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
FORD
FUSION HYBRID
(2019) - SUSPENSION
Jul 25, 2026
Incident date: Jul 25, 2026
While making a U-turn on a high-speed arterial roadway (Philips Highway) with a child passenger, the vehicle suffered a sudden, complete failure of the driver-side rear CV axle/driveshaft assembly. A loud pop occurred followed immediately by total loss of vehicle propulsion, leaving the vehicle stranded across active lanes of traffic and creating an extreme hazard for severe rear-end impact. There... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2008
Second time in the last two months, while traveling on a 55mph roadway, vehicle started auto braking with no vehicles ahead of me or any obstacles. Scared the daylights out of me, I cant imagine what the outcome would have been if this happened on a highway.
Incident date: Jul 8, 2025
After replacing the engine less than a year, driving on I 96 going back to her home. The car starts losing power and shaking and the engine light come on. She almost get re-ended because the car lost powers so quick. She gets off the freeway and makes it to a friends house and parks the car. Called J and T Towing to tow the vehicle to Dearborn Tire and alignment in Dearborn to be checked. Trans h... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2026
On June 7, 2026, I was driving westbound on I-290 in the leftmost lane in a 2024 Tesla Model Y. I recall FSD (Supervised) was engaged and making a lane change into the left lane. Instead of settling in the lane, the vehicle continued left and struck the divider/median. I braked. The vehicle then bounced back and moved right toward a large truck and collided. I did not receive a takeover warning be... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Aug 20, 2025
The electronic throttle control, vehicle speed control, and powertrain/transmission control system failed. When I press the pedal to accelerate there was no power. However I did not lose power to the vehicle as I can see the vehicle was in Drive mode but was not moving forward. I was on a decline hill and the decline helped me go downwards before a truck could hit me. This total loss of accelerati... Read more
Incident date: May 29, 2026
The electronic throttle control, vehicle speed control, and powertrain/transmission control system failed. When I press the pedal to accelerate there was no power. However I did not lose power to the vehicle as I can see the vehicle was in Drive mode but was not moving forward. I was on a decline hill and the decline helped me go downwards before a truck could hit me. This total loss of accelerati... Read more
Incident date: May 29, 2026
On [XXX] I bought an RV from Camping World in CO. At the time of purchase I was not informed that any of the tires installed on the vehicle were retread tires, nor was I advised that a retread tire 245/70R19.5 had been installed on the front steering axle of a passenger vehicle. On [XXX] while traveling from Arizona back to Colorado the front passenger-side tire suffered a catastrophic failure whe... Read more
Incident date: May 29, 2026
On [XXX] I bought an RV from Camping World in CO. At the time of purchase I was not informed that any of the tires installed on the vehicle were retread tires, nor was I advised that a retread tire 245/70R19.5 had been installed on the front steering axle of a passenger vehicle. On [XXX] while traveling from Arizona back to Colorado the front passenger-side tire suffered a catastrophic failure whe... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
Failing Transmission, does not shift into the gear just hear grinding noise, after few seconds of it, transmission makes very hard shift. This takes place in all phases or driving leading to potentially very dangerous situation of the car not moving or stopping while crossing a street with upcoming traffic, crossing intersection or any other phase of driving. Visited few shops and was advised that... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
I presented my vehicle to Oliver Ford-Lincoln in Plymouth, IN for inspection under recall 23S64 / NHTSA 23V-905. The dealership confirmed that the oil pump drive belt degraded, clogging the oil pickup pump screen and causing engine oil starvation and complete engine failure. The dealership subsequently denied recall coverage claiming "bad maintenance history". Under NHTSA Campaign 23V-905, Ford ex... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2026
NHTSA Safety Complaint To: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Regarding: Vehicle Safety Hazard / Fraudulent Repairs on 2017 Chevrolet Silverado VIN: [XXX] To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to file an emergency vehicle safety complaint regarding a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado, VIN [XXX], purchased on XXX. Huntley Ford performed unauthorized, fraudulent, and unsafe repairs tha... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2026
NHTSA Safety Complaint To: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Regarding: Vehicle Safety Hazard / Fraudulent Repairs on 2017 Chevrolet Silverado VIN: [XXX] To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to file an emergency vehicle safety complaint regarding a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado, VIN [XXX], purchased on XXX. Huntley Ford performed unauthorized, fraudulent, and unsafe repairs tha... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2026
The cowl is the newest cowl on my 2019 subaru impreza and it still bowed like the original. Mine wasn't on the original recall and it bowed.
