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.

2,245,377 Total Complaints

140,173 Reported Crashes

56,794 Reported Fires

8,580 Reported 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

How to Read NHTSA Consumer Complaints › How NHTSA Investigations Work › Used Car: 7 Recall Checks to Run First › The Takata Airbag Recall: Full Story › OBD-II Codes Explained › All Articles ›

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Showing 4,224 complaints for HARLEY-DAVIDSON

THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER INSPECTED AND DETERMINED THAT THE BULBS DIDN'T FAIL BUT DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS DEFECT IN THE BULB SOCKET. THE DEALER DIDN'T HAVE THE NEWLY DESIGNED BULB SOCKET. THE DEALER BENT THE CONTACT POINT IN THE OLD SOCKETS TO MAKE A CONNECTION. *AK *CB *NLM

Incident date: May 19, 2003

HARLEY-DAVIDSON 2002 FLHT FUEL TANK QUALITY PROBLEM LEADING TO SAFETY RISK OF FIRE AND VEHICLE STALLING EXPOSING OPERATORS AND/OR PASSENGERS TO PERSONAL DEATH OR PERMANENT DISABLEMENT. FUEL TANKS HAS A SIGNIFICANT RUST CHARACTERISTIC ALLOWING CONTAMINATES TO ENTER INTO THE MOTORCYCLES FUEL SYSTEM CAUSING A CARBURETOR OVERFLOW CONDITION RELEASING RAW FUEL ONTO THE MOTORCYCLE SURFACES LEADING TO ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 4, 2000

1998, HARLEY DAVIDSON, XLH883 - BANK ANGLE SENSOR FAILURE CAUSING MOTORCYCLE TO QUIT SUDDENLY IN TRAFFIC...*AK

Incident date: Jun 2, 2003

VEHICLE (MOTORCYCLE) ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE RESULTED IN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON WASHINGTON BELTWAY. COASTED ONTO SHOULDER WITHOUT INCIDENT. HARLEY DAVIDSON 02 DYNA SUPERGLIDE WITH 9,000 MILES (VIN [XXX]). *NLM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

Incident date: May 27, 2003

CONSUMER IS STILL HAVING PROBLEMS WITH SIDE MIRROR AFTER GIVEN THE REPAIR PARTS WHICH CAUSED THE BOLTS TO LOOSEN. RECALL NUMBER UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE THE DEALER NAME, NUMBER AND ADDRESS.*AK

Incident date: Aug 8, 2002

2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON 883 C BOUGHT THE BIKE BRAND NEW AUG 08, 2002 (1ST HARLEY) AND IMMEDIATLEY NOTICED AFTER RIDDING HOME UPON DELIVERY THAT THE BIKE WOULD STALL 3 OUT OF 4 TIMES WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE. CALLED THE SELLING AGENT AT THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD ALL SPORSTER HAD THIS PROBLEM DUE TO HAVING TO MEET EPA STANDARDS THE BIKE CARB WAS SET AT A VERY LEAN CONDITION CAUSING THE BIKE TO STAL... Read more

Incident date: Aug 2, 2001

THE CAM BEARINGS OF MY 2000 FXDWG [DYNA WIDE GLIDE] DESTROYED THEMSELVES IN KANSAS CITY AND THE BIKE WAS REPAIRED AT HARLEY DAVIDSONS EXPENSE DUE TO POOR ENGINE DESIGN AND A LETTER THAT WAS SENT TO ME TELLING ME OF THE PROBLEM. IT IS NOW BROKEN AGAIN WITH AN $1,800 BILL. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A FATAL CRASH AND I FEEL THEY SHOULD PUT A NEW ENGINE IN MY BIKE AND ALL OF THE OTHERS OUT THERE THAT ... Read more

Incident date: May 28, 2003

THE TOUR PACK BRACKET SNAPPED IN HALF. THE LIGHT MEDAL TUBING WHICH SUPPORTED THE TOUR PACK BROKE ON THE RIGHT SIDE AND CRACKED ON THE LEFT SIDE AT BOLT SITES. NEARLY $50.00 TO REPLACE. CONSUMER KEPT OLD ONE AND IS GETTING IT WORKED ON. *TT *CB JB

