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: Aug 22, 2025
i was in full self driving mode. the car wanted to turn left but i thought it was going in the wrong direction so i tried to continue straight by turning the wheel to the right forcefully but the car would not let me take over and i crashed into a guard rail. when i tried to brake it was not able to stop soon enough, i have a dash cam footage. i have taken over the this way numerous times and i... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 27, 2023
Breaking failure on low speeds for up to a few seconds many times
Incident date: Jul 26, 2025
I believe the issue is with the transmission by online research. I have had the issue multiple times. The vehicle sometimes hesitates to go when pressing on the gas pedal after being stopped at stop lights. This is a problem mostly when it is very hot outside. I have had multiple close calls when trying to take a right at red lights. I will have plenty of time before another car is coming but I tr... Read more
Incident date: May 16, 2025
Dealer says recall sc211 doesn’t apply to this vehicle, however CEL is displaying (once again) with DTC “P0191 Fuel Rail Pressure Sensor Range/Performance”. Kia dealer has does minimal investigation/diagnosis with no resolution.
Incident date: May 16, 2025
We have a 2017 Honda Pilot Touring with the 3.5L V6, and it developed a tick when running, and it turned into a rod knock. Found out about the crank and rod recall, but realized our 2017 is not included. Tore the engine down to find the #6 rod bearing destroyed. I still have the bearing if it is requested. The vehicle left us stranded in the middle of the highway with kids on board. The rod bearin... Read more
Incident date: May 16, 2025
I was driving normally, about 30 mph in a residential area and the brakes all of sudden became soft. It was very scary and I didn’t know if it was safe to drive the vehicle. The brake, ABS, and traction control sign all came on at the same time. I scanned the car and it was a C1391 error code. The Toyota dealership said it is not covered under any recalls. I called Toyota and asked about the... Read more
Incident date: Aug 9, 2025
I have 117k miles on my ford escape and have always maintained the services on my car. I was driving and my car started to overheat and warning lights came on. Pulled over immediately and turned car off and had it towed to the shop. Mechanic told me the coolant leaked into the cylinder and caused a misfire in cylinder 2&3. He currently has 3 other ford escapes there with the same issue. Yet there ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 9, 2025
On Monday [XXX] my 2018 VW Jetta S started gushing gas from the bottom of the car. I immediately pulled over and called AAA to have my car towed to my nearest VW dealer which was National City Volkswagen 3131 Mile of Car National City, Ca. The issue my car was having looked similar to a recall due to fuel rails coming loose. My car ended up having faulty gas rails which is part of a recall for my... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2018
report a paint defect on my 2008 Toyota Tacoma, painted in Super White (040). Over time, I have noticed significant paint peeling on multiple areas of the truck, including the roof, hood, and door frames. The paint is deteriorating down to the primer, and in some places, the metal is now exposed. I am aware of Toyota’s Customer Support Program T-SB-0162-19, which extends warranty coverage for si... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2024
The headlights on the vehicle are VERY dim, so much so that driving at night is really not safe. At any point I have a passenger in my car while dark, they always ask if I have my lights on. On roadways at night, I have to either ride behind someone else to have the road lit in front of me OR illegally drive with the high beams on. This has been an ongoing issue for a few years but I only real... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2024
This is has been continuous, yesterday my car braked on the freeway. Suddenly with no obstruction. The car behind me almost crashed into me and it would’ve been a very tragic event. I took it to the dealership and they don’t do anything, all they do is give it back to me. Yesterday also has loss of power too. I have alerted them many times, they keep saying to take it in but they don’t do an... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2025
Safety issue with regarding the TCU (Telematics Control Unit). Active recall does not include my VIN# /Make & Model. NHTSA campaign number 22V365. My car has Constant SOS Inoperative Message after battery failure in 2021-2022.
Incident date: Jul 7, 2025
Safety issue with regarding the TCU (Telematics Control Unit). Active recall does not include my VIN# /Make & Model. NHTSA campaign number 22V365. My car has Constant SOS Inoperative Message after battery failure in 2021-2022.
Incident date: Apr 7, 2025
When I put my car in park and turn it off, I get the message to "Shift to Park" My engine light is on and sporadically goes off. It is difficult to bring my car in as there is a fee to evaluate my car and the sporadic engine light. When it is on my Chevy App tells me it is Engine and Transmission - Air Induction System.
