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 78,021 complaints for HYUNDAI
HYUNDAI
SANTA CRUZ
(2024) - ENGINE
Jan 28, 2026
Incident date: Jan 24, 2026
While driving at highway speed, 65mph, the 2013 Town and Country shut down. The dash instruments and all internal lighting shut off, the radio shut off and the blower fan for heat shut off. I lost the ability to steer and brake (power steering went out) but managed to maneuver the vehicle to the right lane. The car would not respond to any acceleration attempt. I tried turning the key while co... Read more
Incident date: Jan 24, 2026
Vehicle experienced sudden engine shutdown at highway speed. While traveling at highway speed, the internal combustion engine shut off without warning. The hybrid system temporarily allowed propulsion, which enabled me to move the vehicle out of traffic and off the highway shoulder. After stopping, the vehicle would not restart for approximately 20 minutes. During this time, the vehicle was disabl... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2026
Driver seat belt gets stuck sometimes or sometimes does not want to click not often but pretty randomly. The driver window control panel also started to smoke for 5 minutes the smoke started coming out the whole driver panel door and caused excessive heat. Seems that something burnt it was smelling like burnt plastic .
Incident date: Jan 16, 2026
The front of the fuel tank is hanging down and nearly dragging on the ground. This was with normal driving on a highway. No hitting bumps or aggressive off-road anything. We noticed when we heard a scraping noise going slowly over a slight incline in a driveway that it was hanging down.
Incident date: Jan 16, 2026
Whike driving down the street, the car lost power despite being charged to 95%. An alert went off on screen stating an electric system issue and then stopped in the middle of the road. Between the warning showing up, and car losing full power was less than a minute. There was no opportunity to pull over safely and the car was stuck in the middle of the street until a tow truck was able to come. Po... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2018) - FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Jan 27, 2026
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
The vehicle is experiencing a severe power train failure involving erratic and violent gear selection. The transmission unexpectedly jumps from 2nd, 3rd, or 4th gear directly up to 7th or 8th gear, resulting in a total loss of acceleration. This is immediately followed by the transmission "slamming" down into lower gears, usually 1st or 2nd gear without driver input. This behavior is accompanied b... Read more
Incident date: Oct 27, 2025
My car randomly has a battery charging fault. An alert stating “stop safely 12V battery critical charging fault” will just pop up while driving and then put the vehicle in turtle mode. This is an intermittent fault and is likely a false indication. This could cause an accident because it causes the car to slow down. This could happen on a highway.
Incident date: Jan 19, 2026
I had to replace my 2019 traverse transmission around 105,000 miles but had a shuddering when slowly accelerating or driving since around 70,000 miles. Possibly a programming issue with the transmission control module?? Because after replacing transmission the shuddering still happened and I had to reprogram the transmission control module again and then the shuddering is 95% gone. Also , shift t... Read more
Incident date: Jan 19, 2026
Throttle lag/ hesitation after complete stop
Incident date: Oct 20, 2025
The 2021 Ram ProMaster 2500 I purchased from a dealer on 12/6/25 now has a serious safety defect. The transmission began grinding when shifting into Drive on 1/27/26. Immediately after, the vehicle started rolling backwards while fully in Park with the engine running. This indicates a failure of the parking pawl or internal gearset. The backup camera also does not function, there are coolant and p... Read more
Incident date: Jan 26, 2026
The dealer refused to perform the required FRM recall inspection and denied the recall without providing any of the federally required documentation. I was forced to pay out‑of‑pocket for the FRM module replacement even though my VIN is listed under the safety recall. MINI of Murray stated my FRM “failed,” but admitted they never opened the module, which is required to determine internal m... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
My car is a 2018 Kia Rio that has a clean history and has never been in an accident. Recently my airbag light came on and I had a diagnostic run that showed a B1448 code indicating an OCS mat defect in the passenger seat. The 2015-2018 Kia Sedona models also had the same problem and were issued safety recalls. Due to this previous history I believe there could be a safety recall needed for the Kia... Read more
Incident date: Jan 25, 2026
Vehicle: 2006 Jeep Liberty VIN: [XXX] Summary: The front lower ball joint on my 2006 Jeep Liberty failed while the vehicle was in normal use. This failure matches the defect described in NHTSA Recall 06V288000 (Chrysler F23), which involves corrosion and separation of the front lower ball joints. My VIN does not currently show this recall as open, but the failure occurred exactly as described in ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. While driving approximately 70 MPH, the passenger’s side A-pillar trim was blown off the vehicle by the slipstream. The dealer was not contacted because the contact had previously called the dealer and was informed that the part to repair the vehicle was not available. The VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE). The contact stated ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
After turning the key on, van started and then turned off. Van was restarted and drove normally for awhile. While driving. the van turned off with no notification or warning lights. This almost caused a DEADLY accident. The fault is with the ignition box. Other model years were recalled for the same reason. Dodge failed to make any changes to their known problem with the ignition or rec... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2025
Rear windshield of 2019 Acura RDX shattered while driving approximately 35 mph and the rear defroster was on. Nothing hit my car. It was extremely loud and startling. Luckily, I was on a surface street driving fairly slowly and nobody was next to me when I quickly exited the lane. Lucky no one was hurt. Despite there being a service bulletin, Acura refused to assist in the repair.
