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: Mar 20, 2024
I was driving about 25 mph halfway through an intersection with stop lights. The automatic emergency front braking system abruptly engaged and almost brought the car to a stop. I immediately applied the gas pedal to compensate for the braking and was able to keep the car from completely stopping. The car in front of me was about 5 car lengths ahead, moving at a similar pace, and the car behind ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
My car has done 4 false automatic emergency braking incidents while I was on the freeway (all times). There was no vehicle in front of me or the sides and my car started applying emergency brakes with a message pop up on the digital dashboard. Looks like the system is falsely detecting there is a car in close proximity. When this happened, I noticed the back car hit the brakes and immediately swit... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2024
This vehicle has stalled three times in separate occurrences in the last 12 months after stopping at an intersection for a stop sign. When attempting to continue on, the vehicle stalls and engages the emergency brake. All three occurrences have left me broadside in an intersection until I can get the vehicle started and disengage the E brake. This is a huge safety concern. The last occurrence was ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 18, 2024
The brake force will jump suddenly and fall back when the brake pedal is even maintained at a constant level while the vehicle is being braked to a stop or decelerating. This malfunctioning will lead to imprecise control of the distance to the front vehicle. Engine Wobbling when it is fully stopped with "D" gear engaged, especially when the transmission temperature comes up after a few hours of ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 18, 2024
The brake force will jump suddenly and fall back when the brake pedal is even maintained at a constant level while the vehicle is being braked to a stop or decelerating. This malfunctioning will lead to imprecise control of the distance to the front vehicle. Engine Wobbling when it is fully stopped with "D" gear engaged, especially when the transmission temperature comes up after a few hours of ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2024
Had car for less than one year. Have had coolant level warning twice. First time was eight months after getting the car and the second was three months later.
Incident date: Mar 2, 2024
Airbags are not faulty if you look at sticker they have warning due to old age the plastic becomes brittle and can cause fragments to impale driver only way to prevent this is not replace the airbag but to cover with duct tape, this recall needs to be updated Takata is not responsible, they operate as designed as I said the air bag fill with high pressure air and in older cars will crack plastic c... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2024
Vehicle charging level changing automatically based on the new v11.1 software. Some of us need to have our cars at 90%-100% for daily use otherwise we will not have enough charge and can be stranded. The new update keeps reducing the max charge to 80%. Had I not caught this I could have been stuck somewhere on the road possibly blocking traffic and risking being in a dangerous situation in a bric... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2024
Unknown. Why is NHTSA giving Hyundai such slack? It has been well over six months since Hyundai has alerted us of the safety recall, but has to yet to act on recall 251. They say the car would be safer outside, but many of us who live in high rises don’t have that luxury as our multi-level garages are either attached to or beneath the living units. Hyundai should be compelled to act right away, ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle drove over a bump and experienced a death wobble. The contact then decelerated the vehicle to 45 MPH and was able to correct the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering damper needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the f... Read more
Incident date: Mar 31, 2023
Child safety lock, making a clicking sound while engaged. When the lock is disengaged, the sound goes away. This sounds like a safety concern when you are trying to put on the child log for safety of your child.
Incident date: Mar 16, 2024
Front windshield cracked for no apparent reason.
Incident date: Jan 10, 2024
For the past month my car has been stalling in traffic. The car stalls and then turns back on a few seconds later. It also stalls when I am accelerating after stopping for a red light. This situation is very dangerous and it means that I cannot drive my car expecting to be safe at all. It seems like the motor and the transmission are involved which makes the stalling very dangerous as those are ma... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2024
I live in Texas. Our daughter's car is inoperable due to recall from Ford and we have tried to contact ford customer relations and keep getting passed from person to person. The parts are unavailable and they don’t have a definite timeline. The dealership is also unable to get a response from Ford. I have also mailed a formal letter. The car has been inoperable since January 26, 2024. What can ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2024
Hi, Please this Kia Sorento 2020 LX model of mine has a problem with glow relay. I just saw my check engine light on my dashboard when my mechanic checked for me it was confirmed with the OBD equipment to be a glow relay causing that. i have used my vehicle for only 2 years after purchase. Kindly recall this to be fixed for all users of this vehicle year model. Counting on your usual assistance an... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2024
Hello, I am writing a complain in hopes of getting some type of help to try and recover damage on my car. I own a KIA OPTIMA 2015 and sometime in November of 2023 I received a letter in the mail stating the car had a recall on it that could result in the car catching on fire. While I was waiting for the remedy letter to come in less than a month after I received the recall letter the car randomly ... Read more
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 14, 2024
Steering intermittently feels sticky when turning, requiring extra effort to rotate the wheel. When it occurs steering safely may be harder to accomplish, as it requires more of the driver's attention to correct unintentional movements. Issue is more pronounced when driving at slow speeds/parking and has gotten worse as the car ages. The car has not yet been inspected and the issue has not yet ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2024
Frame around windshield is loose on the right. Rattles when driving at higher speeds.
