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: Jul 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the recall repair was performed. The contact stated that after leaving the dealer, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate while driving. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure a... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2024
My ABS break module light stayes on - Cadillac stop making the part for the 2015 SRX. This is a safety concern and also reduce the trade in value.
Incident date: Mar 13, 2024
Several vehicles of the same year, make, and model were recalled for the fuel injectors but mine was not included. My car would not accelerate and became unsafe as I would try to move from stop lights, etc. I took my car into a repair shop and was told it was the fuel injectors. I would like to have my vehicle covered under this same recall as it is a hazard and I do not feel I should have to rep... Read more
Incident date: Jun 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, there was a booming sound heard and suddenly there was an abnormal fuel odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who replaced a fuel sensor. The contact stated that later, while driving, the rear seats started to raise up, and became extremely hot. The contact parke... Read more
Incident date: Jun 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted and the speed was drastically reduced. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway to turn the vehicle off. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2024
Rear backup camera suddenly stopped working and when in reverse the sensors kick in and breaks the vehicle when there's no object or vehicle behind. Also the code for the backup sensor came up but dealer didn't do anything.
Incident date: Jul 24, 2024
I have been hearing a grinding noise coming from my car for a few months. I was having another service on my car and tire replacement at an independent provider and asked them to diagnosing the noise. After completing their diagnosis they determined I need my PTU replaced. "Diagnoses grinding noise coming from PTU. Needs PTU replaced." There are current PTU recalls on other Jeep Cherokees year... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2024
I was driving the car, towards the end of about a 40-minute drive the car, I can best describe, lost its mind. Without any prior signs of symptoms, in about the span of 5-10 seconds, the check engine light came on, then eyesight warning came on, then traction system error appeared and I lost all power. It started braking on its own and completely acting on its own. I could still steer, but I had n... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2024
I was driving the car, towards the end of about a 40-minute drive the car, I can best describe, lost its mind. Without any prior signs of symptoms, in about the span of 5-10 seconds, the check engine light came on, then eyesight warning came on, then traction system error appeared and I lost all power. It started braking on its own and completely acting on its own. I could still steer, but I had n... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2024
AES went off when nothing was around multiple times and has caused my car to lock up the steering wheel, breaks, gas and gear shift causing me to not have any control of my car as the car took over. Due to the automatic brake system went off it cost me to have an accident and ruin my car. Nissan said that they fixed this issue but I have had multiple incidents in the past I have had it break in... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 28, 2024
AES went off when nothing was around multiple times and has caused my car to lock up the steering wheel, breaks, gas and gear shift causing me to not have any control of my car as the car took over. Due to the automatic brake system went off it cost me to have an accident and ruin my car. Nissan said that they fixed this issue but I have had multiple incidents in the past I have had it break in... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 535d Sedan. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the contact observed hear emanating from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the temperature gauge remained hot (H). The vehicle was pulled to the side of the road and the contact stated that she observed smoke emanating from the engine compartment and she exited the vehicle. A passer... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Dec 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the high-beam headlights and turn signals were not working as needed. The contact stated that the local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the vehicle was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure with Technical Service Bulletin: ELE093 (Headl... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated that the vehicle had been repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V631000 (Suspension, Structure) where a coating was sprayed on the passenger side lower control arm and the area was drained. After receiving the recall repair, the contact became aware that the vehicle was pulling to the right and the steering wheel was tilted to the left. Th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced severe shaking and vibration. The contact indicated that all four tires were replaced on several occasions, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assis... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2024
jeep just shut down while heading down interstate 81 about 70 mph in far 3fd left lane not much time to exit the highway had to sit on the left side of the highway and put in Park and restart it did start up after the complete shutdown
Incident date: Jul 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power, and was not able to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the tone wheel had delaminated and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V475000 ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
Issues with shifting out of park. Random acceleration, stalling, lagging, & jerking while on the road & in full speed traffic. When took car to dealership was told issues with my PCM. PCM had been recalled & fixed with previous owner in 2017. Now the second time having a PCM issue, couldn't do anything with the already fixed recall so i was forced to pay almost 2,000. Now still leaving me with the... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30-65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that coolant was leaking into the engine. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.
Incident date: Jul 7, 2024
Transmission Failed at 65,000. Yes, inspection available upon request. Safety is when my family with little children are in the car, and erratic shifting takes place while traveling at high rates of speed. Car has not broken down, but was told by dealer that it could "run for ever or break down tomorrow" Issue for me is that it is VERY apparent through multiple resources that Toyota clearly is... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2024
Thus is the second time my motor has blew up due to a recall in a year Hyundai refuses to replace my engine due to my driver door bring damaged. My vehicle is still being paid on and is fully covered. I was told to get it towed somewhere else and I'm about to lose my job due to nor having transportation
Incident date: Jul 7, 2024
Sunroof exploded out of nowhere. Extremely loud. Sounded like a gunshot.
