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: Aug 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while shifted into reverse(R), the rear-view camera was blank and then operated intermittently; however, the image was blurry. The vehicle was taken to a dealer on two occasions. During the first visit, the contact was informed that the harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2026
HONDA PILOT 2018 87K MILES DIAGNOSED WITH DTC P0741 TORQUE CONVERTER Vehicle has experienced severe and recurring drivability issues on more than one occasion during normal driving conditions. While attempting to change lanes, the vehicle exhibited delayed acceleration and loss of power. When accelerating from a stop sign, the vehicle bucked and lagged, followed by sudden and unintended forward pr... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2025
My son, [XXX] , has opened a complaint/Case #XXX with Kia. His 2023 KIA Forte had been idle for at least 24 hours when the engine compartment caught fire. He became aware of this when the Fire Department knocked on his apartment door around 4:00 PM 12/26/25 and said they were evacuating the building because a car was on fire. He went outside and was shocked, to say the least, that it was his car. ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Dec 26, 2025
I was driving normal and almost lost control when electric power sterring rack and pinion went out. And after doing some research looks like this is a huge issue with all these trucks. Amd dodge refuses to recall the vehicle. Someone can die from this
Incident date: Mar 23, 2025
I've been trying for 6 months to get my recalled seatbelts replaced as I complained about issues with the latching mechanism for years before the recall. The dealership does not have parts to repair the seatbelts and will not provide a reasonable time frame or loaner vehicle in the meantime. Please help. I am concerned for my kids' safety as they're coming unbuckled spontaneously as we drive down ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Jeep Wrangler. The contact while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle experienced the death wobble. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The contact pulled over twice and drove 65 MPH on the way to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering damper and tie rod needed to be replaced. The steering damper and tie ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2025
Driving on the highway, my dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree. Car started having white smoke at tail pipe. Check engine lit blink 5 times. Had 4 kids under 14 years old in car. Almost got hit trying to merge over. Turns out misfire cylinder 4. Head gasket. Only 81,000 miles. I have owed 5 months. Car currently at Honda, they want almost 4,400 to repair. But apparently, Honda is aware of these... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
Vehicle failed to restart after Auto Idle Stop engaged while stopped in traffic. The engine shut off as expected but did not restart when releasing the brake pedal. A warning message appeared briefly on the dashboard but could not be fully read due to traffic conditions. The vehicle remained unresponsive until I shifted into Park and manually restarted the engine. This has occurred intermittently... Read more
Incident date: Dec 16, 2025
The vehicle is experiencing excessive engine oil consumption. The engine was found by the dealership to be low by 3 quarts of oil after about 1000 miles during an oil consumption test, indicating abnormal oil loss. The suspected failure involves internal engine components, possibly piston rings, allowing oil to enter the combustion chamber and burn. This condition creates a safety risk because the... Read more
Incident date: Dec 16, 2025
2023 GMC Yukon XL 6.2L V8 experienced progressive engine defects starting in first year. At 7,445 mi (Jan 2023), first dealer visit for engine issues. At 10,315 mi (Apr 2023), Cyl 2 fuel injector failed (internally open), vehicle TOWED to dealer, replaced under warranty. At 14,982 mi (Aug 2023), identical Cyl 7 injector failure (internally open), replaced under warranty. Two identical failures on ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
While driving, the vehicle experienced a sudden catastrophic failure involving the engine and turbocharger, resulting in an immediate loss of power and the vehicle becoming disabled in an active roadway. The failure occurred without warning and required a response from the San Diego Police Department due to the vehicle being immobilized in traffic. This created a hazardous situation for the drive... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
After pressing the brake pedal 2 or 3 times the pedal becomes very hard and it is extremely hard to stop the vehicle. All new brake pads and rotors. The brake pedal is loosing vacuum.
Incident date: Feb 27, 2026
The roof molding blew off. It is the exact same issue as this recall 24V025000 but me vin isn't included.
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
The rear backup camera on my 2019 Ford Mustang intermittently stops working. At times the screen shows a blue screen or displays a “backup camera not available” message. The issue comes and goes without warning. This creates a safety concern when reversing, as visibility is reduced and the camera cannot be relied upon. The problem appears to be electrical and is not consistently functioning.
Incident date: Mar 14, 2026
I’m using this car in Poland (Europe) my engine starts to make knocking noise due to Bearings rods and lifters failure . N252494001 L87 Engine Loss of Propulsion I called to European Cadillac authorized service and they refused to replace the engine because USA based manufacturer don’t wan’t to repair a car even is still on warranty
Incident date: Mar 14, 2026
Was driving approximately 45MPH and the truck just slowly powered down and "Engine Power Reduced" and eventually cut off and wouldn't crank back up. Got it towed to the Chevrolet dealership and was told the engine has to be replaced due to the bottom of the motor and the crankshaft in cylinder one. Was told it would be 17k to repair it.
