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: Dec 14, 2023
My wife and I were returning from a Thanksgiving trip to relatives in Virginia southbound on I 95 She was driving and we both felt the car shudder as we began to lose speed. There was no acceleration even though the Tachometer was in a high range. We limped into a Rest Area ,shut down the car and called a tow service. We were towed to Deacon Jones Nissan in Golsboro, N.C. where we were told w... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2020
My wife and I were returning from a Thanksgiving trip to relatives in Virginia southbound on I 95 She was driving and we both felt the car shudder as we began to lose speed. There was no acceleration even though the Tachometer was in a high range. We limped into a Rest Area ,shut down the car and called a tow service. We were towed to Deacon Jones Nissan in Golsboro, N.C. where we were told w... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2023
3 out of 4 doors have stopped opening from the outside. The locks still work properly and have no effect on the outside door handles. The doors still open just fine from the inside, except for the driver door. The driver door will not open at all, which is a major safety issue and should have been recalled, especially since the door handles are well known issue for Hondas. Although the car does ha... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Azera. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The m... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Genesis G90. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The oil warning light intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the engine was leaking oil and advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, whe... Read more
Incident date: Nov 23, 2023
Intermittent “service brake system” comes on. Spoke to dealership and said they do not have the part to fix the brake system. It is on back order being “re-engineered” and have no indication when it will become available.
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2019) — AIR BAGS
Dec 11, 2023
Incident date: Dec 11, 2023
I was involved in an accident with a deer. It impacted my driver door. The impact and physical damage were minimal to moderate. However, at least 6 airbags deployed, totaling out the vehicle. There have been some recalls on 2021 Broncos for faulty airbag sensors. There was no recall on mine. Yet, I believe these sensors were faulty as it was a minor impact to the vehicle. As I had purchased this v... Read more
Crash
DODGE
SPRINTER 2500
(2008) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Dec 11, 2023
Incident date: Dec 11, 2023
I purchased a brand new 2024 kia k5 gt on September 2 2023; from kia of Cerritos "18201 Studebaker Rd, Cerritos, CA 90703" . My car has noticeable defects that affect the driving experience and can be dangerous. When coming to a stop the engine turns off as if it was deactivating one or more of my cylinders. While that happens it stalls the car. My adaptive cruise control doesn't work as intended ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2023
My son was in an accident to where the whole front end was smashed and neither airbag deployed
Crash
Incident date: Dec 10, 2023
My son was in an accident to where the whole front end was smashed and neither airbag deployed
Crash
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2012) — POWER TRAIN
Dec 10, 2023
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
On 2/18/2019 took the F-150 to Mathews Ford Marion Ohio service to address several issues. First, the tailgate had unexpectedly opened striking a trailer jack and damaging the tailgate. Tailgate opening while driving with cargo could result in cargo falling onto roadway. Damaged tailgate remains on the truck and is available for further inspection. Second, the owner heard rubbing/grinding noises w... Read more
Incident date: Oct 30, 2023
I have an open recall (10/20/23) and called both the BMW Recall Hotline and my local BMW dealer for more information. (East Bay BMW, Pleasanton, CA) The Dealer would not provide the Recall information and the Hotline provided some of this information. Neither could provide me with a timeline for BMW setting a Remedy. Unfortunately my BMW is experiencing some of the symptoms. When can I reasonab... Read more
Incident date: Jun 22, 2022
Loss of Power Steering. I had my vehicle towed to "Conway Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram 2385 Church Street, Conway, SC 29526. (843) 365-7331. It has been there for approximately two (2) months. I was told that they are waiting on parts. I found out that there are hundreds other, same type complaints, reported to this agency. Please advise what steps should I take to resolve this issue. Thanks.
