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: Aug 15, 2024
While driving our 2012 Dodge Durango in town, we noticed the battery warning light come on and a hot smell coming from the vehicle. We were not far from home so we limped it back home to the garage to see what was going on. When we lifted the hood, there was a very overwhelming burning smell, our alternator was literally glowing red hot, and there was smoke pouring out from around it. We quickly p... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Apr 4, 2024
3.5 Turbo Engine developed a rattle noise on startup. I have 149,000 miles change oil every 4-5000 miles. And it has been inspected by a mechanic that the cam phasers are making the noise. Ford has recalled or warranty the 2017 and newer F150s . But nothing on the 2016 model. I would like to start a record of the other 2016 F150 owners with the same problem. I contacted Ford and They want me to pa... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2024
Headlights keep flickering/turning off and then back on
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
I called Mazda to report that my air bag warning light came on and they told me it had been replaced on Jan 8, 2019 and was not under recall. Not sure what to do as light stays on all the time while driving.
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
And the anti-breaking system and the electronic braking system lights keep coming on. Maybe two months ago I had to have the left wheel assembly, everything repaired because the wheel was about to fall off.
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
My vehicle transmission failed on July 9,2024. There was no warning. The dashboard lite up with a DTC warning and the car would not accelerate properly. I found there was a Recall for the vehicle but it was never sent to me. I was fortunate to be close to home and not on a highway or in a busy intersection at the time. Had I been there could have been a serious accident. My vehicle needed a new ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2024
The headlight/daylight running lamps are known to burn out on these. Mine has burnt out and wont go back on. These are LED's where the LED is not going bad but the LED assembly is getting too hot and burning itself out. This is know issue with LandRover (they even have a special service bulletin [XXX] ) but they are not fixing the problem on vehicles but forcing customers to simply buy new headlig... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2024
The infotainment screen kept moving on its own disconnecting my map while driving. I took it to Mazda and they updated the software but the infotainment continued to malfunction . The same issue happened with Mazda CX vehicles in 2016 and 2017 and they issued a recall for those cars. My 2020 CX-5 is experiencing the same “Ghost Touch Screen” but Mazda had not issued a recall. I ended up having... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2024
The infotainment screen kept moving on its own disconnecting my map while driving. I took it to Mazda and they updated the software but the infotainment continued to malfunction . The same issue happened with Mazda CX vehicles in 2016 and 2017 and they issued a recall for those cars. My 2020 CX-5 is experiencing the same “Ghost Touch Screen” but Mazda had not issued a recall. I ended up having... Read more
AUDI
A4 ALLROAD
(2021) - STEERING
Aug 12, 2024
Incident date: Jul 30, 2024
Took car in for service due to car jerking from left to right while driving at speeds above 40 mph and making a clicking sound when turning left and right. Steering wheel also feels stiff while driving and has slow reaction time.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2007 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard a loud clanking sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed and determined that the subframe was completely rotted. The contact was informed that the vehicle could not be repaired... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Mini Cooper S Countryman. The contact stated that on several occasions while in reverse(R) and the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic twice and a dealer once however, the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
I have had 3 separate "Low Propulsion" warnings pop up, in combination with a check engine light, in the last 9 months. Everytime I take it to the dealership, they say it was a same code, and something to do with the oil valve. They repair it, and 3 months later it happens again. Going in for my 4'th repair soon, but I just saw there was a recall issued on the BCEM, but apparently it only applie... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2024
The child lock function malfunctions after engaged. Persistent clicking and doors are able to be opened while in the lock engage position. I travel with children so their safety is at risk with this malfunction. No lamp messages or warning signs are displayed. I’m taking back to the CarMax dealer today as I just purchased this car less than 24 hours ago.
Incident date: Apr 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the message “Safety Restraint Unavailable” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the battery voltage was low. The battery was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on two other occasions, where the system was reset, but the failu... Read more
Incident date: Aug 6, 2024
See attached document for complaint
Incident date: Aug 6, 2024
Driving on the I-95 I abruptly lost power driving in the left lane, RPM dropped all the way down and speed was rapidly decreasing. I had to pull over on the shoulder in the most safe manner possible for myself and other drivers on the road; but it was not without any risk. The body of the car was rattling on my way to the shoulder and the car shut off before I could put the car in Park in a safe p... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2024
When starting my vehicle, it would shake and hesitate to turn on. While driving, It would hesitate when accelerating. When driving at 70 miles, the vehicle would hesitate then drop 3 to 4 miles below speed on its own. The dashboard would indicate drive mode then change to reverse mode then back to drive mode, then reverse mode continuously while driving. The car was also making a loud clanking noi... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2024
When starting my vehicle, it would shake and hesitate to turn on. While driving, It would hesitate when accelerating. When driving at 70 miles, the vehicle would hesitate then drop 3 to 4 miles below speed on its own. The dashboard would indicate drive mode then change to reverse mode then back to drive mode, then reverse mode continuously while driving. The car was also making a loud clanking noi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2024
Dash board is cracking around passanger side air bag and above instrument panel. Could shatter into pieces upon air bag deployment sending shards of dashboard flying. Could lacerate air bags. GM is aware of the problem but failed to recall vehicles from 2007 to 2013 Silverado, Tahoe,and Suburban
Incident date: Jul 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 9,545.
