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 21,483 complaints for CADILLAC
Incident date: Jan 9, 2024
While driving approximately 35mph on snowy roads, the vehicle suddenly locked the brake on the left rear wheel causing the truck to slide uncontrollably spinning sideways into the oncoming lane (no on coming traffic at the time). The brake would not immediately release but I was able to get the truck to move to the shoulder in 4 wheel drive. After a couple minutes the truck made a clunking sound r... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2024
The contact owned a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that after driving into a parking space in a parking lot with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle jolted and veered to the right. The passenger's side of the vehicle hit the driver's side of another occupied vehicle. The other vehicle was scratched and there was no injury sustained. The contact stated she then reversed out of the park... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 22, 2024
Car has 125,000 mi on it. This will be the 3rd catalytic converter in 2 years. Second one was March of 2022. I have excessive oil consumption (1QT every other week). Which I believe causes the exhaust system to clog. It’s an engine flaw design I believe. The issues isn’t the converter but the oil consumption contributing to the clogging. The vehicle actually had complete engine failure while ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2024
Automatic Emergency Braking Passenger Side Air Bag Smart Cruise Control System Backup Camera Forward Collision Warning Lane Departure Warning System Head lights blinked on occasion and others all stopped working at the same time which makes the vehicle unsafe to drive. Took it into the dealer and they replaced the SOP Module due to code B10055, ACU communication error tested and found module no... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2024
Automatic Emergency Braking Passenger Side Air Bag Smart Cruise Control System Backup Camera Forward Collision Warning Lane Departure Warning System Head lights blinked on occasion and others all stopped working at the same time which makes the vehicle unsafe to drive. Took it into the dealer and they replaced the SOP Module due to code B10055, ACU communication error tested and found module no... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2024
We bought our car in 2021 and shortly after our car started pouring water into the driver seat from the ceiling. At that time we thought it may have been a cracked window window. Actually we weren’t really sure because we don’t use the sunroof or anything really. However, it stopped doing it until around October 2023 when it escalated as it is our only vehicle and we are extremely busy. We had... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2023
The DCM Fuse was draining my battery. Which lead to me having a dead car battery. I had the battery replaced and paid out of pocket. The less than a week later it drained that new battery, which I had to pay for again. This lead to having my car dead on the side of the road because this DCM Fuse was draining power from my battery when the car was off. This is a major issue and should be a recalled... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated, and several messages were including the Service Power Steering were displayed. The contact pulled over and waited before restarting the vehicle, and the vehicle returned to normal functionality. The vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2023
The rear view camera failed and showed "Camera is unavailable". It is available for inspection. There is no back over prevention. The vehicle has not taken to a dealer or inspected at this time. It is scheduled for repair or replacement on 1-24-24. There was no warning or messages prior to the failure. The problem first appeared on 1-16-24.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
There was a persistent noise from the gas cap whenever locking or unlocking the vehicle. The Honda service shop stated that the issue was related to malfunction of the fuel door release actuator. The fuel door release actuator was replaced.
Incident date: Sep 27, 2023
I’m in Bradley, Illinois, and after the first snowfall, these indicators lit up. The ABS, the ESC, and the 4WD. I thought because of inclement weather, they would go off, but have remained lit for a couple of weeks now. One day, while driving to work, the throttle lagged, and I couldn’t accelerate past 20 mph for over 10 minutes amidst heavy traffic. When this occurred, the ABS light turned of... Read more
Incident date: Sep 27, 2023
Brake master cylinder/accumulator failure occurred and multiple lights (ABS/TCS/(!)/BRAKE) appeared on the instrument cluster. Brake pedal response drastically decreased resulting in potentially extremely dangerous situation occurring while the vehicle is in motion
Incident date: Sep 27, 2023
Brake master cylinder/accumulator failure occurred and multiple lights (ABS/TCS/(!)/BRAKE) appeared on the instrument cluster. Brake pedal response drastically decreased resulting in potentially extremely dangerous situation occurring while the vehicle is in motion
Incident date: Jan 13, 2024
Fuel System: The car hesitates when you push the gas, and then will suddenly go with a jolt. That is unsafe as you are turning on to road and when you push the gas-you do not move for a few seconds which could cause an accident. There are no warning lights regarding this, however, lots of the same exact complaints for this model on the internet. Engine: The coolant goes low, and the dealership say... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2024
We noticed that we had our airbag light was on in our dashboard along with that we also notice that the buttons and horn did not work in to the steering wheel. When we took the car to get checked by the Hyundai dealership in Lakewood. We were told that the clock spring was the cause of this problem to the airbag, horn, and the buttons not working. They told us that this clock spring part it was br... Read more
Incident date: Sep 21, 2022
Hyundai recall 23V651000 has no remedy after 4 months of the start of the recall.
