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: Mar 17, 2026
Had my oil changed less about 3k miles ago and my oil like flashed on and then off. I check my oil and I have no oil. I should be able to go 5k miles. Took it to Goodyear and he check for leaks and other things and it's an oil consumption issue and said there should be a recall on my engine. I will be taking it to the dealership. My car has about 70k miles on it. It should not be burning throu... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
These Hankook iON Evo tires started vibrating wildly at the first service that I took the car to for a rotation. We took it back to the dealership (Ourisman Kia in Fairfax VA) three times where they kept the car for several days to diagnose. After opening the tires up, they state that the inner sound insulating foam on all four tires has separated. The tires were at 7/32 and now 5/32 and the car ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
My 2021 Kia Soul is exhibiting a severe safety defect documented in Recall SC336: frequent, unpredictable stalling in traffic ("Loss of Motive Power") and audible engine knocking. These symptoms create a high risk of a rear-end collision or being stranded in a dangerous traffic situation. The vehicle is currently at Kia of Streetsboro. Despite being provided with evidence of these active mechanica... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2025
Driver side passenger back sliding door will not open or close properly. Door will jam and make a loud noise or will not open when trying to open. Took it the dealership 4 times they replaced the motor but the issue continues.
Incident date: Oct 20, 2025
Office of Defects Investigation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE Washington, DC 20590 Subject: Safety Complaint – Premature Engine Failure Risk Due to Excessive Oil Consumption and Confirmed Cylinder Scoring – 2020 Kia Sorento Dear Sir or Madam, I am submitting a formal safety complaint regarding a 2020 Kia Sorento that is experiencing severe ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
Vehicle: Ford Fusion 2011 Component: Steering Mileage: 169600 Description: While driving, the steering suddenly became very heavy and difficult to turn. The steering wheel feels stiff, and in some situations the wheels do not respond properly when turning the wheel. The issue appears related to a worn or failing rack and pinion steering system. This creates a dangerous situation where the vehic... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2025
Safety defect P1326 code is a known indicator of rod bearing wear. When it triggered, the vehicle immediately went into Limp Mode, creating a significant safety hazard. The behavior aligns with the documented defect affecting NU GDI Engines and is not consistent with normal Engine wear. I have confirmed the KSDS software update was performed. I have taken the vehicle to Clay Cooley Kia of Plano... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2025
Just took my car to the Chevy dealership today and had them go over the car because I keep getting the message steering assist has been reduced and the fan is constantly running at the highest speed and it also makes it where I can not use the a/c or heat in the car! I don’t know the code off hand but it has something to do with the cam shaft and the thermostat for the antifreeze! From what Chev... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
Date/time of incident 03-16-2026 18:09-18:17 * Faulting component: Infotainment screen (screen to the right of gauge cluster) * Incident: While backing out of a parking spot and utilizing the cameras to watch my surroundings, the infotainment screen became unresponsive and began flashing between visual noise similar to 'snow' on old broadcast television, primary colored jagged/blocky artifacts, an... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
Date/time of incident 03-16-2026 18:09-18:17 * Faulting component: Infotainment screen (screen to the right of gauge cluster) * Incident: While backing out of a parking spot and utilizing the cameras to watch my surroundings, the infotainment screen became unresponsive and began flashing between visual noise similar to 'snow' on old broadcast television, primary colored jagged/blocky artifacts, an... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
On 02/27/2026, a 2024 Mazda CX-50 (20700 miles) exhibited a severe burning smell following a 3-hour highway drive and a subsequent steep, 2-mile mountain climb to a restaurant in Jasper, TN. The smell was strongly observed by multiple occupants upon exiting the vehicle. On 03/02/2026, a technician at Mazda of Knoxville confirmed via video a 'flat grease ring' slung onto the undercarriage, indicati... Read more
Incident date: Feb 16, 2026
225 40 r18 all four of my tires have a crack thats on the side wall that goes around the whole tire took it to my dealership and they said that it was defective and that i couldn't drive my vehicle like that
Incident date: Feb 13, 2026
I am filing this complaint to report a serious safety failure involving the service braking system and the failure of Forward Collision‑Avoidance Assist (FCA) and Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) on my 2021 Kia Soul. During an imminent collision event, the vehicle failed to brake as expected, and FCA/AEB did not activate, despite conditions that should have triggered emergency braking. This cre... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Feb 13, 2026
I am filing this complaint to report a serious safety failure involving the service braking system and the failure of Forward Collision‑Avoidance Assist (FCA) and Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) on my 2021 Kia Soul. During an imminent collision event, the vehicle failed to brake as expected, and FCA/AEB did not activate, despite conditions that should have triggered emergency braking. This cre... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Feb 13, 2026
Rattle in the steering column when turning and over bumps.
