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: Jul 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that there was a misfire in the engine. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a cas... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that there was a misfire in the engine. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a cas... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while the vehicle was shifted into reverse(R), the back-over prevention camera intermittently failed to display an image of the rear of the vehicle. The back-over prevention camera failed to operate as needed and a bright green screen was displayed before the screen turned black. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
I have taken my vehicle to 2 different ford Dealership one tell me that this wasn't for my car and immediately it shows up that I need a fuel injection second one Jim Norton charges me for the lights on my car to get a diagnostics when the recalls and I should never been charged and then the light comes on the next day for the wrench and the engine I've taken my car three times for the recalls an... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2026
On XXX I retrieved my 2023 Tesla Model Y (VIN: [XXX]) from Tesla Motors NV, Inc. ([XXX]) after their third attempt to correct a severe panel and component misalignment following a collision repair (Invoice #XXX). The facility replaced major front-end structural components, including the Front Bumper Beam (1687601-00-E), Front Subframe Crush Can (1109193-00-C), and Cast Front Underbody Left Hand Cr... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jun 16, 2026
This vehicle was inspected by a certified Ford dealership (Premier Ford, Service Advisor: Harry). Ford Motor Company’s Consumer Affairs Department subsequently reviewed the case under Complaint ID: XXX. In their official written response, Ford explicitly admitted the root cause, stating: "the vehicle experienced a failure to the harness for the alternator which melted due to heat from the exhaus... Read more
Incident date: Jun 16, 2026
This vehicle was inspected by a certified Ford dealership (Premier Ford, Service Advisor: Harry). Ford Motor Company’s Consumer Affairs Department subsequently reviewed the case under Complaint ID: XXX. In their official written response, Ford explicitly admitted the root cause, stating: "the vehicle experienced a failure to the harness for the alternator which melted due to heat from the exhaus... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2026
I have a 2021 HONDA Odyssey ,40K miles, some lights on about few months ago, then i went to dealer on June 29,2026. I paid for a dealer diagnoses, they told me is the VSA modulator faulty. I don't believe that is over 36K miles warranty , so i search it on Google, shows Honda had some recall on different model and year car with the VSA modulator, so i think we must check it ,if on odyssey need r... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2026
I have a 2021 HONDA Odyssey ,40K miles, some lights on about few months ago, then i went to dealer on June 29,2026. I paid for a dealer diagnoses, they told me is the VSA modulator faulty. I don't believe that is over 36K miles warranty , so i search it on Google, shows Honda had some recall on different model and year car with the VSA modulator, so i think we must check it ,if on odyssey need r... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2026
I have a 2021 HONDA Odyssey ,40K miles, some lights on about few months ago, then i went to dealer on June 29,2026. I paid for a dealer diagnoses, they told me is the VSA modulator faulty. I don't believe that is over 36K miles warranty , so i search it on Google, shows Honda had some recall on different model and year car with the VSA modulator, so i think we must check it ,if on odyssey need r... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2026
started getting bombarded with error messages. Collision Mitigation LKA Adaptive cruise Lane Departure Mitigation Auto High Beam
Incident date: Jun 26, 2026
Following a software update by Ford in the past 6-8 months, upon start-up my vehicle asks me which drive mode I wish to be in but then after 15-45 seconds "forgets" my answer and changes drive modes. This results in regenerative braking being disabled, at random, in the middle of a drive. This is a major safety issue, as I will expect braking to applying while easing up on the accelerator but that... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2026
Horn when first pushed does not work....Push it 3-4 times rapidly and it works fine...Intermittent....Yesterday a kid not paying attn pulled out in front of me on a bicycle....I hit the horn, horn did not work, came sooooo close to hitting him......With a horn operating properly it would not have been as nearly deadly as it was......Took it to my dealer, was told it is a common known problem, abou... Read more
FORD
F-150 LIGHTNING BEV
(2024) - FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Jul 15, 2026
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
On XXX I was driving from [XXX] to my sister's house in [XXX]. I was relocating to [XXX] for a job. I was pulling a U-haul trailer (6x12) that contained significantly less weight than the truck can handle. About halfway there, on back roads, the truck suddenly slowed significantly and the gas pedal was unresponsive. The light in the dashboard read Reduced Acceleration - Drive with caution. Pulled... Read more
FORD
F-150 LIGHTNING BEV
(2024) - ENGINE
Jul 15, 2026
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
On XXX I was driving from [XXX] to my sister's house in [XXX]. I was relocating to [XXX] for a job. I was pulling a U-haul trailer (6x12) that contained significantly less weight than the truck can handle. About halfway there, on back roads, the truck suddenly slowed significantly and the gas pedal was unresponsive. The light in the dashboard read Reduced Acceleration - Drive with caution. Pulled... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2026
SYSTEMIC POWERTRAIN SAFETY DEFECT: Catastrophic Loss of Propulsion & Failure of Dual-Motor Redundancy. 1. Incident & Safety Risk: While traveling in the far-left HOV lane of a 6-lane interstate highway, the vehicle experienced an uncommanded, unwarranted Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) intervention during a controlled lane change. This sudden deceleration instantly triggered a complete powertra... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2024
SYSTEMIC POWERTRAIN SAFETY DEFECT: Catastrophic Loss of Propulsion & Failure of Dual-Motor Redundancy. 1. Incident & Safety Risk: While traveling in the far-left HOV lane of a 6-lane interstate highway, the vehicle experienced an uncommanded, unwarranted Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) intervention during a controlled lane change. This sudden deceleration instantly triggered a complete powertra... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2025
2018 Subaru Outback Infotainment center glass delamination causing the system to come on by itself start malfunctioning switching between channels or apps and potentially startle / distract the driver. Incident has been ongoing for over 8 months..
