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, 2024
At 65k miles I have started to experience the dreaded 3.5l cam phaser rattle that Ford initially had a Customer Satisfaction Program on. Ford only repaired vehicles that were making a noise at the time of the program so they wouldn’t change my phasers even though they knew they had issues. I just got off the phone with ford customer support and even though I’m within the milage of the initial ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V270000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); 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 failure. VIN tool co... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2025
The vehicle warning indicator lights Electric Power Steering (EPS) fault light comes on and the vehicle becomes hard to steer while driving. The Stop/Start active light, Engine check/ malfunction light, service power steering light comes on and the vehicle shuts down when idling at a traffic light, the engine is automatically placed into park and has to be restarted by the driver. The vehicle is... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2025
At highway speed the steering becomes erratic and jerky.
Incident date: Jun 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine light had illuminated and the vehicle had experienced rough operation. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the cam phasers were faulty and advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failur... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at unknown speeds, the vehicle started sputtering. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that there was coolant leaking into ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine compartment. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine had failed due to defective camshaft phasers. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be rebuilt. The vehicle wa... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Freightliner XC Line Motorhome. The contact stated that the ICU on the coach had delaminated over time and made it difficult to read. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the ICU panel was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximat... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
" exterior A pillar applique trim clip attachments are not properly engaged." I recieved a safety recall letter July 2024. I called Zeigler Ford dealership for the repair. They scheduled an appointment and inspected it and said they cannot fix it due to unavailable parts from Ford. This has been going on for a year and supposedly they can't get the parts. Pieces of the rubber around my windshield... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2025
1. The transmission has continuously slipped and stuck in gears when significantly outside of standard RPM:Speed standards for the vehicle. 2. The vehicle has recently started leaking oil via a lower pressure valve. 3. The engine thermostat and/or sensor need to be replaced with faulty internal temperatures being registered. 4. The rear collision warning and camera system started malfunctioni... Read more
Incident date: May 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-250. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who performed a service update on the vehicle, which required a software update. The check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, who diagnosed that the catalytic converter had failed and needed to be replaced. ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 3, 2025
The fuel sensors on the car is not recognizing I have gas in my car, the battery and engine like come on while driving , then the whole system shuts off will the car is still driving.
KIA
SORENTO HYBRID
(2025) - POWER TRAIN
Jul 7, 2025
Incident date: Jul 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted and jerked abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
KIA
SORENTO HYBRID
(2025) - STEERING
Jul 7, 2025
Incident date: Jul 6, 2025
Power steering fault at highway speed multiple times, difficulty turning wheel. Intermittent and sporadic issue. "Service Power Steering" intermittently shows on dash.
KIA
SORENTO HYBRID
(2025) - BACK OVER PREVENTION
Jul 7, 2025
Incident date: Jul 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln Navigator. The contact stated that the rearview camera image was distorted. The contact stated that message “Camera Unavailable” was displayed. The contact stated that the failure had become more frequent. The local dealer was contacted and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was co... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 GMC Yukon. 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 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 ha... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2025
Loud static noise coming from speakers when driving car. Noise starts low and gradually increases to the point is unbearable. Then radio doesn't work, if you change the source or radio station still static noise. Only way it stops is by shutting car off. Started happening about two weeks ago.
Incident date: Jun 6, 2025
Vehicle is getting errors for Emssions controls, parking brake, and sh-awd system faults all at the same time. Car will still function normally and codes will go off and come back intermittently. Also while reading the codes it will get a U3006-16 code for low voltage on the ecm. Confirmed battery is good under load test and alternator is charging at 14.2 volts.
