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 125,830 complaints for HONDA
Incident date: Dec 27, 2025
My vehicle, a 2022 Jeep Wrangler 4xe is subject to Recall 25V-741. This recall involves a serious safety defect with vehicle’s charging system, posing I fire risk when charged. This renders the vehicle unsafe to operate. At this time, there is no available repair remedy. While the official Jeep Mopar website states that repairs parts are available but the Jeep dealership states they don't have... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2025
I have a 2018 Hyundai Elantra with about 155k miles. It has been consuming oil excessively and has developed serious drivability issues. If I try to accelerate even slightly harder than normal—especially above 2,000 RPM—it makes a metallic, chain-type rattling noise, loses power, and produces heavy smoke from the exhaust. The smoke sometimes continues even after shutting the engine off and res... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2025
The # 4 cam bearing seized to the camshaft. Upon further investigation the #4 main bearing was damaged from metal chips that were not removed during the manufacture of the engine. This damage from the manufacturing defect left the engine block damaged beyond repair. So a short block was ordered and installed.
Incident date: Dec 15, 2025
I STARTED THE CAR AND MY ENGINE WONT TURN ON ONLY HYBRID SYSTEM. THE MAINTIENCE LIGHTAND ENGINE LIGHT APPEAR WITH FUEL DOOR OPEN ERROR AND TRACTION OFF AND DRIVER ASSITANCE OFF . I THEN JUMP STARTED TRUCK . TRUCK ENGINE THEN TURNED ON AND SAME ERRORS LIGHTS STILL APPEARED . BUT I WAS ABLE TO SHIFT INTO GEAR NOW WITH JUMP START . HOW EVER TRUCK WOULD NOT ACCELERATE WHEN I PUSH GAS PEDAL . B... Read more
Incident date: Oct 17, 2025
Excessive oil consumption/ vehicle dies while driving.
Crash
Incident date: Dec 23, 2025
My 2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited has experienced repeated no-start failures and electrical/CAN-bus communication issues. The vehicle has intermittently failed to start and ultimately became completely inoperable. Due to the electrical failure, the vehicle was towed to an authorized Jeep dealership on June 8, 2025. Despite remaining in the dealership’s possession for several months, no diagnostic... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2025
Hood release cable has snapped resulting in inability to access critical components on the vehicle or do routine maintenance. After researching, this is a common and know issue for this vehicle.
Incident date: Aug 25, 2025
Hood release cable has snapped resulting in inability to access critical components on the vehicle or do routine maintenance. After researching, this is a common and know issue for this vehicle.
Incident date: Aug 25, 2025
Hood release cable has snapped resulting in inability to access critical components on the vehicle or do routine maintenance. After researching, this is a common and know issue for this vehicle.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
On December 19, 2023, when pulling out of a parking lot onto the street, pressing the gas vehicle jerked and would not accelerate. No lights on dash. Drove less than 1 minute and turned down a side street, to get out of traffic while going slow/no power. Stopped at stop sign, went thru intersection. Went to next intersection, at stop sign, vehicle shut off, in the middle of traffic. Still no dash ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 9, 2025
While driving on a road with no other vehicles around, the car abruptly braked for no reason. The car was 5 days old. It is currently in the service department.
Incident date: Nov 9, 2025
Major problems with this cars electrical and computer systems. Six warning lights would begin to flash in succession. Eventually car would be inoperative leaving us stranded in July 2025 in Cumberland MD then after supposed repair we were again stranded in Providence RI on Nov 20, 2025 and car has been there for repair ever since. No completion date has yet been given. I strongly believe there a... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
The second alternator, Balmer, used to charge the lithium batteries overheated and failed. It is located under the hood near the engine. It made a whining sound and failed to charge. I took it to Camping World in Marysville and they said the sound was “normal” and preformed the deregulation . A few months later, I brought it back and after insisting on inspection and calling Winnebago, they sa... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2025
TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE GOING AT THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT AND TURNED OFF THE INTERSTATE ONTO MY EXIT TURN AND VEHICLE ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING AND ENGINE SHUT OFF OIL WARNING LIGHT CAME ON ALL WHILE TRYING TO STOP THE VEHICLE AT THE CROSS TRAFFICE STOP SIGHN AND ENDED UP STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF ANOTHER HIGHWAY BARLEY MISSING THE CROSS TRAFFIC COMING AT ME FROM BOTH DIRECTIONS. THIS HAPPENED AT I94 A... Read more
Incident date: Dec 12, 2025
I receive a recall 22S56 for the climate control blower motor it was replaced under warranty on 12/17/2024 about a year latter I noticed blower stopped working on 12/13/2025 coming from San Francisco because visibility was affected when defroster stopped working, then I called dealer on 12/23 /25 and they gave me an appointment for them see the vehicle, I asked then to repaired under recall warra... Read more
Incident date: Dec 12, 2025
Vehicle Breaking on Its Own While Driving I am writing to file a formal safety complaint and to demand immediate corporate intervention regarding an extremely dangerous mechanical/ADAS defect. My Nissan Altima has serious, ongoing safety issues where the vehicle will unexpectedly and aggressively apply the brakes on its own while I am driving, including on highways and regular roads. This defect h... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2025