Incident date: Mar 14, 2024
Child lock windows seem to be activated, even though, button isn't pushed in. I cannot roll any window down except drivers window.
Incident date: Mar 3, 2024
Left rear inner tail light is inoperative. There is evidence of water intrusion in the lower left corner of the tail light assembly. Called dealer, was told by service manager that the concern was not covered under warranty as the vehicle has just over 51,000 miles. Called Acura Care and was told same. 2014-2019 models of this vehicle were recalled for this issue, but not the 2020 models, although... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V132000 (Suspension, Steering) 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 manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at unknown speeds, the vehicle sputtered and stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the failure was due to the short block and coolant entering the engine block. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnos... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2024
The engine lost power and shut down while driving on the highway. The vehicle has been at a Honda dealership since this date (so about 8 weeks now). It can be inspected but I am on the verge of replacing the engine at my cost. The loss of power resulted in putting the vehicle on the side of and icy highway at night and at risk of being hit or sideswiped. There was very little cell service which ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) 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 made aware of the issue and confir... Read more
Incident date: Jan 17, 2024
The horn has failed; will not produce sound. The fuse has tested good for continuity. Many online threads offering the same horn failure from Hyundai but no recall, at this point. This is in direct violation of Florida statute 316.27...Horns and warning devices. I have a dealer appointment made.
Incident date: Feb 2, 2024
On [XXX] we were parking the car in the lot at [XXX] , when the car suddenly accelerated despite my foot being on the brake and crashed into a storefront. The fireman said the airbags deploy code was issues but the airbag never deployed, and the automatic emergency braking did not stop the car. It seemed as though the transmission was switched, but we had not touched the gas. INFORMATION REDAC... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Feb 2, 2024
Engine coolant was empty. No indicators about it.
Incident date: Mar 10, 2024
Engine coolant was empty. No indicators about it.
Incident date: Mar 10, 2024
The coolant/antifreeze tank melts upon the returning coolant/antifreeze where the return line meets the tank due to the high temperature of the coolant/antifreeze and causes the coolant/antifreeze to spill onto the engine. This led to a high engine temperature increase warning and immediately made the vehicle to stall to prevent overheating of the engine. I already replaced the old tank with a ne... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2024
The coolant/antifreeze tank melts upon the returning coolant/antifreeze where the return line meets the tank due to the high temperature of the coolant/antifreeze and causes the coolant/antifreeze to spill onto the engine. This led to a high engine temperature increase warning and immediately made the vehicle to stall to prevent overheating of the engine. I already replaced the old tank with a ne... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2023
The contact’s girlfriend owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the engine overheated. The contact pulled over and checked the vehicle. The coolant reservoir was low on coolant, the engine oil level was low, and there were metal shavings in the oil. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not repaired. T... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2023
Reference Number: 11520065 This is a follow up to a previously submitted incident involving this same vehicle. My first submission was May, 2023, This vehicle experienced the exact same hazardous condition on February 26, 2024. on I-75 south. After driving on an interstate highway for about 1 hour, I noticed a traffic backup and proceeded to slow down as the traffic was nearly stopped. As I s... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Azera. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2024
There is a loud popping sound when I start my car. It sounds as if the car is back firing. The sound has been duplicated several times. The sound does not happen every time, but it has happened well over 100 times. I have taken it into the dealership, and they claim that the sound can never be duplicated. Also, when I place my car in reverse and then drive the backup camera screen remains on in af... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2024
I believe my software is hacked. Car was purchased 6 months prior to when the vehicle shows registered to me. The vehicle shows no location with Tesla and has no direct contact from the vehicle with Tesla. My display screen blacks out while I’m driving on the freeway or streets. Leaves me feeling unsafe in bad areas I am driving to pick up drop off kids from college, school, or film school pr... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2024
