Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,215,138 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA — including 138,663 crashes, 56,255 fires, and 8,561 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 2,215,138 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 379,511 complaints for FORD
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
The contact owned a 2023 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while her boyfriend was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal noise. The contact's boyfriend had pulled over. They discovered an unknown fluid leaking under the vehicle and a spark coming from the engine before the vehicle caught fire. There were no injuries were sustained. The firefighters arrived and extinguish... Read more
Fire
Incident date: May 14, 2026
transmission is locking itself into either 3rd or 5th gear and will not shift. sometimes it will lock itself in 1st gear and not shift.
Incident date: May 13, 2026
2019 Ford Fusion with 82,362 miles- just told engine coolant leaking into the cylinder walls and engine replacement is needed. Dealer said Do not drive it! This is a known problem with this model and Ford has not recalled it. Ford is aware and have sent TS Bulletins to their service departments but why NOT recall. My daughter’s safety has been at risk and now the value is worthless Or an engine ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
Car started to pull moving out of 1st gear into 2nd. Took to a shop to have the issue diagnosed, shop states torque converter is failing and taking the transmission with it. This car has just over 80,000, it should NOT be having transmission problems. There should be a recall or something for this. This is unacceptable.
Incident date: May 2, 2026
My car has been in and out of the shop since 2024 due to the power train system. As this is an active recall case my car was repaired 5 times. Recently, with the recall part replaced in January 2026, I got my car back and in May 2026 while driving, my car once again loss power. Going from 50 to coasting. After many guarantees that the problem is fixed, I continue to have the same dangerous probl... Read more
Incident date: May 2, 2026
My car has been in and out of the shop since 2024 due to the power train system. As this is an active recall case my car was repaired 5 times. Recently, with the recall part replaced in January 2026, I got my car back and in May 2026 while driving, my car once again loss power. Going from 50 to coasting. After many guarantees that the problem is fixed, I continue to have the same dangerous probl... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2025
Backup camera does not work dealership has done absolutely nothing regarding this matter it’s been almost 8 months
Incident date: Nov 19, 2025
Backup camera does not work dealership has done absolutely nothing regarding this matter it’s been almost 8 months
Incident date: May 11, 2026
I received a safety recall notice 26S28/NHTSA Recall 26V237 On the same day that this occurred in my truck. Luckily for me, I was within 2 miles of home, the only way I could get home was to drive in first gear up the mountain road to get there. My truck is not drivable. If this happens on a freeway, I most likely would be rear ended as the vehicle stops suddenly. What recourse do I have from Ford... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
Our 2012 Ford Fusion had a sudden and complete loss of power steering & “Power Steering Assist Fault’ flashed on dash. The steering immediately became extremely difficult to operate, requiring both hands and excessive physical force just to turn the wheel. It felt less like driving a passenger car and more like wrestling a fully loaded dump truck with flat tires. This created a serious safety... Read more
Incident date: Jan 26, 2026
My 2023 Ford Maverick Hybrid experienced repeated 12V battery discharge and “Deep Sleep” events associated with Recall 24C01 and SSM 53801. The vehicle repeatedly discharged the 12V battery while parked under normal conditions. In January 2026, after approximately two weeks parked in freezing temperatures, the battery experienced a complete discharge and the vehicle required multiple jump-sta... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2026
The contact is currently renting a 2025 Ford Escape . The contact stated while attempting to park the vehicle, he took his foot off the accelerator pedal and the vehicle unintendedly accelerated independently. No warnings light illuminated. An independent mechanic or dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnoses. The vehicle was not repaire... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
Coolant leak into the engine. Told that Ford knows about this but refuses to do anything to help me. Said the car would need $14,000 worth of fixes when I only bought it for $12,300.
Incident date: May 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that she received a recall letter for NHTSA Campaign Number 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V123000 (Back Over Prevention). The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. There had not been a failure experienced.
Incident date: May 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that she received a recall letter for NHTSA Campaign Number 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V123000 (Back Over Prevention). The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. There had not been a failure experienced.
