Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,245,377 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA, including 140,173 crashes, 56,794 fires, and 8,580 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 2,245,377 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 1,850 complaints for FISKER
Incident date: Aug 19, 2024
My wife was driving with my kids on the highway here in San Diego. When the vehicle stalled and luckily she was near the shoulder and was able to pull over. We took it to the shop and they stated it was a fuel pump failure. I have never had a car do this it was crazy dangerous for my kids and my wife. I have read so many complaints on this and yet bmw will take no fault for this. Then they want to... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Mini Cooper Countryman. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle stalled. The fuel tank was a third of the way full. The trunk was locking and unlocking continuously while driving or while the vehicle was parked. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Elec... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH and making a left turn, the power steering failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the steering wheel had seized and became difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with rack and pinon failure. The contact was informed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle almost stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed and retrieved DTC code: P0302 and linked the failure to NHTSA ID Number: 10169807 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The mechanic referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. Th... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2024
The vehicle's entire electrical system is down after a random alarm that start approximately 7am EDT on August 14, 2024. The alarm lasted approximately 30 minutes in duration. After attempts to disarm the alarm via the vehicle's key fob failed, I disconnected the level 2 charger from the vehicle and after approximately 10 mins the alarm stopped but the entire vehicle is inoperable. I have softwa... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2024
Steering sticks and requires a jerky response to correct. Most noticeable when driving on highway but does occur during all types of driving.
Incident date: Aug 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the vehicle was leaking coolant. There were no warning lights illuminated. There was an unknown alarm that was turning on and off. The contact stated that the vehicle started rough. The contact stated that the failure was related to Technical Service Bulletin: 19-2208/ 22-2229. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagno... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Buick Enclave. The contact was notified of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags); 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. The manufacturer was mad... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
Been experiencing an intermittent issue. After completing an indicated right hand turn, the vehicle will signal a left turn for 3 blinks. This is a safety issue because the vehicle is signaling a left turn when no turn is intended.
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
Been experiencing an intermittent issue. After completing an indicated right hand turn, the vehicle will signal a left turn for 3 blinks. This is a safety issue because the vehicle is signaling a left turn when no turn is intended.
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
A/C Evaporator went bad. Dealership already replaced other A/C components as part of extended warranty/recalls. However, the evaporator is not covered by the extended warranty. Could lead to incredibly high temperatures within the car or other components failing/overheating. Dealership quoted $2400 to fix the evaporator.
Incident date: Jul 13, 2024
In June 2024, I experienced serious sustained steering wheel oscillation to the point of having to stop the vehicle while traveling over 70 mph to regain control before proceeding on my way. I scheduled an appointment with my dealer (Woody Anderson Ford, Huntsville, AL) after July 4th weekend and was assigned an appointment date of August 9, 2024 at 10:00am. In May 2024, after traveling about 47... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2009 Dodge Journey. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. The vehicle was restarted and driven to the destination. The contact stated that the following day while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with TIPM failure. The contact was informed t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while refueling the vehicle at the gas station, fuel was splashing out of the fuel filler neck. The contact stated that upon attempting to refuel the vehicle again, the gas pump nozzle unintendedly stopped several times and fuel splashed onto the contact; however, the fuel tank was not full. Additionally, the check engine warning light was il... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated while refueling the vehicle at the gas station, fuel was splashing out of the fuel filler neck. The contact stated that upon attempting to refuel the vehicle again, the gas pump nozzle unintendedly stopped several times and fuel splashed onto the contact; however, the fuel tank was not full. Additionally, the check engine warning light was il... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Dodge Journey. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera image was displayed upside down, sideways, and occasionally blank. Additionally, the pedestrian warning system was inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that front driver's side window failed to roll down or roll up while engaging the power door window ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
As I was driving on the highway I started losing power and a warning of transmission over heating appeared on screen. I let the car sit and cool down and when I started it up again the same issue persisted, I had the car towed home. My vehicle is available for inspection upon request. My safety was put at risk since I was driving and highway speed and car just slowed down during rush hour traffic.... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
As I was driving on the highway I started losing power and a warning of transmission over heating appeared on screen. I let the car sit and cool down and when I started it up again the same issue persisted, I had the car towed home. My vehicle is available for inspection upon request. My safety was put at risk since I was driving and highway speed and car just slowed down during rush hour traffic.... Read more
Incident date: Aug 10, 2024
The center overhead console fell down (controls dome lights, sunroof, & other convenience features). Thankfully, no one was driving but it could have caused a serious issue if we had been. Many other VW Tiguan owners have experienced this issue, sometimes multiple times.
