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 7, 2024
My Corvette c6 model has had a longterm issue with the left fuel pump, which I was not made aware of by the local dealership servicing my vehicle or the manufacturer, General Motors. I recently discovered the fuel pump issue, which results in a significant fuel leak thru the bottom left side of the vehicle. GM and the dealership failed to notify me of this issue even though they issued a Special B... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 2024
Prior to this incident, we had no major issues with the car and performed all necessary oil changes. While driving 30 mph the car began to brake and stutter by itself and every emergency light came on the dash. The car behind us almost hit us from the car randomly braking. We took the car to the Acura dealer and they reset the computer and charged us $435. We drove off the lot and 15 miles later t... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 2024
The driver's seat belt is locked and the retractor is not working without any reason. The front adaptive cruise control radar is also not working, along with the crucial blind spot sensor. Because of this, the vehicle cruise control (even without adaptive mode) is not working at all. This is a big safety issue and it is illegal to even drive this car without the seat belt working.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
Seat control module. The adjustable pedals move forward on their own while driving.
Incident date: Dec 6, 2024
Driver attention warning: Consider taking a coffee break comes on every 5 minutes. Very distracting to the driver. There is no option to turn this warning off.
Incident date: Nov 22, 2024
Unknown component or system failed. My car suddenly stalled while on the highway, not allowing me to increase speed (over 40 mpg) and then stopped. I was scared to death when that happened on the highway as we could have been hit by other vehicles. I was able to restart it but it kept doing it, gradually reducing my speed to 20mpg then a lamp warning sign appeared. The car only has 50,000 miles on... Read more
Incident date: Nov 22, 2024
My engine just went out without warning. Haven’t had it for a full year and it went out. I was driving to work and my car wouldn’t go above 50 and it started to jerk so I had to pull over and it was smoking from the hood. I had oil in my vehicle so I don’t understand how this happened on a new vehicle I just purchased.
Incident date: Nov 22, 2024
2019 Ford Fusion SE 1.5L. Not made aware of CSP on my car. Have dealer notes saying my car wasn’t listen in OASIS for notification. Although when I found the CSP online my car is an “affected vehicle”. I now have low coolant, white exhaust smoke and severe knocking from my engine. I had a first ever reported issue to the dealership in 05/2023 where my car stalled out and dash lights illumina... Read more
Incident date: Aug 6, 2024
Recently I have been having issues with the rear back up camera in the vehicle not working turning off beeping when nothing is around, also glitching and showing the camera upside down. I am also experiencing battery drainage in the vehicle I have just had the battery replaced and the alternator replaced as well, while I am searching online for common issues this seems to be happening to a large ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
Shifter isn't releasing from park. They state the Body Control Module (BCM) I been reading on this and it goes out with higher mileage Kia Sorento SUV. This is a safety hazard.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
Fuel gauge and odometer display glitches until completely blank whenever outside temperature reaches below 49°F. This has been an ongoing issue since I originally purchased/leased my vehicle in 2020. This is a dangerous glitch, because I cannot tell how much fuel I have left before I hit empty. The display will flash on/off until the driver sees almost a computer or alien language, then the displ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
Vehicle engine is stalling, smells like burnt makes a lot of knocking sound and has a lot of white smoke coming out the muffler. My safety of my family and me is put at risk because this is a safety hazard that can cause an accident or a fire.
Incident date: Apr 2, 2024
2024 Jeep grand cherokee 4xe Loss of power while driving. currently has about 4600 miles on it but having issues entire time of ownership. Also been experiencing very hard jerky shifting and a red wrench "service hybrid electric vehicle system" light coming on periodically. Loss of complete power while driving with the red wrench warning coming on and lost power steering and braking. vehicle woul... Read more
Incident date: Dec 7, 2024
The pearl white paint on my vehicle started to delaminate (confirmed by Wallace Kia Collision center). It started at approximately 24,000 miles, approximately 9 months past Kia's 3 year paint warranty. This is a known issue with the paint - pearl white, with many manufacturers affected. Kia, thus far, has refused to cover the repair.
