Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,215,138 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA — including 138,663 crashes, 56,255 fires, and 8,561 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 2,215,138 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 67,120 complaints for CHRYSLER
Incident date: Sep 23, 2023
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Multiple components of our driver assistance software have failed, beyond what we can check in the fields above. Most recently, we have experienced two major failures. The first failure occurred when the car triggered the emergency parking brake on its own while we were driving in traffic at 30 mph. ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 23, 2023
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Multiple components of our driver assistance software have failed, beyond what we can check in the fields above. Most recently, we have experienced two major failures. The first failure occurred when the car triggered the emergency parking brake on its own while we were driving in traffic at 30 mph. ... Read more
CHRYSLER
TOWN AND COUNTRY
(2010) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Sep 29, 2023
Incident date: Sep 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that after a visual inspection, he became aware that there was extensive rust throughout the sub frame of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that there was not enough damage to warrant a repair of the sub frame. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failu... Read more
Incident date: Sep 28, 2023
Car went in for recall on start/stop issue a few months ago. Recently wife parked the car and turned it off. Several minutes later went to turn it on again and it was dead. Engine would not start and electronics did not work. Could not even put car in neutral to have towed. Had to get new aux. battery and unhook neutral on main battery just to get into neutral to be able to tow. Dealership in Mt. ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 28, 2023
Car went in for recall on start/stop issue a few months ago. Recently wife parked the car and turned it off. Several minutes later went to turn it on again and it was dead. Engine would not start and electronics did not work. Could not even put car in neutral to have towed. Had to get new aux. battery and unhook neutral on main battery just to get into neutral to be able to tow. Dealership in Mt. ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 6, 2023
Rear sliding window leak and has saturated seat and carpet causing an unhealthy environment. Spoke with dealer and was told it is a design flaw and repairs are not covered under extended warranty. I was also told it is only a temporary fix and “ leak will reoccur”. I only realized of the problem when soap residue was seen on the inside of the widow. Dealer gave estimate of repair.
CHRYSLER
PACIFICA
(2017) — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:ABS WARNING LIGHT
Sep 29, 2023
Incident date: Jul 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact stated that the brake failure and traction control malfunction warning lights were illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the ABS system was replaced. The contact stated that after the repair was completed, whenever the contact depressed the brake pedal, the pedal was spongy. The ABS and traction control warning lights were again i... Read more
CHRYSLER
PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2022) — STEERING
Sep 28, 2023
Incident date: Jan 10, 2023
Car driving with no one in front and brake assist went off on own. Also car driving and electrical system in car shut down and lost control of car. Then all dashboard lights came on, was able to regain control and pull in parking lot. Shut car off. Hooked up ODB. No codes. Then started car and ran fine. Had burning electrical smell.
Incident date: Aug 24, 2023
Rattling noise under hood with vibration that occurs when starting vehicle. Check engine light on. Dealership states "this is a know Coolant intrusion issue in 2.0L Ecoboost engines and the whole engine needs to be replaced." Was told I could still drive it even though "it will drive rough." Articles regarding this issue state further engine damage can occur if driven and in severe cases fire. Thi... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2023
I bought the car in March 2023 and took the car for maintenance of 5k at Acura dealership at north Orlando and after that the car came never the same. The car is making so much noise skewing and clicking noise every time you turn the streering wheel. The dealership said the noise is from nuts and bolt and they did change it and noise became more loud 2nd time they said it is the front break and th... Read more
Incident date: Sep 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that moments after exiting the freeway, the front end of the vehicle began to shake and vibrate. While driving approximately 5 MPH, there was an abnormal banging sound coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact stated that suddenly the wheels would not turn, and the vehicle became undrivable. The vehicle was towed to the residence and... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
Dealer says multiple lug nuts are swollen and need replaced for safety’s sake.
Incident date: Feb 20, 2023
ABS and Traction Control warnings cycling on and off randomly. Warnings are off only for short periods and are on most of the time. Cruise control is not working when the warnings are on which causes a sudden unexpected drop in speed on the highway when a warning cycle occurs. Two dealers have advised that the unit is faulty in manufacture and design but no replacement parts are currently availabl... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2023
Steering wheel sticking hard to turn to right when you do hard to turn back causing jerking back and forth in road very dangerous.