Incident date: Apr 14, 2003

FUEL LINES FROM BOTTOM OF TANK ON MY FLTRSEI STARTED LEAKING ONTO THE ENGINE AND PRIMARY CASE. LEAK WAS SLOW AT FIRST BUT WHEN I PUT MY HAND UNDER THE "TAPS" AND TOUCHED THEM THE LEAK GOT IMMEDIATELY WORSE. I WAS TOLD BY THE H-D SHOP PERSONAL THAT THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM SEEMED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE 2000 EFI MODELS. IT SEEMS IT WAS SOME TYPE OF VALVE THAT WAS LEAKING INSIDE OF THE GAS TANK.*JB

THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE KICK STAND, AND THE MOTORCYCLE COLLAPSED. *JB

THE REAR BELT BROKE AND CAUSED LOSS OF POWER. *NLM

THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKE BUT THERE WAS NO REACTION. THE CONSUMER ALMOST REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER LATER NOTICED THAT BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT SOMEONE FORGOT TO PUT THE WASHERS IN THE BRAKE LINE. *NLM

Incident date: Apr 27, 2003

THE MIRRORS HAVE A TENDENCY TO SHEAR OFF WHILE RIDING. BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE MIRRORS HAVE EACH SHEARED OFF 2 TIMES WHILE RIDING. THIS MOTORCYCLE WAS PURCHASED IN 8/1998 AND THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED IN 10/1998 WITH THE RIGHT SIDE MIRROR. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED IN 4/2000 WITH THE LEFT SIDE MIRROR. THE THIRD INCIDENT OCCURRED IN 9/2001 WITH THE RIGHT SIDE MIRROR AGAIN. AND THE MOST R... Read more

Incident date: Jun 18, 2001

THIS WAS ONE OF ELEVEN CAM BEARINGS ELYRIA H-D HAS DONE, THEY ONLY SELL 300 BIKES TOTAL A YEAR. APPROX. 1/3 OF THOSE DID NOT HAVE THE NEW TWIN CAM MOTOR. AK SCC ***DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS*****752040

THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS FAILURES OF THE ENGINE CAM BEARINGS IN 1999 TWIN CAM MOTORS WHICH IS A NEW DESIGN FROM HARLEY DAVIDSON. HARLEY DAVIDSON HAS SINCE REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE BEARINGS WITH A STRONGER ONE, HOWEVER, THE REFUSE TO RECALL MOTORS WITH THE BAD BEARINGS IN THEM UNLESS THE CUSTOMER PAYS FOR THE FIX. IF THE BEARINGS FAIL WHILE THE MOTORCYCLE IS RUNNING, THE REAR WHEEL COULD LOCK UP AND ... Read more

Incident date: Nov 8, 2002

THE VEHICLE HAD THROWN THE CONSUMER AND PASSENGER TO THE LEFT INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AND THEN LEFT AGAIN ACROSS ONCOMING TRAFFIC.(LAWYER ON BEHALF OF CLIENT) MR SCC *JB

Incident date: Mar 30, 2003

THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE REGARDING THE IGNITION SWITCH, HOWEVER THE DEALER STATED THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE AND IT WAS GOING ON 3 WEEKS. *JB

Incident date: Apr 5, 2003

WHILE DRIVING MY HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE, THE REAR WHEEL BEGAN MAKING NOISE, SHAKING, AND VIBRATING. IT BECAME RAPIDLY WORSE OVER THE NEXT FEW MINUTES. I PULLED OFF THE ROADWAY AND SAW THAT 2 OF THE SPOKES WERE BROKEN. I RECEIVED A RIDE TO TOWN, GOT THE BIKE TO A SHOP, AND THE SHOP OWNER CALL THE MAKER OF THE WHEEL, AMERICAN WIRE WHEEL OF DENTON, TEXAS WHICH WAS SOLD TO DAYTON WIRE WHEEL. W... Read more

Incident date: Feb 14, 2003

THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY WAS CORRODED, THE CONSUMER REQUESTED THEY BE REPLACED AT NO CHARGE. *TS *JB

Incident date: Mar 28, 2003

GASOLINE LEAK FROM FUEL LINE ON HARLEY-DAVIDSON FWSTI 2003. *JB

Incident date: Feb 25, 2003

RIDING MY 2001 HARLEY-DAVIDSON 1200S (SPORTSTER 1200 SPORT) HOME FROM WORK AND THE BRAKES LOCKED UP. WEATHER CONDITIONS: MIST/LIGHT RAIN. THE BIKE HAD JUST HAD ITS 10K SERVICE DONE A FEW WEEKS PRIOR AT LOCAL H-D DEALERSHIP AND THEY ALSO PUT ON NEW TIRES FRONT & REAR. THE BIKE SHOOK VIOLENTLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE AND I ENDED UP LAYING IT DOWN. MY R KNEE WAS SCRAPED UP AND MY L HAND SWOLLEN AND L ... Read more

