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: Dec 31, 1969
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); 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 that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. No warning l... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while parking on two occasions, a "brake pressure low, stop at a safe place" message appeared and an unknown warning light. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where she was informed that there was an unknown recall associated with the failure and it was diagnosed that the brake pump and booster needed to be replaced. The v... Read more
KIA
SPORTAGE HYBRID
(2023) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
May 7, 2026
Incident date: Mar 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle began to experience cylinder misfiring and vibrations and the check engine light had illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer who diagnosed the engine cylinder piston rings had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The VIN was... Read more
KIA
SPORTAGE HYBRID
(2023) — POWER TRAIN
May 7, 2026
Incident date: Mar 5, 2026
The contact owns a a 2014 Chevrolet Spark. The contact stated that while on several occasions at various speeds, the transmission warning light illuminated and the vehicle lost power. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and turned off for approximately 30 mins and then restarted. The contact stated that after 30 minutes to an hour the failure reoccurred. The vehicle taken to an indepen... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2026
Zero warning lights, dash clusters only allowing two options to show, oil temperature reading 200degrees Fahrenheit or higher, floor board feels like the firewall is almost in the interior of the vehicle and not engine port. Upon performing a thorough investigation of my own, the manifold, intake valve and wires are visibly damaged and BURNT, coil two is visibly damaged and was smoking. The batter... Read more
Fire
Incident date: May 3, 2026
*gas tank had become partially dislodged from the undercarriage. *Entire family was in vehicle at time of incident, including three small children. The safety of an entire family along with any others that may have been on the road, if the car would have combusted due to the gas tank which had just been filled to capacity. *vehicle has been at Mark Christopher GM dealership for over one month. *de... Read more
Incident date: May 3, 2026
I am reaching out regarding the cam carrier leak on my 2019 Subaru Outback. After researching this issue, I discovered that cam carrier leaks are extremely common among Subaru vehicles equipped with the boxer engine, especially Outbacks from this generation. Many owners have reported the same exact issue, often at relatively low mileage, with repair costs commonly ranging between $3000 - 5000 Wha... Read more
Incident date: May 3, 2026
Check engine light came on, car lost power on highway. Car continues to have the same issue after repairs have been made. Ford App says engine misfire, after every repair. Ford mechanics fix spark plugs, coils, electrical. None of which has fixed the issue of stalling on the highway which poses risk of me the driver and others driving on the highway. The only light that comes on is engine light.
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
Year/Make/Model: 2013 Toyota Prius • Component: Brake Booster Assembly with Master Cylinder (Part #47070-47060) Description of the Defect: After approximately 30–40 minutes of driving, my dashboard illuminates with the Brake, ABS, and VSC warning lights simultaneously. The brake pedal becomes inconsistent and requires significantly more effort to stop the vehicle. This is a known internal flui... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
The emergency steering will engage at random times. The car makes a loud noise, a light on the dashboard illuminates, and the car will try to drive into another lane. This happens at least once a week, and it has never happened when there was another car around, so I wasn't about to get into a collision. It has happened when there is construction and the lane markers are unclear, when the road is ... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Palisade. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 26V034000 (Air Bags) and 25V607000 (Seat Belts); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not y... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Koa. The contact stated that while the daughter was driving the vehicle began to sputter and jerk before stalling. During the failure the oil warning light flashed off and on. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine had failed due to carbon buildup. The contact was advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet... Read more
KIA
SORENTO HYBRID
(2025) — ENGINE
May 6, 2026
Incident date: Feb 10, 2026
Canister purge valve getting stuck open and causing a hard start
Incident date: Apr 26, 2026
The vehicle was puttering and smoking from the exhaust. At first the mechanic thought it was a head gasket, but with further investigation it was the coolant/exhaust. The vehicle stalled out multiple times, twice while driving and once in a grocery store parking lot.
Incident date: Apr 26, 2026
The contact called on behalf of the owner of a 2018 Jaguar E-Pace. The contact stated that since the vehicle was purchased, an abnormal fuel odor had been emitting from the vehicle. The contact stated that the abnormal smell persisted. The contact stated that the fuel odor was strong when filling up the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics who diagnosed that fuel was lea... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2026
when vehicle accelerates from stopping position motor immediately increases rpm's from 700 to about 4,000 and increases and decreases with jerking motion. sometimes much difficulty controlling speed and controlling car when there are approaching vehicles. the transmission does not perform safely there is the same problem when passing other vehicles and travelling uphill , sometimes 50 to 75 mph... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing out of the driveway, the vehicle suddenly shut off and failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed that the fuel injector had failed. The vehicle was repaired. After having the vehicle repaired, the contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V467000 (Fuel System, Gasoline), 25V8290... Read more
Incident date: Apr 26, 2026
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that they discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 141,670. It was later discovered that the vehicle’s title mileage was 301,887. The contact discovered the discrepancy when he tried to trade in the vehicle and the dealer... Read more
Incident date: Apr 26, 2026
All lights on dash are on. Problem with running hot, oil is milky looking misfires, vibration is terrible. Cuts off and will not go over 5 mph sometimes.
