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: Apr 14, 2026
While driving on [XXX] , I heard a 'pop' towards the rear of the car. A dashboard warning appeared notifying me of an electrical fault. The car went into 'limp' mode, which allowed me to drive no faster than around 25 mph. Fortunately, I was within a half mile of my home, so I was able to do a U turn and return home. I called a tow truck, which towed the car to the local Hyundai dealer in Leba... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
While driving on [XXX] , I heard a 'pop' towards the rear of the car. A dashboard warning appeared notifying me of an electrical fault. The car went into 'limp' mode, which allowed me to drive no faster than around 25 mph. Fortunately, I was within a half mile of my home, so I was able to do a U turn and return home. I called a tow truck, which towed the car to the local Hyundai dealer in Leba... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact stated that the vehicle was leaking oil, and over time, there was a loud knocking sound coming from the vehicle, with a significant amount of oil leaking from the vehicle, resulting in engine damage. The vehicle became inoperable. The vehicle was first taken to an independent mechanic, where the oil leak was discovered; however, the vehicle was... Read more
Incident date: Dec 18, 2025
So my car is about to be out of warranty and I have called and made two appointments to get my recall taken care of as it is a safety risk for me and my kids. They canceled the first one with no communication and the second appointment they called and said they can’t get the part in so I have to call them in 2 weeks to check. After two weeks I believed my car will be over the 60k mark putting me... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
The malfunction indictator light came on due to diagnostic trouble code P0430 (front bank catalyst system efficiency below threshold [bank 2]) while driving. The vehicle has 64,240 miles and has had zero symptoms prior to the DTC appearing. This problem is noted in Service Bulletin 21-010 for Honda Pilots year 2017-2019, but my Vin was not included in the "Vin range". I am taking the vehicle in to... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
Hello, I was driving on the highway with my family and my engine had a sudden loss of power. I only have 52,000 miles on the engine and it has been serviced the entire time. We almost got in a major accident as we had cars and trucks moving around us at a very high speed as we tried to pull over in the breakdown lane. I brought the car to Daddario GMC in Shelton, CT. They did a diagnostic test ... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Tundra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V322000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted; however, the dealer was unable to provide a date for when parts would be availab... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2025
my sunroof exploded. I was on the highway, no trucks around to shed debris, when I heard a pop and then the sound of glass breaking. I was near my home so I got there and then inspected the sunroof. The glass was pushed upward at the center of the sunroof. No rocks inside the interior of the sunroof. This sunroof had only been opened once, when checking operation at the dealership. This car was ... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2025
This was a 6.2L V8 that is actively under investigation and recall for model years 2021-2024. it is a part of the same GM generation of engines 4th Generation, GMT T1XX. I was not told about the active recall for other members of the generation by the dealership in which i purchased it at in august of 2025. I purchased this vehicle less than a year ago and the engine has now suffered a catastrophi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
While driving down the highway, the whole car and steering wheel of 2021 Toyota Camry Hybrid started shaking side to side. Was able to exit safely and found a bubble in the sidewall of the 2021 Hankook Kinergy GT H436 BW 235/45R18 tire. Never had this happen with any tire before. 31,000 miles on tire. Could have caused a blow out if the exit was further away. No notification on Toyota Camry Hybrid... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
Beginning in approximately May 2025, the vehicle began displaying diagnostic trouble codes identified by independent auto parts retailers and service providers. These codes indicated potential issues within the engine, electrical, and powertrain systems. The vehicle was subsequently brought to a dealership for diagnostic evaluation and remained there from approximately May 15 through May 19, 2025... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
Beginning in approximately May 2025, the vehicle began displaying diagnostic trouble codes identified by independent auto parts retailers and service providers. These codes indicated potential issues within the engine, electrical, and powertrain systems. The vehicle was subsequently brought to a dealership for diagnostic evaluation and remained there from approximately May 15 through May 19, 2025... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
Beginning in approximately May 2025, the vehicle began displaying diagnostic trouble codes identified by independent auto parts retailers and service providers. These codes indicated potential issues within the engine, electrical, and powertrain systems. The vehicle was subsequently brought to a dealership for diagnostic evaluation and remained there from approximately May 15 through May 19, 2025... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
I purchased a 2020 Ford F-150 XLT with a 5.0L engine from Quirk Auto Group in Maine approximately six months prior to discovering a major engine defect. At the time of sale, I was provided documentation stating there were no known mechanical issues or prior defects with the vehicle. Shortly after purchase, I brought the vehicle back to the dealership due to a noticeable rattling noise and perform... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
While driving on a surface road in Columbia, MD at approximately 40 mph, the dash display of the 2024 Ford Lightning Flash went completely blank, leaving no indication of vehicle speed, battery percentage, battery temp, motor temp, cruise control status etc. Zero information was displayed, and the dash was completely cold and dark. This failure, while traveling at speed, represents a gross safety ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 21, 2025
This is related to the incident report number XXX I filed previously. Before, between, and after that incident and this one reported today. The vehicle performs mostly normal, the severe issues are completely random and unpredictable. On 4/28/26 I started my truck and left to take my daughter to her [XXX] pediatrician appointment. I left my neighborhood and turned left into traffic. I didn’t ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2020 Cadillac XT5. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 30,475. It was later discovered, upon checking with a local AutoZone, that the mileage was 49,579.
