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 153,169 complaints for DODGE
Incident date: Feb 1, 2021
I have taken vehicle into jeep 4 times in less than 2 years . Auto start stop (ESS) fails first then check engine comes on right after car shuts off on own WHILE driving & stalls hard . We have been rear ended because of it thankfully we were not on freeway after googling and asking jeep community this is VERY COMMON in these jeeps . Aux battery goes dead and causes this issue and burns out a fus... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2023
My vehicle was serviced by elk grove ford service dept. only 250 miles ago and the vehicle is back in for more service. time before did the same thing said the problem was this and when they repaired they called and said this is now wrong, I keep asking why no answer. Now the vehicle had to be taken in and I believe because I have put in complaints before that they are f with me and messing wit... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2023
When braking, apparently when the vehicle transitions from regenerative braking to hydraulic braking, there is a brief total loss of braking force and a noticeable sense of acceleration before the hydraulic brakes begin to grab and slow the vehicle resulting in an unanticipated increase in stopping distance and causing a near collision as my vehicle went several feet past the stop line into an act... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2023
Driving and all of the sudden you get a death wobble, truck bouncing/ rattling making it hard to steer and won't stop until you slow down or stop. More than one date bit the one I will add below is most current
Incident date: Apr 2, 2023
When hitting brakes my car pulls to the right , it happens occasionally not often
DODGE
CHALLENGER
(2014) — AIR BAGS
Apr 2, 2023
Incident date: Mar 13, 2018
On Friday March 31 our 2007 Chevrolet Silverado was sitting in our driveway when the passenger airbags went off without warning…busting the windshield. A few minutes later the passenger door airbag went off. Nobody was driving or around the vehicle at the time so no one was injured thankfully.
Incident date: Apr 2, 2023
Cruising on the interstate and the vehicle’s throttle went dead. Vehicle acted as though I let of the accelerator and began to coast. Would not respond to accelerator (rpms went flat and no downshift). This happened approximately 10 times in a row for 5 to 10 seconds each time. I took a quick video of the instrument panel at the end, prior to me pulling off the interstate. Wrench light appeared ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2023
The brakes sporatically cause you to jerk to a stop when you are all almost completely stop (under 5MPH). This is a dangerous issue when in heavy commuter traffic as the following vehicle may not be prepared for what is a complete emergency stop while other traffic continues to flow at slow speeds. Ford has released numerous TSBs to fix this issue but none of them have truly fixed the problem.
DODGE
CHALLENGER
(2009) — ENGINE
Apr 2, 2023
Incident date: Mar 31, 2023
I purchased my car 10 months ago. It has rebuilt title without any structural damage. The accident was in the body only and no one touched the engine. It was in perfect condition and it was driven without any problems for the last 10 months. Two weeks ago, I noticed a ticking noise come from the engine whenever the car accelerates. The noise wasn’t exist before, it just happen. I took the car to... Read more
DODGE
CHALLENGER
(2009) — STEERING
Apr 2, 2023
Incident date: Mar 31, 2023
Steering Coupler in Steering motor defect. Known issue in many models and see a recall on some vehicles: this issue was corrected on my 2016 Sorento but not on my 2014 Kia Forte. My son’s friend also has his Kia Optima denied repair for the same issue. An acknowledged problem that somehow Kia has been forced to correct on ALL their models. A major flaw over poor design using a $5-7 part that Kia... Read more
DODGE
CHALLENGER
(2009) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Apr 2, 2023
Incident date: Mar 31, 2023
THREE TIMES NOW THE THROTTLE HAS GONE TO WIDE OPEN AND STICKS FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS. SCARES THE LIVING CRAP OUT OF YOU.
Incident date: Mar 10, 2023
Airbag light came on and I took it to my mechanic and he stated the the buckle attached to the seat is throwing a code which disables my passenger airbag. The part is on national back order. Is what our local dealer said and we will not be getting a part for a very long time
Incident date: Mar 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at low speeds, the vehicle was stalling and losing motive power. The vehicle was able to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact then stated that while his wife was driving at approximately 30 MPH and merging onto a road, the vehicle stalled, she lost control of the steering wheel, and she crashed into a dit... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
Took my 2015 Chevy Malibu LS to a Hendrick dealership to be checked. It came back body elect concern and that the module needed to be replaced. I sent a email some months back and never got a response. I have two boys that ride in this car with me and since this air bag light has come on I don’t drive my car as much. Attached is the estimate given to fix that specific problem. My name is [XXX] a... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2023
The brake assist malfunctioned causing the brakes to abruptly stop without cause or warning. When the braking system abruptly stopped it caused a jack knife and lost of a trailer on a congested highway with vehicles in all lanes, I was able to finally get control of the tractor with out causing contact or injury with other vehicles and the rear trailer broke free and rolled back and landed in the ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 11, 2023
Lease Car: I waited for the light to turn green and proceed into the intersection going east. The other driver was going south and went through the red light hitting my L/D door, fender,bumper, air bag deployed hit me in the face causing swollen bruised eye. Car was towed as of now there is $15,709 damage with drivers side seat belt on National-Global back order. Due to this being a safety item no... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 30, 2023
Service Electronic Breaking System Light came on March 25, 2023. took truck to Ram dealership March 30th and was told the ABS Pump is going out so breaks won’t work correctly if I have to stop quickly. The replacement won’t be available until August 2023. Called another Ram dealership and was told it’s an engineering problem they are working on. Either way it’s a problem having a truck I... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2020
My 2018 Subaru Outback's windshield has cracked overnight parked on the driveway. There's no visible rock strike point. This will be the 4th windshield replacement in the 5 year ownership. The first time was on 07/20/20. The last two were on 10/31/22, and 12/03/22. This means 3 new windshields in 5 months.
