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: Apr 2, 2025
I just bought this vehicle in February. Since then, about 4 times while driving when i came to a stop the car will not accelerate and the screen tells me to put car in “P” then shift into gear. One time I had to restart the car to put into gear. Then the car drives again.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
My 2017 mini coupe has 70,000 miles on it. I’ve had it 11 months… I was in a drive-through and it started making a hard knock sound no engine light or any other lights came on the vehicle. I had it towed to a shop where they informed me my engine was blown and it would cost $16,000 to replace the engine. My oil level was perfect. I reached out to Carvana. I missed my warranty by five days and ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
When I am driving my vehicle and I pull in to park, I put the gear shift into park and shut the vehichle off and a light comes on in the dash and says shift to park. And the vehichle will not shut down for several minutes after this light comes on. It also feels like there is a hesitation in the transmission at times after I start the vehicle and start driving.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
My ABS system light is on. The Toyota mechanic has determined that it is due to Nitrogen gas from a component of the brake booster pump assembly could leak into the brake fluid. As nitrogen is released into the brake fluid, the brake pedal may have reduced hydraulic pressure. Under certain circumstances, this condition could affect stopping distance and increase the risk of a crash. Toyota recal... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2025
When the car gets wet, it sends my dashboard lights flashing, and I’m able to put the car in gear without stepping on the brake, I brought it to numerous of Honda dealerships and other mechanical shops, and they are undetermined to find the cause
Incident date: Mar 28, 2025
Death wobble, while traveling down any road that has a bump or is not smooth as glass I get the front end wobble, the only way to stop it is to slow down, have had a couple near miss accidents because of this. This jeep is all original, second time in shop was told all original parts are fine no wear no loose parts. They are putting a steering damper on it. Was told by the dealership where it w... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was slipping. Additionally, the contact stated that the transmission failed to shift into park(P) intermittently. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the tra... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
Driving on the highway, moving to pass another vehicle, engine shut off forcing me to coast to the shoulder. No warnings and didn't notice loss of power until I saw that the vehicle had been shifted into neutral. Had 2 kids in the truck and could not get GMC service department on the phone, had to walk up an onramp in order to get my kids home with me in an Uber. This is a 2024 6.2L GMC with only ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2025
American leasing updated my car's software form 2.1 to 2.2 (1 of 3), then 2.2.,2 then 2.2.1. My blind spot monitoring is no longer working, and I get a radar malfunction error. Also, they will not pay for labor on the recall parts, as agreed to by the court order
Incident date: Jan 25, 2025
Reverse backup camera repeatedly does not work and will display message saying camera unavailable. Sound system will go out with the center screen were no sound comes through (not even blinker sound). With a small child and have concerns driving when these issues occur, especially since they occur unexpectedly. Issues will occur a few days in a row, then work fine for a few days and then issues ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 2, 2024
My van has only 88,509 miles. In the middle of a snowstorm, when I was 200 miles from home, it died. It had weird noises during the day, but the engine light had not come on at all. As I was trying to get to my mother's house in blinding snow, it simply stopped on a hill on a dark road. I was terrified. I had to rent a car to get back to NJ (which cost $100). I had my van towed to a Dodge deale... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
Firstly, I have contacted Ram about the issue and they said I can't do anything about it. It's a safety feature and it absolutely is the total OPPOSITE of a safety feature! When on icy roads, with traction control off, and in four-wheel drive, if the truck starts sliding, it cuts the power to the wheels when I need power to pull out of the slide. I've been driving in icy / snowy conditions since ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 29, 2025
I am reporting multiple serious issues with my 2016 Hyundai Sonata Sport 2.0, which has only 30,000 miles. Despite the low mileage, the vehicle is experiencing major safety and quality problems. The Electronic Stability Control (ESC) light stays on constantly, indicating a system failure. On startup, the car sometimes applies the brakes by itself, and there’s a loud noise like something is stuc... Read more
Incident date: Mar 29, 2025
The seat belts in the first and second row unlatch unexpectedly. I have asked the dealership to look at it and they could not reproduce it. However, it happens regularly with my children in the back seat. This has been an ongoing issue since I have owned the car and seems to occur more during colder days.
