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: Mar 1, 2023
Failure of the Motor Generator Unit (MGU). This part is available for inspection and review. The failure of this component can result in complete immobilization of the vehicle which poses a significant safety risk for users and pedestrians alike. The problem has been a wide-spread issue for the Ram 1500 series. This issue was acknowledged by Ram and Stelantis. Ram has reviewed my MGU and confirmed... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
Master cylinder , less then 1000 miles was pulling out of a parking lot and the brakes went out
Incident date: Jan 5, 2025
Torque converter was coming apart, according to the service advisor at Bannister Ford in Marlow Heights, MD. Car was shuddering upon acceleration from a stop or slow speed and not accelerating properly. Also noticeable slipping at highway speeds and RPMs would not stay steady. No warning lights or messages, problem began at 57,000 miles and near failure at 60443.
Incident date: Jan 5, 2025
I am reporting a serious engine and reoccurring defect in my 2017 Ford Escape (1.5L EcoBoost), which poses a safety risk due to recurring cylinder misfire and engine failure.This issue aligns with Ford's known TSBs 19-2346 and 22-2134, and DTCs P0302 (Cylinder 2 Misfire) and P0316 (Misfire on Startup). This defect presents clear safety concerns, including rough idling, loss of power, increased emi... Read more
Incident date: Aug 3, 2025
On [XXX], Onstar did an Auto Unlock on my car. After the car was opened, the entire radio panel didn’t work. On June 13th, Bob Johnson replaced the Onstar telecommunications module. Only the radio worked with the screen black for a couple of minutes. Then it stopped working. They stated that they ordered the part, but every time I call, they haven’t. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREE... Read more
KIA
SELTOS
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
Aug 6, 2025
Incident date: Aug 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was a rattling and squeaking sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic, who informed the contact that the exhaust manifold bracket had failed and needed to be replaced along with a section of the exhaust system. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manu... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
Car started to have low coolant when i would replace it instantly and i took it to a shop and they told me it has a recall.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
I was just getting off from work starting the engine, the driving meters screen and the head up display were completely off black, I thought that it will turn on after driving but it didn’t. I was driving more than 5 minutes on the free way and both screens were still dark. This is not the first time that this happened. The last time when this was happened, I brought my vehicle to the dealers... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2025
Head Gasket Blown on a 2018 Honda Accord 1.5 Turbo. Yes, yes warning lights have appeared.
Incident date: Aug 6, 2025
loss of power when using turn signal on highway changing lanes and making left or right turn on city streets. Once the signal is off I can accelerate. Left turn signal becomes more rapid as well. The Versa has a manual transmission. recurring issue for a month.
Incident date: Jun 9, 2025
Vehicle wouldn’t go into gear June 2025 was towed due to service engine, abs braking error, service hybrid error. Messages were cleared and declared “no fix” wait for Stellantis update. 7/2025 vehicle service hybrid went on, vehicle lost acceleration when turning onto road. Brought back to jeep service indicated “no fix” Stellantis/jeep aware of issue. Customer states SERIVE HYBRID LIG... Read more
Incident date: Jun 28, 2025
Engine stared clattering at the end of a 2 hour drive home. Engine died entering a round about 1-1/2 miles from home. It restarted and limped to my home. Arranged to have it towed to mechanic shop. They informed me there is issues with rod bearings and that Kia has a class action suite but Kia is telling me that my vin is not involved.
Incident date: Jul 31, 2025
Issues with the radio. Unbearable, ear piercing static coming from speakers. You can turn the volume all the way down and even power off the radio and it continues to have loud static coming from speakers. You have to pull over and turn the car off to stop the noise and alot of times it will not stop. There is no way to stop the noise. The car had this same issue when I bought it from a honda deal... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2025
Door electrical caught fire and the inside of the vehicle was destroyed. Fire started from the electrical in the driver door.
