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: May 27, 2026
Automatic braking system engaged without any warning and without any impending danger in front of me at night on Pulaski skyway, bringing the vehicle to a complete halt.
Incident date: May 28, 2026
2020 Nissan Maxima SR is experiencing CVT transmission issues that appear substantially similar to the defects described in the Nissan CVT Martinez Class Action involving prior Nissan model years.
Incident date: May 28, 2026
Drivers seat has popping sensation on my back when accelerating, braking, and going over bumps. This issue appears to be coming from the lumbar assembly of the drivers seat. I've also noticed it is much more frequent when the weather is warmer (75 degrees +). I took the vehicle to the dealer and they were not able to duplicate the issue. Because they were not able to duplicate the issue I was told... Read more
Incident date: May 24, 2026
The interior driver side door handle on my 2025 Toyota Tacoma failed and wouldn't open the door from the inside. I had to roll down my window to open from the outside. The dealership replaced the handle assembly under warranty. This happened at around 9300 miles on the odometer.
Incident date: May 24, 2026
I rented this car from Enterprise. When I pulled out of the rental car facility, the car lurched forward. I applied the brakes. The car slowed down but did not stop and I rolled out into the street to the right. Enterprise is on the top of the hill and Pacific Coast Highway is at the bottom. The trolley and train tracks are close by. It is my habit to tap the brakes before any tracks even when the... Read more
Crash
Incident date: May 28, 2026
I rented this car from Enterprise. When I pulled out of the rental car facility, the car lurched forward. I applied the brakes. The car slowed down but did not stop and I rolled out into the street to the right. Enterprise is on the top of the hill and Pacific Coast Highway is at the bottom. The trolley and train tracks are close by. It is my habit to tap the brakes before any tracks even when the... Read more
Crash
Incident date: May 28, 2026
We brought our vehicle to Anaheim Hyundai for a recall-related service update. Before releasing the vehicle back to us, dealership staff advised that we “may experience some issues” after the update and stated that this was considered “normal.” Later that same evening, the vehicle began stalling while driving. The stalling occurred 7–8 times in different driving situations, including whi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
The radiator in these cars constantly fails. This can lead to major engine issues. Multiple Chevy owners have reported defects
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
I am very certain that I have proof that from the dealership a Cable Dahmer and Kansas City Missouri did break work concerning the brake master cylinder booster was replaced and it still has problem which should have been under a recall and I would like to get that corrected and received my service funds back
Incident date: May 7, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Dart. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V674000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated upon shifting from park(P) to drive(D), the vehicle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was undrivable and remained in the church parking lot. The dealer was co... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
L87 6.2L engine failed. Loud knocking, no oil pressure, engine stalled and would not restart. This happened despite GM's recall where they changed to 0W40 oil.
Incident date: May 16, 2026
I always turn off the engine auto stop while driving and am sure this feature was turned off at the time of the incident. I was stopped at a drive thru idling in drive when my RPM sounded like it lowered and the the vehicle started shaking. Since it sounded like it was going to stall, I instinctively put the vehicle in park and that naturally bumped up the RPM avoiding a stall. I tried to rep... Read more
Incident date: May 28, 2026
Vehicle gas/brake pedal to close causing the other to be applied by mistake causing accidents
Crash
Incident date: Jul 29, 2025
Clunking or Looseness in the Outer Tie Rod. The issue is related to TSB-B23-019 Bulletin. The exact same issue is occurring that has happened with years 2022-2023. I have had at the dealership to fix the issue and they never mentioned the outer tie rod cotter pin or castle nut loosening.
Incident date: Dec 2, 2025
2016 Ford F-150 experiencing intermittent and dangerous transmission behavior consistent with the current Ford safety recall involving unexpected transmission downshifts on vehicles equipped with the 6R80 transmission. Vehicle previously required a full transmission replacement/rebuild in September 2025 after repeated violent downshifting and drivability problems. Diagnostic codes at that time in... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2025
2016 Ford F-150 experiencing intermittent and dangerous transmission behavior consistent with the current Ford safety recall involving unexpected transmission downshifts on vehicles equipped with the 6R80 transmission. Vehicle previously required a full transmission replacement/rebuild in September 2025 after repeated violent downshifting and drivability problems. Diagnostic codes at that time in... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2025
In November of 2025. I took my truck, 2017 f-150 3.5 Liter engine, to Crest Ford in Flat Rock Mi. There was a recall on the master cylinder (25S37). On 5-26-2026 we were following a friend to take his car to Dean Arbour Ford in east Tawas for service. While trying to slow down for a turn my brake pedal went VERY SOFT almost to the floor. I was able to slow my truck down enough to make the turn. ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2026
High voltage battery pack, Power Inverter Module (PIM), and HV charging system. PIM replaced twice (p/n 68381781AD, 8/4/25 and 8/18/25) after being found melted with arcing damage at HV connections. Battery pack has active BPCM fault codes and a recorded cell voltage excursion. Vehicle available for inspection. Vehicle lost all motive power without warning at highway speed on multiple occasions,... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2026