The vehicle drove fine had no warning/ check engine lights. My girlfriend came up to a busy intersection and when she proceeded to cross the intersection the vehicles motor locked up stopping the vehicle in the middle of the intersection with traffic coming from both north and south direction. We had poor visibility due to blowing snow so she had to bail from the vehicle and stand on the side of t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2025
I purchased a 2018 Ford Escape from Metropolitan Ford dealership in Eden Prairie, MN on 5/15/2025. The very next day the engine light came on. I called them, made an appointment and brought it in thinking that it was a sensor. They checked it out and tried to charge me $1000 for the fix. I argued with them that I had just bought the car and the should be responsible for fixing it. In end I paid $3... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2025
I purchased a 2018 Ford Escape from Metropolitan Ford dealership in Eden Prairie, MN on 5/15/2025. The very next day the engine light came on. I called them, made an appointment and brought it in thinking that it was a sensor. They checked it out and tried to charge me $1000 for the fix. I argued with them that I had just bought the car and the should be responsible for fixing it. In end I paid $3... Read more
Incident date: Dec 25, 2025
At 116,500 miles, the oil pump failed on my Ford Focus. This was verified by an auto repair shop. The car has the Ford ecoboost 1.0 engine. Ford has a recall on this engine with a build date of March 24, 2015 to May 4, 2018. My car was built on Aug 4, 2015 within the range of the recall. The recall states that cars with automatic transmission are included. My car has a manual 6 speed. I don't b... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2025
Shifter switch has gone out and no longer recognizes the car is in park, causes battery drainage because car cannot fully turn off. Car not recognizing gears can cause car accidents and possible loss of life. This issue can be found online as a known defect in mazda cx-5 that has not been recalled. Vehicle has been inspected and issue has been verified.There were no warning lights, sounds or sympt... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2025
Transfer case goes bad on all 2019 models. I'm in awe that there's not a recall on it. A replacement costs around $9k. Somebody should look into this. Thank you
Incident date: Dec 24, 2025
A serious safety recall advised in July of 2025 still has not been fixed.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
My check engine light went on and stayed on while I was driving. I called Blaise Alexander, Altoona, Pa. reported and scheduled a checkup on Dec. 11. I drove to the garage, arriving at 10am. and noticed a smell of fire and saw smoke billowing out around the hood of the car. I ran into service area and told them the car must be on fire. They called the Altoona Fire Dept. The police gave me a numb... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
My check engine light went on and stayed on while I was driving. I called Blaise Alexander, Altoona, Pa. reported and scheduled a checkup on Dec. 11. I drove to the garage, arriving at 10am. and noticed a smell of fire and saw smoke billowing out around the hood of the car. I ran into service area and told them the car must be on fire. They called the Altoona Fire Dept. The police gave me a numb... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
Antilock Braking System
Incident date: Dec 20, 2025
Both horns have failed for the second time since the vehicle was purchased new in November 2023 and is currently showing 25,000 miles. The first set was replaced under warranty at a Hyundai dealership approximately 1 year ago. Not having a functioning vehicle horn is a safety hazard that would fail annual vehicle safety inspection testing in my state.
Incident date: Dec 24, 2025
I am reporting a safety issue involving the high-voltage battery system of my vehicle. Vehicle: 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV VIN: [XXX] Mileage: 87,125 miles The vehicle has generated a P302F diagnostic trouble code, which indicates high-voltage battery cell imbalance. This condition may pose a safety risk related to battery performance and thermal stability. The authorized Chevrolet dealership has ref... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2025
After purchase, I discovered that the vehicle was sold without a functioning horn, which is federally required safety equipment. I immediately contacted the dealership and Subaru of America to have the defect repaired under the manufacturer’s warranty. Despite repeated requests, Subaru and the dealership refused to repair the defect, which left the vehicle unsafe to operate. A horn is essential ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2025
I have a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe, 2.0T. I recently experienced the following issues; gasoline fumes coming into the car at low speeds, difficulty starting the car when it is cold and hesitation when trying to accelerate quickly. The check engine light came on and the dealer diagnosed a faulty fuel pump and high pressure hoses......on a car with only 49100 miles! The repair cars are estimated at ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2025
I am in possession of Recall18S32/NHTSA recall18V-735 notice that has not been repaired but it is not showing up on my VIN and Model lookup.
Incident date: Dec 24, 2025
The vehicle has experienced repeated and ongoing electrical system failures, including chronic battery drain that causes the vehicle to fail to start, erratic HVAC operation where controls do not function as intended, and persistent water intrusion into the doors and interior areas. The HVAC malfunction has resulted in the inability to properly defrost or defog the windshield while driving, signif... Read more
Incident date: Nov 24, 2025
Steering goes in and out, stability control keeps acting up and light stays on, and service braking. Contacted RAM dealership, and was told that the recall was already completed before I owned it. It seems odd that the same symptoms are showing up again. I can’t drive the truck safely. The steering locks up and hard to turn. The anti-lock brakes are activated when using brakes.
