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: Mar 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Tundra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V381000 (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 contac... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2022
I was driving at about 65-70mph. The yellow wrench light came on. My spedometer went to zero and my digital screen went blank. I exited the road and restarted the truck. Everything seemed to be operating properly so I got back on the road. I got back up to 65-70mph and then heard a loud bang from the engine and my back tires locked up. I was able to exit the highway safely and called a tow truck. ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2025
10 Speed Transmission has very harsh shifting when accelerating as well as when downshifting. Dealer has looked at it and have been told over and over that it is normal. When downshifting there are time where the shifting creates a lunge affect making you feel that you are going to hit the car in front of you.
Incident date: Feb 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the A-Pillar trim detached. No warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The con... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2024
The rear warning system stops working intermittently especially when the rear hatch thinks it’s open. So I ended up backing into another vehicle because I have neck issues and depend on the safety systems of my car.
Crash
Incident date: Mar 24, 2025
Vehicle gives, “Driver assist reduced Drive with care” warning randomly. Lane change will no longer work and engine light will come on. Problem is sporadic and does not stay active. Engine light will shut off after a day. Once vehicle is shut off cooling fan runs extremely loud and for a long period of time draining battery.
Incident date: Mar 24, 2025
Vehicle gives, “Driver assist reduced Drive with care” warning randomly. Lane change will no longer work and engine light will come on. Problem is sporadic and does not stay active. Engine light will shut off after a day. Once vehicle is shut off cooling fan runs extremely loud and for a long period of time draining battery.
Incident date: Mar 24, 2025
The 2015 Volkswagen Beetle was in a minor accident that was rear-ended by another vehicle. No one was injured. The other party claimed responsibility and the vehicle was repaired and the other party paid for the repairs. The problem is with Volkswagen not having the OEM safety equipment available to complete the repairs. The specific part is a spoiler attached to the rear trunk lid that increa... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera failed to display an image, compromising the backup prevention system. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the rear-view camera. The vehicle was ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2024
On 1/1/25 around 5PM when it was getting dark, I was driving in my 2022 Toyota Venza LE on the highway in the rain when all of a sudden my left headlight off, windshield wipers stopped working and experienced a host of other electrical issues - engine temp doesn't read, apple carplay stopped talking to device, side mirrors lost power, traction control disabled. It was very dangerous as I lost vis... Read more
Incident date: Dec 16, 2022
UNKNOWN. Vehicle is burning through oil every 1,000 miles or so. Excessive oil consumption which i am aware there is a recall. However Kia states my VIN # is not included. While at the dealer service department for failed A/C system, we questioned the excessive oil consumption and engine replacement. We were told they found nothing wrong. Having to top off oil every 1,000 miles or so. It does not ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2025
I have sent this before, but my vehicles transmission will downshift, (at highway speeds), to a lower gear. I always have to put the van into neutral and then back into drive to get it to drive normal again. Also the van leaks oil onto the manifold which starts smoking. My van also uses antifreeze and I need to refill the coolant about every 2-3 days. This ecoboost engine is dangerous.
Incident date: Mar 15, 2025
The contact owned a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly shifted into second gear. A local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was not provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the VIN was ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2025
Vehicle shifting to lower gears while driving at any speed. Vehicle not engaging into higher gear when accelerating and then slipping out of gear completely. Vehicle remaining in high gears like 7 or 4 when completely stopped.
