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 1,278 complaints for GENESIS
Incident date: Jul 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle shut off with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The “Hybrid System Failure - Park Safely” message was displayed. The contact maneuvered the vehicle off to the shoulder of the highway. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the diagnostic test s... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2023
Sudden unexplained Phantom Braking. Travelling on The Chisholm Trail Parkway tool road and while approaching an underpass the car suddenly applied brakes with no cars near me in front or to my sides. Fortunately there were no vehicles behind me. This similar situation also happened to me in my 2022 Model 3, so it is apparent that Tesla has not been able to resolve this long standing potentially se... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2023
Sudden unexplained Phantom Braking. Travelling on The Chisholm Trail Parkway tool road and while approaching an underpass the car suddenly applied brakes with no cars near me in front or to my sides. Fortunately there were no vehicles behind me. This similar situation also happened to me in my 2022 Model 3, so it is apparent that Tesla has not been able to resolve this long standing potentially se... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
NORMAL DRIVING, APPLIED BRAKES AND PEDAL VERY HARD TO PUSH DOWN AND STOP AND VERY FORTUNATE TO STOP AT ALL, NOW HAS HAPPENED TWICE. (WHAT TO DO?) SCARED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE!
Incident date: Jul 9, 2023
Rear Drive Unit Inverter failed and left me stranded on a busy highway on the shoulder. Waited an hour for tow truck to arrive. Car had about 3000 miles on it. Car was fixed under warranty but shouldn't be having an issue with a car that is relatively new. Searching through forums, I have encountered a lot of people having the same issue.
Incident date: Jul 9, 2023
My son was driving the vehicle and was luckily stopped in traffic at a stop light. All of a sudden the RPM's dropped and the engine shut off. The car would not start and had to be pushed to the side of the road in heavy traffic. While waiting for a tow truck, we noticed the engine oil was completely dry. There had been no warning such as oil lights, engine lights, burning oil smells or leaking o... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2023
Our thermo control valve (TCV) assembly failed and caused dangerous loss of speed and control while on the highway. Subaru is fully aware of the defect in their design as they issued a service bulletin to inform their service centers of a new, fixed TCV assembly that is retaining the same part number (a notice only sent to their service centers, NOT to owners). Please see attached. Despite being ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
My husband was getting off the highway when a car ahead of him braked suddenly. He attempted to hit the brakes, but the car did not stop. The automatic stop crash feature did not turn on. The abs did not work. Ultimately, crashing into the car ahead of him. Manufacturer Safety-related recall issued NHTSA #23V-174 Recall #FE5 2020-22 Multi-Model Door Mirror Glass Safety Recall Status: Remedy Avail... Read more
Crash
2 injured
GENESIS
G80 ELECTRIFIED
(2024) — POWER TRAIN
Jul 7, 2023
Incident date: Apr 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Wrangler. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V116000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a message indicating that the clutch was overheating was displayed. The contact parked and allowed the vehicle to cool down. The local dealer was not... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted and driven to the residence. The contact stated that the replacement of the knock sensor detection system (KSDS) was previously completed under an unknown recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or r... Read more
Incident date: Jan 27, 2023
I have a 2014 Hyundai Sonata, when I get in and press the brake pedal it is hard to push in and the car won't start till I try to pump the break pedal hard several times till it gives just a bit, then I can start the car up. I know there was a recall for the 2011 and 2012 cars, this report mimics the issue those cars have had a recall for. Once the car starts the brake pedal does work normally, t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2023
Our 2018 VW Atlas will randomly shut the engine off even with auto start/shut off disabled. This has happened 5 times in 3 months. It has done so on the highway and on main streets putting our family of 6 at risk of being in an auto crash every time. The brakes have automatically came on 2 times. Forward collision sensors come on with nothing in front of us which also puts the breaks on and makes ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
Catastrophic failure of LTA, cross traffic, blind spot sensors in rear bumper guard. Dealer verified. Informed 3rd 2023 Toyota tundra 4x4 1794 edition affected at dealership. Known issue. Part back ordered 2 weeks. Awaiting vehicle repair.
Incident date: Jun 11, 2023
The system that malfunctioned was the brake light(s) and/or electrical components which started a fire in the trunk of my car on 2 separate occasions. On one of the occasions, the top break light in my trunk apparently blew out without my knowledge, it wasn't until my two kids in the backseat started to smell smoke that I pulled over and tried to figure out where the smoke was coming from. When ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Feb 6, 2023
I was driving down interstate 95 N Richmond Va and i heard a loud pop scared me to dealth, My sunroof exploded leaving a large hole in the front sunroof. i called my insurance of course i had to pay a deductible.
Incident date: Feb 6, 2023
THIS VEHICLE HAS ELECTRICAL ISSUES. THIS VEHICLE WATERPUMP FAILED TWICE WHICH I HAD TO REPAIR THIS VEHICLE GIVES WARNING SIGN’DRIVE SYSTEM MALFUCTION’ CODES DIRECTING TO TURBO CHARGER BUT IT IS ACTUALLY THE WASTEGATE THATS THE ISSUE-WHICH I HAD REPLACED AFTER THROWING A NEW TURBO. THIS VEHICLE HAS ISSUES WITH THERMOSTAT WHICH I HAD REPLACED TWICE. I HAVE PAYED ALL REPAIRS OUT OF POCKET AND UN... Read more
Incident date: Jun 26, 2023
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2015 Buick Enclave. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) 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. The conta... Read more
Incident date: Jun 6, 2023
Catastrophic failure of a brand new 2023 Genesis GV 70 on 6/6/23. The GV70 was purchased on 4/29/23 with 22 miles. It was not driven between 5/12/23 and 5/26/23 while I was out of the country. On the evening on 6/6/23 as I was merging onto the northbound lanes of the Baltimore Washington Parkway from I-295 DC, the vehicle violently shook, burning smell, and then shut off completely, including t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 6, 2023
My vehicle has a sticky door panel issue that is easily damaged/defected when in contact. Due to the material chosen by the manufacturer, the door panels are easily defected in scratches, sun damage, flaking, etc.. I been in contact with other 2007 Lexus IS 250 owners that have the same complain on their vehicle. I called the dealership and they also confirmed the issue, but they were unable to as... Read more
Incident date: Jun 6, 2023
My 2015 Suburb Forester accelerates by itself.
GENESIS
G80 ELECTRIFIED
(2023) — SERVICE BRAKES
Jun 22, 2023
Incident date: May 16, 2023
ABS and Traction control lights on constantly
GENESIS
G80 ELECTRIFIED
(2023) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jun 22, 2023
Incident date: May 16, 2023
Driving on 2 lane, car suddenly went dead at 60 mph . Able to get off road. Cranked back up. Checked for code and fuel tank had vacuum lock. Checked with ford. There is a recall on that but not my vin number. Took to Ford garage x4 paid eval. Fee of $159 twice to diagnose. No success. They replace fuel door and clutch total bills approx $500. Last failed attempt to fix the problem revealed more tr... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2023
Lights that alert inside the vehicle at random times but more often in the last few months are: stability trek, power steering reduced and check engine. Acceleration decreased/reduced after being idle. This prompts serious danger for myself and children when there is no power being given to the car when sitting in traffic. Multiple mechanics have diagnosed the issue. Dealership gives me the run a... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2023
Lights that alert inside the vehicle at random times but more often in the last few months are: stability trek, power steering reduced and check engine. Acceleration decreased/reduced after being idle. This prompts serious danger for myself and children when there is no power being given to the car when sitting in traffic. Multiple mechanics have diagnosed the issue. Dealership gives me the run a... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2023
Currently there is an open and unresolved high pressure fuel pump recall that can leave me stranded on the highway and cause an accident. The length of time until a remedy can be had is unacceptable. Also there is a new recall to reprogram the ECU to "band-aid" a potential failure of the timing reluctor ring. It still has the potential to leave me broken down on the road and cause an accident. The... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2023
Driving down the highway and notice a small chip in the windshield.We heard no impact noise while driving. It went from a micro chip to the attached picture in approx an hour. We are outraged because we just repaired our windshield last week from an unknown chip/crack that we came outside to one morning. It spread from the rear view mirror area to the passenger edge of the windshield in 2 days.
Incident date: Jun 9, 2023
When coming to a complete stop at low speeds, the vehicle suddenly lurches forward unexpectedly which may cause an accident. It's not consistent, so it catches you off guard when it happens. I'm concerned that this may cause me to hit a another car or worse yet a pedestrian crossing an intersection.
Incident date: Oct 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light would intermittently flash on the instrument panel. Over time, the vehicle began to shudder at start up with the temperature gauge warning symbol flashing on the instrument panel. The contact's father inspected the vehicle and discovered that the coolant reservoir was empty. T... Read more
Incident date: May 27, 2023
When Mazda recalled the front frame they should’ve fixed the rear frame too I believe that this should have been recalled because there is the same problem all over the internet with this model. When my 16 year old daughter was going down the road @ 60mph and the rear subframe broke - bent the exhaust and then the tire rubbed the wheel well smoked like crazy and thought is was on fire & it then ... Read more
GENESIS
G80 ELECTRIFIED
(2023) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
May 28, 2023
Incident date: Jan 31, 2023
There is a crackling/popping noise coming through the speakers and then a sudden loud noise and the audio system will shut off. The warning sounds from the safety features also stop working when the loud noise happens. The noise is quite shocking when you are driving. The audio system has to be restarted to work again.
Incident date: Mar 15, 2023
I was involved in a head on collision. The other vehicle struck me doing between 35-40mph. My vehicle airbags did not deploy.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
The vehicle first started running in a very ragged manner. We first tried better gas but that didn’t help. Then a strange smell, soon followed by car overheating. Realized coolant had all drained out, when actually it was running into the design-flawed engine. It would not hold coolant and has gotten to the point where if I go more than 10 miles the vehicle has to have coolant put into it. ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2023
Driving the vehicle on the I-5 freeway, approximately 65mph, the sunroof glass suddenly shattered. It sounded like an explosion. The sunshade was closed , no glass shards entered the vehicle. There were no other vehicles close to mine, no tractor trailers in front of me.
Incident date: May 15, 2023
Vehicle steering sticks and at times and locks while vehicle is in motion on highway and roads. Requires max effort to return to center and at times vehicle tries to follow lines on highway even with adaptive cruise control and lane departure system turned off. Very unsafe steering with almost a few accidents due to loss of control.
GENESIS
GV70
(2023) — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:ABS WARNING LIGHT
May 23, 2023
Incident date: May 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact stated while driving an undisclosed speed, the contact had to firmly depress the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The ABS, traction control, and electronic service brake warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the ABS sensor module needed to be replaced for the fifth time. The contact stated tha... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The vehicle was previously serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V701000 (Air Bags); however, the contact stated that intermittently, the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred more frequently. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the Occupant Detection System (ODS) sensor mat ha... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2023
Vehicle safety concern, door lock actuator FAILS to lock or unlock. Hardware affected: Electrical Door Lock Actuator Vehicle has a recorded mileage of 30,000 miles when incident occurred. Description of issue, unable to lock/unlock using the key fob, unable to lock/unlock using the door switch, walkaway function inoperable, no audible beep when locking/unlocking, remote start inoperable, unabl... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2023
My engine is knocking and I was told after taking the car to the dealership that it is a rod making that sound but my car does not show up on the recall. I think something was overlooked and know of other instances similar to this.
Incident date: May 9, 2023
My wife was dropping my kid in the school drop off line. The speed was probably about 5 mph. The Tesla suddenly went into a sudden spontaneous acceleration. When my wife tried to brake, the brakes did not work. There was no forward collision warning beeping sound that went off, which is supposed to. It hit the vehicle in front and finally hit a fence. so, both the accelerator and brake malfunction... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 26, 2023
On March 7th 2023, I was driving my Jeep Cherokee on NY 96A in 55 mpa traffic, saw the check engine light turn on briefly, the engine seized at this speed, started chugging, and nearly had a traffic accident given the abrupt engine failure. In addition, while I was able to get to the side of the road, the car was stuck protruding off from the shoulder into the lane, the engine would not start to m... Read more
Incident date: Feb 22, 2023
I had 2 accidents in the same week. First one was Monday 2-20-2023. Leaving work heading home, I was at a red light. The light turned green and the car in front proceeded to go. As I hit the accelerator, my car ran into the back of a car full speed. Every attempt to stop car and was unsuccessful. I called to make appt at dealership to have car inspected. Before I could get to said appt at dealersh... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Feb 22, 2023
My truck was a gmc 2500 2022 brand new I got this truck 0 miles And somebody hit me very bad my truck was total damage and you can imagine and airbags never deployed so even the va states police was saying why the airbags no deployed
Crash
3 injured
Incident date: Feb 22, 2023
Speedometer went completely blank and not able to see anything on that which includes safety features like blind spot monitoring and land departure. Also multiple time screen freezing issue causing absence of rear view camera.
Incident date: May 6, 2023
Once again I caught on video my car trying to suicide me (a Jeffrey Epstein (not a typo I'm in fear for my life) witness) by turning off all safety features and attempting to drive me directly into oncoming traffic. Tesla has REFUSED to repair or replace my car. They have done EVERYTHING they can to prevent me from getting service for months. Reschedule after reschedule, 'we cant reproduce the pro... Read more
Incident date: Apr 9, 2022
The vehicle suddenly stopped accelerating while driving 10 mph in heavy traffic. The RPM's do not go above 2,000 and no visible failure lights on dashboard are reported. Vehicle has 109k miles and has always been serviced. Mechanic performed inspection and confirmed CVT failure. Replacing the CVT now costs what the car is worth. Makes no sense to repair. Nissan needs to do better.
Incident date: Apr 26, 2023
Vehicle is using excessive amounts of oil and only has 80000 miles and KIA dealership says it is probably due to bad rings.
Incident date: Mar 4, 2023
Today I loaded my son in his car seat, then put my purse in the front passenger sear, and walked to the driver side to get in and found my doors locked. My car was not turned on. Since buying the car in august I have never had this issue. Inside the car was my purse which held my key and cell phone. My son was stuck in a hot car for nearly 20 minute panicking while I asked a stranger to call the p... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
I was driving home on March 10 2023 well out of no where my Toyota Tacoma something on the front end suspension broke it looks to me the recal that Toyota fixed before I even got the truck well sent me into 3 trees head on 55mph no airbag deployed I didn't have a chance to try and stop the vehicle I thought I was going to die I know the road I was on isn't the best shape I need help
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
The airbag popped for no reason, and Honda was unable to fix it, 8 months in the dealership with no progress.