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
KIA
SPORTAGE HYBRID
(2023) - BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
Jul 1, 2025
Incident date: Jun 26, 2025
MMI or the center console screen is shutting down and rebooting during random intervals during driving and stopped. Causing the sensors to say there’s an error and not function. GPS, and volume control also go out.
KIA
SPORTAGE HYBRID
(2023) - BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
Jul 1, 2025
Incident date: Jun 26, 2025
MMI or the center console screen is shutting down and rebooting during random intervals during driving and stopped. Causing the sensors to say there’s an error and not function. GPS, and volume control also go out.
Incident date: May 9, 2025
The car does not sense when it is put into park. The alarm continues to ding and the car will not turn off . It displays a message stating shift to park.
Incident date: Jun 29, 2025
My 2018 GMC Yukon SLE has a Transmission Failure and a engine oil coolant failure. The issues occurred while driving when the vehicle had to go into limp status to prevent the transmission from complete failure. I have taken the vehicle to the dealership 2x and they changed the fluid once and replaced the thermostat the second time. Neither case fixed the vehicle, it is currently in the shop f... Read more
Incident date: Jun 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Cadillac Escalade. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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 t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 29, 2025
Component failed: CVT Available for inspection: yes 2019 - Vehicle stopped responding when pulling out of my driveway. My car was going backwards and I had no control. I had to turn vehicle off and on again to fix this. Had inspection and diagnostics at Nissan dealership. They reprogrammed engine control. 2020 - Vehicle was at stop light and started shaking. Then it stopped moving. I had to rest... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
After the update to the Polestar 2's software to version 3.6.4, which was released to fix the rear camera not working when in reverse, the rear camera still will not work on occasion. The vehicle has not been inspected, but can be if needed. There were no errors or warnings aside from the "Camera is temporarily unavailable" message on the main screen. The camera will likely work if the car is tak... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2025
Driving my vehicle with no warnings, messages, or symptoms on adaptive cruise control Sunday [XXX] on [XXX] in Michigan. I changed lanes into the right lane when the vehicle abruptly, without notification, and with force, caused braking that unexpectedly and dangerously slowed the vehicle then released braking before doing the same a moment later. Vehicle was pulled off the road onto the shoulder... Read more
Incident date: Jun 27, 2025
Picked up the vehicle. on [XXX]... on the way home I was going around a curve on a highway with a semi-truck to my right, when the car suddenly braked autonomously, and the power steering stopped working. I struggled to steer into the curve and then allowed the semi to move ahead so I could safely pull to the side of the road. I had several alarms go off that I had to cycle though to turn off. I f... Read more
Incident date: Jun 27, 2025
Picked up the vehicle. on [XXX]... on the way home I was going around a curve on a highway with a semi-truck to my right, when the car suddenly braked autonomously, and the power steering stopped working. I struggled to steer into the curve and then allowed the semi to move ahead so I could safely pull to the side of the road. I had several alarms go off that I had to cycle though to turn off. I f... Read more
Incident date: Jun 27, 2025
6/21/25 , a Saturday, I stopped at a traffic light when gas saver function kicked in and shut car off. The car went into park mode by itself and parking brake engaged. The car would not start and had to be towed. It sat until Monday when I was able to start it and drive it to my mechanic's business a mile from my location and shut it off. Immediately after shutting it off it would not start agai... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2025
On [XXX] [XXX] was operating her 2017 BMW X1 traveling northbound on [XXX]. While driving in the middle lane, her vehicle was struck on the right side. The point of impact was the right front passenger side, extending toward the rear passenger area. The force of the collision was significant enough to eject the right front passenger tire from the vehicle. Despite the severity of the impact, the ... Read more
Crash
4 injured
Incident date: Jun 17, 2025
Manufacturer successfully upgraded software on vehicle to version 3.6.4 to address recall number 25V-280, but the root cause of the recall remains unresolved. Vehicle continues to intermittently error on the main infotainment display with message "Camera is temporarily unavailable" when vehicle is shifted to reverse and will not display the reverse camera. While in this state, the reverse camera c... Read more
Incident date: Jun 27, 2025
I bought the car new from Mazda in December, 2024, and I am the original owner of the car. I backed out of a parking space. I shifted my gear to D, but the car kept sliding backward. I quickly shifted the gear back to P, pressed the parking brake, and turned off my engine. I had to restart my engine several times before the car will drive forward in D. This incident happened twice already.