Incident date: Jul 24, 2026
After a recent Tesla software update, a mandatory Full Self-Driving disengagement feedback window appears every time I disengage FSD while the vehicle is still moving. The feedback window covers a large portion of the display with a black overlay, noticeable enough something popped up. There is no setting to disable it, dismiss it immediately, or postpone the response until the vehicle is stopped... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2026
After a recent Tesla software update, a mandatory Full Self-Driving disengagement feedback window appears every time I disengage FSD while the vehicle is still moving. The feedback window covers a large portion of the display with a black overlay, noticeable enough something popped up. There is no setting to disable it, dismiss it immediately, or postpone the response until the vehicle is stopped... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2026
Brand new car, 2026. Rear window explodes for no reason. It has happened twice and is a hazard for me to drive. They are only replacing the glass and not doing further inspections and refuse to replace it again if it happens again. I am fearful to drive it as the glass may explode while I’m driving.
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2021) - BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
Jul 25, 2026
Incident date: Jul 24, 2026
The back up camera would go black when reversing, creating a dangerous situation. It’s a known issue with the GX 460 model that when the radio gets corrupted and the infotainment screen goes black it will cause the back up camera to not function properly! I reached out to Lexus and they confirmed the issue is a bad logic (mother ) board that causes this and since it’s out of warranty they will... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2021) - STEERING
Jul 25, 2026
Incident date: Jul 24, 2026
Abs traction control and e brake lights are on every time I go to crank the truck. I also get a check engine light with three codes causing my power steering and speedometer and odometer to stop working, I can sometimes clear the codes but the check engine light reappears when I’m going down the road. It has caused me to almost hit a light pole in the rain when I was going around a curve under 2... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2018) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 25, 2026
Incident date: Jul 25, 2026
I was driving and all of a sudden the traction lights turned on and the sterring wheel is hard to turn. Almost go in a car accident. The windows just stopped working and the brakes light constantly keep getting burned out.
Incident date: Nov 25, 2025
I was driving and all of a sudden the traction lights turned on and the sterring wheel is hard to turn. Almost go in a car accident. The windows just stopped working and the brakes light constantly keep getting burned out.
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
I own a 2023 BMW 530i affected by NHTSA recall campaign 26V-438 (BMW "Engine Starter" recall), issued July 8, 2026. Per BMW's own recall documentation, unexpected wear on an internal starter component can cause the starter to malfunction and, in an extreme case, cause a thermal event or fire when starting the engine OR while the engine is running. As of this complaint, BMW's official status for th... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
I own a 2023 BMW 530i affected by NHTSA recall campaign 26V-438 (BMW "Engine Starter" recall), issued July 8, 2026. Per BMW's own recall documentation, unexpected wear on an internal starter component can cause the starter to malfunction and, in an extreme case, cause a thermal event or fire when starting the engine OR while the engine is running. As of this complaint, BMW's official status for th... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
Date/Time: XXX, 10:08 AM Location: AutoNation Honda, [XXX] Vehicle: 2019 Honda Odyssey (fuel pump previously replaced under prior Honda recall) Summary: •Refueled vehicle the prior day; strong gasoline odor present in cabin immediately after and persisting overnight. •Odor remained strong the following day — described as intoxicating, required driving with windows down in 100°+ heat to ... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2018) - ENGINE
Jul 25, 2026
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
Knocking sound and flashing engine light came on. When brought to dealership it was determined that lower bearing failure took place requiring full engine replacement. '
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
Due to the Fuel Pump Power Control Module (Part number 13554821) failure, my vehicle stalled in the middle of a turn while pulling a 10,000 pound RV. This caused me to lose both power steering and braking capabilities. From what I gather, this part is part of a "phased" initiative recall (see N252516900 Fuel Pump Power Control Module). This part was seemingly installed in all or most of GM SUVs an... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2026
When driving the vehicle the on board screen randomly shuts down and restarts while in motion. During this process it changes all of the driving settings and turns off the automatic braking, and the vehicle accelerates with out touching the accelerator. This has happened numerous times and it has been to the dealership 4 times with out any changes.
