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: Mar 20, 2026
The fabric covering for the sunroof detached and is now sagging down so that you can not see out the rearview mirror.
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
I am on my second 2026 Honda Passport. The first one was taken to dealership 6 times (once at red rock Honda in Colorado and 5 times at Cleo bay in Texas) for a failed part in the steering wheel. The airbag and other parts were replaced and would fail again afterward. I had to replace it with another of the same vehicle because of so many problems and no suitable repair. My new 2026 Honda Passport... Read more
Incident date: Nov 10, 2025
I don't think Tesla ever did the steering bolt recall per SB-20-32-002 on my vehicle. I had all the bolts fail, with obvious corrosion, and the motor separated from the rack causing a loss of power steering while moving. You can see where the bolt physically failed and the corrosion both on the remainder of the bolt and the entire mating surface of the motor to the steering rack. Going back thr... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
January 2026 multiple dashboard warning lights stating ACC problem, LKAS problem, Collision Mitigation System problem, Road Departure Mitigation System problem, and Auto High-Beam problem. 3/18/26 took vehicle into local Honda dealership where they ran diagnostics with the results showing the "multi purpose camera unit internal failure." They checked wiring and connector which were ok so dealershi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered abnormally with blue smoke coming from the exhaust, with the message "Lane Departure Assist" displayed. The check engine and stabili-trak warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local service center, where it was diagnosed with cylinder #1 misfire. The local dealer ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2024
Faulty sensor in the shifter assembly. This prevents the car from turning off and displays an error message “Shift To Park” This issue is recalled on models 2020 and newer but not 2019 which is an oversight and should be.
Incident date: Feb 7, 2026
My 2017 Kia Sorento with approximately 175,000 miles experienced engine failure involving the engine and engine cooling system. The vehicle began showing symptoms including engine shudder, reduced acceleration, and a check engine light. These symptoms worsened and were diagnosed by a Kia dealership as internal engine damage, specifically a failure in cylinder 4. The dealership advised that the eng... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
Anti theft ignition protector and another recall that makes the car have engine compartment fires. My car is at risk of being stolen as well as catching fire. Yes the problem has been confirmed from by Kia dealer. Yes the check engine light keeps coming on. It first appeared 02/10/2026. I purchased the car from b&g auto sales located at 3922 W Indian School Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85019 and they installed... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that while driving and rolling up the front driver's side window, the exterior window lower chrome detached. The contact was able to grab the chrome piece before the chrome piece flew off the vehicle. The chrome piece was reinstalled on several occasions; however, the failure recurred while rolling up the window several times. A Service Cen... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
Had a service electrical system soon message, the had total failure while driving on interstate, lost all power and manuvered truck to side of the road, waited 15 minutes, restarted. Now, complete dead battery, replaced battery, still no start. There was a tsb for 2022 mavericks for bad battery cable but not for the time mine was built, but has same bad battery cable connection. Confirmed by deale... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
I'm reaching out to hopefully prevent a horrific situation not only to myself or any other GM owners. My vehicle has been diagnosed with having a faulty transmission valve body. There are so many that have failed that the dealer cannot give me a time when the part will be available. Because my vehicle is out of warranty, they are not willing to help. When I looked online it said as of late 2024 th... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
3/3!2026 while driving heat stop working. Called Milea Saburu spoke to Christian made an appointment for 3/5/2026 they had nothing sooner. Told her what happened. Brought in they gave me loaner 12 days later on 3/18/2026 pick up car. Paid bill they told me everything done no problems. I would get my 250 dollars for the car back in 30 days. Even though they said it was a hold it went through. I ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
My vehicle completely shut off while I was driving with my children in the car. The dealership replaced the battery but never identified the root cause. Since then my car has been experiencing RPM surging while in Park — the engine revs up and down repeatedly on its own. The vehicle also feels sluggish and does not want to accelerate properly while driving. Additionally since taking ownership of... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed to stop for a traffic signal; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact pumped the brake pedal, and the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was stopped and towed to an independent mechanic. ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
Travel Assist option is controlled by a sensor in the steering wheel. There is no way to disable it. When the sensor malfunctions, it plays an extremely loud and repetitive beep that cannot be disabled. It’s extremely distracting while I drive and happens every 30-45 seconds.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
On March 19, 2026, at approximately 1003 hours, I was traveling north on the [XXX] located in [XXX] . I was traveling in the number two lane and my speed was approximately 78 MPH when all of a sudden I had a loss acceleration power and my Kia EV9 began to decelerate rapidly and my dashboard began to flash a loss of power warning. I had no control over my accelerator and could not speed up. Due to... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message “Pull Over Immediately” was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle entered LIMP Mode and failed to exceed 5 MPH. Upon inspection, the contact became aware that there was no coolant in the coolant reservoir. There was no coolant visible on the ground. An independent mechanic d... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