Incident date: Mar 29, 2025
I drive a 2016 Acura MDX, with less than 80K mileage. My car has an idle stop feature which was not working and I was having trouble starting my car in the mornings when it was cold. I assumed the battery was getting low, replaced to a new battery and the idle stop began working again momentarily. However, after coming to a stop and the idle stop feature engages, the vehicle was not always automat... Read more
Incident date: Oct 16, 2023
Our fuel tank is leaking for no reason. Brought it in last year (2024) for state inspections and let them know we smell gas when we park sometimes. They poke around and find nothing, but note there is a faint gas smell and to bring it to the dealer. We take it to Mazda to see if they can fix, they find nothing and charge my wife $250. Fast-forward to a year later, go for the same state inspectio... Read more
Incident date: Oct 16, 2023
The battery (new) needs to be jumped several times a week. This happens when it goes into sleep mode. Also, the vehicle stalled twice while turning left (in electric mode). My dealership could not fix the problem, but gave me a print out in mechanic terms. I have had so many issues with this hybrid. Ford did say it qualified for the “lemon law”, but then they said no. I have only put on 5000 m... Read more
Incident date: Feb 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the RPM was not increasing on the gauge on the instrument cluster. There was no warning illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but became a recurring failure. Additionally, the conta... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2025
We received a High Voltage System warning, making the vehicle undrivable. Honda states it is an AC check valve issue. The vehicle only has 477 miles on it.
Incident date: Apr 2, 2025
I was on the freeway and my vehicle stopped accelerating and went into limp mode (almost died). I took it to the dealer and they said the codes for Fuel Injector Harness were on and so i need a new fuel injector harness. VW released an extended warranty for that but the dealer is saying the warranty is vin specific and my vehicle does not qualify. How can it not qualify if its the exact problem li... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
I am describing a potential incident. The tow mirrors are so large on this vehicle that is virtually impossible to determine if cars are coming, especially when making a left turn. They are creating an extreme safety hazard. There are a huge number of people on the internet describing near collisions and paying dealerships huge amounts of money to replace these mirrors.
Incident date: Mar 28, 2025
The contact called on behalf of his wife who owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that his wife expressed concerns that while driving at various speeds, the transmission was struggling to shift into gear and then unexpectedly downshifted. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed because the VIN was not under recall. The ve... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2025
My vehichle will not go in reverse my wheels are locking up and also my car is going over 6000 rpm when going down the highway and not wanting to shift gears where it is a safety concern for myself and my kids well being
Incident date: Mar 26, 2025
My vehichle will not go in reverse my wheels are locking up and also my car is going over 6000 rpm when going down the highway and not wanting to shift gears where it is a safety concern for myself and my kids well being
Incident date: Mar 4, 2025
There is an intermittent smell of gas/exhaust fumes in the cabin since purchasing the car. Nissan says there is no issue and offers no fix but I have never owned a car that had this type of smell in the cabin unless there was something wrong. The smell can be so bad as to cause nausea and headaches.
Incident date: Mar 4, 2025
Since new in Sept 2023 this vehicle has suffered from consistent charging problems with the 12 volt battery, it sends "deep sleep" warnings to the Ford App and disables certain safety features. Charging the battery only restores functionality temporarily, driving the car ends up depleting the 12 volt battery over time. It affects all Ford Maverick Hybrids including mine.
Incident date: Mar 4, 2025
Since new in Sept 2023 this vehicle has suffered from consistent charging problems with the 12 volt battery, it sends "deep sleep" warnings to the Ford App and disables certain safety features. Charging the battery only restores functionality temporarily, driving the car ends up depleting the 12 volt battery over time. It affects all Ford Maverick Hybrids including mine.
Incident date: Mar 31, 2025
My vehichle will not go in reverse my wheels are locking up and also my car is going over 6000 rpm when going down the highway and not wanting to shift gears where it is a safety concern for myself and my kids well being
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
The vehicle at 13,xxx miles on the high ways, and during stop & go traffic; vehicle begins to tremble, transmission and floor shakes, rpms are higher than normal, abnormal noises coming from engine (screeching), jerking on acceleration on the first gears, rough idle, happens only on highways after 1hr of driving. Can drive over 40 min without any check engine light turning on. No codes come up, wh... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
Paint is peeling. Only have 100,000 miles. Paint is peeling off badly.
