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: Dec 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The Emission System Fault message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the cause of the failure was unknown. The contact was informed to add premium fuel and fuel injection cleaner however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer, where ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2023
concerns about the latest software update for the Tesla Model 3’s autopilot system, which, in my view, significantly compromises safety. As a Model 3 owner for over two years, I have generally found the vehicle and its features to be reliable and safe. However, the recent update has introduced an overly stringent hands-on-wheel detection mechanism that is not only inconvenient but also potential... Read more
Incident date: Dec 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at 75 MPH, several unknown warning lights flashed on the instrument panel, and the vehicle briefly shut off, then restarted while still in motion. Later, while driving at 45 MPH and attempting to complete a turn, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was unable to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2023
The gps in the vehicle navigation shows an inaccurate location of the vehicle, which causes problems for adaptive cruise, and vehicle safety notifications on the dash. Incorrect speed limit indicators occur as a result, and vehicle navigation is rendered useless. It looks ridiculous to all passengers as the vehicle will show on GPS somewhere it isn’t, even driving through fields where there are ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 18, 2023
(Instrument Cluster Messages) **POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT**->Began being intermittent to now . permanent. **SERVICE ADVANCETRAC SOON**->Permanent extended issue from fault. -I HAVE/NEED THIS CAR FOR SURVIVAL IN ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
My 2018 G80 3.8L HTRAC steering is sticking. When I turn the steering wheel slight right, like through a 25mph curve, the wheel will stay in that position until, I pull it back to straight.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
I have a 2008 Ford Mustang with a V-6 engine. Recently I had to jump start it twice in a week's time to get it started and decided to take it to my dealer to have the battery checked. On the way there, I had to stop for a line of line of traffic at a red light. The instant I applied the brakes the engine started racing. I stood on the brakes as hard as I could, but could not bring the car to a com... Read more
Incident date: Dec 18, 2023
THE ENGINE TURN OFF WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREWAY, WAS THE MOST SCARY THING FOR ME AND MY KIDS , I HAVE A MECHANIC CHECK TEH VEHICLE BUT I COULDN'T FIND ANYHTING, THE BATTERY AND OIL LIGTH COME ON THE DASH BOARD, I HAD TO PULL OVER ADN TURN TEH EMERGENCY LIGHT AND PULL OVER
Incident date: Dec 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the crankshaft. The contact stated that the crankshaft had... Read more
Incident date: Dec 3, 2023
Steering is jerky and has hard spots. Feels like the steering is pushing back. Fights you while driving the whole time.
Incident date: Dec 3, 2023
Just like with the other double cab Tacoma recalls I am hearing about, the third rear tail light is leaking water into my access cab. The interior smells like mildew. I’m not sure why my truck is not covered by the recall, but it is experiencing the exact same situation. Water leaking through the deteriorated seal of the break-light. I think with accompanying mold build up.
Incident date: Dec 3, 2023
This hard brake peddle pressure issue started out immediately on an occasional basis but now occurs almost every morning on first start of the day. Press on the brake pedal - it's very hard to deflect - and if you don't overpower it to deflect the pedal enough to activate the brake lights, it won't start. Once you get it started the first time, brake operation will be normal for the rest of the da... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2023
The breaks are very loud- squeaky and grinding. Have had them checked several times and break pads are in good condition. Additionally after the car is idle for several hours, it’ll be a loud gurgle when breaks are applied the first few “stops”. Additionally, when driving in cold weather the rear the stability assist light on the dash will engage. It will flash on and off so to be uncertain ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2023
The breaks are very loud- squeaky and grinding. Have had them checked several times and break pads are in good condition. Additionally after the car is idle for several hours, it’ll be a loud gurgle when breaks are applied the first few “stops”. Additionally, when driving in cold weather the rear the stability assist light on the dash will engage. It will flash on and off so to be uncertain ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2023
Multiple safety lights on dash including brakes, ABS, power steering, traction control. Multiple incidents where vehicle braking exceeded safety standards.
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
EGR failure can cause the car to become immediately inoperable w/ no propulsion due to fuse pop. EGR required to pass emissions regulations but none are available.