Incident date: Sep 21, 2022
Airbag lights suddenly always on. Unknown if they are working or about to deploy. Hesitation in transmission while shifting, not sure if working properly. I haven't had any recalls fixed on this vehicle. It showed recalls and suddenly it shows all repaired. Is it due to the year?2005? Seat belts don't retract and are have to be manually maneuvered.
Incident date: Sep 21, 2022
Airbag lights suddenly always on. Unknown if they are working or about to deploy. Hesitation in transmission while shifting, not sure if working properly. I haven't had any recalls fixed on this vehicle. It showed recalls and suddenly it shows all repaired. Is it due to the year?2005? Seat belts don't retract and are have to be manually maneuvered.
Incident date: Jan 10, 2024
I was driving my ford focus se 2018 on 1/15/2024. Once I made my stop at an intersection leaving my community my vehicle did not accelerate when ever I made my full stop. I began to repeated make an attempt to accelerate but it refused to do so. I placed my hazardous light on and attempted to reserve back into my community but I noticed my clutch was not engaging when I switched gears to the app... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
1. The car rolling back immediately after foot is off of brakes pedal with even a minor steepness in the road or parking space, that could be very dangerous upon stopping behind a red lights, or any other situations that another car is right behind this car such as getting in or out of tight parking spots. 2. The car brakes are not reliable. They feel spongy and you can not adjust how hard and ho... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2024
There is no physical button for the horn and it's difficult to find the digital button when you need it at a moment's notice. This presents a safety concern that I believe should be recalled.
Incident date: Jan 12, 2024
While operating the vehicle, the horn is not where it should be. Tesla moved the horn to a button, when every car in the world has the horn as the center of the wheel. During times of crisis and needing a horn, seconds count. Having to learn horn changes is absolutely ridiculous. By not being able to activate the horn in a timely fashion, it delays or removes ones' ability to utilize a critical sa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2024
While operating the vehicle, the horn is not where it should be. Tesla moved the horn to a button, when every car in the world has the horn as the center of the wheel. During times of crisis and needing a horn, seconds count. Having to learn horn changes is absolutely ridiculous. By not being able to activate the horn in a timely fashion, it delays or removes ones' ability to utilize a critical sa... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, there was an abnormal odor coming from the A/C. The contact stated that there was a dangerous chemical called R1234YF leaking into the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that the odor from the leak made his daughter sick. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagno... Read more
Incident date: Jan 11, 2024
ABS light goes on and off. I took it to a dealer and was told it was a C0020-01 ABS pump motor control electrical failure. There is no fix at this time as Ram is looking into the problem and will not supply any fixes until further investigation. The light and chime goes off all the time and it also cancels my cruise and anti slip. There needs to be a repair for this.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
The rear passenger side coil spring broke at 43,000 miles—no hard driving or potholes.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
Radio, yes as of now. VERY LOUD static sound coming from speakers, it makes it hard to concentrate, and you can't hear anything around you such as sirens, or even the person sitting next to you. They say replace the radio, at over $2000 No to inspection. No messages of failure etc.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
I have been an owner of a Ford vehicle for 3 generations. My 2013 Ford Focus has only 95K Miles and has had serious Transmission problems. The vehicle has been well taken care of and has been serviced at the dealership several times for regular service maintenance. All recalls have been taken care of. However, Despite the fixes performed by Ford Dealership. The car still has problems of shudderin... Read more
Incident date: Jun 14, 2023
The component(s) may be electrical in nature for fuel pumps don't produce electricity. On 1/9/2024 after the car been locked and off for a few hours noticed something running at the rear of the car. The fuel pump was running. Got the car fob, started and cut off. No fuel pump was running after shutdown. My father was with me, it's his car. For safety sakes, premature failure of the fuel pump ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 14, 2023
I had my 2021 RAV4 Hybrid in for a routine oil change at 59,150 miles. I have maintained this vehicle in accordance with Toyota's recommendations since purchasing it brand new. During their inspection, it was noted by the Toyota mechanic that the timing cover was already seeping, way before it ever should be for this age and mileage of vehicle. The dealership mechanic did not recommend anything be... Read more
Incident date: Jun 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact depressed the brake pedal and noticed an abnormal humming sound. The contact stated that the failure had been intermittent since 2016. The contact stated that the failure had become persistent. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufactu... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the message that “Vehicle Will Shut down - Please Pull Over" was displayed. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the auxiliary battery. The vehicle was repaired, b... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2023
The problem first arose in June 2023. I was driving and suddenly, all the dashboard lights went on and the brakes stopped working. There was no pressure on the pedal. I was able to roll to a stop without incident. I turned the car off and back on again and the brakes worked but the check engine light was still on. I was able to limp the mile back to my house. After almost 6 weeks at the dealer, I ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2023