Incident date: May 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that the back over prevention camera would display a black screen whenever in reverse. The camera would fail the majority of the time when in reverse. The failure related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the VIN was not included. ... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2026
The contact owns a . The contact stated that while driving in reverse a loud popping noise had occurred coming from the engine compartment. Later, while driving up a hill was warning message "Accelerator, Reduced Speed" had displayed and the vehicle was slowly driven home. The contact later discovered that the vehicle also did not operate in reverse. The vehicle was taken to the local mec... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2026
The 14.4" Infotainment Screen will freeze randomly during vehicle start-up, make an audible buzzing sound through the speakers, then hard reset. During this time, the camera system is inoperable until the radio finishes resetting, causing reduced visibility around the vehicle when in reverse. No warning lamps or stored codes were present when this issue first occurred. The concern was shared with ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 24, 2026
The Rear Axle Drivetrain Assembly failed. Specifically, a critical structural fastener (bolt) associated with NHTSA Recall #25V090 (MBUSA #2025020010) completely detached from the rear axle. The vehicle is currently in my possession and the failed component/repair is photographed. The detachment of this structural bolt caused a complete loss of propulsion while the vehicle was in a commercial driv... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
While in motion at about 25-30 miles per hours, slightly stepping on the brake to slow down, the car just… wouldn’t, I was forced to swerve, preventing damage to cars ahead, I went over a curb
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: May 1, 2026
The steering wheel has started to jerk left then comes center and goes right. (Likely sticky steering). Under 100k miles and happens mostly on the highway but has started to be on slower roads. No accident as of now, but common issue with this vehicle.
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Battery Issue, Pull Over" displayed, and the battery, check engine, and master warning lights illuminated. The contact pulled over and contacted the dealer, who instructed him to turn off and restart the vehicle. After following the dealer's instructions, the failure was resolved. The c... Read more
Incident date: May 3, 2026
The contact owns a 2012 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH approaching a red light, the rear trailing arm detached from the tire. No warning lights were illuminated. The driver was able to dive to a parking lot. The vehicle was transported on a trailer by her father. The front door latch had become inoperable. The contact had to tie the door shut but was later repaired by ... Read more
Incident date: May 3, 2026
The contact owns a 2012 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH approaching a red light, the rear trailing arm detached from the tire. No warning lights were illuminated. The driver was able to dive to a parking lot. The vehicle was transported on a trailer by her father. The front door latch had become inoperable. The contact had to tie the door shut but was later repaired by ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2026
While flat towing my 2022 Ford F‑350 behind a motorhome using Ford’s Neutral Tow Mode procedure, the vehicle suffered a catastrophic transmission failure. The Ford dealer documented this clearly on the service invoice: “HAPPENED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS FLAT TOWED.” After the tow, the truck had severe slipping, delayed engagement, high RPM with no movement, and a wrench light. The dealer conf... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
Driving my 2017Golf the check engine light came on. The light was steady. I called my dealer and got it in for service. They report to me that the Thermostat housing needs to be replaced and oxygen sensors need replacing also. I just had the manifold replaced 6 weeks ago. I found on line that this is a common problem . Why isn’t this a Recall Repair?
Incident date: Apr 26, 2026
Steering assist reduced drive with care display, air conditioning turned off, stop and start disabled, temperature monitor at cold, fan blows hard Why my 2020 model was not covered under the special coverage N252508350 NHTSA ID# 11024390
Incident date: May 4, 2026
The vehicles check engine light has come on. I have had it to the dealership several times. I spent a large amount of money to have the fuel injectors replaced. Not fixed. The dealership has told me they have had 3 others in with the same problem and haven’t been able to fix it. Now my vehicle is out of warranty so I have to pay for all the repairs. I have had to e vehicle stall 4 times no... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
Transmition- I started bringing it into the dealer around 80,000 miles because it was slipping and bucking (gears). Allegedly, they could provide warrenty coverage but could duplicate the problem. It is doing it more frequently and hesitates (drastically) which can cause an accident from behind. Yes, it was reproduced but as I stated, I was told, "They couldn't do 'anything about it'". It has ... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact received the recall notification letter for NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train). The contact stated that the vehicle skidded; the occupant was lunged forward into the steering wheel. While driving at 55-65 MPH, the steering wheel lurched out of his hands. The vehicle was difficult to control. While driving 45 MPH, the vehicle locked up. Th... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2025
This vehicle is equipped with LED Daytime Running Lights. These are designed to be long-life, however, as has been noted multiple times in this forum, half of the passenger-side DRL on my vehicle has stopped functioning. The repair cost for this item is in excess of $2,000 as the front bumper needs to be removed and the entire headlight assembly replaced. Most drivers will choose to defer repl... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2026
