Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,245,377 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA, including 140,173 crashes, 56,794 fires, and 8,580 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 2,245,377 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 62,191 complaints for KIA
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
1. The vehicle’s emissions system is malfunctioning, specifically the ECM (Engine Control Module) related to the exhaust emissions system. The diagnostic trouble code is P2C7A, indicating the system is not performing as expected. Key components such as the NOx catalytic converters and diesel particulate filter have been repeatedly replaced, but the issue persists. The vehicle and all replaced co... Read more
Incident date: Jun 26, 2025
I purchased this vehicle $9000 cash from Toyota Morgan City in Morgan City Louisiana the end of September 2025 on a Saturday, not even a week later the car shifts real hard and it’s an automatic. You can see the rpm going up but the car steaks and then shifts hard to where it jerks. I called the car dealership where I purchased, they “looked” at the car and told me that it was not a problem ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 26, 2025
A safety recall performed by Hyundai automotive company was completed on 10.4.2022 to remedy a known security flaw in Kia/Hyunai vehicles made between 2011 and 2022. This recall was performed successfully by a certified Hyundai dealer. Since this, the vehicle has been stolen not once, but twice. The security sytem that should be in place to prevent the ease of theft has not been effective. This ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 5, 2025
COMBINED FORMAL & SUPPLEMENTAL COMPLAINT – UPDATED WITH VIDEO EVIDENCE DISCLOSURE To: Florida Division of Motorist Services – Consumer Complaint Division Attn: Dealer Licensing & Compliance Section [XXX] Via Online Portal: [XXX] Date: November 09, 2025 Re: Misrepresentation in Sale of 2024 Tesla Model 3 by Braman Cadillac, Miami, FL VIN: [XXX] Purchased: [XXX] | Price Paid: $42,000.05 Deale... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 5, 2025
2018 TOYOTA CAMRY at times vehicle engine will run under engine Temperature, and other times, Vehicle will overheat. This is intermittent issue and is Not all the time. When vehicle is shut down. For 5, 10 minutes, It seems to work fine again for a week or two, and then starts to act up again. Toyota is aware of this issue with a defective Electronic water valve part that control the flow of water... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 2025
I was sold a 2024 Hyundai Sonata SEL and while driving on the road multiple times the car completely shut off. By this all lights inside AND outside the car turned off (Headlights, interior lights and all) car was still rolling and I pulled over each time as all systems rebooted. It claimed that all seatbelts were off with the warning sign. Had to unbuckle and buckle all seatbelts for this warning... Read more
Incident date: Nov 9, 2025
My 2008 Dodge Avenger airbag light has been on for a while, I believe that’s something that is defective and should be fixed by the manufacture. I’d called a dealership and was told it was not a recall and therefore not covered. When the wipers are turned on in the morning and then turned off, they continue to wipe even turned off. When I use the right blinker, the light in the dashboard dims ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 9, 2025
My 2008 Dodge Avenger airbag light has been on for a while, I believe that’s something that is defective and should be fixed by the manufacture. I’d called a dealership and was told it was not a recall and therefore not covered. When the wipers are turned on in the morning and then turned off, they continue to wipe even turned off. When I use the right blinker, the light in the dashboard dims ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 3, 2025
on 10/24/2025 my wife and daughter were in the vehicle driving to her school. My wife was on the phone with me when she stated the car was reving really high and sounded like it was going to blow up how loud it was. she was driving at about 25-30 mph when the car suddenly jerked and shut off completely, the battery light turned on and the check engine light flashed before it shut off. she was abl... Read more
Incident date: Oct 27, 2025
My 2020 Telluride started burning excessive oil at 65,000 miles. When the car runs out of oil, it stalls electrical systems such as the ABS and power steering. My car has run out of oil, including during dealer initiated oil consumption tests, 4 times. One of these times I was stopped on a hill. I rolled into traffic, unable to brake or steer! Kia will not admit to this defect in their engines in ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 27, 2025
While driving, multiple warning lights appeared on the dashboard, including the check engine light, malfunction indicator, and crash sensor warnings. A message then displayed: “ENGINE MALFUNCTION POWER REDUCED SERVICE NOW.” The engine began making loud knocking noises, lost power, and the vehicle entered reduced-power mode. The issue appears to be related to the ongoing engine bearing failure... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2025
When driving the vehicle it just stalls. No warning and all power is lost including power steering which makes it VERY dangerous to all occupants of the vehicle and others on the road.
