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: Jun 12, 2023
Powersteering assist failing.
Incident date: Jun 14, 2013
Last Wednesday Morning June 06, 2023 I started vehicle up to move it closer to my apartment. Once I shifted into "Drive", immediately the engine revved up and vehicle accelerated in high rate of speed across the parking lot, I was applying the brakes, but they were not stopping the vehicle, it then slammed into wooded area and crashed head first into creek beyond the wooded area. I was dazed and b... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jun 14, 2013
Last Wednesday Morning June 06, 2023 I started vehicle up to move it closer to my apartment. Once I shifted into "Drive", immediately the engine revved up and vehicle accelerated in high rate of speed across the parking lot, I was applying the brakes, but they were not stopping the vehicle, it then slammed into wooded area and crashed head first into creek beyond the wooded area. I was dazed and b... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jun 5, 2023
Entered vehicle and started my truck, and Immediately after a stop safely now along with full accessory power flash continuously. Along with the warnings I was unable to move my shifter as it was stuck on park the whole time. I turned off and restarted the vehicle 8-10 times over the course of 10-15 minutes which in the last try the messages went away and was finally able to put into drive and dri... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2023
Entered vehicle and started my truck, and Immediately after a stop safely now along with full accessory power flash continuously. Along with the warnings I was unable to move my shifter as it was stuck on park the whole time. I turned off and restarted the vehicle 8-10 times over the course of 10-15 minutes which in the last try the messages went away and was finally able to put into drive and dri... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2023
My uconnect radio did a firmware update. And my rear view backup camera, and my satellite radio with my navigation system stopped working. Along with my throttle body error light came up. Also the car was parked in the driveway standing still.
Incident date: Jun 3, 2019
My 2007 c230 has a problem with the smell of gasoline when you fill up. I have seen alot of complaints about the gas tank and its system on line. An when I talked to medcedes I was told they have had alot of issues with the mercedes in the past and that issue. They replaced alot of them at one time I dont know which model. I have seen alot of people with my style of mercedes with similiar issues. ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2019
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated when the vehicle was started, the instrument cluster display failed to illuminate. The contact stated that the cluster had intermittently lost functionality. The contact stated that he researched online and related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin Number: 20-2363 APIM module. Additionally, the contact stated that the fuel filler pump... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
2017, 119,000 miles. 8/9/18: maintenance transmission service at 62,651 miles. 6/4/20 Recall WOO shifter cable replaced. 11/11/21 AGM Interstate battery MTX-49 replaced. ISSUE: End of May 2022 (~117,000 miles) had driven from Florida & back 2x without any problems but was slowing down by taking my foot off the gas for exit ramp - the engine started roaring louder & the vehicle apparently had shi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2023
Went on a 3,000 miles road trip and recorded countless bugs and safety issues. To keep this short and sweet because I’m pretty sure I’ve already broken the world record for DOT reports on a car without any intervention here’s some bullet points. 1. Car is falling extremely short of claimed mileage range. 2. Car refuses to charge or charges slow. 3. GPS is constantly wrong and sending me down... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2023
AIR BAGS WARNING LIGHT IS ON DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG MODULE REPLACED AIR BAG COULD HAVE DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING
Incident date: Jan 4, 2022
Check airbag light came on. Went to Honda dealership for diagnostic. Was informed that entire SRS unit is defective and needs replaced. This unit controls the entire airbag system. I was given a repair invoice and was told I was liable to pay. Honda manufacturer will NOT pay for this. This is a safety defect and I need to report this.
Incident date: Jan 4, 2022
Engine control module when it fails vehicle will lose power and drops engine compression causing a danger to other traffic. I was on I-10 on Sunday morning at 60 mi. when all of a sudden it slowed down to 20mi causing other drivers too maneuver around me to avoid from colliding into my SUV. Had engine control module checked out and was advised me to take in to dealer to have it reprogramed or repl... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2022
Engine control module when it fails vehicle will lose power and drops engine compression causing a danger to other traffic. I was on I-10 on Sunday morning at 60 mi. when all of a sudden it slowed down to 20mi causing other drivers too maneuver around me to avoid from colliding into my SUV. Had engine control module checked out and was advised me to take in to dealer to have it reprogramed or repl... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2023
I was in a near head on collision that knocked me out of my lane and knocked me around my car (I was wearing the seatbelt) and the point of impact was on my driver side near my impact sensor and the damage continued to the other side of my vehicle including a crack in the filter in front of my radiator
Crash
1 injured
CADILLAC
ESCALADE ESV
(2019) - ENGINE
Jun 6, 2023
Incident date: Jun 6, 2023
Oil consumption is SUPER high. Not even 1 month after oil change have to add 2 quarts of oil. Have replaced gaskets in the engine but the head gaskets are also needing replaced when car not even that old. No oil leaking to be seen from engine. Oil consumption causing failures of other parts costing more in repairs.
