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: Mar 7, 2026
The Auto Start-Stop system is not working properly. Three times it has failed to restart when sitting a traffic light. I believe this is safety issue because I could be rear ended if a vehicle is not aware of my vehicle not starting to move with traffic. The Auto Start-Stop can only be manually stopped by turning it off in the vehicle ever time to start to use it. This system needs fixed or there ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 7, 2026
My 2012 ram1500 st 4.7 liter has the 9.25 rear differential that was in fact common for that year model too have the loose pinion nut recall my trucks vin is [XXX] for confirmation after doing some research on the symptoms that could potentially be causing this problem include but are not limited to a whining sound coming from my trucks rear end that gets louder when accelerating and noticeably c... Read more
Incident date: Nov 21, 2025
While driving on the interstate at highway speed, my 2017 Hyundai Tucson lost power without any warning lights or prior symptoms. The vehicle experienced an immediate loss of propulsion while I was traveling in traffic, creating a dangerous situation because surrounding vehicles were also moving at highway speed & I had to quicky maneuver the vehicle to the shoulder with no power. The vehicle had ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 21, 2025
We were notified by Toyota that it was unsafe to transport our child or anyone else in the second row seats in November 2025 and the vehicle was under a recall. This puts my child at risk. A letter from NHTSA stated Toyota would have a remedy by 12/6. The manufacturer (Toyota) confirmed this recall. Given that Toyota has not indicated a solution date for this and the problem was discovered in Octo... Read more
Incident date: Nov 21, 2025
2018 Nissan Rogue. With just over 96,000 miles. I have been working on cars for 35 years and understand mechanics at a professional level. What component or system failed or malfunctioned?: Oil level sensor. Oil temp sensor. Knock sensor. Complete rod bearing failure. Outrageously high Oil temperature and Oil consumption. Rod Bearing started knocking. There were no warning lights or Low Oil lev... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
At 27, 000 miles while on vacation, over 1000 miles from home, the lifters and bearings grenaded the motor. The vehicle sat at the dealership for a month waiting for a motor replacement. This could have been much worse as we had just driven through mountains the day before. Had this happened in the mountains this could have been deadly. The engine was replaced, but we have no faith in the new engi... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
The headlights failed their soldered incorrectly. It looks like a child did it. The back camera has yet to work since shows black screen, and then the lane Assistant shuts off in the middle of the road and there’s nothing blocking it. lights went out and kept going out no matter how many times I replaced the bulb when I was on the highway. I took it into Firestone and they stated that the compan... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
Recall number N192211320 ( Left Front Lower Control Arm Ball Joint Not Seated ) Chevrolet is refusing to fix this issue, saying that it's not a safety recall. This issue can effect the steering control and its very evident thats its a safety issue. They're saying this recall expires with the base warranty. This is a clear attempt to circumvent the law, by not classifying this as a safety issue.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
I am experience coolant intrusion into cylinder 3 causing the check engine light to come on, when.checked on obd2 system shows a misfire on cylinder 3, multiple checks by service centers all diagnose the coolant intrusion defect on the 2.0 ecoboost engine requiring a long block replacement
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
I took my vehicle to a dealership in response to the recent recall for the PTU unit. They simply "updated software" and claim the error code indicating ptu issues was not present and therefore are not required to replace the part. My vehicle has the textbook "symptoms" as directly outlined on the first recall notice (before a remedy was available) and the second notice; noise, service 4wd notifica... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
While driving at normal speed, my 2022 Hyundai Palisade suddenly lost power without warning. Multiple warning icons appeared on the dashboard at the same time. The vehicle immediately slowed down and became unsafe to operate. After pulling over, the vehicle would not restart and had to be towed. This created a dangerous situation on the roadway. I am reporting this because I wonder if other owners... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
Owner of a 2019 GMC Acadia Denali (VIN: [XXX] , current odometer ~87,164 miles), purchased new. In early February 2026, the check engine light came on. Independent diagnostic scan confirmed persistent P0420 code (“Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold Bank 1”) as current, history, pending, and permanent. Inspection showed the front exhaust pipe bracket had snapped, damaging the flex pipe ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
1. Component/system that failed/malfunctioned — Braking system (electronic parking brake and brake control modules) combined with electrical/communication defect preventing storage of diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs). Vehicle available for inspection upon request. 2. How safety was put at risk — Repeated "Park Brake Fault – Service Now" and "Brake System Fault" warnings on dash while driving ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
We were notified by Toyota that it was unsafe to transport our children in the second row seats in December 2025 and the vehicle was under a recall. This puts our children at risk. A letter from NHTSA stated Toyota would have a remedy by 12/6. The manufacturer (Toyota) confirmed this recall. Given that Toyota has not indicated a solution date for this and the problem was discovered in October 2025... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
Harness loosened by itself despite it being the newer model without the recall
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
On February 25, 2026, BMW of South Miami performed the VANOS safety recall repair on my vehicle. The repair order documented that VANOS bolts were missing and retrieved from the engine oil pan and that VANOS components were serviced. Within approximately 24–48 hours of picking up the vehicle, the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle began operating abnormally, including rough idle and... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2026
On February 25, 2026, BMW of South Miami performed the VANOS safety recall repair on my vehicle. The repair order documented that VANOS bolts were missing and retrieved from the engine oil pan and that VANOS components were serviced. Within approximately 24–48 hours of picking up the vehicle, the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle began operating abnormally, including rough idle and... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2025
Painting chipping on front top car... Seatbelt don't fasten all the time...Lights are dim.
