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: Nov 17, 2022
The vehicle’s 12v system failed under normal use. The vehicle is unable to be started without a jumpstart. I think this is related to the issues other Ioniq 5s are seeing.
Incident date: Nov 17, 2022
The engine over heats out of nowhere. We took it to a Ford dealer, our car has 68,000 miles on it and we are being told we need a full engine replacement at a cost of $9,000. There was a technical service bulletin put out 12/10/2019. Ford is aware of this issue on two models for a few years. No compensation or recalls are being offered.
CHRYSLER
TOWN AND COUNTRY
(2013) — POWER TRAIN
Jul 2, 2023
Incident date: Jun 26, 2023
While driving on the interstate and set MPH were 55, a series of notifications popped up on my dashboard. One stated “Steering assist fault repair required.” After I hit Ok to clear the screen my steering wheel tightened up and locked and caused me to almost crash into another family. We were able to move it to a safe location.
CHRYSLER
TOWN AND COUNTRY
(2015) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Jun 30, 2023
Incident date: Jun 27, 2023
I had the catalyst converter recall fixed in 2020 and now I am having to fix/replace the converter they replaced with the recall not even 3 years later and have been told that it wouldn’t be associated with the recall or replaced under warranty with it even though the life span on a catalyst converter is usually around 10 years not just little over 2 years old I shouldn’t be having to get it r... Read more
CHRYSLER
TOWN AND COUNTRY
(2012) — STEERING
Jun 30, 2023
Incident date: Jun 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS450. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle after driving in a rainstorm, the power steering malfunction message was displayed. While driving approximately 70 MPH, the power steering became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the failure was due to the electronic power steering rack. Th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 29, 2023
THIS VEHICLE HAS ELECTRICAL ISSUES. THIS VEHICLE WATERPUMP FAILED TWICE WHICH I HAD TO REPAIR THIS VEHICLE GIVES WARNING SIGN’DRIVE SYSTEM MALFUCTION’ CODES DIRECTING TO TURBO CHARGER BUT IT IS ACTUALLY THE WASTEGATE THATS THE ISSUE-WHICH I HAD REPLACED AFTER THROWING A NEW TURBO. THIS VEHICLE HAS ISSUES WITH THERMOSTAT WHICH I HAD REPLACED TWICE. I HAVE PAYED ALL REPAIRS OUT OF POCKET AND UN... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2023
I was traveling at about 45 miles per hours on a road with no obstacles (no cars in front of me or anything in the road) when the car braked with no warning.
Incident date: Jan 29, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while performing a routine check on the vehicle, the contact became aware that oil level was low, and the dip stick was dry. The contact added 2 quarts of oil however, the following day the oil level was still low. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 88,000.
Incident date: Apr 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Chrysler 200. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, he noticed smoke coming from underneath the front driver's seat. The contact stated that he then saw flames underneath the driver's seat. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with a water hose. An unknown warning light was illuminated. There was no injury sustained. No fire department report was filed. Th... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jun 29, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and inadvertently jerked, and the engine seized. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with fuel injection failure and metal shavings inside the engine. The engine was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The fa... Read more
Incident date: Jun 29, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the HVAC blower motor failed to blow cold or hot air as needed. The failure caused the defroster to be inoperable and failed to defrost the front windshield. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the climate control housing box needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not re... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2022
The start/stop feature on the truck has been malfunctioning and the light has repeatedly came on. The truck has stalled on me while driving on two different occasions. I was in the middle of driving on a busy road and also a highway and the truck stalled on me which could of caused any vehicle to the side of me, or behind me to hit my vehicle causing an accident especially when I have both my kids... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2023
When towing a trailer a notice to service trailer brakes comes on and the trailer brakes are disabled
Incident date: Jun 8, 2023
2022 TESLA MODEL Y- Consumer sent in a copy of settle request sent originally to Tesla Corp. and a copy of proposed complaint document. Short summary of settlement doc is as followed: "To Whom it May Concern, Please regard this as my last and final attempt to resolve our disputes. I had previously directed Counsel to transmit a letter to you on January 6, 2023. That letter indicated my Revocation ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2023
The charging system is shutting down my vehicle while driving in high speed heavy traffic. I was traveling with my grandchildren and my dog and my vehicle stopped in 90+ degree weather in the middle of no where. Once it ran again I got it to a charging station so I could continue my travels. The check engine light went away and we were traveling home when the charging system shut us down again ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 28, 2023
1) Horn is hazardous. Small 1/4" area hard to locate and activate. Impossible to locate when steering. 2) Turn indicators is hazardous. Hard to locate. Impossible to locate when steering. 3) front parking sensors do not work, 4) rear parking sensors do not work, 5) active lane departure warning does not work, 6) forward collision mitigation does not work, 7) rear collision warning does not work, ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that the driver’s side sideview mirror assembly had melted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 15,000.
