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: Jul 11, 2025
Vehicle will cut off as if an electrical short and the Service Stabilitrak indicator will flash on the dashboard along with warning chimes. This has happened twice at highway speed (65mph) and several times at low speed (1st gear) especially while turning. The steering wheel locks and can not be turned. I've almost been involved in 2 accidents this week because the truck turns off while making a t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Lexus RX-350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts for the recall... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2025
Shifter cable bushing degraded and fell off. Causing a condition where the car could not be shifted into or out of gear, and car applied park brake as a safety precaution and could not be disabled until the shifter was manually put back into park by mechanic. This bushing has been under recall for other year fusions but has not been extended to this one. Research on forums shows this is a very com... Read more
Incident date: Jul 30, 2025
I was driving down the road, slowed down and moved over to the left side of the lane as I was passing a bicyclist. The car interpreted the bicyclist as a car and applied AEB. The AEB was not fully applied, thankfully. The car did not come to a complete stop. If it did, I may have been rear ended by the person behind me.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2019
The 4wd has a warning light that says 4wd not available. I had my mechanic run the code C14A7-97 and it stated PTU Motor - Component or System Operation Obstructed or Blocked - Active, Pending, Stored. I looked it up and there is an issue with this with the code C01 stating this is an issue but my vehicle says there are no recalls on my vin. I have all the symptoms listed in the report saying it i... Read more
Incident date: Jul 26, 2025
I discovered, after my Ford Ecoboost engine light came on, that my engine needs a total replacement with only 67,000 miles on the engine. I have learned that it was a KNOWN design flaw by Ford Motor Company since 2020, the year I purchased my vehicle slightly used with 20k miles. The engine can overheat, catch fire, or seize up while driving, due to coolant leaking into the piston chambers. I ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2025
When it rains, my car seems to have a short circuit and all the electrical components start going crazy, mainly the windows, locks and indoor lights/dash. There is an active recall for the same problem and car model but mine doesn't seem to fit the recall I am not sure why.
Incident date: Jun 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that water had accumulated in the tail lights, causing the lights to become inoperable. The contact stated that he had noticed an abnormal water sound while driving the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. Th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2025
Component/system failed: Engine and Power Train. Available for inspection: Yes, the vehicle is currently at the dealership. After a loud ticking/knocking noise from the engine began, the car lost power while driving. It matches symptoms associated with Kia’s known connecting rod bearing failure issue (covered under Recall SC176 and Campaign PI2002A). There were no warning lamps at first, but lat... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2025
Component: Power Transfer Unit (PTU) The power transfer unit has failed. This appears to be a manufacturing defect identical to those listed under the recall. Left me stranded in traffic.
Incident date: Jun 25, 2025
On a brand new 2025 Ford Explorer the 2nd row seatbelt was never bolted in. The seatbelt was hooked into the bottom so at a glance it looked correctly installed. But after having to remove a car seat the plastic covering looked like it was detaching. After gently pulling the plastic covering came up and the metal bottom of the seatbelt came out. Brought it to a Ford dealer and they confirmed that ... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2025
I am reporting a serious safety concern involving the Cooper Discoverer Stronghold AT tires currently mounted on my 2025 Mercedes‑Benz GLE 350 (VIN [XXX]), of which I am the first owner. I purchased this vehicle new from a Mercedes dealer. Upon beginning to drive the vehicle, I immediately experienced poor grip and traction, especially in wet road conditions and while cornering, leading to red... Read more
Incident date: May 30, 2025
While driving my 2017 Kia Optima (Theta II engine) at approximately 115,900 miles, I suddenly experienced engine failure. The vehicle began to stall and produced a burning smell shortly before the engine seized completely. I had the car towed to a Kia dealership, which confirmed an internal engine failure and noted that there were no signs of external oil leaks or neglect. The failure occurred onl... Read more
Incident date: Jul 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Transit Connect. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed in the highway, the rear passenger's side plastic sliding door panel separated from the vehicle and flew off. The contact was able to retrieve the door panel. Additionally, the contact stated that the driver's side plastic sliding door panel was loose. The dealer was contacted and informed the co... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2025
Car began to jerk, shudder and lurch during acceleration. Sometimes jerking strong enough to make steering difficult. Took car to dealership and was diagnosed as a torque converter issue. Was told this is a common issue with this transmission and was quoted nearly $5000 to repair. No lights or warnings come on. The problem began very abruptly. Currently the car has yet to be repaired so parts ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2025
Car began to jerk, shudder and lurch during acceleration. Sometimes jerking strong enough to make steering difficult. Took car to dealership and was diagnosed as a torque converter issue. Was told this is a common issue with this transmission and was quoted nearly $5000 to repair. No lights or warnings come on. The problem began very abruptly. Currently the car has yet to be repaired so parts ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2025
My vehicle is showing identical symptoms to those described in recall 21V-215/23V-858 related to the fuel pump. Although my VIN is not listed in the recall, I would like to verify whether my fuel pump is part of the defective batch, as it is failing in the same way (e.g., loss of power, engine shutting off, hard starting when cold, etc.). Or please confirm if my car symptoms are related to differe... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2025
The Air Bag Light remain on . The vehicle was checked in a scanner and the codes B1312 and B1319 where found..I want to know if are recalls for this car. If yes What dealer in Puerto Rico can repair it.