Incident date: Mar 13, 2025
I am submitting this complaint regarding a catalytic converter failure on my vehicle and the manufacturer’s refusal to honor the warranty. My vehicle is a Toyota that is approximately two years old and currently has about 31,000 miles. The catalytic converter has failed well before what would normally be expected for this component. When I brought the vehicle to the dealership for repair under... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2025
Tesla sent me a Recall notice on the Lightbar, but in the notice, Tesla says it will not connect the lightbar to the electrical system and make the lightbar operable when Tesla repairs the defective lightbar. I paid $300.00 to have the original lightbar connected to the electrical system, and now, due to Tesla's improper installation, I am going to have to pay to have the new lightbar connected as... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
My backup camera has the same issue as the recall for the 2021-2024 Ford Edge. Why is my year not included in the recall?
Incident date: Mar 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle, there was water overflowing from the front passenger's side floormat. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the water entry point could not be determined. Additionally, the contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where a brake sensor was re... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Land Rover Range Rover. The contact stated that while his wife was operating the vehicle, the battery indicator warning light was illuminated on the instrument cluster. The following morning, the vehicle failed to start and became inoperable. An independent mechanic initially replaced the alternator; however, the alternator replacement failed to fix the vehicle. Several dia... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2024
System failures with lights and warnings include: hill start assist, All wheel drive fault, precollision assist, advanctrac. Rear differential and AWD module had to be replaced. Car has 57,000 miles on it and is a 2020. Safety is put at risk with a failing rear differential. There were minor vibrations that could've turned into wheel lock. All of the different drive modes were unavailable, and wit... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
The upper radiator hose on some huge percentage of these trucks fail (mine has failed at just over 20K miles). You can check the Colorado Chevy forum, youtube, etc., et al, and find plenty of instances where this has failed. As this is the cooling system, it can cause the engine to overheat and potentially ruin the engine. The flaw seems to be an engineering issue with the rubber seal they use (in... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2025
The suv pulls hard to the right when accelerating and has almost driven me off the road. it does it at random times and its super dangerous
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
This has happened three times with the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LTZ truck. Each time, the failure was following a remote start in my driveway. It has occurred at the approximately 40K, 80K, and now at 128K mile mark. First two repairs were covered under the warranty and extended warranty, with the third time there was no warranty and the cost for repair was ~$2800. Each time, the vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Mar 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the vehicle failed to respond while depressing the accelerator pedal. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact placed the vehicle in park(P), and the vehicle rolled backwards. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a local dealer and the PTU (Power Transfer Unit) was replaced un... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
My husband and I ordered this vehicle last year and picked it up [XXX]. We paid cash and are retired so that was alot. The reason for the purchase was to take our 4 grandchildren on mini trips. For the recall reason we have not been able to do this for obvious reasons, their safety. We received notification in December I believe, I immediately called the dealer. I was advised there is no reme... Read more
Incident date: Jan 18, 2026
I owned a 2021 Hyundai Elantra N Line that experienced a recurring transmission issue. In warm weather conditions the transmission would intermittently slip and stutter, causing a jerky engagement when attempting to accelerate. In cold weather the vehicle operated normally without these symptoms. When the issue occurred, the vehicle would sometimes hesitate or fail to move forward smoothly when p... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle unexpectedly shut off. After restarting the vehicle, the battery warning light was temporarily illuminated and the vehicle operated normally. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, but no trouble code was found. The vehicle was not repaired. T... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle unexpectedly shut off. After restarting the vehicle, the battery warning light was temporarily illuminated and the vehicle operated normally. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, but no trouble code was found. The vehicle was not repaired. T... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle jerked with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the rear tires were bumping. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road and turned off. The vehicle was started and towed to the dealer while the eng... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2023
I have had multiple occurrences where as I'm backing out of my garage or a parking spot, the vehicle stops suddenly and there is nothing behind me.