Incident date: Oct 8, 2024
Sunroof explosion with zero impact
KIA
CARNIVAL HYBRID
(2025) - SEAT BELTS
Apr 1, 2025
Incident date: Jan 22, 2025
The driver side seatbelt/presence sensor intermittently fails due to faulty wiring. This causes a warning stating 'front left safety restraint system fault' and the driver side airbag to turn off when the warning is present causing a severe safety issue. This is a well documented common safety failure of these vehicles
Incident date: Jan 7, 2025
I have a 2013 Nissan Rouge. If the car is outside, every time it rains, it floods the driver's side. Which eventually resulted in some electrical malfunction and the driver's side airbag malfunction light. Last year, I noticed that I kept the car outside and not in the garage. I found there is a recall on that. The same issue. But when I called Nissan, they told me that my particular car was not ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 7, 2025
I have a 2013 Nissan Rouge. If the car is outside, every time it rains, it floods the driver's side. Which eventually resulted in some electrical malfunction and the driver's side airbag malfunction light. Last year, I noticed that I kept the car outside and not in the garage. I found there is a recall on that. The same issue. But when I called Nissan, they told me that my particular car was not ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln MKZ. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, while the vehicle was idling, the vehicle was shaking and vibrating abnormally. Additionally, after shifting to drive, the vehicle erroneously lunged forward, and while shifting into reverse the vehicle jerked backwards. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the torque converter and engi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that the vehicle hesitated to accelerate, and the vehicle was running rough. On one occasion during the failure, the check engine warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. Additionally, on another occasion the en... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
The A-piller trim molding flew off while I was driving down the road. I am aware that this part was previously recalled and potentially “fixed” before I purchased the vehicle, however it flew off and was a terrible safety hazard.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
When setting something on my passenger seat such as a water bottle filled with water and a purse, the SRS light is triggered on the dashboard. After doing some research there was a safety recall for the passenger weight sensor on my vehicle model however my vin was not included.
Incident date: Mar 31, 2025
Ram Rebel suffers from “Service Shifter” warning frequently; occasionally pits itself into neutral and requires to be put into park; front and rear park assist seem to be associated with this fault as well as it disables and enables randomly. Major electrical issue with shifter/transmission issues and parking sensors.
Incident date: Mar 31, 2025
Ram Rebel suffers from “Service Shifter” warning frequently; occasionally pits itself into neutral and requires to be put into park; front and rear park assist seem to be associated with this fault as well as it disables and enables randomly. Major electrical issue with shifter/transmission issues and parking sensors.
Incident date: Mar 31, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); 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 contact stated that the controls on the infotainment center failed to operate as intended. The dealer was cont... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed on a steep hill, the engine braking system failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the engine braking system failed to activate, and the vehicle independently accelerated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the failure was confirmed. The contact was informed that no repair was available... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed on a steep hill, the engine braking system failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the engine braking system failed to activate, and the vehicle independently accelerated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the failure was confirmed. The contact was informed that no repair was available... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The electric vehicle system appears to have failed, preventing the car from starting and staying on. Even after attempting to jump the 12V battery, the vehicle would briefly turn on and then immediately shut off. This issue was previously confirmed by the dealer about four months ago, and they sup... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2025
The oil filter housing on this vehicle is dumping oil from the back. I have had an issue with it not wanting to go over 35MPH and sounds like a misfire in my car it has had sort of an odd sound when turned on I have had to park it to avoid having any further issues but was informed that the particular part always malfunctions in Chrysler vehicles and yet no recall has been issued it seems sort of ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2025
After an oil change at a Chevrolet dealer I drove to get gas. After refueling I got in and was preparing to drive away when I noticed the clutch pedal was on the floor and would not pop back up ready to be used. I had the car towed to the Chevrolet dealer where I learned the hydraulic clutch master cylinder had failed. I was lucky this didn’t happen while o was driving the car on the highway. I ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 31, 2025
My 2016 has been experiencing audio issues for the past few months. There is a loud static noise that comes through my speakers at random times. When this happens, there is no way to control the audio unless I pull the car over and let the care sit for at least 30 minutes. The static will randomly increase and decrease on its own when this happens. I have tried to control this by just keeping the ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 30, 2024
My 2017 Ford Escape 2.0 liter has a crack in the engine block and coolant leaking into the #1 cylinder. My car was diagnosed at Columbia Ford in CT. My car has < 80,000 miles and needs a new engine! No recalls found at this time. I did contact Ford and am waiting to hear back. This is a known problem by Ford and I believe there is a recall on the 1.5 liter engine with the same problem.
Incident date: Mar 31, 2025
The panoramic sun roof opens but will not close. it takes 6-12 attempts to get it to close, it will move to where its an inch away from closing then reopen. Kia has recalls for this make and year but says my car is not affected. attempting to get it to close is very distracting and frustrating taking focus away from driving.
Incident date: Mar 31, 2025
The panoramic sun roof opens but will not close. it takes 6-12 attempts to get it to close, it will move to where its an inch away from closing then reopen. Kia has recalls for this make and year but says my car is not affected. attempting to get it to close is very distracting and frustrating taking focus away from driving.