The problem first arose in June 2023. I was driving and suddenly, all the dashboard lights went on and the brakes stopped working. There was no pressure on the pedal. I was able to roll to a stop without incident. I turned the car off and back on again and the brakes worked but the check engine light was still on. I was able to limp the mile back to my house. After almost 6 weeks at the dealer, I ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
vehicle "slips" with acceleration and antifreeze is leaking in engine block which is a documented recurrent issue with ecoboost engine. I am fearful for safety as noted fire hazard which has been stated in past and is documented as part of lawsuit for same engine in Canada/US. Additionally the noted loss of acceleration has me afraid to use on highway as can see this leading to accident (noted tha... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, upon accelerating from a light, the vehicle began to shake and decelerated and failed to accelerate and exceed 25 MPH. The vehicle accelerated, jerked, and stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump control module needed to b... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, upon accelerating from a light, the vehicle began to shake and decelerated and failed to accelerate and exceed 25 MPH. The vehicle accelerated, jerked, and stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump control module needed to b... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2024
We purchased this HR-V last year for my son. He has been driving it back and forth to school at a max of 35mph most of the time. We had to drive to Birmingham and probably the first time actually at speeds of 55mph or more. The steering didn't feel right. it seemed as if it was sticking in it's current position and took more effort to turn it, When it would finally turn it felt like it would ratch... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
There is a visible defect in the touch screen of the infotainment unit, which seems to be progressing in a top down direction. I suspect that the touch screen is delaminating and the electrical characteristics of the unit are degrading. The unit now "self-selects" and changes radio settings (FM to AM, or station), or screens (navigation, to CarPlay, to comfort settings, to...). Any and all featu... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2019
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Acadia. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) 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 manufacturer was made... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Acadia. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (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 experienced... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2023
I have a 2015 Acadia Denali with 95000 miles. I am getting the "service side detection system" message whenever I start my car, and the blindspot lights, cross-traffic detection etc. do not function at all. A"nationwide" problem I was told. I was also told that it would cost $800+ to replace if/when the part was available. I am really frustrated with this and was wondering a) whether this malfunc... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2023
I have a 2015 Acadia Denali with 95000 miles. I am getting the "service side detection system" message whenever I start my car, and the blindspot lights, cross-traffic detection etc. do not function at all. A"nationwide" problem I was told. I was also told that it would cost $800+ to replace if/when the part was available. I am really frustrated with this and was wondering a) whether this malfunc... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2023
Cam Shaft (RECALL) sensor failure / tone wheel per the dealership. Truck lost all power descending off a mountain / steep grade. Lost steering, brakes, engine power. The vehicle has only been inspected by the dealership. Truck will not start, even have installing new parts. It was towed in to the dealer on 12/2/23. I am not able to get a solid answer on what needs to be done. Communication ha... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2023
Cam Shaft (RECALL) sensor failure / tone wheel per the dealership. Truck lost all power descending off a mountain / steep grade. Lost steering, brakes, engine power. The vehicle has only been inspected by the dealership. Truck will not start, even have installing new parts. It was towed in to the dealer on 12/2/23. I am not able to get a solid answer on what needs to be done. Communication ha... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2023
The car has been having problems with oil consumption. The problem became known in 2022, but the dealer/service department (Frank Hyundai, National City, CA 91950) did not care for the issue or safety. The dealer told me, "Your car is OK." On 7/3/2023, the engine light came on. A second round of oil consumption tests began along with a 90,000-mile service, including replacements of filter assy a... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2023
The car has been having problems with oil consumption. The problem became known in 2022, but the dealer/service department (Frank Hyundai, National City, CA 91950) did not take care of the issue and did not care about safety. The dealer told me, "Your car is OK." On 7/3/2023, the engine light came on. A second round of oil consumption tests began along with a 90,000-mile service, including repla... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2023
My 2022 Volkswagen Taos 4 motion around 29,000 miles November 8, 2023 overheat warning light on, call toll to dealership results of head gasket problem part wait time at least 2 months but dealership offers free loaner car, but unfortunately dealership called me on December 29th the part not available until April that I have to return my loaner car that Volkswagen not available and I have drive m... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 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 manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VI... Read more