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
The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact stated that the power liftgate became inoperable when the contact attempted to engage the power liftgate. The contact had to enter the vehicle and manually opened the power liftgate. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V338000 (Electrical System, Structure); however, ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 11, 2025
Last week I was driving my daughter’s Venue and the brakes became hard. Crunching noises. I suspected I had dropped my water bottle and perhaps it rolled under the brake pedal. It was hard to depress I heard the same crunching noises as I tried to use the brakes. Drove home 1.5 miles slowly and it continued to occur all the way. I had it towed to the dealer. Been there a week and they cannot ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 11, 2025
When using the key fob to unlock the car, I have to push the unlock button 30-40 times before the car unlocks. When locking the car after using it, it usually locks the first time pushing the button on the key fob, but definitely locks after 3-4 presses. This is an issue because I am often parked on the side of the road, and when I'm pressing the button many times, I'm often standing at the door w... Read more
Incident date: Jun 26, 2025
Truck randomly shuts off and steering wheel locks up going down the road
Incident date: Jun 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Altima. The contact stated after the vehicle received brakes services, while depressing the accelerator pedal, the contact smelled smoke. The contact stated that two weeks later while inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed smoke coming the wheel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the driver’s side rear ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2025
While driving on I-17 Southbound near mile marker 311 at approximately 75 mph, I experienced a sudden and dangerous malfunction of the Lane Keep Assist (Auto-Steer) system in a 2021 Subaru Forester. The feature was active at the time and unexpectedly veered the vehicle sharply toward the concrete wall on the left shoulder of the highway. I attempted to regain control, but due to the abrupt nature ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jul 7, 2025
The vehicle a Nissan Rogue SV 2023, with a turbo engine constantly decelerated a number of times. sometimes it gave a warning and other times it does not. The first time it happened I started the engine, and the car crawled like a turtle. Even while pressing the gas pedal, it did not go any faster. I stopped the car very perturbed of what to do. I turned the engine on and tried again, and it accel... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2025
Manufactured dates for the 2.7L engine put only into the trim model Ford Fusion Sport (a rare trim) during 06/16 - 01/17 have been documented to have cylinder head issues resulting in long block issues. (Meaning a whole new engine is needed) the only way you got this issue fixed is if it was done in the first 3 years of 2017 or within 39k miles. But for those that didn’t get their vehicles in du... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2025
I am reporting a serious safety issue after three service visits to Star Nissan. Most recently, on July 8, 2025, they performed a full transmission replacement under warranty (see invoice attached). Since receiving the car back, it now makes creaking noises, vibrates severely under acceleration and deceleration, and is completely unsafe to drive. The shaking is so bad I can feel it under my feet ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
My passenger airbag spontaneously deployed without an impact when it was parked. This shattered the windshield and expelled plastic dashboard pieces and glass everywhere. My daughter and I had just exited the car so there were no injuries. Had we not stopped this may have deployed on the road or if my passenger had waited in the car caused serious injuries. I contacted Chrystler to report this saf... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
On over a dozen occasions my vehicle’s check engine light randomly comes on and then my car stalls out while driving and begins decelerating quickly. It is very dangerous and scary when this has happened on the freeway or in places where there is nowhere to pull off the road. My Honda Civic is less than 2 years old and has already been in the service department at Honda for a combined total of m... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2025
I was parking my car and pressed down on the brake. The car continued to roll forward so I pressed down farther. The car kept rolling forward. I took my foot off the brake and then pressed down hard and came to a stop. The brake fluid is clean and at max levels. The brake pads are relatively new. No visible signs of damage or leaking.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
Purchased car about 4 months ago, before warranty ran out, the shop looked at it told me it was fine, it wouldn't accelerate. Few weeks later same issue but all my oil was gone, they found 11 things wrong with the vehicle, told me warranty wouldn't take care of it unless the engine blow up. The salesman Scottie Mitchell told me check Kia for recalls, called Kia 3 recalls, they were trying to fina... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2025
Purchased car about 4 months ago, before warranty ran out, the shop looked at it told me it was fine, it wouldn't accelerate. Few weeks later same issue but all my oil was gone, they found 11 things wrong with the vehicle, told me warranty wouldn't take care of it unless the engine blow up. The salesman Scottie Mitchell told me check Kia for recalls, called Kia 3 recalls, they were trying to fina... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2025
