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: Feb 17, 2026
Our car, only 3 years old (2022) had a check engine light come on about a week ago. We went and had the code read, said cylinder 3 was misfiring. We replaced all the spark plugs and coils. All the lights went off and the car drove fine for another week. Then all of a sudden after driving 60+ miles, we were accelerating up a hill in very heavy traffic, and the car wouldn't accelerate. It wouldn't g... Read more
Incident date: Nov 14, 2025
Brake actuator assembly known issue in Prius C, Toyota refuses to do anything about it. Part is not cheap.
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
I am writing to express my significant frustration regarding the handling of NHTSA Recall 25V896. I dropped off my vehicle several weeks ago following the recall notice, only to be informed later that the software remedy is not expected until Q2 2026. It is unacceptable to request that customers surrender their vehicles for a recall when the manufacturer is not yet prepared to provide the necessar... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2022) - POWER TRAIN
Mar 16, 2026
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
Just took my car to the Chevy dealership today and had them go over the car because I keep getting the message steering assist has been reduced and the fan is constantly running at the highest speed and it also makes it where I can not use the a/c or heat in the car! I don’t know the code off hand but it has something to do with the cam shaft and the thermostat for the antifreeze! From what Chev... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2022) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 16, 2026
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
Just took my car to the Chevy dealership today and had them go over the car because I keep getting the message steering assist has been reduced and the fan is constantly running at the highest speed and it also makes it where I can not use the a/c or heat in the car! I don’t know the code off hand but it has something to do with the cam shaft and the thermostat for the antifreeze! From what Chev... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2022) - ENGINE
Mar 16, 2026
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
Just took my car to the Chevy dealership today and had them go over the car because I keep getting the message steering assist has been reduced and the fan is constantly running at the highest speed and it also makes it where I can not use the a/c or heat in the car! I don’t know the code off hand but it has something to do with the cam shaft and the thermostat for the antifreeze! From what Chev... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
Passenger seat capacity sensor fault. Will not activate passenger side air bag. Checked with obd scanner
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2022) - FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Mar 16, 2026
Incident date: Jul 14, 2025
Total of 3 incidents when my car had approx 1/8 to 1/4 of a tank of gas....as going up incline on interstate....car like stalls and slows down, will not speed up....get it over to the side to avoid being hit and it finally starts going again...close call with vehicles behind us in the passing lane. Below listed the last time it happened... Did not use to do this...first time was same area listed b... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
I was driving in a city at 30 miles per hour no acceleration and no load. I lost oil pressure, dumped all the oil out of the crankcase and then the engine locked up. I had it towed to my mechanic shop that i have work done. The technician diagnosed it as a failed oil cooler pressure supply line. Where the solid steel line crimps to a rubber oil hose, that connection had not been applied enough pre... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, several unknown transmission codes were displayed on the instrument panel, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that a transmission flush was needed. The vehicle was repaired; however... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2026
The contact owned a 2021 Genesis GV80. The contact stated that the instrument cluster was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the instrument cluster had failed and needed to be replaced at the owner's expense. The contact declined to pay for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 70 MPH ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 16, 2025
When you move from reverse to drive in short spurts to park the car, the vehicle's emergency brake system turns on when nothing is in the way and causes car to lock up - beep loudly and vibrate. This is very disruptive when you try to park and scary as the car is over-reacting.
Incident date: Mar 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Express 3500. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, there was a burning odor coming from the vehicle, and the vehicle was pulled over into the right lane. Upon exiting the vehicle, the contact became aware that the front wheels were smoking. Additionally, the brake pedal went to the floorboard while depressed. The contact stated that the brake fluid seemed... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2026
The 2nd and 3rd row power-folding seats in my 2026 Hyundai Palisade do not detect the presence of a person or object when automatically folding. The seats continue to fold even if someone is sitting on the seat, creating a serious entrapment and injury risk and even death, especially for children. I reported this safety concern multiple times to the selling dealer (Hyundai of Kirkland), but they ... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2018) - ENGINE
Mar 16, 2026
Incident date: Mar 14, 2026
The bolts holding the exhaust to the catalytic converter broke while I was driving my car. The car could have flipped, the exhaust could have busted through the vehicle, or I could have caused an accident and died. This comes on the heels of the EXACT SAME THING happening to my wife's Chevy Trailblazer with nearly the same mileage as mine. I have 97K miles and she 96K. This is a KNOWN ISSUE to the... Read more
FORD
TRANSIT CONNECT
(2016) - AIR BAGS
Mar 16, 2026
