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 60,583 complaints for KIA
Incident date: May 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Kia K4. The contact stated while her daughter was driving at approximately 25 MPH, the lane assist feature was diabled however, the contact attempted to avoid a dog and the vehicle independently jerked the vehicle and caused the front driver side of the vehicle to crash into a fence. No warning lights were illuminated. The air bags were not deployed. The vehicle was taken b... Read more
Crash
Incident date: May 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Kia K4. The contact stated while her daughter was driving at approximately 25 MPH, the lane assist feature was diabled however, the contact attempted to avoid a dog and the vehicle independently jerked the vehicle and caused the front driver side of the vehicle to crash into a fence. No warning lights were illuminated. The air bags were not deployed. The vehicle was taken b... Read more
Crash
Incident date: May 12, 2026
My 2022 Kia Carnival, approximately 80,000 miles, had intermittent dashboard warning lights and grinding brake noise for a few weeks. I brought the vehicle to Tasca Kia White Plains first time on 4/14/26 then again on 5/8/26. The dealership initially could not reproduce the issue, then later suspected an ABS sensor issue and ordered the part. On 5/12/26, before the repair was completed, I was dri... Read more
Crash
Incident date: May 12, 2026
My 2022 Kia Carnival, approximately 80,000 miles, had intermittent dashboard warning lights and grinding brake noise for a few weeks. I brought the vehicle to Tasca Kia White Plains first time on 4/14/26 then again on 5/8/26. The dealership initially could not reproduce the issue, then later suspected an ABS sensor issue and ordered the part. On 5/12/26, before the repair was completed, I was dri... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
The vehicle made a scraping sound and hesitated. Attempts to accelerate were not immediately successful. The car seemed to loose power.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
While driving my vehicle the engine seized one day, i brought to the kia service center where they took at apart and the dealership claimed Kia should replace the engine under warranty as well as known issues with these vehicles. Corporate Kia denied the claim sent in by the dealer. And sent me a bill for the cost to replace the entire engine.
Incident date: May 14, 2026
While maneuvering my Kia EV6 into my garage, the vehicle accelerated unexpectedly and struck the garage wall. I believe the acceleration may have been unintentional or due to a malfunction. I request review of any vehicle event data
Crash
Incident date: May 14, 2026
While maneuvering my Kia EV6 into my garage, the vehicle accelerated unexpectedly and struck the garage wall. I believe the acceleration may have been unintentional or due to a malfunction. I request review of any vehicle event data
Crash
KIA
TELLURIDE HYBRID
(2027) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 16, 2026
Incident date: May 16, 2026
EV shut down
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
I am writing to formally complain about the ongoing issues with my vehicle, specifically the repeated failure of the air conditioning system and the excessive number of recalls that have caused major inconvenience and lost work time. The air conditioning unit in my vehicle has failed three separate times. Each time, I was told the fan motor needed to be replaced, and the motor has now been replace... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2026
5/14/2026 Turned car on and put in reverse, E brake turned on, placed vehicle in park turned off E brake and put the car in reverse. Let brake up and car began to coast back, when I attempted to slow vehicle with brake the brake went all the way to the floor and brakes were not working. Car rolled into the road it a one way, I put the car in drive and it coasted down the road. Brakes continued to... Read more
Incident date: May 21, 2020
The oil was leaking somewhere not on the motor not under the car not blowing black smoke. I kept adding oil to it. No oil light. I was told not to park between 2 houses or in my garage it could catch on fire. I took it in several times and they did all kinds of stuff motor wash knock sensor was replaced wiring harness was corroded was slipping out of gear and other issues. And now it doesn't run... Read more
Incident date: May 21, 2020
The oil was leaking somewhere not on the motor not under the car not blowing black smoke. I kept adding oil to it. No oil light. I was told not to park between 2 houses or in my garage it could catch on fire. I took it in several times and they did all kinds of stuff motor wash knock sensor was replaced wiring harness was corroded was slipping out of gear and other issues. And now it doesn't run... Read more
Incident date: May 21, 2020
The oil was leaking somewhere not on the motor not under the car not blowing black smoke. I kept adding oil to it. No oil light. I was told not to park between 2 houses or in my garage it could catch on fire. I took it in several times and they did all kinds of stuff motor wash knock sensor was replaced wiring harness was corroded was slipping out of gear and other issues. And now it doesn't run... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
They were speeding with their phone in a phone stand watching a show while on the freeway
Incident date: Dec 10, 2023
Factory paint defect/delamination known to Kia causing excessive paint bubbling, peeling, flaking, large chunks of paint falling off, a widespread issue documented inherent to appear on the roof, front pillars both sides next to windshield, trunk, door panels and hood rapidly expanding. Notorious on model Optima 2013 - 2017 with Snow White Paint (SWP). This issue comes with an extreme safety haza... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
All lights came on the dashboard including the check engine light and I could not accelerate. I had to pull over and turn car off and on to get it to accelerate. It poses a very serious threat as you can not accelerate at all and can be rearended. Kia has fixed the throttle twice and have told me 2 other times they can not replicate the issue. It clears out by the time I am able to bring it to the... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
All lights came on the dashboard including the check engine light and I could not accelerate. I had to pull over and turn car off and on to get it to accelerate. It poses a very serious threat as you can not accelerate at all and can be rearended. Kia has fixed the throttle twice and have told me 2 other times they can not replicate the issue. It clears out by the time I am able to bring it to the... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2026
ICCU failure, a well known issue with these cars.