KIA
SORENTO HYBRID
(2025) — POWER TRAIN
Jul 30, 2025
Incident date: Jul 14, 2025
Any time I step on the gas to accelerate from the current speed to by pass a car (by changing lanes), the transmission down shift to third gear and does not Up-shift causing the car to reach the top speed of the 3rd gear which is slower then the speed before the shifting occured. This episode causes the car behind me to have a knee jerk reaction and could result in rear ending me or trying to avoi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2025
I am unsure of the proper name of the component with issues. There are several little issues but the main is, I believe it would be a software issue... Basically, on several different occasions (4) while driving at 60 mph and over, the vehicle suddenly stalled and shut off completely with no warning. The one incident which was the very first while I was driving less than 1 month ago. I was on a tw... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2025
THE RADIO (MMI SYSTEM) IS REBOOTING WHILE DRIVING EVERY 5-10 MIN. DEALERSHIP CAN'T FIX AND IS AFFECTING SAFETY SYTEMS LIKE FRONT AND REAR CAMERAS/SENSORS.
Incident date: Jun 30, 2025
2.7l turbo l3b Chevy Silverado started skipping and throwing codes. First the coil packs and plugs were changed. Then crankshaft and camshaft sensors replaced. Then the fuel rail and direct injectors replaced along with harness . Still skipping and making loud noise on startup. Reduced power, etc. mechanic finally got the camshaft carrier off and the very back two exhaust rocker arms were in the c... Read more
Incident date: Jul 30, 2024
Front passenger door stopped closing on the 10th of July without any warning so I am forced into driving with a partially closed door tied with rope and I see that multiple people have filed a complaint about the same problem.
Incident date: Jul 26, 2025
Front passenger door stopped closing on the 10th of July without any warning so I am forced into driving with a partially closed door tied with rope and I see that multiple people have filed a complaint about the same problem.
Incident date: Jul 13, 2025
While driving my 2017 Kia Optima (Theta II engine) at approximately 115,900 miles, I suddenly experienced engine failure. The vehicle began to stall and produced a burning smell shortly before the engine seized completely. I had the car towed to a Kia dealership, which confirmed an internal engine failure and noted that there were no signs of external oil leaks or neglect. The failure occurred onl... Read more
Incident date: Jul 13, 2025
You cannot wear dark sunglasses while driving this car, as the safety systems are turned off because the car fails to recognize your eyes, as it can't see them through the sunglasses. How does the research and development side of making this ioniq 5 not see this? This ultimately forces you to drive without sunglasses, causing an unsafe environment while driving. This is a bad design for the car.
Incident date: Jul 13, 2025
You cannot wear dark sunglasses while driving this car, as the safety systems are turned off because the car fails to recognize your eyes, as it can't see them through the sunglasses. How does the research and development side of making this ioniq 5 not see this? This ultimately forces you to drive without sunglasses, causing an unsafe environment while driving. This is a bad design for the car.
Incident date: Jun 4, 2022
Excessive oil consumption started at 61,000 miles, causing engine misfires and dangerous power loss on the road. Engine codes 1326 and P0304 were frequent. Despite numerous services, including sensor replacements, spark plugs and oil top-offs, the problem worsened. At 97,769 miles, the dealer said a full engine replacement is needed along with other pertinent repairs related to the engine are n... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4XE. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the windshield wipers and the heater unintendedly engaged. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was unable to turn off the vehicle, which required the contact to wait until the battery was drained. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnose... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2022
While driving my 2020 Ram Rebel, the driver side seat belt locked up and will no longer retract. I took the vehicle into the Larry H. Miller Chrysler dodge dealership and they attempted to fix it but they were not successful. My truck only has 58,809 miles on it and they stated that it was no longer under warranty and that I would have to pay to replace it (roughly $750). Prior to the seatbelt loc... Read more
Incident date: Jul 30, 2025
When I was driving my car with my child in it my break tightened up and I couldn’t apply them to stop I had to let my foot off the gas and let my car slow its self down safely. When I got my car home my husband looked at it and found out that my vaccum pump had went out and part of it broke off in the engine. This is very unsafe and this needs to be investigated because people can’t know when ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2025
With only 4811 miles on our Jeep Wagoneer, it had TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE causing my wife to drive thru a stop sign avoiding pedestrians. I had it towed by Jeep roadside assistance to St.Clair Chrysler Jeep in St. Clair MI. on [XXX]. A week later on [XXX] I was told to come pick up the car and that it was repaired. The porter went to move the car and again TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE. The vehicle was again re... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2025
I own a 2021 Ford F-150 [Lariat PowerBoost] affected by recall 23S65 (rear axle bolt). The bolts have severed. Ford has advised that my truck is unsafe to drive until repaired. When I brought the vehicle in, I was told parts were available. I drove the car home and later discovered from paperwork that the repair was not completed only the parts had been ordered. I was told not to take the Truck o... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2005 Hummer H2. The contact stated that while parking in the mountains, the vehicle was in the park position, and it unexpectedly rolled and stopped at a boulder. There were no warning lights illuminated. The door hit the driver and knocked him to the ground, and he sustained an injury to his head, but medical attention was not provided. Another person on an ATV provided a jump ... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Nov 10, 2024