Incident date: Jun 8, 2025
One day when I went to sit in the front passenger seat a message came on the Driver Information Center displaying, "SERVICE AIR BAG" and then I notice that the indicator light on the dash was displaying the Air Bag warning light, and the rearview mirror was showing that the passenger air bag was off. Without the air bag working I cannot ride in the front seat of the car and due to the fact that if... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2025
1. On [XXX] the coolant leaked into the engine cylinders causing complete engine failure. Yes, it is available for inspection. 2. On [XXX] my [XXX] son was driving with my [XXX] son and the engine overheated, nearly burning them both when they tried to release the pressurized coolant reservoir. 3. Yes, an autobody shop confirmed this upon inspection this morning (July 7th, 2025). 4. The only wa... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The message "Power Steering Assist Fault" was displayed. The contact was able to pull over to side of the road. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the power steering functionality became operable. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle the fol... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
Blind spot monitoring system has failed again after being replaced on a previous winnebago ekko recall. This safety feature no longer available for use No warning messages or symptoms prior to the failure
Incident date: Oct 15, 2024
Audi mmi will shut off randomly, while in drive(accelerating or not), reverse, or idle, causing the camera and sensors to become inoperable, and the vehicle gives a warning saying “parking aid: malfunction! Obstacles cannot be detected” only after the mmi system has rebooted. When this occurs while reversing, not only a car but a pedestrian may be passing behind me and I would not know. This i... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
Vehicle: 2021 Toyota Highlander XSE Approximate Mileage: 92,000 Location: Boerne, TX (Texas Hill Country) ⸻ 🔧 Summary of the Problem: My vehicle experienced serious electrical failure after heavy rainfall in the Texas Hill Country, where catastrophic flooding recently occurred. At a red light, the dashboard began flashing, power windows stopped working, and the electronic parking brake wou... Read more
Incident date: Jul 3, 2025
Transmission needs replacement after only 82,000 miles with regular oil changes and routine maintenance. Ford dealership quote $9600 plus tax for repair. It is unacceptable for Ford to manufacture and sell vehicles with known transmission issues. This could lead to myriad of safety issues.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
Audi mmi will shut off randomly, while in drive(accelerating or not), reverse, or idle, causing the camera and sensors to become inoperable, and the vehicle gives a warning saying “parking aid: malfunction! Obstacles cannot be detected” only after the mmi system has rebooted. When this occurs while reversing, not only a car but a pedestrian may be passing behind me and I would not know. This i... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2025
1. On [XXX] the coolant leaked into the engine cylinders causing complete engine failure. Yes, it is available for inspection. 2. On [XXX] my [XXX] son was driving with my [XXX] son and the engine overheated, nearly burning them both when they tried to release the pressurized coolant reservoir. 3. Yes, an autobody shop confirmed this upon inspection this morning (July 7th, 2025). 4. The only wa... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2025
My vehicle is saying please service the airbags on it. I have noticed that when I start it there seems to be issues with my odometer showing up at times. I have noticed then the vehicle to a dealer for this issue but when it goes to the shop I will discuss it with them.
Incident date: Jun 22, 2025
The jeeps ABS module is having an error code C2200 that is present in many jeeps and the manufacturer is unable to repair or emit a recall for this issue. Jeep went into limp mode on the rode and cannot be driven.
Incident date: Apr 20, 2025
On [XXX] my 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS unexpectedly surged forward while I was stationary in a drive-through lane, immediately after pressing the "P" (Park) button. There was no audible or visual collision warning, and no automatic braking intervention occurred. My wife was in the front passenger seat and did not observe any foot movement or pedal input that would have triggered acceleration. The sur... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 20, 2025
my car isnt listed for a current recall but should considering the software update does not match. Recall Reference: P4A30, P4A31 should have included my call as i dont have that update. Update 283C36PA5E is before the one shown in the recall.
Incident date: Jul 4, 2025
I was in bumper-to-bumper traffic traveling West on Interstate 376 in Pittsburgh, PA. The weather was clear and cool, and the pavement where I was driving was dry. I was proceeding through the Fort Pitt tunnel outbound. Given that traffic was stop and go and moving very slowly, I switched my recouperation setting from “normal” to “strong” to enable one-pedal driving using the paddles on... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 4, 2025
Subject: Engine Failure Due to Bearing Defect – No KSDS Recall Notification Vehicle: 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport VIN: [XXX] Date of Purchase: April 2016 Complaint Summary: I am filing this complaint regarding my 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, which experienced catastrophic engine failure due to the known Theta II GDI engine bearing defect. Hyundai has an active class action settlement covering... Read more
Incident date: Jul 5, 2025
I was driving on the freeway and my car started slowing down to the point of intermittently stalling. The MIL or check engine light came on. I could have been hit from the back if I did not successfully pull to over to the side of the freeway. I slowly drove it to a safe place and had my car towed to the Nissan dealership. It will now be looked at on Monday.
Incident date: Jul 5, 2025
I was driving on the freeway and my car started slowing down to the point of intermittently stalling. The MIL or check engine light came on. I could have been hit from the back if I did not successfully pull to over to the side of the freeway. I slowly drove it to a safe place and had my car towed to the Nissan dealership. It will now be looked at on Monday.
Incident date: Jul 5, 2025
I was driving on the freeway and my car started slowing down to the point of intermittently stalling. The MIL or check engine light came on. I could have been hit from the back if I did not successfully pull to over to the side of the freeway. I slowly drove it to a safe place and had my car towed to the Nissan dealership. It will now be looked at on Monday.
