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: Feb 12, 2025
I was backing out of my friend's driveway and hit a pole. My sensors did not beep at me indicating that there was something behind me. I realize I should have paid more attention but the sensors should have warned me.
Crash
Incident date: Feb 2, 2025
Water leaking inside on the windshield during heavy rain. All across the top. Headliner damp. Rear passenger side seat belt latch bolt keeps coming undone.
Incident date: Feb 7, 2025
The complaints describe instances where the engine shuts off unexpectedly, often while the vehicle is moving at a slow speed. Sometimes, the vehicle shifts into park and applies the emergency brake automatically. Additionally, the vehicles sometimes cannot be restarted, and drivers have reported seeing a malfunction warning light with a battery fault symbol on the dashboard. This i found on the i... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 2025
When making a sharp turn out of a parking lot I noticed a ticking or popping sound coming from the wheels. This was replicated a couple of times but not consistently. If the part is defective it could cause loss of control of the vehicle while turning. This issues has not been reproduced by the dealer nor has it been inspected. No warning lamps or messages appeared prior to or after the incident o... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 2025
The vehicle unexpectedly stalled - lost power while driving and the brake system warning light came on. There were no warning lights, messages or other issues with the vehicle prior to this failure. Was fortunate that the car coasted to a stop on the side of a busy road with no traffic following behind. The vehicle was then towed to a Honda dealership for inspection. Was advised by the service dep... Read more
KIA
SORENTO HYBRID
(2025) - WHEELS
Feb 17, 2025
Incident date: Dec 2, 2024
Day after driving to n a snow storm the vehicles stabilitrak and traction control light and message to service those came on the dash and a sudden lose of power. I pulled over and put it in park noticing the gear indicator on the dash was gone. I put in drive and could barely move. So I shifted to 1st gear then back to park and into drive and the light came off and it was back to normal. The ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 16, 2025
APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. SIDE DOORS BACK AND FRONT FILL WITH WATER. WINDOWS ROLLED UP AND DOWN HAVE STREAKS OF WATER(WET ALL THE TIME). WATER POURS OUT OF DOOR FRAMES. SLOSHING OF WATER IN DOORS. CAR HAS NO MORE THAN 15,000 MILES ON IT. ALWAYS KEEP COVERED IN GARAGE. CAR DOES NOT ACCUMULATE DEBRIS OR LEAVES. HAVE TAKEN INTO TOYOTA PALO ALTO TWICE NOW. NO REAL HELP. CANNOT SEE WE... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2024
The engine light goes on and off every other week. I've had the truck in multiple times and I've been told a number of reasons why it's happening, but it's not fixed. Now I am not receiving any paperwork for supposed services done I was told the paperwork will be mailed to me. I'm uncertain if Duluth Dodge is unable or unwilling to solve the problem. At this point, I'm getting lip service, an... Read more
Incident date: Feb 10, 2025
This is one of 4 of my 2021 ford econoline fleet vehicles purchased in 2021 that have had engine failure. I am one of many contractors in my area and others around the country who have had this issue with the same F59 engine. Ford has failed to issue a recall.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
24V865000 was supposed to be fixed with an OTA update I received a few weeks ago. The OTA update took 2 separate 48 hour periods to finish so I was without my vehicle for over 4 days for this process but thankfully my car is still operable which can't be said for some others that have gone through this process. I was also informed by a service center that not all of the modules were updated and ar... Read more
Incident date: Feb 17, 2025
The headlights are failing. They are very dim. I am no longer driving this car at night if I can avoid it. If I do drive at night, I have to have the brights on 100% of the time to see the road effectively. It became more serious 2 nights ago when I could not see a median in the road and ran over it. I had three teens in the car with me. I had driven as a chaperone to a school competition. We wer... Read more
Incident date: Feb 17, 2025
My front windshield has cracked twice in the span of 2 years. August 2023 and recently Feb 2025. Bought the car from a legitimate dealer in 2022. Both times there was no hard impact, no obvious damage (initially), the cracks also spread very quickly once the damage is obvious. The repairs each time is not covered, not covered by insurance, $1400+ each time.