A strong smell of burning oil is coming from the engine compartment after truck warms up. Checked fluid levels, monitoring temperature. Went to dealer, dealer claims nothing found. Went back to dealer on 031626 for concern, dealer states no problem found, all fluid levels ok. No troubleshooting performed. Dealer said again that no smells detected. As of today, there is still smell coming from the ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
The DEF tank in my truck is defective and its the second time in the last 14 months it has broke. The part is now back ordered and according to the dealership this is a nationwide issue regarding these specific trucks. I have contacted around 10 dealers in my area and all tell me the same thing that they have multiple trucks waiting on the same issue. I have not had my truck for over 2 months and ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2026
I am submitting this complaint to report a serious safety issue involving my 2021 Chevrolet Suburban equipped with the 3.0L Duramax diesel engine. The vehicle has experienced a recurring problem related to the engine wiring harness. While driving, the vehicle will unexpectedly stall without warning. At the same time, there is an immediate loss of power steering assist, significantly reducing the ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2026
The contact’s wife owns a 2021 Jeep Cherokee L. The contact was informed that the “Service 4WD” message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the contact was not informed of which part had failed or needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired because parts were not available to perform the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
Backup camera will just show a blue screen for a day or two, then it will work for awhile, and then it will go back to the blue screen. I’ve also had the whole system go out, including the radio, and after I turn the truck off for awhile and turn it back on, then the system starts working again.
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
We were driving from the [XXX] Area to [XXX] in June 2024. We noticed a "Transmission Too Hot" indicator on our dash while we were driving on [XXX] in [XXX] . It was not a hot day. We pulled over because we did not want to damage our car. We were towed to Ciocca Honda in [XXX] . They ran diagnostics and determined the problem was a known issue "A23-073" and our car needed a software update... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
We were driving from the [XXX] Area to [XXX] in June 2024. We noticed a "Transmission Too Hot" indicator on our dash while we were driving on [XXX] in [XXX] . It was not a hot day. We pulled over because we did not want to damage our car. We were towed to Ciocca Honda in [XXX] . They ran diagnostics and determined the problem was a known issue "A23-073" and our car needed a software update... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
The engine in my 2017 Lincoln MKC (2.0L EcoBoost) has a documented manufacturing defect where the cylinder block design allows coolant to leak into the combustion chambers. This has caused persistent, unexplained coolant loss and rough engine performance on cold starts since February 2025, matching the diagnostic criteria in Ford TSB 19-2346. The defective engine assembly is available for inspecti... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
The engine in my 2017 Lincoln MKC (2.0L EcoBoost) has a documented manufacturing defect where the cylinder block design allows coolant to leak into the combustion chambers. This has caused persistent, unexplained coolant loss and rough engine performance on cold starts since February 2025, matching the diagnostic criteria in Ford TSB 19-2346. The defective engine assembly is available for inspecti... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 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 not made aware of the issue. 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 co... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2026
Failure of Battery Energy Control Module (BECM), within the high voltage battery. Vehicle is unable to charge and sets “reduced power” message. GM released special coverage bulletin for this issue (N232432680), but this vehicle is not listed due to which state it was registered. Continued failure of the BECM will lead to inoperability of the vehicle.
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
The central harness adjuster (A-lock mechanism) integrated into the seat shell of my Nuna PIPA rx (Model: CF12508600GRN, DOM: 2021/09/17) has suffered a mechanical failure. The internal locking teeth fail to remain engaged with the harness webbing. As a result, the harness fails a standard "tug test" and slides loose under moderate tension without the release button being depressed. Safety Risk: ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
On March 12, 2026, my 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid, owned for less than 1 month at the time and purchased on 2/14/2026, sustained a star chip to the windshield during normal driving conditions. While the physical damage itself was minor, the vehicle is equipped with Subaru EyeSight, a camera-based advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) that relies on precise optical clarity through the windshield... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 26V101000 (Suspension); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available for the ... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 26V101000 (Suspension); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available for the ... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2025
Truck broke down with a rear-wheel lockup and had the transmission replaced in June 2025. In December 2025 and February 2026, truck lost power two times and entered limp mode while on a major highway and major interstate. The problem was misdiagnosed in June 2025, diagnosed properly in December 2025, but not properly repaired, and diagnosed properly in February 2026. All three times the vehicle ha... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
The oil is mixing with the gas and their was smoke coming from the engine after that the engine has seized and the car stopped working. Also at the body shop i was told some wires were cut.
