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: Aug 1, 2000
WHEN AUTO REACHES SPEED OF 60 MPH THRU 79 MPH THERE IS A VIBRATION THROUGHOUT CAR. *AK
Incident date: Jul 15, 2001
THE FIRST REPORT HAS TO DO WITH THE CLUTCH SYSTEM. AT 35,000 MILES ON ROUTINE INSPECTION MY DEALER INFORMED ME THAT CLUTCH CYLINDER NEAR THE CLUTCH PEDAL WAS SEIZING AND CAUSING AN ANNOYING SQUEAK. IT TURNS OUT THE THAT FAILURE OF THIS CYLINDER CAUSED THE PRESSURE PLATE TO NOT RELEASE FROM THE CLUTCH PLATE AS IT NORMALLY SHOULD WHEN TAKEING THE FOOT OFF THE CLUTCH PEDAL. THIS CAUSED THE CLUTCH DIS... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2001
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
Incident date: Aug 1, 2000
WHEN AUTO REACHES SPEED OF 60 MPH THRU 79 MPH THERE IS A VIBRATION THROUGHOUT CAR. *AK
Incident date: Feb 1, 2001
DRIVER SIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR VIBRATES AND RATTLES LOUDLY @50+MPH. *AK
Incident date: Feb 1, 2001
NO SUMMARY. *AK
Incident date: Jun 1, 2000
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
Incident date: Jul 5, 2001
AS I WAS MERGING INTO HIGHWAY TRAFFIC THE ACCELARATOR PEDAL LOCKED UP AND THE CAR STARTED TO SPEED UP. CHECKED THE CRUISE CONTROL AND IT WAS OFF. TURNED THE CRUISE CONTROL ON/OFF HOPING IT WOULD DISCONNECT THE ACCELARATOR. NOTHING HAPPENNED. THE BREAK WOULD NOT WORK EITHER. THEN I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL THE TIRES SEEM TO LOCK UP AND THE CAR CAME TO A STOP.*AK
Incident date: May 15, 2001
INFINITI SAW NO OWNER DAMAGE TO AIRBAG. AIRBAG NEVER DEPLOYED. DOES INFINITI HAVE A PROBLEM WITH 90,000+ MILEAGE VEHICLE INITIATING AIR BAG WARNING? CAR HAS BEEN MAINTAINED REGULARLY-INFINITI STATED THAT SINCE THEY DID NOT DO THE MAINTENANCE, THE AIRBAG IS FAILING! *AK
Incident date: May 9, 2001
WHEN APPLYING BRAKES THERE IS A SCREECHING SOUND. DEALER FOUND FRONT ROTORS GLAZED OVER, CLEANED AND LUBRICATED ROTORS. THEN ON 7 JUNE 2001, VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO DEALER DUE TO SCREECHING NOISE. DEALER FOUND FRONT PADS CRACKED, AND FRONT ROTORS TO BE GROOVED AND HOT SPOTTED, TURNED ROTORS. CHECKED REAR BRAKES, FOUND NO PROBLEM. SOMETIMES THERE IS SCREECHING NOISE EVEN AFTER CONSUMER TAKES FOO... Read more
INFINITI
J30
(1996) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
Jun 19, 2001
Incident date: Dec 20, 1999
THE EXHAUST MANIFOLDS CRACK FROM WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE A DESIGN FLAW. WHICH COULD LEAD TO A ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. INFINITI KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE SUPERSEDED THE PART WITH A NEW PART. THE COST FOR THE NEW MANIFOLDS ARE $1200.00. NOT ONLY DID THEY MAKE FAULTY MANIFOLDS THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO START A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THEY GOUGE THEIR CUSTOMERS $1200.00 FOR REPLACEM... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 1999
THE EXHAUST MANIFOLDS CRACK FROM WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE A DESIGN FLAW. WHICH COULD LEAD TO A ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. INFINITI KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE SUPERSEDED THE PART WITH A NEW PART. THE COST FOR THE NEW MANIFOLDS ARE $1200.00. NOT ONLY DID THEY MAKE FAULTY MANIFOLDS THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO START A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THEY GOUGE THEIR CUSTOMERS $1200.00 FOR REPLACEM... Read more
THE CONSUMER HAD PROBLEMS GETTING RECALL REPAIR 00V-410 PERFORMED, THE DEALER REFUSED TO PICK THE VEHICLE UP FROM THE CONSUMER AS PROMISED. NLM