Incident date: Jan 31, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that approximately one month prior to receiving notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V741000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); the vehicle experienced electrical failures and the battery failed to hold a charge, and the vehicle was not operational. Additionally, the transmission was extremely low on transmission fluid, and the differential was leaki... Read more
Incident date: Mar 10, 2026
Small rock chip in windshield and the next day when turning on the defrost a long crack formed that is approximately 10-12 inches. The windshield is very flimsy and driving with a cracked windshield is a safety issue. The dealer confirmed that several others have called with windshield repairs and that they don't do the work themselves and told me to call safelite.
Incident date: Sep 16, 2025
One day my pilot 2012 suddenly started turning on and off the passenger airbag then out of the blue the airbag system light when on. Scanned it an it reads the passenger weight sensor is not communicating the part is no longer available to purchase and it is in backorder with date of delivery to be determined. Car is not safe to operate and Honda is not selling the part anymore to get the repair. ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving at 10 MPH, there was a loud sound coming from the vehicle, with the collision warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to go forward or reverse as needed. After inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware that a metal object had detached from the vehicle near the front driver’s side whee... Read more
Incident date: Aug 16, 2024
Rear‑view camera intermittently fails to provide a usable image when shifting into reverse. Symptoms include delayed activation, black screen, frozen frame, or extremely choppy video. This results in intermittent loss of rear visibility and does not comply with FMVSS 111. The defect has persisted for several years despite multiple Polestar software updates and multiple NHTSA recall campaigns int... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2026
The issue appears to involve the electric oil pump and related components. My 2021 Kia Sorento had a recall for the electric oil pump that was marked “completed” in January 2023; however, the dealership only performed a software update and did not replace any mechanical components because no fault code was present at that time. Beginning around October 2025, the vehicle started experiencing dr... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2026
Internal short within headlamp assembly causing the fuse to blow. Unrepairable, requires full replacement of part. Confirmed by MyAutoImports licensed Toyota repair center. Passenger side day running light, headlight, and brights are inoperative. Turn signal and front right indication light are still functioning. No warning prior to, but system warning came up after the short first occurred telli... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2026
Internal short within headlamp assembly causing the fuse to blow. Unrepairable, requires full replacement of part. Confirmed by MyAutoImports licensed Toyota repair center. Passenger side day running light, headlight, and brights are inoperative. Turn signal and front right indication light are still functioning. No warning prior to, but system warning came up after the short first occurred telli... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2026
NHTSA COMPLAINT NARRATIVE — SAFERCAR.GOV Vehicle: 2024 Tesla Model Y Component/System: Full Self-Driving (Supervised) Software, Version 14.2.2.5 On March 14, 2026, at approximately 5:22 PM, a 2024 Tesla Model Y was traveling on U.S. Route 3 in Franconia, New Hampshire, at approximately 45 mph within the posted speed limit. The vehicle was operating with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software v... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Forest River Sandpiper. The contact stated that while the RV was parked, the rear of the RV became detached and inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted. The RV was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
On March 4th I was driving my car that I had my daughter and two grand children with me which is a 2020 Nissan Murano. I was driving and as I was driving I heard a loud pop that sounded like a gun shot so i immediately look through the mirror to see if i could see my grandchildren as im looking through the mirror i see two holes in the back window so im scared at this point so i continue to drive ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
I was stopped in the left hand turn lane, then accelerated to cross 2 lanes of traffic. I then let off the accelerator, and applied the brakes to stop, and the brakes did not function. I then rear ended a vehicle in front of me due to the intermittent loss of brakes. It may have also been the propulsion system kept going. Either way the vehicle maintained the same speed of about 15mph until I c... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
1. The issue involved the engine and emissions system, specifically a cylinder 3 misfire, accompanied by illumination of the check engine light and white smoke emitted from the exhaust. The vehicle was evaluated by an authorized Jeep dealership, which confirmed the cylinder misfire through diagnostic testing. At that time, per the diagnosis, coil 3 and all spark plugs were exchanged. This did not ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
Description of Defect: I am reporting a chronic and dangerous structural failure of the factory-equipped alloy wheels on my 2023 Mercedes-Benz CLS 450 4MATIC. Since purchase, this vehicle has suffered 8 documented incidents of wheel failure, consisting of 5 rim cracks and 3 complete wheel replacements. The failures are occurring under normal, paved driving conditions in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2026
Unknown—he only performed the inspection, as I am a Lyft driver and my account was suspended due to a recall issued by the NHTSA.
Incident date: Mar 3, 2026
My vehicle has an open safety recall (NHTSA Recall 25V-766 / FCA campaign 78C) stating the engine may be contaminated with sand from the casting process, which can cause catastrophic engine failure, fire, or sudden loss of propulsion. The recall has been active since November 2025 and the manufacturer states parts are unavailable, so the defect cannot currently be repaired.