Incident date: Apr 7, 2025
Vehicle has both rear view mirror distortion (assembly mirror face on both sides) vibrate causing distortion deeming outside rear view mirrors useless and hazardous. Toyota issued a technical service bulletin for 2019-2021 Toyota RAV4 models but refuses to pay for this safety defect.
Incident date: Aug 6, 2025
The front and back cross members underneath my Mazda6 have completely rusted out. There are numerous complaints about Mazda's "Safety Recall 2818I Expansion" not covering the back support member and also not considering Nebraska to be a Salt Belt state despite the state, and specifically Omaha using salt to treat their roads in the winter. On [XXX], my front cross member completely failed due to... Read more
Incident date: Aug 6, 2025
I bought 2016 Yukon XL 9/2020. At 74k miles (2022), the transmission was replaced by warranty. Now (2025), at 126k miles, the transmission needs replaced again. This can’t be normal.
Incident date: Jul 2, 2025
Vehicle was a 2021 Ram 1500 (60k miles) with no known problems or issues. Drove home during during rainstorm truck operated normally. Next morning truck started normally with an error message "Power Steering Unavailable". Truck then began to run through a series of "error messages" and windshield wipers turned on and truck would not shutdown, unless you disconnected the battery. Towed to deale... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2025
The air conditioning system has a drain for condensation. If it gets plugged up, from debris, algae, etc., it accumulates and sprays it into the passenger cabin. In my auto it sprays considerable water onto the floor boards of both the driver side and passenger side. I encountered such spraying onto my right foot making it slip off the accelerator pad while turning left. While turning right it... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Aug 20, 2025
There is an error with my car's Occupant Classification System (OCS) which is giving me an alarm of "Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault". Tesla only "fix" is to replace the OCS with what seems to be a newer version. You can tell it is a new version because they are also telling me I need to replace my airbag as my current airbag is not compatible with the new OCS.
KIA
SPORTAGE HYBRID
(2023) — CHILD SEAT
Aug 21, 2025
Incident date: Jul 25, 2025
The contact owns a Safety 1st Car Seat, Model Name: Disney Baby Jive 2-in-1 Convertible, Model Number: CC286-GAD, Manufactured Date: August 17, 2022. The contact stated that the forward-facing safety seat head detached from the seat with the screws still attached. The contact attempted to tighten the screws; however, the screws required a special bit. The manufacturer was not notified of the failu... Read more
Incident date: Aug 18, 2025
August 18, 2025 at 3pm PT; My 2025 Kia Sorento X-Line was parked in my driveway facing the street. I had the engine on, and in Park mode, AC on, back hatch door open. No one was in the vehicle. I was standing behind the vehicle when it then started to go in reverse, then stopped for 2 seconds. It then proceeded to go into reverse again. The garage door was open. The vehicle pushed me into the blad... Read more
Incident date: Aug 18, 2025
ABS Brake problem and have tried to get it repaired for over 3 months and cannot seem to be able to get the part and call GM with no help. Can not tell me when or where to buy the part. Nobody seems to be able to get a new part and no help from GM. If there is this many problems that there is no part left available it should be a national recall.
Incident date: Aug 18, 2025
ABS Brake problem and have tried to get it repaired for over 3 months and cannot seem to be able to get the part and call GM with no help. Can not tell me when or where to buy the part. Nobody seems to be able to get a new part and no help from GM. If there is this many problems that there is no part left available it should be a national recall.
Incident date: Aug 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V347000 (Structure). However, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at 80 MPH, the driver's side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. Most recentl... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V347000 (Structure). However, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at 80 MPH, the driver's side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. Most recentl... Read more
Incident date: Aug 21, 2025
Thoratal body and engine light and engine rebbing up on its own.
Incident date: Aug 21, 2025
The power steering on the vehicle is stiff due to a communication error to the right pinion. At highway speeds the vehicle’s steering wheel lock up resulting in abrasive movements and a loss of control of the vehicle steering. When the vehicle is at a low rate speed, the steering wheel is very hard to turn, which has almost resulted in a number of vehicle collisions. After extension of research,... Read more
Incident date: Aug 21, 2025
My 2015 Kia Optima (VIN [XXX] ) case # [XXX] is covered under Kia’s engine recall for potential engine failure/fire. However, Kia and Ray Skillman Northeast Kia, Indianapolis refused to perform the recall repair because I do not have the last two years of oil change records. This is a safety recall, not a warranty claim, and denial of repair violates recall obligations. I am requesting NHTSA’s... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2025
My engine line keeps returning regardless of the multiple visits to the service department in attempt to fix recall complications at BONIFACE-HIERS KIA. Today will be the fourth visit for fuel tank and ECM recall related malfunctions.