Incident date: Jun 5, 2025
I am filing a complaint regarding Consumer Portfolio Services (CPS) and the reporting and collection of a repossession deficiency balance related to my 2021 Ford EcoSport, VIN [XXX] and Ford Motor Company. The vehicle was affected by serious safety defects and recall-related issues that endangered my safety and substantially impaired the vehicle’s reliability, usability, and market value. Despi... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2025
I am filing a complaint regarding Consumer Portfolio Services (CPS) and the reporting and collection of a repossession deficiency balance related to my 2021 Ford EcoSport, VIN [XXX] and Ford Motor Company. The vehicle was affected by serious safety defects and recall-related issues that endangered my safety and substantially impaired the vehicle’s reliability, usability, and market value. Despi... Read more
Incident date: Sep 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact discovered that the rear lenses was full of water. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to get a diagnosis however, the failure cause was unidentifiable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was ... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Forcus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed power steering pump. The contact was informed that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired... Read more
FORD
F-150 HYBRID
(2023) — FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
May 14, 2026
Incident date: May 13, 2026
I have a 2023 f150 powerboost. I slowed down to a yielding sign to turn right onto the state highway. The engine was in electric mode, I went to push the acceleration pedal and nothing happened. The truck would not accelerate for 4-5 seconds. I then put the accelerator pedal to the floor and it finally engaged and the truck flew. I’ve had it happen once before but for only a second so I thought ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 23, 2026
my car was rear ended in an accident somebody ran into the back of my car while i was stopped/parked at a stop light.. the impact was so hard that i crashed into another vehicle that was in front of me. I was wearing a seatbelt at the time but somehow still hit my head on the steering wheel and suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury because the seatbelt didn’t secure me and the airbags didn’t deplo... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 23, 2026
my car was rear ended in an accident somebody ran into the back of my car while i was stopped/parked at a stop light.. the impact was so hard that i crashed into another vehicle that was in front of me. I was wearing a seatbelt at the time but somehow still hit my head on the steering wheel and suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury because the seatbelt didn’t secure me and the airbags didn’t deplo... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: May 12, 2026
Hard downshift caused my truck to slow suddenly and became very hesitant where the vehicle behind me had to slam on their brakes. I then pulled over when it was safe, turned the truck off and then attempted to turn back on with no success due to the shift indicator no longer lighting up. This matches up with the current recall for this particular vehicle.
Incident date: May 12, 2026
Hard downshift caused my truck to slow suddenly and became very hesitant where the vehicle behind me had to slam on their brakes. I then pulled over when it was safe, turned the truck off and then attempted to turn back on with no success due to the shift indicator no longer lighting up. This matches up with the current recall for this particular vehicle.
Incident date: May 12, 2026
Hard downshift caused my truck to slow suddenly and became very hesitant where the vehicle behind me had to slam on their brakes. I then pulled over when it was safe, turned the truck off and then attempted to turn back on with no success due to the shift indicator no longer lighting up. This matches up with the current recall for this particular vehicle.
Incident date: May 1, 2018
The BCM keeps failing on my truck when it has already been replaced. The lights won’t stop flashing unless the battery is unplugged.
Incident date: Apr 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Transit. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer to complete a recall related to NHTSA campaign number 19V767000 (Power Train). The vehicle began shaking when put in drive and when idling. A vibration was felt when beginning to drive, but when reaching 15 to 20 mph, the vehicle began shaking harder. The front driveshaft was replaced. The dealer stat... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-250. The contact stated that he received NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V957000 (Fuel System, Diesel). The local dealer was contact who confirmed there were metal shaving in the fuel injectors. The vehilce was not repaired. The manufacture was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
I took my car to have recalls fixed. The next time I drove it after that my power steering shut off while driving. The warning lights for "Hill Start Assist Not Available" and "Service AdvanceTrac" came on. After some research it looks like I have the exact problem for recall 19S26. However when I called the dealership they couldn’t find the documentation if they fixed this or not on my vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle's speed independently accelerated. In addition, the power train failure warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately unknown.
Incident date: Aug 28, 2025
Head gasket failure, specifically corrosion of the engine block. One day the car just did not start at all, with no clear indication of head gasket failure until compression test was ran. Symptoms include coolant levels getting lower each week, with constant refills needed. Random misfires. Smoke randomly emitting from the exhaust when idle. Has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police or... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
Our truck has been experiencing downshift to a lower gear and the powertrain warning lamp wrench symbol in the instrument panel cluster comes on. This has been happening from about 4/1/2026 and ongoing.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
Our truck has been experiencing downshift to a lower gear and the powertrain warning lamp wrench symbol in the instrument panel cluster comes on. This has been happening from about 4/1/2026 and ongoing.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
Our truck has been experiencing downshift to a lower gear and the powertrain warning lamp wrench symbol in the instrument panel cluster comes on. This has been happening from about 4/1/2026 and ongoing.