Incident date: Sep 24, 2023
When taking long curves, the steering wheel binds in the direction of the turn, causing oversteer. Requires driver to make an exaggerated movement to return to property steering. When this occurs the steering wheel will not return to center without driver intention. This occurs whether the lane assist is on or off. It also does not seem to be temperature driven, as it happens in the heat and cold... Read more
CHRYSLER
PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2023) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Sep 28, 2023
Incident date: Sep 27, 2023
Failure of ABS pump module and ABS electrical connection has taken place and is available for inspection. This failure has caused failure of my ABS system, traction control system as well as my ability to use my trailer brakes when hauling which I have to do on a regular basis which in turn puts all drivers around me in danger as well as myself and any passengers I have while driving. Problem is r... Read more
CHRYSLER
PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2023) — SERVICE BRAKES
Sep 28, 2023
Incident date: Sep 27, 2023
Failure of ABS pump module and ABS electrical connection has taken place and is available for inspection. This failure has caused failure of my ABS system, traction control system as well as my ability to use my trailer brakes when hauling which I have to do on a regular basis which in turn puts all drivers around me in danger as well as myself and any passengers I have while driving. Problem is r... Read more
Incident date: Sep 20, 2023
This warning light has been present since I test drove this car in March 2023. The dealership stated if I purchased the vehicle they would fix the issue before I took delivery after purchasing the vehicle in March 2023 the warring light came on several times within hours of picking up the vehicle. I took the vehicle back to the dealer at least twice within a week or so to have them fix the issue, ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 20, 2023
fire hazard with rear lift gate and car can not be parked in garage or close to house or other cars. no remedy from FCA since May. This is unacceptable and an ongoing fire and safety hazard. May 11,2023 Manufacturer Recall Number49A NHTSA Recall Number23V-338 Recall StatusRecall Incomplete, remedy not yet available
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
Moonroof- I opened my moonroof and when I tried to close it, the sunshade would not retract - it is hanging - causing me not to be able to see the back window when looking through my rear view mirror. I brought to a body shop and they said it is a design flaw. Now they want $1,800 to fix it!
Incident date: Jan 4, 2022
Vehicle front and rear suspension has unsafe shock/strut equipment, which causes lack of control while driving, audible noise within the passenger compartment, and rough handling.
CHRYSLER
TOWN AND COUNTRY
(2013) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Sep 26, 2023
Incident date: Sep 25, 2023
Mercedes has had an issue with the steering lock for years and continue to not fix the issue. My vehicle would not turn on at random times, and this is due to a fault with the steering lock and key. The worst part of the issue, it’s only solved by Mercedes due to security issues and costs $2000. I was locked out of my car for hours, missing a doctors appointment, and if this was during a snow s... Read more
CHRYSLER
TOWN AND COUNTRY
(2012) — SUSPENSION
Sep 24, 2023
Incident date: Sep 24, 2023
Upper control arm ball joint failed causing me to lose stealing control, luckily I was only driving 10MPH, if I had been on the interstate this could have been more serious possibly fatalities involved, I have read reports this is a common thing, my truck is a 2021 Silverado, I never received a recall notice
Incident date: May 1, 2023
My vehicle was jumping when accelerating. It then went into limp mode to protect the engine due to code NTB17-034g. The mechanic stated this code is coming up and is a safety issue. The car is not accelerating as normal, car is jumping and will go into limp mode randomly.
Incident date: Sep 21, 2021
There is an open recall that they have not yet fixed.
Incident date: Sep 21, 2021
Context: My wife replaced the driver’s side airbag per the 2019 Toyota Corolla recall at a Columbia, MO dealership. We’ve since moved to North Carolina. The airbag light and maintenance light came on, and we took it to the mechanic close to our new home. They ran a diagnostics report to determine the airbag on the driver’s side needed to be replaced. I have documentation of this report ... Read more
CHRYSLER
TOWN AND COUNTRY
(2010) — POWER TRAIN
Sep 21, 2023
Incident date: Aug 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at approximately 55 MPH, there was a beeping sound for the Hill Start Assist warning Power Train collision assist not available. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the axle disconnect actuator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not noti... Read more
Incident date: Sep 10, 2023
Volkswagen cannot address my recall 93P7. I have called multiple dealerships and the battery cannot be addressed.
Incident date: Sep 10, 2023
cant get a serviced till 2024 so i guess ill burn and die
Incident date: Sep 10, 2023
While driving, the car malfunctions stating to have the shifter serviced. All of the alerts start going off and it feels like my car isnt shifting properly. Some times when I start it, the shifter will not respond. I have taken it to be serviced and it seems to be electrical.
CHRYSLER
PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2020) — STEERING
Sep 21, 2023
Incident date: Aug 2, 2023
- What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? NHTSA Recall ID: 23V445, Fuel Pump Delivery Module How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Vehicle at risk to lose drive power, increasing the chance of crashing while operating. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representat... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2023
For the already known air bag recall for my vehicle, I have called GM and clearly stated how uncomfortable and unsafe I feel driving my vehicle with such a dangerous malfunction that is meant to save my life, not take it. They told me there was no way they could help, but for me to be patient. I live in a bumpy and windy area, and from other reports, I know can set off the airbags. As for the a... Read more
CHRYSLER
PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2020) — AIR BAGS
Sep 20, 2023
Incident date: Sep 10, 2023
The passenger safety restraint system fault message pops up when driving normally. The diagnostic came up to replace the whole airbag after communicating with service center.
