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 384,293 complaints for FORD
Incident date: Jan 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape PHEV. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V789 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The 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 contact had not ex... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2025
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request?: The auto start stop feature failed, resulting in the vehicle lurching then dieing without any prior indication. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk?: The vehicle's lurch and sudden loss of power occurred at a red light when turning left. If I were the first car in line, it would... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2025
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request?: The auto start stop feature failed, resulting in the vehicle lurching then dieing without any prior indication. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk?: The vehicle's lurch and sudden loss of power occurred at a red light when turning left. If I were the first car in line, it would... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
The steering wheel touch sensors has malfunctioned and whenever the steering wheel is grabbed from the bottom half, the lake keeping assist errors out and the car throws a "travel assist unavailble" in the guage cluster. My steering wheel was replaced under warranty less than a year ago for this issue, it seems to have returned (unfortunately my car is out of warranty now). VW seems to be aware th... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
The steering wheel touch sensors has malfunctioned and whenever the steering wheel is grabbed from the bottom half, the lake keeping assist errors out and the car throws a "travel assist unavailble" in the guage cluster. My steering wheel was replaced under warranty less than a year ago for this issue, it seems to have returned (unfortunately my car is out of warranty now). VW seems to be aware th... Read more
Incident date: May 29, 2026
The contact owns a Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving, there was an audible noise was heard and observed smoke coming from beneath the hood on the driver's side near the alternator. The contact pulled over and discovered flames coming from the engine compartment. The fire department responded and extinguished the fire. No injuries were sustained and no additional property damages... Read more
Fire
Incident date: May 26, 2026
On February 13, 2026, ALM [XXX] [XXX] ) sold me a 2023 Jeep Wagoneer (VIN: [XXX] ) with Federal Safety Recall 88C (NHTSA Campaign 25V-642 — rear quarter window trim detachment, road hazard risk) open and unrepaired at the time of sale. This recall was not disclosed to me during the sale process, which was conducted remotely. I discovered the open recall only after taking delivery of the vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2020
Front camera system failed lights that are on are brake system, Lane assist lkas and acc
Incident date: May 28, 2026
Front camera system failed lights that are on are brake system, Lane assist lkas and acc
Incident date: May 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the anchor in the third row detached. The vehicle rolled while in the drive position. The vehicle failed to accelerate. While reversing, the vehicle jerked. No warning lights The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on five occasions and was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was appr... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the anchor in the third row detached. The vehicle rolled while in the drive position. The vehicle failed to accelerate. While reversing, the vehicle jerked. No warning lights The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on five occasions and was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was appr... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the anchor in the third row detached. The vehicle rolled while in the drive position. The vehicle failed to accelerate. While reversing, the vehicle jerked. No warning lights The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on five occasions and was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was appr... Read more
Incident date: May 29, 2026
We were driving in the middle lane, going straight approximately 25 MPH. The car lurched and almost flipped. We were able to pull over, the wheel was no longer spinning with the car and the tie rod snapped at a weld point. We could have been killed had we been going faster. My son was thankfully not in the car. I am desperately trying to get the car inspected but the dealership will not unless w... Read more
Incident date: May 29, 2026
I was hand washing my car and large flakes of paint started coming off around the back window. I have never experienced this with a vehicle before and it appears to be a manufacturer paint adhesion defect.
Incident date: May 29, 2026
I was hand washing my car and large flakes of paint started coming off around the back window. I have never experienced this with a vehicle before and it appears to be a manufacturer paint adhesion defect.