Incident date: Nov 23, 2023
Traction light will come on intermittently and abs and brake lights will flash and go away intermittently and all lights on dash and headlights will dim, radio shuts off, rpms will drop to 0 then go back to normal all while driving. Both camshaft sensors have been replaced twice in under a year. All spark plugs have been replaced twice in under a year as well as the crankshaft sensor. Something is... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2023
Sunroof shattered while driving down the interstate. A chunk of glass was missing & small pieces of glass fell into the car into my hair & into my clothes. Safety put at risk due to shock of event occurring while driving. It caught me off guard & I could not just stop on the highway to inspect what happened as cars were on the side & behind me. Increased anxiety while driving. Insurance claim fi... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2023
Light always appears on dashboard
Incident date: Dec 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-150. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the air conditioner blower intermittently malfunctioned and would not blow air through the air vents. During the failure the front windshield could not be defogged or defrosted, creating a visibility hazard for the driver. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on several occasions, but no failure was found. The... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2023
14-Dec-2023, Brought my car into the tire repair store to have flat fixed. Was told the 5 lug nuts would have to be replaced because the original ones were corroded due to their design. This cost me $51.00 on this trip. 20-Aug-2020, Brought my car into the Ford dealership to have tires rotated. Was tolld 12 lug nuts would have be replace becaue the original ones were corroded due to their desig... Read more
Incident date: Nov 29, 2023
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the ABS warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that her husband was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the... Read more
Incident date: Nov 29, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Porsche Macan GTS. The contact stated that upon attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. After a visual inspection of the fuel system, the contact became aware that the fuel pump flange was cracked, causing a fuel leak. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the fuel pump flange... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2023
When the passenger side radiant heat is on, it makes a toxic smell that smells like plastic or glue melting. It has happened in our RZ and also in a loaner RZ (VIN [XXX] ). Lexus has done nothing that we are aware of to ensure that this smell is not affecting passenger side airbags or the integrity of the cars. They’re also hiding in their notes that they have experienced the smell. I took the S... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2023
When the passenger side radiant heat is on, it makes a toxic smell that smells like plastic or glue melting. It has happened in our RZ and also in a loaner RZ (VIN [XXX] ). Lexus has done nothing that we are aware of to ensure that this smell is not affecting passenger side airbags or the integrity of the cars. They’re also hiding in their notes that they have experienced the smell. I took the S... Read more
Incident date: Dec 12, 2023
The backup camera stays on even in neutral and drive mode. In reverse the guide lines are present, however they are not present when in drive or neutral but the camera remains on. This is a safety hazard because it is very distracting to drive forward with live video on the 8" screen. I believe this is also illegal in my state when my teen is driving the car as state law does not permit drivers a... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Durango. The contact stated while driving 55–60 MPH, there was an abnormal exploding sound detected. The contact pulled over and noticed that the driver's side headrest air bag had exploded without warning or impact. The contact sustained a headache, but medical attention was not provided. The contact called the local dealer, who stated that repairs were not covered... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Oct 31, 2023
Car was completely dead. Because it is a PHEV, wheels were locked and the vehicle needed special equipment to be towed. Tow drivers (3 trucks eventually came) couldn't jump or charge the 12v battery. Traction batteries had a good charge. Locked wheels and sudden loss of all power makes this a safety issue.
Incident date: Dec 11, 2023
La guagua a tenido problemas con el tren delantero. Comenzó con un sonido en el Guía. La Hyundai le reparo esa pieza y luego continuó con el mismo ruido. Ahora tienen que cambiarle el Rack and Piñogn. Mi guagua tiene solo 19,750 millas creo que vino mala de fábrica.
Incident date: Dec 11, 2023
Low Tire Warning either failed or is defective. On Dec 11, 2023 my rear tire went flat (to 4 PSI) while driving on the freeway. I was driving for about 25 miles on the freeway when the Rivian R1S truck kept swerving left and right between the lane markers like the lane assist was malfunctioning. Another driver pulled up on the side of me and got my attention by honking their horn to let me know m... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2023
Low Tire Warning either failed or is defective. On Dec 11, 2023 my rear tire went flat (to 4 PSI) while driving on the freeway. I was driving for about 25 miles on the freeway when the Rivian R1S truck kept swerving left and right between the lane markers like the lane assist was malfunctioning. Another driver pulled up on the side of me and got my attention by honking their horn to let me know m... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, he heard an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment, and the vehicle was idling rough. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the cam timing phasers. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact relat... Read more
Incident date: Dec 6, 2023
While operating the vehicle we have noticed the steering sticking while attempting to turn the wheel. Usually occurs on the highway or curvy roads. Seems very unsafe as you must jerk the wheel to maintain control. If not, the vehicle will remain locked in the turn and not straighten out.
Incident date: Dec 6, 2023
The board computer started to mention „service shifter“ when I was driving. Then the engine switched in neutral when I was still driving, telling a problem about the shifter. Later other systems failed, for example the servo for the steering, ehat has been very dangerous, as the steering wheel did not react anymore and I had to do a emergency break. Also, the engine could not be stopped.