Incident date: Dec 6, 2025
Engine brocked the pistones brock stock engine and pay for new engine
Incident date: Dec 21, 2025
The windshield washer fluid pump is weak and half the time does not spray when needed and left me on the highway with a dirty smeared windshield nearly making it impossible to see while driving. I understand it’s a known issue and also a new pump and reservoir is on backorder after checking with dealer.. I believe it’s a poor design and a revision should be considered as this is a safety hazar... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2025
Low pressure oil light came on and I stopped driving it 18 miles later drove about 25-30 mph hoping it wouldn’t seize on me before I got home. because I figure the oil pump is clogged with timing belt fragments and I can’t afford to replace the timing belt right now. Afraid to drive it because I have read it could seize up the engine. 1.0 eco boost manual transmission. Car ran great and I ha... Read more
Incident date: Dec 25, 2025
I was stopped at a red light. When the light turned green, I proceeded to apply the gas and accelerate. I quickly noticed that the vehicle began accelerating at a faster rate than I was intending. The vehicle continued to accelerate without me applying my foot to the gas pedal. Nothing would stop the continued acceleration (application of brake). I crashed into the rear of a vehicle in my lane goi... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Dec 25, 2025
My Jeep says it’s going to shutdown to pull over somewhere and cut off car. If we pull over in time, restarting car has solved problem until next time it decides to occur. Multiple times the car has shut off with me driving down road and I have no control over the vehicle. Plugged up at O’Rileys and AutoZone. Diagnostic referred to voltage surge with battery and the ABS. I took it to a local ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 25, 2025
I am reporting ongoing safety issues with my Kia K4 LXS involving driver assistance systems and steering control. While driving in heavy rain with reduced visibility, the vehicle disabled multiple sensors and displayed a “camera obscured” message along with inattentive driving warnings, despite both of my hands being on the steering wheel and my full attention on the road. The loss of driver ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2025
The Ford SYNC infotainment system failed and produced no audio and no hands-free phone functionality. This created a safety risk because the driver could not use hands-free calling and could not hear navigation prompts, warning chimes, or system alerts, increasing distraction while driving. A Ford dealer diagnosed internal failures in the APIM and Audio Control Module (ACM). The APIM was replaced... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2025
I had a tire rotation at my Subaru dealer in 12/2024. Two weeks later I had a flat and could not break two lug nuts. Tire repair dealer found that the lug bolts had been stripped. I had the remaining lug bolts examined by the dealer and a 3rd was found stripped. All three had to be replaced. I underwent tire rotation on 12/11/2025 and dealer found a fourth lug bolt stripped which needed repla... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
10/21/25-electric drive:malfunction, cooling system Car abruptly inoperable(while on Highway)-@412pm on 10/21/25 Inspected-by Insurance in <24hours and took @2 weeks by dealer service , and in shop last 60 days as of today 12/25/25-no end in site ! There was warning-“YELLOW” light-10/21/25 @915am,so on contacting dealer same @920am, 10/21/25 , dealer gave a service appointment for Nov 28th, 2... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
am reporting a problem with the Forward Collision Warning and Automatic Emergency Braking system. The vehicle has repeatedly given collision warnings and applied braking when there was no vehicle, person, or obstacle in front of me. I purchased the vehicle used in July 2023 with approximately 30,000 miles. It now has approximately 108,000 miles. Over the time I have owned the vehicle, this issue ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 20, 2025
Transmission causing jerking, shuddering and take off issues. It was diagnosed as the torque converter messed up in the transmission. My safety is at risk of being reared in as the car hesitates to go in gear and to shift properly.
Incident date: Sep 24, 2024
Have had to fill up coolant 2x a week. Starting to smoke real bad on start up. Leading me to believe I’ve got a coolant intrusion on my hands
Incident date: Jun 18, 2025
I believe coolant got into the cylinders and caused an engine failure. I had to replace the engine on the vehicle at 58000 miles
Incident date: Jun 18, 2025
I believe coolant got into the cylinders and caused an engine failure. I had to replace the engine on the vehicle at 58000 miles
Incident date: Nov 25, 2025
I was driving the car on the middle lane on Northern State Parkway (Long Island, NY) West bound about 55mph. Near exit 26 suddenly my car was automatically moving towards to the right, steering wheel and brake were not working, car was completely out of control, it crossed the right lane and went out of the highway and suddenly stuck in the bushes and stopped. Luckily, there was no car on the righ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2025
The instrument cluster on my vehicle has failed intermittently and/or completely, resulting in loss of speedometer visibility and loss of critical warning indicator information. This includes safety-related alerts necessary for driver awareness, such as warning lights and vehicle status indicators. Due to this failure, the vehicle is unsafe to operate because the driver cannot reliably monitor spe... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2025
My 2017 Jeep Cherokee rolled away three times in one day while in Park with the Electric Parking Brake engaged. My driveway has no flat area and slopes toward a public road, creating a serious hazard for my family and traffic. The rollaways occurred suddenly with no warning lights. I had to park the Jeep sideways in a snowbank for two weeks to prevent further rollaways, creating added risks for my... Read more