Incident date: May 15, 2023
I have had multiple occurrences where as I'm backing out of my garage or a parking spot, the vehicle stops suddenly and there is nothing behind me.
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
I have had multiple incidents where I'm driving and the instrument cluster goes black and either takes multiple minutes to come back on or I have to turn the vehicle off and back on to get it to work.
Incident date: Feb 28, 2026
Power Train, Automatic Transmission Issue The vehicle is a 2020 Ford Explorer XLT with approximately 71,000 miles. The automatic transmission has developed delayed engagement and harsh shifting during normal driving conditions. The issue occurs most often during low speed driving, rolling stops, and when shifting from Park into Drive or Reverse. The transmission will hesitate or pause before eng... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2026
See attached document for complaint. Safety Recall 68C / NHTSA 25V-741- High-Voltage Battery Fire Risk On or about November 6, 2025, FCA issued Safety Recall 68C / NHTSA 25V-741, advising owners of a high-voltage battery fire risk. The recall notice explicitly states: • "A vehicle fire can result in increased risk of occupant injury and injury to persons outside the vehicle." • "Owners are ad... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2018) — SERVICE BRAKES
Mar 6, 2026
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
The first time I drove my Ford Ranger and went to brake, I was startled by my right shoe getting tangled and wedged on something. I was able to get to the brake and come to a stop in plenty of time but it did give my heart a jump. It has happened several times with my husband as well. The clearance between the lower part of the dash and the accelerator and brake pedals needs reconfiguring as your ... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2018) — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Mar 6, 2026
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
I had just pulled off from street light, hit button to turn auto engine shutoff off, all of sudden I lose power as if I'm in neutral, engines reving up but won't go. Then kicks in but with less power like gears will not shift. I get to my destination but car will not go in reverse.
Incident date: Feb 23, 2026
While driving, I had a complete loss of power steering in my 2013 Ram 1500. It was followed a few seconds later by a “service power steering” dash message.
Incident date: Feb 23, 2026
The instrument panel in my car went completely dark, leaving me without any knowledge of my speed. This is a massive safety risk. I am taking it to the dealership tomorrow, but there are no issues that came up when this failed, it just failed to boot correctly, and nothing I could do would bring it back.
Incident date: Feb 17, 2026
Driving to work, going into a turn with no obstructions my car frequently alerts to a "collision warning" that is not there. Additionally, I have been driving on the highway, with no obstructions in front of me and my car emergency brake despite an emergency not being present. In both instances, it is extremely distracting and induces anxiety as I am alerted of a threat that is not there. Furt... Read more
Incident date: Feb 17, 2026
My 2023 Ford Escape acts like it is about to stall out once I hit the gas from a stop. It has happened multiple times. After idling for 10 minutes when I go to take off it will shift so hard that it pushes you forward in your seat. It has not been taken to a dealership yet since no light comes on and it doesn’t happen all the time. It has put my safety at risk since I was turning on the highway... Read more
Incident date: Feb 17, 2026
My 2023 Ford Escape acts like it is about to stall out once I hit the gas from a stop. It has happened multiple times. After idling for 10 minutes when I go to take off it will shift so hard that it pushes you forward in your seat. It has not been taken to a dealership yet since no light comes on and it doesn’t happen all the time. It has put my safety at risk since I was turning on the highway... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 BMW X5. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the Push to Start button failed to function as intended. After several attempts, the vehicle started. The drivetrain warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the starter had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact to ce... Read more
Incident date: Nov 21, 2025
there have about 4 incidents where my vehicle has engaged the automatic emergency breaks while I’m driving, even though there are no cars around me close enough to cause that reaction. called 911 on most recent incident to get medical evaluation to check chest from seat belt sudden locking
1 injured
Incident date: Feb 11, 2025
My 2020 GMC Sierra Denali diesel with approximately 90,000 miles experienced two separate front suspension failures within a short period of time. The driver side tie rod and wheel hub failed first and required repair. Shortly after, the passenger side front suspension failed in a similar way and the vehicle had to be towed. These failures caused the front wheels to become unstable and created a s... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2026
To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally complain about an ongoing issue with my 2024 Kia Telluride, which has experienced four separate windshield cracks in a little over two years of ownership. This frequency is excessive and well beyond what I would consider normal wear and tear for a vehicle of this class and price point. Each incident occurred during routine driving conditions, such a... Read more