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 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle and shifting into park(P), the parking brake independently activated. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact manually disengaged the parking brake to start the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware o... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
I am writing to file a formal safety complaint against Tesla, Inc. regarding a software update failure that has disabled legally required vehicle functions on my Tesla for over two years. For more than 26 months, my vehicle has been unable to complete a software update through Tesla's over-the-air (OTA) update system. As a direct result of this failure, my vehicle's display screen does not functi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
[XXX] [XXX] [XXX] March 24, 2026 ` NHTSA Safety Complaint Summary My 2019 Ford (VIN: [XXX] ) has an unresolved safety recall issued in January 2024. Two repair attempts were made: - May 2025: Vehicle kept 41 days; recall repair not completed - January 18, 2026: Second attempt; recall repair still not completed The defect remains unresolved. I am the caregiver of a special‑needs... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2025
Customer reports: - vehicle will not start - died while backing up and wouldn't restart - no warning in car and safety at risk as a result - towed car to auto mechanic who provided this information below Check and advise: - Found starter motor tries to crank the engine over but never completes more than a partial engine revolution during each starting attempt, using jumper packs do not help, full... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the A/C system became inoperable. Additionally, the engine fan activated and remained activated even after the vehicle was turned off. The contact stated that the failure had recurred while driving. The contact related the failure to GM Special Coverage Number: N252... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
I have had numerous safety warning messages display upon startup and also while driving. The messages are usually combined with a cold ambient temperature and do not display during warm temperatures. The FCA dealership has attempted to fix this issue on at least six different occasions so far without any change. To date, FCA has replaced the original battery, they have updated, flashed the ECU mod... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2016) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 24, 2026
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4XE. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted after 30-40 minutes. The SOS warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the communication was inoperable, and the message to take the vehicle to the dealer was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where an unknown diagnosis and repa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
There is a recall for earlier models regarding "break clunk." The parking break, when sitting overnight in cold or wet environments, makes a loud bang noise when going into motion for the first time. The parking break seems to be sticking to something.
Incident date: Mar 4, 2026
There is an electrical malfunction which causes all of the electrical components to flash on/off, glitch. This has occured while driving but primarily when the vehicle is parked and unattended. I’m afraid it can short and cause a fire. The vehicle will turn istelf on and off repeatedly and rapidly while unattended. This has been going on for 2 years with our vehicle and not under warranty.
Incident date: Mar 4, 2026
I was driving on the highway going approximately 75mph, everything was 100% normal. All of a sudden, and at once, my steering wheel started to shake, the car lost power/acceleration and speed quickly dropped. The engine was making loud noises. We pulled over, called my mechanic I've had for 35yrs. We were able to get the car to the garage driving very slowly, it wouldn't go above maybe 30mph. My m... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2026
I was driving on the highway going approximately 75mph, everything was 100% normal. All of a sudden, and at once, my steering wheel started to shake, the car lost power/acceleration and speed quickly dropped. The engine was making loud noises. We pulled over, called my mechanic I've had for 35yrs. We were able to get the car to the garage driving very slowly, it wouldn't go above maybe 30mph. My m... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2024
Driving down the NJ Turnpike the dashboard started displaying lane assist no longer available along with a check engine light. Once stopped the front of the car had been burned with parts of the bumper melted. No visible fire at that time. Had the vehicle towed to Holman Ford. They assessed the damage to the Explorer and it was determined that the front facing camera had shorted causing an electr... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
Car lost charge quickly, went into limp mode while I was driving on the highway. I had to pull of the road several times and try to get it to a charging station. It barely made it after the lose of power. Charged it to 80% and it would only go up to a range of 100 miles. Took it to the dealership and they confirmed it needed a whole new main battery. ICCU had already been replaced. Had to wait ove... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
On March 20, 2026, while my 2022 Audi Q4 e-tron (VIN: [XXX] ) was parked in my private garage at approximately 98% battery charge, I attempted to start the vehicle and experienced a complete electrical system failure. All electronic systems failed simultaneously, including: brake system (Brake System Failure warning displayed), parking brake sensor, traffic/charging system, power windows, and side... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2026
The vehicle accelerated without input and the brakes failed to respond. I am notifying you that this vehicle is a life-threatening safety risk and should not be rented again until a master technician clears the electronic throttle control and breaking system. This condition presents a serious safety risk and could lead to a car crash or injury. Additionally, the vehicles, climate control system be... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2023
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2001 Ford Ranger. It was later discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 153,244; however, at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 297,515.
