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: Feb 14, 2026
The instrument panel went black while driving. Unable to see MPH, Gas, Gauges, or safety alerts, warning lamps, etc. The dealership confirmed there is no recall. This is a safety issue and should not be at the expense of the consumer.
Incident date: Feb 14, 2026
I have a 2025 Hyundai Kona Limited. On [XXX], around the afternoon on Sunnyvale, California, while exiting [XXX] headed to Lake Tahoe, the liftgate bolt that attaches to the body had buckled mechanically as the system did not back away when a flashlight that came out of a travel bag was blocking the way to have it closed. The car computer thinks the liftgate is open even though the lock is secured... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2026
I have a 2025 Hyundai Kona Limited. On [XXX], around the afternoon on Sunnyvale, California, while exiting [XXX] headed to Lake Tahoe, the liftgate bolt that attaches to the body had buckled mechanically as the system did not back away when a flashlight that came out of a travel bag was blocking the way to have it closed. The car computer thinks the liftgate is open even though the lock is secured... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
The drivers side, female end, of the seatbelt comes undone when cold. This is reproduced every single time it is cold for approximately 5 minutes of driving until the inside of the vehicle warms up. This happens with both primary divers of the vehicle. We took it to the dealership we bought it from but because there is not a current recall and they cannot reproduce the issue since our current tem... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
We have been in Hyundai’s “oil consumption” protocol for the past 8-10 months. We’ve had 6 oil changes in that time. Each oil change was right a 1,000 miles. My engine is burning between 1.5 - 2.5 quarts of oil EVERY 1,000 MILES. They have been trying to drag this out not having to take ownership of the issue. After reading online, clearly there is an issue with 2021 Palisades and a recall... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2025
The crankshaft position sensor and tone wheel failed which is the recall for 66A, was driving truck 45mph down heavily traffic roadway, truck died and stopped in the middle of road. took truck to dealership and dealer charged diagnostic fee explained to them that issue sounded like a crankshaft issue and was showing crankshaft codes. They refused to look into this and do the recall. Went and picke... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2026
10 Speed transmission jumps at highway speeds, clunks when stopping, and slips when cold. I've had it to the dealer and they replaced the torque converter, and I've had it back several more times. The garage refuses to allow another appointment since Ford engineers say the slipping and jumping is within specs and since no lights or warnings are noted I just have to live with it. The mechanics can ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2026
While driving the instrument panel goes dark or blacks out completely it happens randomly, but often
Incident date: Jan 8, 2026
Turned on my car one day after charging and heard a 'pop' from the rear of the car, followed by warning lights activating on the dash and an electrical system error message. I had the car towed to the dealership (Santa Monica Hyundai) and they confirmed the issue was an ICCU component failure. There were no warning signs or issues before the failure. The dealership currently has no ETA for a fix.
Incident date: Jan 8, 2026
burning oil at a rate of 2 qts per 1000 miles driven. Known issue in these models of tucsons. Not covered by the class action lawsuit as this VIN was not identified. It is burning oil at a catastrophic rate. The problem has burned through multiple catalytic converters that were covered under the warranty but did not solve the underlying problem. Has been burning oil since owning the car a year ag... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 2026
Vehicle stalled and shut down in traffic after the Auto Idle Stop function engaged at a red light turning the vehicle off and attempting to turn back on. All warning lights flashed. Vehicle would not turn on until after multiple attempts pressing ignition. This has happened multiple (3-4) times over a few months period. Honda dealership was unable to recreate incident but did identify difficulty w... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 2026
My Ioniq5 has experienced a recurring water leak that has repeatedly exposed the left rear seat belt and seat belt retractor to large amounts of water. I noticed recently that after it had rained the left back seat belt was soaked and dripping water when pulled out. After fully pulling out the belt as far as it would go it was clear that the water had fully soaked the belt and retractor. It is unc... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE HYBRID
(2025) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER
Feb 27, 2026
Incident date: Feb 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the tachometer went to zero and remained at zero while the vehicle was still accelerating. The contact stated that the transmission unexpectedly downshifted into a lower gear. There was an unknown message displayed. The contact stated that the screen was black while operating, and the ... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE HYBRID
(2025) — FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Feb 27, 2026
Incident date: Feb 22, 2026
Vehicle went in to limp mode in the middle of driving. Would not accelerate past 30mph. Was able to turn around and pull in to a neighborhood when the vehicle stopped responding altogether and had an additional warning about letting the engine recharge the hybrid system. Restarting the car got it home. This would have been extremely dangerous had it happened on the highway, at highway speeds. ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 27, 2025
While driving approximately 60mph on highway this morning. There was no potholes, debris, or collision. Driver curtain airbag and seat airbag deployed. The front steering wheel did not. There were no dash lights on or indications that something was wrong.