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, another vehicle drove through a stop sign, causing the contact to T-bone the other vehicle, causing damage to the front end of the vehicle. The contact stated that no air bags did not deploy in his vehicle. The contact stated that he sustained whiplash to the neck and upper back. No medical attention was requ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
Last year while traveling on vacation, my family was on the interstate crusing at approximately 70 MPH when the Hyundai Palisade suddenly started shaking and slowing down. It was shaking so bad, I ended up having to turn on my flashers because the vehicle would not accelerate up hill while pressing on the gas pedal. Thankfully, I was able to exit the highway and located a Hyundai dealership about ... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2021) - VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES
Mar 16, 2026
Incident date: Mar 15, 2026
The contact stated that he saw a Tesla Cyber Cab vehicle with one occupant in the front driver-side seat. The contact stated that upon further inspection, the vehicle did not have side-view or rear-view mirrors. The contact stated that his safety and the safety of other drivers were placed at risk because the driver of the self-driving vehicle could not see a nearby vehicle in the blind spots or r... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2025
The contact stated that he saw a Tesla Cyber Cab vehicle with one occupant in the front driver-side seat. The contact stated that upon further inspection, the vehicle did not have side-view or rear-view mirrors. The contact stated that his safety and the safety of other drivers were placed at risk because the driver of the self-driving vehicle could not see a nearby vehicle in the blind spots or r... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
Airbag light is flashing. Independent shop found code B00C1:93-8B. OCS Sensor B. Shop sent owner to dealer for inspection & repair. Charged $57.24. Dealer found DTC B00C1 passenger seat occupant classification sensor b. Replacement cost for the part $1,110.13, plus shop fess and tax for a total repair cost of this critical safety item would be $1,197.29. I did not have this service performed due... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 2025
Mileage: 90,406 2015 Cadillac Escalade Engine: 6.2L V8 EcoTec3 has experienced lifter and camshaft failure, and the vehicle is now stalling while driving, creating a serious safety risk. I transport my disabled child daily, and the stalls are unpredictable, putting us and other drivers at risk. This issue is consistent with the pending class action Harrison v. General Motors LLC, which alleges ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2026
On March 14, 2026, I was attempting to turn left into a parking stall within a busy shopping center lot when my vehicle suddenly accelerated unexpectedly. I lost all control of both the steering and the braking systems. This resulted in my vehicle striking a parked car to my left, jumping a cemented planter border, and coming to rest in the adjacent parking stall. Fortunately, the other vehicle w... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
While driving my 2022 GMC Yukon with approximately 150,000 miles, the engine suddenly began running rough and I immediately pulled over. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealership. The dealer diagnosed a collapsed lifter and camshaft damage and recommended full engine replacement at a cost of about $9,450. The vehicle had no prior engine issues and most miles are highway miles. Sudden engine fa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2026 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the anti-pinch protection feature was inoperative and failed to identify that the seat was occupied. The contact’s grandson accidentally hit an unknown button and was squished by the seat. The failure caused emotional distress to her grandson. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact received n... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the anti-pinch protection feature was inoperative and failed to identify that the seat was occupied. The contact’s grandson accidentally hit an unknown button and was squished by the seat. The failure caused emotional distress to her grandson. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact received n... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, there was white smoke coming from the engine, before the engine caught on fire. After the failure, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to pull over safely. The fire was extinguished independently. There were no reported injuries. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
The park switch inside the transmission control assemblies shifter control assembly fail to detect when shifting gear into park
Incident date: Jul 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2026 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that while an occupant was seated in the second row passenger seat, the contact accidentally tapped the "ONE-TOUCH" TILT-AND-SLIDE BUTTON. Despite the occupant seated in the second row, the seat continued to fold, nearly crushing the occupant. The occupant managed to jump out of the vehicle as the seat continued to fold; they did not suf... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
The infotainment screen on my 2022 Honda Passport is constantly blacking out or freezing up. In addition to no use of radio or GPS when this happens, there is also no backup camera or rear cross traffic warning. This creates a safety issue. The vehicle has been to the dealer twice. While they can see the problem, they indicated there's no fault code, therefore they don't know know how to proceed w... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds or while the vehicle was parked, there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that the sound might be caused by unknown engine parts rubbing against each other. The... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
When turning the steering to maximum wheel camber, the wheel rims roll over the sidewall of the OEM low-profile Pirelli tires, damaging the tires and causing bubbling in the sidewall. This happens at a negligible speed, such as exiting a parking space. This vehicle is 3+ years old with 15k miles. Low-profile tires appear to be incompatible with the steering design.