Incident date: Sep 30, 2019
Drivers side sliding door will not open. I am an automotive technician and i aware of the previous investigation into this issue that resulted in extended coverage on previous model 2015-2017 year Grand caravans and Town and countrys, but mnow im here with a 2018 Grand caravan, same defect,same part, not covered.This is a common safety issue and this specail coverage needs to be extended to cover... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2019
Vehicle has a Hyundai dealer installed tow package. There is a recall #22v-633 (nhtsa). Vehicle can catch fire. Received a second letter stating a repair is available however dealer says manufacturer has a small wire harness on back order. Months have gone by since initial notification now.
Incident date: Sep 30, 2019
My power steering went out after 35k miles driven, it was bought brand new off the showroom floor. I took it to a dodge dealership and the parts to fix it are under engineer review and back order and they could not fix it, they couldn’t give me a estimated time when they would be able to, I have been without a car to drive to and from work, school and my children’s dr appoints for 3 months now... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2023
I was stopped at a light, in a long line of cars, my foot on the brake, a few feet away from the car in front of me, and the same in back. All of a sudden, the car started moving, accelerating, jerking forward. I was shocked, pushed down on the brake, nothing happened. starting pulling the car out of line because I was going to hit the car in front of me. I was pumping the brake, and NOTHING HAPPE... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 7, 2023
I was stopped at a light, in a long line of cars, my foot on the brake, a few feet away from the car in front of me, and the same in back. All of a sudden, the car started moving, accelerating, jerking forward. I was shocked, pushed down on the brake, nothing happened. starting pulling the car out of line because I was going to hit the car in front of me. I was pumping the brake, and NOTHING HAPPE... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 10, 2023
This vehicle is used as a law enforcement vehicle. The officer was attempting to make a traffic stop on a speeding motorcycle. The officer turned around and accelerated relatively fast considering the speed and potential to not stop. When the pedal reached its maximum downward position, it just snapped off. The pedal appeared to only be connected by two small plastic rings which broke off. see the... Read more
Incident date: May 16, 2023
Airbags deployed in an accident (minimal impact/superficial damage) & deeply lacerated my right thumb. No warning lamps or symptoms of the problem prior. Car to be inspected by insurance claim adjuster & available for inspection.
Crash
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 5, 2003
On 10/17/2021 my son was killed along with his passenger in this Tesla. The car was thought to be going over 100 miles an hour on a city road Coconut Point Road in Estero Florida. The car was thought to have hit a tree with the rear tire and was sent flying through the air and hit another tree and split in half. My son knew this road well as it was close to his home and drove it on his way home... Read more
Crash
2 deaths
Incident date: Jul 21, 2022
I bought the 2008 Land Rover LR2 3 years ago and since then I've had to replace the motor transmission hoses tons of modules starter alternator and three batteries in the past year if that's not worse or bad enough I've spent $8,000 and I only paid five forts but the biggest problem now that I'm facing is the battery has gone or the vehicle is going into what's called a crash mode because the batt... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2022
I have owned my new Tesla for about a month and it has had a recent software update. Today, I had the cruise control set to 75mph on the freeway and the car very suddenly reset the speed to 50 mph for no apparent reason, making the car rapidly and suddenly slow down. I figured this was just a fluke and later tried to use the cruise control again. This time the cruise control was set to 75 mph o... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2022
This recall is potentially life threatening. It has been months & the dealer is still saying there is no fix. I believe they are not giving it the proper attention because this recall affects only Diesel engines & there were not many diesel jeep models purchased compared to traditional gas engine jeeps. I own 2. Both are affected & I feel unsafe. Please see that they remedy this problem asap befor... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2023
The door ajar sensor malfunctions and is crazy expensive to fix. There are numerous posts and videos online of workarounds bcz it’s so common but they don’t seem safe since that’s a safety feature and the workarounds are simply a way to trick or bypass the warning sensors since the doors are actually closed in most cases. Ford needs to take ownership of this and issue a recall. There’s a... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2023
The door ajar sensor malfunctions and is crazy expensive to fix. There are numerous posts and videos online of workarounds bcz it’s so common but they don’t seem safe since that’s a safety feature and the workarounds are simply a way to trick or bypass the warning sensors since the doors are actually closed in most cases. Ford needs to take ownership of this and issue a recall. There’s a... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2023
Driving on highway at 75 mph, tire "exploded" resulting in immediate loss of air pressure and some lack of steering control. Road conditions were optimal with clear sunny weather and no road hazards. Dashboard warning light appeared upon tire failure. Drove with hazards to dealership who replaced the tire at my expense. (P225/45R18) Dealer made a video of their findings which revealed a 6- in... Read more
Incident date: May 26, 2023
The brake light does not activate in a way that would signal to other drivers that the vehicle is stopping or slowing down, while using higher regenerative braking. The ipedal mode can have a significant amount of deceleration and not activate the brake light, even coming to a full stop and not activating the light, if the driver's foot is not completely off the pedal. I have been told by other d... Read more