Incident date: May 14, 2026
ICCU failure, a well known issue with these cars.
Incident date: May 14, 2026
ICCU failure, a well known issue with these cars.
Incident date: Apr 23, 2026
We have lost instrument panel info while driving twice in less than a year, it reboots while driving. We took the vehicle to the dealer and were informed there was no tow hitch as stated in the recall letter. My concern is that my car is doing what is described in the recall letter, (during rebooting the control cluster will not show info such as speedometer or warning lights), we have a blank pan... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2024
Lost power while driving. 12Vbattery low voltage on dash. ICCU not responding. Dealership replaced ICCU and told me it wasn't under warranty. Had to pay out of pocket.
Incident date: Apr 19, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that one cylinder had low pressure while the other three cylinders had pressures higher than 100%. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to t... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly jerked and then lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the low-pressure and high-pressure fuel injectors and gasket had failed and neede... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 2026
The contact leased a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle began to chug. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed as needing a transmission replacement. The vehicle was repaired. The contact eventually purchased the vehicle. After the purchase, the failure recurred. While driving, the vehicle began to chug without warning. The vehicle was take... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2026
The vehicle involved is a 2019 Kia Sorento with approximately 111,000 miles. Over the course of ownership, the vehicle has experienced numerous unresolved mechanical and safety-related issues, including ongoing fuel leak concerns, excessive oil consumption/loss of oil, rough shifting, shift solenoid problems, rattling noises, shaking/vibration while driving, and repeated drivability issues. The p... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2026
The vehicle involved is a 2019 Kia Sorento with approximately 111,000 miles. Over the course of ownership, the vehicle has experienced numerous unresolved mechanical and safety-related issues, including ongoing fuel leak concerns, excessive oil consumption/loss of oil, rough shifting, shift solenoid problems, rattling noises, shaking/vibration while driving, and repeated drivability issues. The p... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
Issue 1: High oil consumption in the engine due to poor engine design, according to the auto repair center. 5 quarts of oil are added to the engine once every 2-3 weeks. All oil leaks were previously repaired, but oil is still burning off. Issue 2: The engine has misfired more than once, with a puff of smoke coming out of the exhaust. Issue 3: Twice in the past 1.5-2 years, multiple spark plug... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
Issue 1: High oil consumption in the engine due to poor engine design, according to the auto repair center. 5 quarts of oil are added to the engine once every 2-3 weeks. All oil leaks were previously repaired, but oil is still burning off. Issue 2: The engine has misfired more than once, with a puff of smoke coming out of the exhaust. Issue 3: Twice in the past 1.5-2 years, multiple spark plug... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
Issue 1: High oil consumption in the engine due to poor engine design, according to the auto repair center. 5 quarts of oil are added to the engine once every 2-3 weeks. All oil leaks were previously repaired, but oil is still burning off. Issue 2: The engine has misfired more than once, with a puff of smoke coming out of the exhaust. Issue 3: Twice in the past 1.5-2 years, multiple spark plug... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2026
The car is consuming oil under the 3,000 mile mark.
Incident date: May 14, 2026
The engine started to fail when I'm driving and on the highway it suddenly loses strength, the oil goes down and I don't know where it's going, the engine starts to make noises and burning smell, the ignition light turns on and minutes later goes out, a triangle signal also sometimes appears for 6 seconds and disappears, when this triangle appears the car starts to fail and give strong jolts, this... Read more
Crash
Incident date: May 14, 2026
The engine started to fail when I'm driving and on the highway it suddenly loses strength, the oil goes down and I don't know where it's going, the engine starts to make noises and burning smell, the ignition light turns on and minutes later goes out, a triangle signal also sometimes appears for 6 seconds and disappears, when this triangle appears the car starts to fail and give strong jolts, this... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU )failure on the high voltage battery leading to also the 12v battery failure.
