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: Mar 1, 2018
The oil light is blinking and car repeatedly shuts off while driving mostly when going 25-45mph. When it shuts off I have to turn it off take the key out and turn it back on until the next time it happens. This usually occurs within an 20 minutes of driving. My safety was at risk because of other cars behind me going speed limit while car automatically shuts off. Car was bought on carvana no local... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Palisade. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V633000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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 not experienced a failure. Parts distributio... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2023
This is a brand new vehicle. Within ~3,000 miles the brakes started to shake the car. I took it into the dealer at ~6,000 miles for it's regular maintenance and they had to 'turn the rotors' to smooth them out. The technician said that "All the Ascents are having similar brake issues", and he believes that the brakes installed on the Ascents are too small for the size/weight of the car. He said ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2023
We were coming down a mountain from Flagstaff to Phoenix at night in heavy, fast traffic when my engine just died. No power, no power steering, no power assisted brakes. Total emergency. I have never been so scared in a vehicle. Nearly rear ended by semi at full speed. Had to try to find a shoulder on a mountain and pull over fast to avoid collision. Then once pulled over the Pacifica does not jus... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2023
Hi Team, Issue 1: unexpected Acceleration: Recently I found that is there is unexpected additional acceleration when I press gas pedal initially after changing gears from P to D. I am setting up an appointment with dealer to report and investigate this issue. My Car has only around 13000 miles on it. This issue was initially observed when one morning when i headed somewhere there is unexpected ac... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2023
Driving normally and instantly, many alert lights came on. Brake booster failed and difficult to stop vehicle. Vehicle engine power decreased. Radio screen shuts down frequently which is less an issue of safety but reflects instability of entire electrical system which seems to cause errors in critical systems such as braking and other safety equipment. Concerns regarding critical malfunctions see... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2023
Steering wheel started feeling loose then progressed to jerking back and forth. Jerks from side to side simply driving easy down the road. Making ticking, clicking, grinding noises too. I do not feel safe and can no longer drive my car. I’m taking it to the dealer tomorrow (a long wait) and suspect it is the same mdps coupler kia and Hyundai have issued an extended warranty on - for all vehicles... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated while pulling out of a parking lot, the vehicle stalled, failed to shift into gear and would not turn off. A towing agent disconnected the battery and the vehicle turned off. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the service disconnect fuse had blown. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurr... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Cadillac XT6. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal "popping" sound and seconds later there was a loud bang. The contact pulled over and inspected the vehicle looking for tire damage, then the contact noticed that there was a large concentration of glass on the roof of the vehicle. The contact observed that the rear stationary ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
Steering wheel buttons began no working. Lights on steering wheel flicker when steering wheel turns. Randomly alerted that "adaptive cruise control is unavailable" both when the system is in use and when It is off. Forward collision warning system active breaking not working.
CHRYSLER
PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2018) — POWER TRAIN
Mar 23, 2023
Incident date: Jan 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that he noticed that the vehicle was experiencing excessive fuel consumption. The contact stated that after fueling the vehicle, the vehicle consumed three quarts of fuel within 20-30 miles. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the Canister Purge Valve (CPV) was malfunctioning, causing an excessive vacuum in fuel va... Read more
CHRYSLER
PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2018) — STEERING
Mar 23, 2023
Incident date: Jan 17, 2023
The steering wheel will have a locking sensation after driving for long periods of time. I took it to the Autonation Honda in Lewisville. They said there is nothing wrong with it. They did not drive it long enough.
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
Exterior light, especially the low beams, are not sufficient for driving at night. The beams are very low and make it challenging to see. If I did not have added fog lights, I would find it impossible to drive at night without constant usage of the high beams. It seems this was recalled in other models and needs to be addressed. It is not safe for drivers and it is clear that just changing the bul... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
The contacts husband owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving various mph on multiple occasions the vehicle accelerates without the accelerator pedal being depressed. Additionally, when the vehicle was shut off the engine still sounds like its on. The check engine and powertrain malfunction safety warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was d... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
The vehicle will randomly stall out. We took it to the dealer to get it fixed, they kept it for a month and did a software update. It's been 2 weeks and it stalls out about 6 times a week still. It's very dangerous and we can't even use it on the highway. Only backroads. Chrysler and the dealership have said it can't be fixed and they are not taking responsibility.