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's and passenger's side A-pillar trims detached and flew off the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was n... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
motor only has 41000 miles and uses 1 quart of oil every 700 miles
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
ngine seized (according to GMC dealership service department). I was driving 75mph down the highway and the car shut down. I noticed it losing power so I was able to get off at the exit ramp, but not in a safe location. The car shut completely down in the right lane at the stop sign. Approximately 7:50pm car broke down - stuck on the road until 10:22pm. Yes safety of myself and others were put at ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after the completion of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V675000(Suspension), the vehicle started experiencing suspension failures. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle vibrated and made an abnormal clunking sound. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle felt like the front end s... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
Manufacturer recall #24E12 (PCM software update) triggered a PO430:00-ED code (Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold - Bank 2) because the new software more strictly monitors the catalytic converter, causing it to detect previously ignored degradation. This reprogram scamming program makes community bothered by paying parts replacements more than 2K, even vehicle was fine before the recall. T... Read more
Incident date: Dec 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Palisade. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V034000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part for the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Th... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
While driving on the highway my 2026 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate the vehicle lost propulsion and the dashboard went dark because it shut off. I was exiting the highway onto a skybridge and rolled to a stop before reaching the top on the skybridge. Vehicle would not start again and needed to be towed. Dealership concluded my 6.2L V8 engine needed to be replaced due to crank shaft seizing. Engin... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2020
Drivers door latch is failing to engage properly making it so the door can not closed right away. No matter how you close the door it always pushes right back open sometimes the door will semi latch but still poses the hazard of opening while driving. It has been inspected by the dealer to confirm the issue. There has been a recall for this exact issue however my vin number was not included and up... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2025
Tesla Model Y Performance with 47,000 miles. Driver's side, rear passanger door would not open. No accident or damage to the car or car door. Door could not be opened from the inside nor the outside with the handle. ISSUE: The Emergency Door release in the pocket of the door failed to release and open the door.
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
While driving, the vehicle experienced sudden engine malfunction. The car entered limp mode, lost power, and produced a loud knocking noise from the engine. The failure occurred without warning and created a safety risk because the vehicle could not accelerate properly in traffic. This increased the risk of being rear-ended or unable to move out of dangerous situations. The issue appears to invo... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a breach in communication with the OnStar system. The contact believed that the brakes failed, and several other safety systems became inoperable due to a failure with the OnStar system. The dealer was notified of the failure, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufact... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
Seeing the intermittent shift to park messages when the vehicle has been shifted into park and the ignition is turned to the off position. Shifter wire harness jumper & transmission controls A malfunctioning shifter raises fears of potential rollaway accidents, even if such cases remain rare. For anyone who has to park on a slope, this fear can cause serious worry. Yes, there is a service bullet... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
Noticed a sound coming from the car. I took it to the dealership which they said I would need my transmission replaced. They could only get me a refurbished one, which after parts and labor, it would cost 10,000 dollars. Upon talking with the technician, the transmission my car uses has been known to be faulty and having issues, usually after the warranty. So much so that Toyota did a recall on pr... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
Electronic parking brake warning was coming on and parking brake was inoperative during this period of time. Vehicle is at the dealership now and diagnosed with corroded and broken wires in the left rear harness for the parking brake. Ford will not assist with this repair even though it is very similar to the problem involving recall 23S35 which inspects and replaces this same harness due shorti... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
When the F-150 would be turned off after driving for a while, the truck would not Start for a few hours until it cooled down. I had it checked out at Gator Ford and they saif they could not determine the proble. I drove it to [XXX] and had it check out at Two Rivers Ford in [XXX] and they said the truck clearly had a problem and that they "Believed it eas the 10 gear trsnission getting hot and t... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse(R), the rear-view camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rear-view camera image failed to function properly, and the image was blurry. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. Th... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2026
The contact owned a 2014 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact was avoiding crashing into another vehicle when the contact's vehicle crashed into a tree. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated that some good Samaritans assisted the contact in getting out of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was totaled when it crashed into a ... Read more
Crash
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: Dec 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while reversing out of the driveway at approximately 5 MPH, there was an abnormal grinding and rattling sound coming the vehicle. The contact stated that while shifting to drive(D), the sound ceased. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V512000 (Power Train). The local dealer was contacted several times, and the c... Read more