KIA
SPORTAGE HYBRID
(2023) — ENGINE
May 15, 2026
Incident date: May 15, 2026
When driving on the highway, warning lights activated on the dash with the message "Check Hybrid System. Stop Safely." Seconds later, the vehicle lost all propulsion power. The hybrid battery indicated it had a half charge and the combustion engine was running. Depressing the accelerator caused the engine to increase RPMs but little to no power was output to the wheels. I turned the car off an... Read more
KIA
SPORTAGE HYBRID
(2023) — FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
May 15, 2026
Incident date: May 15, 2026
When driving on the highway, warning lights activated on the dash with the message "Check Hybrid System. Stop Safely." Seconds later, the vehicle lost all propulsion power. The hybrid battery indicated it had a half charge and the combustion engine was running. Depressing the accelerator caused the engine to increase RPMs but little to no power was output to the wheels. I turned the car off an... Read more
KIA
SPORTAGE HYBRID
(2023) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 15, 2026
Incident date: May 15, 2026
When driving on the highway, warning lights activated on the dash with the message "Check Hybrid System. Stop Safely." Seconds later, the vehicle lost all propulsion power. The hybrid battery indicated it had a half charge and the combustion engine was running. Depressing the accelerator caused the engine to increase RPMs but little to no power was output to the wheels. I turned the car off an... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
Car is 6 years old less then 100k miles and losing oil and motor problems Went through entire oil change in 1 month Kia unable or willing to assist with any coats I was told by a private garage that the motor in my car should be part of a recall that was already listed for 2021 through 2026 but they’re saying it’s not covered
KIA
SPORTAGE HYBRID
(2025) — SERVICE BRAKES
May 15, 2026
Incident date: May 13, 2026
Two occurrences. First, it was sprinkling rain when breaking before a stop sign at an intersection near my job, with no stop for oncoming traffic. I drove over a bump and it’s as if the car got confused and didn’t want to stop. I had to release the brake and slam on the brakes to stop. Second, same situation different location and no rainy weather. Hit a bump while coming to a stop light at th... Read more
KIA
SPORTAGE HYBRID
(2025) — FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
May 15, 2026
Incident date: May 13, 2026
Two occurrences. First, it was sprinkling rain when breaking before a stop sign at an intersection near my job, with no stop for oncoming traffic. I drove over a bump and it’s as if the car got confused and didn’t want to stop. I had to release the brake and slam on the brakes to stop. Second, same situation different location and no rainy weather. Hit a bump while coming to a stop light at th... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2024
chrome pillars came off on highway. the recall was sent in mail but upon visitation to kia for a different recall, I mentioned pillars and they did not have part to repair and there was a wait for part on their end is what they said. car was literally built with many defects I don't know how it passed inspection.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
The fuel tank expanded, the car was spitting out gas from where you are supposed to insert gas nozzle. my fuel tank expanded so bad from pressure my vehicle sensors malfunctioned my car did not tell me something was wrong, I heard a pop and my car was telling me I had no gas when I did. the insert area for gas to be pumped was swollen and couldn't shut my gas cap cover. I went to gas station and s... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
The fuel tank expanded, the car was spitting out gas from where you are supposed to insert gas nozzle. my fuel tank expanded so bad from pressure my vehicle sensors malfunctioned my car did not tell me something was wrong, I heard a pop and my car was telling me I had no gas when I did. the insert area for gas to be pumped was swollen and couldn't shut my gas cap cover. I went to gas station and s... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
The fuel tank expanded, the car was spitting out gas from where you are supposed to insert gas nozzle. my fuel tank expanded so bad from pressure my vehicle sensors malfunctioned my car did not tell me something was wrong, I heard a pop and my car was telling me I had no gas when I did. the insert area for gas to be pumped was swollen and couldn't shut my gas cap cover. I went to gas station and s... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2026
To whom this may concern, I was using my cruise control on my way to work. I usually set it to 80 because police are okay with that speed on I-75. I braked before my automatic brakes hit after I got cut off. I pressed resume in the cruise control and it accelerated pretty quick. I’ve experienced that quite a bit, but there’s been a few times that the car exceeded the set cruising speed while ... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2026
To whom this may concern, I was using my cruise control on my way to work. I usually set it to 80 because police are okay with that speed on I-75. I braked before my automatic brakes hit after I got cut off. I pressed resume in the cruise control and it accelerated pretty quick. I’ve experienced that quite a bit, but there’s been a few times that the car exceeded the set cruising speed while ... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2026
To whom this may concern, I was using my cruise control on my way to work. I usually set it to 80 because police are okay with that speed on I-75. I braked before my automatic brakes hit after I got cut off. I pressed resume in the cruise control and it accelerated pretty quick. I’ve experienced that quite a bit, but there’s been a few times that the car exceeded the set cruising speed while ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2025
This vehicle burns over 2 quarts of oil between oil changes. Had 3 oil consumption tests. Kia states that this motor is supposed to burn that much oil. My catalytic converter is now going bad due to the amount of burnt oil clogging it. Why have these engines not been recalled?