Crash 1 injured

AFTER THE RECALL WORK WAS PERFORMED REGARDING A DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCH, THE ENGINE CUT OFF, AFTER THE THIRD VISIT TO THE DEALER, THE IGNITION COIL WAS REPLACED.*TS *JB

Incident date: Feb 28, 2003

I PUT A PRODUCT CALLED TIREFLYS ON THE VALVE STEM OF MY 1999 HARLEY DAVIDSON ELECTRA GLIDE CLASSIC. THESE CADGETS GIVE OFF LIGHT AS THE WHEEL SPINS. AFTER 15 MINUTES OF RIDING ON I 75 I DEVELOPED TWO FLAT TIRES AT THE SAME TIME. IT SEEMS THAT THE TIREFLYS REMOVE THE STEM FROM THE TIRE. I CRASHED MY BIKE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE- LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO HOLD THE BIKE UP UNTIL IT WAS ONL... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Feb 28, 2003

I PUT A PRODUCT CALLED TIREFLYS ON THE VALVE STEM OF MY 1999 HARLEY DAVIDSON ELECTRA GLIDE CLASSIC. THESE GADGETS GIVE OFF LIGHT AS THE WHEEL SPINS. AFTER 15 MINUTES OF RIDING ON I 75 I DEVELOPED TWO FLAT TIRES AT THE SAME TIME. IT SEEMS THAT THE TIREFLYS REMOVE THE STEM FROM THE TIRE. I CRASHED MY BIKE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE- LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO HOLD THE BIKE UP UNTIL IT WAS ONL... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Jul 1, 2002

THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKE MADE A NOISE WHEN APPLIED, ALSO THE REAR BRAKES DID NOT HOLD. *JB THE FRONT BRAKES MADE NOISE CONTINUOUSLY AND THERE WAS INADEQUATE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE REAR BRAKES AND REMAIN A PROBLEM. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FACTORY WOULD NOT AUTHORIZE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ADDITIONAL PARTS TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. (COMMON PROBLEM IN THIS MODEL PER DEALER AND OTHER HARLEY DAVIDSO... Read more

THE SOLID WHEELS CAUSE THE MOTORCYCLE TO LOSE STABILITY WHEN PASSED BY A LARGER VEHICLE (MODEL/FATBOY). SCC *NLM

THE SHIFT LEVER WAS INOPERATIVE.*AK *JB

Incident date: Feb 15, 2003

THE TIRES LOST AIR PRESSURE, WHILE DRIVING.*JB

Incident date: Feb 16, 2003

I HAVE A 2000 HARLEY DAVIDSON XL883C SPORTSTER MOTORCYCLE. RECENTLY WHILE RIDING, MY REAR TAIL LIGHT LOOSENED UP AND FELL OFF. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION TO BE IN -- FOR BOTH THE OPERATOR OF THE MOTORCYCLE AND THOSE DRIVING BEHIND IT. THIS IS A COMMON COMPLIANT FROM FELLOW RIDERS OF THE HD SPORTSTER LINE. THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE ADDRESSED AND FIXED BY THE MANUFACTURER. IT IS A P... Read more

Incident date: Feb 3, 2003

THE CLUTCH FAILED TO DISENGAGE AND LOCKED IN GEAR, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.*JB *TS

Incident date: Mar 13, 2000

EXTENSIVE OIL LEAK FROM ENGINE

Incident date: Mar 13, 2000

EXTENSIVE OIL LEAK FROM ENGINE

Incident date: Mar 13, 2000

EXTENSIVE OIL LEAK FROM ENGINE

Incident date: Mar 13, 2000

EXTENSIVE OIL LEAK FROM ENGINE

Incident date: Nov 1, 2002

THE SPOKES ARE CORRODING AND TURNING BLACK AFTER ONLY TWO WEEKS OF OWNERSHIP. THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PH (MODEL/STANDARD FXSTI) SCC

WHEN VEHICLE GOES ON ALONG SUSTAINED RUN, 200-300 MILES AND COME OFF FREEWAY IT WILL STALL EVERY TIME COMING TO A STOP. VEHICLE WAS CHECKED BY TWO DEALES. FUEL FILTER WAS CHANGED, INJECTION PORTS CLEANED, BUT PROBLEM HAS CONTINUED. *AK

