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: Jul 17, 2026
**Incident Report — Tesla Model Y Safety System Failure** The subject vehicle, a Tesla Model Y equipped with Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology and advanced safety features, was involved in a collision at an estimated impact speed of 40–45 MPH. The vehicle's onboard recording system captured the incident and clearly documents the impact dynamics, vehicle speed at impact, and the contributing ... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Jul 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the message "Service 4WD" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving at 65 MPH on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with PTU failure. The contact was informed that the PTU needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact as... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2026
Tesla took off from a parking lot and was uncontrollable, went through the grass, crossed the street and construction before hitting the barricades and fell into a sewer as the road ended there. There were 2 passengers in the car and luckily both passengers came unharmed. But FSD needs to be investigated on why this happened.
Crash
Incident date: Jul 22, 2026
Tesla took off from a parking lot and was uncontrollable, went through the grass, crossed the street and construction before hitting the barricades and fell into a sewer as the road ended there. There were 2 passengers in the car and luckily both passengers came unharmed. But FSD needs to be investigated on why this happened.
Crash
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
Vehicle is an active fire hazard subject to the high-voltage battery recall (NHTSA 24V-718). The manufacturer's safety instructions require me to stop charging the vehicle and park it away from homes and structures. Because I am currently leasing this vehicle from Chrysler Capital and have no alternate transportation, I am forced to drive an active fire risk for daily transit. The local Jeep deale... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
Vehicle is an active fire hazard subject to the high-voltage battery recall (NHTSA 24V-718). The manufacturer's safety instructions require me to stop charging the vehicle and park it away from homes and structures. Because I am currently leasing this vehicle from Chrysler Capital and have no alternate transportation, I am forced to drive an active fire risk for daily transit. The local Jeep deale... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
Vehicle is an active fire hazard subject to the high-voltage battery recall (NHTSA 24V-718). The manufacturer's safety instructions require me to stop charging the vehicle and park it away from homes and structures. Because I am currently leasing this vehicle from Chrysler Capital and have no alternate transportation, I am forced to drive an active fire risk for daily transit. The local Jeep deale... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2026
I was driving on the highway when the vehicle started to make clinking noises. The vehicle started to lose power as I accelerated it would feel like something was pulling me in the opposite direction and the knocking noise would get louder. Ultimately, I had the vehicle towed to a dealership. This vehicle passed the L87 recall not too long ago, and the vehicle is barely used.
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
With my 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe SEL, at Cold start the coolant gage on the digital cluster always shows 2-3 bars on the gauge and once the vehicle is put into drive (at least 30-45 seconds start up), the coolant gauze immediately increases in temperature reading without full drive (15 feet after gear placed in Drive). This may be improperly reading the coolant temperature and the OEM thermostat may ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2026
I was told I was on a priority list to have this recall fixed. My Stelvio is virtually undrivable. It continues to lose power when acceleration and goes into limp mode. I refuse to take the Stelvio onto the highway as it poses a danger to myself and passengers. This recall has been active for well over a year with a continual push back on the remedy date. Recall 93C (NHTSA 25V-586) causes a ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2009 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and unoccupied, the contact became aware that the steering wheel air bag and the front passenger's side air bags had deployed unexpectedly. The contact stated that the windshield was fractured from the air bags deployment. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or a... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2026
2019 Lincoln Nautilus shudders between 20 to 45 MPH. We’ve had everything done from oil change, tire rotation, to Front end alignment to tune up. Only one mechanic suggested that there’s a bulletin about a torque. I don’t remember the bulletin #. He expressed that Ford knows about it but won’t service its customers. I called Planet Lincoln and the service guy acknowledged the bulletin and ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 11, 2026
I am writing to log an official safety complaint regarding my 2023 Chevrolet Malibu. This vehicle is included under active NHTSA Campaign Number 26V212000 (GM Internal Recall Number N262551720) for a defective rearview camera housing that allows moisture intrusion, causing the backup display to go blank.My vehicle has experienced a complete, permanent failure of the rearview camera screen. The bac... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
The chrome plating on the interior driver's door release handle has delaminated and became sharp enough to cut my hand pretty bad. I'd like to report this as a safety concern and ask whether Jeep can provide goodwill assistance or replacement parts."