Incident date: May 11, 2026
Cold start rattle lasting a second or more. Ford dealer diagnosed it as being bad cam phaser (TSB 23-2143). This is a very common issue with 3.5L engines from 2017-2020 - well documented on forums and youtube (even by ford technicians). I contacted Ford to see if they would assist in covering cost (my vehicle was a previous fleet vehicle and sold certified used in Dec 2020 with warranty running... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
When I'm driving my truck, usually when I have come to a stop on an incline, the parking/emergency brake will engage on its own. For example, most recently I was pulling out of a driveway with an incline. I was stopped at the bottom of the driveway to wait for the roadway to clear before I pulled out. When I hit the gas to go, the rear wheels skidded and the truck came to a stop in the oncoming tr... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
The front driver door lock/latch actuator is failing. The driver door does not lock or unlock using the key fob or the interior power lock button. The only way to lock or unlock the door is manually with the key or by pushing/pulling the lock from inside the vehicle. This issue started shortly after we had a historic/unusual cold freeze in Florida. The vehicle is kept outside, so it was exposed t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
The front driver door lock/latch actuator is failing. The driver door does not lock or unlock using the key fob or the interior power lock button. The only way to lock or unlock the door is manually with the key or by pushing/pulling the lock from inside the vehicle. This issue started shortly after we had a historic/unusual cold freeze in Florida. The vehicle is kept outside, so it was exposed t... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
Transmission shifted from 6th gear to 1st gear while driving on the highway. Unpredictable hard gear shifts at times.
Incident date: May 12, 2026
I had recall 23S64 repaired on 04/39/26 and now my car check engine light is on and is running hot, and shaking causing a safety hazard due to recall not being completed correctly by authorized Ford dealership
Incident date: May 12, 2026
I had recall 23S64 repaired on 04/39/26 and now my car check engine light is on and is running hot, and shaking causing a safety hazard due to recall not being completed correctly by authorized Ford dealership
Incident date: May 14, 2026
While driving, transmission will randomly shift gears from a higher gear all the way down to first gear regardless of travel speed. When traveling at highway speeds, this results in a loss of traction on the rear wheels, causing fishtailing and a momentary loss of control. This problem is getting worse, and is the result of a known defect in the transmission speed sensor that has been acknowledg... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 2026
The passenger door lock/latch actuator is failing. The passenger door will not open from the outside at all. The door has to be opened from the inside. The power lock button and key fob do not unlock the passenger door. I can hear the lock/actuator trying to operate, but the door does not unlock or release from the outside handle. This issue started shortly after we had a historic/unusual cold fr... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 2026
The passenger door lock/latch actuator is failing. The passenger door will not open from the outside at all. The door has to be opened from the inside. The power lock button and key fob do not unlock the passenger door. I can hear the lock/actuator trying to operate, but the door does not unlock or release from the outside handle. This issue started shortly after we had a historic/unusual cold fr... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH the front driver side door erroneously came open and would not remain shut and secured. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were contacted but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 130,000.
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 FORD F-150. The contact stated while her husband was driving the vehicle at an undisclosed speed, they witness the vehicle suddenly changing into different gears on it's own very abruptly. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: (26V237000 (POWER TRAIN) however, the vehicle VIN was not added to the recall repair.. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2024) — FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
May 14, 2026
Incident date: May 10, 2026
January 10, 2026. My battery abruptly stalled. It was charged drove a few feet in the car just stopped. The car was towed, and the battery was deemed faulty and needed replacement. May 10. The engine coolant light came on. The car would turn on and then abruptly stalled. Mid traffic. The car again was towed and it was deemed had a faulty coolant pump. I asked for the fuel injection system to b... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2024) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 14, 2026
Incident date: May 10, 2026
January 10, 2026. My battery abruptly stalled. It was charged drove a few feet in the car just stopped. The car was towed, and the battery was deemed faulty and needed replacement. May 10. The engine coolant light came on. The car would turn on and then abruptly stalled. Mid traffic. The car again was towed and it was deemed had a faulty coolant pump. I asked for the fuel injection system to b... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2024) — ENGINE
May 14, 2026
Incident date: May 10, 2026
January 10, 2026. My battery abruptly stalled. It was charged drove a few feet in the car just stopped. The car was towed, and the battery was deemed faulty and needed replacement. May 10. The engine coolant light came on. The car would turn on and then abruptly stalled. Mid traffic. The car again was towed and it was deemed had a faulty coolant pump. I asked for the fuel injection system to b... Read more
FORD
MAVERICK HYBRID
(2022) — SERVICE BRAKES
May 14, 2026
Incident date: May 13, 2026
brake issue when coming to a stop, sometimes the brakes (mainly front) feel like they go free for a rotation. this is a random problem, and the dealer didn't find an issue.