slowly. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. There was an abnormal dinging sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determine... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with a cylinder #3 misfire, and that the spark plugs, coil pack, vacuum sensor, and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred two days later. The vehicle was... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with a cylinder #3 misfire, and that the spark plugs, coil pack, vacuum sensor, and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred two days later. The vehicle was... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2024
The Service Air Bags indicator has been on for 3 years and I have tried to get this taken care of with Buick, East Side Madison as I have indicated on another complaint form December 06 2024 NHTSA ID Number: 11629225. Now, today my daughter tried to open the door and the car's electrical system went haywire and would not let her out. I had to manually get a key to unlock the door. The electrica... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2024
1. Other: Turn signal - when turning right with the signal activated, once you straighten the wheel, the turn signal stalk will reset to the middle but will activate the left turn signal. 2. Adaptive cruise control - For no reason the brakes will activate, there is no vehicle in front and the windshield is clean. 3. Blind spot warning - These BSW indicators will go off at random with no vehicles b... Read more
Incident date: Nov 21, 2024
Cameras don’t work, lane keep don’t work, blind sport don’t work. Car is unsafe to drive.
Incident date: Dec 8, 2024
The SUV has consistent problems with the water pump , thermostat and radiator. They have been changed and replaced more than 3 times in a year. Also the brakes are acting funny
Incident date: Nov 28, 2024
My ESC randomly comes on. Service parking brake message comes on intermittently. Messages pop a up saying steering wheel assist limited, drive with care. Again, all of these are intermittent but when they happen my steering wheel locks up. Even mid turn. Being intermittent it doesn’t always happen and weather seems to affect when it happens, or that’s a coincidence.
Incident date: Nov 28, 2024
My ESC randomly comes on. Service parking brake message comes on intermittently. Messages pop a up saying steering wheel assist limited, drive with care. Again, all of these are intermittent but when they happen my steering wheel locks up. Even mid turn. Being intermittent it doesn’t always happen and weather seems to affect when it happens, or that’s a coincidence.
Incident date: Nov 28, 2024
Driver side control arm while driving separated. I heard a loud thump and then the front driver side portion of the vehicle drop down. After further investigation, I have seen numerous vehicles have this exact same issue on multiple forums. I’m glad that I was going slow when this happened because it could’ve been catastrophic if I would’ve been going faster. How is this not a recall?