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Kia K5. The contact stated that there were failures with the spark plugs. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered, and the engine sputtered. The contact stated that fuel spewed out of the filler neck while refueling the vehicle, and the fuel gauge incorrectly indicated that the fuel tank was empty after refueling. Additionally, there was an abnormal egg... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2026
My vehicle is losing power from the battery showing battery needs to recharge and its full charged have to turn interior lights off
Incident date: Feb 22, 2026
The truck is currently at a certified ford dealer for diagnosis with a drive train fault. I suspect it is transmission-related, but was not given the history of all stored, pending and history of the codes. The truck exhibits unprovoked forward acceleration/violent lunging when braking to a stop and when driving at low speeds, making intersection control dangerous. It also has severe delayed gea... Read more
Incident date: Feb 22, 2026
On XXX my 2014 Audi A6 failed to accelerate on a parkway. An EPC light appeared. I restarted. It reappeared and car was slow and shaky. I took right to nearest Audi dealership. The next day, they sent this video, admitting a common problem, and suggesting full engine replacement. [XXX] I have contacted Audi of America, Audi of Huntington and Audi of Manhattan. All refusing to help with our f... Read more
Incident date: Feb 22, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle started coasting, and thirty seconds later the vehicle operated as intended. The contact then heard a loud sound coming from the front of the vehicle. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmiss... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2025
The vehicle has experienced a pattern of recurring electrical failures beginning shortly after purchase, involving driver door controls (window, lock, mirror, and interior lighting functions), which have required four separate repair attempts over approximately three years, including replacement of a door module, a wiring harness, and a door switch assembly. Despite these repairs, the same driver ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Flex. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in reverse(R), the rear-view camera displayed a blank image or an inverted image. The contact received notification of NTHSA Campaign Number: 24V951000 (Back Over Prevention); the contact associated the failure with the recall. The local dealer was contacted; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet avail... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
From a cold start my vehicle starts fine, but from a warm engine start the van would have trouble starting. Took it to Navarre Honda in Lake Charles, La and they found that the starter solenoid and 2 relays were bad and had to be replaced.
Incident date: Jul 22, 2026
On June 25, 2026, at approximately 84,000 miles, while traveling approximately 60-65 mph on Highway 121 in a posted 65 mph zone, driving my 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 equipped with the 6.2L L87 engine, multiple warning messages suddenly appeared, including “Check ESC,” “Check Parking Brake,” “Check Brakes,” and “Check Engine.” The engine began operating abnormally. I drove directly t... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
Multiple lights and warnings on dashboard of 2019 Honda CRV. Car would not reverse. Warnings were all at once and included, Emissions system problem, braking problem, power steering problem, collision mitigation system problem, electric parking brake problem and many others. Honda mechanic stated this is a very known problem with 2019 CRV and it’s the fuel injectors and head gasket.
Incident date: Jul 19, 2026
I bought this car brand new and since I purchased it in December of 2021. Every summer this car leaves me stranded everytime I shut the car off and its hot outside I took it to several kia dealerships while in warranty but because it was not showing a code they couldn't fix it. The warranty ran out and this car still won't start if its hot outside but has no issues in the winter. After 3 yrs of de... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2026
I bought this car brand new and since I purchased it in December of 2021. Every summer this car leaves me stranded everytime I shut the car off and its hot outside I took it to several kia dealerships while in warranty but because it was not showing a code they couldn't fix it. The warranty ran out and this car still won't start if its hot outside but has no issues in the winter. After 3 yrs of de... Read more
Incident date: Oct 8, 2024
I test drove the vehicle at an auction, watched several other people test drive the vehicle. Before the auction I test drove it one more time and put my obd scan tool on it to make sure there were no hidden codes or problems. I won the bid,and picked up the vehicle. I drove it approximately 6 miles from the auction and the falshing engine light popped on. I immediately pulled over in heavy freeway... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2021
There is only 47,602 miles on my truck. When starting “cold”, the transmission takes about 15-20 seconds to engage. It slips if I immediately put it in gear. I took it to the dealer before even having 2000 miles on it and they said Nothing was wrong. I took it back at about 15,000 miles and got the same response. I’m afraid it might lock up while driving.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the engine warning light illuminated. The failure was a recurring failure. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2021
I am writing to report a known safety-related defect on my 2021 BMW X3, VIN [XXX]. 1 The vehicle was diagnosed at BMW of Manhasset, an authorized BMW dealer, with a coolant leak originating from the heat management module and oil filter housing. This is not ordinary wear and tear. BMW's own service bulletin SIB 11 10 25 identifies this failure mode as a known issue affecting B46/B48/B58-equipped... Read more
Incident date: Jun 26, 2026
Car was driving absolutely fine, no dash lights no signs of distress for 1.5 years then suddenly out of the blue it made a "weird noise" -no lights on dash board, and it went away. Two days later my daughter was sitting in a fast-food line and the car just died. They had to push her out of the line. She turned the car off and when she turned it back on it started up and she drove home. We made ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 26, 2026
Windshield cracked a singular crack from the top to the bottom of windshield after lifting car with spare tire jack.
