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
FORD
F-150 HYBRID
(2025) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Aug 28, 2026
Incident date: Aug 13, 2026
**2025 Ford F-150 – Repeated Wiring Harness Damage** I am reporting two separate incidents involving a 2025 Ford F-150 that resulted in significant damage to vehicle wiring harnesses and required replacement of major wiring components. On March 4, 2026, the vehicle sustained wiring damage during a dog-related incident. The vehicle was inspected by a Ford dealership, which determined that a maj... Read more
FORD
F-150 HYBRID
(2025) - STRUCTURE:BODY
Aug 28, 2026
Incident date: Aug 13, 2026
**2025 Ford F-150 – Repeated Wiring Harness Damage** I am reporting two separate incidents involving a 2025 Ford F-150 that resulted in significant damage to vehicle wiring harnesses and required replacement of major wiring components. On March 4, 2026, the vehicle sustained wiring damage during a dog-related incident. The vehicle was inspected by a Ford dealership, which determined that a maj... Read more
FORD
F-150 HYBRID
(2025) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Aug 28, 2026
Incident date: Aug 13, 2026
**2025 Ford F-150 – Repeated Wiring Harness Damage** I am reporting two separate incidents involving a 2025 Ford F-150 that resulted in significant damage to vehicle wiring harnesses and required replacement of major wiring components. On March 4, 2026, the vehicle sustained wiring damage during a dog-related incident. The vehicle was inspected by a Ford dealership, which determined that a maj... Read more
FORD
F-150 HYBRID
(2021) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Aug 28, 2026
Incident date: Feb 9, 2026
My vehicle experienced significant transmission shift issues, skipping gears, stuck in gears, going to wrong gears, and inability to shift, that left me disabled in intersections multiple times. The situation worsened over time and had to have the transmission replaced. The failure was diagnosed as a CDF coupling failure.
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2016) - BACK OVER PREVENTION
Aug 28, 2026
Incident date: Aug 28, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rearview camera would occasionally display a blank screen, while at other times a "Camera Not Available" warning message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to multiple dealers, where it was diagnosed that the rearview camera had failed a... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was serviced under Customer Satisfaction Program 23B-56; however, the replacement welding caused the front driver's side door to fail. Additionally, the contact stated that while attempting to enter the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start, and multiple warning lights illuminated. The vehicle r... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was serviced under Customer Satisfaction Program 23B-56; however, the replacement welding caused the front driver's side door to fail. Additionally, the contact stated that while attempting to enter the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start, and multiple warning lights illuminated. The vehicle r... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2019) - SEAT BELTS
Aug 28, 2026
Incident date: Aug 24, 2026
The passenger-side seat-belt retractor pretensioner, which is part of the supplemental restraint/airbag system, malfunctioned. The pretensioner apparently deployed without a collision, and the passenger seat belt became permanently locked and unable to retract or extend. The vehicle and failed component remain available for inspection upon request. My safety and the safety of my passengers were p... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2019) - AIR BAGS
Aug 28, 2026
Incident date: Aug 24, 2026
The passenger-side seat-belt retractor pretensioner, which is part of the supplemental restraint/airbag system, malfunctioned. The pretensioner apparently deployed without a collision, and the passenger seat belt became permanently locked and unable to retract or extend. The vehicle and failed component remain available for inspection upon request. My safety and the safety of my passengers were p... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2026
Coolant intrusion the engine is ruined by a design flaw
Incident date: Apr 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Edge. The contact stated that on multiple occasions, the center console display overheated, causing the cabin temperature to become extremely hot. The air conditioning could not be operated due to the center console display being inoperable. No warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the center console display wa... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2026
Emergency parking brake came on and would not turn off even when I tried to do a reset. We had to have the truck towed.
Incident date: Aug 27, 2026
Emergency parking brake came on and would not turn off even when I tried to do a reset. We had to have the truck towed.