Incident date: Jul 23, 2026
Vehicle experienced a catastrophic, terminal 12V auxiliary battery parasitic drain that flatlines the system to 0% while parked, creating a severe safety risk by stripping hazard lights and motive power. This is the 3rd identical electrical collapse within 4 weeks; a late June 12V battery replacement failed. The vehicle was in active daily use, not stored.Held out of service at Kings Toyota since ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
It was heavy rain traffic came and when I slowed down the anti lock breaks effected me from stopping fast enough and were made me just slid into back off vehicle in front off me giving me injury's to my kneck due to the air bags did NOT deploy.
Crash
2 injured
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2024) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 25, 2026
Incident date: Jul 24, 2026
The infotainment center isn't working as expected: * Wireless CarPlay disconnecting. * Navigation freezing or showing incorrect locations. * Music and podcast interruptions. * Poor call quality. * Siri stopping mid-message.
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2024) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Jul 25, 2026
Incident date: Jul 16, 2025
I own a 2023 Chevrolet Traverse. While driving, the vehicle suddenly began jerking very hard during acceleration and shifting. The Check Engine Light illuminated, and the vehicle became unsafe to drive because the transmission was not operating normally. I was concerned that the vehicle could suddenly lose power or fail while driving in traffic, increasing the risk of a crash. I took the vehicle ... Read more
FORD
BRONCO SPORT
(2024) - FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Jul 25, 2026
Incident date: Jul 16, 2025
This is about a 2020 Tesla Model Y, with HardWare3 (HW3) Full-Self-Driving (FSD) feature. The older HW3 FSD-enabled Model Y cars started getting the new "v14 Lite" FSD updates recently - I got mine a few days ago. I immediately noticed a safety concern with the v14 Lite. Previous versions of FSD allowed me to set the maximum speed that the car would drive in the FSD mode - I can adjust it using... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
I purchased Dorman part #74015 Brake Pedal Stopper from AutoZone Altamonte after an employee recommended it for my 2012 Kia Soul without checking system compatibility. I installed it that night. On, while driving on a busy road in Orlando, FL, my brake pedal locked completely solid and could not be depressed. I had complete loss of braking and could not shift out of park. I was stranded in live ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2026
The Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) failed. Before repair, the check-engine light appeared intermittently, the vehicle sometimes had difficulty starting, and the indicated electric range could suddenly drop from about 30 miles to zero despite a charged high-voltage battery. When this occurred, the gasoline engine started unexpectedly. The air conditioning also intermittently blew warm air unt... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2018) - STEERING
Jul 24, 2026
Incident date: Jul 18, 2026
I was driving in heavy traffic when the steering on my 2025 Acura TLX AWD froze up. Several codes were displayed. I managed to direct the vehicle to the right shoulder where I turned the engine off. I restarted the engine but the steering was still inoperable and the codes were still displayed. I turned the engine off again. When I restarted it the second time the codes were gone and I was able to... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2018) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 24, 2026
Incident date: May 6, 2026
I was driving in heavy traffic when the steering on my 2025 Acura TLX AWD froze up. Several codes were displayed. I managed to direct the vehicle to the right shoulder where I turned the engine off. I restarted the engine but the steering was still inoperable and the codes were still displayed. I turned the engine off again. When I restarted it the second time the codes were gone and I was able to... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2026
Speedometer quit working. Then comes on intermittently and then quits again.