Fire
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
1Rear end shifted to passenger side 3 in 2. The intermittent shaft made the steering wheel over turn over half a turn. 3 manifold bolts replaced but snapped again. Fuel pump went out. Tailgate has opened multiple times. 120 k seems unfit to drive wheel studs drivers rear broke off 1 by 1 till there were 2 left
Incident date: Nov 21, 2025
am reporting a serious safety defect in my 2021 Acura ILX involving the front headlight assembly. Water is entering the headlight housing due to what appears to be a manufacturer sealing defect, with visible condensation inside. This is causing electrical malfunction, including intermittent failure of the turn signal (blinker) and inconsistent headlight operation. The components are available for ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 21, 2025
am reporting a serious safety defect in my 2021 Acura ILX involving the front headlight assembly. Water is entering the headlight housing due to what appears to be a manufacturer sealing defect, with visible condensation inside. This is causing electrical malfunction, including intermittent failure of the turn signal (blinker) and inconsistent headlight operation. The components are available for ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 21, 2025
Engine rattles noise when starting the car after sitting for more than an hour it makes that sound another issue is that when i turn the headlights on all interior lights shuts off including the instrument cluster radio and ac climate control buttons
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
When driving in the highway my hood opened up it hand unhinged on its own.
Incident date: Feb 7, 2026
Two sets of Kumho Solus TA 31's (195/65 R15 91T) experienced rapid tread wear issues. The problem and safety issue has been confirmed by Fred Beans Kia of Mechanicsburg, PA, but with hassles to do so. I believe this matter actually effects consumers nationwide, which leads to additional high replacement costs as a result of product quality. Consumers are effected by not just the manufacturer, b... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
My vehicle contains a defective high-voltage lithium-ion battery that is subject to internal short circuits caused by deviations in the battery supplier's production process. According to NHTSA and Mercedes-Benz's own recall documentation, an internal short circuit in a battery cell can trigger a thermal event — that is, a vehicle fire — whether the vehicle is parked or being driven. Criticall... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2026
While driving 65mph in my 2024 GMC Sierra Denali Ultimate on Interstate 270 in Hilliard, Ohio my chrome grill deflector just flew off and hit my windshield. It then went over my truck and almost caused a major accident with the cars and semi-trucks behind me. I was lucky to maintain control of my own vehicle! It appears to me that the mounting fractured and it looks like manufacturing defect. Loo... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
The vehicle has 2 permanent codes. One is a communication blackout, the other code means the hardware is melting. GM is doing a formal inspection in April. The Ucode meant that the engine stopped talking to the transmission or visa versa. The vehicle “ran my daughter and I” off the highway into the dirt, on 2 different occasions. They are described as “catastrophic engine failures”. The la... Read more
Crash
FORD
TRANSIT CONNECT
(2014) - ENGINE
Mar 19, 2026
Incident date: Mar 19, 2019
The vehicle has 2 permanent codes. One is a communication blackout, the other code means the hardware is melting. GM is doing a formal inspection in April. The Ucode meant that the engine stopped talking to the transmission or visa versa. The vehicle “ran my daughter and I” off the highway into the dirt, on 2 different occasions. They are described as “catastrophic engine failures”. The la... Read more
Crash
FORD
TRANSIT CONNECT
(2014) - FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Mar 19, 2026
Incident date: Mar 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. This contact had experienced failure several times. The first failure occurred in September 2022, then in July 2023, and most recently in July 2025. The fuel pump module was replaced; however, the failure persisted. There was no warning light illuminated before the... Read more
FORD
TRANSIT CONNECT
(2014) - VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
Mar 19, 2026
Incident date: Mar 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2025 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked inside the garage, the hatch glass shattered unexpectedly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon further investigation, the contact became aware that several consumers had reported that the rear glass, front windshield, and s... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted before the engine seized. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the reverse(R) indicator was flashing. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The semi-truck behind the vehicle almost crashed into the rear of the vehicle. After several minutes, the c... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
The contact owned a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while he was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine sounded rough and ran rough. While driving at 75 MPH, the vehicle started shaking and started losing power. The contact pulled over and there was one more loud bang before the engine was blown. Additionally, there was an abnormal failure with the transmission. The con... Read more