Excessive engine oil consumption. The vehicle oil consumption is beyond my control, currently I am afraid to embark on vacation driving to friends or on vacation in other states. Low engine oil can result in engine overheating and fire, thus endangering life, family and property. I am currently adding oil every 14 days to ensure the engine is at a safe operating level for my own safety. ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. While d... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2025
I am leasing a 2024 Tesla Cybertruck and have experienced multiple serious and unresolved safety issues. When driving at speeds of 50–60 mph or higher, the Cybertruck begins to shake aggressively, particularly in the front wheels. The vibration makes it difficult to maintain control. I took it to the Tesla dealership, and service staff confirmed there is a known malfunction with the Cybertruck t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2025
Check engine light came on and when filling up my gas tank, gas spit back out at me which has happened with the fuel tank i had in it last year and has since been replaced. Forward collision, EBS, traction control and forward safety sensor lights came on the next day and the car is running extremely rough. It was towed to a shop to see if it has to do with the fuel tank recall. Multiple people in ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2025
The Break System is malfunctioning. ADAS System Malfunctioning. Internet problem. The driver's side left HVAC is making a cracking sound. I received a Recall message from the manufacturer and NHTSA, but the person from the dealership service is not going to fix the problem, and he says the message is not Valid. Please help me go through this. And he is not going to honor the warranty. FYI, I al... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2025
The Break System is malfunctioning. ADAS System Malfunctioning. Internet problem. The driver's side left HVAC is making a cracking sound. I received a Recall message from the manufacturer and NHTSA, but the person from the dealership service is not going to fix the problem, and he says the message is not Valid. Please help me go through this. And he is not going to honor the warranty. FYI, I al... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2025
The Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) control module on this vehicle has failed, causing the following: Complete loss of ABS braking Loss of traction control Inoperable speedometer Warning lights for ABS, brake, and traction systems
Incident date: Jul 29, 2025
1) Crankshaft Sensor MIL Light 2) Drive train malfunction, 3) Start and Stop malfunction, 3) MIL for Catalytic convertor 4) MIL light for Catalytic Convertor & O2 sensor failure. The Vehicle has (97,000 K), and the BMW dealer would not cover the costs. However there's TSB published for this vehicle, yet its not being honored by the dealer who claims that the Emissions warranty expired after 8 yea... Read more
Incident date: Aug 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, the vehicle jerked and unexpectedly downshifted. The steering wheel warning light, check engine warning light, ABS, and TPS warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2025
While driving on the Interstate, my transmission suddenly had a dramatic downshift. A few miles later as I was exiting the freeway, it went into a limp mode for about 3 miles. I barely could pull into a fast food parking lot immediately off the exit ramp. After letting the truck sit for about an hour, I restarted the truck. It seemed to drive fairly well and drove it to a parts store to see if an... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while shifted into reverse(R), the back over prevention screen failed to properly display an image of the rear of the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The message to “See Dealer" was displayed. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. In addition, the contact related the failure to an unkn... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2025
The headlights on this vehicle are very dim and it is dangerous to drive at night. I require my daughter to drive with the high beams on since the low beam lights are hardly functional. I've had the lights replaced at a cost of $500. This did not help the situation. The lights have failed inspection and I'm faced with having to replace the lights again for an additional $500 just to pass ins... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2025
The transmission failed at 90k miles, causing shuddering and stalling on acceleration. This has occurred several times on major highways and is very dangerous.
Incident date: Jun 13, 2022
My roof dents extremely easily and it seems after searching the internet this appears to be somewhat of a problem with this model and I am sure there is some type of pressure rating it should conform to to be safe? I had a pretty big dent appear out of nowhere one day on the car roof we noticed and not sure how it got there; like it just indented itself--no damage to paint, really looked like so... Read more
Incident date: Sep 28, 2024
I have a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT and I am having issues with the transmission bucking, hesitating, slipping. I am also having issues with the variable timing system. The variable timing system started acting up last year and when I took it to the dealer they replaced it and I was charged over $400 for it to be repaired. It happened again the beginning of this year and I took it back to th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2025
The Rear Window leaks when it rains on the truck. I brought it back to the GM Chevy dealer and they applied a sealant. it immediately leaked right after. the truck now smells musty and im assuming there is mold growth. it has been at the dealership for the past two weeks while they try to figure it out