Incident date: Mar 6, 2023
My 2020 Chevy Blazer began demonstrating possible problems with the transmission in November 2021 which have continued to date. The RPMs will rapidly increase and the car will feel as if it is jolting forward. If driving below 20 mphs, when I try to accelerate to a higher speed, the car will drag and then skip forward. I have videos showing this and have taken it to the dealership on two occasi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle would not shift gear and would not accelerate as needed. The hill assist, and parking brake fault warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over on the side on the road and waited for the vehicle to cool down. The vehicle was able to restart, and the contact was able to drive home. The vehicle wa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2023
The ABS system got wet and shorted out the electrical system. It seems it may have been a recall earlier that was done but obviously it has failed again. Was driving and all lights and beepers went off. My abscandvtraction control and brake sensor and cruise control and park assist and engine and brake lights are all on and it now won’t start easy. It’s a mess and at the dealer who says they w... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
I drove the car downhill very slowly. (Good weather, no rain or anything) The traffic light turned red and I tried to brake. However, the brake felt rock hard and the car was not slowing down. In the end I read-ended the car in front of me. No one was injured because I drove very slowly. But the car will probably be totaled.
Crash
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2016) — ENGINE
Mar 29, 2023
Incident date: Mar 29, 2023
I purchased my 2022 GMC Sierra Denali Truck back in November from Ewing GMC in Plano, TX. I am a roofer, and my career depends on my vehicle. I live in Plano, TX, and was driving 80 mph back from Lubbock, TX around 12 PM Friday 3/24/23, on the highway when a notification appeared on my dash saying I needed to press the "start" button. The truck completely shut off, making it difficult for me to pu... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 29, 2023
Incident date: Mar 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was a sound of liquid present inside the dashboard. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that engine coolant was present inside the engine cylinders and the engine short block needed to be placed. The engine short block was replaced but later the vehicle began to drive sluggishly and ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2023
On March 27th, 2023, the car was parked and off for only approximately 5 minutes when the engine caught fire. The engine and vehicle is a complete loss. A claim has been filed with Farm Bureau insurance. There were no engine warning lights, smells, or smoke during or after driving, until the 5 minutes passed when the car was turned off. I did not locate any engine recalls due to fire for a 2007 Gr... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 28, 2023
On March 27th, 2023, the car was parked and off for only approximately 5 minutes when the engine caught fire. The engine and vehicle is a complete loss. A claim has been filed with Farm Bureau insurance. There were no engine warning lights, smells, or smoke during or after driving, until the 5 minutes passed when the car was turned off. I did not locate any engine recalls due to fire for a 2007 Gr... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 23, 2023
The vehicle performed an over the air update which failed. The vehicle became inoperable. The vehicle was force started with dash lights indicating multiple system failures. The infotainment system has crashed multiple times rendering climate control non usable. A loaner 2023 XC60 was provided which also resulted in the infotainment center crashing twice. Dealership acknowledged the issue but has ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2023
My Honda civic steering wheel at around 14,000 miles began to be "sticky" after driving about 30 minutes when performing minor steering corrections. While driving at any speed, the steering wheel has a slight resistance to minor corrections which causes me to need to slightly jerk the steering to go the way I need it to go. This then causes the car to turn to far and the need for correction which ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal amount of smoke come from the exhaust system. The contact reversed out of the garage and parked the vehicle in the driveway. The contact turned off the vehicle and while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle would not restart. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic and t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2023
my transmission is faulty my car is a 2019 Ford Fusion and it has all the same problems as earlier models with recalls that are equipped with the same components as mine my it keeps stalling when I come to a stop which I see numerous complaints of the same thing it there were no warning lights on at the time it occurred I've done research on my own through forums and there are thousands of complai... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2022
After shifting to park a message comes in screen that is telling me to shift to park I have put it in park so then I have to restart vehicle and move gear shifter back into park sometimes it works on 1st try then sometimes takes extra try’s to get it to clear
Incident date: Oct 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 Dodge Avenger. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The battery, the check engine, and the throttle body warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the contact noticed an abnormal odor while the vehicle was parked. The contact noticed there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact's father lifted the hood and ... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2017) — POWER TRAIN
Mar 27, 2023