I believe my software is hacked. Car was purchased 6 months prior to when the vehicle shows registered to me. The vehicle shows no location with Tesla and has no direct contact from the vehicle with Tesla. My display screen blacks out while I’m driving on the freeway or streets. Leaves me feeling unsafe in bad areas I am driving to pick up drop off kids from college, school, or film school pr... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2024
I took my ford Maverick to dealer for the recalls for three recalls: 24c01,23c41 & 23e09. About 1 hr later driving on highway the engine lost all power, gearshift knob was flashing; warnings started flashing , hill start assist not available, service soon, pre collision assist not available, service power trac( I think) , check engine light came on & a wrench illuminated on dash. Went from 55-60 m... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2024
I took my ford Maverick to dealer for the recalls for three recalls: 24c01,23c41 & 23e09. About 1 hr later driving on highway the engine lost all power, gearshift knob was flashing; warnings started flashing , hill start assist not available, service soon, pre collision assist not available, service power trac( I think) , check engine light came on & a wrench illuminated on dash. Went from 55-60 m... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2024
Clockspring failure. VW does not cover this critical safety part under warranty. Air bag is non functional (air bag light on) horn is non functional. Other controls on steering wheel not functional.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
I have had 4 instances of driving on the highway that my vehicle applied the brakes automatically. My safety was put at risk because in those instances I was driving at highway speeds and the brakes were applied on their own with no obstruction in front of me. Someone could have rear ended me. I am not able to reproduce the problem on command, but it has occurred multiple times. The car has ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 29, 2022
Twice in the last 2weeks the vehicle has an electrical system failure while on expressway. This is dangerous as the message tells you to immediately stop driving. On a highway this is a serious hazard.
Incident date: Mar 6, 2024
My quarter panel taillight has stopped working due to moisture in the light (no visible breakage on light). This part is on continuous backorder with no ETA of coming back in stock. Dealer has ordered part but will not give a loaner car. GM acknowledged backorder but will not give rental reimbursement. I have three children I am to put in this car that does not have a left turn signal or brake lig... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the misfire in cylinder #3 was displayed. Additionally, the vehicle experienced shaking and vibrations while starting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who determined that coolant was present inside cylinder #3 and the engine long block cracked and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was... Read more
Incident date: Dec 21, 2023
Delamination on radio screen causing head unit to go crazy on its own. Identical issues reported in 2017/2018 models resulting in class suit vs Subaru… at this time Subaru dealership advised Subaru is not addressing the known defective head unit issue and quoting $2000 for replacement which is ridiculous for a 4-5 year old car. Assistance needed to have Subaru issue a recall and take ownership ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2023
I took delivery of a Tesla Model X Plaid in December. The turn signal and horn buttons on the steering wheel vs. stalks is a major safety concern to me. Finding the buttons, espcially in an emergency situation is next to impossible without looking down to find them. Obviously looking down is the last thing any driver should have to do during an emergency. Please pressure Tesla to do somet... Read more
Incident date: Feb 22, 2024
While driving, EV vehicle suddenly lost most of its power. Normal driving on 45 mph street until came to stop light. Would not accelerate over 28 mph upon light changing to green. 12v battery warning light came on.
Incident date: Mar 4, 2024
Main propane heater in my Thor Windsport 29M motorhome was coming on and goings on off before the desired temperature was reached. I realized it was cycling on the high limit switch, which is.generally caused by insufficient air flow over the heat exchanger. Took it in for warranty service which identified the cause as a kinked heater hose, which had to have been done at the factory during instal... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2024
The first time it happened, I was driving on the highway going 70 when all of a sudden the transmission jumped into neutral, which caused me to jump several lanes to get off the highway to avoid being hit by several cars. I was scared to death!! It has has happened several times after that..There are no warning lights that comes on, it just goes from drive to neutral on its own. I’ve taken it to... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2024
When I filled my gas tank up recently my car wouldn’t immediately start up, it started but then stalled, I repeated that a couple times before revving the engine a bit before trying to put it in drive, that got it going but now I’m worried there’s something really wrong.