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 9,743 complaints for INFINITI
Incident date: Jun 12, 2004
CAR FLIPPED OVER DUE TO SUSPENSION FAILURE. SUSPENSION PART WAS SUBJECT OF MAY 2002 RECALL.*AK
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jul 10, 2000
VEHICLE VIBRATES AT SPEEDS STARTING AT 50 MPH THROUGH 80 MPH. VIBRATION CAN BE FELT THROUGHOUT CABIN. *LA
Incident date: Apr 16, 2004
THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY THE INFINITY CSR THAT BASED ON THEIR RECORDS, THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR WELD RECALL 03V455000 WASN'T PERFORMED. PRIOR TO CONTACTING THE MANUFACTURER, THE CONSUMER HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE RECALL BREPAIRSPERFORMED AND WAS TOLD WHEN THEY PICKED THE VEHICLE THAT THE RECALL WAS DONE.*AK
Incident date: May 2, 2004
WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE DRIVER WAS HIT FROM THE SIDE. THE SIDE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOYED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. *AK
Crash
Incident date: Jul 17, 2000
CAR VIBRATES DURING 50 - 80 MPH. *AK
Incident date: Jun 2, 2004
THE ALTERNATOR HAS PRODUCED AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE STALLED OUT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH. A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE VIN NUMBER IS OUTSIDE OF THE REMEDY SCOPE. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM
Incident date: Jun 23, 1991
I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE PASSIVE RESTRAINTS(AIR BAGS) THAT WERE USED IN THE 1991, INFINITI, Q45. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT IN NUMEROUS ACCIDENTS THE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY, AND INJURIES RESULTED. ADDITIONALLY, I HAVE UNCOVERED THAT INFINITI IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, YET A RECALL WAS NEVER ISSUED. IN INFINITI'S OWE IN HOUSE BULLETINS IT IS LISTED THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM W... Read more
Incident date: Dec 7, 2003
CONSUMER WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN, WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTED TO WOBBLE FROM SIDE TO SIDE. *LA THE CONSUMER HAD LITTLE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, HIT A CURB AND THE ENTIRE UNDERCARRIAGE COLLAPSED. (MODEL FX35) *SC *JB
Incident date: May 19, 2004
2003 INFINITI G35 WAS TURNING INTO PARKING STALL AT ABOUT 5 MPH WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TOUCHED. BRAKES WERE NOT USED WITH SUFFICIENT FORCE TO STOP THE CAR. CAR JUMPED CURB, TRAVELED FIFTY FEET AND HIT A TREE.*AK
Crash
Incident date: May 22, 2004
MY DAUGHTER WAS INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT, SHE WAS ON THE FREEWAY GOING 65 MPH WHEN THE SPEED LIMIT WAS 75 MPH. SHE WAS DRIVING A 1994 INFINITI G20. THE FRONT AND BACK OF THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY RUINED, YET THE AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. I TRUST THE THAT THE CAR AR MADE FOLLOWING ALL SAFETY REGULATIONS, AND THAT THESE ARE WORKING. I DO NOT KNOW HOW THESE COULD HAVE FAILED IN THE TIME THY ARE SUPPOSE... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: May 1, 2004
2003 INFINITI M45 CONSUMES 4 ML OF OIL AFTER ONLY 1000 MILES AND TOLD BY DEALERSHIO AND MANUFACTURER THAT THIS IS NORMAL.*AK
Incident date: Aug 17, 2003
RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILURE. *AK
Incident date: Mar 1, 2004
TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *AK
Incident date: May 1, 2004
FAILURE OF VEHICLE TO MEET GAS MILEAGE CLAIMS. *AK
Incident date: May 11, 2004
THE DIODE FAILED INSIDE OF THE ALTERNATOR. AS A RESULT THERE WAS A FIRE. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. *AK
Fire
Incident date: May 5, 2004
I HAVE A 1999 INFINITY I30, WHICH HAS ONLY 36000 MILES ON IT, THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT OR ANY REPAIR DONE ON TJIS CAR, BUT THE AIR BAG SENSOR CAME ON JUST LIKE THAT AND THE DEALER WANTS ABOUT $1250.00 TO REPAIR IT.