Incident date: Jun 5, 2023
My brake lights are not turning off. Upon inspection of the brake light switch attached to the pedal, I saw a plastic part (washer) that had broken in half. I believe it is the same issue that affected other 2014-15 Ford models. (https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/ford/2022/01/19/ford-recall-brakes-fusion-lincoln-mkz/6580413001/)
Incident date: May 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds, the electrical power fluctuated, and the steering wheel jerked abnormally and became difficult to turn. The instrument panel lights turned off with an audible bell chime. The contact stated that during the failure, the engine remained operable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2023
******* DELETE VOQ ******* THIS COMPLAINT IS BEING MARKED FOR DELETION BECAUSE IT IS REQUESTED BY THE CONSUMER THAT THEY WISH TO HAVE IT REMOVED*DJR ******* DELETE VOQ *******
Incident date: Jun 27, 2023
Several times this has happened. I am driving and all of a sudden my car stops and I get a message that says Hybrid System Warning, Safely Stop and Do Not Drive. The car will coast to the side of the road at times and other times it won't. I have taken it to the Holler Hyundai dealer in Winter Park FL and they told me nothing was wrong with it. They had my car for less than an hour. I told th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 26, 2023
Door latch suddenly stopped working, making it impossible to open the door from either inside or outside the vehicle. Had this occurred in an emergency situation passengers could have been trapped inside. Hyundai is aware of this defect and has issued a Technical Service Bulletin and purportedly extended the warranty but there is a shortage of parts to make repairs and so they cannot effectively ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 26, 2023
My nephew purchase a 2013 Hyundai Sonata in November 2022. Drove lease than 4 months and motor locked-up. My wife nephew purchase a 2016 Hyundai and his motor locked-up as well. Both took their vehicles to CMA Colonial Hyundai in Chester Virginia. However, the nephew with the 2016 got a new engine from Hyundai free of charge. The nephew with the 2013 Hyundai Sonata was informed that the Hyundai wi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The break pedal stop pad broke into small pieces while I was driving today. My car suddenly would not go above 40 and while going up a hill I couldn’t go faster than 20. When I finally got home I realized that my break lights would not turn off. I did google and it said to look on the floor board a... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
The car will lose power while accelerating and the turbo does not properly work well. Was told it was a fuel pump issue.
Incident date: Feb 6, 2023
When i turn the A/C on, it appears a message on the screen that says A/C off due to high engine temperature. The car is losing coolant without external leak. A mechanic performed a cold pump test to the cooling system and no external leak was found. After that it was performed a compression test at a shop to each cylinder, finding that there's a bad head gasket. My car only has 70.000 miles and it... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2023
Adaptive Cruise Control Automatic Emergency Braking Blind Spot Warning Forward Collision Warning Lane Departure Warning Lane Keeping Assistance Parking Collision Warning Rear Cross Traffic Warning Every one of these lights are going off in the car. I’ve taken it twice to the Hyundai dealership. Both times they have not been able to figure out what is wrong with it even wi... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2023
this vehicle has a non-functioning parking brake. There was a recall in 2004 for 880,000 trucks and suv's. I have taken it to my garage twice but they cannot fix this problem because it is not fixable
Incident date: Jun 2, 2023
Air bag light on. There are 4 codes in the SDM, due to an internal fault in the sensing diagnostic module. The dealership states that it has to be replaced and will cost close to $1100 to have repaired and to clear all of the codes.