Fire
Incident date: May 15, 2025
My 17 year old son drove across town about 6-7 miles from home, on a back road. Out of nowhere, his 2015 TLX started to make a sound like knocking or thumping. Just moments afterwards, most if not all of the engine warning lamps illuminated at once.. He pulled off as best he could there was a loss of power and massive amounts of steam pouring out from the under hood. At sunrise I went to the ca... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2025
Vehicle caught fire in seatbelt harness
Fire
Incident date: Aug 2, 2025
The engine was eating up oil and failed. I have regularly had to get oil changes within 1000 miles of each other. Kept oil in my car like spare gasoline to top off every 4-7 days. Took my car in immediately when the check engine light came on to which the dealership said I have been negligent in my oil changes. The check engine light never came on prior, and I had an oil change the day before it d... Read more
Incident date: Aug 2, 2025
Failure of hydraulic lifters and camshaft in Cummins 6.7 liter diesel engine of 2021 RAM 3500. Engine exhibited significant ticking noise and the engine does not work properly, putting the safety of driver and passengers in vehicle at risk. Vehicle is not driveable. This issue has been confirmed by the RAM dealership in Livingston, Montana. The 2021 RAM 3500 truck has been sitting at the RAM deale... Read more
Incident date: Aug 4, 2025
Vehicle began to feel as if it was losing the ability to get any power to the engine. I would push the pedal to accelerate but even fully compressed the vehicle would not go above 30mph. I attempted to drive the vehicle in to be inspected at a dealership and while on the way the steering wheel completely locked and an Emergency Light appeared on the dashboard stating "Safely Park Vehicle". It wa... Read more
Incident date: Aug 4, 2025
Vehicle began to feel as if it was losing the ability to get any power to the engine. I would push the pedal to accelerate but even fully compressed the vehicle would not go above 30mph. I attempted to drive the vehicle in to be inspected at a dealership and while on the way the steering wheel completely locked and an Emergency Light appeared on the dashboard stating "Safely Park Vehicle". It wa... Read more
Incident date: Aug 5, 2025
While driving on [XXX] the check engine light came on and engine started shaking and making abnormal noise. I was afraid to keep driving so requested a tow to Bramlett Kia in Decatur, AL. I told the service dept the issue as well as the issue listed below that I've been experiencing, and they told me it would be 3 weeks before they could even assess it as they are extremely backed up. I'm hopin... Read more
Incident date: Aug 5, 2025
While driving approximately 65 MPH on an interstate highway, the vehicle's check engine light illuminated. Very shortly after, the dashboard screen displayed the message "propulsion power reduced," and the internal combustion engine turned on. The vehicle's power was significantly reduced, almost causing an accident when another car started merging without checking their blind spot, forcing me int... Read more
Incident date: Aug 5, 2025
While driving approximately 65 MPH on an interstate highway, the vehicle's check engine light illuminated. Very shortly after, the dashboard screen displayed the message "propulsion power reduced," and the internal combustion engine turned on. The vehicle's power was significantly reduced, almost causing an accident when another car started merging without checking their blind spot, forcing me int... Read more
Incident date: Aug 5, 2025
UNKNOWN - The "Service 4WD" and "Service Parking Brake" warning lights are on. The mechanic said that the PTU needs to be replaced and that this is a known issue with this model. That part is on backorder because the issue evidently is very common with this model. It should be a recall item.
Incident date: Jul 31, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was parking the vehicle, the driver noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment and a coolant odor. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact added coolant to the vehicle and drove the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repai... Read more
Incident date: Aug 4, 2025
Travel Assist is disabled which includes Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keep Assist. The warning lights flash on and off, sometimes multiple times a second, sounding a loud beeping each time. It is triggered at engine start and persists through all speeds. I have experienced it 0-70 mph. The flashing lights and associated rapid beeping indicating the failure is extremely distracting while drivin... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2025
Vehicle sitting in driveway and the left front coil spring broke causing the left front of the vehicle to sag and render undriveable. Fortunately the truck was stationary and no other damage was incurred. This could have been catastrophic if anyone had been driving at highway speeds.
Incident date: Jun 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 10 MPH in a parking area, the temperature gauge indicated that the vehicle was overheating, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The check engine and the low coolant warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that coolant intrusion into several cyli... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2025
On July 19th, with less than 100 miles on the odometer, the vehicle began down and upshifting so hard that it felt like a collision. Additionally, when attempting to accelerate, the transmission would hunt for gears without engaging, resulting in loss of power - creating a very dangerous situation. Lexus is unable to identify a resolution and has had the vehicle in the shop for 2+ weeks
Incident date: Aug 5, 2025
with the "Shift to Park" function, where the vehicle displayed the message even when it is in park, preventing the me from turning off the ignition
Incident date: Feb 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ABS, the Advance Trac, the Hill Start Assist, and the Powertrain warning lights were illuminated. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.