Incident date: Jan 10, 2026
Car gave a "electrical error" message and would no longer charge at any charger. It slowly lost power and eventually stopped driving fully on the highway. The dealer says the ICCU is responsible. I inquired if this recall was not fixed already, they said it was but can still happen and the ICCU is not resolved truly, the software is just a temporary fix according to them. The vehicle will need a n... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the rearview camera displayed a blank white screen. The local dealer was contacted on several occasions. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
Driving and lost power in vehicle it wasn't able to accelerate and resulted in getting stranded. Power would then be restored and then lost randomly. Dealer said it was the ICCU that was faulty.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Wrangler. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V741000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where an engine oil replacement was performed, and the High-Voltage Battery was replaced. Upon further inspection, the local dealer diagnose... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
When accelerating, the car feels stuck to gear up. After 2 seconds of loud revving, it would switch and have a prominent jerk motion that it finally switched gears. There have been times the car wouldn't go past 30 mph, stuck at the gear making a loud noise. This is dangerous! There's absolutely no way I can get on the freeway never getting past 30ish mph. I checked recalls for this vehicle and th... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
Fuel sensor failure. Began around 60,000 miles. Unless tank is full tank will display as empty. This also causes the check engine light to be on. Causes me to never know how much fuel is in the tank. I have nearly run out of fuel several times. This is a known issues across Dodge RAM forums for this era of RAM. It is not safe to operate at speed and run out of fuel unexpectedly.
Incident date: Mar 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB 300 4Matic. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V073000 (Electrical System); 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 contact was advised to only charge the vehicle to a maximum of 80% battery capaci... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V411000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) and 22V406000 (FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL) but the failure occurred. The contact stated that two days after the vehicle was repaired, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact arrived at the grocery store and after t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
The starter system failed & yes it is available for inspection. Others & my safety was put at risk, as the car shut off while I was driving. The gauges turned off, I could not see how fast I was going and the turning and brake lights did not work either, the radio & a/c all turned off. The problem has been reproduced while the vehicle is parked on hot days and in the winter when the the heater is ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the vehicle with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle idled abnormally rough, and the engine was pulsing. The oil level was checked and was noticeably low. The contact added oil to the engine. The vehicle was taken to Precision Auto Care... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
Opens sunroof and part broke
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
During my recent oil change, I was informed that the oil pan gasket appears to be leaking. I understand that this issue has been subject to prior investigations, and I am reporting it..
Incident date: Sep 20, 2025
I am a 2nd owner of a kia telluride and the engine failed without warning at less than 90,000 miles. No check engine light, no temp gauge, no low oil level light. No warning at all. Just failure of the "push rod bearing" ny Kia was regularly maintained and when I took it to the dealership, they told me it was down about 3.5qts of oil! Again no low oil light? It holds 7qts...9,000$ later out of my... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2026
We first heard about the recall and it was listed on NHTSA on 2/23/2026. Today is 2/22/2026, and we have not received any information from Kia. I attempted to call Kia numerous times. It lists that there is a safety malfunction with the front seats, which could be dangerous if the vehicle is involved in a collision. This is a safety issue, not a convenience issue, and needs to be addressed by Kia ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2026
Was backing out of a parking lot space when a loud popping sound was heard from the right rear portion of the car. Shortly after a check electrical system message was displayed and to pull over. Then eventually had a power limited message pop up after 12V battery charging status/condition was checked by roadside service. Would turn out to be the ICCU (Integrated Charging Control Unit) after dealer... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
Paint is peeling on the roof of my Kia by the windshield. No incident has happened this is a manufacturer defect.. My car has never been involved in a car accident. No incidents.
KIA
SORENTO PHEV
(2025) — FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Mar 22, 2026
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
On March 13, 2026, Friday, at about 3:00 pm, was driving XXX on US XXX toward the XXX stop and go traffic backup for several miles. Sun was behind direction of traffic flow. Temperature was low-mid 50s and road was dry and no rain or snow. Winds were 10-15 mph with gusts to 25 mph. Road was 3 lanes in the east direction with one lane closed. Attempting to keep about a 3 foot distance from car... Read more
Crash
KIA
SORENTO PHEV
(2025) — FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Mar 22, 2026
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
On March 13, 2026, Friday, at about 3:00 pm, was driving XXX on US XXX toward the XXX stop and go traffic backup for several miles. Sun was behind direction of traffic flow. Temperature was low-mid 50s and road was dry and no rain or snow. Winds were 10-15 mph with gusts to 25 mph. Road was 3 lanes in the east direction with one lane closed. Attempting to keep about a 3 foot distance from car... Read more
Crash
KIA
SORENTO PHEV
(2025) — POWER TRAIN
Mar 22, 2026
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
On March 13, 2026, Friday, at about 3:00 pm, was driving XXX on US XXX toward the XXX stop and go traffic backup for several miles. Sun was behind direction of traffic flow. Temperature was low-mid 50s and road was dry and no rain or snow. Winds were 10-15 mph with gusts to 25 mph. Road was 3 lanes in the east direction with one lane closed. Attempting to keep about a 3 foot distance from car... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
While driving a 2020 Kia Forte on the expressway at normal speed, the vehicle was operating normally with no prior warning lights or known issues. Suddenly, the brakes began to feel weak, as if they were failing. Immediately after, a popping sound was heard from the vehicle, followed by smoke coming from the side/underneath area. Within moments, the smoke intensified and the vehicle caught fire. ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: May 14, 2025
Sunroof mechanism failure in May 2025. Had sunroof repaired and paid out of pocket at KIA dealership. The sunroof was off track therefore the roof was exposed to elements. March 2026 sunroof mechanism has broken again. Sunroof has not been operated since repair in May 2025 for fear of getting stuck open again.