Incident date: Mar 26, 2023
Purchased from Mt. Ephraim Dodge in Mt Ephraim NJ on Dec 14, 2021. Have try to get them to look at engine/transmission problem at least 7 times always with a can't find the problem, No updates , No help today , Transmission guy out sick, transmission guy Quit.!!! Car bucks and jolts with NO warning engine races , Tach goes up to 3-4 K RPM. This saturday was the worst ever . The ar violently bucked... Read more
Incident date: Mar 27, 2023
When using my Cruise Control the speed jumps up to 75-85 mph without my input. For example, when I set the cruise control to 55 it suddenly jumps up to 75 or 85 mph on its own. This happens when the speed signs on the road change. This past week I used my cruise control for a long trip. I was on a highway that changed the posted speed from 55 to 65 mph. The cruise control suddenly went from the p... Read more
Incident date: Mar 27, 2023
Driving my 08' Chevy Malibu and suddenly in a turn my steering locked. It was so hard to turn. The dash stated power steering with the failure symbol. I turn car off then back on and it's fine. Then it happens again. My safety and others was at risk do to child with Autism in my car & suddenly having to really break around the sharp turn that could of taken me over the embankment and killed us. I ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2023
Date above is approximate. The airbag sensor in the passenger side of the vehicle is faulty and causes a constantly cycling alarm when there is a passenger present. I believe this means that it is not accurately sensing the passenger and is turning the airbag on and off, making for a safety issue in the event of a crash. This is apparently a frequent issue and customers should not need to pay t... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2022
On numerous occaisions while driving in the rain, my wiper speed suddenly starts to drastically slow down/wipe intermittently, even though my vehicle speed or the amount of rainfall has not changed. This drastically reduced my visibility. If I change the wiper setting, the wipers function normally for a short time but will start to suddenly slow down again. This happens on any of the various hi... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2022
The fuel filter under the engine began leaking diesel fuel on the hot engine which ignited a fire.
Fire
Incident date: Nov 19, 2022
Was hit from the rear emd amd air bags did not deploy. Back bumper was totally destroyed amd brakes go out fast
Crash
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2016) — SERVICE BRAKES
Mar 25, 2023
Incident date: Mar 25, 2023
AFTER A 7 HOUR DRIVE ON FREEWAY BRAKES FAILED TO STOP VEHICLE. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP FOR A COMPLETE BRAKE JOB FOR $1800.00. VEHICLE SEEMED TO BE FIXED SO DROVE IT BACK HOME ANOTHER 7 HOURS AND THE EXACT SOME PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN WHILE PARKING IN MY GARAGE.
Incident date: May 1, 2022
Faulty torque converter. The car will unexpectedly turn off when coming to a fast, sudden stop. The 1st time it happened, I was in a left-hand turn lane and didn't realize my car had turned off and I had to quickly restart it to complete the turn. A transmission repair shop confirmed that the torque converter and valve body would need to be replaced. No warning lights, messages or other symptoms a... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2022
The car employs a start/stop system to shut the engine when stopped. When it restarts the engine, the idle speed drops to about 400 RPM (half normal idle) and surges when it recovers. It has also stalled several times. I've asked the dealership to fix this, but when at the dealer, the system would not shut the engine so they have not verified the issue. The first safety issue happens if the driver... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was sputtering. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinders, causing a misfire in cylinder #2. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the fa... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2022
Rear suspension rusted and broke during operation; control arm, tie rod and/or wheel bearings rusted and broke during operation causing vehicle to lose control
Incident date: Mar 21, 2023
Recall notices 23V138 and 23V161 for our vehicle. We have never received notice for either one of these. The repairs have never been done. When I researched our VIN number it stated to notify NHTSA if manufacturer has failed to remedy.
Incident date: Mar 7, 2023
I own a 2019 Harley Davidson FLHCS motorcycle which experiences a problem that occurs in the design of the analog speedometer/digital tach. Condensation repeatedly forms in the lower portion of the display that prevents the driver from being able to read RPM, fuel gauge, current gear in use and time. Attempting to read these values while operating the motorcycle puts both the driver and rider in g... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2023
My vechicles experiences rapid onset shaking, vibration and jerking at low levels of acceleration classified as “juddering and shuddering” in Nissan service bulletins. the CVT transmission system has been the subject of numerous vehicle and safety issue complaints and transmission defect class action lawsuits in Nissan model year vehicles dating as far back as 2012. I just want my rogue replac... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2023
I read the recall on vehicles of my type and it sounds like the issues I have been experiencing. I’m thinking the car was recalled and repaired ineffectively before I got it. The brake fluid is leaking with no obvious fix, I’ve taken it to a few mechanics to check.
Incident date: Mar 15, 2023
I read the recall on vehicles of my type and it sounds like the issues I have been experiencing. I’m thinking the car was recalled and repaired ineffectively before I got it. The brake fluid is leaking with no obvious fix, I’ve taken it to a few mechanics to check.