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2017) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dec 8, 2023
Incident date: Dec 8, 2023
The contact’s daughter in-law owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the Low Oil message was displayed, and the engine shifted into "LIMP Mood" reducing the speed of the vehicle. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the oil pump had failed causing permanent damage to the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not ye... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2009) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Dec 8, 2023
Incident date: Oct 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal to make a lane change, the vehicle revved up and hesitated before gaining forward momentum. The contact stated he heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that it sounded as if the electric hybrid... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2023
Due to a death in the family, we were traveling back from a funeral. We were miles away from another freeway change when a deer came from the ditch and darted in front of my vehicle. With no time to react, I braced for impact. Going at a high rate of speed, I was bracing for airbags. At the time of collision all the safety features engaged. The seatbelts locked in place, hazard lights turned on, a... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Oct 20, 2023
The alternator was having malfunction in the middle of driving. At first, the system warned and showed" Electric system malfunction" with yellow lights on. As soon as I saw this warning, I drove to the nearest dealership which is about 15 mins drive. Two minutes before my wife and I arrived at the dealership, the car have many red lights warning turned on one by one. The system asked me to stop sa... Read more
Incident date: Sep 6, 2023
Vehicle at highway speeds shakes uncontrollably and makes you slow down to maintain control also causes you to vear into other lanes when trying regain control. It happens all the time at those speeds and have to park the vehicle and not drive. Jeep is having hard time finding parts. My vehicle is all factory stock and no modifications have been made to it. Very scary and very very dangerous to dr... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2019) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Dec 6, 2023
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
I was driving on the highway and the passenger side front pillar trim panel just flew off. This is the second time this has happened to my vehicle, the first time was my rear pillar which I paid to replace myself because I was told at the dealership this is just a cosmetic issue. I disagree, to me this is very hazardous and could potentially hurt someone, and now my car sounds like air is coming t... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2019) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Dec 6, 2023
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
I was driving on the highway and the passenger side front pillar trim panel just flew off. This is the second time this has happened to my vehicle, the first time was my rear pillar which I paid to replace myself because I was told at the dealership this is just a cosmetic issue. I disagree, to me this is very hazardous and could potentially hurt someone, and now my car sounds like air is coming t... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2018) — ENGINE
Dec 6, 2023
Incident date: Dec 3, 2023
I bought my car yesterday. Was driving tonight when it was raining with my wipers on. I stopped at a stoplight and the engine stopped, the check engine light came on, a loud and long beep sounded, and messages came up on the screen saying steering power low, press brake firmly to restart. I tried multiple times to press the brake for restarting but it didn't work. I had to put on my flashers for c... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2019) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Dec 6, 2023
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
I bought my car yesterday. Was driving tonight when it was raining with my wipers on. I stopped at a stoplight and the engine stopped, the check engine light came on, a loud and long beep sounded, and messages came up on the screen saying steering power low, press brake firmly to restart. I tried multiple times to press the brake for restarting but it didn't work. I had to put on my flashers for c... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2016) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Dec 6, 2023
Incident date: Nov 6, 2023
This vehicle has only 8,961 miles. When driving a light comes on that states Check Hybrid System. Stop Safely then the vehicle shuts off. I have taken it to Lester Glenn Hyundai Toms River, where I purchased the vehicle and they cannot figure out the issue. This is a safety concern.
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2016) — FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Dec 6, 2023
Incident date: Nov 20, 2023
Raw fuel smell in vehicle cabin and garage where vehicle is kept. Fuel fumes have proved harmful to humans. I have an appointment with the Nissan dealer on 12/7/2023. Vehicle has no warning lights or messages, however fuel economy is not as high as indicated by manufacturer.
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2016) — POWER TRAIN
Dec 6, 2023
Incident date: Nov 20, 2023
I have to replace my rear drive shaft.
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2019) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Dec 5, 2023
Incident date: Nov 20, 2023
For at least a year or better, I noticed a creaking noise in the driver side door. Then on November 14th while doing my first time doing meals on wheels delivery, the door sounded as if it was going to fall off. We drove to Horn Ford Dealership in Brillion where the car was purchased and had them look at it. There was mention that they had repaired a couple of other Ford Escapes with the same ... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2018) — FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Dec 4, 2023
Incident date: Aug 1, 2019
Forward collision warning has been coming on over 5 times now along with cruise control not working
Incident date: Nov 27, 2023
Upon attempting to start the car, displayed "Propulsion Power Is Reduced" error message and "Check Engine" light came on, and the car failed to start. Mission Bay Chevrolet on Morena Blvd in San Diego repaired the car by replacing the BECM. This repair was covered under the Voltec warranty, so I was not charged for it, but lost usage of the car for 18 days it was in the shop. November 8-26, 2021.
Incident date: Nov 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2009 Nisan Altima. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to detect that the key was present, activating the anti-theft immobilizer and preventing the vehicle from starting. The “No Key Detected” warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After inv... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Alfa Romeo Stelvio. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35–45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The “Do Not Drive” message was displayed. The contact called an independent mechanic and was referred to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact state... Read more
Incident date: Sep 19, 2023
This describes false alarms by the vehicle electronics. About once every four to six months, the center display on the dash says, "BRAKE," and a Sonalert-type steady beep comes out of the dash. This happens with cruise control on. In two cases, there was no vehicle in front of me on the road. I could not see any source of radio signal or radar interference (EMI) in the area or nearby. In one cas... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
Crankshaft failed at 42,000 miles and required a new engine to fix. This occured during driving on a highway. Truck was taken to a diesel engine repair center for the diagnosis and repair. There was no engine light warning when it happened.