CHRYSLER
TOWN AND COUNTRY
(2014) — VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
Mar 23, 2023
Incident date: Mar 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, an unknown object struck the lower driver’s side windshield and formed a horizontal crack on the windshield. The crack quickly expanded to the middle of the windshield. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the windshield was replaced. While driving 40 MPH, a rock struck the lower passenger’s s... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2023
Was driving 55 mph and engine went into limp mode on busy road almost creating a tear end collision with multiple vehicles traveling at high rate of speed. Cam shaft bolt har sheared off cracking the fuel cover resulting in loss of engine oil. Told this was not covered under warranty but fixable. So fixed that along with front and rear brakes for a total bill of over 3k. Less than 500 miles Lat... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2023
Service advance trac and service power steering now keeps coming on . I’ve looked this problem up and seems to be a VERY common thing amongst ford fusions. Because of this , my power steering turns off and no matter how many times I reset the code , it keeps turning back on . It makes it very dangerous to drive the car especially if it turns off in the middle of a trip/drive.
CHRYSLER
TOWN AND COUNTRY
(2008) — ENGINE
Mar 22, 2023
Incident date: Mar 13, 2023
ENGINE LITE CAME ON CAR RUNNING ROUGH... GOING TO KIA DEALER TO CHECK FOR THE KSDS MODULE ...SOFTWARE WAS UPDATED IN 11/2021
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
2 000 miles after each oil change, a quart of oil must be added
CHRYSLER
TOWN AND COUNTRY
(2016) — POWER TRAIN
Mar 22, 2023
Incident date: Sep 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where it was diagnosed that the solenoid valve was defective. The contact stated that the vehicle was returned to her a week later; however, the failure reoccurred while driving th... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2023
Steering in my vehicle has been very sloppy and hard to keep in a straight line. The engine just went out on me a few days ago and almost caused a wreck due to the car almost dying on the freeway.
Incident date: Feb 28, 2023
Steering in my vehicle has been very sloppy and hard to keep in a straight line. The engine just went out on me a few days ago and almost caused a wreck due to the car almost dying on the freeway.
Incident date: Mar 17, 2023
This problem pertains to a Holiday House Travel Trailer, model 18RB. The frame is not per Holiday House published specifications. The aluminum that was used for the frame is smaller and thinner than what HH specified. The frame is starting to sag which is the same problem reported by other owners prior to total frame failure. Since the frame has not failed yet and no crash occurred, I can't answer... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2023
A 3nd flexible brake line blew out and I lost my brakes for the 3nd time on this vehicle. The first two lines that blew out were both left and right front. This 3rd one was in the rear and as a result I instructed my mechanic to replace both rear lines. Again and luckily no one was injured or crash occurred as a result of this failure which put my wife and I at a great risk. We were able to slowly... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that upon picking up his vehicle from the dealer, the air bag warning light illuminated. The mechanic informed him that the failure was related to the driver’s side seat belt and was not covered under recall. The contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz Metris. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the power steering malfunction warning illuminated. Additionally, the contact heard a clicking sound coming from the steering wheel. The dealer was contacted, and the dealer stated that the electric power steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle had to be repaired due safety issue. The manufacturer... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2023
Traction control and power train light on dashboard, are blinking and the car itself will not accerlerate. This is the 2nd time in 3 months it has happened.
Incident date: Mar 5, 2023
The Seatbelt Retractors failed per both of the safety belt recalls. The belts no longer function and GM refuses to provide a remedy to clear the safety recall.
