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 76,133 complaints for HYUNDAI
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
Vehicle Component Failure Description: The electronic gear shifter intermittently shifts into neutral without the driver pressing the release button or applying the brake, and can also slide back into drive without button engagement. This has occurred multiple times since service on 08/27/2025 and continues to occur. The issue has been demonstrated to dealership personnel, who confirmed they cou... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
This vehicle has a major engine flaw; Hyundai USA KNOWS about it, and STILL will not issue a recall for EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. First episode: October 2023 at 86,371 miles. Dealership replaced leaking valve cover gasket and changed woefully-soiled spark plugs. Still under manufacturer warranty, but I paid the balance. Second episode: FOUR MONTHS LATER (Feb. 2024; 89,078 miles), another limp m... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
Front chrome hood deflector detached while driving down the interstate. Had a recall on the deflector, recall was performed and the chrome deflector still detached. Tried to get GM to repair and they declined my recall claim. GM stated my 3 year bumper to bumper warranty had expired and they did not have to fix it. This is an extremely hazardous condition and should be covered.
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
The clutch began slipping while driving vehicle. Lost power and could not accelerate while on highway.
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
There has been a NHTSA recall for AWD module on 2021 and some newer Bronco sports. The letter in reference to this problem dates 4/9/2021 to include only certain VIN at the time based on manufacturing sites. I feel there has been an underestimation of vehicles/parts affected on this recall based on the fact that it included very limited vehicles only 4 month into production. There have been sever... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2026
Was driving down the highway and my car caught fire. I was stopped by another driver saying that my car was on fire. I had no breaks to stop, I had to put it straight to park to stop the car. That way myself and my son could jump out of the car.
Fire
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
failing turbo charger - GM website issued special coverage bulletin
Incident date: Mar 19, 2026
The start/stop switch on my 2015 Honda Fit failed — a known defect acknowledged by Honda through Service Bulletin A20-098. A faulty start/stop switch creates serious safety hazards including the inability to start the vehicle in an emergency, becoming stranded in dangerous locations such as intersections or highways, and potential inability to shut the engine off. My vehicle is UNDER the mileage... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2024
Check engine light illuminated on my 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. Upon diagnostic scan, the following emissions-related fault codes were present: P11D5 (NOx sensor), P14D9 (NOx sensor), P2383 (EGR pressure sensor), and P2C7A (NOx catalytic converter efficiency). All components are available for inspection upon request. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Chevrolet dealership for diagnosis. The dealer... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
Vehicle Shudders under load with harsh/jerky shifts especially when downshifting as the vehicle slows down. Sometimes there is a hard bang when downshifting from 4 to 3. The 10R80 transmission has a reputation for these issues. I took it into the Ford dealer for service and they found that the TCC solenoid was scored, fine metal shavings were found in the fluid indicating a torque converter failur... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA CRUZ
(2026) — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Apr 30, 2026
Incident date: Mar 31, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Ford C-Max Hybrid. The contact stated that while her son was driving 25 MPH, the brake warning light and the traction control warning light illuminated. Additionally, while the contact's husband was driving, the driver’s side rear brake seized, and there was smoke coming from the brakes. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and deter... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA CRUZ
(2026) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Apr 30, 2026
Incident date: Mar 31, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and merging into highway traffic, the vehicle hesitated and surged forward after depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileag... Read more
Incident date: Feb 16, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part for the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the message "Service Brake Soon" was briefly displayed while driving the vehicle. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part for the recall repair was not yet available. The v... Read more
Incident date: Feb 16, 2026
The car has two safety recalls and Hyundai has not bee able to provide us with a safe vehicle to drive. NHTSA Recall Number 26V034000 does not have a remedy and NHTSA Recall Number 25V607000 we are still awaiting parts. We have called our dealership and Hyundai Customer care for a solution. We are told they have no available seat belts to make the repairs. We have asked multiple times for a loaner... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that after driving and shifting into reverse(R), the vehicle failed to reverse as intended. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the valve body, the wiring harness, and all fluids needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, after driving 5 miles, the vehicle started jerking and the m... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
On at least three occasions, the forward collision system incorrectly determined there was an imminent collision when a car or truck was simply coming over into my lane. The Tucscon locked the brakes, bringing the car to a full stop in the middle of high-traffic roads even while the car in front was pulling away. I was unable to give the car gas to continue driving forward. On two occasions this w... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
On at least three occasions, the forward collision system incorrectly determined there was an imminent collision when a car or truck was simply coming over into my lane. The Tucscon locked the brakes, bringing the car to a full stop in the middle of high-traffic roads even while the car in front was pulling away. I was unable to give the car gas to continue driving forward. On two occasions this w... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2026
On at least three occasions, the forward collision system incorrectly determined there was an imminent collision when a car or truck was simply coming over into my lane. The Tucscon locked the brakes, bringing the car to a full stop in the middle of high-traffic roads even while the car in front was pulling away. I was unable to give the car gas to continue driving forward. On two occasions this w... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2026
My seat belts and rear safety camera are not functioning. I have been dealing with my local dealer who seems not to care and Hyundai Corporate for 3 months to try to resolve thissafety issue and have gotten no where
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
Sunroof exploded while driving down the freeway. Covering the occupants in glass, including the driver, this caused cuts from glass shards. This is a known issue to Toyota. They decided not to do a recall. They are lucky that the sunroof exploding did not cause a fatal accident.