Incident date: Jan 9, 2019
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for service, he was made aware that the driver’s and passenger’s side front wheel lug nuts were severely deformed. As a result, the dealer declined to complete the service due to safety concerns. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not assist. The fa... Read more
Incident date: Sep 27, 2023
I was driving down the road and suddenly my check engine light starts flashing and the vehicle starts surging. I pull over and shut the car off. I get outside to the hood to open it, as there is steam coming out, and as I put my hand on the hood release, a fire erupts from the engine going over my windshield and driver window. Burning my entire car and $2500 worth of belongings to the ground.
Fire
Incident date: Sep 27, 2023
I was driving down the road and suddenly my check engine light starts flashing and the vehicle starts surging. I pull over and shut the car off. I get outside to the hood to open it, as there is steam coming out, and as I put my hand on the hood release, a fire erupts from the engine going over my windshield and driver window. Burning my entire car and $2500 worth of belongings to the ground.
Fire
Incident date: Nov 28, 2023
My car has 58000 miles And the alternator failed on the way due to valve cover gasket leaking oil on top of alternator to and ultimately fail. Due to alternator failure the cars driving features shutdown within few seconds all the warning lights came up and emergency braking, suspension and gears stopped working. This is a serious concern as the car systems shutdown this could have put me in a dan... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2023
The brakes went out on the vehicle while my service technician was driving and he barely missed getting in an accident. We had it towed to the Chevy dealer and the brake Pump shattered causing damage to the exhaust clamp and they are telling me it’s not under warranty or recall but I see this is happened with millions of other Chevy vehicles?
Incident date: Oct 15, 2023
I have water leak and mold growing in the passenger side of the vehicle for about a month. I took car to Rockaway Nissan, where i bought the vehicle. The dealer Stated that, they found sunroof drain hoses clogged with water and debris causing back flow of water into cabin which they claimed cleared and tested for leak and should remedy the issue. Unfortunately, i am still having the leak even afte... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2023
Cranks but don’t start at times. After doing lots of research I think the tipm is going out and will leave me stranded. Repair shop cannot find a problem
Incident date: Nov 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. T... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Buick Regal equipped with General Tires, Tire Line: Unknown, Tire Size: 245/45R18, and DOT Number: Unknown. The contact stated that after traveling over 3,000 miles and driving at an undisclosed speed, upon reaching his destination, he became aware that an abnormal buddle had developed on the side wall of the front passenger side tire. The tire was taken to the dealer, who ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Infotainment screen and back up camera, it is available for Kia at anytime they choose. A complaint has been filed with kia and they have yet to respond. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Failure of the system causes Safety issues for passengers as well as anyone outside of... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
While driving the brake light came on and when I attempted to stop pedal goes almost to the floor and loud grinding noise is heard. I was able to barely stop the vehicle, I then shut off the vehicle, checked around the vehicle as well as engine compartment not finding any noticeable issue. Restarted the vehicle and brake light was off able to stop with no issue and no grinding noise was heard. ... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2017) — STEERING
Nov 27, 2023
Incident date: Nov 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V615000 (Electrical System, Steering) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while using the key to start the vehicle, the key spun around in... Read more
Incident date: Oct 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while her niece was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and was unable to accelerate above 60 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that there was a misfire in cylinder #2. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the con... Read more
Incident date: Oct 5, 2023
I was waiting at a red light and my truck started smoking and caught fire
Fire
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2017) — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:ABS WARNING LIGHT
Nov 27, 2023
Incident date: Nov 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated driving 20 MPH, the ABS and the traction control warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the message "Blind Spot Detection Cancelled" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure persisted, and the warning lights flickered while driving in the rain on one occasion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V65... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2022
Over last 3 months have had 8 occurrences of “Death Wobble”. Front end shakes violently at high speed. During a recent road trip, event occurred 4 times, so violently that I had to pull over and stop vehicle.
Incident date: Nov 11, 2023
The backup camera often is not available, or the screen is badly distorted, cuts in and out, or image looks like ghost. There was a recall for 2015 to 2018 Mustang, but my 2019 Mustang EcoBoost Convertible Premium does the exact same thing as the 2015 to 2018 Mustang. I took it to the dealer for repairs, and was told that it is not covered by the recall. I tried to fix the problem myself, but ... Read more