FORD
FUSION ENERGI
(2020) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 24, 2026
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
All 4 door actuators failed over the course of a few months. Now none of the locks work, and the cost to fix them is prohibitive.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
This vehicle locks itself even with a fully charged key tag inside it. The driver is not able to open the car by lifting any of the door handles. It has occurred 3 separate times. It will only open with a key card. Should the driver not have a key card outside of the vehicle, it must be towed to the dealership for service. The dealer has been advised of the problem, although the service department... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
This vehicle locks itself even with a fully charged key tag inside it. The driver is not able to open the car by lifting any of the door handles. It has occurred 3 separate times. It will only open with a key card. Should the driver not have a key card outside of the vehicle, it must be towed to the dealership for service. The dealer has been advised of the problem, although the service department... Read more
FORD
MAVERICK HYBRID
(2024) - AIR BAGS
Jul 24, 2026
Incident date: Jul 14, 2026
A nagging seat belt monitoring fault occurred with this vehicle. After researching this particular problem, I found that it is a well known issue to Ford (over several forums and owners websites), which is caused by a seat belt sensor. This fault comes up as a rear seat belt fault, but it is actually the driver's front seat belt sensor that is the problem. This fault causes the airbags to be turne... Read more
FORD
MAVERICK HYBRID
(2024) - POWER TRAIN
Jul 24, 2026
Incident date: Jul 14, 2026
My 2019 Infiniti QX50 has the KR20DDET 2.0L VC-Turbo engine involved in NHTSA Recall 25V437/Infiniti Campaign R25B2 for potential engine-bearing failure, but my VIN does not currently show an open recall. The vehicle is at Infiniti Milwaukee, [XXX], [XXX]. During inspection, bronze-colored metallic glitter/debris was found in the engine oil. This may indicate internal bearing wear and appears con... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2025
WHO WAS INVOLVED: Driver/owner of a 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL-R Line Turbo WHAT HAPPENED: While reversing into a parking spot, the vehicle stopped unexpectedly with no obstruction present. Driver held the brake and shifted to Drive; the vehicle stopped again, then shifted itself into Park and engaged the electronic parking brake without driver input. Driver had to shift to Drive again to get the... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2025
WHO WAS INVOLVED: Driver/owner of a 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL-R Line Turbo WHAT HAPPENED: While reversing into a parking spot, the vehicle stopped unexpectedly with no obstruction present. Driver held the brake and shifted to Drive; the vehicle stopped again, then shifted itself into Park and engaged the electronic parking brake without driver input. Driver had to shift to Drive again to get the... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
Follow-up to complaint 11749455, same vehicle (2021 Jeep Wrangler EcoDiesel, approx. 98,300 miles). Following recall 01A (high-pressure fuel pump replacement), a diesel fuel leak was discovered at a fuel supply component by the servicing dealership. That fuel injector supply line was replaced on 07/23/2026, which I paid for under protest. Within approximately one mile of leaving the dealership, th... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 Audi Q7. The contact stated that while attempting to trade the vehicle at a dealer, the team observed an abnormal fuel odor coming from the vehicle. While inspecting the vehicle, there was fuel dripping down the side of the fuel tank into a puddle underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was ... Read more
FORD
F-150 HYBRID
(2022) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 24, 2026
Incident date: Jul 24, 2026
While driving, the vehicle suddenly lost power steering assist without warning. The steering wheel warning light illuminated on the instrument panel, and the steering immediately became extremely difficult to turn. The condition created a significant safety hazard because the vehicle was much harder to control while in motion. The steering remains difficult to turn after the incident. This appears... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the electrical system failed inside the vehicle, causing the air conditioning system to fail to operate, and the window control buttons failed to roll the window down. The battery saver active warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the posi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 2, 2026
The car speeds up from 30mph around a curve when the adaptive speed control loses sight of the vehicle ahead of me. A speed of 55mph on the curve posted at 30mph is dangerous. The dealer says “oh just turn off the crisis control by tapping the brake.” This is true but could be too late, since the car has already increased its speed on the curve. Volvo is unresponsive.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
While driving through normal rain with ordinary standing water on the roadway (NOT flood conditions), the rear bumper fascia detached from my Tesla Model Y. There was no impact, no collision, and no debris strike - there are no impact marks or scratches on the bumper. The fascia was pulled off by water drag, tearing a welded body mount bracket from the vehicle structure and damaging the underbody ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2026
Auto idle system shuts down and stalled vehicle on intersections twice. Had battery replaced. Continued. Replaced starter (around 15,000 miles) Now at 34,000 miles it is starting to do it all over again. Stalled at intersection, battery sluggish. I turn off the auto idle system as soon as I start the car, but cannot remember to do so every time. Extreme safety issue where I live in major stop and ... Read more