Incident date: Dec 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Land Rover Range Rover Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V514000 (STEERING); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while the brake pedal was depressed, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the front passenger’s side of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The deal... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2025
The vehicle's defroster system and wiper sweep are unable to provide sufficient visibility in winter weather. At 10F at speeds of 65 and below, the wipers stay frozen. The defroster cannot defrost the wipers or the left and right areas of the windshield. Instead, ice builds up on the sides of the windshield. The frozen wipers cannot clear the windshield from splatter since the wiper fluid is passe... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
During normal winter operation with the heater in use, the center console area becomes excessively hot. I have measured surface temperatures exceeding approximately 130°F using an infrared thermometer. The affected area includes interior touch surfaces, cup holders, and a factory-installed wireless phone charging pad. The heat appears to originate from HVAC ducting routed through the center cons... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 5500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brake, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, a warning chime activated continuously. The ABS and Brake warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle wa... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal clunking sound coming from the rear wheels. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the rear axle bolts had sheared off. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V896000 (Power Train); how... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2026
When driving with cruise control engaged the car randomly brakes and shows a "curvature assist " indication. The car quickly slows from 55 to 35 with no warning. This primary happens on a straight road, not a curve. I am concerned about the traffic behind me.
Incident date: Jan 12, 2026
When driving with cruise control engaged the car randomly brakes and shows a "curvature assist " indication. The car quickly slows from 55 to 35 with no warning. This primary happens on a straight road, not a curve. I am concerned about the traffic behind me.
Incident date: Jan 27, 2026
Back up camera failure cutting off and on. Could cause wreck. Dull headlights. Could cause a wreck.Leak in firewall driver floor wet. Could short out electrical system, cause shock, cause a wreck. No accident to report. This is ongoing since purchase in 2023.
Incident date: Jan 27, 2026
Back up camera failure cutting off and on. Could cause wreck. Dull headlights. Could cause a wreck.Leak in firewall driver floor wet. Could short out electrical system, cause shock, cause a wreck. No accident to report. This is ongoing since purchase in 2023.
Incident date: Nov 27, 2025
Engine Failed 1400 miles from home on 6.2L Engine - Days after getting L87 Engine Loss of Propulsion Recall Service. Recall Service Completed on 12/1/2025 - Cap and Oil Change done - Full Engine Failure on 12/22/2025. 12/1/2025 - L87 Engine Recall Service Done at GMC Dealership - Quincy IL 12/16/2025- Check Engine Light came on - went to same Dealership - Cleared it told me I was fine to drive ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 26, 2026
When starting up my truck in the morning there is rough idle that cause truck to sputter and sound horrible. It eventually smooths out but I believe the computer needs flashing. When I look online some have a recall for the engine 3UR-FBE / 2018 Toyota tundra, but when I put in my vin # it shows no recall and throws off check engine light Code. Also my radar sensor that it on for cruise control i... Read more
Incident date: Jan 26, 2026
The rear camera goes out/ screen flickers and turns black for a period when in reverse. It doesn’t happen every time but it happens often and at different times of day or different weather/ temperatures. I have not been able to determine associated factors ( humidity, temperature, etc). It does seem to be more frequent when first starting car after awhile (a few hours) but not always the case... Read more
Incident date: Jan 26, 2026
On January 29, 2020, while driving my 2016 BMW 5 Series under normal operating conditions, the engine compartment caught fire without warning. Smoke and flames originated from the engine bay while the vehicle was in motion. I was forced to pull over and exit the vehicle immediately. The fire spread rapidly, and the vehicle was declared a total loss. At the time, both my insurance carrier and BMW r... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jan 26, 2026
My Ford F-150 is subject to Manufacturer Recall Number23S65/NHTSA Recall Number23V896. I asked for the repair multiple times, but the dealership repeatedly told me that the parts were on backorder. The hub bolt on my right rear tire cracked and the truck was making a high pitched sound. I took it to the dealer and they said the bolt was cracked and driving it in that condition is dangerous. The... Read more
Incident date: Jan 26, 2026
ICCU failure which causes a fuse to pop. Because it is an EV the car cannot be driven
Incident date: Jan 26, 2026
I was turning into my parking space after work. The car suddenly showed every single alarm possible it started driving incredibly poorly at low speeds. I turned the car off. I let it rest for a minute. I turned it off and it was horribly slow, but it was able to pull it into the parking space. I did not call a tow truck at this time because the last time they towed into an impound lot and it took ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
I was turning into my parking space after work. The car suddenly showed every single alarm possible it started driving incredibly poorly at low speeds. I turned the car off. I let it rest for a minute. I turned it off and it was horribly slow, but it was able to pull it into the parking space. I did not call a tow truck at this time because the last time they towed into an impound lot and it took ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
Engine started knocking, complete loss of power and had to pull over immediately to avoid any further issues such as an accident
Incident date: Jan 23, 2026
This vehicle has had multiple incidents of surging of the propulsion system both on battery power and when powered by the internal combustion engine, causing loss of propulsion and sudden acceleration almost causing collisions multiple times. We have paid for over $4,000 in repairs that are not covered under the propulsion system warranty, and these repairs have not remedied the issue.