Incident date: Aug 26, 2025
The brake pedal is extremely soft and routinely travels to the floor during normal driving conditons. It also catches at various levels. It is impossible to tap the brakes to slow the vehicle down when rounding a corner which has led to several scary incidents and near misses. The truck is currently at Crossroads Ford in Indian Trail NC for 3 weeks. It has been there once before and 3 times at... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
**Incident / Defect Description for NHTSA Safety Complaint** **Vehicle Information** - Make: Tesla - Model: Model S - Year: 2014 - VIN: [XXX] - Approximate Mileage: 148,129 miles - Date of Discovery / Failure: 04/23/2026 **Description of the Defect** This vehicle is equipped with Tesla’s Large Drive Unit (LDU / rear drive unit), which was used in the majority of 2012–early 2020 Mod... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2022) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Apr 28, 2026
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
Got in started Truck and there is no Sound anywhere... none for blinkers, radio, warning lights if there to be any. ZERO sounds. This has been investigated by Hertrich Service--showed video of no sounds coming from truck speakers at all. This is safety hazard with no audio warnings or blinkers, flasher sounds at all.
Incident date: Mar 12, 2025
We were driving on 95S when the Yukon Denali automatically shifted itself from D to N. On the dash it had a warning message to press start again. When my husband did that we could smell a smoke smell. Meanwhile, we are in the middle lane of the highway while trying to safely get off the middle of the interstate without being rear ended by the semi that was behind us. We finally made it to the side... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2025
We were driving on 95S when the Yukon Denali automatically shifted itself from D to N. On the dash it had a warning message to press start again. When my husband did that we could smell a smoke smell. Meanwhile, we are in the middle lane of the highway while trying to safely get off the middle of the interstate without being rear ended by the semi that was behind us. We finally made it to the side... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2025
We were driving on 95S when the Yukon Denali automatically shifted itself from D to N. On the dash it had a warning message to press start again. When my husband did that we could smell a smoke smell. Meanwhile, we are in the middle lane of the highway while trying to safely get off the middle of the interstate without being rear ended by the semi that was behind us. We finally made it to the side... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2025
The vehicle suffered a recurring mechanical failure of the fuel injectors and a flooded EVAP charcoal canister, causing the engine to run lean (Fault P2177) and lose power. This defect creates an unreasonable safety risk as it can cause the engine to stall or lose motive power unexpectedly at highway speeds. Furthermore, the fuel system defect led to a flooded EVAP system, which poses a potential... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
My vehicle experiences a loss of power while driving. The vehicle will unexpectedly lose acceleration and power during normal driving conditions, including when merging or driving in traffic. This creates a serious safety concern because the vehicle does not respond properly when attempting to accelerate. The issue occurs intermittently but repeatedly and makes it difficult and unsafe to drive, e... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2025
My vehicle experiences a loss of power while driving. The vehicle will unexpectedly lose acceleration and power during normal driving conditions, including when merging or driving in traffic. This creates a serious safety concern because the vehicle does not respond properly when attempting to accelerate. The issue occurs intermittently but repeatedly and makes it difficult and unsafe to drive, e... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2025
NHTSA 20V-699, FCA W79 (replaces previous campaign 19V-757/VB1) - this recall involves an EGR Cooler but my VIN number was not included. Today, I have been informed by a mechanic that the EGR Cooler has failed and must be replaced. As this is the same engine and same failure as the above campaign, I am requesting that my repair costs be covered as a result
Incident date: Nov 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); 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 contact stated that while in reverse, the back-over prevention camera displayed a blank image. ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
Driving the car from Dallas to Santa Fe with our 20lb Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, the dog put his paw on the Park button (just in front of the console cover and behind the shifter knob) and the car immediately went into a hard braking action. I almost lost control of the car when this happened; and at 75mph!!
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
I am reporting that Hyundai’s Recall 296 remedy appears inadequate and that Hyundai closed the recall on my vehicle even though the underlying rear-seat safety hazard remained unresolved. My complaint involves the second- and third-row powered seat system, including the fold/stow and walk-in functions. My core safety complaint is that the second-row seat continued to move under powered operatio... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
I am reporting that Hyundai’s Recall 296 remedy appears inadequate and that Hyundai closed the recall on my vehicle even though the underlying rear-seat safety hazard remained unresolved. My complaint involves the second- and third-row powered seat system, including the fold/stow and walk-in functions. My core safety complaint is that the second-row seat continued to move under powered operatio... Read more
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
I am reporting that Hyundai’s Recall 296 remedy appears inadequate and that Hyundai closed the recall on my vehicle even though the underlying rear-seat safety hazard remained unresolved. My complaint involves the second- and third-row powered seat system, including the fold/stow and walk-in functions. My core safety complaint is that the second-row seat continued to move under powered operatio... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. While driving through a parking lot and hauling a boat, the steering wheel seized, and there was a screeching sound coming from the steering column. The contact attempted to turn the steering wheel and the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was towed to the residence. An independent mechanic arrived at the residence and diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
100,000 miles in, the torque converter has begun to fail.