Incident date: Nov 8, 2025
When driving the vehicle it just stalls. No warning and all power is lost including power steering which makes it VERY dangerous to all occupants of the vehicle and others on the road.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
This 2008 Lexus GX 470 (VIN: [XXX] ) has paint primer adhesion failure exposing bare metal. Color code is 070 Blizzard Pearl. The peeling starts at the primer/E-coat substrate layer, not clear coat. This matches the documented failure mode in Lexus CSP ZLL / L-SB-0046-19. The exposed metal creates corrosion risk on the roof and body shell over time, which is a safety concern. Lexus refused goodwi... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
After a hard crash from behind and then being pushed into another car, causing severe damage to the front and rear of the car (total loss), the airbags only deployed on the right (passenger) side. In addition, after the crash, the steering wheel was lying at the driver's feet, completely detached from its original position.
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
After a hard crash from behind and then being pushed into another car, causing severe damage to the front and rear of the car (total loss), the airbags only deployed on the right (passenger) side. In addition, after the crash, the steering wheel was lying at the driver's feet, completely detached from its original position.
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Oct 31, 2025
The lugnuts on the driver’s side front wheel must have become loose somehow. I was driving along and noticed a strange thumping sound. Before I could pull over the wheel became detached and was rolling away. I pulled off safely and called a tow truck. The tires were last rotated by Annapolis Honda 6 months prior to the date of the accident (11.4.25). The damage estimate – the front brakes... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2021
Rav 4 2024 Mileage 44,780 Got off work and started car and drove home no issues was driving in the rain for about 30 mins. I get home and park and my car is sitting for a minute. Then it started to idle strange/ shaking and I see the rpms are jumping between 1k-2k I try to give it gas and nothing happens. I end up turning the car off and back on and the car starts but sputters/shakes and turns r... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2021
Around New Years this year, I was driving downhill, my car went from about 60/70% UNKNOWN to about 12%. This was for about 30 seconds until it went back up. This range drop was both dangerous but also caused emotional distress on my behalf as I worried whether or not I could make it to a charger. At the Nissan Dealer Service Dept, the "technician allegedly wasn't able to verify the issue with the... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2025
Good evening. I notice this car went driving if I want speed more 40Miles make a stop shake and slowdown the speed by it self. Also The Dashboard display on and off a gas cap loose but is tide. also went the gas cap ligth is on the engine ligth goes off and viceversa.
Incident date: Jun 16, 2025
The contact owns 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the rearview camera was glitching and had displayed a blank image. The message “Camera Unavailable” was displayed. Neither an independent mechanic nor a dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to a recall that did not include the year, make and model of the vehicle. The manufactur... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2024
Door sensor not working, lights stay on and the battery keeps going off, very common issue from research online
Incident date: Nov 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-350 SD. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000(Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that there was no related recall information from the manufacturer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2025
ECM - Engine System code P0700 and TCM - Transmission System code U0073. The truck went in to first gear and wouldn't go over 5 MPH on the highway. The dealer is saying it can't be replicated but it's happened multiple times to the vehicle in the past week. The truck was taken to the dealership and inspected but they claim nothing is wrong. The check engine light came on as well as the aforementio... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
While I was driving on this day [XXX] all of a sudden my car started to shut down and I couldn’t give my vehicle any gas really. I got a hybrid system warning, and my red brake light came on, and I got indicator for me to check the brake. My brakes felt like they were grinding and hitting the ground. I managed to get my Kia into the dealership where the service manager, Jose looked at my car bri... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
While I was driving on this day [XXX] all of a sudden my car started to shut down and I couldn’t give my vehicle any gas really. I got a hybrid system warning, and my red brake light came on, and I got indicator for me to check the brake. My brakes felt like they were grinding and hitting the ground. I managed to get my Kia into the dealership where the service manager, Jose looked at my car bri... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
While I was driving on this day [XXX] all of a sudden my car started to shut down and I couldn’t give my vehicle any gas really. I got a hybrid system warning, and my red brake light came on, and I got indicator for me to check the brake. My brakes felt like they were grinding and hitting the ground. I managed to get my Kia into the dealership where the service manager, Jose looked at my car bri... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
We have had the vehicle inspected by 2 different mechanics, first saying the TCM was out now both confirming our PTU is failing. This is our sons only vehicle; while he driving the vehicle to and from work, and going to School sometimes the car will start flashing “ESC off” and will stop while he was driving. Almost like the car has slammed on its breaks. This has happened while he was going 1... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The contact stated that there was water leaking inside the vehicle thro... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The contact stated that there was water leaking inside the vehicle thro... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2025
First the vehicle randomly lost all power and engine function, so was taken to the Hyundai service center. It was a safety issue as we had to coast to the margin in heavy traffic. Hyundai attempted a fix and returned it to us. It developed issues before we even got home. Now it is has been 6 months in the service center with continuously new issues. Every time they assure us it is fixed and we try... Read more
Incident date: Oct 22, 2025
Vehicle was at a stoplight with the auto start button engaged on it. The vehicle completely stalled. All the power is drained from the car. leaving me stranded in the highway. I got it towed and when replacing the battery still nothing will roll over or even turn on.