CHRYSLER
PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2020) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Sep 20, 2023
Incident date: Sep 10, 2023
The failed component is the cruise control. It is available for inspection. Unknowingly, the speed increased by 10 miles an hour, without touching any buttons or controls on the steering wheel. With cruise control on, the driver might be not as engaged with the automobile, as if there was no cruise control. I will have the issue brought before my Ford dealer on Monday, September 25, 2023. There we... Read more
CHRYSLER
PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2020) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Sep 20, 2023
Incident date: Sep 10, 2023
Driving at approx 45 MPH the car suddenly lost propulsion and experienced a complete electrical failure. The power steering was lost, braking was stiff, gas pedal was unresponsive. I struggled to get the vehicle out of the lane of traffic. The police arrived and helped route traffic until the tow truck arrived. The vehicle is still covered under factory warranty and is currently at the dealer with... Read more
CHRYSLER
PACIFICA
(2017) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
Sep 20, 2023
Incident date: Jan 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2009 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the exhaust manifold valve was stuck in the open position. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic, who determined th... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2023
Service transmission light came on while driving. I had a warranty on the vehicle so I took it in to dealership in DeQueen AR they fixed the valve body on the transmission and almost exactly 1 year later the service transmission light came on again. Following that my service parking brake light came on and now the emergency brake is engaged and will not disengage. Why has there not been a recall... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2023
Service transmission light came on while driving. I had a warranty on the vehicle so I took it in to dealership in DeQueen AR they fixed the valve body on the transmission and almost exactly 1 year later the service transmission light came on again. Following that my service parking brake light came on and now the emergency brake is engaged and will not disengage. Why has there not been a recall... Read more
Incident date: Sep 16, 2023
The automatic door locks are malfunctioning (starting early September 2023). When the vehicle accelerates, the automatic door locks continuously engage, repeatedly, causing audible distractions while driving. This is a safety issue because with three kids in the rear, the doors are not locked while driving. Typically, once you accelerate from park above a certain speed, the door locks automaticall... Read more
Incident date: Sep 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that the front driver's side seat belt failed to latch as needed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
Incident date: Jul 8, 2023
I was making a left turn and my steering wheel locked up. I couldn't return the wheel right to straighten out. The car kept going left. I had to put my car in reverse and after some time the steering wheel unlocked while in reverse. I was on a busy street and almost caused an accident. I was on the right lane and it forced me into the left lane. The driver I cut off was able to brake just in time... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2023
Was driving down the interstate going 70 mph truck started loosing power without any warning or check engine light's. Truck started vibrating violently to the point almost lost control of truck. Dealer says broke crankshaft in motor truck only has 77k miles on it. This should be looked into as it’s happening a lot with models with the Cummings diesel motor. Please look into this before someone i... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2023
We began having major issues with our van in October 2022. There were numerous incidents of loss of power and sudden increase in temperature gage. We kept fluids checked. Kept oil changed on time. We reported this to the dealership multiple times before they agreed to fix under warranty. Even after fixing factory recall (which we were charged for by the dealership) and then replacing batteries, we... Read more
CHRYSLER
PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2019) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Sep 19, 2023
Incident date: Sep 16, 2023
Three weeks ago, I took my vehicle to Fred Haas Toyota Dealer in Spring, TX and they informed me that my driver axle needed replacement. My service advisor has now given me three ETAs on when the part will be delivered. Today, he mentioned that there is a nationwide back order on the part and suspects that many highlanders are experiencing the same problem
CHRYSLER
PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2019) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Sep 19, 2023
Incident date: Sep 16, 2023
Catalytic Converter is out and is needing replacement. Dealership offered me $600 off which I accepted, so total repair cost will be $2650 out the door. Problem is the part is on back order until "TBD". Dealership and Kia Consumer Complaints can not give an ETA on when part is supposed to come in. Apparently there is a long list of backorders in Florida and Georgia. Kia is unwilling to work with c... Read more
CHRYSLER
PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2019) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Sep 19, 2023
Incident date: Sep 16, 2023
Loss of Motive Power reoccurrences (2 incidents) AFTER 1803A182 Safety Recall 03A correction was performed, 9 May 2023, by reprogramming Hybrid Control Processor/Aux Hybrid Control Processor on 2019 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid (mileage: 35,180) Experienced a sudden loss of power twice; 16 and 17 September 2023. - 16 SEPTEMBER: Having just merged into one lane from two and speeding up hill (f... Read more
Incident date: Sep 17, 2023
I had purchesed a set of Dick Cepek Extreme Country LT315/75/R16. The tires have 9/32nd left with approximately 15,000 miles. While driving on the highway the sidewall of the tire peeled off in one strip causing the tire to no longer hold its shape and blow out. Had it been a steer tire the incident could have been much worse. Twenty minutes prior to the failure all tires were inspected and confir... Read more
Incident date: Sep 18, 2023
Roof racks are secured with double sided tape. Tape on both racks failed causing both racks to become up secured from roof of vehicle.
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
The automatic transmission/TCM in my vehicle failed and the vehicle experiences clutch shudder It is available for inspection upon request. When I was trying to accelerate the car it began to jerk and was struggling to move while on the road putting me and others in danger until I was able to pull over. The problem with the TCM has been confirmed by a Ford dealer and although there has been a cust... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH with the Autonomous Self Driving feature activated, the contact briefly lost control of the vehicle when the steering wheel suddenly started to wobble, and the vehicle swayed from side to side. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repai... Read more