Incident date: Jan 12, 2026
When you are driving down the road, the transmission does not want to shift into any gears. There is a major slip when it is supposed to be shifting.
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2015 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 189,458 and the contact stated he discovered on Carfax that mileage was 188,052; however, the contact discovered that the mileage was 11... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2026
I had a recall done by local Acura dealer, Miami Doral Acura, where they replaced parts that connected the engine to the car, they are like rods. I recently took the car to a mechanic because I needed to change the timing belt components and he advised me that one of the rods that were replaced failed. This means that the engine was attached by only one rod, the other rod was cut, not connected. I... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2025
I purchased this vehicle new 7/31/25. Within the first week of ownership I noticed a noise coming from the rear axle. Brought into Ford dealer for diagnosis at 723 miles: tech notes indicated that the abs tone ring was not manufactured correctly and was hitting the ABS wheel speed sensor. The sensor had visible impact marks. The rear axle assembly was replaced under warranty. The repair took over ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2025
On January16,2026 while driving from Houston,TX to Austin TX the vehicle experienced a complete loss of power on Highway 71 W. We were traveling at approximately 70 MPH when the engine completely failed. We were forced to immediately pull over onto a narrow shoulder Our situation at that point was dire: we could not exit the vehicle as other cars were speeding by. Fortunately an emergency vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2025
When driving our Rav 4 we heard loud bang type noise. We stopped and pulled over and looked all around the Rav 4 and didn't see anything. When I checked the roof I found our sunroof had shattered. The sunroof was closed at the time. No one was injured at the time.
Incident date: Dec 8, 2025
A small amount of snow / ice is sufficient to prevent the windshield wipers from returning all the way to the original starting position low on the windshield. For some reason this prevents them from functioning entirely - they just get stuck in a loop trying to go all the way down. I am able to lift them up manually but they won't do so under wiper motor power / while driving. I have a video that... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2025
Paint is peeling off my pearl white Kia telluride
Incident date: Dec 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, while the roads were clear, dry, and the weather was good, the engine seized, and the vehicle lost motive power and decelerated to 55 MPH. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, and the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond and continued driving forward. While driving at 50 M... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, while the roads were clear, dry, and the weather was good, the engine seized, and the vehicle lost motive power and decelerated to 55 MPH. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, and the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond and continued driving forward. While driving at 50 M... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2026
Every time my truck sits for more than 3 days even in the summer the battery dies. I have to jump this truck more than I jumped anything in life. It has less than 30000 miles on it and I’ve had nothing but trouble with the battery staying charged and the air bag system being jimmied to keep the sensor from not going of by the dealer.
Incident date: Jan 12, 2026
Description of Incident: On January 19, 2026, this vehicle was involved in a severe frontal collision. Despite significant structural damage resulting in a total loss (GEICO Claim: 0445628610101151), multiple critical safety systems failed to activate. Specific System Failures: SRS (Airbags): None of the 10 airbags deployed despite a high-energy impact that met deployment thresholds. Active Bra... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 12, 2026
Description of Incident: On January 19, 2026, this vehicle was involved in a severe frontal collision. Despite significant structural damage resulting in a total loss (GEICO Claim: 0445628610101151), multiple critical safety systems failed to activate. Specific System Failures: SRS (Airbags): None of the 10 airbags deployed despite a high-energy impact that met deployment thresholds. Active Bra... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Nov 26, 2025
Windows have detached from adhesive and the window does not shut or seal. There is a recall on the windows for this problem but when I put my vin number in here it does not come up as a recall.
Incident date: Jan 12, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Ram 2500. The contact stated that while driving downhill, the brake pedal became inoperable, with the ABS and traction control warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard with a chatter while the brake pedal was depressed. The contact forcefully depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The contact receiv... Read more