Incident date: Apr 20, 2004
WE WERE ON VACATION IN ORANGE BEACH, ALABAMA. WHILE RETURNING FROM A SHOPPING TRIP TO FOLEY, ALABAMA, WE WERE PULLING IN TO THE PARKING SPACE IN FRONT OF OUR CONDO; MY WIFE, JUDY, WAS DRIVING OUR INFINITI QX4 2001 SUV. AS WE CAME TO A STOP THE CAR ENGINE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED "WIDE OPEN" AND MY WIFE PUT HER RIGHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, EXCLAIMING "SOMETHING IS WRONG, I CAN'T STOP THIS CAR!" WE W... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 20, 2004
MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR QX4 INFINITI AND WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE VEHICLE, IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED; SHE APPLIED FULL PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES; THE CAR JUMPED OVER THE CURB AND RAMMED INTO A CONCRETE UTILITY POLE. CAR WAS TOWED BY INFINITI BACK TO MONTGOMERY, AL. A FULL REPORT WAS DONE BY AN INFINITI REP; WE HAVE HEARD NOTHING TO DATE FROM CONSUMER AFFAIRS. WE ARE HAVING TO LEASE A CAR AT OUR OWN... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 26, 2004
A FEW WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE OF MY 2002 INFINITI Q45 (UNDER 4000 MILES)DURING AN EXTENDED ROAD TRIP, I LOST ALL CONTROLS ON MY A/C AND AUDIO SYSTEMS.IN A SEPARATE INCIDENT, I ALSO LOST CONTROL OF MY CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM. AFTER STOPPING AND RESTARTING THE CAR, THE SYSTEMS WERE RE- ACTIVATED. WITH THE EXTENSIVE COMPUTERIZED SYSTEMS ON THIS CAR, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A MUCH MORE SERIOUS PROBLEM! I REPO... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2004
CONSUMER AND THE DEALERSHIP NOTICED THAT ENGINE WAS CONSUMING 2 AND A HALF QUARTS OF OIL EVERY 4400 MILES. ALSO, VEHICLE HAD BRAKE ROTORS PROBLEMS. *AK WHEN THE SECOND OIL CONSUMPTION TEST WAS DONE FOR 33000 MILES THE VEHICLE USED ONE AND A HALF QUARTS OF OIL. HEAVY BLUE SMOKE EMITS FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE DURING INITIAL START UP. *NM
Incident date: Apr 22, 2004
CONSUMER AND THE DEALERSHIP NOTICED THAT ENGINE WAS CONSUMING 2 AND A HALF QUARTS OF OIL EVERY 4400 MILES. ALSO, VEHICLE HAD BRAKE ROTORS PROBLEMS. *AK WHEN THE SECOND OIL CONSUMPTION TEST WAS DONE FOR 33000 MILES THE VEHICLE USED ONE AND A HALF QUARTS OF OIL. HEAVY BLUE SMOKE EMITS FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE DURING INITIAL START UP. *NM
Incident date: Nov 15, 2003
HARD CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM INSIDE DASHBOARD AT START UP.
Incident date: Nov 15, 2003
HARD CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM INSIDE DASHBOARD AT START UP.
Incident date: Nov 15, 2003
HARD CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM INSIDE DASHBOARD AT START UP.
