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: Aug 25, 2023
I’ve been having issues with my automatic clutch transmission since I’ve bought this vehicle. There has been numerous repairs done but the company tells me they aren’t responsive on covering another. It causes the car to jerk when accelerating aggressively and has almost caused a wreck. It has been confirmed by the dealership. No warning signs with this. First started to appear a few months ... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2005) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Aug 28, 2023
Incident date: Aug 21, 2023
Battery drained overnight after a day of normal use. Upon trying to start the vehicle, there is a message that states the key is not present and to get it near the push-button. After multiple attempts, the battery was checked with a voltmeter, the battery was bellow 9-volts. The vehicle had to be jump started and taken to the dealer. Battery was replaced, the report says the electrical system is i... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2015) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Aug 28, 2023
Incident date: Aug 16, 2023
Just started happening: on occasion, when trying to shut vehicle off, the accessory light kicks on and DIC says "SHIFT TO PARK". I have to restart the car many times and shift it from drive to park to finally get it to shut off. The issue is commonly discussed on youtube. It's the sensor/switch that tells the car it's in park. Please offer a fix.
Incident date: Aug 26, 2023
Many incidents have occurred with this vehicle. First occurrence happened 11/25/21. Attempting to pass another vehicle and the car began slowing down and various warnings came on. Pulled off to the side of the road, turned off the vehicle and restarted without any further incident. This same thing happened 2 times in 12/2021 both time attempting to pass another vehicle. 2nd time in December the... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2023
Many incidents have occurred with this vehicle. First occurrence happened 11/25/21. Attempting to pass another vehicle and the car began slowing down and various warnings came on. Pulled off to the side of the road, turned off the vehicle and restarted without any further incident. This same thing happened 2 times in 12/2021 both time attempting to pass another vehicle. 2nd time in December the... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 BMW X5. The contact stated while his wife was starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) cooling system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but experienced the failure a second time three days later. The contact took th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2023
Power steering will fail intermittently, sometimes for days at a time. Steering becomes difficult at all speeds and failure occurs without warning. Attached is a deposit receipt for 25% of a ram dealer quoted $2,500 steering rack repair for this issue.
Incident date: Aug 18, 2023
Significant play in the steering. Very noticeable at highway speeds, vehicle tended to wander and need a lot of steering input to track straight. Took it to the dealer, the replicated the problem. There is a bulletin # 08-003-21 REV A. The repair cost $1300. Seems like it should be a recall and covered by the manufacturer.
Incident date: Aug 17, 2023
On March 30, 2023, my 2022 AMG GLE 53 check engine warning light came on. I immediately called Capitaleurocars the Mercedes Benz dealer. On May 1, 2023, according to the Capitaleurocars service order, the technician noted the following: "found the check engine light on" then performed "a guided test for fault code (P146264) and found fuel pressure and temp sensor passing test." The technician w... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2023
On March 30, 2023, my 2022 AMG GLE 53 check engine warning light came on. I immediately called Capitaleurocars the Mercedes Benz dealer. On May 1, 2023, according to the Capitaleurocars service order, the technician noted the following: "found the check engine light on" then performed "a guided test for fault code (P146264) and found fuel pressure and temp sensor passing test." The technician w... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2023
Over last 2-3 years (50-70k miles), intermittent but now more consistent and loud grinding sound that lasts <1 second after push to start. Only occurs typically on a cold start (after engine has been sitting >12 hours, typically in garaged/cooler ambient temperature). Otherwise no issues with performance, no error messages. This is a known issue with VTC actuator (Honda released TSB 16-088) for... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
The car would hesitate and slow down upon acceleration from a stop or slow speed. Could easily have caused the drivers behind me to hit me if they weren't paying attention.
Incident date: Jul 20, 2023
There seems to be a problem with the wiring harness in the steering column. Lights in the dash flash. You can turn the vehicle off and restart and it will stop. Sometimes the lights will start flashing again and sometimes not.
Incident date: Jul 20, 2023
High beam headlights stopped working. Took to the dealer and they stated the curtain that goes from low to high is malfunctioning and must have new headlight assembly for driver and passenger sides.
Incident date: Jul 20, 2023
Headlamps are not working therefore causing a safety issue when driving at night. Initially, 2 years ago, April 2021 the driver headlamp was not working. Dodge dealership had replaced and within the year the bulb would come off and on intermittently. It cost over $400.00. On March 18, 2022 I took it back to Dodge dealership and because it was working that day they just said to bring it whe... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2023
Vehicle stalls when trying to go after stop when auto start is engaged. Auto start must be manually disengaged and sometimes I forget to press the button. When the engine stalls, people behind me get angry and start making aggressive maneuvers to get around me. Normally I can restart the engine after 15 to 30 seconds but it feels longer than that when I have a long line of cars behind me.