Incident date: Jul 4, 2025
I bought my 2014 Nissan Pathfinder 4x4 sv a couple months ago and it’s always had when starting where the RPMS will constantly jump while driving, I took the car in to Nissan dealership in Tridelphia wv multiple times, after buying to have recalls done that needed to be done and they said it was fine no previous codes or anything. Then driving home from work [XXX] the check engine light came on ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2025
I bought my 2014 Nissan Pathfinder 4x4 sv a couple months ago and it’s always had when starting where the RPMS will constantly jump while driving, I took the car in to Nissan dealership in Tridelphia wv multiple times, after buying to have recalls done that needed to be done and they said it was fine no previous codes or anything. Then driving home from work [XXX] the check engine light came on ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 3, 2025
When braking, the vehicle "releases" and lurches forward at a faster rate, but then catches again and continues to brake as it was before. It does not flash or light up on the dash with any issues when this happens. We have tried to find how to specifically recreate this issue to show to the dealership, but it just happens randomly anywhere from 2-12 times a day. This is especially terrifying comi... Read more
Incident date: May 23, 2025
While diving at highway speeds (first at 55mph in may 2025 and then again in July 2025 at 65mph) I got a warning on screen about power loss and a critical failure and that power will be reduced and to stop at the side of the road. Within 30 seconds or a minute of the warning the car power cut out significantly impacting the speed and both times almost causing traffic behind me to hit me from behin... Read more
Incident date: Oct 28, 2023
The Power steering ceased working while on a Major roadway making steering the vehicle To the side of the road very difficult to steer. If we were on a major interstate we could have severely hurt ! This happened 4 times while driving an hour away. We are Traveling for 5 months and we have a dealer in two harbors MN going to look at the car . This issue has happened before and from what I read on... Read more
Incident date: Oct 28, 2023
At mid to low speeds when pressing the brakes, I can feel excessive shaking and vibration when going over uneven roads. I’m located in Queens, New York so you can imagine the roads aren’t the smoothest. However not speaking of pot holes or anything like that just any uneven surface bump. It causes the brakes to feel like ABS kicking on but no abs lights or anything just the feeling. I only fee... Read more
Incident date: Oct 28, 2023
Engine light- shifting rough, steering wheel shakes. I took it in to get checked, they replaced something for the emissions. Then told I need a twerk converter. Another place didn’t recommend that & I was told needs a new transmission. I have only had my vehicle 4 years and have kept it well maintenanced.
Incident date: Mar 26, 2025
Dashboard lit up with a lot of lights and stuff
Incident date: Jun 11, 2025
My truck is only 3 years old. However about 3 months ago I noticed my rear view camera quit working. I only get a black or blue screen. Every other camera still works. I know there are over 1 million ford vehicles with this exact same issue that are under a recall. I would like to know why mine is not. I do not think it is fair I have to pay to repair an issue that’s covered by over 1 million ot... Read more
Incident date: Jun 11, 2025
The front fuel tank strap fell off and tank is now hanging. When looking at strap, I noticed the frame mount that holds strap was corroded/rusted and had snapped, causing strap to let go. This was a recall back in 2009-2012 on this same vehicle. This should be looked at ASAP and recalled. This is a safety issue. Thankfully I found this before tank dropped out while driving.
Incident date: Jun 11, 2025
I had been trying to get the transmission changed on several occasions but was unsuccessful and was told to wait until 100,000 miles. So, I complied to suggestion. On 7/3/25 for a scheduled oil and transmission service, it was told that the transmission was throwing a P17F1 code and it would be best no to do anything with the transmission. So, at this point with no knowledge of what the code meant... Read more
Incident date: Jun 28, 2025
Regarding the vehicle's functionality, the horn activated unexpectedly on or around May 2, 2025, sounding continuously for approximately 10-15 minutes while the vehicle was occupied. Subsequently, the horn has ceased to function. Furthermore, on or around May 10, 2025, the powertrain system indicator illuminated, leading to a diagnosis on May 18th that identified code P0455, indicating an EVAP sys... Read more
Incident date: Oct 11, 2024
Vehicle: 2020 Ford Edge VIN: [XXX] Component: Powertrain / Transmission Complaint (Updated): This is an update to a prior complaint regarding my 2020 Ford Edge transmission. The vehicle unexpectedly shifted into reverse while in drive and had difficulty accelerating properly. The dealership diagnosed a major transmission failure and quoted nearly $10,000 for repairs. Ford Customer Service has be... Read more