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2008 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the garage, diesel fuel started leaking onto the garage floor. The contact recently purchased the vehicle, inspected the source of the leak, and discovered that the fuel lines were completely rusted. Additionally, the contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the fuel level lowered to half a tan... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
Was driving down interstate and the top of my grill came off and smacked my windshield. Also, my tailgate opens on its own but the grill is the main safety issue. I have seen where they already have recalls on 2022s and earlier due to chrome grill coming off but mine is a 2023 and gm is refusing to honor it when it is obviously the same issue. Was very scary and could have caused a wreck as grill ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2022
Was doing 55-60 mph in left lane of highway. Suddenly and without warning the car is decelerating, cannot accelerate any more, all warning lights suddenly flashing on dashboard. I was able to get over to the far right emergency lane, turn car off and put on hazards and started calling Subaru roadside assistance. While doing so I suddenly saw smoke coming out from under the hood. I got out of the c... Read more
Fire
Incident date: May 22, 2022
Front passenger head restraint deployed without any accident or reason. Just deployed without cause snapping a plastic bracket so it can’t be manually pushed back into place you have to purchase the entire component. The other oddity is the piece that you need to replace in question has been discontinued. Stellantis has a recall referenced as (20c) but my particular vehicle doesn’t fit in ther... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
On February 14th, my 2025 Toyota Corolla Hybrid (approx. 17,000 miles) experienced a catastrophic failure. Without warning, the steering wheel completely locked, preventing any control. Simultaneously, the automatic emergency collision braking system malfunctioned, locked the brakes, and would not disengage. This total loss of control forced the vehicle to crash into a median. Toyota Corporate has... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
Transmission Control Valve Body (Recall #N242454440) Your truck is part of the massive recall issued late last year (expanded in February 2026) regarding the 10-speed Allison transmission. The Problem: Internal wear in the valve body causes a drop in pressure, which can cause the rear wheels to lock up suddenly while you're driving. Multiple occurrences. It has been taken to the shop for t... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2021) - FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Mar 16, 2026
Incident date: Jan 25, 2026
Description of Defect: My 2020 Kia Telluride experienced catastrophic engine failure and excessive oil consumption, which is a known issue for this model year (to the point that I had to sell it just 1 year after I bought it). The vehicle consumes oil at an alarming rate without any dashboard warning lights, or low oil pressure indicators, leading to sudden loss of engine power and potential stall... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2026
Description of Defect: My 2020 Kia Telluride experienced catastrophic engine failure and excessive oil consumption, which is a known issue for this model year (to the point that I had to sell it just 1 year after I bought it). The vehicle consumes oil at an alarming rate without any dashboard warning lights, or low oil pressure indicators, leading to sudden loss of engine power and potential stall... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2026
Our 2018 Honda Odyssey (Elite) has been diagnosed by our local Honda dealer with engine failure due to rod knock (rod bearing failure). This vehicle is well maintained with only 72,500 miles when the issue became noticeable. The dealer has verbally quoted $8,800 to replace the engine with another used engine, which I refuse to pay given the relatively low mileage and age of this vehicle (and histo... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while attempting to stop the vehicle, the brake pedal was firm while depressed, and the vehicle stalled, shut off, and failed to restart. The vehicle was later towed back to the residence. While inspecting under the hood, the contact discovered that the fuel pump had failed. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufact... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2025
Driving to work and a loud noise (pop) was heard and then I realized the sunroof had basically exploded. Glass was all over the car and all over myself. I immediately got off the road and turned on my hazard lights to assess the situation. This could have caused an accident had I not remained calm. Contacted dealership this morning. Waiting to hear back. No prior warning to this happening.
Incident date: Aug 25, 2025
The vehicle has been unable to charge at a lvl3 charger due to safety recall 25V-655 meaning I am no longer able to use this car as a daily commuter for my purpose.
Incident date: Mar 14, 2026
While my 2025 Lexus TX was parked in my residential garage, the vehicle suddenly locked itself with my [XXX] and [XXX] children and my phone inside. The doors had been unlocked prior to placing them in the vehicle. Without warning, the vehicle locked all doors and windows. The key fob failed to unlock the vehicle electronically or manually. My husband and I attempted for over 30 minutes to gain ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked for nine hours unattended in the middle of the night; it caught fire. No warning lights were illuminated before the fire. The vehicle was taken to an unknown local dealer two weeks prior for a recall repair and oil change. While her husband was extinguishing the fire, he sustained burns to his arms and face, b... Read more
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 19, 2024
Engine light is on with the code reading the clutch and the transmission is overheating with sticking gears as I drive
Incident date: Feb 18, 2021
Hello, My 2018 Acura MDX has moisture and water inside the inner tailgate (trunk) tail light assembly, which caused the light to stop working. I understand there is a recall affecting some 2014–2020 Acura MDX vehicles related to moisture entering the tailgate light assembly, and my vehicle appears to have the same issue. Recall link: [XXX] Last week I visited the Acura dealership(Acura Colum... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2026
Hello, My 2018 Acura MDX has moisture and water inside the inner tailgate (trunk) tail light assembly, which caused the light to stop working. I understand there is a recall affecting some 2014–2020 Acura MDX vehicles related to moisture entering the tailgate light assembly, and my vehicle appears to have the same issue. Recall link: [XXX] Last week I visited the Acura dealership(Acura Colum... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2026
On November 11, 2025, while reversing inside a garage, the rearview camera image— which had initially displayed correctly on the vehicle’s screen—suddenly froze while the vehicle remained in reverse mode. At the same time, the Pre-Collision System (PCS) failed to engage the brakes while the vehicle was traveling at approximately 2–3 miles per hour. As a result, the vehicle struck the garag... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 7, 2026
I was driving south on interstate 15 freeway I was on the 3 lane in the middle of the road I was driving around 65-70 mph when my 1500 Silverado 2016 loose engine power and started to slow down I couldn’t get out fast enough and I almost got hit by three cars because I was driving so slow I pulled over emergency lines and the truck didn’t even start