Incident date: Apr 25, 2026
The contact owns a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 00V097000 (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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not e... Read more
FORD
ESCAPE
(2022) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
May 29, 2026
Incident date: Jun 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln Continental. The contact stated while at various speeds, the contact noticed that there was an abnormal burning oil odor coming from the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at various speeds on several occasions, the vehicle made an abnormal grinding sound, unexpectedly bounced and stalled. The message "4WD Off" was displayed. The vehicle was tow... Read more
Incident date: May 28, 2026
Vehicle was operated normally under moderate load in I-19 near Rio Rico AZ on May 28 2026 when the DR position tire failed suddenly, complete and total carcass failure. Vehicle suffered significant loss of control but stopped without crash or injury. No road hazard was noted, no damage or abnormality was noted when tire pressure was checked that morning. Tire was inflated to 70 PSI. other tires ... Read more
Incident date: May 29, 2026
Vehicle was operated normally under moderate load in I-19 near Rio Rico AZ on May 28 2026 when the DR position tire failed suddenly, complete and total carcass failure. Vehicle suffered significant loss of control but stopped without crash or injury. No road hazard was noted, no damage or abnormality was noted when tire pressure was checked that morning. Tire was inflated to 70 PSI. other tires ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
Ford issued TSB 22-2089 addressing the evaporator temperature sensor that provides an incorrect or "biased" reading in Ford F-150 / Raptor: 2015–2022Ford F-250 / F-350 / F-450 / F-550 Super Duty: 2017–2022Ford Expedition: 2018–2022Lincoln Navigator: 2018–2022 causing cabin temperatures to reach hazardous levels that can cause heat stroke in adults and especially children posing a significa... Read more
2 injured
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2019) - ENGINE
May 29, 2026
Incident date: May 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle shut off as several warning lights appeared on the instrument panel. The contact made multiple attempts to restart the vehicle but to no avail. The police arrived at the scene and helped to place the vehicle into neutral(N) and moved the vehicle off to the side of the road. Due to the failure, the v... Read more
Incident date: May 26, 2026
All four of my door lock actuators have went out without warning. This has caused stress and frustration due to not having the correct access to get in and out of my vehicle. The doors would not lock or unlock by pressing the buttons on the door or on the key itself. This has also caused a big safety concern. Being able to not open my car door is dangerous and could potentially hurt myself or othe... Read more
Incident date: May 26, 2026
My vehicle repeatedly loses acceleration/motive power while driving. When I press the accelerator, the pedal may go down but the vehicle does not respond normally and begins to decelerate unexpectedly. This can happen even at low speeds, including around 20 mph, and creates a serious safety risk when entering traffic, turning, or accelerating with other vehicles nearby. Warning lights illuminate a... Read more
FORD
ESCAPE PHEV
(2024) - FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
May 29, 2026
Incident date: Apr 15, 2026
The speedometer registers speed up to 7mph over actual speed for the first 15 miles then returns to matching GPS speed. Reported to Toyota, dealer said they have seen this before but not identified a fix as of today
Incident date: May 15, 2026
I am submitting this complaint regarding a serious mechanical and safety issue involving my 2019 BMW X3. On or around January 21, 2024, while driving from my home, a warning signal suddenly appeared on my dashboard related to the vehicle’s cooling system/engine. Due to safety concerns, I pulled into a nearby Wawa parking lot, which was the safest available place to stop at the time. I turned the... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2025
The frame of my 2021 Vanleigh Beacon 39FFB fifth wheel trailer has experienced a catastrophic structural failure in the primary load-bearing area near the king pin. The frame has fractured on both sides between the king pin structure and upper deck riser in a non-welded section of the frame. This failure has allowed the king pin to displace upward more than 2 inches into the front structure of th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving in snowy, inclement weather; the entire rear end of the vehicle would become covered in snow. The contact stated snow would become to heavy for the rear windshield wiper which would obstruct his vision while driving in the snow. In addition, the contact stated that the rear tail lights would also become covered in snow which... Read more
Incident date: May 29, 2026
The Kia had a problem with the check engine light coming on and it gently went into limp mode. I had it repaired at Darlings Ford and it worked for about 600 miles. I had it repaired again and it worked for about 7,000 miles. The light recent came on and the car immediately hard banged andwent into limp mode. My wife was driving and shaking when she got home. The light went out and everything was ... Read more
Incident date: May 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2004 Dodge Ram. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers 16V352000 (Air Bags) and 15V313000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted; however the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the check engine light began to flash as the vehicle entered limp mode. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where they discovered that oil had leaked onto the engine which caused her to lose over a quart of oil. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where they diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure.... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while accelerating at 55 MPH, there was an abnormal burning smell detected. While driving, she was alerted by another driver who informed her that the vehicle was on fire. The passengers were able to exit the vehicle safely. The vehicle was engulfed in flames. There were no reported injuries. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The vehicl... Read more
Fire
Incident date: May 29, 2026
Every time I drive the vehicle, it basically snatches me back into the lane aggressively. If I am moving into the next lane, the lane correction is so aggressively, I am afraid it is going to cause a collision. The brakes squeak and squeal constantly. They have oiled the brakes but it didn't work.