The Integrated Charge Control Unit failed despite having all related recall repairs/actions implemented. Failure occurred while pulling into a parking place after completing level 2 charging to 80%. The failure has not yet been confirmed by the dealer, but all common symptoms match this failure including hearing a pop sound from the rear of the vehicle followed by “Check Electrical System” ind... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2025
The Integrated Charge Control Unit failed despite having all related recall repairs/actions implemented. Failure occurred while pulling into a parking place after completing level 2 charging to 80%. The failure has not yet been confirmed by the dealer, but all common symptoms match this failure including hearing a pop sound from the rear of the vehicle followed by “Check Electrical System” ind... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that a handheld diagnostic machine was used to retrieve diagnostic trouble codes related to the transmission, and torque converter. The vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that a handheld diagnostic machine was used to retrieve diagnostic trouble codes related to the transmission, and torque converter. The vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2024
The rear differential housing is peeling apart and leaking out the fluid. It is clearly a defect that is shown widely on the internet affecting many other owners of this vehicle. Clearly there is a danger of the drive train locking up and can lead to accident. Talked with jeep they do not want to help.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle occasionally experienced reduction in automotive power with the "System Malfunction" message displayed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the battery had been replaced twice however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the windshield wiper fluid was low. The contact added additional fluid to the reservoir. After the additional fluid was added, the contact became aware that there was windshield wiper fluid on the garage floor. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the soy-based feeding tubes to the wi... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model X. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle shook erratically. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a malfunction with the front driver's side half shaft. The contact stated that the front driver's side half shaft needed to be reposi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2025
Piston damage may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. A broken connecting rod may puncture the engine block allowing engine oil to escape. The leaking oil may contact the exhaust, increasing the risk of a fire. I have replaced my catalytic converter twice in the last year due to this issue. Engine is dumping oil into catalytic converter causing it to stop up. There was a rec... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2025
I have been experiencing complete driving failure with my 2016 Nissan Murano. It shutdowns randomly without any warning well driving in traffic. I have already experienced being put in a crash risk three times. I have been trying to work with the dealer for almost 2 months now, only to receive my SUV with the same issue. I am terrified to be forced to put my children in such a high risk automobi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2025
I have been experiencing complete driving failure with my 2016 Nissan Murano. It shutdowns randomly without any warning well driving in traffic. I have already experienced being put in a crash risk three times. I have been trying to work with the dealer for almost 2 months now, only to receive my SUV with the same issue. I am terrified to be forced to put my children in such a high risk automobi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 6, 2025
Reverse camera does not activate consistently. After installing 3.6.4, this issue is not resolved and the "camera temporarily unavailable" message is still being displayed.
Incident date: Jul 6, 2025
Driving down interstate going 78mph in hybrid mode and the car shuts off and I was able to get over to the side of the road since traffic wasn't bad at the time. Restarted the car and went on my way with no other issues until last week. Driving down the interstate again in hybrid mode and the "service hybrid " light starts flashing and so I changed to all gas for the remainder of the trip. Took... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the ABS and the traction control warning lights illuminated. The messages "4-Wheel Drive Temporarily Disabled" and "Hill Start Assist Not Available" were displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving after starting the vehicle, the vehicle hesitated while responding, and there was an abnorm... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2025
September 2, 2023 at about 6 pm I pulled over to grab a couple water bottles from the rear of my 2002 Ford Explorer Sport cause my engine was overheating. I got out walked to the rear of my vehicle pushed my unlatch button on the tailgate and I lifted the glass part of the rear hatch. Both air hinges were not working correctly to keep it up so I gently rested the glass on my hair that was put up ... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: May 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. 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. The contact had not experienced a f... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2025