Incident date: Dec 7, 2024
I bought my car 2 months ago. I took it for oil change they found the front sub frame need replacement. They Stat that the cat has been in a accident
Incident date: Jul 13, 2022
I bought this 2018 RAM 2500 in February 2024 from a certified dealer. They indicated the ABS light was on however I was traveling out of town and they indicated my local dealer could fix this faster and lowered the price by the estimated cost for repair. I have been working with my local Mechanic for almost a year to solve the ABS modular problem but the local RAM dealership states the part is on ... Read more
KIA
CARNIVAL HYBRID
(2025) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Dec 7, 2024
Incident date: Dec 7, 2024
The horn button on the yoke steering wheel is a safety hazard. In a situation that requires quick responsiveness immediate reaction is to press the center of the steering wheel. Tesla has come out with a retro fit and the new yoke has it in the center. I am paying $1,000 for the retro fit for my safety and the safety of others. I expect the NHS to also look at this concern and address to assist wi... Read more
Incident date: Nov 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while reversing the vehicle, the back-up camera malfunctioned, causing the screen image to become frozen and still, creating a visibility hazard for the driver. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufact... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2024
I have 54,000 miles and this is the second battery and second set of tires. I understand a battery but 2 already , that shouldn’t be. And tires cupping on 2 sets of tires. And alignment was not the issue and I also have them rotated.
Incident date: Nov 24, 2024
While driving, warning "Service Restraint System" popped up on the speedometer display, followed by "Auto stop" something, then "Reduced Engine Power", and symbols lit up including the Service Engine and traction control symbols. I pulled over, saw what I thought was steam emanating from the passenger side of the hood. I popped the hood intending to investigate and saw flames. 3 firemen and 2 mech... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
The second row driver side seat belt both comes unlatched and will not catch on the latch. This is intermittent but happens about 70% of the time. I feel it is dangerous and needs a repair immediately. It has been going on since May of this year. My 13-year-old most often occupies that seat.
Incident date: Dec 6, 2024
When placing the vehicle into park there is often a issue with the sensor recognizing that the vehicle stating that it is not when attempting to power off the vehicle. When stopping there are times that the vehicle is difficult to stop and there is not fault code as to what may be occurring.
Incident date: Dec 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust. In addition, the contact stated that the coolant level was low. The contact stated that occasionally when the vehicle was started, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dea... Read more
Incident date: Sep 11, 2024
While driving on a local highway recently, my forearm brushed the automatic shift knob while reaching to place my phone on the wireless charging pad. The transmission shifted into neutral, resulting in an unexpected loss of speed. It took me a few seconds to realize what had happened - I shifted back into Drive, and resumed my trip. No accident resulted from this, but it has happened twice in the... Read more
Incident date: Dec 6, 2024
On August 6, 2024 my vehicle reported " The state of charge of the starter battery in the vehicle Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 SUV is very low". We took it to our local dealership to have the battery replaced but upon receiving the vehicle we started having issues. The vehicle would shake and loose power. Upon turning off and turning back on the vehicle would continue working properly. We proceeded to ha... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2023
Unknown Vehicle continues to display all warning lights on continuous jumping when driving. It took over seven months to obtain parts and took 26 hours to complete service leaving me without a vehicle. The damage received on the vehicle while waiting on parts caused more problems. Replacing the part after seven months of driving has caused my vehicle to deteriorate beyond repair in my opinion. I a... Read more
Incident date: Sep 19, 2024
When exiting a highway, my Pilot started to shake and jump. When I pulled to safety, the vehicle was reluctant to shift into park and kept cycling back in to drive. After multiple attempts, it finally stayed in park. Dealership reported the transmission software needed to be updated. I was told this is not covered under my warranty or under a recall as this is not a common problem. After doing ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 19, 2024
For the last 70k mile the vehicle will intermittently die when coming to a stop. Sometimes it just idles rough other times just dies. Not what you want when your trying to pull into traffic very dangerous situation. In August of 2019 a cel was finally displayed and dealer replaced cam solenoid. Unfortunately the fixed was short lived and the stalling continued. I delt with the problem from then ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2024
My engine coolant level keeps going down but no leaks evident also heavy white smoke coming out from the exhaust. Finally engine overheated.
Incident date: Nov 18, 2024
2013 Honda Accord EX-L V6 2 Separate Malfunctions Loss of all Power Steering Faulty VSA Module effecting Dashboard Indicators Broken VSA (Vehicle Stability Assistance) Module causes the ABS, FCW, LDW VSA, Steering, and Tire Gauge Warnings to light up solid. Causing the driver to be unaware if anything is wrong with the vehicle. Also leaving the car without working safety features promised by Ho... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2024
I've been reading on all these recalls for my car and only one recall was fix which was when I took care of it but these past recalls on my car, and some of the recalls match up to the way my car is acting like and I bought this car used and I am concerned about the recalls and not being fix I would like to get my car checked for the past recalls on it bc I don't want to drive a car that has recal... Read more
Incident date: Nov 26, 2024
While driving in the city or on the highway when accelerating, the car will lose power almost like it shifted to neutral - pressing the gas does not do anything then all of a sudden the expedition will rapidly catch gear causing the car to jerk all of the passengers. It is very unsafe and we have almost been rear ended due to this. It is extremely unsafe and scary. I notice it happening frequently... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
I have unusable camera in my 2019 Sante Fe, that is not included in a recent recall. Tried to find what “Problem” actually is on current recall to compare to mine. My picture is too bright and contrast ruins ability to identify objects behind me. Is the recall based on a similar problem? As your current Hyundai recall states: "An inoperative rearview camera will reduce rearward visibility... Read more
Incident date: Nov 25, 2024
Steering wheel pulls to the right even after new alignment caused me to hit a curb
Incident date: Dec 5, 2024
After starting the vehicle, backup camera and infotainment screen would not work. Car shut off and would not restart with “check system” message. Vehicle had to be towed.