Incident date: May 15, 2025
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) failed to detect or warn of any tire pressure abnormality before or after the blowout. Following the blowout, the vehicle’s diagnostics screen displayed “All Systems OK” while the instrument cluster simultaneously showed a “Low Tire Pressure” warning. ... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2025
Safety issue involving a 2018 Ford Escape, Shortly after purchase, after approximately 80 miles of use, the vehicle displayed a “Service Transmission Now” warning, entered limp mode, and lost normal power/speed while on the interstate. This created a hazardous situation for me and my passenger because the vehicle could not operate normally in interstate traffic. The vehicle was taken to an in... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2026
I rented this car from Enterprise. When I pulled out of the rental car facility, the car lurched forward. I applied the brakes. The car slowed down but did not stop and I rolled out into the street to the right. Enterprise is on the top of the hill and Pacific Coast Highway is at the bottom. The trolley and train tracks are close by. It is my habit to tap the brakes before any tracks even when the... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
My vehicle has an ongoing safety‑critical defect involving the braking system, powertrain, and ADAS logic. I have not driven the vehicle since 04/27/2026; all diagnostic trouble codes were recorded while the vehicle was in the dealership’s possession. On 05/05/2026, the vehicle stored multiple DTCs, including C164286, P071300, P076800, U060FF1, U060F29, and U061386. On 05/13/2026, P071300, P07... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2015
2022 Hyundai Sonata N Line, VIN [XXX] , purchased August 15, 2025 with low mileage under original manufacturer warranty. Within 3 months, recurring transmission and drivability failures began. Six repair visits since November 2025; 71+ cumulative days out of service within 8 months. Visit 1 (11/24/25, 14,748 mi): Hesitation/failure to accelerate from stop. Could not duplicate. Visit 2 (12/4/25, 1... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2015
2022 Hyundai Sonata N Line, VIN [XXX] , purchased August 15, 2025 with low mileage under original manufacturer warranty. Within 3 months, recurring transmission and drivability failures began. Six repair visits since November 2025; 71+ cumulative days out of service within 8 months. Visit 1 (11/24/25, 14,748 mi): Hesitation/failure to accelerate from stop. Could not duplicate. Visit 2 (12/4/25, 1... Read more
Incident date: May 28, 2026
FOUND #4 CYLINDER MISFIRE - METAL CONTAMINATION SPUN A BEARING INTERNALLY INSIDE THE ENGINE. RECOMMEND REPLACING THE ENGINE. SEE QUOTES BELOW: RECOMMEND AT THE SAME TIME AS THE ENGINE REPLACEMENT - STARTER, TIMING BELT, SPARK PLUGS, AND VALVE. Found #4 cylinder misfire – metal contamination – spun a bearing internally inside the engine. Recommend replacing the engine.” After researching this... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2026
The passenger rear tire (235/60R19 - Michelin Primacy A/S) randomly blew out while driving at high speeds on the highway. No trauma via a pothole or other object was noted. Tire was inflated to the manufacture recommended PSI (33 PSI). No signs came up until the tire blew out. The tire just randomly decided to give out while driving.
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2023) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 28, 2026
Incident date: May 28, 2026
Component/System: The fire department determined the cause of the fire to be accidental due to an electrical malfunction within the vehicle. The most extensive damage was located in the engine compartment, though damage spread to the passenger compartment as well. The vehicle is available on request. The vehicle caught fire while parked on a street. No injuries or displacements occured. However, ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: May 28, 2026
Cylinder Misfires OBD-II code P0303 Engine Overheats after changed thermometer Fuel in the coolant system Coolant leaking from exhaust
Incident date: Nov 28, 2019
I would like to document it took 7 trips to set the monitors after a failed smog check. That is 21 time going from 55 miles a hour to coasting to 20 miles a hour. on a freeway. Three times per trip at 2:00 - 3:00 in the morning. Also my Catalytic Converter went out at 26,000 miles. It should last 70,000 - 100,000 miles or 10 years. Catalytic Convertor was replaced by dealer. Will i have to replace... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2026
Engine and transmission disengaged from each other and I could no longer accelerate or keep speed. I had to pull over, turn off the car and turn it back on. Local shop took a look and confirmed a cooling System Failure. The system is not at the right pressure at operating temperature. Exhaust gasses in cooling system.
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
Engine began running rough and warning lights came on the dash indicating multiple issues and the engine light. Brought it to Honda and the tech diagnosed a head gasket failure. Honda recommended a head gasket repair. Car only has 137,000 miles on it.
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2023) - POWER TRAIN
May 28, 2026
Incident date: Jul 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, all of the warning indicators on the instrument cluster panel illuminated. Additionally, the contact noted that the parking brake occasionally felt as though it had not engaged, and while driving, the parking brake would disengage on its own. The contact also stated that the vehicle hesitated during accelerat... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2025
We were driving on interstate 49 going south near Chester Arkansas when traffic came to a stop. I was rear ended by a vehicle driving 75 mph. My car hit the car in front of me where there was damage to both the passenger and driver side front area of the car. No airbags deployed in spite of the severity of the front and rear impact of the vehicle. I sustained three compression fractures to my back... Read more
Crash
3 injured
Incident date: May 7, 2026
Car developed a sudden loss of power. Would start, although roughly (took a couple of times to start), then once shifted into Drive, the engine was very sluggish, like it was stuck in a lower gear. Upon stopping and restarting the engine, the problem would sometimes resolve and the car could be driven normally, however it felt unsafe to drive at normal speeds. No warning signs appeared. After c... Read more
Incident date: May 24, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds during rainy weather conditions, water would leak inside the front driver-side door and puddle. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a deteriorated sealant. The vehicle was repaired. In addition, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds during rainy weather co... Read more