Incident date: Apr 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Taurus. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera displayed a blank or distorted image. ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2025
CVT Transmission failed at 82k miles. Diagnosed at Midas, specific Transmission shop and local Nissan dealership as needing full replacement. Notified Nissan Consumer Affairs, they created a case but refused to fully replace it, offered to pay only 50% of approximately $9k.
Incident date: Jul 15, 2026
Lower driver door locking bracket corrosion. Beyond surface corrosion. Been monitoring. Passenger side bracket is free of corrosion. Base of corroded bracket has heavy rust. Appears this part was not plated or treated for rustproofing. Appears this locking bracket might fail over time. See attached photos. Passenger side (no corrosion) is last photo.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2013
The contact owns a 2015 Dodge Dart. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V674000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Incident date: May 9, 2026
While driving we noticed the engine light came on so we took it to our local mechanic. He said we were leaking coolant and it was too extensive fro him to fix so he suggested we put coolant in every few days. We researched the problem and found that these cars had a recall for this exact issue yet our VIN does not show it. We went to Ford Dealership and they confirmed we need a new engine as the... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2026
Component: Lane Support System — Emergency Lane Keeping (ELK) Part of standard Autopilot safety suite (not FSD) activated without valid lane detection data and pushed the vehicle into the oncoming lane of traffic on Ohio State Route [XXX]. The system then aborted mid-intervention (LSS_STATE_ABORT), leaving the driver in the oncoming lane. The resulting head-on collision killed both drivers — t... Read more
Crash
2 deaths
Incident date: May 22, 2026
There is coolant intrusion into the cyl. It is a known concern and many complaints on line. Lincoln refuses to assist in the engine repair or replacement. Going down the road the engine misses and looses power causing difficulty controlling vehicle causing unsafe conditions for all traffic.
Incident date: Jun 5, 2026
Forward facing Camera's: After vehicle was recalled for a refacing camera issue and repaired for that recall, now the forward facing camera does not work properly. When coming to stop or while stopped the forward facing camera's no longer work. They only come on when I get close to something. They also no longer read speed limit signs. When stopped at a cross walk if a child runs in front of the ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the instrument panel was inoperable. The speedometer operated as needed, but the fuel gauge and temperature gauge were inoperable, and the mileage display was not visible. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who attempted to restart the instrument panel but was unsuccessful. The mechanic referenc... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Acura RDX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light was intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the driver’s side air bag needed to be replaced; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact researched and was made aware of an u... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2026
I own a 2026 Honda Odyssey Elite. On multiple occasions, the Auto Idle Stop system shut the engine off while stopped at a traffic light. When I released the brake pedal to proceed, the engine failed to restart, leaving the vehicle disabled in traffic. I was forced to shift the vehicle into Park and manually restart the engine using the Start/Stop button. This defect has occurred multiple times. I... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
On July 2, 2026, the vehicle was brought to an authorized dealer for a scheduled appointment to resolve active Safety Recall 26S45 / NHTSA Campaign 26V378 (6R80 transmission sudden downshift defect). The dealership refused to perform the recall software update, claiming it was not needed for the vehicle. On July 12, 2026, while traveling at highway speeds on a public highway, the transmission suf... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
On July 2, 2026, the vehicle was brought to an authorized dealer for a scheduled appointment to resolve active Safety Recall 26S45 / NHTSA Campaign 26V378 (6R80 transmission sudden downshift defect). The dealership refused to perform the recall software update, claiming it was not needed for the vehicle. On July 12, 2026, while traveling at highway speeds on a public highway, the transmission suf... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
I own a 2026 Honda Odyssey Elite. The vehicle has unexpectedly applied the brakes while driving even though there was no vehicle, pedestrian, or obstacle in front of me. The braking event occurred without warning and without any legitimate reason for the Forward Collision Avoidance system to activate. I first reported this issue to my Honda dealership on June 2, 2026 and again during subsequent r... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2026
I was driving on US Hwy 89 in Arizona when the engine lost power at 60mph and was unable to restart after pulling over to the shoulder of the highway. There were no warning lights or indicators whatsoever. When the vehicle came to a stop, the entire dashboard lit up and the engine cut out while the vehicle was still on. Mechanic diagnostic found a thrown bearing and total engine failure due to low... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2026
My engine recently overheated due to cracked front coolant crossover pipe. The dealership indicated that this is a common problem with Range Rover vehicles.