Incident date: Apr 29, 2001
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH AND CRUISE CONTROL SET, CONSUMER TAPPED BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN. INSTEAD, VEHICLE MAINTAINED SPEED. CONSUMER THEN APPLIED BRAKE HARD, AND CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT CUT OFF. CONSUMER STEERED VEHICLE TOWARD MEDIAN, AND HIT A GUARDRAIL. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED, CONSUMER NOT INJURED.*AK
Crash
2 injured
INFINITI
I30
(2001) — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
Jun 7, 2001
Incident date: Apr 29, 2001
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH AND CRUISE CONTROL SET, CONSUMER TAPPED BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN. INSTEAD, VEHICLE MAINTAINED SPEED. CONSUMER THEN APPLIED BRAKE HARD, AND CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT CUT OFF. CONSUMER STEERED VEHICLE TOWARD MEDIAN, AND HIT A GUARDRAIL. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED, CONSUMER NOT INJURED.*AK
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Jan 31, 2000
PREMATURE WEAR OF BRAKE ROTORS DUE TO WARPING CAUSED BRAKES TO SHUTTER WHEN APPLIED. DEALER HAS REPLACED PADS AND ROTORS THREE TIMES. *AK
Incident date: May 20, 2001
WRECK ON PASS SIDE AFTER HOOD CAME UP AND IT WAS LATCH BUT CAME LOOSE. *AK
Crash
Incident date: May 21, 2001
VEHICLE WAS IDLING ROUGHLY, AND ABS BRAKING SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON DASHBOARD. *AK
INFINITI
I30
(1998) — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
May 22, 2001
Incident date: May 21, 2001
VEHICLE WAS IDLING ROUGHLY, AND ABS BRAKING SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON DASHBOARD. *AK
Incident date: Mar 17, 2000
HEADLAMPS FUNCTION, HOWEVER, THEY ARE AIMED FAR TO LOW. THE MAXIMUM DISTANCE FOR FORWARD VIEWING IS LESS THAN 85 FEET. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE ENOUGH FORWARD VISIBILITY TO REACT TO OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE DRIVING PATH SUCH AS PEDESTRIANS, ROAD DEBRIS, ANIMALS, PAVEMENT CONDITIONS, ETC.
Incident date: May 11, 2001
AFTER BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, THE VEHICLE AUTO-ACCELERATED WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SELECTOR WAS PLACED INTO THE 'DRIVE' POSITION. TO AVOID A HEAD ON COLLISION (THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO A HIGH RATE OF SPEED) THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED TOWARD THE LEFT. THE RESULT WAS THE STRIKING OF THE BUMPER AREA OF THREE PARKED VEHICLES, ONE OF WHICH SUFFERED SOME REAR FENDER DAMAGE. DAMAGE TO MY VEH... Read more
Crash
Incident date: May 11, 2001
AFTER BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, THE VEHICLE AUTO-ACCELERATED WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SELECTOR WAS PLACED INTO THE 'DRIVE' POSITION. TO AVOID A HEAD ON COLLISION (THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO A HIGH RATE OF SPEED) THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED TOWARD THE LEFT. THE RESULT WAS THE STRIKING OF THE BUMPER AREA OF THREE PARKED VEHICLES, ONE OF WHICH SUFFERED SOME REAR FENDER DAMAGE. DAMAGE TO MY VEH... Read more
Crash
Incident date: May 11, 2001
DRIVER'S SIDE RESTRAINT DOES NOT RETRACT OUTWARD, LEAVING DRIVER UNRESTRAINED. DEALER IS INSPECTING AND WILL REPAIR VEHICLE.*AK
Incident date: May 4, 2001
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AND NOTICED ON DASHBOARD AIRBAG LIGHT WAS BLINKING OFF AND ON. SHE LOOKED AT HER MANUAL. MANUALTOLD HER TO CONTACT HER LOCAL DEALERSHIP. SHE DID, AND MECHANIC TOLD HER IT WOULD COST $1200.00. *AK