Incident date: Aug 5, 2025
Unknown... So whenever it gets hot in the summertime lately. My car has an issue starting sometimes it doesn't start and I've taken it in have the mechanic look at it. They can't figure out what's going on with that. They say that it's known issue that they've had and they told me to Bang on the relay inside my vehicle. And sometimes that starts up right away and other times it takes a little bit ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 5, 2025
I posted on 4/14 incident happened on 4/9. The same has happened on now on 7/29. I am glad just leaving my home on side street. Here in ludlow ma, I received same codes and steering has seized up again. I shut truck off and turned on. Codes reset and I can drive. Only vehicle at this time. I had a death and couldn't bring to dealer anyway cuz can't drive unless I reset by shutting down vehicle to ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 5, 2025
The Multi-Media Interface (MMI) randomly reboots and poses a safety hazard. Several times while reversing using my backup camera, the MMI has rebooted which causes the camera to go blank. This poses a risk to back up into an object or a person during this time. Also during this time, the Rear Cross Traffic Warning system is disabled until the system reboots. Also, while using navigation, the M... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
While traveling on the freeway at freeway speeds and with the cruise control on, on 7/22/2025, my vehicle abruptly start making an odd noise, the steering wheel started to vibrate / move as if I had a flat tire. I safely existed the freeway and pulled over to investigate, there was no flat tire yet the vehicle still made the noise and experienced issues when the throttle was applied. I proceeded t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2025
hello , my mom was driving . she had all the lane driving assist systems on. the driving assist , lane assist, forward collision assist, lane keeping assist, & cruise control. it had started to rain my mom tried to move over to the middle lane the steer wheel would not let her it pulled her back as if someone was on the side of her but it wasnt it then started driving by itself. the car started m... Read more
Crash
5 injured
Incident date: Jul 20, 2025
Hi my name is [XXX] my son's name is [XXX] we bought the car and had no problems tell recently my brother n his associates have been making it a part of there day to day basis to spice the wires to the ecu and the fuel tank and transmission was stolen now they put a stolen one in my car and it's messed up my ability to go over 20 or shift and my esp and abs srs lights are just going off like a... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jul 20, 2025
Hi my name is [XXX] my son's name is [XXX] we bought the car and had no problems tell recently my brother n his associates have been making it a part of there day to day basis to spice the wires to the ecu and the fuel tank and transmission was stolen now they put a stolen one in my car and it's messed up my ability to go over 20 or shift and my esp and abs srs lights are just going off like a... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Aug 5, 2025
Clear coat began peeling from side mirrors about a year ago. It is now peeling aggressively on the rear liftgate cover/spoiler. This seems common and is very unsightly. Only impacts the plastic parts.
Incident date: Aug 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that during start-up, there was a loud rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the cam phasers were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. While the vehicle was idling, the vehicle sputtered and vibrated abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the lo... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2025
Center console cup holder base failure causing items to fall through and into the interior of the console. My key fob fell through the bottom and required nearly an hour to be retrieved. The problem is persistent with anything placed into the cup holder. This issue is common and well documented on forums and social media.
Incident date: Jul 19, 2025
Vehicle stalls at lights and in traffic because of the START / STOP system GM has put in this 2019 Malibu. This is dangerous as the vehicle moves if on incline (sometimes backwards). There is no control. The vehicle then has to be shifted into PARK and then restarted. THIS HAPPENED July of 2024 and August 2025
Incident date: May 1, 2019
I am reporting a safety concern related to the suspension system in my 2017 Tesla Model X. The front tires are rubbing against the wheel arch liner, especially when turning or driving over uneven terrain. I have not made any aftermarket modifications, and the vehicle has been maintained in accordance with Tesla’s recommendations. This issue appears to match the known problem involving front sus... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
My 2017 ford edge, 74,000 miles 2.0 eco boost had a code after hesitating, running rough and having white smoke from exhaust. The check engine light came on and the code was Po302. We replaced the coil pack and the light continued. Brought it to local dealership and they confirmed TSB-22-2229 and needed long block for 12,000$. After much research, for some reason other eco boost cars have had ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
On two occasions, the dash lights kept blacking out, along with the Heads Up Display. On my way to the dealer for a maintenance appointment, all of the emergency lights came on and would not go away. After parking at the dealer service center, I told my service rep what happened, and when she restarted the vehicle, the lights were still on. I was immediately given a loaner. After making the repai... Read more
Incident date: Aug 2, 2025
At approximately 67,180 miles, a Ford dealership performed a multi-point inspection on my 2018 Ford Fusion SE with the 1.5L EcoBoost engine due to a check engine light on. The Ford dealership diagnosed the vehicle with a coolant intrusion into cylinder 2. The Ford dealership recommended the replacement of the short block and gasket kit, with an estimated repair cost of $7,465. This type of issue d... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to coast to the driveway at the residence and became aware of an oil leak underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that an unknown dealer was contacted and informed the contact that a fuel system upgrade w... Read more
Incident date: Aug 3, 2025
shuts off while driving with no warning...Stalls at stop light/sign and when i try to accelerate it has barely goes.. sometimes it seems like it has no power at all and sometimes it seems like it has to much power without me accelerating. Its very dangerous this issue has almost made me get into several accidents
Incident date: Aug 3, 2025
shuts off while driving with no warning...Stalls at stop light/sign and when i try to accelerate it has barely goes.. sometimes it seems like it has no power at all and sometimes it seems like it has to much power without me accelerating. Its very dangerous this issue has almost made me get into several accidents