Incident date: May 15, 2003
I WAS THE PASSENGER SO I DON'T HAVE THE VIN NUMBER. WE WERE IN A MINOR COLLISION, AND THE AIR BAGS WERE ACTIVATED. MY AIR BAG FELT LIKE IT LITERALLY PUNCHED ME IN THE FACE. I GOT TREATED AT THE SCENE WHERE AN EMT POURED ABOUT TWO BOTTLES OF SALINE SOLUTION IN MY RIGHT EYE BECAUSE IT WAS STINGING SEVERELY AND I COULDN'T KEEP IT OPEN. I HAD EXTREMELY BLURRY VISION IN MY RIGHT EYE AND COULDN'T EVEN ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jul 22, 2003
WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED A FIRE STARTED IN THE REAR BRAKE COMPARTMENT. *AK THE LIGHTS ON DASHBOARD WERE INTERMITTENT. THE REAR LIGHT AND SPEAKER AREA HAD A POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL SHORT PER DISPATCHER. *SC *JB
Fire
Incident date: Apr 16, 2004
MY "2002" INFINITI AUTOMOBILE MODEL Q45 WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER AUTO WHILE TRAVELING THROUGH AN INTERSTATE CONSTRUCTION ZONE. MY CAR WAS MOVING AT THE TIME AND I WAS DRIVING. THE FORCE OF THE COLLISION BROKE EITHER MY SEAT BACK OR ITS ELECTRIC OPERATING ASSEMBLY TO THE EXTENT THAT THE SEAT BACK COLLAPSED REARWARD AND AS A RESULT I WAS BARELY ABLE TO REACH THE BRAKE PEDAL IN ORDER TO BRING THE CA... Read more
Crash
1 injured
CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A BRAKE PROBLEM. BRAKES AND ROTORS WORE OUT PREMATURELY. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND HAD THE BRAKE WORK DONE. LESS THAN 5,000 MILES LATER, NEEDED TO REPLACE BRAKES AGAIN. *AK
CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A BRAKE PROBLEM. BRAKES AND ROTORS WORE OUT PREMATURELY. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND HAD THE BRAKE WORK DONE. LESS THAN 5,000 MILES LATER, NEEDED TO REPLACE BRAKES AGAIN. *AK
Incident date: Mar 11, 2004
PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION, ENGINE BELTS, TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKAGE, ETC... *PH TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKING, ENGINE BELTS ARE CRACKING AND THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE BATTERY.*MR
Incident date: Mar 11, 2004
PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION, ENGINE BELTS, TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKAGE, ETC... *PH TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKING, ENGINE BELTS ARE CRACKING AND THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE BATTERY.*MR
Incident date: Mar 11, 2004
PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION, ENGINE BELTS, TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKAGE, ETC... *PH TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKING, ENGINE BELTS ARE CRACKING AND THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE BATTERY.*MR
Incident date: Apr 13, 2004
WHILE APPLYING BRAKES VEHICLE SHOOK DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC REPLACED BOTH FRONTAL ROTORS DUE TO CORROSION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE TURNED 360 DEGREES, CROSSED THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC AND COLLIDED INTO THE GUARD RAIL. *PH DRIVER HAS NO INPUT FROM SLIP LIGHT AND VDC LIGHT. ENGINE ALSO STALLED. DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VDC FAILED BUT CHANGED ITS DECISION SAYING THAT BRAKES AREN'T USED BY THE VDC. HOWEVER, CONSUMER THINKS THAT BRAKES ARE APPLIED BY THE VDC, AS STATED IN THE OWNER'S M... Read more
Incident date: Mar 29, 2004
WHILE STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT VEHICLE ACCELERATED IN FULL THROTTLE. CONSUMER HAD TO APPLY TWO FEET TO THE BRAKE THE SLAM THE SHIFTER IN PARK IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. *AK THE ENGINE WOULD ALSO RACE AT WHICH POINT THE CONSUMER SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. *NM
Incident date: Dec 8, 2003
MICHELIN PILOT HX MXM4 ALL SEASON TIRES FAILED IN 1" WET SNOW CONDITION. MICHELIN ISREFUSING TO ACCEPT TIRES DO NOT WORK IN SNOW. THEY WERE SOLD AS ALL SEASON AND HAVE A M+S ON THE SIDE FOR MUD AND SNOW. MY CAR SLID OFF THE CROWN OF THE ROAD INTO THE GRASS. THE CONDITIONS WERE NOT ICY. ALL OF OUR OTHER CARS HAD NO TROUBLE. I WANT MICHELIN TO COMPENSATE ME FOR THE SNOW TIRES I HAD TO BUY AND ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2004
TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE WHEN TRANSMISSION IS SHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 3RD DURING COLD WEATHER DURING MODERATE ACCELERATION. KNOWN SERVICE BULLETIN, NHTSA #62304. *AK