Incident date: Mar 26, 2025
This vehicle has a good service history but when I was driving on the highway the motor stalled almost causing an accident I heard a popping sound then the motor started to knock like crazy I know there was a recall on these vehicles for the same issue I feel that honda should honor the recall on the pilot elite as well
Incident date: Mar 26, 2025
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Transmission hard shifting, delays in up shifting into 3rd creates vehicle jerk on occasion.Also skips gears. Not available for inspection How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? High rpm shift from 2nd gear to 3rd gear on hills causing jerks Has the problem been reproduced or conf... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2025
While I driving my 4-year-old Ford Transit Connect with 65,000 miles, I noticed a transmission issue. At low speeds, the vehicle struggled to accelerate, which caused me significant stress and felt very unsafe. However, once on the highway, the transmission gradually returned to normal. In March, I took it to a Ford dealership, where it was diagnosed with a faulty transmission. After discussing th... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2025
driving down the road and the transmission stopped driving at stop light, forced the gas pedal down, and finally kicked itself into gear to jerk the truck hard into another lane. had a horrible smell afterward
Incident date: Aug 17, 2024
For the seat belt it does not retract back and there was no issue before. It suddenly stopped working and all of the seatbelt is out. This is a safety issue for anyone sitting in the front passenger seat. For the unknown part the button in the trunk to pull the back passenger seats down suddenly stopped working and no issues before then. I’m more concerned with the seat belt because this is ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Forte. The contact stated while her daughter was driving approximately 45 MPH and approaching a red traffic light, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The driver was able to pull into a nearby gas station. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to Priddy Automotive, where the engine was taken apart, and the mechanic diagnosed that the engin... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2025
Drivers side DRL out causing a safety hazard for other drivers
Incident date: Jan 31, 2025
The vehicle is shutting down while driving. Full power down. I have replaced the battery and taken it to Jeep. They have reset and ran multiple diagnostics. The car shows nothing wrong. Each time I call MOPAR about the PTU recall which is causing from 2017-2019 Jeeps to shutdown they say my VIN isn’t listed so they are unable to cover it under the recall. My car is doing exactly what the recall ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2025
The fuel injectors on my vehicle at 99000 seemed to turn all warning lights on my dashboard. There was no issues with my vehicle, I got an emissions test done, then 5 minutes later driving away all warning lights came on my dashboard. I brought to orielys autoparts and had the computer scanned, and it turned out the fuel was too rich in bank one. This is the second vehicle I had that had fo have f... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 BMW X5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was heavily depressed for the brakes to engage. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the cause for the failure was not yet determined. The dealer informed the contact that there was air in the brake lines and that the air needed to ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2025
As I was operating in Virginia speed limits was 70 and above my 2024 Harley Street Glide began to wobble at high speeds.
Incident date: Mar 20, 2025
The contact's boyfriend owns a 2017 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated while her boyfriend was driving at 30 MPH or above, the vehicle started to stall. The check engine warning light was illuminated. On a separate occasion, the vehicle stalled and drastically shifted out of gear into a different gear. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer but was not diagnosed. The dealer was unable to duplicat... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE); 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 dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had no... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2025
While driving a 2016 Ford F-150 XLT Supercab with a 6-speed transmission and 5.0L V-8, the truck was acting abnormally where the rear tires locked up and chirped once, then acted normally. The following week I auto-started the truck to warm the engine up prior to leaving for work, the transmission clunked into reverse and moved, then when in forward motion the transmission lagged and heavily shift... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that during the initial start-up, the vehicle shuddered for a while before running properly. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure due to coolant leaking into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2025
I was travelling on the interstate at 75 miles per hour and the vehicle started slowing down and completely shut down. The engine warning light then came on and I had to coast to the side of the road. I was on the side of the interstate for about 45 minutes and the vehicle had to be towed. The repair shop informed me it was a complete engine failure requiring a new motor and that GM has an exten... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2025
The truck will spontaneously downshift when driving. This creates a intense bang and vibration in the vehicle with an instantaneous speed change of vehicle. It's quite scary when it happens. I don't believe that it's any good for the drive shaft or rear end with such a sudden instantaneous transmission shift. I fear for additional damage it to the vehicle and the existing drivetrain when this occ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2025
Transmission slams gears, downshifts hard, takes some time to get into gears if cold. Skips gears (for some reason, not sure if it’s supposed to but it isn’t good for the transmission). Overall, the 10r80 is very jumpy, slams into gear, etc.