Incident date: Dec 8, 2023
While driving home one evening, the power steering suddenly failed. A warning message displayed to service the power steering. It became very difficult to steer the car. I had to pull extremely hard on the wheel to be able to make turns. For the turn into my community, I had to make four attempts to get the car to clear the turn through the entrance gate, needing to back up repeatedly and retry. F... Read more
Incident date: Dec 6, 2023
1. While stepping on the brakes my car has revved up as if I was pressing the gas. So I let my foot off the pedal and pressed the brakes again. This happened 2 times that week. And another time while I was coming to a stop light as I pressed the brakes, my car revved up but didn’t actually make my car speed up. I had to press the brakes again for it to stop. 2. My battery was smoking and I re... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2023
FCW did not provide any audible alert, instrument panel alert, nor braking. I was forced to swerve around stopped vehicles that had stopped abruptly for a problem ahead, narrowly missing the stopped vehicles. Speed under 35 mph. Another instance was at freeway speeds vehicles preforming the " swoop and squat" maneuver to enter my traffic lane. Another instance was when a vehicle was parked (disab... Read more
AUDI
A6 ALLROAD
(2020) - STEERING
Dec 7, 2023
Incident date: Dec 5, 2023
Vehicle steering sticks at highway speeds, making it where extra force is momentarily needed to steal the vehicle. The steering then unsticks causing over steering of the vehicle. On 12/6/2023 the vehicle was taken to the Honda dealership, the dealership replicated the problem and suggested a steering rack replacement. On 12/07/2023 Honda tech line advised the dealership not to do the repairs as t... Read more
Incident date: Oct 5, 2023
As I was driving the vehicle caught fire and I lost brakes. The vehicle had to be put into a retention pond to stop it.
Crash
Fire
2 injured
Incident date: Nov 30, 2023
The vehicle is vibrating while accelerating and bogging down when the accelerator is depress, causing the car to slow down drastically. Doing research it similar to the issues that the fuel pump were having in the 2019 Toyota tundra recalls. Also at the start of the engine it seems that is bogging and causing the rpm to fluctuate, in some cases car will crank and will not start. I have vídeo prov... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2023
30,000 MILES ON MY VEHICLE AND MY A/C COMPRESSOR IS ON-OP, THEREFORE I CANNOT DEFROST MY WINDSHIELD AND KEEP THE FOG OFF IT IN CERTAIN CONDITIONS CAUSING A VISIBILITY HAZZARD.
Incident date: Nov 30, 2023
When driving at 55MPH with cruise control on, the car suddenly accelerated to 75MPH, this happened on the open road and was able to keep under control. Auto has less than 10,000 miles. I will be contacting Hyundai customer service for a case number on this incident. First indication of a problem was cruise control, auto braking failed iin June of 2023. This follows a replacement of defective fron... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
coincidentally after 11-months after a software update for that knock sensor now I do have a problem with that knock sensor by having to be replaced. Total cost of repair: $643.90 (Vehicle broke down, my SUV went into limp mode meaning loss of power/acceleration, I needed a tow. The engine malfunction indicator light in the dashboard was blinking on & off.)
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
Passenger sliding door makes a noise when unlocking door. Sometimes it will not lock at all. When we searched issue is states actuator has gone bad and needs to be replaced.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
Forward collision warning has been coming on over 5 times now along with cruise control not working
Incident date: Apr 10, 2023
The car gave an warnings of “Check Electric Vehicle System@ and started slowing down in the middleman of the road. I could have been easily rear ended or got into a serious injury. After googling, it seems almost all if not most of ioniq 5 are having this issue after certain mileage
Incident date: Nov 11, 2022
My 2015 Ram 1500 Big Horn Has Intermittent ABS and traction control lights, no cruise or 4x4 The SEBS and ABS lights, and alarm will start flashing and dinging. then goes out, but come back on when on wet road. Truck slides around with loss of traction.
Incident date: Nov 11, 2022
My driver side door began to make a popping sound and was hard to open and shut. Now it feels like the door will fall off or open while driving and has caused the window to no longer roll down. The Ford dealership (Bob Tomes) has acknowledged the problem and the same problem with other same year models but will not take care of the issue unless I pay full price out of pocket.
Incident date: Oct 14, 2023
Sometimes when the vehicle powers on, it will not engage to drive in gas or electric mode when fully charged or with a full gas tank. Also sometimes while driving, it will say "gas mode not available propulsion limited". It frequently says "charging not available" as well. This is an on going, intermittent, problem.
Incident date: Oct 14, 2023
Sometimes when the vehicle powers on, it will not engage to drive in gas or electric mode when fully charged or with a full gas tank. Also sometimes while driving, it will say "gas mode not available propulsion limited". It frequently says "charging not available" as well. This is an on going, intermittent, problem.