Incident date: Aug 7, 2023
While driving at night, the headlights turn off by themselves randomly. The lights need to be turned to off and back on to get them to turn back on. Driving with no lights in an area with no streetlamps obviously could result in an accident. It has not yet been inspected by anyone yet, but a check is scheduled. There were no warning lamps, messages, etc. when the lights turned off. Not a safety... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2022
The vent tube leading to the transmission came disconnected and sucked up water into my transmission. Leading to the transmission to not have any power. My son and I were in the the car trying to go up the hill when it lost power and started rolling backwards down the hill into traffic with the gas pedal to the floor. The mechanic at dodge said he has no idea how the vent tube was able to suck up ... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2013) — FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Aug 25, 2023
Incident date: Aug 9, 2023
On 2 occasions the automatic braking system has kicked on for no apparent reason. First time my husband was driving at 55 mph on route 33, passing the exit to route 42. It kicked on twice. Second time I was driving at 50 mph on route 203, a country setting, no cars in front either coming at me or driving towards me. No animals around. It kicked on for no apparent reason and slowed the car way... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2014) — SERVICE BRAKES
Aug 25, 2023
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
Complete brake failure while in motion.
Incident date: Aug 24, 2023
Upon startup and without warning, the sound system emitted a very startling ear-piercing noise followed by very loud static which did not stop when radio was turned off. It finally stopped when I turned the car off but static started up again each time it was turned on. An hour later when the car was turned on it did not occur. It was so loud that the car was undrivable not to mention how startlin... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2023
The rearview backup camera is glitching often. It's either showing upside down or showing blank screen. When it's disabled, risk or injury and/or death can result. It has not been inspected by manufacturer. No warning message has been seen.
Incident date: Aug 21, 2023
Hello My c300 2018 only have 79k and suddenly the engine light on, when I check it show that I need Positive Crankcase ventilation valve replace. it cost $2300. As I know a lot of people who own Merced have the same problem so should have a recall for that Thanks
Incident date: Aug 21, 2023
The 2019 Kia soul is burning threw almost 2 quarts of oil a week now. It has been ran once just about to the point where there was no oil in the car. Never had a check engine light or low oil pressure light come on. The vehicle from boardman Kia.
Incident date: Aug 21, 2023
The vehicle is turning off completely ir dying when driving. This is happening multiple times. I have to coast safely to pull over, can barely steer to get off the road. This happened 3 times on the way to town. This is very dangerous, I was lucky that I was able to pull over. If I was on express way I would have been in a crash.i don't feel safe driving the car with it cutting off intermittentl... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2023
The car continues to not be able to charge at home. My other electric car (different manufacturer polestar) with the same cord charges without issues. The cord only allows 27amps and the car abruptly stops charging over and over. I have to reset it constantly. This continues to be an issue and the car shows no problems with the battery and there is no fix from Kia.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
The back windshield of my 2023 Honda HRV popped and shattered out of nowhere.
Incident date: Aug 19, 2023
Before I started the car I tried to open the passenger sliding door but the door would not open with key fob, manually or interior dash button. (Only makes a clicking noise ). Then after driving 5-10 minutes the door opens on its own while driving. Kids and new born in car. Items fell out of car while driving. Interior light came on and my eldest was able to close the door. Very dangerous and dist... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2020
On 8/3/23 on two occasions the vehicle suddenly applied brakes while in cruise/autopilot mode when there was no vehicle in close proximity in front of my vehicle. There was however a large commercial truck behind me on one occasion, which may have been effected by the application of brakes for no apparent reason. On 8/5/23, with the vehicle in the same mode, the system applied brakes.....there w... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2017) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Aug 23, 2023
Incident date: Aug 10, 2023
My touchscreen is malfunctioning. It does what it wants when it wants. Example- it makes my headrest flip up and down Turns the radio stations Turns the heat/air on/off Turns the heated/cooling seats on/off Backup camera doesn’t work half the time I backed into a dirt embankment and cracked my rear bumper because the backup camera wasn’t working at that time Navigation doesn’t work half th... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 23, 2022
I bought this car on April 30,2022 for $30,000. It had18,0000 (plus) miles. Within 6 months the idiot lights would come on and all safety controls were cancelled. When this first happened, I was frightened that I would be involved in an accident or the car would just shut down. I called a Dealer close by and was told by their service manager to take it to an Auto store, have them put it on the... Read more
DODGE
CHALLENGER
(2021) — ENGINE
Aug 22, 2023
Incident date: Nov 10, 2022
My catalytic converter went out on my Kia while driving unexpectedly and I have heard of a lot of other Kias in my year have the same issue.