COMPONENT FAILED: Theta II 2.4L GDI engine connecting rod bearings. Vehicle has 95,000 miles. Engine available for inspection in [XXX] . SAFETY RISK: Engine knock + limp mode at 1500 RPM caused sudden loss of power on highway. Oil consumption 1L/700km risks catastrophic engine seizure while driving. CONFIRMED BY DEALER: Independent service center confirmed DTC P0010 from metal debris. Hyundai Mo... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2026
I am filing a formal complaint regarding my brand‑new 2025 Toyota Sienna, purchased in February 2025 for nearly $70,000. I am still paying interest on this vehicle, which has failed to perform as promised. From early ownership, the vehicle had issues including multimedia malfunctions and unsafe lane‑change behavior on rough roads. In October 2025, Toyota issued a recall for faulty second‑row... Read more
1 deaths
Incident date: Apr 12, 2026
I am the second owner of this vehicle. Upon purchase, i chose to purchase all extended warranties so that I had minimal out of pocket costs to maintain and repair my vehicle. I had the vehicle maintained regularly at LaFontaine Honda in Dearborn. A couple days before my scheduled service in December 2025, several warning lights became lit on the dash. I called the LaFontaine Honda, expressed my... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Acura ILX. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V859000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulics); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2021
Rear turn light visibility, turn signals are a foot off the ground and hard to see by cars following due to location on the bumper. This is only pertaining to the 4th generation Tucson (current), not any other generation. We didn't realize the issue when we bought the car, nor did we realize the placement in the bumpers. However someone stated it was hard to see the blinkers, especially in the rai... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Acura MDX. The contact stated that upon start of the vehicle, the engine entered limp mode as a check engine light appeared on the instrument panel. The vehicle failed to accelerate above 35 MPH as the contact was forced to restart the vehicle. The vehicle resumed normal driving after restart and the contact called the dealer for an appointment. While driving the vehicle to... Read more
Incident date: Apr 23, 2026
Complete loss of hydraulic brake pressure resulting in brake pedal traveling to the floor. Defect: Brake Actuator and Pump Assembly failure Risk: The vehicle has been deemed unsafe to drive by a certified Lexus technician and I was asked to sign a liability waiver to remove vehicle from dealership. Description: While driving my 2010 Lexus HS250h (90,729 miles) I experienced sudden and catastrop... Read more
Incident date: Apr 23, 2026
My full complaint of the 2020 trax after buying brand new and only I as the owner and driver. Nov 2023- seat belts would not stay latched. We found out slamming on the breaks for a tractor trailer that flipped in front of us on 495. February 2024 - dash screen out, on and off as it wanted. February 2024- Heat and AC control not turning like they were super glued March 2024- dash screen out again c... Read more
Incident date: May 3, 2026
Vehicle, a 2018 Ford Edge SEL, recently experienced misfiring and overheating with the "check engine" light illuminated. Took the vehicle to an automotive repair shop and, after performing diagnostics, they advised the vehicle's engine coolant is leaking into the cylinders, which was the subject of a prior Technical Service Bulletin #19-2208 from Ford, and is a KNOWN DESIGN DEFECT with the 2.0L E... Read more
Incident date: Apr 25, 2026
First occurrence was 02/27/2026 - onstar detecated a critical issue, the check esc, check tsc words came on in the center dash, then the orange lights came on and my truck went into limp mode at a stop light. I had to limp mode a mile to the nearest dealer. Where nothing was repaired just reset. Second occurrence - exhaust flap valve failed creating chirping noise resulting in a muffler replacem... Read more
Incident date: Apr 25, 2026
First occurrence was 02/27/2026 - onstar detecated a critical issue, the check esc, check tsc words came on in the center dash, then the orange lights came on and my truck went into limp mode at a stop light. I had to limp mode a mile to the nearest dealer. Where nothing was repaired just reset. Second occurrence - exhaust flap valve failed creating chirping noise resulting in a muffler replacem... Read more
Incident date: Apr 25, 2026
First occurrence was 02/27/2026 - onstar detecated a critical issue, the check esc, check tsc words came on in the center dash, then the orange lights came on and my truck went into limp mode at a stop light. I had to limp mode a mile to the nearest dealer. Where nothing was repaired just reset. Second occurrence - exhaust flap valve failed creating chirping noise resulting in a muffler replacem... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
As i was driving down the road at approximately 40-45mph the sunroof spontaneously exploded. Sounded like a shotgun going off. Fortunately i had the sun shade shut but still tiny glass shards came in and fell on my child and the entire interior in the mid section of vehicle. There was no vehicle in front of me, it was night time with temps in mid 70’s no reason it should've exploded outward as i... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
tHE VEHICLE IS ACTIVATING EMERGENCY BRAKE ASSIST WITH NO OBJECT IN FRONT OF IT CAUSING THE BRAKES TO SLAM ON WHILE DRIVING. LANE DEPARTURE WARNING IS TRYING TO CORRECT/MOVE VEHICLE INTO A DIFFERENT LANE
Incident date: Apr 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH occupied with his family in the vehicle, The contact could hear a banging noise coming from the sunroof. The contact mention he pulled over exited the vehicle and he discovered it was shattered. The contact mention she called her insurance company. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer wher... Read more