Incident date: May 24, 2023
The fuel pump on my HD motorcycle had been making lots of noise. I had it in the shop for this reason before.. The bike was supposed to be fixed.. I went for a ride with my son and when I pulled out on the highway getting up to highway speed the bike quit without warning.. This was on a two-lane Highway and the cars behind me Layed on their horns.. everyone was was upset with me.. I didn't have mu... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2022
Rt Side Day Running Light. This model Hyundai Genesis uses what is suposed to be an intermittent bulb / socket for turn signaling. In this 2015 model it is so it's on ALL THE TIME as driving lamp. Bulb overheats, burns out, scorches the socket. Bulbs now last less than 5 months. Dealer replaced scorched scoket and bulb today. $169.00 Not under warranty
Incident date: May 23, 2023
When pulling a travel trailer with electric trailer brakes, the trucks trailer brake control switch disengages. While pulling our new travel trailer home from the dealership I tested the trailer brakes prior to leaving the camper dealers lot and the trailer brakes work with both the manual switch and the trucks brake pedal. But while traveling down the highway and braking with the foot pedal the t... Read more
Incident date: May 23, 2023
When pulling a travel trailer with electric trailer brakes, the trucks trailer brake control switch disengages. While pulling our new travel trailer home from the dealership I tested the trailer brakes prior to leaving the camper dealers lot and the trailer brakes work with both the manual switch and the trucks brake pedal. But while traveling down the highway and braking with the foot pedal the t... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated that coolant was leaking into the engine and that the vehicle was previously repaired under Customer Satisfaction Program: 19B37. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle w... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2023
Rear view camera stopped working almost a year ago, and out of no where the transmission stopped working. I recently just got an oil change and asked for the works to get my whole car checked out and that report as all the reports before it came back with no issues. So found it surprising that this happened.
Incident date: May 11, 2023
Rear view camera stopped working almost a year ago, and out of no where the transmission stopped working. I recently just got an oil change and asked for the works to get my whole car checked out and that report as all the reports before it came back with no issues. So found it surprising that this happened.
Incident date: May 11, 2023
I was at work, the car was parked and off for more than 4 hours, came out and my car was on fire. Passenger driver side, at that point me and coworkers were rushing buckets of water and dumping them on my car. The fire department investigated and it was the cooling fan wiring that caused the fire.
Fire
Incident date: May 20, 2023
The instrument cluster stopped working and is completely blacked out. There was no warnings that it was going to happen. It just stopped working and no I do not need a new fuse. It's just a bad cluster
Incident date: May 21, 2023
Truck started to jerk if driven over 20 mph. Before this the dashboard (electric) notification showed truck heating up but the temperature gage was not reading any overheating. Prior to this the whole electrical system in the truck started to mess up. The radio changed channels without actually changing the radio channels. Unable to connect the Bluetooth because it calls my phone contacts at rando... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2023
The inside run channel which holds the "check strap arm" on the driver-side door has broken loose from the welds. The door would barely open which is a potential safety concern should someone need to exit the vehicle quickly in an emergency. This is the same issue reported in SSM 50150. Ford should issue a recall as this is a widespread issue with this model as reported online by customers and in ... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2023
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2015 Buick Enclave. 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had n... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2023
Car died in middle of intersection. Had it towed to repair shop and replaced starter and 350 AMP fuse. Had car back for less than a week and the exact same issue occurred at a stop light. Had it towed to same repair shop and after checking all wiring mechanic found teeth missing on flywheel which broke the brand new starter. Mechanic states entire engine has to be removed in order to replace fl... Read more
Incident date: Oct 11, 2022
The passenger sliding door on the driver’s side will lock up and has no mechanism that allows me to open/close the door manually. Essentially my passenger(s) are stuck on that side. I cannot use the overhead button near the rear view mirror or the button on the back near the door. I have tried to manually open the door and it does nothing either. This seems like a safety hazard that the door loc... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2023
Phantom braking. Traveling highway 5 Southbound between Red Bluff, CA and WIliams, CA at 70 mph, the vehicle suddenly and firmly applied brakes as if attempting to avoid a collision with an obstacle closely ahead. The braking force was enough to activate the seatbelt restraint. There was no traffic for at least a 1/4 mile ahead and behind and no obstacle. I managed to flip the ACC lever up to... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2015
The reverse camera screen is not adjustable and blinds the entire cab including looking into the mirrors. You must cover the screen to even look into the mirrors.
Incident date: May 13, 2023
Fuel pump is malfunctioning
Incident date: Feb 26, 2023
Door lock actuator failed.
Incident date: May 12, 2023
The car radio keeps freezing on songs insulting me or wont play music at all. After resetting the car while driving for the 937,845,609,238,457,609,823,756,098,273,546,908,723,549,068th time the car started playing "Car Radio" a song about a guys car radio being stolen and the silence making him want to pull the steering wheel and kill himself in a car accident. Shortly after this the car radio pl... Read more