Incident date: Aug 20, 2025
While driving around 50MPH my vehicle started to lose engine power going down to 40, then 30, then 20MPH. I had to pull into a break down lane and at the next exit I managed to make it to a Ford Dealership called Flood Ford in Narragansett, R. I. This may be related to NHTSA safety recall number: 24S24 from May 2024. This happened yesterday [XXX] around [XXX]. This is the 2nd time it has happe... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2025
Vehicle: 2009 Toyota Tacoma VIN: [XXX] Mileage: 128,400 Owner: Jacob Grove, Anderson, SC Summary of Issue: The frame of this 2009 Toyota Tacoma has developed severe rust perforation that makes the vehicle unsafe to drive. My independent mechanic has refused to work on it due to safety concerns, and Toyota of Greenville (SC) has confirmed that the frame is extensively corroded and requires replac... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
The smell of propane/metal smell in the cabin of vehicle after longer than 1 hour of driving
KIA
TELLURIDE
(2022) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY:THERMAL MANAGEMENT:FAN
Aug 21, 2025
Incident date: Aug 17, 2022
See Attached Letter For Complaint
Incident date: Aug 21, 2025
While driving on the freeway complete loss of power, loud sound, visible smoke. Determined by the dealer that an internal engine part failed.
Incident date: Aug 4, 2025
Sticky steering input when turning steering wheel, almost feels like the steering wheel slightly locks when doing turns. Most notably to the right.
Incident date: Aug 11, 2025
The contact owned a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH and attempting to adjust the steering wheel, the steering column and the steering wheel detached and fell in the contact’s lap. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the steering column and steering wheel needed ... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2025
Nissan issued the recall on my vehicle. I took it into the dealership to be inspected. Was informed my car was one that needed to be fixed because of metal fragments on the dipstick in the oil. Was told Nissan had no remedy for the situation yet and had no idea when it would be available to be fixed. So I am expected to continue to drive a car that could stop working while driving and potentially ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds in stop-and-go traffic, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to restart the vehicle but almost immediately lost motive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the piston oil rings, resulting in dama... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
We had a cylinder 3 misfire according to the check engine light code. Replaced spark plugs, coils, and now VW in Doral (Miami, FL) is telling me it is a "carbon build up" when the car only has 42,000 miles on it.
Incident date: Jun 11, 2025
Am concerned about theses vehicles even being on the roadways with no resolution to the safety recall being resolved. Reported in Jan 2025, no resolution yet. for 8 months? "Parts are not available". It appears by documentation that if you are in the states you can get a dealer to check via software to detect and monitor for excessive wear within a PTU. If PTU failure is confirmed by software, F... Read more
Incident date: Feb 21, 2024
Car has a coolant leak and has been diagnosed as having coolant intrusion. I was told that there is a recall but it doesn’t include my VIN
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal became inoperable, and the brakes locked up without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the brake caliper had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the mechanic, where it w... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, while the vehicle was idling, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine was faulty due to coolant intrusion. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repa... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2025
common engine failure on the 2.0l of cylinder cracking allowing coolant to leak into engine and misfire. Engine filled with coolant and wrecked the motor. Ford has done multiple engine swaps costing customers $8,000 for a defective block they changed in the newer years. I feel we should not pay for their mistake!
Incident date: Aug 18, 2025
The contact's daughter owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and it was acknowledged that the failure was a known issue. The dealer recommended that the vehicle no longer be driven and remain with the dealer for addition... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2025
Power Transfer Unit fails to properly engage 4x4 power train in hazardous weather conditions. It is available upon request for inspection. My safety is put at risk as I live in a mountainous area and require tow assistance to overtake obstacles like snow and uneven terrain. The overheating that occurs as a result of my attempts to engage the 4x4 power train system wears down other components on my... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2025
I recently paid out of pocket for replacement of Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit and I see that it was a recall on my make model and year, but my Vin number was not included in the recall
Incident date: Jul 9, 2025
While driving, both dash screens will go black for 30 seconds or so and then restart. This blackout includes the speedometer, dash lights, radio etc (the entirety of both screens. When taken to the dealership, I was told that I would have to leave my car until the problem was reproduced. Even with picture proof of the incident. There is no way to make it produce the issue.