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: Oct 6, 2024
Driving down highway and steering became inoperable or very hard to turn for approximately 2-5 seconds and this occurred about 5 times in the distance of 5 miles
Incident date: Oct 6, 2024
Front left safety restraint system fault alert which requires service from Tesla service center. Tesla is charging $360 before taxes to fix this issue which seems to be an ongoing issue for many Tesla owners. The cost should be on the company since it’s a safety concern.
Incident date: Sep 30, 2024
Went to stop at a red light and I had no breaks pushed break pedal all to the floor and nothing hit another car no air bags seat belt never tightened no collision warning nothing I was was at fault and charge wreck less driving and ticked. And Kia wants to charge me 200 for a diagnostic fee to figure out what happened I just had the oil changed 2 months ago
Crash
Incident date: Sep 30, 2024
Strange clicking noise during low speed steering left or right and moving steering wheel while parked. Honda dealer states they are unable to replicate issue. Issue is very unusual for a new vehicle. Multiple people have same issues on forums and Facebook groups. This is a potential safety issue if there is a faulty electrical steering gear box or suspension component. Honda needs to take responsi... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2024
Strange clicking noise during low speed steering left or right and moving steering wheel while parked. Honda dealer states they are unable to replicate issue. Issue is very unusual for a new vehicle. Multiple people have same issues on forums and Facebook groups. This is a potential safety issue if there is a faulty electrical steering gear box or suspension component. Honda needs to take responsi... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2024
The dashboard went dark. it’s an LCD panel, which means there was no speedometer, no gauges, no way to tell how much charge is left on my car. The turn signal stopped working too.
Incident date: May 15, 2024
Vehicle engine set off a failure code P1326 and went into a full limp mode. This code is related to the knock sensor picking up the crankshaft pounding against the bearings. It is a known issue with the original engine small oil ports. Brought my vehicle to a Kia dealership and their diagnostic procedure was to replace the sensor and reflash the ECM. My problem is, ever since they did that, th... Read more
Incident date: Oct 5, 2024
ABS and TRACTION CONTROL warning lights appear and disappear. Timing of warning lights have no discernable pattern. Vehicle has had no collisions and only 120,000 miles. Vehicle will be going in for inspection at garage.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
Duluth BMW Dealership service department repaired a recall thats directly related to an issue due to a water pump leak. My X6 currently has a water pump leak for which they are charging me $1600.00 to repair. However, it is the water pump leak is what causes the potential for the engine to overheat and start the vehicle to catch fire. I purchased my 2020 in 2019 which was the first batch to be mad... Read more
Incident date: Sep 3, 2024
During any precipitation, primarily rain, the adaptive cruise control fails to sense vehicles in front of it. This became alarming as the vehicle began to speed up and get alarmingly close to the other vehicle, causing driver to slam brakes. When looking at the cruise control display, the vehicle never showed another vehicle in front of it.
Incident date: Sep 3, 2024
During any precipitation, primarily rain, the adaptive cruise control fails to sense vehicles in front of it. This became alarming as the vehicle began to speed up and get alarmingly close to the other vehicle, causing driver to slam brakes. When looking at the cruise control display, the vehicle never showed another vehicle in front of it.
Incident date: Oct 10, 2022
I have wasted too much time and my own $ for my local KIA to dismiss their on going re-appointments and months of different service technicians to not have them reacting to an engine light to never retry something not done right. Now, they have my 2017 KiA Soul+ wrongly listed as no recalls remaining. I am trying to be as proactive and not lose my Kia or several more months of covering the Kille... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2022
Car seemed to be running as normal except for a slight rattle sometimes when starting. No warning lights, overheating etc. After listening to radio while parked, Car acted as if battery was dead. AAA couldn't get it started. Had it towed to dealership and was told it was a catastrophic engine failure.