Incident date: Nov 27, 2025
My Ioniq5 experienced a failure of the Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) while driving. There was a loud "pop" noise from the back seat that occurred while driving, and afterwards the car experienced an unexpected braking/deceleration and was unable to maintain a speed over ~30MPH. After the "pop" noise -- a "Check electric vehicle system" alert appeared on the dash, and an alert that the ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2026
I see the NHTSA is aware of the issue with Honda Odyssey AutoStart failing to restart the engine which causes the car to need to be restarted fully while stopped in the middle of traffic. I had this issue many times, my car was serviced with a new battery and 2 months laters its starting again. As an aside one of the front parking sensors will randomly go off which can often cause me to turn off... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2026
The car gave a Check Electrical System warning when I tried to start it, which disappeared after a moment. When I put it in gear it said limited power, then after sitting on for a few minutes to see what would happen a warning to stop vehicle and check power supply. After towing to dealer it was verified to be a failure of the ICCU. This is the second ICCU failure I have experienced in this car. T... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2026
The backup camera has a VERY elongated view so that what is seen on the screen is extremely stretched out and is almost unusable. I have owned many of these vehicles over the years and the cameras provided a good enough view that you could use it for backing up, as it should be. The current camera makes things behind you look very far away and things next to you look like you're going to hit them ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
On [XXX], check engine light came on with P1327 (PNSS piston noise detection). History includes SC209 recall in 2021 (inspection passed, PNSS software added Feb 2022). Now at 94,000 miles with misfire P0304 on cyl 4 and timing correlation P0017—dealer refuses full engine replacement under recall. Service dealer insisted it would be safe to drive 300 miles to Billings, MT from my home base locati... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
I am dealing with this issue where I am getting fuel injector issue and getting cylinder 3 misfire and air fuel imbalance code. It comes and goes. I spent 1500 bucks flushing fuel system and replacing spark plugs and coil. But the issue is still there! i changed the battery and got it to dealership they said they could find the issue. I was on freeway going southbound near exit 34 when the car sta... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2025 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while the defroster was activated to clear the windshield, the blower vents on the passenger’s side started making an abnormal hissing sound, and air produced by the blower motor decreased and was inadequate to clear the windshield. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred while there was... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2025
I have taken my car to my local dealership for the Service Campaign 976 (Oil Gasket leak) back in Nov 2023. Ever since then my car has had starting issues until one day it needed a jump start in 2024 during the summer. Didn't think anything of it at the time, until the beginning of 2025. Car needed a jump start in the winter before leaving for work in the morning and before going back home from wo... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
The 2022 Honda Civic (Sport) with approx. 13,000 miles had been driving fine for the previous 10 minutes, on and off the highway, when I was almost home and on a more residential 25-30mph road. All of a sudden all of the warning lights went off on the dashboard at once, so I went to brake to slow down and pull over. But the brakes were completely failing - the pedal would just hit the back of the ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
at 2k miles, transmission broke down. car stopped at the middle of the road. transmission had to be replaced at the dealership
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
My children were at risk riding in an improperly welded second row. The dealer issued a recall and my vehicle has been out of service since
Incident date: Nov 25, 2025
Infotainment center is not operable. Had a diagnostic test completed by certified dealership and it is found that the infotainment center and radio is not operable. Contacted General motors corporate office. $47 was offered to go towards the $950 to fix it It. They did not offer any reimbursement for the $204 paid out of pocket for diagnostics fee that I they advised me to get after filing complai... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2026
The wipers are turning on randomly by themselves, even when the control switch is set to the “off” position. This has occurred multiple times and happens without any input or activation from me. The issue appears to be intermittent but persistent, and it raises concerns about a potential electrical or control system malfunction.
Incident date: Feb 10, 2026
My vehicle started slowing down, check engine light came on, and then the vehicle went into limp mode. The vehicle won't go faster than 10-15 miles per hour. I had the accelerator and sensor replaced, but the vehicle won't start or move. My car is not running and hasn't run for over a year.
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
The oil filter housing is known to leak, crack or break in standard weather conditions. This can be exacerbated by extreme climate or by simply storing the vehicle outside of a climate controlled area. The hazards posed start with the slow but continuous leak of engine oil from the housing down the transmission and driveline to the ground. This is an environmental hazard to ground water and plant ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2026
The PTU (Power Transfer Unit) failed on my 2018 Jeep Cherokee causing AWD system malfunction. The dealership diagnosed the failure and advised repair. However, the replacement part is on national backorder with no estimated delivery date, and I was told it may take several months. The vehicle is not reliably drivable and I am left without transportation despite a known defect. Numerous owners are ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2026
Multiple warning lights on dashboard
Incident date: Jan 29, 2026
This issue is a significant safety concern. The vehicle intermittently loses propulsion, causing a sudden forward lurch, and then abruptly regains power, pushing me back into the seat. This unexpected deceleration and surge can create a dangerous situation in traffic and may lead to an accident if it occurs while merging, crossing intersections, or driving at highway speeds. In addition, I am exp... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2026
I was driving on the road and all of the sudden my car went limp and would only move 45 miles per hour. I took it to the dealer which I have lifetime powertran on my car. It has been there for over a month at the dealer. They asked me to provide all oil changes,services, and registrations. I did that and then fidelity asked them to tear down the engine again to see if I had carbon build up. Then ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
Front grill deflector detached from vehicle when traveling on highway. This is a recall repair for the same issue. There were no warning lamps.