Incident date: Feb 17, 2025
Having a different electrical issues with this vehicle since I purchased it, of course the warranty has fallen off after just bringing it in for diagnosis for different reasons. Now it’s winter time and the truck will not start without a jump. I took it to get tested. Everything came back One thing that stood out at the auto parts store that the dealership could not find, kind of frustrating. Th... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2024
The vehicle will not charge when plugged in and only charges at 1kW. The problem has been inspected and confirmed by the dealer. There were charging malfunction warnings when the issue occurred.
Incident date: Feb 14, 2025
I was backing out of my friend's driveway and hit a pole. My sensors did not beep at me indicating that there was something behind me. I realize I should have paid more attention but the sensors should have warned me.
Crash
Incident date: Oct 26, 2024
Two months ago While driving on the highway at 60 mph at night my headlights shut off with no warning leaving only my running lights, turn signals, brake lights and hazards lights functioning. Neither hi or low beams would function. Yet no warning or service lights appeared on the dash. Local mechanic replaced both the headlights bulbs and connectors on both sides. 3 weeks later it happened again,... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2023
After installing Tesla OTA software update 2024.45.32.15, my vehicle experienced critical system failures. Upon entering the car the next morning, I noticed that all cameras were non-functional, and navigation had completely stopped working. This posed a serious safety concern, as features like Autopilot, parking assistance, and basic visibility enhancements (such as rearview camera functionality)... Read more
Incident date: Jan 19, 2025
Reported by mechanics that this is a known issue with 2018 CHR at ~80k miles. My car has 86k. Toyota won’t help me because I didn’t have it regularly serviced at the dealership.
Incident date: Dec 3, 2021
Some Issues that my car has: 24V623000 Regenerative breaking is not working correctly. It has delay! 24V499000 Water pump is not working correctly. One time in the freeway, my car lost the drive power. 24V466000 Door handles stuck and failed to open several times. One time in a shopping center, when I got out of the car, all door handles got stuck, and I could not open the doors to help my kid in... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2025
During a rainstorm water is entering the fuse box under the glove box and the carpet and padding underneath is soaking wet on the right front floor.When the fuse case was opened water started to drip out.The engine continues to run with the key off and the only way to stop it is to pull the ignition fuse under the hood. Unfortunately the battery died by morning and I could not get it charged for a... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
The jeep was taken to the dealership under a software battery recall and the software was updated. One week later while driving at approximately 55mph, there was a sudden jerk in the propulsion system. the car shifted abruptly from electric to gas motor and the electric mode was unavailable. The vehicle jerked and hesitated at every acceleration and deceleration causing unsafe operating conditions... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2024
Safety recall for A pillar not being performed after issue was confirmed by Ford dealership. I have been waiting 5 months for repairs to be made. No update given by dealership as to when repairs will be available. Safety issue
Incident date: Dec 14, 2024
Drove my truck home for lunch. Truck drove normal all morning with no warning lights or audible warnings. Went to leave and head back to work. Put my truck in reverse and it would not move. Still no warning lights or audible warnings. After looking online it said that this was common in the Chevrolet speed transmission. It also says the valve body was bad. They also stated that it could lock up th... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2024
Def tank heater. I had one replaced @ 24K and another replaced 47K
Incident date: Oct 3, 2024
You need to set a standard for maximum brightness of LED lights. The brightest aftermarket lights should be illegal. On dark two lane roads I have to look completely away from oncoming cars to deal with glare which isn’t safe.