Incident date: Apr 30, 2001
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 50MPH ON HIGHWAY AND THERE WAS A BRANCH LOG ON HIGHWAY, AND VEHICLE WENT DOWN AN ENBANKMENT AND HIT A TREE. VEHICLE ROLLED THREE TIMES. DUAL AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK
Crash
Incident date: Apr 21, 2001
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SWITCH UP FROM THE FIRST GEAR. *AK
Incident date: Apr 1, 2001
THIS IS A NEW CAR AND SUPPOSED TO BE UNDER WARRANTY. THE A/C WOULD NOT WORK WHEN TURNED ON THIS YR. TOOK IT TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD A ROCK HIT THE CONDENSER AND PUT A HOLE IN IT. WAS TOLD THAT THAT IS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. FIRST OF ALL, IF IT ONLY TAKES A ROCK TO PUT A HOLE IN THE CONDENSER, THAT IS DEFINANTLY A DESIGN FLAW. ROCKS ARE EVERYWHERE ON THE HIWAYS. IF THIS VEHICLE IS THIS BA... Read more
WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS APPLYING THE BRAKE AND PUTTING THE VEHICLE INTO REVERSE SHE HEARD A LOUD CRUNCHING NOISE AND NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, AN INSPECTION REVEALED THAT ONE OF THE BOLTS (PART OF THE BOOSTER HOUSING) SHEARED OFF AND THE OTHER BOLT WAS BENT, THE DEALER HAD TO REPLACE THE MASTER CYLINDER AND BOOSTER. NLM
Incident date: Jan 2, 2001
CAR SURGES IN DRIVE OR REV ESP WHEN COLD OR HUMID. MANY TIMES CAR STALLS. I KNOW TWO OTHER 96 G20 OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM
Incident date: Apr 20, 1998
ENGINE SURGES UP AND DOWN AND STALLS. THIS HAPPENS WHEN STOPPED, HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AT AN INTERSECTION! I QUESTIONED OTHER G20 OWNERS AND FOUND THEY WERE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS
Incident date: Mar 6, 2001
WHEN THE SENSORS FAIL, THE CAR SHUTS OFF! THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, I WAS ON A FREEWAY INTERCHANGE IN THE POURING DOWN RAIN, AND I LOST ALL ENGINE POWER. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE SHOULDER WITHOUT ANYONE HITTING ME. THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED,IT WAS ON THE 15 OF MARCH, JUST OVER A WEEK LATER. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THE NIGHT BEFORE AND I CALLED MY LOCAL DEALER, PEYTON CRAMER IN... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2001
WHEN THE SENSORS FAIL, THE CAR SHUTS OFF! THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, I WAS ON A FREEWAY INTERCHANGE IN THE POURING DOWN RAIN, AND I LOST ALL ENGINE POWER. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE SHOULDER WITHOUT ANYONE HITTING ME. THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED,IT WAS ON THE 15 OF MARCH, JUST OVER A WEEK LATER. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THE NIGHT BEFORE AND I CALLED MY LOCAL DEALER, PEYTON CRAMER IN... Read more
INFINITI
G20
(2001) — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
Mar 15, 2001
Incident date: Jan 6, 2001
BRAKES FAILED, LOCKED, CAR SKID, HIT THE POST WITH THE SPEED OF 50 MILES AN HOUR, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, I BELIEVE THIS IS A FAULTY PRODUCT.*AK
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jan 6, 2001
BRAKES FAILED, LOCKED, CAR SKID, HIT THE POST WITH THE SPEED OF 50 MILES AN HOUR, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, I BELIEVE THIS IS A FAULTY PRODUCT.*AK
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 12, 2000
LEFT FRONT ALUMINUM WHEEL BROKE IN CENTER WHILE TRAVELING AT 25 MPH, ALMOST CAUSEING A VEHICLE CRASH. DEALER/ MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK
INFINITI
QX4