Incident date: Jul 7, 2026
On XXX I was traveling with my [XXX] mother who has 2 plates to her hips from a fx. We had stopped at a rest area. I went to get her out of the front passenger side and the door would not open from outside or inside. The other doors were fine. She is not able to climb over the front console so I called the police. They were able to get her over the front seat to the back. Very upsetting for this t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2026
Our 2025 VW Altas had several engine lights come on at the same time after parking and would not shift out of neutral. Towed to the nearest VW for service and they stated it needed a transmission replacement. This vehicle had less than 16k miles.
Incident date: Jun 23, 2026
Bought my car in 2019. Was unaware of coolant intrusion problem on my vehicle. Check engine light came on and mechanic just quoted me $13,000 to fix.
Incident date: Apr 2, 2026
The FSD (full self driving) failed when it backed into my garage. All passengers are safe, including my wife (pregnant), mother, and [XXX] child. I was following the supervised FSD requirement by supervising the FSD with hands on steering wheel and foot on brake the whole time. The FSD left very little amount of time for me to react. Tesla insurance judges it is my fault. INFORMATION REDACTED P... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
My 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid experienced a severe total electrical failure that required a complete battery replacement. This massive electrical surge permanently damaged and corrupted the vehicle's infotainment head unit hardware. Ever since this power surge, the vehicle suffers from continuous, dangerous electronic malfunctions. Specifically, the Apple CarPlay and complete audio system intermittent... Read more
Incident date: Dec 12, 2025
On June 14, 2026, while driving approximately 70 mph on a Michigan freeway, the 6.2L V8 engine began shaking violently. The vehicle lost oil pressure, warning messages appeared on the dashboard, and the vehicle completely lost propulsion and shut down while still in motion. My spouse and child were inside the vehicle. The sudden loss of power at highway speed created a serious risk of a collision... Read more
Incident date: May 16, 2026
I purchased a 2018 Hyundai Kona, and it has had one major issue after another. It burns an excessive amount of oil, the engine misfires, and now the turbocharger is failing. I’ve already spent approximately $2,300 repairing the air conditioner and engine, and I can’t afford thousands more in repairs.
Incident date: Jul 13, 2026
Theses templates dosent recognize the key and kicks on the security system which stops the motor from turning on. So you are stuck for 10 minutes then you can try again all so sometimes the motor tries to turn on by just sticking the key in the ignition before you even turn it. By looking at youtube alot of the H3s and the Colorados do this
Incident date: Jul 13, 2026
The brakes are hard to mash and spongey and it has a hissing kind of sound I believe it is a brake booster. When I bought the vehicle used from a dealership they told me it didn't have any recalls on the vehicle but later own I found out it did have a recall for the abs system so i called the ford company and they told me that the recall has already ended and they wouldn't fix it and now when I lo... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
The infotainment screen randomly shuts off and displays the errors "Network communication lost" and "MOST Net Off". This has happened numerous times while in the middle of backing up and using the backup camera that normally displays on that screen. We took it to the dealership for repairs of the problem in 2025 and after changing a wiring harness, the screen itself, and then the harness again, th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Camaro. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a left turn, the contact’s knee hit the ignition key and the vehicle shutoff and drove over into an oncoming lane. The contact was able to restart the vehicle, and the vehicle was driven back into the intended lane. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under N... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
Vehicle purchased late March. Since then, the 12V gets completely drained to 0% over the weekend. This is a biweekly problem. Vehicle taken to dealership, they were not able to replicate problem. Dealership claims battery and vehicle perfectly fine. 12V battery continues to get discharged. This issue puts the customer at risk of being stranded on trips. No warning lamps or symptoms before battery ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
I am writing to report a direct violation of the Theta II Class Action Settlement terms by Hyundai Motor America. This morning , I emailed an Executive Case Manager explicitly explaining that my 2017 Sonata has an active P1326 code, has the 2019 KSDS update, and requires a mandatory diagnostic under NHTSA Recall 17V226 that cannot be denied due to a salvage title. Instead of replying to my fact... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2026
The warning lights on our 2020 Subaru Outback have lit intermittently for the past 2 years. When bringing the vehicle into the dealer for service and oil changes, this was reported. Recently the TPMS light began to light intermittently. Tire pressure was checked and adjusted but the problem persisted. When we brought the vehicle in for service, it turned out that all tire pressure sensors needed t... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2026
I was driving on the highway going 65 mph and scared when the engine started clicking and shaking a tiny bit. Plus it was slowing down no matter what i did. Well in a 4 lane highway. There was No engine light, no previous issues. The car drove great until this issue. I had the car only 3 months. Now i am afraid to drive it because i had seen theres an engine recall online for my car. Onc... Read more
Incident date: Jul 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V675000 (Power Train), 26V117000 (Visibility), and 26V402000 (Power Train); however, parts for 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 contact stated that after parking the vehicle with... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V675000 (Power Train), 26V117000 (Visibility), and 26V402000 (Power Train); however, parts for 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 contact stated that after parking the vehicle with... Read more
Crash