Incident date: Oct 3, 2024
Engine seized on the highway doing 80mph with my three young children in the car. The safety of my entire family was at risk! Luckily made it to the side of the road safely, but was freezing in the rain and snow with a completely dead vehicle. The vehicle had been in for service months earlier and they detected a “bearing” issue and had it for 2+ weeks to repair. I can’t help but think these... Read more
Incident date: Oct 3, 2024
I have owned the car for one year. In that time, three repairs have been made to the windshield including one full windshield replacement that was completed today (Feb 15, 2024). The OEM windshield has a clear tendency to break/crack under typical road conditions. The incident requiring replacement involved a 12 inch crack appearing during driving. It may have been caused by minor road debris; h... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
During normal driving the car would lose power. RPM's would drop and with engine sputtering. No trouble codes show up.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
The electrical system failed. Issue was it disengaged the 12 volt system as well. Vehicle seized and stopped in the middle of a high usage road with no ability to put into neutral. After speaking with Ford, they concede that there must be 12 volt battery power in order to put car in neutral. After 2 hours of blocking traffic The tow truck arrived ( was a rainy day) and within a minute hooked up a... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel had seized. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, which caused engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be re... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer w... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2022
The power steering consistently locks up. It may or may not reset itself if you turn the car off and back on. It’s very dangerous. It’s hard to drive . It definitely licks up if it’s cold outside or if you hit a pothole.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost automotive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the engine had failed due to coolant intrusion into the cylinders. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of th... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2025
I noticed up on start up a warning light comes on & display says brake system failure 62 MPH then goes away. I have been reading numerous other reviews online that they are experiencing the same issue. 2nd problem is when I bought the vehicle I noticed numerous oil spots on the tailgate, I asked a GM representative & they said it was road grime, but I noticed the rear pinon is leaking, so it's be... Read more
Incident date: Feb 8, 2025
While driving the vehicle, the transmission stopped shifting and the engine shut off. There was no warning.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
contacted dealership in Newburgh NY for recall. The rep pushed back making me wait 8 weeks. Dearlership in Middletown NY did not return call.
Incident date: Feb 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the air bag warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the air bag sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the air bag sensor needed to be replaced but was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, while oper... Read more
Incident date: Feb 7, 2025
Car will stahl and lock steering wheel when yielding into traffic or driving. The advance trak light along with auto hill assist will pop up on dashboard stating to repair the issue.
Incident date: Nov 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 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 local dealer was contacted. 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 experience... Read more
Incident date: Nov 14, 2024
on [XXX], I was driving my cybertruck on highway, at speed 55mph. the stainless panel on driver side, the one, on top of the windows, suddenly start falling off. This is the first winter for cybertruck. the stainless panel is hard and sharp enough to hit other cars. I pulled the car over. Please see my pictures below. Also, i included the youtube link here for your reference. [XXX] This is a ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 14, 2024
Powertrain control module software is faulty, causing improper diagnosis of catalytic converters efficiency. Prompting a check engine light and P0430/P0420 code. I could not pass emissions testing with this code. The Ford dealer made me pay out of pocket to replace catalytic converters ~6 months ago, total cost of $2975.12. The have now addressed that it is unlikely the catalytic converters were f... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2025
Coolant bypass valve failed at 89,500 miles.
Incident date: Feb 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-350. The contact stated while the vehicle was in the automatic car wash, water entered the vehicle from the front windshield. The water leaked into the fuse box and short-circuited the fuse box. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was determined that the seal around the windshield needed to be resealed and the fuse box replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The... Read more
KIA
OPTIMA HYBRID
(2017) - ENGINE
Feb 13, 2025
Incident date: Feb 6, 2025
I was driving to work on Saturday morning [XXX]. As I pulled out of the stop sign and approached 45 mph the engine stop. Making me a hazard within the road. I had to abruptly pull off into a road/yard in order to be safe. All while not having a power as the engine completely stopped. Upon investigation the dealership, Budd Baer in Washington Pennsylvania confirmed the engine had seized up due an i... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2025
Range has decreased rapidly since 2.2. Trustee won't pay for door handle or water pump replacement. Trustee won't provide access to fast and other tools to fix cars.
Incident date: May 1, 2021
My push start is not starting the car. Then while driving the car will shut off on parkway, at a light and won't start. This has been going on since I purchased the vehicle 9/23 I have warranty and th auto dealership keep acting like they fixed it yet the haven't. This is the most dangerous issue. We can die getting hit from behind or the car can catch fire keep pushing start button and not turnin... Read more
Incident date: Feb 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2024 Toyota BZ4X. The contact stated that the battery failed to retain a charge, resulting in the doors not unlocking as needed. The contact stated that the dealer had previously replaced the battery, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer, who determined that the battery had failed again. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 6, 2024
Urgent Safety Recall Complaint – Lack of Updates & Service Access Dear NHTSA, I am writing to express my serious concerns about the ongoing safety recall process for my vehicle, including NHTSA Recall Campaign Numbers 24V865000 and 24V623000. There are currently six active recalls, and I have not received the 2.2 OTA update to address braking system failures, persistent ADAS warnings, and the ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 6, 2024
Cruise control doesn't maintain speed, speed decreases. Car shakes under 10 mph and after 40 mph. Engine light starts blinking.