Incident date: Feb 14, 2004
TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE WHEN TRANSMISSION IS SHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 3RD DURING COLD WEATHER DURING MODERATE ACCELERATION. KNOWN SERVICE BULLETIN, NHTSA #62304. *AK
Incident date: Mar 8, 2004
EXTREME PROBLEMS WITH FUEL SYSTEMS AND/OR TRANSMISSION.... TRANS JUST SERVICED IN OCTOBER OF 2003. *JB
Incident date: Mar 8, 2004
EXTREME PROBLEMS WITH FUEL SYSTEMS AND/OR TRANSMISSION.... TRANS JUST SERVICED IN OCTOBER OF 2003. *JB
Incident date: Jun 9, 2001
THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON SEVERAL TIMES SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR. WHEN I WOULD GO INTO THE DEALER, THEY WOULD INFORM ME THAT THE LIGHT CAME ON BECAUSE I DID NOT CLOSE THE GAS TANK TIGHT ENOUGH. AFTER I WAS TOLD THIS, I MADE SURE TO CLOSE THE GAS TANK TIGHTLY. THE LIGHT STILL CONTINUED TO COME ON. NOW THE CAR IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND THE DEALER TOLD ME IT WOULD COST ABOUT $1,500 TO... Read more
INFINITI
I35
(2002) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
Mar 15, 2004
WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 5-10MPH AND WHEN TURNING LEFT VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED OR RESOLVED. *AK *NM
Incident date: Feb 12, 2004
VEHICLE HAD ISSUES WITH NOT WANTING TO ACCELERATE FASTER THAN 5 MPH. TOWED VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, THEY STATED IT WAS A PINCHED CRUISE CONTROL GROUND WIRE AND FIXED IT UNDER WARRANTY. VEHICLE OPERATED FINE FOR ONE WEEK, HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. TOWED VEHICLE BACK TO DEALERSHIP. THIS TIME WAS TOLD THAT THE ECU AND WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO IT GETTING WET FROM A GROMMET THAT WAS LO... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2004
LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH LCD INFORMATION THAT VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE TAKEN TO DEALER FOR SERVICE; SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE REMOTE TIRE PRESSURE-SENSING SYSTEM. IT TOOK TWO TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP, A TOTAL OF FIVE DAYS, AND A LOT OF TIME WITH THE MECHANIC EITHER ONLINE OR ON THE TELEPHONE WITH AN INFINIT "HOT LINE" ELECTICAL SPECIALIST TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM: ONE DEFE... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2004
DRIVER'S SEAT IS LOOSE AND ROCKS BACK AND FORTH. INFINITI HAS ATTEMPTED TO FIX, BUT PROBLEM REOCCURS. FEEL IF SEAT BECOMES LOOSE ENOUGH THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE.*AK
Incident date: Mar 6, 2004
WAS SITTING IN TRAFFIC AND CAR CUT OFF AND WOULD NOT RESTART AT ALL, HAD TO CALL INFINITI TO HAVE IT TOWED. *JB
CERTIFIED CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY TECHNICIAN INSTRUCTOR HAD A HARD TIME INSTALLING THE INFANT SEAT USING THE LATCH SYSTEM. *PH THE LATCH ANCHORS WERE RECESSED TOO FAR INTO THE SEAT. *SC
Incident date: Mar 26, 2002
2001 INFINITI I30. THIS PROBLEM EXISTS ON ALL 2K AND UP MODELS, INCLUDING I35. ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL FAN (I.E. FAN THAT BLOWS HEATED AND AC COOLED AIR INTO THE CABIN) MAKES A ANNOYING BUZZING NOISE WHEN THE FAN IS ON LOW. THIS IS A KNOW PROBLEM AND THE DEALER WILL FIX IT UNDER WARRANTY. *AK
Incident date: Jan 8, 2004
CURRENTLY MY 1990 INFINITI M30 HAS BEEN OFF THE ROAD ALMOST 60 DAYS AWAITING A DOOR LATCH FROM INFINITI. REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO GET INFINITI'S ATTENTION HAVE FAILED. THE DOOR FAILS TO LATCH SECURELY AND I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE FEARING THAT THE DOOR WILL OPEN UNEXPECTEDLY AND CAUSE DAMAGE TO SOME THING OR SOME ONE, OR WORSE YET, CAUSE AN AUTO ACCIDENT. IF THERE IS ANY WAY THAT YOU HAVE TO... Read more
Incident date: Jan 7, 2004
ALTERNATOR FAILED ON NISSAN 1998 I-30. REPORTED TO DEALER A BURNING SMELL AND LOSS OF LIGHTS. DISCOVED TWO PREVIOUS RECALLS FOR SAME MAKE AND MODEL YEAR BUT NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS SAID MY VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED ALTHOUGH I ENCOUNTERED THE SAME PROBLEM. PREVIOUS RECALLS WERE NHTSA CAMPAIGN #99V129000 AND NHTSA CAMPAIGN #02V171000. I HAD THE ALTERNATOR REPLACED BY A NISSAN DEALER AT A COST OF 567.00.*... Read more
Fire