Incident date: Jul 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. 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 contact stated that several unknown warning lights and the check engine warning light was illuminate... Read more
Incident date: Aug 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V844000 (Electrical System); 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 and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacture... Read more
Incident date: Aug 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Edge. The contact stated while at a complete stop with her 9-months old daughter in the vehicle, the contact heard an abnormal flushing sound. The contact stated that upon inspecting the engine compartment, the contact noticed that the coolant level was significantly low. The contact added coolant to the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle made the abnormal fl... Read more
Incident date: May 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while her husband was reversing the vehicle in a parking lot, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration. The vehicle crashed into a parked vehicle. No air bags were deployed. There were no injuries sustained. Additionally, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration while driving and failed to... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Coachmen Encore RV built on a 2023 Ford F-53 Motorhome Chassis. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the RV was swerving all over the roadway. The contact stated that it was extremely difficult to keep the RV driving in a straight line. The contact also stated that the windshield was leaking, causing a very loud noise inside the RV while driving. A... Read more
Incident date: Aug 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Coachmen Encore RV built on a 2023 Ford F-53 Motorhome Chassis. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the RV was swerving all over the roadway. The contact stated that it was extremely difficult to keep the RV driving in a straight line. The contact also stated that the windshield was leaking, causing a very loud noise inside the RV while driving. A... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); 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. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experie... Read more
AUDI
E-TRON SPORTBACK
(2021) - FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Aug 5, 2024
Incident date: Dec 19, 2023
Ella tuvo realmente la culpa
Incident date: Nov 8, 2019
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle and driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission failed to shift into gear as intended. Additionally, the RPM gauge fluctuated between 2,000 and 6,000 RPM; however, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the clutch had previously be... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, all four doors opened, prompting the driver to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where he became aware of the failure to securely lock the doors. The door-ajar warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaire... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2023
My car battery is dying for no apparent reason. After 1 mechanic and 2 ford dealerships, it may be my auto control module slowly draining my car battery. I replaced the battery 3 weeks ago and the car has died at least 3 times since then.
Incident date: Aug 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V344000 (Back Over Prevention, Equipment, Electrical System) 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 contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the cente... Read more
Incident date: Jan 8, 2024
ABS/VSA system module failing because of circuit board. Circuit board does not have all wires soldered onto system. Issue by manufacturer. This affects braking system, abs/VSA module, power steering and tpms sensors. Car is unsafe for driver and other vehicles on the road. Inspected by Honda and given code 123-11 for failing ABS solenoid. Highly dangerous.
Incident date: Jun 26, 2024
Upon reaching 50k miles, vehicle prompted a "engine maintenance required, please contact dealer" message. Upon inspection at the dealer, I was told this is a common issue in newer Toyota RAV4/Corollas and employees have been seeing this issue continuously. There is no way to bypass this message without getting the part replaced and the replacement runs anywhere ~$800 -$1000. How are so many people... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2024
Power Steering just went out with no warning. Plus 3 other failures Service advance Trac Power Steering fault and Terrain Management Fault. All these occurred at the same time.
Incident date: Jul 23, 2024
Power Steering just went out with no warning. Plus 3 other failures Service advance Trac Power Steering fault and Terrain Management Fault. All these occurred at the same time.
Incident date: Jun 7, 2024
The AWD module failed after 22,000 miles. This affects the awd and many other options not to work. Trac control, Hill assist, Awd etc. Dealership wont cover due to 3 years. Dealership is fixing with $1160 out of pocket to me. This part is a known issue with Ford and many other complaints have been made.
Incident date: Jun 7, 2024
Once I stop my vehicle doesn’t accelerate normally and jerks right after. Also the service shifter light came on and won’t go off.
Incident date: Jul 28, 2024
Sometimes when I'm driving the car starts idling as if I'm going fast that's how it sounds and I'm making a turn and it's sounds like it's accelerated but it won't go as much as I step on the gas it will not go so I got to pull over to the side wait for a little bit turn off the car and let it sit and then I'll go back tomorrow and it's every time this light turns on the dashboard with a car with ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2024
Transmission suddenly downshifts to first gear. Will not get past third gear before shifting back down. Can’t drive it.
Incident date: Apr 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that the dealer had previously repaired the vehicle under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V116000 (Power Train); however, the failure occurred after the recall repair was performed. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Service Transmission" message was displayed. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the re... Read more
Incident date: Jun 28, 2024
My 2018 Tesla Model 3 is experiencing an intermittent "Front Left Safety Restraint System Fault". This error message, appearing on the main display, suggests an issue with the driver-side airbag, seatbelt pretensioner, or related components. The fault seems unrelated to seat occupancy or weight, as it occurs both with and without a passenger. While the error message eventually disappears after res... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2024
The JBE (junction box electronics) has failed. This has caused the fuel pump to stop responding. I'm not sure if my mechanic still has the original part. It did this in the street after backing out of the driveway. It could have been deadly had it happened on the interstate at 70mph. The unit has been inspected by a third party electronics repair shop and cannot be repaired. There were no warnings... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2024
Hello NHTSA, I'm writing to you about a safety design concern (not a complaint, no incident happened) on my 2024 Toyota Tacoma. The rear brake lines are routed inside the wheel and have approximately 3/4" clearance. There is no room for error and brake failure may occur very easily with the line getting damage, even by removing and installing the wheel. My concern is safety for my family and self... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2024
BMW replaced my Egr in 8/22 under the recall and now 23 months later my intake manifold melted. Luckily I stopped the car when I smelled melting plastic and a fire didn’t start. Scary stuff. I guess the Ege recall didn’t fix the problem.
Incident date: Jul 22, 2024
We receive a ABS/ECS, electronic brake control warning intermittently. This also makes the cruise control shutoff. We had the ABS control module replaced once at roughly 12000 miles under warranty but it now is giving the same warnings and the truck currently has 22000 miles on it. My dealer stated this was a known issue and stated it’s fairly common on my model truck
Incident date: Jul 22, 2024
While driving hauling trailer, tailgate randomly flew down, could have been very very bad had someone been behind me when wheel barrow flew out of the back. It severely damaged my tailgate when it flew down, and then got wedged between top of trailor.