Incident date: Feb 10, 2026
I purchased this 2021 Jeep Cherokee, and it has developed a life-threatening defect where it performs an uncommanded braking while driving at speed. Without any warning the car slams on the brakes creating an immediate risk of a Rear end collision. Diagnostic scans show multiple critical failures: PO128 (the initial warning of a computer communication issues). Dealership (Echo Park) refuses to fix... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2026
My son, [XXX] , has opened a complaint/Case #XXX with Kia. His 2023 KIA Forte had been idle for at least 24 hours when the engine compartment caught fire. He became aware of this when the Fire Department knocked on his apartment door around 4:00 PM 12/26/25 and said they were evacuating the building because a car was on fire. He went outside and was shocked, to say the least, that it was his car. ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Feb 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at approximately 75 MPH, a deer ran across the highway and hit the left driver's side of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. A grayish smoke began to emit from the vehicle as the contact's wife immediately pulled off to the side of the road. Due to the damaged cause by the impact of the deer... Read more
Crash
Fire
1 injured
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2019) - STEERING
Mar 24, 2026
Incident date: Mar 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Jeep Wrangler. The contact while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle experienced the death wobble. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The contact pulled over twice and drove 65 MPH on the way to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering damper and tie rod needed to be replaced. The steering damper and tie ... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2021) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Mar 24, 2026
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
I was told the best thing to do was report it here. Our son was driving his 2019 Honda Accord and suddenly everything on his dashboard lit up. Was told it is a blown head gasket. We were also told that the shop has had over 81 Accords in with the same issue. They said Honda is trying to sweep it under the rug rather making a recall. We were told this is what they see: The head gasket mate... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2021) - BACK OVER PREVENTION
Mar 24, 2026
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera image was distorted or blank, with the message "Camera Unavailable" displayed. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall for the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failur... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2021) - POWER TRAIN
Mar 24, 2026
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
•What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The transmission failed and yes it’s available upon request. •How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My car stop in the middle of the street. No warning or anything. •Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that on three separate occasions while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering assist functionality. Several warning lights were illuminated, and the headlights and turn signals became inoperable. The contact stopped the vehicle and shifted into reverse (R); however, the rear-view camera failed to operate as intended. The vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2026
Something is happening when I get gas, the vehicle has trouble starting. It often times feels like it's going to die when it idles. Electrical issues have started to occur where I cant switch off the air or my lights wont turn off.
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle and driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormally loud grumbling sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle unexpectedly entered LIMP Mode. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not diagnos... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
I am the owner of a 2026 Hyundai Palisade, purchased new less than 60 days ago. This vehicle is currently subject to a safety recall involving the 2nd and 3rd row power seat assemblies, which reportedly lack sufficient anti-pinch protection during certain seat adjustment functions, including automatic power-folding (stow) and the one-touch tilt-and-slide (“walk-in”) feature. We experienced th... Read more
Incident date: Sep 17, 2025
I am the owner of a 2026 Hyundai Palisade, purchased new less than 60 days ago. This vehicle is currently subject to a safety recall involving the 2nd and 3rd row power seat assemblies, which reportedly lack sufficient anti-pinch protection during certain seat adjustment functions, including automatic power-folding (stow) and the one-touch tilt-and-slide (“walk-in”) feature. We experienced th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that the vehicle was difficult to stop. The traction control and cruise control features were inoperable. The parking brake, traction control, and ABS warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined the failure was caused by the ABS control module. An unknown local dealer was contacted, but t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that the vehicle was difficult to stop. The traction control and cruise control features were inoperable. The parking brake, traction control, and ABS warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined the failure was caused by the ABS control module. An unknown local dealer was contacted, but t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2025
Almost immediately after purchase, the orange BRAKE sign came on and the gas pedal slightly braked for me. The forward collision light stayed on my dash board. The camera behind the windshield mirror seems to be malfunctioning. It will go off whether a car is close to me or not. It happens at random times during my drive and it worries me if I am going a decent spend with people behind me or in fr... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH in Canada, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact exited the highway and pulled over to the side of the road. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact inspected the engine compartment but could not find a failure. The vehicle was restarted but failed to exceed 25-30 MPH while driving. The vehi... Read more