CONSUMER IS REQUESTING A REFUND FOR A DEFECTIVE 4-6 SHIFT CLUTCH ON A REVTECH 6-SPEED MOTORCYCLE TRANSMISSION, THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE COMPONET, HOWEVER CONSUMER IS STILL NOT SATISFIED WITH THE REPAIR FOR THE SECOND TIME.*JB

Incident date: Sep 25, 2002

WHILE DRIVING THE THROTTLE WOULD NOT COME DOWN CAUSING THE BIKE TO STAY AT A HIGH SPEED CAUSING ACCIDENT. TS *JG

Crash

Incident date: Dec 1, 2002

THE MOTORCYCLE OVERHEATED EXCESSIVELY, WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE OIL TANK BEING LOCATED DIRECTLY UNDER SEAT.TS ALSO THE CLUTCH WAS READJUSTED.*JB

Incident date: Dec 1, 2002

THE MOTORCYCLE OVERHEATED EXCESSIVELY, WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE OIL TANK BEING LOCATED DIRECTLY UNDER SEAT.TS ALSO THE CLUTCH WAS READJUSTED.*JB

THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE MOTOR BIKE WAS NOT SAFE ON HIGHWAY DUE TO INCORRECT WHEELS INSTALLED BY THE MANUFACTURER. THE CONSUMER WANTS THE DEALER TO REPLACE THE WHEELS. *YH

Incident date: May 29, 2001

NEW MOTOR INSTALLED & FAILED. ALSO MECHANIC AT MDO CYCLES , 7901 CESSNA AVE., UNIT D, GAITHERSBURG,MD 20879 ( 301-948-1704 ) FAILED TO ASSEMBLE CYCLE PROPERLY. I HAVE A LETTER ALREADY MADE UP & I`LL TRY TO ATTACH IT TO THIS EMAIL. DT

Incident date: Jun 15, 2002

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL STALL OUT WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THIS PROBLEM IS AS A RESULT OF THE CARBURETOR BUT THEY CAN'T FIX IT BECAUSE OF EPA REGULATIONS/STANDARDS. *TS *TT *NLM.

Incident date: Nov 20, 2002

MANUFACTURER'S POWDER COATING FLAKING AWAY AND FRAME SEVERELY RUSTING. DT

Incident date: Nov 12, 2002

REAR WHEEL WAS BENT CAUSING IT TO WOBBLE. I DID NOT FEEL IT WHILE RIDING MOTORCYCLE. TWO DIFFERANT TIMES I HAD PEOPLE PULL UP BESIDE ME AT STOP LIGHTS INFORMING ME OF THE WHEEL WOBBLE. I RIDE SOLO ALL THE TIME SO I DO NOT KNOW HOW LONG THIS HAD BEEN BENT. I GOT THE MOTORCYCLE UP ON A STAND TO INSPECT THE WHEEL AND SURE ENOUGH THE WHEEL WAS WOBBLING. THE SPOKES WHERE TIGHT. I TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE TO... Read more

Crash

WHILE IN MOTION, THE CUSTOMER STATES THE MOTORCYCLE KEPT DYING. IT WOULD RESTART AND THEN DIE AGAIN WITH NO SPARKS. *JG

Incident date: Jun 4, 2002

VEHICLE HAS STALLED 4 TIMES AT DIFFERENT SPEED. DEALER CANNOT FIND A PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. MR

Incident date: May 17, 2002

THE CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AT 65 MPH AND STOPPED BECAUSE HE THOUGHT HE HAD FLAT TIRE, HOWEVER HE DISCOVERED THAT ALL THE SPOKES WERE MISSING FROM AMERICAN WIRE WHEEL SUPER SPOKE RADIAL LACED REAR WHEEL. *YH

Incident date: Aug 18, 2000

THE REAR TIRE LOCKED UP WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AT 70 MPH. THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGER WERE EJECTED IN THE MEDIAN. THE TIRE WAS STILL INFLATED AFTER THE CRASH BUT THE SPOKES ON THE REAR WHEEL WERE SEVERELY DAMAGED. *YH

2 injured

CONSUMER RECEIVED A LETTER REGARDING THE REAR CAM BEARINGS IN THE ENGINE OF SOME TWIN CAMM 88 ENGINES FAILING. CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD BE REPAIRED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY, HOWEVER CONUSMER HAS HEARD NOTHING FROM THE MANUFACTURER AND STILL HAS NOT RECEIVED THE FORM HE WAS TOLD THAT HE WOULD GET. *JG

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Consumer Safety Complaints

What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?

How to interpret what you read

If you've experienced a defect

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