Incident date: Oct 10, 2022
The year and model of my vehicle has a known issue of shift to park and only selected Vin’s they will repair even though there is a recall and known issue. I can not safely park my car as it’s not reflecting it is in the park position
Incident date: Oct 4, 2024
Communication error with system. This controls all functions from braking to cameras to suspension and audio/phone. Research shows that this is a habitual issue on almost all Land Rover models with no fix except to replace entire infotainment center which parts only range from 3-6k. Something needed to be done. This is supposed to be a high end vehicle. There are so many blogs with the same issu... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
I was driving my 2018 Kia Sorento up a hill going about 40 mph. It suddenly lost power and I had to pull over. No lights showed up on the dash warning me anything was wrong. I was draining oil like crazy and it was all over the engine. I had it towed to a mechanic and then the dealership. A bolt from inside the engine blew and tore a hold in the valve and head gasket. That’s all I know now. I ha... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
My 7 year old car now display the below error and Audi says it will cost $6000 to fix this. $6K to fix a broken light is unacceptable especially because it is a known issue. Audi recall campaign 97CB (NHTSA campaign ID 16V642000) addresses this exact issue.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
I entered my 2020 Acura RDX after it was parked for several hours while I was at work. The outdoor temperature was around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Upon closing the drivers door I hear a crashing noice and noticed the rear lift gate glass shattered and fell into the rear cargo area. This appears to be a very widespread issue with this make and model and is a serious safety concern that should be re... Read more
Incident date: Sep 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Sport. The contact stated that while making right turns on several occasions, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the steering knuckle had cracked and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mil... Read more
Incident date: Sep 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH and driving over a speed bump, there was an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the subframe was damaged and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failu... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2022
My Mercedes Benz GLA250 has a faulty rear differential and began shuddering and driving poorly when it had 44K miles on it. This is a very premature failure as diagnosed by two repair shops and is happening to thousands of this model Mercedes Benz. The damage can be catastrophic if continued to be driven as the differential metal continues to deteriorate and possibly have metal shavings travel int... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 BMW X1. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being operated, there was smoke coming from under the hood. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was later taken to a local dealer for a second opinion, but the diagno... Read more
Incident date: Sep 23, 2024
I took my car to be repaired because it was stalling and misfiring while accelerating, and 11 indicator lights were one (check engine, vehicle stability system warning, brake system warning, adaptive cruise control system). Also, my car smelled like radiator fluid was leaking from somewhere. The local Honda dealer’s service department could not get me an diagnostic appointment for more than 30 d... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while attempting to shift from reverse to drive the gear shifter failed to respond. The contact's father and neighbor went underneath the hood of the vehicle and made some adjustments for the gear shifter to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the shifter cable had failed and needed to be replaced. T... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Rio. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was smoke coming out from underneath the hood. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the failure persisted. The dealer was notified... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2023
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Oct 4, 2023
In 2022 I had the water pump replaced on my 2017 Ford Explorer as it was leaking and i was getting fluids into the oil tank. The mechanic advised that it could destroy the entire engine and cause massive safety issues when driving. Had repairs done at Forder Dealership. On September 26, 2024, I took my 2017 Ford Explorer into the Ford Dealership for another issue and found out that my water pump... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2022
Connecting rod bearing failure on 2018 Kia Sportage two months after having been to the Kia dealership for a knock sensor software update. (sensor update completed on 7/26/24 at Palm Springs Kia, RO# 6160694/1, engine failure occurred 9/23/24.) Upon doing research, I discovered that connecting rod bearing failure has been a recurrent issue over the years with Kia engines. I believe that my ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2022
When going above 20 mph the vehicle has an issue where the steering wheel will become stuck. Going around a turn you can let go of the wheel with it turned and the wheel will not go back to center. You have to physically turn the wheel the opposite direction to make the steering unstuck. The problem becomes worse the faster you are driving. On the interstate it becomes difficult to maintain the ve... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2024
Accident on 8.23.2024, and my driver or passenger airbags did not work, in my 2024 Volkswagen ATLAS SEL. The accident totaled my truck. The safety of myself and daughter at the time was very serious, but thankful, we came out with scratches and bruises. The problem has not been reproduce as I no longer have the truck. I sent an email (9/18/2024), to the dealer (Heritage Volkswagen Cantonsville, Ma... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Oct 4, 2024
The contact's father owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her father was driving at an undisclosed speed, the suspension of the vehicle collapsed, and the vehicle came to an abrupt stop. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the front passenger's side axle had fractured and had bent the front passenger's side wheel. The independent mechanic advise... Read more
Incident date: Oct 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V116000 (Power Train); 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 contact had not experienced a failure. The manufacturer was made awar... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2024
My engine burns oil like crazy. At least 1 qt every 1,000 miles or less. Took to dealership and was given a hard time about it having an issue. Now my power steering light keeps randomly coming on. I'll feel the steering start to get hard to steer. Thought I needed belts so I replaced both serpentine & water pump belt but it still happens. When my power steering light comes on and steering wheel l... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
Passenger Daytime Running Light went out on me. Happened to other 2021-2024 Ford F150’s too. Hazardous to others due to confusion of lighting. No warnings at all.
Incident date: Sep 23, 2024
Upon acceleration to highway speeds, the vehicle motor bogged down and started to shake the engine bay. White smoke started coming out of the exhaust and a very prominent rattle came from engine bay which did not subside. Fordpass detected an engine misfire, but I believe its a component of the turbo that may have blown. Truck has 700 miles on it. Ford is still diagnosing the vehicle to date.