I am writing to report a serious, premature failure of a primary emissions and safety-related component (the catalytic converter) that has occurred as a direct consequence of a known, unaddressed manufacturing defect in Hyundai's Theta II engine. My vehicle has a documented history of excessive engine oil consumption. This inherent manufacturing flaw causes the engine to burn motor oil at an extre... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2026
I am writing to report a serious, premature failure of a primary emissions and safety-related component (the catalytic converter) that has occurred as a direct consequence of a known, unaddressed manufacturing defect in Hyundai's Theta II engine. My vehicle has a documented history of excessive engine oil consumption. This inherent manufacturing flaw causes the engine to burn motor oil at an extre... Read more
Incident date: Apr 26, 2026
VEHICLE: 2023 Kia Sorento, VIN [XXX] , currently 48,000 miles. Vehicle has never been in a collision. DEFECT: FUEL FILLER DOOR ACTUATOR WITH NO EMERGENCY RELEASE — STRANDING HAZARD The fuel filler door actuator fails to release on demand intermittently. When the actuator fails, the door must be pried open with tools or force, which is inconsistent and not always possible. The dealership service ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 26, 2026
In normal operation on Tuesday May 26,2026, the engine experienced catastrophic failure. The engine is the GM L87 6.2 Liter. This was on a highway in the country and I was able to maneuver the truck off the road before an accident occurred. It did leave me stranded and I was required to get it towed on a roll off (It was not drivable) to the dealer where I purchased it. The dealer [XXX] ) inspe... Read more
Incident date: Apr 26, 2026
In normal operation on Tuesday May 26,2026, the engine experienced catastrophic failure. The engine is the GM L87 6.2 Liter. This was on a highway in the country and I was able to maneuver the truck off the road before an accident occurred. It did leave me stranded and I was required to get it towed on a roll off (It was not drivable) to the dealer where I purchased it. The dealer [XXX] ) inspe... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2026
On April 8, 2026, while riding on a busy 8 Lane (4 each direction) interstate during evening rush hour, I experienced immediate loss of propulsion when I attempted to engage the throttle. There was absolutely no power, just a grinding noise. I immediately put on my hazard lights and began working my way over toward the right berm. The exit was within a very short distance and I was able to exit th... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2026
On Feb 25, 2026 My 2022 Tesla model Y with only 25k miles on it suddenly stopped knowing where it was and almost drove me into a ditch. All cameras stopped working and the gps was stuck in the same wrong location. (Service Mode showed Primary DAS ECU shows "AP IN COREBOOT" and "Status: INIT." Secondary B shows nominal. Features unavailable. GNSS shows 0 satellites in open sky.) Tesla service said ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2026
It is a common issue on the Honda Civic Type R from 2017 to 2021 in which water will leak through the hood scoop causing water to drip onto cylinder 4 causing a misfire. Misfire No. 4 Cylinder (DTC P0304). There is a TSB for it under 25-062 for this same issue. Water could enter the hood scoop and accumulate down inside the no. 4 spark plug hole. This can corrode the ignition coil, plug tube, and ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 8, 2026
I was driving into a parking lot when my back passenger side window imploded like a rock was thrown at it, but no rock and nobody in sight. I looked all around for a cause but believe it somehow spontaneous shattered. Thankfully 3 minutes prior I had dropped my kids at school otherwise there would have been injury I am sure.
Incident date: May 27, 2026
This issue has happened three times. I am on the highway going 70mph, the RPMs fluctuate, the headlights go out and then I lose propulsion/unable to maintain or increase speed. This is a safety concern as it has happened 3 times on the highway with no warning and limited time to pull over to safety. The dealership is unable to replicate the problem or diagnose an issue.
Incident date: May 27, 2026
This issue has happened three times. I am on the highway going 70mph, the RPMs fluctuate, the headlights go out and then I lose propulsion/unable to maintain or increase speed. This is a safety concern as it has happened 3 times on the highway with no warning and limited time to pull over to safety. The dealership is unable to replicate the problem or diagnose an issue.
Incident date: May 27, 2026
2025 Mazda CX-30 experienced a sudden complete loss of power while driving at highway speed with no prior warning lights or indications of malfunction. Immediately before shutdown, steering became extremely stiff due to loss of power steering assist. Vehicle was steered towards the shoulder during highway speed of 65mph and was electrically inoperable while rolling, this includes the loss of hazar... Read more
Incident date: May 26, 2026
COMPLAINT 1 — Iowa Failure ([XXX]) Vehicle: 2026 Tiffin Wayfarer XPW VIN: [XXX] Date of Incident: [XXX] Location: Near [XXX] Mileage: Approximately 10,000–11,000 miles Narrative: While traveling at highway speed on [XXX] near Grinnell, Iowa, the rear wheel and hub assembly of my 2026 Tiffin Wayfarer XPW catastrophically failed. The rear wheels dislodged from the vehicle, disabling it on the... Read more
Incident date: May 26, 2026
COMPLAINT 1 — Iowa Failure ([XXX]) Vehicle: 2026 Tiffin Wayfarer XPW VIN: [XXX] Date of Incident: [XXX] Location: Near [XXX] Mileage: Approximately 10,000–11,000 miles Narrative: While traveling at highway speed on [XXX] near Grinnell, Iowa, the rear wheel and hub assembly of my 2026 Tiffin Wayfarer XPW catastrophically failed. The rear wheels dislodged from the vehicle, disabling it on the... Read more
Incident date: May 26, 2026
Almost all lightsnlitenup on dash and Honda attempted to claim i was in accident and daid the entire radar system had to be replaced at expense of 3300.oo dollars. The fault had to be intheir craftmenship not my handling car.