Incident date: Jun 27, 2025
A coil that is attached underneath the sunroof is attached to the BCM. There is not a drain plug at the end so there was 5 inches of water there and the BCM was made to sit in that spot. The electrical wires and BCM were burned out because of this. The BCM controls the entire system not limited to the start button and everything that runs the car. I have only had the vehicle less than 1 year and i... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2025
Engine knocking and stalling on interstate
Incident date: May 19, 2025
Engine knocking and stalling on interstate
Incident date: Jun 30, 2025
I had a collision and rear ended a truck. My front left bumper was completely damaged. My chest hit the steering wheel. My airbags did not deploy.
Crash
Incident date: Jun 30, 2025
Fuel pump module. Driving highway speeds lost all engine power as car sputtered to a stop. Luckily car srill ran enough to maintain power steering and brake function. No warning lights.Thought it was bad fuel as I had filled the tank the prior evening with little driving after that. Towed to dealership after spending 2 hours in 100 degree plus weather on the side of the highway. Dealership states ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 11, 2025
2021 Odyssey EXL shuts off completely in traffic stop and go conditions. Happened three times in a 2 week period. Twice in city roads at traffic stop light and once in highway when the cars are in stop / go mode due to heavy traffic. Engine switches off completely and puts itself in "P" mode, all light comes on as if in accessory mode, radio switches off, all doors unlocked. To get going, the driv... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
while driving on the highway the engine caught fire.
Fire
Incident date: May 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated while the vehicle was being serviced, the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the TPMS warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that coolant constantly needed to be added to the coolant reservoir before driving the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed and the con... Read more
Incident date: May 30, 2025
The infotainment system reboots at random times. This is a security risk since it often reboots while the backup camera is active. This effectively takes the backup camera offline. This can also distract the driver since the screen blacks out then reboots promoting for two confirmation screens that you normally go through when in park.
Incident date: Jun 30, 2025
While attempting to accelerate experiencing a loss of power, an/or hard shifting. Pulling out from parking lot or street from a stop, there is a delay in getting the car to move. Moves slowly but then gradually builds up. Also at times there appears to be shifting issue, when attempting to accelerate the vehicle will do a hard jolt forward. In reviewing online this jolting is a common theme ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2025
Had lights on my dashboard when I turned it on the morning of 6/1/25. Brake light, traction, ABS, and forward collision. Cruise control also stopped working. Brake module needs to be replaced.
Incident date: Jun 24, 2025
Front passager side door will not open when unlocked. This door handle was a replacement for the original handle that had the same defect. The second handle was installed in March 2025 This then would be the second handle that failed
Incident date: Jun 5, 2025
Rear rotors delaminating at 33000 miles
Incident date: Jun 5, 2025
Polestars have had 2 recalls for rear view cameras not engaging upon being placed in reverse. My car has been through 2 of these recalls with the most recent being 1-2 weeks ago. The issue still remains and persists, in fact it only got worse after the last recall. I cannot trust my camera as it constantly crashes, freezes or just outright does not work. It is clear that polestar is incapable of f... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2025
The steering is binding up when turning and there is a clicking noise. I notice this a low speeds. Local mechanic inspected all suspension and drive train parts and said everything looked ok. He did not check the steering. I see this recall for later year models: The steering gearbox assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can cause excessive internal friction and lead to diff... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Canyon. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the steering wheel became very difficult to turn in either direction. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, the failure was self-corrected; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the steering gears needed to be ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2022
Electric Power Steering Motor Attaching Bolts Corrode (NHTSA 19V-632, OEM 19S26): Corrosion of bolts in the electric power steering system can lead to loss of power steering assist in 2016 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles in certain states. Dealers will replace bolts and apply a sealant, or install a new steering gear.
Incident date: Jun 25, 2025
STATEMENT OF FACTS 1.I am the registered owner of a 2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon (VIN: [XXX]), purchased for approximately $75,000 USD, inclusive of all taxes and registration, in cash. 2.I have been driving different cars for over 25 years and have owned multiple vehicles. This Jeep Wrangler is the most expensive vehicle I have ever owned, and the only one to cause severe safety issues for me and m... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2025
The “Service Hybrid Electric Vehicle System” has been coming on intermittently for several months. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they replaced a wiring harness. That did not fix the issue. The light continues to come on and Jeep technicians have no idea how to fix the issue. Today the light came on and the vehicle stalled and lost propulsion for about 3 seconds and then lurched hard ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2025
rdofcookevilletennessee/towedmy2011fordfusionse{38milagefromemyhome{duetonodriverecall{airbags.,Ipickupfusion.,nostart,fordpushedin,outofgurageforairbagrecallfix.OK|wontstartduetofordsaysbrokentranscable.fordjumpstart.nothing.sir/mamfordofcookevilletn.arraingment,airbag,driveabilityrecall.{fixed}theyknowlingheardmesayingcar,starts,drives,,uptotow,dropoff.theircallswereansweredcorrectlyW/informatio... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2025
This car is consuming oil rapidly.I checked oil level to and had no oil on dip stick The car has not bee inspected yet. No warning lamps came on to warn me of low oil.