Incident date: Aug 27, 2026
Transmission, temporally could be available but to replace it there is a $1500 core charge The transmission catastrophically failed, which lead to the rear wheels to lock up while driving, putting me and others at risk, had i been going faster when it did lock up No the problem has not been reproduced by a independent service center as i am going to replace the transmission myself I have inspected... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2026
10 speed cvt transmission. Truck was struggling with 1-3 shift, reving, hesitating, and then jumping. Hard shifts, and clunking. Took it to transmission shop got valve body replacement... less than a week later transmission could not hold 10th at highway speed kept down shifting to 9 and then going back to 10 again and again. After 15 min the display showed it in NO GEAR then 1st GEAR at highway s... Read more
FORD
F-150 HYBRID
(2025) - FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Aug 28, 2026
Incident date: May 6, 2026
Vehicle demonstrates an intermittent lag during acceleration, particularly during throttle position changes. Typical throttle response is appx 0.5s as measured by stopwatch. When the issue is replicated the delay can exceed 1 second. This is most concerning during situations where moderate to brisk acceleration is needed at a specific time such as turning across traffic at an intersection or me... Read more
FORD
F-150 HYBRID
(2025) - ENGINE
Aug 28, 2026
Incident date: May 6, 2026
Vehicle demonstrates an intermittent lag during acceleration, particularly during throttle position changes. Typical throttle response is appx 0.5s as measured by stopwatch. When the issue is replicated the delay can exceed 1 second. This is most concerning during situations where moderate to brisk acceleration is needed at a specific time such as turning across traffic at an intersection or me... Read more
FORD
F-150 HYBRID
(2025) - POWER TRAIN
Aug 28, 2026
Incident date: May 6, 2026
Vehicle demonstrates an intermittent lag during acceleration, particularly during throttle position changes. Typical throttle response is appx 0.5s as measured by stopwatch. When the issue is replicated the delay can exceed 1 second. This is most concerning during situations where moderate to brisk acceleration is needed at a specific time such as turning across traffic at an intersection or me... Read more
Incident date: Aug 7, 2026
Execution of manufacturer safety recall service resulted in immediate, catastrophic transmission malfunction and sudden loss of motive power upon leaving the franchised dealership, creating an imminent road hazard. Details of the Incident: Recall Intake: On XXX, the vehicle was driven into the authorized Ford dealership Cloninger Ford of Morganton in [XXX] under its own power for an open manufac... Read more
Incident date: Aug 7, 2026
Execution of manufacturer safety recall service resulted in immediate, catastrophic transmission malfunction and sudden loss of motive power upon leaving the franchised dealership, creating an imminent road hazard. Details of the Incident: Recall Intake: On XXX, the vehicle was driven into the authorized Ford dealership Cloninger Ford of Morganton in [XXX] under its own power for an open manufac... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2026
Radio sound will not work
Incident date: Aug 1, 2026
The water pump failed on this engine. Prior to failure, there were no warning signs or alarms. . The only warning we received was a low oil level warning and once received, the engine was immediately shut off and towed to a mechanic. The mechanic stated the engine has metal shaving in the oil and he recommends replacing the engine. It had 144,000 miles on it and was routinely maintained. Ford n... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2026
The vehicle has been shuddering/jerking when accelerating. This problem is present at highway speeds, as well as lower speeds. A Ford Service Center on 8-28-26 has diagnosed it as a failing torque converter. The safety or both me and others is at risk if this part fails while driving. It is also dangerous, because when accelerating in rainy conditions the car does not maintain good traction while ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Flex. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to perform the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while in Reverse (R), the rearview camera displayed an inverted image. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 22, 2026
Loud Knocking from engine, CEL illuminated flashing, loss in power and had an active misfire in cyl #2. Upon inspection cyl #2 Spark plug electrode broke off/melted into the cylinder causing a gauge in the cylinder. Vehicle is being dropped off to the dealer for most likely an engine replacement.
Incident date: Mar 30, 2020
Despite several transmission services there remains a clunky shift between gears 7 and 8. The problem continues. Other owners of this model have told me that this problem eventually broke their vehicle, and they were left stranded beside the road. Stranded beside the road is a safety risk.
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2020) - ENGINE
Aug 28, 2026
Incident date: Aug 27, 2026
The vehicle disengages and loses power, feels like it shifts to park and won’t go.
Incident date: Aug 14, 2026
While driving my 2020 Ford Ranger, the transmission has repeatedly exhibited unexpected and unintended gear changes, including sudden downshifts or gear changes without driver input, hesitation, and abrupt loss of power during acceleration. These problems have occurred during highway merging, pulling into traffic, and city driving. On 08/14/2026, while accelerating to pull into traffic, the vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
The vehicle experienced a sudden and complete loss of motive power due to an internal engine failure while stopped at an idle in active traffic. The engine stalled completely and would not restart, creating an immediate safety hazard as the vehicle was stranded in the roadway. This failure is directly related to the known issue where the 1.0L EcoBoost wet timing belt degrades, shedding debris that... Read more
FORD
FUSION HYBRID
(2017) - STEERING
Aug 28, 2026
Incident date: Aug 25, 2026
The rack and pinion has failed twice within 2 and a half years. The steering has completely gone out twice while driving, causing extremely unsafe circumstances that could put multiple people in danger. After doing some research this is a common issue with Ford Fusions which is putting a lot of people in danger since it is a loss of steering issue. My wheel completely locked up while driving on th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 7, 2026
The vehicle occasionally will change drive modes while in motion. In the past three months, it has switched from Normal to Baja mode three times and from Normal to Rock Crawl mode one time. The issues occured while driving on the freeway in construction traffic, driving slowly down rural county roads, and driving slowly in my subdivision.