(1998) — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
Mar 9, 2001
WHENEVER ABS BRAKES WERE APPLIED, WOULD MAKE A CLUNKING SOUND. PROBLEM INTERMITTENT. HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND INFORMED BY MECHANIC THAT PROBLEM COULD NOT BE LOCATED. OWNER FELT IT SOUNDED LIKE "U" JOINT WENT OUT.*AK
WHENEVER ABS BRAKES WERE APPLIED, WOULD MAKE A CLUNKING SOUND. PROBLEM INTERMITTENT. HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND INFORMED BY MECHANIC THAT PROBLEM COULD NOT BE LOCATED. OWNER FELT IT SOUNDED LIKE "U" JOINT WENT OUT.*AK
Incident date: Feb 17, 2001
AIR BAG LIGHT ON PANEL CONTINUALLY FLASHING. *AK
SPEEDODOMETER DOES NOT READ CORRECT SPEED WHEN DRIVING. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK
FRONT TURN SIGNALS ARE NOT ABLE TO BE SEEN FROM SIDE OF VEHICLE. DEALER HAS SEEN, AND SAID IT WAS NOT A PROBLEM. *AK *SLC
LOOSE WELD IN FRAME WHERE A-PILLAR MEETS PASSENGER'S SIDE FENDER BY WINDSHIELD. DEALER WELDED IT, WHICH MAY EFFECT OR WILL NOT REACT CORRECTLY IN A VEHICLE CRASH. *AK
Incident date: Dec 14, 2000
THE FOOT BRAKE DID NOT WORK WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP, CONSUMER HAD NO CONTROL AND SKIDDED ABOUT 80-85 FEET UNTIL THE VEHICLE STOPPED ONE FOOT FROM ANOTHER VEHICLE, DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. NLM
Incident date: Jun 1, 2000
FUEL INJECTORS WERE BAD, THEY LEAKED QUITE A BIT OF FUEL.CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER SAID IT SHOULD JUST BE FLUSHED. BUT, WHEN TAKEN TO A INDEPENDENT MECHANIC,MECHANIC INFORMED CONSUMER THAT IT WAS BAD. ON RAINING DAYS IT WOULD GET WORSE. FROM TIME TO TIME VEHICLE WILL NOT TURN ON. *AK
Incident date: Jan 1, 2001
TRANSMISSION FAILED AT SPEED OF 60-65 MPH. AFTER BEING SERVICED, KICKED INTO 3RD GEAR, THEN WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO 2ND, 1ST GEAR OR REVERSE.*AK
Incident date: Sep 12, 2000
CAR AT FIRST WAS DIFFICULT TO START... ULTIMATELY AFTER SOME FOUR TO FIVE INCIDEENTS IT FAILED TO START AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO A REPAIR SITE.. EMISSION SYSTEM AND STARTING HAVE BEECOME CONSTANT PROBLEMS. *AK
Incident date: Sep 12, 2000
CAR AT FIRST WAS DIFFICULT TO START... ULTIMATELY AFTER SOME FOUR TO FIVE INCIDEENTS IT FAILED TO START AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO A REPAIR SITE.. EMISSION SYSTEM AND STARTING HAVE BEECOME CONSTANT PROBLEMS. *AK
INFINITI
I30
(1997) — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
Jan 18, 2001
Incident date: Sep 15, 2000
BRAKES FAILED AND CAR ROLLED INTO MIDDLE OF INTERSECTION. *AK
Incident date: Dec 26, 2000
CONSUMER WAS INSIDE OF GARAGE AND VEHICLE WAS PARKED. HE WENT TO TURN ON VEHICLE, AND DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT FLIPPED UP, CAUSING CONSUMER TO BE TRAPPED UNTIL HIS WIFE CAME OUT TO RELEASE HIM. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, MECHANIC TOLD HER THAT SEAT MODULAR MEMORY WAS ERASED FROM MEMORY BANK.*AK THE CONSUMER STATES THAT ERASING OF SEAT MODULAR MEMORY COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCI... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2000
WHILE TRAVELING 55 MPH VEHICLE WAS BROADSIDED, AND NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. *AK
Crash
Incident date: Dec 17, 2000
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A SIDEWALL BLOW OUT WHILE TRAVELING AT 40 MPH WITH DRIVER ONLY IN A 2000, HONDA, ODYSSEY; TIRE SIZE P215/65R15, DOT# VN2HAAA1900. NO INJURY OR DAMAGES REPORTED. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND TIRE AVAILABLE FOR ANALYSIS. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK