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: Aug 18, 2023
Random no starts, engine turns on at random, won’t charge, car jerks, hesitation while driving, hard to climb mountain roads, Battery Energy Control Module Lost Communication With Hybrid/EV Battery Interface Control Module 1-12
Incident date: Oct 3, 2023
Twice since hitting 50k miles, my high pressure fuel pump has failed, resulting in complete and sudden loss of power midst driving. VW says that it is a warranty issue, but, has no real guidance or promise that it will be fixed. I DO NOT feel comfortable driving the vehicle until we know WHY this issue is happening and how to fix.
Incident date: Sep 29, 2023
Car will apply brakes randomly without warning. This will happen when a vehicle is in the left or right driving lanes. Car has been to the dealer to address the issue as recently as 7/17/2023.
Incident date: Sep 18, 2023
2013 Sonata engine fire on 9/21/2023. Insurance totaled car Engine replace on 1/6/22I by dealership with reman sub engine 1) Engine aluminum flared gas line from engine fuel pump to cylinders was cracked and leaked gas. Gas line replaced 2/11/23 by another dealership. Progressive Insurance company inspected 2) engine caught fire 3) problem reproduced? Don't know 4) Progressive inspected car... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Oct 31, 2022
On 32600miles abs and traction control start glitching. Happened to me on the highway pulling a rv and using cruise control, all of the sudden I lost cruise control on 70 mph and ABS with traction lights came on and off several times and end up go away, I stopped in the safe area and check all related parts on the vehicle that related brakes and abs, fluid was up to level all parts, brakes, wiring... Read more
Incident date: Jun 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Transit Connect. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V502000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) 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 contact stated that the front passenger’s side door latch had detached from the vehicle. ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Veloster. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45–55 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to pull over, looked under the hood, and notice that an unknown fluid was boiling. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who informed her about unknown recalls. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
Suddenly getting harder to turn the steering wheel to either direction. The problem happens randomly and also looses the power steering, needing to forcibly bring the steering back and making the driving difficult. When this happens many alerts pop on the dash including traction alert, break alert, and line alert.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
Suddenly getting harder to turn the steering wheel to either direction. The problem happens randomly and also looses the power steering, needing to forcibly bring the steering back and making the driving difficult. When this happens many alerts pop on the dash including traction alert, break alert, and line alert.
Incident date: Sep 22, 2023
THE HEADREST DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON. IT HURT MY NECK REALLY BAD. LUCKILY I WAS AT A RED LIGHT OR IM MIGHT HAVE CRASHED
1 injured
Incident date: Aug 7, 2023
This GMC Yukon underwent an over the air update in remote Wyoming and was almost undriveable due to steering problems and brake malfunction. Also engine and transmission problems. It has been awaiting repair, but I have been informed that no fix is available because of transmission defect. No parts available We were nearly stranded.
Incident date: Sep 20, 2023
This morning (09/20/2023) - I was driving on the interstate (I-78 in Mississippi) - I heard a large bang/explosion and then began hearing external noise. I thought a tire on a vehicle nearby had blownout but realized the traffic near me was not slowing down. I pulled off the interstate and inspected my tires. Discovered all my tires were fine, but realized I could still hear the road. I discovered... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2022
Vehicle completely drains battery overnight. It has happened 3 times since purchase in July 2023. After jumping the battery multiple errors occur including check engine lights. This truck has less than 3500 miles. It is happening to hundreds of brand new colorados.
Incident date: Feb 25, 2022
Water pump has failed at 61, 573 miles. Jeep issued a warranty extension for water pumps in the 2013-2017 models. It appears they have not corrected the defects in their water pumps.