Incident date: Oct 2, 2024
Car shuts down suddenly while driving causing the wheel to lock up and breaks unable to be pressed.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
I am an Engineer in several capacities (Electronic, Mechanical, Automotive) and have studied motor vehicle fluids and lubricants in chemical and physical properties details. 2020 Ford 250 TRUCK, not light passenger veicle. A Ford Dealer, Ted Russell Parkside, 9925 Parkside Dr in Knoxville TN, sold me the WRONG POWER STEERING FLUID FOR THIS COMMERCIAL VEHICLE (TRUCK). Invoice [XXX] dated 10/02/20... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2024
Front Camera Fault causing Adaptive Cruise Control not to work therefore forfeiting any added measure of safety at highway speeds. The issue was investigated and was fixed at the local Ford dealer by installing a new camera, camera control module, and wiring. Warning message came on every time the truck was started and warning light came on saying that adaptive cruise control could. not be eng... Read more
Incident date: Sep 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 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 front driver's side windshield exterior A-Pillar trim had detached. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufactur... Read more
Incident date: Sep 19, 2024
the differential skid plate was manufactured in a way that one of the brackets make contact with the fuel tank of the truck. It rubs and compromises the integrity of the tank. Possibly leading to a puncture and leak. I brought it to the attention of the manufacturer, and they have stated that they received several complaints from customers and redesigned the skid plate to prevent this. However the... Read more
Incident date: Sep 20, 2024
Brand new car. After approximately six months, the drive shaft started making very loud popping noises when turning the steering wheel at low speeds. This happens 100% of the time with even minimal steering wheel movement. Honda is not sure if the drive shaft is rubbing against the frame of failing within the driveshaft. Honda is not reporting any service guidance so each dealership is pulling... Read more
Incident date: Oct 3, 2024
This vehicle is part of the 69PZ recall. The manufacturer has still not come up with a remedy for my vehicle. It has been close to four months, and I am not able to have anyone use the passenger seat because of this. The company is unwilling to offer any solutions. My passenger airbag light turns on and off and the check engine light is on and the dealership did not fix it.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware that the rearview camera was inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the image displayed on the screen was very distorted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and refe... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2024
All at once I have an ABS , Brake, Traction Control on instrument panel illuminated.Service Trailer Brake diagnostic message. Will not set cruise. 06/03/24. Am not driving for fear of failure and presently cannot afford diagnostic repairs. Just turned 100,000 miles and is not used for daily uses. Cannot believe a failure of this magnitude happened with very low mileage
Incident date: Sep 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the hood opened unintentionally, the A/C unit and the radio intermittently turned on and off, the infotainment system screen intermittently turned black and randomly turned back on, along with several other failures that occurred. No warning lights was illuminated. The failures occurred on several different ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the driver's side door failed to open using the interior door handle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the driver’s side interior door handle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred three years later. The contact stated that o... Read more
Incident date: Oct 3, 2024
At night, the light sensors cause the GPS map screen to flash from dark mode to bright white screen when passing under street lights. Car is available for inspection. This is a safety factor in that the bright white lights flashing in the driver's eyes in the dark is very dangerous and distracting. The safety of my passengers, myself and surrounding vehicles was put at risk when driving in the da... Read more
Incident date: Oct 3, 2024
While I was driving at night, my headlights would turn completely off. Sometimes it would happen when I turned my blinkers on, sometimes when switching from high to low beam, and sometimes totally randomly. Lights were set to AUTO at the time. It’s been extremely dangerous because most of the time I’ve been driving on dark county roads. Have not taken it to a shop yet was trying to self diagno... Read more
Incident date: Sep 13, 2024
In November of 2021, I purchased my dream car, a 2016 Volvo s60 Cross Country, proud to own a vehicle from a company known for their safe and reliable vehicles. In April of 2022, a class action case ([XXX], et al., v. Volvo Car USA, LLC, Volvo Cars of North America, LLC, and Volvo Personvagnar AB) was issued against Volvo due to a KNOWN-TO-VOLVO DESIGN FLAW in their engines which could lead to eng... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2024
I was driving my car approaching a four way intersection, to realize my brake pedal was not pressing down to the floor. This was 9/28/24. I have a 2020 Chevy Equinox. I put my car in the shop to only find out that vacuum pump has exploded and left metal inside the engine. Done some research with the repair shop and to my surprise, GM has had a lot of recalls with vehicles having this issue. Who ev... Read more