Incident date: Nov 28, 2025
Description of Defect: My 2020 Kia Telluride experienced catastrophic engine failure and excessive oil consumption, which is a known issue for this model year (to the point that I had to sell it just 1 year after I bought it). The vehicle consumes oil at an alarming rate without any dashboard warning lights, or low oil pressure indicators, leading to sudden loss of engine power and potential stall... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2025
Catastrophic engine failure. Sudden. Started my car in the morning. Engine was running rough. Drove about 1/2 mile, engine continued to get worse. Returned home. decided to get engine codes checked. Check engine lights did not come on until this incident. Couldn't keep engine running. Kept trying to restart. Heard weird noise in engine and engine seized. Car had 62,800 miles on it, just over the 5... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from underneath the hood. The check engine and oil warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a blown engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repair... Read more
Incident date: Feb 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek equipped with Yokohama Tires, Tire Line: Geolandar G91, Tire Size: 225/60/R17, and DOT Number: (N/A). The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for routine maintenance, the dealer informed the contact that the remaining three original tires were dry-rotted in the middle of the tire. The dealer informed the contact that the tires needed t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2026
Loss of power pulling onto a major highway -- luckily I was able to pull off onto a side street but had I not I could have been rear ended. Vehicle has been at Athens Ford since January 15th -- Ford states on their recall notification that parts are readily available -- they are not. I have been waiting for 2 months to get my vehicle back and have no resolution in sight. Dealer states they have n... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V544000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and 25V572000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that parts w... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2026
The front passenger door latch seems to go off and say that the door is open and the alarm goes off in the car so in the middle of the night, the alarm will start ringing and then when driving in the car, it constantly beeps and says the door is open when it’s closed. Sometimes you can’t open the door.
Incident date: Mar 15, 2026
The front passenger door latch seems to go off and say that the door is open and the alarm goes off in the car so in the middle of the night, the alarm will start ringing and then when driving in the car, it constantly beeps and says the door is open when it’s closed. Sometimes you can’t open the door.
Incident date: Mar 15, 2026
All sensors and alarms glitching.
Incident date: Mar 15, 2026
I have had this car seat a little over a year and the chest buckle randomly stopped magnetizing. It will appear magnetized but will pop apart. This is absolutely unsafe and these seats need pulled from the consumers.
Incident date: Mar 15, 2026
I have had this car seat a little over a year and the chest buckle randomly stopped magnetizing. It will appear magnetized but will pop apart. This is absolutely unsafe and these seats need pulled from the consumers.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2026
I was pulling out of my driveway when I noticed that my mailbox was blown open from a recent storm. I stopped and put it in reverse (well tried to) but the vehicle would not shift. Quickly I continued to drive to make a u-turn instead and at that point my vehicle would not drive normally. The rpms would not go up despite pressing the gas and the engine was reving very high.gm dealer said $700 to p... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2026
I have already reported a crash due to sudden loos of power and submitted everything except the info that the air bags did not deploy and they should definitely
Crash
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
The most recent incident the emergency brake locked on and the dash flashed system malfunction , maintenance needed, , emergency braking system shut down and several indicators were shut down . This continued for 90 minutes while I was on the phone with Nissan and was waiting for the tow truck when arriving at Nissan 72 miles away , they were not able to find any codes and the car was fine no issu... Read more
Incident date: Feb 18, 2026
My wife was driving here Highlander at freeway speeds when the vehicle started slowing and would not respond to the throttle. No warnings lights. It would drive but not accelerate to any reasonable speed. She pulled off the freeway and found a parking lot to test, restart car, etc. Again, no warning lights. Once in park, the vehicle would not shift into gear but only revved. The vehicle could n... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
Vehicles of previous model years, this model year, and future model years have all experienced this issue. Issue was reported on thru a youTube channel in order to let the public know and understand the issue and how to fix/repair the issue. It was then discovered thru view time and the linking of the part to repair that this was a rempent issue of concern for possible recall. Issue of hesitati... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
I had just left my house and pulled onto a 5 lane road when the ICCU died. The car lost power while underway. This posed great danger as the vehicle became unable to safely navigate traffic and pull off to safety. Kia is well aware of this hardware problem, tried to fix it with software updates, and deflates the affected number of vehicles. To make matters worse, they tried to deny this was a reca... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2026
I am filing a formal safety complaint regarding my 2020 Hyundai Palisade due to severe and ongoing engine oil consumption that presents a safety risk, combined with an active federal airbag safety recall. For approximately one year, my vehicle has been consuming excessive engine oil. Approximately 1,500–2,000 miles after an oil change, the vehicle becomes dangerously low on oil. On January 19, 2... Read more