Incident date: Aug 15, 2023
bought as certified pre-owned from a very large dealership in Clearwater. Driving off the lot there was a bad wobble and shake from corner to corner of vehichle. Took in day 2 of ownership to dealer to have them reinspect it and they let me drive away home too come back the next day after service manager started the car was completely safe to drive because there was no loaner car for me the day th... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2023
bought as certified pre-owned from a very large dealership in Clearwater. Driving off the lot there was a bad wobble and shake from corner to corner of vehichle. Took in day 2 of ownership to dealer to have them reinspect it and they let me drive away home too come back the next day after service manager started the car was completely safe to drive because there was no loaner car for me the day th... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal sound and became aware that when the brake was depressed, the brakes failed to operate as needed. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
On July 21,2023 while driving at highway speeds the engine started to sputter. Multiple engine failure lights came on. The engine died and I had 1-2 seconds to get the vehicle out of the highway onto the shoulder. I was told the by the dealer that part of the fuel injector may have come loose and damaged the cylinder. The vehicle had only 562 miles on it. I do not have any paperwork on it because ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
WINOW SATIN TRIM - Rust spots showing on the satin trim around vehicle windows upon receipt of vehicle. Contacted original dealership that sold us the vehicle about the issue immediately, no assistance was given. Took the vehicle to another dealership this morning to notify them of the issue, have it officially documented, and request a warranty request be submitted. The vehicle had never been was... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2023
I called the dealership in Feb 2022 to have recall done and was told they were ordering the parts but have not heard from them.
Incident date: Sep 8, 2023
I purchased this 2017 Chevrolet Trax in Dec 2020 with 36748 miles on it. In I believe 2022 I had to have the front driver side tire rode replaced as it was broken at just a little over 50,000 miles on it. Now at 73,027 miles I had to have both sway bars links replaced as they both were broken as well. Upon further inspection from dealership the also found the left front suspension strut needs repl... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
A while ago my airbag light began flashing, we reset it a few times and it would come back after a week or two sometimes longer, either a flashing or solid light, it felt almost random. No codes came up when we had it ran, and then we took it to the dealership for inspection. It is the back of my driver seat, the airbag for the driver side back seat. I don’t know what the qualified number of com... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
A while ago my airbag light began flashing, we reset it a few times and it would come back after a week or two sometimes longer, either a flashing or solid light, it felt almost random. No codes came up when we had it ran, and then we took it to the dealership for inspection. It is the back of my driver seat, the airbag for the driver side back seat. I don’t know what the qualified number of com... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
Failure of driver side exterior mirror. 3 years after purchase of vehicle the mirror would no longer move in and out. Dealer replaced with OEM quality mirror July 2021. 2 years later (August 2023)mirror now has the exact same malfunction/defect. Mitsubishi is unable to tell me why the failure happened in the first place or why it has again happened. Mitsubishi refuses to take any action to fully r... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
Failure of driver side exterior mirror. 3 years after purchase of vehicle the mirror would no longer move in and out. Dealer replaced with OEM quality mirror July 2021. 2 years later (August 2023)mirror now has the exact same malfunction/defect. Mitsubishi is unable to tell me why the failure happened in the first place or why it has again happened. Mitsubishi refuses to take any action to fully r... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
Failure of driver side exterior mirror. 3 years after purchase of vehicle the mirror would no longer move in and out. Dealer replaced with OEM quality mirror July 2021. 2 years later (August 2023)mirror now has the exact same malfunction/defect. Mitsubishi is unable to tell me why the failure happened in the first place or why it has again happened. Mitsubishi refuses to take any action to fully r... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2023
CRANKCASE VENTILATION- code: P052E came up and I had just bought from the dealership with 87k miles
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2002 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that SRS air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the front passenger's side air bag needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. Additionally, the contact stated that the front passenger's side seat belt and the rear middle seat belt buckles w... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
This vehicle has less than 65,000 miles and has had 3 genuine Subaru windshields crack as a result of road hazards. We live in Los Angeles County and the windshields have cracked as a result of unseen freeway debris/objects (i.e., not a large object such as a chunk of a truck tire). In 45 years of driving, I have never experienced this many windshield failures. I am not sure if this is a repeated ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 29, 2023
Driver side Door Check assembly weld broken.