Incident date: Aug 17, 2023
Tire size: TM-1 185/65R14 86 T Tire. I bought 4 tires in Sept 2022. I just found out that, after 11 months of normal city driving (which added bout 10K miles to the mileage) and normal maintenance, the tires already showing belt. They have become a safety hazard so I have to buy 4 new tires of another brand.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Mercedes-Benz CLS450. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH the vehicle crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The front passenger side and driver's side air bags did not deploy. The driver sustained a head injury, right leg and left shoulder injuries and the front passenger sustained unknow injuries. Both occupants were transported from the crash si... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Aug 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, he heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. Upon attempting to drive the vehicle, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to accelerate as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the cam phasers. The vehicle was not... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2023
My 2010 Camry has become incredibly unsafe to drive or be in due to the dashboard melting. There is an unbelievably unsafe glare caused by the dashboard reflecting sunlight and the more the dash melts the more intense the glare becomes. There is also a smell that renders the vehicle almost worthless on hot days and causes headaches. This is on top of not being able to clean the dashboard because ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the air conditioning blower unit would intermittently shutoff. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who serviced the vehicle under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V648000 (Visibility, Electrical System). The contact was informed that while servicing the vehicle it was discovered that the air conditioner blo... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
While slowing to turn into a turn lane, my care unexpectedly accelerated to a very high speed, causing me to crash straight into a signal light post. The light post was knocked over by the force of impact. The car ended up around the corner, facing the opposite direction and having hit another car. Police responded to the scene and inspected the vehicle, which was towed away. An insurance clai... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
Rear subframe rotted in half, causing rear driver side tire to sit sideways and loss of rear end
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
THE TRANSMISSION GEAR IS NOTB SHIFTINGB AND THE CAR IS CUTTING OFF OIN THE FREEWAY AND ALSO AT STOP SIGNS AND STOP LIGHTS. OIL CHANGES AND TRANSMISSION FLUIDS HAVE BEEN CHECKED AND CHANGED PROBLEM STILL HAPPENING.
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2016) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Aug 21, 2023
Incident date: Feb 21, 2023
It is a transmission control module wear a lobster transmission into a Garin. Will not let you speed up or speed down and it is unsafe and GM IS making us pay for the bill. The contact stated transmission control module all across the country on back order, you cannot get a dealer to get you one within six months GM should have to do something about this.
Incident date: Mar 7, 2023
Had my vehicle for under 1 month. I was driving on a busy highway and the steering wheel completely seized up. It was unable to respond to turns or even curves in the road. Luckily, I was eventually able to pull over gradually, stop the car and contact roadside assistance. However, this was a very dangerous condition that could have cause multiple fatalities, including my own. Tesla replaced ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2023
The travel trailer comes with the FLX package, which consists of a lithium battery from Lithionics, and utilize an inverter and a solar panel system to charge this battery. On April 27th, the trailer was removed from indoor storage, during storage the trailer was stored per Winnebago's instruction, when the trailer is turned on as per instruction, the inverter caught on fire while I was inside. ... Read more
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: Jul 21, 2023
The dashboard adhesive migrates to the surface of the dashboard. Adhesive then sublimates and condenses on the windshield making a glaze on the windshield, making it extremely difficult to see the road in sunrise or sunset conditions. I've repeatedly cleaned the windshield with many different cleaners including acetone, but at best I am only able to improve visibility, not restore it. In the at... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2023
Turbocharger failed which can eventually cause engine seizure. Independent mechanic diagnosed and repaired after Buick dealer told me I was out of warranty. After repair I located a letter from Buick with my vin number on it dated November 2021 (after my warranty expiration) confirmed that the turbocharger might fail and they would replace free of charge within 10 yrs or 120,000 miles of vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2023
Power steering failed while driving
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2019) — STEERING
Aug 20, 2023
Incident date: Aug 7, 2023
STEERING STICKS WHEN GOING TO THE LEFT AT 35 MPH AND UP. STICKS AT 10-11 OCLOCK POSITION AND MUST BE FORCEFULLY RETURNED TO CENTER CAUSING VEHICLE TO JERK. OVER AND UNDER STEER HAS TO BE CONSTANTLY MANAGED AND IS DANGEROUS. HAS CAUSED ME TO CROSS YELLOW LINE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC.
Crash
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2019) — EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Aug 20, 2023
Incident date: Aug 7, 2023
Headlights so dimmed you cannot see at night. Without using my high beams. I have all ready received 3 verbal warnings for driving with high beams. My understanding there was a recall I missed out in due to lost mail I assume but Nissan refuses to fix it and trying to charge me $2000 for there safety defect. I cannot afford to get this fixed out of pocket and it’s a safety issue. If it’s a re... Read more
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2018) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Aug 19, 2023
Incident date: Aug 19, 2022
Vehicle touch screen does not accurately depict where touched. This prevents being able to access car information or settings.
DODGE
GRAND CARAVAN
(2018) — ENGINE
Aug 19, 2023
Incident date: Aug 19, 2022
My car overheated due to a head gasket leak, which released coolant into the piston cylinders, causing the engine to overheated, resulting in engine block damage. My car almost blow up!!!! This is a lawsuit against fords ecoboost engines. They need to pay for this fully!!