Incident date: Jun 28, 2025
Tailgate switch Tailgate opened on its own with trailer attached while driving damaging the top of my tailgate. No notification inside cab. No console / fob / tailgate buttons were pushed. Discovered tailgate was down after I arrived home and had done a wide u-turn in my back yard. So far dealership has done very little diagnostic wise. Two trips to dealership so far with little to no results. N... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2025
The Power Steering Rack/Gearbox has been determined to be faulty and needs to be replaced. It will keep getting harder to steer. The dealership said that another had recently been replaced. There has not been any inspection by Honda, only the dealership who diagnosed the issue. There has been a recall of later models by Honda. October 9, 2024 — TORRANCE, Calif. Approximately 1.7 million Honda... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2025
When turning the steering wheel at 25 mph or higher there is sometimes a clicking sound from the steering wheel like something is getting caught in the wheel when it turns, the dealer was unable to find the cause but tightened some loose bolts sating that may be the cause, it wasn't.
Incident date: Jun 25, 2025
The car a few moments after starting up will say its not able to perform an System update, the dealer said this was due to a issue communicating with the servers in Japan, however this issue has been on going for about 2 months with little sign of it going away.
Incident date: Jun 16, 2025
The MMI system, which displays navigation and other controls, shuts down and restarts frequently while the car is in motion. The problem occurs at least once every trip, and typically every 10 minutes. In my case, I use Apple CarPlay as my navigation system, and the sudden and unexpected loss of navigation poses serious safety risks to me and others, because I either need to pick up my phone to... Read more
Incident date: Jun 27, 2025
BELOW IS THE LETTER I SENT TO STELLANTIS. I am writing to file an urgent and formal complaint regarding ongoing, severe safety and functionality issues with my Jeep 4xe , leased through Stellantis Financial. These issues have not only rendered the vehicle unreliable, but they have also endangered my life, the lives of my children, and the public-particularly as I work in an elementary school se... Read more
Incident date: Jun 29, 2025
I've had the vehicle service twice for the same incident power steering shut off in the middle of drive Vehicle shuts down almost smashed into a freeway wall. This has been to the dealership numerous times to fix it and they have not. We are in the tens of thousands of dollars in repair and still nothing is fixed I've had this vehicle for 5 years it's been In the shop for at least 3 I bought it wi... Read more
KIA
SPORTAGE PHEV
(2025) - POWER TRAIN
Jun 29, 2025
Incident date: Jun 29, 2025
Car just shut off when driving at 65mph and never started back up, took it in and repair was a bad fuel pump and fuel rail line causing metal shards to go through fuel tank and injectors.
KIA
SPORTAGE PHEV
(2025) - STRUCTURE:BODY
Jun 29, 2025
Incident date: Jun 29, 2025
Since the door handle recall. The door handles on the front driver and passenger side have dead spots which make it harder and annoying to open the door. Volkswagens has even admitted to these dead spots .
Incident date: Jun 24, 2025
Battery going dead when vehicle is parked Infotainment system freezing
Incident date: Jun 28, 2025
Front camera fault. Pre collision systems don’t work without it. Large online community with the same issues but ford refuses to acknowledge it’s an issue. They won’t help even if errors start happening before warranty is over. And once warranty is over they charge large amounts to fix. There is a TSB out for the issue and it seems like a pinched coaxial cable. Our safety is at stake and the... Read more
Incident date: Jun 28, 2025
Back up camera does not always work. Says "camera not available" even after the most recent software update.
Incident date: Apr 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and depressing the brake pedal to stop the vehicle, there was a delayed response, causing the braking distance to be significantly extended. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an indepen... Read more
Incident date: Jun 27, 2025
I was driving around 60-65 mph on the highway when suddenly a warning alarm went off and the warning light read “stop vehicle and check brake system”. I took my foot off the accelerator and car continued to maintain speed. The power brakes did not work. I put the car into neutral hoping that would slow it down, but it continued to maintain speed. I went into the right lane and put o... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2024
Warning lights displayed for ABS and ESC systems. Had Autozone pull the OBD2 codes which indicated the left rear wheel speed sensor failed resulting in failed/disabled ABS and ESC systems. I replaced the bad rear wheel hub/sensor which corrected the problem. I no longer have that failed component. A few months later, warning lights came on again. I again had the codes pulled by Autozone and this ... Read more