Incident date: Mar 18, 2023
This is the letter I sent to Kia: Dear Sirs, I own a 2023 Kia K5 EX that I bought new and currently has about 8500 miles on it. Today, while driving on I95 in Florida, I had my right rear tire blow out. I could tell by the feel of the car that I had a flat before the systems warned me, but that is not why I’m writing you today. While I was working my way over to the right shoulder to stop, al... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V543000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the dealer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not ... Read more
CHRYSLER
TOWN AND COUNTRY
(2012) — FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Mar 19, 2023
Incident date: Mar 17, 2023
The CMBS (Collision Mitigation Braking System) had another failure. This is due to the Radar Sensor being blocked and then other safety systems in the vehicle having cascading failures. In the winter of 2019, the Radar Sensor had failed catastrophically and I had to take the vehicle in to the dealer where they, supposedly, performed some sort of an adjustment. During a phone call with a Honda repr... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2023
When driving the new 2023 vehicle with 956 miles we got a lane keep malfunction dialogue box pop up on digital instrument cluster. At the same time the power steering ceased to work or the lane keep fought to keep it centered even when trying to make maneuvers to stay in lane of traffic, navigate turns or avoid other vehicle. It endangered the lives of my wife, 3 young daughters and lives of other... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and was running on three instead of four cylinders. The contact stated that the vehicle had been consuming oil and fowling the spark plugs causing the vehicle to lose power. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who stated that the coils and spark plugs had fail... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2022
forward collision light came on for fours hours display blinks on and off press buttons on display or open various apps on smart phone and music stops playing wireless DVD player doesn't come on or work The electronics in the suv is faulty and not perdicable
Incident date: Oct 31, 2022
The high voltage battery has a possible defect that can cause the car to burst into flame without warning. December 2020 - 2020 Chevy bolt purchased with open recall on Chevy Bolt batteries February 2021 - Received letter from GM that the newly purchased car is dangerous and must not be parked inside nor used for more then 50% of it's range [no contact from GM or the local dealer for over 2 ye... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2022
my engine blew, transmission is slipping. I’m having electrical and air bag problems.
Incident date: Mar 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Wrangler. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V767000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine) 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 con... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2022
The Electronic Power Steering Component failed in the vehicle. No previous warning lights or problems with steering. Had just parked car returned an hour later and warning light comes on. Fortunately, I was pulling out of a parking place when the steering locked up. Vehicle was towed to Acura dealer and the service advisor stated it would be covered under 15 year extended warranty then called par... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2022
Without cause a passenger airbag malfunction light has come up, dealership says this is not covered under recall or vehicle warranty.
Incident date: Apr 15, 2022
Vehicle when new was grinding brakes and smell like they were burning. brought to dealer no issue found. Vehicle did this numerous times like calipers were sticking and not releasing. Vehicle had excessive oil burn. 1/2 quart down with 1000 miles. Vehicle was over filled when brought back to dealer.. no warning light. Oil was change a 2nd time with no issues. Brought vehicle back to dealer o... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2023
Convertible Top Back glass Separation from Top Cover Material. The back glass window separated from the canvas roof, it started in the bottom corner of the glass window.
Incident date: Mar 14, 2023
I was driving down the street as i had just came off a major highway. Route 71 north. My back left frame stiffner broke off my car, had i been driving still on the highway, i could have easily been killed. There was a recall for this exact problem in Canada. Why not here in the United States?
Incident date: Mar 14, 2023
Sticky steering , difficult to stay in line
CHRYSLER
PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2020) — ENGINE
Mar 14, 2023
Incident date: Jan 25, 2023
The vehicle will shake during acceleration. It comes without warning and will cause the check engine light to flash and stay on for about a minute. It goes away on its own. However, there do not seem to be any stored codes, according to my personal OBDII scanner. The dealer refuses to take it in because there is no check engine light. However, this has happened in several occasions and could lead... Read more
CHRYSLER
PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2020) — FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Mar 14, 2023
Incident date: Jan 25, 2023
Cruise control does not maintain a steady speed and constantly fluctuates 10+- miles an hour! The dealer refuses to fix and says they cannot reproduce the symptom. I used a tracker and saw the dealer drive it around the block, never attempting to put it on the freeway.
CHRYSLER
PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2020) — SERVICE BRAKES
Mar 14, 2023
Incident date: Jan 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V010000 (Electrical System, Hybrid Propulsion System); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
I smell gas inside my car. I take the car to the dealer they check everything but they say they can’t fix it. They know about the leak and they say it’s hopping on the Nissan’s 2022 and 2023 . They know about the problem with those cars but they still sell sold them to the people.
Incident date: Dec 14, 2016
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving approximately 65-70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the crankshaft position sensor tone wheel failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was like NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V475000 (Engine... Read more