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
On April 27, 2026, my 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe experienced an intermittent electrical/system malfunction affecting multiple vehicle systems at the same time. Multiple orange warning lights/messages appeared on the dash, including driver-assistance warnings and the master warning triangle. At the same time, the front turn signal stopped working, causing rapid flashing; the power locks stopped working;... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
On April 27, 2026, my 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe experienced an intermittent electrical/system malfunction affecting multiple vehicle systems at the same time. Multiple orange warning lights/messages appeared on the dash, including driver-assistance warnings and the master warning triangle. At the same time, the front turn signal stopped working, causing rapid flashing; the power locks stopped working;... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2026
I was traveling at 20 mph and slowed to make a turn when the steering wheel took two hands to turn the wheel ... I knew it was a power steering issue. Happend all of a sudden with no warning and I was stuck in the middle of an intersection trying to turn around to go back home
Incident date: Apr 10, 2026
ICCU failure at 6,126 miles. Vehicle went into limp mode and had to be towed.
Incident date: Apr 29, 2026
While driving, the transmission went into limp/safety mode and became difficult to control. Diagnostic scan confirmed codes P0806 (Clutch Position Sensor A Circuit Intermittent) and P2872 (Clutch A Stuck Engaged). The failure is electrical — wiring harness damage near the clutch position sensor. This has happened multiple times. The vehicle is a 2018 Ford Focus SE with DPS6 PowerShift transmissi... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 2026
While entering a roundabout at a slow speed (~5MPH), the electronic power steering on my wife's car failed, almost resulting in an accident with another vehicle, as it suddenly became very difficult to steer. The vehicle's power steering warning indicator turned on, and then the following warning messages appeared on the dashboard: Check Forward/Side Safety system, Check Lane Safety system, Check ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
Coolant intrusion defect. Had to replace engine. Power train fail also.
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
I was on the freeway about 2 minutes and the car flashed a red warning then slammed on the brakes and I flew forward. No cruise control and no buttons hit or anything automatic. Another time, I was merging to freeway on ramp (with 2 lanes merging and going to freeway). I was on the left right lane towards the on ramp and another car came speeding next to me on other the on ramp right lane. All ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
I was on the freeway about 2 minutes and the car flashed a red warning then slammed on the brakes and I flew forward. No cruise control and no buttons hit or anything automatic. Another time, I was merging to freeway on ramp (with 2 lanes merging and going to freeway). I was on the left right lane towards the on ramp and another car came speeding next to me on other the on ramp right lane. All ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the message "Service 4WD" was displayed, immediately followed by the message "4WD System Unavailable". The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where a diagnostic test was performed, and the contact was informed that the Power Transfer Unit(PTU) was inoperable and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repai... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2026
The vehicle would shut off when idling at lights or in reverse and have delayed acceleration after stops. It also would shut off when idling in park. I took it to the dealership summer-fall 2025 and they were too busy to investigate the issue because no alarms were present. The vehicle started doing the same thing and the check engine light came on March 2026. Now it has been in the shop for many... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2006 Mercedes-Benz C230. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became loose and landed in the contact's lap. The steering wheel failed to lock securely in place. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the fail... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
I am reporting a safety-related defect with a 2025 Hyundai Palisade SEL. Within days of purchase (December 14, 2024), I began experiencing abnormal noise and vibration from the rear of the vehicle. The issue consistently occurs at highway speeds (45–55 mph) and over bumps. The problem has been present since the first week of ownership and has worsened over time. Multiple inspections confirmed... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2024
I am reporting a safety-related defect with a 2025 Hyundai Palisade SEL. Within days of purchase (December 14, 2024), I began experiencing abnormal noise and vibration from the rear of the vehicle. The issue consistently occurs at highway speeds (45–55 mph) and over bumps. The problem has been present since the first week of ownership and has worsened over time. Multiple inspections confirmed... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in reverse(R), the vehicle stalled, and the power steering became inoperable. Additionally, the failure recurred while making right or left turns at various speeds. The contact depressed the brake pedal, shifted to park(P) and restarted the vehicle after each failure. The failure recurred intermittentl... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
Engine stopped while driving 70 mph down the highway and the car shifted into neutral. Had to cost to side of the road. Took car into dealership and even though the car was certified safe drive and the engine had no issues 5 months ago, I was told the engine was now locking up. The engine failed despite using the higher viscosity oil that chevy recommended. These greedy cunts at chevy placed me ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
The rear park assist will randomly turn itself off. It happens while just driving down the road and also at times when backing up. This has been an ongoing issue since I took the truck in to get the chips installed for it to work.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
Recall for seatbealts and third row airbags. Car has been at the dealership currently for a month with no parts for the seatbelts and no remedy at this time for the air bags.
