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 1,421 complaints for GENESIS
Incident date: May 22, 2024
The oil pump belt broke and lost oil pressure causing the car to lose power while pulling out onto a busy highway. Had to have car towed to dealership. They diagnosed the problem as related to the recall and have recommended engine replacement but are not able to repair as the recall is in the advanced notice stage. I have contacted Ford everyday for a week about needing a vehicle in the meantime.... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2024
Engine has been burning through oil fast, requiring me to add oil every couple of weeks. 2 difference service places have told me this and also told me to contact Hyundai to file a complaint, as many other 2017 Hyundai Tucsons have recalls out for the same reason. This could cause an engine to fail if oil burns all the way out without my knowledge - safety hazard for me and others on the road. ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Odyssey. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. 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... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2024
I drove an ID-4 down south and preparing for right turn. Suddenly, the car was accelerating to a very high speed with the accelerator not being pressed (spontaneous acceleration). I tried hard to press the brake, but no effectiveness. Instead of turning a 90-degree angle to the west direction, the car only turned 45 degrees toward southwest, hitting the safety island and jump over the island, then... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: May 17, 2024
The locks will lock and unlock very quickly. I got out of the vehicle but the vehicle quickly locked back locking my son([XXX] who was strapped in his carseat) in there. i pressed unlock but it immediately kept locking back as soon as i pressed unlock. i was finally able to quickly open it and get him out. my concern would be what if the day was hotter? time is of the essence and my son could hav... Read more
Incident date: Sep 28, 2023
have experienced transmission problems when stopping, such as the vehicle lurching forward when the gas is pressed again. 69000k miles on car.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2009 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, noticed the vehicle loosing motive power. The contact stated the check engine and ABS warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, however, it was no diagnosed since the contact refused to pay for it. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, however no assistance was... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2024
My car is undrivable and requires aggressive corrective action to keep in its lane. I am in imminent danger every time I drive this vehicle.
Incident date: May 8, 2024
While driving on a 4 lane road on a sunny day, the vehicle detected an imminent collision ahead on a clear-road. The CRV did a hard-brake bringing the speed from around 40 MPH to 20 MPH. If a car had been directly behind us, the chance of a collision would have been high because it was very unexpected place to brake. This component has not been investigated by Honda yet - I'm reporting it first h... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2024
Warning saying Secure Vehicle from Rolling. Spring in the shifter is broken.
Incident date: Feb 13, 2024
The vehicle trunk automatically opens when parked and the doors will unlocked.
Incident date: May 13, 2024
I am unable to open the gas tank door. The gas tank door is open and closed by pushing in the gas tank door on the right side. I have not had a problem with this until recently. The information in the owner's manual indicates to check that doors are unlocked. I have completed that step. I am almost out of gas now. I consider this a safety issue because there is no emergency release for the gas tan... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while having maintenance performed on the vehicle, it was diagnosed and determined that the tie rod was a dent. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V581000 (Steering); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceed... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2024
The contact owned a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the malfunction indicator lamp warning light illuminated and the contact heard a loud sound. The contact stated that the sound was like something had fallen from underneath the vehicle. In addition, the contact noticed white smoke that exited the rear exhaust and white smoke that exited from unde... Read more
Fire
Incident date: May 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the right side of the instrument panel was glitching or went blank. Over time, the entire right side of the instrument panel went blank and failed to operate as needed. Due to the failure, the contact was unable to view the mileage, oil level, or fuel level. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop sign, the vehicle stalled without warning. After several attempts, the vehicle was able to be restarted. The local dealer was contacted, and an appointment was scheduled, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately... Read more
Incident date: Jun 16, 2023
Transmission is constantly jerking when engine light is on. Driver assist back up reports to return to dealership and the front just doesn't work at all.
Incident date: Jun 16, 2023
Transmission is constantly jerking when engine light is on. Driver assist back up reports to return to dealership and the front just doesn't work at all.
Incident date: May 7, 2024
The passenger head restraint deployed while driving on a smooth road at about 30 mph. No crash or unusual road conditions.
Incident date: May 4, 2024
Steering is sticking when driving at highway speeds. Takes extra effort to move the wheel when trying to make small steering corrections. This causes the vehicle to become unstable at high speeds .