CHRYSLER
PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2020) — ENGINE
Jun 24, 2023
Incident date: Jun 23, 2023
I bought a vehicle from Carvana 11/2021 with not quite 59k on it. On 6/21/2023, with 77K miles, my car had a catastrophic engine failure. I was driving my grandchildren ages, 3-12 years of age home. Safety was definitely at risk with speeds of 70 freeway were completed right before engine stopping. The mechanic shop has confirmed the car giving 3 codes related to timing belt/water pump and the oth... Read more
CHRYSLER
PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2020) — STEERING
Jun 24, 2023
Incident date: Jun 23, 2023
Steering wheel sticks. Started right after I get to 5k miles When I’m driving straight if I turn the steering to right it sticks for a very short amount of time. But happens all the time either at lower speeds or high speed
Incident date: Jun 19, 2023
Transmission over temp is a never ending light that lights up daily. I've had 3 reprogrammed PCMs and the ECM replaced as well. The car was also reprogrammed at the dealership twice with the results the same. It will work for a couple days then right back to the original issue and including a few more. Recently the trans over temp came on and stalled in rush hour traffic. Resulting in a almost... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2023
SVRD disabled
Incident date: Jun 23, 2023
SVRD disabled
Incident date: Jun 20, 2023
I had a wreck in my 2018 ford edge. I hydroplaned. I got a concrete wall of a bridge. My front bumper was off. Under both headlights my car was demolished. Rear bumper and back hatch hit a metal railing My steering wheel airbag did not deploy. The only airbag in the whole car that deployed was underneath the steering wheel.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 5, 2023
Without warning the transmission failed. Along with loss of power, when the tranny failed, the ability to use the exhaust brake also fails. The ability to manually downshift fails. I was on steep winding roads in North Idaho (Elk River) when this occurred with three passengers aboard. Once I was able to stop, I was on a steep uphill grade with no forward gears or shoulder to pull over on. I had to... Read more
CHRYSLER
TOWN AND COUNTRY
(2012) — AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE
Jun 23, 2023
Incident date: Apr 5, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 Cadillac ATS. The contact stated that while the front passenger’s side seat was occupied, the air bag (SRS) restraint system warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the presence module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no additional ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 16, 2023
Rear Control Arm Broke off of the rusted Rear Sub Frame assembly which was confirmed and inspected by my mechanic.
Incident date: Jun 16, 2023
Rear Control Arm Broke off of the rusted Rear Sub Frame assembly which was confirmed and inspected by my mechanic.
Incident date: Jun 16, 2023
Vehicle has continually shifted roughly, but beginning last year it stalled while coming to a stop. We replaced the battery and removed the auxillary battery that controls the automatic start/stop and had no issues for almost a year. Approximately a week ago, the vehicle began to stall again when coming to a stop, and giving a message stating to "service shifter." It has happened multiple times si... Read more
CHRYSLER
PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2018) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jun 22, 2023
Incident date: Dec 22, 2021
2 Issue Related to Electrical/Lights: 1) The touch screen has delaminated. This started a while ago (appx. 2020) and was only an aesthetic issue until very recently. Appx. 3 months ago (3/2023) the screen started to have a "ghost button" where different things were being pressed. For example, music changed, seat warmers turned on/off, etc. The most dangerous of these issues was a dark screen ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2023
I was driving to work. 2 minutes after I exited the expressway, my car made a popping sound and I was unable to control or steer my car properly. I later found out that the control arm on my car was broken. If it broke 2 minutes earlier, I would've crashed my car on the expressway and I could have lost my life and/or endangered the life of others. Nissan apparently had an extended warranty on the ... Read more
CHRYSLER
TOWN AND COUNTRY
(2016) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 22, 2023
Incident date: Jun 20, 2023
The contact’s wife owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was overheating after driving 20-25 miles. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into the cylinders, causing the vehicle to overheat. The independent mechanic diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. Th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2023
When I am driving my car the collision brake come on and my car will reduce speed and the not accurate. The car would still be started but will not move upon me pushing the acceleration. When I start my car and I’m reversing it will not move upon me accelerating, when I put the car in drive it will jerk and take off really fast. At a red light after coming to a complete stop my car will not acce... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2023
The windshield made a "pop" sound and had spontaneously cracked from the driver's side pillar towards the center of the windshield, without warning or clear cause. This was all while sitting in the driveway, not in motion. The dealership service department inspection found no point of impact.
Incident date: May 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing an abnormal oil consumption. The contact stated that the vehicle had consumed three quarts of oil after driving 3,000 miles. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The mechanic informed the contact that a class-action lawsuit ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2023
The van began to run rough in the mornings when I first started up. I initially thought a tire was flat. But all tires were fine. It did this several mornings but then would begin driving smoothly as normal about 2-3 minutes after the drive started. A little less than two weeks later the check engine light came on for the first time. It ran roughly but lasted a little longer; maybe 5 minutes. The ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 19, 2023
Fuel Level sensor fails, purchased truck in 2022 and it was fine, filled up one day and check engine light came out, noticed when I fill up again it goes off. This is a faulty part the "fuel level sensor" 1,000s of forums and youtube videos about it, can't believe Ram hasn't recalled this.
Incident date: Feb 19, 2023
My 2019 Ford Escape has had engine coolant leak into the #2 cylinder and has caused engine damage and I am being told that the engine needs to be replaced. I have questioned Ford and the dealership has confirmed this damage and I am being told that Ford will not assist in replacing the engine. The vehicle has 81100 miles and in looking at other complaints this is an ongoing issues with these vehic... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while opening and closing the driver's side door, there was an abnormal crunching sound coming from the door. The contact stated that he observed that the welds on the door and the check arm were fractured. The contact stated that the driver's side window no longer raised or lowered as designed. The contact had taken the vehicle to a loc... Read more