Incident date: Dec 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Volvo XC60. The contact stated that every three weeks an oil change was performed on the vehicle. The contact stated that low oil level or oil empty messages were displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who confirmed that the vehicle was consuming 15-quarts of engine oil every 6,000 miles driven. The dealer determined that oil was leaking into the pistons. The dealer... Read more
Incident date: Dec 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Volvo XC60. The contact stated that every three weeks an oil change was performed on the vehicle. The contact stated that low oil level or oil empty messages were displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who confirmed that the vehicle was consuming 15-quarts of engine oil every 6,000 miles driven. The dealer determined that oil was leaking into the pistons. The dealer... Read more
Incident date: Dec 5, 2024
Active grill shutters code u11e9 we replaced wire harness and actuator and still getting code that’s causing an engine light .Brought to dealer and they did a recall on the air dam. Asked dealer to diagnose engine light after the fixed air dam and still getting a code for active grill shutter they told me I needed to replace active grill shutter. I explained to dealer we replace all the componen... Read more
Incident date: Nov 26, 2024
My EV9 lunged forward very abruptly when I was parking. I had to slam on the brakes before my vehicle crashed into the building in front of me. My vehicle also lost the signal (blank screen while driving ) the same day my car lunged forward. I could not tell how fast or slow I was going. I pulled over and restarted the vehicle or and my screen came back on. I began driving for maybe 4 minutes an... Read more
Incident date: Nov 27, 2024
Since I purchased my car in September of 2022, a 2018 Nissan Rogue SL AWD, whenever I drive down to Houston, TX, my AEB symbol (2 cars crashing symbol) flashes. This is consistent with me going to Houston about once a month, and I've driven elsewhere fine. I've driven throughout North TX, and to Louisiana, but every time without fail, my car gets the AEB sensor light. It flashes, and sometimes wil... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2024
The backup camera randomly loses the image when backing up. It has happened many times, unpredictable, beginning in October. Then had a period of it happening quite often, now it's only been twice in the last couple of weeks. I have a couple of photos of the screen, but this app won't let me paste them in. I request my VIN be added to the recall for this issue.
Incident date: Dec 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, several unknown messages became displayed on the instrument panel. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle began to hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and after several days, the dealer performed a valve adjustment to repair the vehicle. Recently while ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2024
PCV regulator valve failure at69,000 miles on my 2017 Mercedes E300.. I understand this is common before 100,000 miles with the four cylinder turbo, I feel there should be a recall and be replace at Mercedes dealers cost. (to replace cost is around $2,000 about 7 hours labor I was told)
Incident date: Dec 4, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Dec 4, 2024
Entire dashboard went blank and was not visible
Incident date: Oct 3, 2024
Component or System That Failed: The rear passenger seatbelt on the right side of a 2021 Lexus RX 450h malfunctioned during a collision. It is still in the vehicle, which is available for inspection upon request. How Safety Was Put at Risk: The seatbelt failed to restrain my son, who was seated in a booster seat and weighs approximately 78 lbs. During the collision, he flew forward and struck the... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 2, 2024
Over 10 times I've had errors come up on dashboard about sensor systems that are not working. Cat has been taken in 5 times for this with no resolution. I can provide numerous dashboard pictures going back since I purchased the vehicle
Incident date: Dec 2, 2024
I have the yoke steering wheel. To activate the horn, you press on the right side of the steering wheel. I was driving at freeway speeds and a car did not see me and started to move into my lane. Due to the placement of the horn on the side next to windshield wipers, the wipers went on but not the horn. You have to take your eyes off the road to look down for the horn. Tesla is aware of the d... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2024
The car's turtle light was on, and the car started moving slowly with instructions to part the car immediately. I brought the car to the service on 10/18/2024, and they could not diagnose it after 3 hours. I returned the vehicle on 10/21/2024 with the same complaint, and the car has been at the dealership service since then. VW instructed the service to replace one battery module, which did not so... Read more