Incident date: Jul 2, 2024
The electrical in my car is slowly failing, causing problems opening 3 out of 4 windows in the vehicle. My car is currently unsafe to drive (I am a mother with a young child and I will not risk their safety). I also fear the acceleration in the vehicle is also defective, as when I'm driving it will revv the engine and shoot the RPM meter up (even when my foot is off thr pedal). I do not believe my... Read more
Incident date: Jul 2, 2024
The electrical in my car is slowly failing, causing problems opening 3 out of 4 windows in the vehicle. My car is currently unsafe to drive (I am a mother with a young child and I will not risk their safety). I also fear the acceleration in the vehicle is also defective, as when I'm driving it will revv the engine and shoot the RPM meter up (even when my foot is off thr pedal). I do not believe my... Read more
Incident date: Jul 2, 2024
Vehicle lost motive power while driving. Vehicle was new with less then 1,500 miles. After a full charge drove about 4 miles and received message "vehicle will shut down". Tried to pull into a gas station parking lot and only made it half way through the parking lot. Vehicle has been brought to dealer and a new Power Inverter Module is being installed.
Incident date: Jun 15, 2024
Car is parked in front of the house no one has touch the vehicle. The car suddenly started the alarm, had to turn it off. Later on during the day I went to turn the vehicle on and it wont turn off after. I had to search for the fuel pump fuse and remove that to turn off the car.
Incident date: Jun 15, 2024
Horn does not work. Seems to be a regular occurrence in this model. SAFETY ISSUE!
Incident date: Jun 15, 2024
Roughly over a couple weeks, I noticed when pressing on the horn it was NOT responsive when pressing the horn section of the steering wheel, so I took it over to Napleton Hyundai dealership, to take a look at the issue base on what they said, they would have to ordered the part however, it’s on back ordered and would call when it arrives, my issues if the horn is of a safety issue, won’t it b... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Audi S3. The contact stated while driving during rainy conditions, the wiper blades were making a loud sound and almost scratching the windshield, making visibility difficult and increasing the risk of a crash. A local dealer was contacted; however, the contact was advised that the failure was a part of the normal operation of the wiper blades. The vehicle was not diagnosed... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2024
Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault continually chimes and then goes away again. Appears to have loose or faulty wiring. This is directly related to the passenger airbag system, so very concerning. -Tesla inspected this back in March 2020, with no repair, -Inspected it again in August 2020 and found an error related to the left curtain airbag connector and repaired under warranty us... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. 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 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: Jan 15, 2024
The wiring for the headlights is too thin from the factory and often burns out the socket that holds the bulbs.
Incident date: May 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Acadia. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a f... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. After several days, while driving, the contact became aware that the engine was misfiring, and the coolant fluid was low. The contact was able to inspect the fluids, and immediately after opening the coolant reservoir, the coolant level went up. The vehicle was ... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2024
Vehicle was in the Jeep Dealer Garage 3 times within first 6 months of purchase. It would not start, it wouldn't turn over. Absolutely nothing. First time in they said my wife must have done something wrong because the next day it worked fine. Next time it happened to me, again I must have done something wrong because next day it was fine and they couldn't find a problem. Third time they found som... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2024
The Engine start having a knocking sound, it got worse until stop, it burned the oil faster.
Incident date: Mar 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while reversing, the back over prevention camera screen display was inoperable. The contact stated that a blue screen was displayed creating a visibility hazard for the driver. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V342000 (Back Over Preventio... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2023
I have owned my vehicle since 2017 and since then I have had to change the locks over 10 times. this has been ongoing since purchasing my car. Some were originally covered with the warranty but since it expired, i have paid dealerships out of pocket. I have a lock give out almost yearly. Right now my car has 3 of the 4 door locks not working and the 4th just started acting up as well. I have check... Read more
Incident date: Dec 25, 2023
Reported faults with vehicles resulting in unintended reverse movement and an inability to move forward while in drive on a slight slope. Car would roll back even when the accelerator was nearly floored on a slight incline. Car was rolling backwards towards the edge of a cliff on a very narrow road despite multiple attempts of accelerating in drive. Reported and logged with company. Numerous co... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jun 26, 2024
FOB battery has to be replaced every few weeks. I have also had instances where Iock the car and it repeatedly locks and unlocks for several minutes.
Incident date: Jun 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V344000 (Back Over Prevention, Equipment, Electrical System); 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 w... Read more
Incident date: Jun 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V344000 (Back Over Prevention, Equipment, Electrical System); 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 w... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V344000 (Back Over Prevention, Equipment, Electrical System); 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 w... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
Turn signal is not cancelling after turning. Brough vehicle back to dealership and they did not have the part to fix it and never called me back. Looked in the NHTSA recall listing and saw that issues with turn signals have been previously reported under 23V799000. What can I do?
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
The radiator was replaced under PI1513F in 2020. I am currently experiencing the same coolant leak and thermostat issues. Coolant leaked into 4th cylinder and blew head gasket
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags); 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 manufacturer... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
The RHD Jeep Wranglers had a recall on all the clock springs. I had mine fixed, it lasted a year and then broke again. Every mail carrier I know has the same issue. I believe the recall needs to become a lifetime recall, not a singular recall. They are all failing again causing postal employees to be at risk for fatality with the airbag failing to deploy.
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
The car completely died at a busy intersection with no previous issues. Ford states I need a new transmission.
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
Coolant bypass failed at 55,000 miles. This car has barely been used. This car is almost in mint condition and the coolant bypass has failed resulting the car not being able to be driven at all until fixed. The dealer is charging over $600 to repair. This is an ongoing issue with hundreds of Toyota RAV4 owners.