Incident date: Aug 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the seat belt and air bag warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the seat belt wiring harness located in the second-row seat had failed. The wiring harness was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact was informed that the seat belt wiring harn... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2023
The rear taillights both went out due to a design issue with the LED circuit board - where the connections on the board crack and cause the lights to fail
Incident date: Aug 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Acadia. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was 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 not experienced a failure... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 25-28 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who determined that coolant was leaking into the engine. The dealer diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced due to a misfire in cylinder #2 and #3. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The v... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
My Jeep Cherokee has been diagnosed by a mechanic using Stellantis software for having issues with the PTU (Power Transfer Unit) , requiring replacement of the entire unit. When this fails, it can result in complete power loss to the entire vehicle while driving, a huge safety concern for anyone driving this vehicle. Mopar does have a recall for SOME Jeep Cherokees experiencing this issue, but my ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while parked, the contact noticed an oil leak. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the oil pan needed to be replaced. The oil pan was replaced. The failure reo... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2023
Car is burning to much oil and have to change oil every three thousand miles
Incident date: Aug 28, 2023
Car is burning to much oil and have to change oil every three thousand miles
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2022
My PCV failed the winter of 2021. It blew the rear main. My Terrain has been parked since then.
Incident date: Aug 29, 2023
I brought this vehicle into 2 different Ford dealers to have the Recall 22C22 (wiper motor) taken care of. Both dealers said my wiper motors were not part of the affected recall parts. My wipers had stopped working one time and this was reported to both the dealers and Ford. The dealers will not fix it without Ford's permission. Ford is telling me I must take it back to a dealer to see if they... Read more
Incident date: Aug 29, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) 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. VIN tool confirms part... Read more
Incident date: Jun 29, 2023
While driving the alternator failed. The battery also failed. Multiple instances at the dealer trying to repair.
Incident date: Aug 25, 2023
My engine light came on, I took it to the service center where I purchase the vehicle. They state it is a evaporative emission canister purge pump. They state the part is on back order due to many vehicles having the same faulty part. I contacted GMC, they state the part is not available at this time. Secondly the park assist was recalled to be fixed. That part is also on back order and not ava... Read more
Incident date: Aug 19, 2023
After driving the vehicle I will arrive at my destination. I will stop, continue pressing the vehicle break while moving the shifter from drive to park. Then, I turn the key to the off position in an attempt to remove my key from the Ignition. About 40-50% of the time, the key can not be removed. In order remove the key I will have to do one of the following: Option 1. Let my foot of of the break,... Read more
Incident date: Aug 19, 2023
We were driving our Ford Escape when the RPMs shot up, and our car would no longer accelerate. The transmission is whirring, and we are unable to operate the vehicle safely. It keeps losing the ability to accelerate and move forward. This comes only a year or so after we had the recall for the bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission.
Incident date: Aug 20, 2023
Went to unplug my charger from 2021 RAV4 prime in May 2023 which was who installed this 220 outlet. He confirms the 220 outlet which was installed previous yr is safe, correcoutside in NH. I found handle of charger was extremely hot to touch and it would not release from car. Locked and unlocked vehicle again with key fob but still it would not release. Also attempted to lock /unlock using d... Read more
Incident date: Aug 18, 2023
The air conditioning system is also the battery management system for keeping the car at optimal operating temperatures. If this system fails then the car will shut down to protect the integrity of the batteries. I have had my car air conditioning system serviced four times and the front louvers that direct air flow continually fail. The service center has decided there is nothing they can do beca... Read more
Incident date: Aug 18, 2023
On August 15, 2023, the rear windshield on my 2023 Honda CRV Hybrid Sport Touring spontaneously shattered while parked in the garage. The shattered glass was primarily contained within the rear storage area, but also on the garage floor. After consulting with the dealer, I drove it to the dealership (Apple Tree Honda in Fletcher, NC) where it was examined by the service manager. There were no symp... Read more
Incident date: Aug 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V163000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was 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 not experienced a... Read more