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2021) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Apr 28, 2026
Incident date: Jan 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving approximately 80 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly decelerated. The contact pulled over to the closest exit and pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was turned off and then restarted; however, while attempting to drive forward or reverse, the vehicle failed to move. The contact inspected the vehicle. While ins... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2021) - SEAT BELTS
Apr 28, 2026
Incident date: Jan 14, 2025
There has been an active recall on the front seat belts of Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles for almost a month. I scheduled an appointment online to have this fixed and was called by the dealership to let me know that there is currently no way to fix this. According to what I have read online, letters won't begin going out from Hyundai regarding the recall until June 2026. That is a very long and unaccep... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
The 68RFE automatic transmission in this 2021 Ram 2500 6.7L Cummins fails to engage reverse when the transmission reaches operating temperature. When the gear selector is placed in reverse and the accelerator is applied, the engine revs but the truck does not move. The defect is intermittent and temperature-dependent, which means it cannot be predicted or avoided by the driver. The vehicle is used... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
The auto-idle off feature - yes The stall happened in a situation where cars behind me would have expected me to start moving and could have resulted in a rear-end collision. The vehicle has stalled like this three times. The other two times were not in public or traffic situations. It has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center. It has not been inspected by anyone else... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
The auto-idle off feature - yes The stall happened in a situation where cars behind me would have expected me to start moving and could have resulted in a rear-end collision. The vehicle has stalled like this three times. The other two times were not in public or traffic situations. It has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center. It has not been inspected by anyone else... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
My 2021 Model Y has about 24,500 miles began squeaking when turning the steering wheel or hitting bumps. I read online that many tesla owners had the same issue. The design on these weren't great allowing water to penetrate these parts and cause them to ware down faster. I already paid for the replacement of the upper and lower control arms.
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
I was driving and my brakes gave out a bit and my brake pedal was hard to press down and when I pressed down there was a grinding sound. Also a red warning message said check braking system. Has been confirmed for 3.5L EcoBoost engines, which is what I have.
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
Parking brake retainer Clio failed in highway causing car to lose control in the highway.
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
Tail light on the drivers side was hyper flashing and upon inspection found that it is not working. When I removed the tail light to replace the bulb I noticed that the whole tail light assembly was full of water. The bulb is inside a housing that is inaccessible, so bulb cannot be replaced without replacing the whole tail light assembly. Leaking tail light assembly causing failure of turn signal... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2026
Tail light on the drivers side was hyper flashing and upon inspection found that it is not working. When I removed the tail light to replace the bulb I noticed that the whole tail light assembly was full of water. The bulb is inside a housing that is inaccessible, so bulb cannot be replaced without replacing the whole tail light assembly. Leaking tail light assembly causing failure of turn signal... Read more
Incident date: Apr 25, 2026
Full self driving did not detect pole. I press the fsd of tesla going out of the parking lot and the car turned to the side where the pole is located hitting the side where the camera part right next to driver side. The sensor of the car did not detect completely that there is a pole on side
Crash
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
Iccu failure. Vehicle stops working completely
FORD
CROWN VICTORIA
(2007) - FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Apr 27, 2026
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
2024 Kia EV6 leased January 2025. Vehicle is subject to NHTSA Recall 24V-867 / Kia campaign SC327 for the Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU). The recall remedy was performed at an authorized Kia dealer in July 2025 (software / operational logic update). The defect was not cured. Three months after the recall remedy was performed, the vehicle suffered complete loss of electrical power and woul... Read more
Incident date: Apr 25, 2026
The sunroof wind screen broke off while driving. The sunroof then stayed open and would not shut. The electrical components in the middle seat are not working properly with the buttons on the seats. The leather is ripping on the seats and the center console even with regular leather conditioning
Incident date: Apr 25, 2026
I lease a 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 AWD. Prior to a planned trip, the vehicle displayed an electrical system warning. I contacted the dealership and was advised to bring it in. While driving approximately 5 miles to the dealership, the vehicle lost all power including hazard lights, leaving me stranded on a busy road. I contacted roadside assistance and the vehicle was towed to the dealership. The deal... Read more
Incident date: Apr 25, 2026
I lease a 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 AWD. Prior to a planned trip, the vehicle displayed an electrical system warning. I contacted the dealership and was advised to bring it in. While driving approximately 5 miles to the dealership, the vehicle lost all power including hazard lights, leaving me stranded on a busy road. I contacted roadside assistance and the vehicle was towed to the dealership. The deal... Read more