Incident date: Feb 12, 2026
Intake manifold. A previously repaired recall that is still causing issue. Rough idle and check engine light.
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
Catastrophic rear differential failure at highway speed following recent warranty repair. Vehicle previously brought to Kia dealership for rear differential knocking noise. Warranty repair performed and vehicle returned. Within one week, original noise returned with additional whirling/ grinding sound.While traveling approximately 70 mph on the highway, vehicle experienced a sudden loud bang and i... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
Driving on busy highway with one passenger. Vehicle began losing power and acceleration, but no warning lights came on. Kept driving for 20 miles and oil warning light came on, but temp vuage registered fine. I parked, checked fluid amounts, and oil was extremely low (even though it had been checked the week prior and was full). Put 2 quarts in, started vehicle and warning lights went off. Procee... Read more
Incident date: Feb 18, 2026
I was driving with my son when my 2015 Kia Sorento stopped in traffic. I remember warning lights coming on my dash including the engine light, oil light and battery light. However, I was more concerned about getting my hazards on so we would not be hit by another car. Traffic was heavy, it was raining and getting dark. I needed to push my car off the road with the help of another driver. A Hyannis... Read more
Incident date: Feb 18, 2026
I was driving with my son when my 2015 Kia Sorento stopped in traffic. I remember warning lights coming on my dash including the engine light, oil light and battery light. However, I was more concerned about getting my hazards on so we would not be hit by another car. Traffic was heavy, it was raining and getting dark. I needed to push my car off the road with the help of another driver. A Hyannis... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
I bought the car with 9 miles on it, and when I tried to use the windshield washer, it didn't work! I took it to the dealer, and they refused to fix it! They said the car was infested with mice and that it was my problem!!! The car is made with defective materials! All hoses and foam in the car are made from soy beans!! That is rat and mouse food!!!
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
I bought the car with 9 miles on it, and when I tried to use the windshield washer, it didn't work! I took it to the dealer, and they refused to fix it! They said the car was infested with mice and that it was my problem!!! The car is made with defective materials! All hoses and foam in the car are made from soy beans!! That is rat and mouse food!!!
Incident date: Mar 2, 2026
I bought the car with 9 miles on it, and when I tried to use the windshield washer, it didn't work! I took it to the dealer, and they refused to fix it! They said the car was infested with mice and that it was my problem!!! The car is made with defective materials! All hoses and foam in the car are made from soy beans!! That is rat and mouse food!!!
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
The ICCU failed which was part of the recall. Kia is unwilling to honor repairs beyond the 100,000 mile warranty which is unacceptable because there is still no resolution and it is subject to potential future failure. I need an extended warranty.
Incident date: Mar 20, 2026
The ICCU failed which was part of the recall. Kia is unwilling to honor repairs beyond the 100,000 mile warranty which is unacceptable because there is still no resolution and it is subject to potential future failure. I need an extended warranty.
Incident date: Mar 2, 2024
Component: Electrical System / Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist / Speedometer Incident Summary: I am reporting a catastrophic and uncorrected safety defect in my 2021 Kia Sorento (VIN: [XXX] ). Pre-Accident Attempts: Before April 2024, I repeatedly sought diagnosis for instrument cluster 'glitches.' The Kia dealer misdiagnosed this as a battery failure, charging me out-of-pocket for a repl... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 2, 2024
Component: Electrical System / Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist / Speedometer Incident Summary: I am reporting a catastrophic and uncorrected safety defect in my 2021 Kia Sorento (VIN: [XXX] ). Pre-Accident Attempts: Before April 2024, I repeatedly sought diagnosis for instrument cluster 'glitches.' The Kia dealer misdiagnosed this as a battery failure, charging me out-of-pocket for a repl... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 2, 2024
Component: Electrical System / Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist / Speedometer Incident Summary: I am reporting a catastrophic and uncorrected safety defect in my 2021 Kia Sorento (VIN: [XXX] ). Pre-Accident Attempts: Before April 2024, I repeatedly sought diagnosis for instrument cluster 'glitches.' The Kia dealer misdiagnosed this as a battery failure, charging me out-of-pocket for a repl... Read more
Crash