Incident date: Apr 26, 2026
Main dashboard display is partially blocked by a message stating “emergency call system malfunction.” Apparently the roof mounted antenna’s seal fails and allows water into the electronics for the emergency call system. Upon failure, it also stops the Bluetooth microphone for the cell phone to stop working. The dealer quoted the repair at $3,200. Judging from a google search, this is a comm... Read more
Incident date: Apr 26, 2026
Sitting at a red light the vehicle seemed to almost stalled then lunged forward about eight feet almost colliding with the vehicle in front of me. To my knowledge the vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer nor has the problem been reproduced by a dealer or independent service center. To my knowledge there were no warning lights, messages or symptoms. I am somewhat unfamiliar with this... Read more
Incident date: Apr 26, 2026
Sitting at a red light the vehicle seemed to almost stalled then lunged forward about eight feet almost colliding with the vehicle in front of me. To my knowledge the vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer nor has the problem been reproduced by a dealer or independent service center. To my knowledge there were no warning lights, messages or symptoms. I am somewhat unfamiliar with this... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
The transmission or torque converter has slippage and shuddering that has caused one or both to go bad. My safety was at risk due to this item beginning to fail to cause the inability to accelerate to maintain my position in traffic. The problem was recreated for the service technician. There was no warning or indication before this became an issue.
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to file a formal safety complaint regarding my 2026 Lexus TX 350 F Sport (VIN: [XXX] ), purchased from Treasure Coast Lexus in Florida in December of 2025. Shortly after purchasing the vehicle I noticed significant hood flutter at 60-70 MPH. This is visually distracting and poses a safety concern while driving. Despite three separate repair attempts at the d... Read more
HYUNDAI
SONATA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2017) — SEATS
Apr 29, 2026
Incident date: Apr 11, 2026
I bought a 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe AWD Calligraphy on April 25, 2026 from Pohanka Hyundai. On April 27, the second row captain's seat on the driver's side folded, pressing my child's chest to his knees. He had his seatbelt on and stated that, even though he tried, he was unable to resist the pressure from the automated collapse/folding feature. While I was in park, a child sitting in the third ro... Read more
HYUNDAI
SONATA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2017) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Apr 29, 2026
Incident date: Apr 11, 2026
I am reporting a serious safety issue involving a 2017 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid (VIN: [XXX] ), originally purchased in California. While driving at approximately 70 mph on a highway, the vehicle suddenly lost all propulsion without warning and rapidly decelerated. This created a dangerous situation with surrounding traffic and put me and my family at risk. I had to quickly maneuver to the sh... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
Automatic transmission solenoid control valve body got stuck open and ruined the whole transmission. This has been a reoccurring problem with these vehicles. Image is from a code read. Issue was confirmed by Gastorf Chevrolet, and an independent transmission shop.
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
The 2.0L Nu GDI engine in this vehicle is experiencing terminal internal failure. Following a P1326 KSDS warning event, a borescope inspection at an authorized dealership documented severe cylinder wall scoring in all four cylinders. Despite this documented internal block destruction, the manufacturer has denied the mandated settlement warranty repair based on a software-based proxy test (BCT). Th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 2026
Iam having numerous problems with the start stop function of my 2022 MDX. See attached letter and documentation for full details. I also attached the documentation from my dealership for the repair order history. There have been numerous of times that this problem occurred that I didn't bring it in for service. The dealership acknowledges that there is a problem, but they are unable to correct. ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 19, 2026
We went to a car wash and that day after the car wash we started getting 6+ error message codes for adaptive cruise control, lane assist, lane departure, blind spot, rear cross traffic, etc. our tech that we took it to says they have seen this happen nation wide on these vehicles
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2013) — ENGINE
Apr 29, 2026
Incident date: Jan 7, 2026
While driving, on approach to a stop signal, at an intersection the car stopped moving. The display said engine malfunction, have inspected. The electronics and engine continued to operate, but the car would not move when gas pedal was depressed. I shut off and restarted my vehicle numerous times, with no effect on the problem, the car still would not move. The vehicle behind me had to brake unexp... Read more