Incident date: May 4, 2024
I had my MME in to the local Ford dealership for recent work concerning Ford Recall 23S56 (HVBJB). This work was completed along with numerous other software updates needed as indicated by dealership service department. Shortly after getting car back a "1Pedal Drive Fault - Press Brake Pedal To Reduce Speed" warning message was displayed on the instrument panel and the one pedal function quit wo... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2023
Rear back up camera does not work and says contact dealer. Goes from blue screen to camera is unavailable please contact dealership
Incident date: May 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while attempting to sort groceries in the trunk of the vehicle, the tailgate suddenly fell, struck her back, and pushed her forward while the tailgate kept closing. After several attempts, the contact’s caregiver was able to stop the tailgate from lowering and crushing her. As a result, the contact sustained injuries on her left arm and ... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: May 2, 2024
I own a 2019 Hyundai Sonata with an original manufacturer set of 205/65 R16 95H Kumho Solus TA31 tires on it. I noticed around a month ago that all 4 of the tires have cracks in between the treads, mostly on the outer and inner treads of the 4 tread areas. These cracks are all around and significant. I am afraid to drive on them. I have brought this defect to the attention of Kumho tires over ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2024
I had the push start button replaced approximately 2 years ago due to the part failing and the car being extremely hard to start. This was covered by Honda (not sure if it was an actual recall). Now I am having the exact same issue again. This is extremely dangerous as I leave work late at night and alone. I am tired of constantly being stranded and it taking several minutes to get my car started.... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2023
I was travelling down the road at approximately 30 mph and my the active headrest on the passenger side randomly deployed. This caused an extremely loud noise that sounded like an explosion. This caused me to swerve and slam on the brakes. It was unclear, at the time, what was happening. This has now caused extreme anxiety that it will happen on the driver side, while I am driving, and cause bodil... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2023
I was travelling down the road at approximately 30 mph and my the active headrest on the passenger side randomly deployed. This caused an extremely loud noise that sounded like an explosion. This caused me to swerve and slam on the brakes. It was unclear, at the time, what was happening. This has now caused extreme anxiety that it will happen on the driver side, while I am driving, and cause bodil... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2023
Rearview camera stopped working due to the tailgate wire harness failing from normal opening and closing of the tailgate .the issue appears to be identical to the subject of a recall in 2017 to 2019 model years.
Incident date: Apr 28, 2024
The vehicle will accelerate suddenly when pressing the brake putting myself and others at risk for injury.
Incident date: Apr 26, 2024
I have had my car repaired a couple of time for the same issue, and both mechanics have told me that there is a recall on my cylinder 2 engine and the manufacturer was not saying anything which is causing the check engine light to come on and codes reading the same every single time: misfire, spark plugs and gaskets which have all been replaced twice in the 5 years of owning this car. The dealersh... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2024
Occasionally upon starting the vehicle an EXTREMELY high pitched screech is emitted - probably through the speakers for a few seconds. The sound is ear splitting. This occurs ~5 of the times when starting.
Incident date: Apr 16, 2024
The car started to stall and engine lights were flashing in the middle of interstate and it wouldn’t go above 60mph almost was about to get hit from the back
Incident date: Apr 12, 2024
Front passenger door does not open from car interior
Incident date: Apr 12, 2024
When driving around sharp corners at a moderate to fast speed, the automatic emergency braking system will sometimes display a message on the dash saying "BRAKE" and a warning beep will sound. I do not believe that the braking system engages, however the "BRAKE" warning is very discerning.
Incident date: Apr 17, 2024
Occasional braking when there is no reason for the car to brake
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
I was recently involved in an auto accident and my Chevy Camaro was totaled. I was hit on the right passenger fender/tire side area. My air bags did not deploy and i feel that they should have been deployed with the impact that my vehicle took. Component - Airbags Safety - Airbags did not deploy to prevent injury Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer - Yes, Called Chevy & ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) 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 dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confir... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2024
Door started making horrible sound and not opening/closing very good out of no where.
Incident date: Jan 8, 2024
A transmission shudder has developed. It seems to be a known issue that Chevrolet has tried to resolve, but it is present in my vehicle. It started to develop around 60,000 miles ago and has progressively gotten worse.
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
Was driving down the road and my sunroof shattered and glass fell in to my car and cut me, no rocks hit my car and I was not near any other vehicles
Incident date: Apr 5, 2024
Interior grab handle came off, very important in loading older and handicapped people, may cause them to fall out of vehicle
Incident date: Apr 10, 2024
This vehicle is a 2023 Range Rover . I took it in to have the winter tires removed and the summer tires installed. Range Rover did a vehicle inspection and it showed the brake pad wear on the front as being a #7 and the rear as a #2. The scale is 1 to 10 , Ten being NO wear or new pads. I have the write up from Range Rover and pictures they took . I also have the bad brake pads that look like th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2021
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Canyon. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, he became aware that the defroster had failed to properly defrost the windshield. The contact also stated that because of the failure, the windshield wipers had failed to function properly after becoming frozen. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that t... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2021
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Canyon. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, he became aware that the defroster had failed to properly defrost the windshield. The contact also stated that because of the failure, the windshield wipers had failed to function properly after becoming frozen. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that t... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
Despite numerous attempts to resolve the matter, I've faced obstacles and a lack of clarity from Dodge Corporation. Recently, my 2014 Ram 1500 Laramie experienced a sudden ABS light issue, affecting traction and cruise control. This has made driving perilous in Texas's hazardous conditions. We've been quoted $2000 (part itself is $1300) for repairs, but the required part is on backorder, with no E... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal rumbling sound was coming from the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic where it was confirmed that there was a defect with the engine. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engin... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently; however, the failure previously occurred while in traffic. The contact also stated that the failure occurred while the contact and the contact's son... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2024
The vanos solenoid failed in the 2015 Mini Cooper, and immediately after the Alternator failed. My safety was put at risk in multiple ways: 1 - The engine was in a non-drivable state 2 - Significant smell gasoline was coming from the car 3 - Car had to be towed to a shop to determine what failed 4 - The shop fixed the vanos solenoid The problem was confirmed by the independent service center. Whe... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
truck speedometer goes to 0. Slows down abruptly. Rpm goes way up. Was going from 45 to less than 10mph in a matter of seconds. Feels like the transmission automatically downshifts to a lower gear. Very dangerous. Seems to be quite a few of these incidents on you tube. Truck only has 11600 miles on it.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
Wheels cracked. Letting air leak out