Incident date: Mar 25, 2025
The vehicle is shutting down while driving. Full power down. I have replaced the battery and taken it to Jeep. They have reset and ran multiple diagnostics. The car shows nothing wrong. Each time I call MOPAR about the PTU recall which is causing from 2017-2019 Jeeps to shutdown they say my VIN isn’t listed so they are unable to cover it under the recall. My car is doing exactly what the recall ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2025
driving at around 35mph I heard a pop and a warning showed up on the dash stating "stop vehicle and check power supply". This warning put the car into limp mode as I was about to turn on to a busier road to get to my place of employment. The car was then towed, at the request of Kia, to the nearest dealership. It was diagnosed a few days later as having a faulty ICCU, or integrated charging contro... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2025
driving at around 35mph I heard a pop and a warning showed up on the dash stating "stop vehicle and check power supply". This warning put the car into limp mode as I was about to turn on to a busier road to get to my place of employment. The car was then towed, at the request of Kia, to the nearest dealership. It was diagnosed a few days later as having a faulty ICCU, or integrated charging contro... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle struck an object on the roadway and the vehicle shuddered and made an abnormal sound. The vehicle failed to return to normal operation. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The failure occurred on several different occasions. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V89600... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2025
UNKNOWN. Vehicle is burning through oil every 1,000 miles or so. Excessive oil consumption which i am aware there is a recall. However Kia states my VIN # is not included. While at the dealer service department for failed A/C system, we questioned the excessive oil consumption and engine replacement. We were told they found nothing wrong. Having to top off oil every 1,000 miles or so. It does not ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2025
Decrease of power when pushing on gas peddle, a smell of burnt oil coming through vent. And since risk is very high on this engine component of possibly setting fire to car, and or ceasing thay may cause a crash. I would not like my wife to drive this vehicle knowing it could be a neglegent hazard that could cause injury or bodily harm to owner or other drivers near the vehicle. Very unsafe dont w... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that while driving on the interstate highway at 70 MPH, the vehicle wobbled abnormally with unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The contact was also informed that the steering dampener might have been... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2025
The software on the vehicle appears to have been updated without my permission or knowledge. 1) Now my doors will no longer lock or unlock from the interior control panel ... which means that the vehicle cannot drive as I am unable to let people into the vehicle due to how the door/door handles function. The door handles used to protrude out of the door when the vehicle was unlocked. Since the int... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2024
Bought 2025 Toyota Camry LE on 2025 January. Started noticing some movement on driver seat backrest just after few days of owning it. It makes big crunchy/creaking sound when I lean into the seat back and then lean forward again. Because of this, it doesn't provide stable driver position when turning the vehicle, accelerating from a stop and when sudden braking. it feels like it is not going to pr... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The message that coolant was needed was displayed. The contact added coolant to the reservoir. While driving 25 MPH, the vehicle was driving rough. The contact was concerned about the vehicle catching on fire. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (E... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2024
This truck when shifting from 4th to 5th will snap your neck! sometimes it just slips in gear., when I back up ity will stop like its in neutral and then bang into gear. sometimes you pull out on the road and it will not go just sit in neutral then bank in gear and take off. This is totally unsafe with this 10 speed trans.
Incident date: Mar 4, 2025
I had my vehicle looked at and found a cracked cylinder head on #3 and did some research of people having the same issues. I was driving when the vehicle started smoking it turns out the oil coming out of cylinder #3 flows down the driver and passenger side behind the exhaust manifold which can lead to a fire. My car only has a little over 80,000 miles and this should not happen around that low of... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was a loud clanking sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the failure recurred with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2025
On October 16, 2022, I purchased a 2016 Ford Escape from the Stowasser Buick GMC car lot. I have had numerous problems with this vehicle since the beginning. On November 1, 2022, I took my car to their service department because it was running poorly. The mechanics worked on my vehicle and returned it to me. However, on January 8, 2023, I had to take my vehicle back to Stowasser shop because it wa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2025
On October 16, 2022, I purchased a 2016 Ford Escape from the Stowasser Buick GMC car lot. I have had numerous problems with this vehicle since the beginning. On November 1, 2022, I took my car to their service department because it was running poorly. The mechanics worked on my vehicle and returned it to me. However, on January 8, 2023, I had to take my vehicle back to Stowasser shop because it wa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 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 manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the driver's side A-pillar trim was loos... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
While exiting the AZ Mesa 202 E Loop, the front driver rim snapped in the center and caused the tire to fly off.
Incident date: Mar 19, 2025
Nearly all loss of engine power while driving on on a highway. Ford states these are the necessary repairs. The mechanic supervisor Verbally told me told me possible Engine coolant in cylinders 2 and 3. I requested photos, however none have been provided. I have not approved repairs due to the costs. Total Estimate for repairs is over $15000.00 Ford ecoboost engines have had a lot of recalls, fo... Read more