Incident date: Aug 9, 2024
During normal driving, Pirelli tires have bubbles, resulting in air leakage. Tires will eventually run flat. Pirelli tires installed on new vehicle cannot support the weight of the vehicle.
Incident date: Aug 9, 2024
Will not take fuel. Even when the gasoline tank is empty it will not accept fuel properly. Fuel seeps out and leaks. Problem presents identically to the 2015-2020 VW & Audi recall. VW doesn’t acknowledge my VIN as a vehicle with the problem. My car is on the identical platform as the Audi A3 and is FWD. my problem is identical to the recall but VW will not acknowledge the problem.
Incident date: Aug 2, 2024
Steering wheel makes a loud cranking/screeching noise when driving for long periods. You can also hear a knocking sound coming from the steering wheel. Have found several complaints of this issue amongst several online groups and forums
Incident date: May 15, 2024
Started car. Pulling out of garage going forward. Pushed the cruise control button on steering wheel instead of radio volume button by accident. Car suddenly began to rapidly accelerate. Took me a second or two hit brake to stop car. Pushing brake did stop car. If you activate the cruise control with the car running and in drive at any speed under 20 mph the car will accelerate to 20 mph.
Incident date: May 15, 2024
VEHICLE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK CAR INTO MECHANIC AND FOUND OUT A CODE POINTS TO A PROBLEM WITH THE TIMING CHAIN/CAM POSITION SENSOR. PRIOR TO THE ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON CAR PREVIOUSLY HAD (2) RANSOM ISSUES THAT NOW AFTER GETTING THE DIAGNOSIS MAKES SENSE WHY THE CAR WAS AT TIMES MAKING A FLUTTER SOUND WHEN STARTING ALONG WITH THE ENGINE RANDOMLY AT TIMES ACTING LIKE TO WAS GOING TO STOP RUNNIN... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2024
We were driving to Mci airport. We felt car jerk. Was able to continue driving. Got off at exit. Pulled over looked under hood, didn’t see anything. Pulled away felt it pulling back. Was able to make it home at just 60 miles an hour. The care would hesitate and jerk if going up slight hill or accelerating. Took to shop. They said it was pvc valve. Which caused crack in oil pan as well as timing... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the spark plugs had failed and needed to be replaced. The spark plugs were replaced but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was then taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determin... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking system was activated, bringing the vehicle to a complete stop. The contact stated that there were no other vehicles or objects nearby. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The brake warning light wa... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
The electronic Rear view camera stopped working. We took it to Allen Toyota and they found, “ DIGITAL REAR VIEW MIRROR INTERNAL FAILURE.”. They replaced the entire rear view camera. Our Tundra only had 1546 miles and less than a year old.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
The contact's son owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle shuddered, made an abnormal knocking sound, and stalled. No further information was provided. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the residence, where the contact drained the engine oil and noticed that there were metal shavings in the oil. The contact became awa... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the "Service ABS" warning light illuminated the instrument panel with a continuous warning chime throughout the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer; however, an official diagnostic test was not performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The failure mile... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2024
July 20, we were driving the 2021 3500HD to church w/our single axle trailer w/mower on it when we were stopped at a yield sign and proceeded to pull forward, our truck made a loud boom noise and immediately stopped. Warning lights on the dash began coming on, when the gas pedal was pressed it made a loud RPM sound of engine revving, following by barely coasting action. We were able to drift into ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 30, 2024
The vehicle will run extremely rough and not accelerate when needed especially after filling the tank with gasoline. It will almost die in the intersection when you’re trying to get past Traffic. It will not reach Highway speed at times and when you step on the gas the engine makes a strange noise and it slows down. The vehicle is very dangerous in this regard. One time I almost had an accident ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle and flew off. The contact stated that the trims had been replaced several times. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted.... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that the vehicle was serviced under the NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel System, Gasoline), and after picking up the vehicle, the vehicle shifted into park and inadvertently stalled, almost causing a rear-end collision. The contact also stated that the navigation system and the lights were not working as needed. The vehicle was taken bac... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2024