Incident date: Jul 12, 2026
The contact owns a 2011 Timpte Trailer. The contact stated that when the vehicle was purchased, the VIN decal stated that the trailer had an 8,000-pound axle weight capacity; however, the contact became aware that the trailer had a 7,000-pound axle weight capacity. The dealer was contacted and stated that an 8,000-pound axle trailer could carry the same weight as a 7,000-axle trailer. The manufact... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2026
The vehicle's infotainment system displays an OTA software update error message on every startup. Honda dealerships are unable to address this issue without further intervention and software updates from Honda corporate. Dealer has stated that this issue may interfere with reliable over-the-air software updates, including any potential safety-related updates delivered through this OTA system.
Incident date: Jul 15, 2026
My 2023 Prius Prime cannot be charged normally in hot weather without triggering a thermal-protection fault on its high-voltage charging system. Avondale Toyota diagnosed it in writing: "CODE P1CE996 CHARGER COOLING FAN REVOLUTION SENSOR COMPONENT INTERNAL FAILURE. THE ELECTRIC CHARGER ASSEMBLY HAS A INTERNAL OPEN CIRCUIT CAUSING IT TO BE INOP. RECOMMEND REPLACEMENT ADD PN# G9090-47061." Quote: $2... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2025
The car entered a failed ICCU state (not confirmed until the car was looked at by Hyundai at the dealership) while I was driving down to Ano Nuevo regional park. Received a warning on the dash that said that electrical system has failed and to pull over. It restricted me from going over 10 mph on Highway 1 and I eventually pulled over the side of the road and got towed to the dealership. The ca... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2024
Oil consumption is extremely high this vehicle burns way to much oil in short amount of time. Oil has to be added every 300 to 400 miles and there are no leaks present
Incident date: Jul 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard, and the vehicle gradually came to a stop. The service brake and service power steering warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed... Read more
FORD
ESCAPE HYBRID
(2021) - POWER TRAIN
Jul 15, 2026
Incident date: Jul 7, 2026
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? (On our 2021 gasoline suburgan, the rear wheels locked up at free-way speeds, which nearly caused a possibly fatal accident. The lock released but it appears the strain caused rear differential gear teeth to break and the rear differential now needs to be replaced for the vehicle to operate properly.... Read more
Incident date: Dec 5, 2025
The vehicle experienced a catastrophic engine compartment fire while safely parked inside an employment parking garage in [XXX] on XXX, at approximately 3:04 PM. I was physically sitting inside the vehicle cabin when heavy smoke suddenly began pouring out from the engine bay. I immediately evacuated the vehicle for my safety. Within moments, the smoke escalated into an active, un-contained fire th... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Apr 15, 2022
The 2022 RAM Promaster 1500 was converted by Thor Industries to a 2024 Thor Scope 18M in spring 2023 before I purchased it from a dealer in Connecticut. However, information concerning this conversion was not shared with the federal government as the vehicle VIN still lists it as a Promaster 1500. This caused me to miss notification for NHTSA Campaign Number 25V792000 involving a potential trave... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2026
May 28 ,2026 I left work to get some lunch And when I went back inside my vehicle I turned it on and the check engine light came On and on the dash it was telling me to park the truck and it wasn’t going more then 45mph so I called my dealer ship simspson Chevrolet in garden grove and they told me they couldn’t do anything because it wasn’t under warranty so I had to take my truck to a... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH in sand, the vehicle stalled, and the steering wheel seized. The contact turned off the vehicle, jiggled the steering wheel, and waited approximately 10 minutes before restarting the vehicle to continue driving. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who was unable to duplicate the failure. T... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2026
Rear passenger side toe link did fracture causing vehicle to spin out of control.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2018
While driving my 2015 Infiniti Q50s, the transmission suddenly suffered a catastrophic electronic failure, causing the vehicle to immediately drop into "limp mode." This resulted in a sudden and dangerous loss of acceleration while operating in traffic. A diagnostic scan revealed trouble codes P0500 and P0720 (Output Speed Sensor circuit). However, following Infiniti's official Technical Service ... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2021) - STRUCTURE:BODY
Jul 15, 2026
Incident date: Jul 15, 2021
I purchased a 2019 Kia Soul in June 2022. Since purchasing the vehicle, it has been stolen three separate times. During at least one theft, the steering column was damaged to bypass the ignition, and responding officers indicated the theft method was consistent with the widely reported Kia theft method. I had possession of my keys during the incidents. The repeated thefts created a significant saf... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2021) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 15, 2026
Incident date: Jul 15, 2021
I purchased a 2019 Kia Soul in June 2022. Since purchasing the vehicle, it has been stolen three separate times. During at least one theft, the steering column was damaged to bypass the ignition, and responding officers indicated the theft method was consistent with the widely reported Kia theft method. I had possession of my keys during the incidents. The repeated thefts created a significant saf... Read more
Incident date: Jul 3, 2026
The 10th Gen probably with the head gasket and fuel injector Dashboard be lit up like a Christmas tree every light on. This been a problem with a lot on the 2018-2022 Honda accords when driving it lose speed going real slow lose power, and you have to try get your car off the road