Incident date: Oct 22, 2025
Vehicle was at a stoplight with the auto start button engaged on it. The vehicle completely stalled. All the power is drained from the car. leaving me stranded in the highway. I got it towed and when replacing the battery still nothing will roll over or even turn on.
Incident date: Oct 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Buick Encore GX. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to exceed 35 MPH and made an abnormal loud sound that became louder as the contact continued driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was test-driven, and the contact was informed that there was an exhaust leak. The dealer advised the... Read more
Incident date: May 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while reversing, the rearview camera failed to display a rearview image. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer or an independent mechanic. After investigating the failure, the contact related the fa... Read more
Incident date: May 31, 2023
I was driving the vehicle and without warning it just stopped shut off and immediately shot an error code that there was a critical issue with the engine and that the oil pressure was low, and the vehicle would not start and was not drivable. It had to be towed to a dealership.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2020
Concern: DAW Driver Monitoring System False alerts shuts down cruise control. Safety issue when passing on interstate and suddenly the cruise shuts off and has to be reset. This warning sometimes goes off randomly and not due to driver attentiveness. If my arm is in top of steering wheel it blocks camera and wearing certain types of sunglasses. This system is asking the driver to not put his arm o... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2020
Concern: DAW Driver Monitoring System False alerts shuts down cruise control. Safety issue when passing on interstate and suddenly the cruise shuts off and has to be reset. This warning sometimes goes off randomly and not due to driver attentiveness. If my arm is in top of steering wheel it blocks camera and wearing certain types of sunglasses. This system is asking the driver to not put his arm o... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-53. The contact stated that upon further inspection of the vehicle, the contact noticed that the chassis body had several fractured welds, and the brackets were missing. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the brackets holding the chassis body of the frame were fractured. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle w... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2023
serious safety defect that has remains unremedied since recall Z48 (FCA 22V‑426) issued in 2022. This defect, addressed again in recall 94B (FCA 24V‑838), continues to disable the electronic stability control, making the vehicle unsafe to operate. FCA has had considerable time for the opportunity to fix since the first recall, and defective conditions were not repaired and still exist. FCA ha... Read more
KIA
CARNIVAL HYBRID
(2025) - VISIBILITY/WIPER
Nov 6, 2025
Incident date: Apr 6, 2025
The day after I bought this vehicle it had to go directly back because of the catalytic converter. I was told they replaced it but did not show me the proof nor did they give me a valid warranty card. There is something wrong with the electrical system everything flickers and it just sounds really bad. The driver side passenger side window broke because it's made of plastic. The front both passe... Read more
KIA
CARNIVAL HYBRID
(2025) - POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT
Nov 6, 2025
Incident date: Apr 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that after shifting into park(P), there was an abnormal beeping sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact shifted into neutral(N) and then back into park(P) to stop the beeping sound. The contact stated that while the vehicle was shut off and in park(P); the gear shifter independently shifted... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 2025
Traveling at speed of 30MPH. A tocoma truck in front of me suddenly stopped in road lane. Driver said that his vehicle made an auto assist stop were the brakes lock. My 2021 Crosstrek eyesight/braking system failed. I saw the truck stop but the system failed and I went into the back of a large truck. There is a witness who is happy to talk with you. He saw the truck's sudden stop and my crosst... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 5, 2025
Weld on exhaust was faulty the bracket malfunction. The exhaust system has leak and rattle with exhaust noises, causing the converter fail.
Incident date: Nov 5, 2025
The hybrid system fails to enter “Ready” mode with no SMR engagement audible from the junction box. Dashboard displays ABS, brake, engine, and master warning lights. OBD codes include U0142, U0155, and previously U0073 . Rear brake lights function normally when pedal is pressed. Dealer said to pay 250$ for diagnostic and diagnosed incorrect voltage from brake light switch and quoted $348.94 to... Read more
Incident date: Aug 6, 2025
While stopped at traffic signal, vehicle suddenly stops running. Restarted vehicle and had to feather the throttle to keep it running. Engine began to run normally so I continued driving. When I reached approximately 35 mph, a loud rattling noise started and experienced a severe loss of power. Fortunately I was able to safely get out of the traffic lanes to the side of the roadway. I inspected the... Read more
Incident date: Aug 6, 2025
There is a reoccurring issue where vehicle will stop functioning bring up a error to service every component on the vehicle and is completely random when it occurs and dealers have not been able to replicate it after 4 visits
Incident date: Aug 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-250. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a white screen while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Cadillac CT5. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly stopped without the brake pedal being depressed. The contact stated that the message "Reduced Power" was displayed on the instrument cluster. The contact was able to continue driving; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate above 10 MPH. The contact was able to drive the veh... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
After sitting for extended durations the engine experiences a no start or long crank condition. Research and discussion with local mechanic indicate this is an issue with a failed/failing fuel pump and/or fuel pump module. It is my understanding a recall exists for similar failures on other ford models.