In June of 2023 I received a safety recall from GM on my 2016 Buick Enclave concerning a defect in the airbag system. I contacted my local GM dealer and they said the hadn't received the replacement parts yet and that I would be notified when they were available. I checked again in January 2024 and still had no parts. I called again today, July 29, 2024 and received the same answer. I then conta... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the "Service Battery Charger" message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who replaced the alternator, but the failure persisted. Additionally, while depressing the brake pedal, the pedal felt spongy, and the vehicle failed to immediately stop. The cause of the failure was not yet... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2024
2018 ram 2500, abs and traction control light came on and front driverside brake locked up cause me to lose control of the truck. Almost hit 2 other vehicles. Now there's a loud grinding noise and seems to be not drivable. Vehicle was towed to my local dealer this morning 7-29-24 (kendall jeep ram chrysler). Was told by a service advisor that I could possibly be a faulty abs module but they do n... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2024
The optional Leather Dashboard is peeling away from the base of the windshield. The cutout in the leather that aligns with the passenger airbag is now out of alignment and there is concern if the airbag will deploy properly in an accident.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2024
My pearl white 2019 KIA Sorento LX is peeling terribly. It's very ugly and is causing my car to rust in spots
Incident date: Jan 15, 2024
I was coming to a stop at a curb and was braking to reduce speed and stop. With my foot in the brake the car began accelerating and lunged forward. I quickly pulled my foot off the brake and pressed the brake again and this time it stopped. This is the second time this has happened in this car. This behavior is extremely unsafe and makes me reluctant to drive the car again. Had someone or somethi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2024
New under warranty, 5,924 miles. Front end shudders and bounces when applying front brakes. Dealer service center said front brake rotors are warped and out of spec. No accident ‘YET’ but Harley Davidson is refusing to fix the brake problem under warranty (bike is 8 months old), stating brake rotors are a ‘wear’ item, although the Replacement rotors WOULD have a 1 year ‘warranty’. WTH ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 26, 2024
Twice while driving on the highway the engine power went off and all the safety lights flash and I could not accelerate. I was able to pull Over in neutral and restart the engine. When taken in for inspection, no problems were found. It happened again in June after the 7500 mile inspection on May 9th. This issue is life threatening as it could easily cause a fatal crash if I was not in the right ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Fisker Ocean. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V405000 (Electrical System). The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, several unknown warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle lost power. The vehicle was restarted, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mi... Read more
FISKER
OCEAN
(2023) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
Jul 26, 2024
Incident date: Jan 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that the engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the catalytic convertor and active grill shutter assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approxima... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle intermittently lost power steering functionality. The blind spot sensors also displayed an error message on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the traction control and several other electrical systems failed intermittently. The contact stated that the message “Brake Failure” was displayed on the instrument pa... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-350 SD. The contact stated that while hauling a trailer, the brakes failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who updated and replaced the Auxiliary Power Interface Module (APIM) several times. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. Additionally, the radio turned on without driver interaction. The contact stated that the For... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2024
Cylinder #1 misfire fuel injectors replaced 4/16/2024; 7/26/2024 cylinder #6 misfire and compression leak. Chrysler refuses to acknowledge additional issue with this 3.6L engine cylinder head. Customer service disconnected me when I asked to file a complaint. Called the Canadian phone number on X56 service bulletin and repeatedly got disconnect.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V510000 (Air Bags, Seat Belts); 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 contac... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V510000 (Air Bags, Seat Belts); 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 contac... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was a significant amount of white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine block. The dealer recommended the long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. T... Read more