Several safety-critical systems failed on this vehicle. The engine (Theta II 2.4L GDI) failed due to rod bearing wear, causing sudden power loss on the highway. The vehicle entered limp mode, once at 50 mph in 2018 and again at 70 mph in 2025, and had to be pulled over quickly to avoid collision. Additional issues: all four windows failed at different times, leaving them stuck open and creating s... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Odyssey equipped with a Cabin Watch camera. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Lane Keeping Assist and the Cabin Watch camera became inoperable. Additionally, the contact stated that even though the Cabin Watch had become inoperable, the Cabin Watch plastic case was constantly burning hot. An independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and d... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Odyssey equipped with a Cabin Watch camera. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Lane Keeping Assist and the Cabin Watch camera became inoperable. Additionally, the contact stated that even though the Cabin Watch had become inoperable, the Cabin Watch plastic case was constantly burning hot. An independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and d... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while his wife was pulling into a customer's driveway at 5 MPH, the vehicle stalled and rolled back and crashed into a parked Ford F-150. The brake pedal was applied, but the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle failed to restart. There were no warning lights illuminated. The collision feature failed to engage. There was no fire or... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jul 9, 2025
Three of the four tires, rated for 30k miles, have failed. There are 11,400 miles on the tires. Back passenger tire blew out and went immediately and audibly flat. Dealer stated this is a known issue with this brand of tire on the Kia K5. 235/45 R18 94v M+S
Incident date: Jun 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that the vehicle displayed "Reduced Power," and the rear wheels started to lock-up. The contact was able to keep control of the vehicle and continued driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who completed the repair under NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V797000 (Power Train). The contact stated that after the recall repair, while leaving th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY "BRICKS" VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY SHIFTS FROM DRIVE TO PARK WHILE AT A RESTING STOP I.E. STOPLIGHT DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INTERIOR
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY "BRICKS" VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY SHIFTS FROM DRIVE TO PARK WHILE AT A RESTING STOP I.E. STOPLIGHT DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INTERIOR
Incident date: Jul 1, 2021
The vehicle steering wheel feels stuck in position while driving, it releases the initial sticking feeling when I force the turn and it continues to feel stuck in place every time the steering doesn’t turn to either side and I try to turn again it requires extra force to release the stuck in place feeling. I took to dealership and asked if there was a recall and they told me only on newer model... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ram ProMaster. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle suddenly shut off. The vehicle was unable to be restarted and was later towed to the local mechanic. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet contacted regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 170,000.
Incident date: Jun 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ram ProMaster. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle suddenly shut off. The vehicle was unable to be restarted and was later towed to the local mechanic. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet contacted regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 170,000.
Incident date: Feb 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and jerked while a... Read more
Incident date: Feb 16, 2025
When attempting to drive from a stop light or stop sign, after taking your foot of the brake, the vehicle intermittently completely turns off. It will not immediately restart and you find yourself stuck in the middle of an intersection creating a safety issue. The vehicle has been in to Chevrolet to have this issue fixed once already and it continues to repeat. I doubt the dealer has been able to ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2025
Unknown
Crash
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal humming sound coming from the passenger’s side rear of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated; however, a message to turn off and restart the vehicle was displayed. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was started; however, the steering wheel was locke... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while reversing, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle jolted forward while parking. The brakes were locking up. While driving 5 MPH, the steering wheel locked up. The 4-WD fault light was illuminated. The contact stated that the Pre-collision Assist, Hill Assist and Reverse messages were displayed. The contact stated that the failure was r... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2025
Engine power reduced defect, causing affected models to lose power while driving at highway speeds. My son’s was driving 55 mph and then all of sudden the car decelerated to 20 mph in minutes before his 2016 Malibu stalled on [XXX]. Unfortunately the car did not make it to the emergency lane and as a result a SUV hit his car killing my daughter who was 33 weeks pregnant. The baby survived with l... Read more
Crash
4 injured
1 deaths
Incident date: Jun 12, 2025
The car makes a raddled noise when turn on and the car turns off when I press the brakes
Incident date: Jun 12, 2025
My Honda Odyssey, after a hot summer day showed error codes related to the front camera. The Adaptive cruise control problem (ACC), Auto high-beam (A); Road departure mitigation system, collision/braking mitigation system; lane keeping assist problem (LKAS) now are non-functional. Various internet users complain of the same issues without a conclusive source for the problem. It is either relate... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2025
My Honda Odyssey, after a hot summer day showed error codes related to the front camera. The Adaptive cruise control problem (ACC), Auto high-beam (A); Road departure mitigation system, collision/braking mitigation system; lane keeping assist problem (LKAS) now are non-functional. Various internet users complain of the same issues without a conclusive source for the problem. It is either relate... Read more