Incident date: Jun 7, 2026
The vehicle occasionally will change drive modes while in motion. In the past three months, it has switched from Normal to Baja mode three times and from Normal to Rock Crawl mode one time. The issues occured while driving on the freeway in construction traffic, driving slowly down rural county roads, and driving slowly in my subdivision.
Incident date: Jun 7, 2026
The vehicle occasionally will change drive modes while in motion. In the past three months, it has switched from Normal to Baja mode three times and from Normal to Rock Crawl mode one time. The issues occured while driving on the freeway in construction traffic, driving slowly down rural county roads, and driving slowly in my subdivision.
Incident date: Aug 28, 2026
My truck has just under 130k miles. Bought it at 18k miles. At 47k miles I had to have the cam phasers replaced and timing chain fixed. At 76k miles the trans (10r80) blew and had it replaced. At 105k miles I had to have the cam phasers replaced again. Multiple times I was denied through ford warranty. And now ford is turning there back after I had it inspected at Koch 33 ford for a reimburment in... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact received notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V117000 (Visibility); however, the part to perform the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was notified of the issue and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the windshield wipers failed to operate as intended. The contact stat... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2025
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after purchasing the vehicle, a Carfax report revealed a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 95,536; however, the Carfax report listed the mileage at 196,914.
Incident date: Mar 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Edge. The contact received notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V124000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to perform 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 vehicle was taken to a dealer, where the contact was informed that the USB port needed to p... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2024
On multiple occasions while driving the vehicle will randomly change drive modes by its self. It will try to go into 4x4 low gear (rock crawl mode) at highway speeds. This has happened a dozen times since I purchased the vehicle new.
Incident date: May 1, 2024
On multiple occasions while driving the vehicle will randomly change drive modes by its self. It will try to go into 4x4 low gear (rock crawl mode) at highway speeds. This has happened a dozen times since I purchased the vehicle new.
Incident date: May 1, 2024
On multiple occasions while driving the vehicle will randomly change drive modes by its self. It will try to go into 4x4 low gear (rock crawl mode) at highway speeds. This has happened a dozen times since I purchased the vehicle new.
Incident date: Jul 15, 2026
At 3k miles the turbocharger and parts within the transmission failed on my 2025 ford maverick, there were no warning lamps or messages on the dash but I had the symptoms of lack of power, the truck struggled to climb hills, it sounded like the turbo sound was coming through the air vents, and going uphill it almost stalled. I took it to one ford dealership who claimed it was normal operation befo... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2026
Received vehicle back from dealer saying prior brake problems had been repaired and confirmed with Ford Engineers. Drove approximately 3 miles before brakes failed again and I was not able to stop at the intersection. Avoided an accident, but had vehicle towed again to be repaired. This is the third complete brake failure in less than 300 miles on the vehicle.
Incident date: Aug 27, 2026
Received vehicle back from dealer saying prior brake problems had been repaired and confirmed with Ford Engineers. Drove approximately 3 miles before brakes failed again and I was not able to stop at the intersection. Avoided an accident, but had vehicle towed again to be repaired. This is the third complete brake failure in less than 300 miles on the vehicle.
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
While driving, my 2022 Ford F-150 equipped with the 2.7L EcoBoost experienced abnormal engine operation, a check-engine light, and reduced engine power. The unexpected reduction in available engine power created a safety concern because loss of acceleration or propulsion can be dangerous when merging, crossing traffic, passing, or traveling at highway speeds. The vehicle was inspected and diagnose... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2026
While driving, my 2022 Ford F-150 equipped with the 2.7L EcoBoost experienced abnormal engine operation, a check-engine light, and reduced engine power. The unexpected reduction in available engine power created a safety concern because loss of acceleration or propulsion can be dangerous when merging, crossing traffic, passing, or traveling at highway speeds. The vehicle was inspected and diagnose... Read more
Incident date: Aug 13, 2026
I was traveling down the highway at approximately 55mph when truck suddenly lost power. I was able to pull over and had the vehicle towed as truck would not start. It was later determined that the cp4 high pressure fuel pump grenaded causing complete fuel system replacement costing over $11,000 in repairs. Shards of aluminium was sent throughout the fuel system.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that upon start the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and the contact was advised that the engine was faulty due to coolant intrusion and that the engine would have to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failu... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that they had received notification of notification of NHTSA Campaign Number : 25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION) the local dealer was contacted however the vehicle was not remedied as the contact was advised that the parts to perform the recall repair were not yet available. The contact had experienced the failure stating that upon reversing t... Read more