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
Dash display is delaminating and the issue is slowly spreading across the display. At some point safety information will not be visible. Problem started with what looks like drops of water below the screen layer.
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
Was driving when the car seemed to lose power and would not accelerate and started shaking. Check engine light came on and got it read, the code indicated a misfire and other errors. There was no one local to fix it as we were out of town. So we replaced the plugs that were indicated and noticed how badly damaged they were. Vehicle started to drive better before stalling out again and replacing th... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2025
My car hesitates to shift, gear slips, shudders, and loss acceleration. I almost got into accident while merging on the highway because I lost acceleration due to gear slips. This car is dangerous.
Incident date: Sep 25, 2025
After stopping at a red light truck acted like it was in neutral. I got the orange wrench icon on the dash. I had to pull over and stop and restart. Seems to be a known problem
Incident date: Feb 16, 2026
One night the tailgate latch began clicking, locking and unlocking itself and then not latching closed, causing the inside light to remain on and the tailgate open indicator to display on the display panel. Then it just went dead and would not open at all, even if using the specific tailgate open key on the key fob. Then a few weeks later while driving on an empty street very slowly as I was turni... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2025
Harsh or jerky shifting. Associated issues with a current class action lawsuit involving 10R80 transmissions. these risks can pose hazards to drivers while on the road, leading to potentially life-threatening situations.
Incident date: May 1, 2025
Truck died while traveling at 60MPH, once safely pulled over saw it shutdown due to low oil pressure. Checked the oil level and found correct level on dipstick. Attempted to start, no start. Towed to shop, they drained the oil and verified correct oil quantity cam out. Pulled the oil pan and found metal in the oil pan. Told I need a replacement engine. Engine has 95k miles with proper maintenance ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2026
After taking my Jeep in on January 16th for the 68 C recall I’ve had multiple issues with the jeep hybrid/engine. While driving the Jeep it suddenly becomes unresponsive even when pushing the gas pedal to the floor. After a minute the engine will start up and lurch forward. I’ve almost caused an accident multiple times. This is a huge issue and needs to be addressed. I’ve taken my Jeep back ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
The contact 2016 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a foggy image. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The manufacturer was not made aware of the fai... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
1. My car began to produce white smoke after a burning smell. Then caught fire under the hood in engine area. The car is buried in snow/ice, not available to access. 2. The car caught fire. 3. The problem has not been reproduced nor confirmed by anyone (dealer/independent service center) 4. No, due to weather conditions. (Blizzard) 5. Only the burning smell and white smoke.
Fire
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
Vehicle experienced sudden loss of power while driving. Transmission warning and ABS warning lights appeared at the same time. The vehicle would not shift properly and began skipping and dropping gears. Smoke was visibly coming from the center underside of the vehicle near the transmission area. There was a strong burning oil or rubber smell inside and outside the vehicle. This created a serious ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
Vehicle experienced sudden loss of power while driving. Transmission warning and ABS warning lights appeared at the same time. The vehicle would not shift properly and began skipping and dropping gears. Smoke was visibly coming from the center underside of the vehicle near the transmission area. There was a strong burning oil or rubber smell inside and outside the vehicle. This created a serious ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 22, 2026
Vehicle experienced sudden loss of power while driving. Transmission warning and ABS warning lights appeared at the same time. The vehicle would not shift properly and began skipping and dropping gears. Smoke was visibly coming from the center underside of the vehicle near the transmission area. There was a strong burning oil or rubber smell inside and outside the vehicle. This created a serious ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2026
Sun roof flew off while driving, the metal framing was twisted and dent. Sun Roof was closed at the time. Pictures were sent to insurance company but no one has looked at it yet. No warning. Sun roof was working properly.
Incident date: Feb 16, 2026
Front Windshield Wipers run randonly when they are not turned on manually. I would be driving and for no reason (no rain or water on the windshield) the wipers would come on and would not turn off when I used the switch. There was no warning message on my auto dash. It was startling and caused confusion when they came on unexpectantly. My mechanic shared a XENTRY document regarding this problem... Read more