Incident date: May 26, 2026
Multiple critical safety systems fail intermittently: Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) disables itself randomly while driving, Lane Steering Assist becomes unavailable, frequent ‘Service 4WD’ warnings, and ‘Power Steering System Hot - Performance May Be Limited’ warning. Issues worsened after transfer case replacement on April 27, 2026. Dealership admitted ‘these lights appear all the t... Read more
Incident date: May 26, 2026
Multiple critical safety systems fail intermittently: Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) disables itself randomly while driving, Lane Steering Assist becomes unavailable, frequent ‘Service 4WD’ warnings, and ‘Power Steering System Hot - Performance May Be Limited’ warning. Issues worsened after transfer case replacement on April 27, 2026. Dealership admitted ‘these lights appear all the t... Read more
Incident date: May 26, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving, the vehicle decelerated unintendedly and failed to exceed 50 MPH on several occasions. The check engine warning light illuminated, and the message " Reduced Acceleration - Drive With Care" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions, and the OnStar sensors, the fuel injectors and 8 spark plugs we... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving 60-65 MPH, the check engine light was blinking. The vehicle began to jerk. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with faulty fuel injectors. The injectors were replaced. After further evaluation, it was determined that the engine and knock sensor needed to be replaced Additionally the rod bear... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2023
Infotainment system randomly cycles through menu, as if I'm pressing buttons on the screen. It will lose navigation, randomly call my contacts and audio will turn off and on. This is extremely unsafe. Once it starts doing this the screen becomes unresponsive to actual touch. I can't stop it if I want to. I'm stuck disconnecting my phone and using the screen as navigation, constantly looking down w... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2026
Problem 1, Check Engine Light: I purchased the used car on Jan 9 2025, around 23,400 miles from Kia Dealership, capitol Expy in San Jose. Today 05/27/2026, the odometer reads 26, 407 miles. My car is used only twice a week - 20 miles on Fridays, 12 miles on Wednesdays. My car has less than minimum wear and tear and is barely used. I completed my 25K service after Thanksgiving in Nov 2025. I ha... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2026
I have changed this transmission twice, and the truck still turns off when it comes to a complete stop at an intersection. It hesitates, skips, and pulls back when driving.
Incident date: May 15, 2026
I have changed this transmission twice, and the truck still turns off when it comes to a complete stop at an intersection. It hesitates, skips, and pulls back when driving.
Incident date: Mar 17, 2026
While driving my 2025 Toyota 4Runner in rainy conditions, the vehicle’s stamped hood channels act as a reservoir, trapping and pooling large volumes of standing water. Upon braking or decelerating—even at low, around-town speeds—the pooled water surges forward off the front nose of the hood onto the windshield. The vehicle's forward aerodynamics catch this massive sheet of water and instantl... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2026
We were traveling on XXX near XXX at 60 MPH (Speed Limit 70 MPH but it was raining). The vehicle in front of us abruptly stopped due to a rear crash causing the chain of vehicles behind to brake suddenly. I had to hard brake - the emergency collision warning turned on but at the same time - the 2nd row driver side passenger's seat belt automatically released putting the occupant in danger. INFOR... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra LD 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle, went into low power mode, and was able to move safely to a and then the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed as the engine has no compression, suspect a possible crankshaft failure, also a possible engine replacement. The manufact... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2026
Electronic power steering failure. Not complete shut down, but intermittent. Heavy steering feel when cornering at very low or highway speeds. No return to center. Notchy/sticky steering feel. No eps warning light. No electronic failure ie fuse, relay, control. Works fine today, cuts out tomorrow.
Incident date: May 10, 2026
While driving my vehicle suddenly would not accelerate above 20 mph and warning lights all over the dash lit up (check engine, abs brake system, adaptive cruise control, vehicle stability, power steering, hill assist, and brake hold). I took it for a diagnostic, it gave a code for cylinder 3 misfire. I got a tune up the next day along with a fuel system cleaning just to be safe. After about 35 mil... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2026
While driving my vehicle suddenly would not accelerate above 20 mph and warning lights all over the dash lit up (check engine, abs brake system, adaptive cruise control, vehicle stability, power steering, hill assist, and brake hold). I took it for a diagnostic, it gave a code for cylinder 3 misfire. I got a tune up the next day along with a fuel system cleaning just to be safe. After about 35 mil... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2026
While driving my vehicle suddenly would not accelerate above 20 mph and warning lights all over the dash lit up (check engine, abs brake system, adaptive cruise control, vehicle stability, power steering, hill assist, and brake hold). I took it for a diagnostic, it gave a code for cylinder 3 misfire. I got a tune up the next day along with a fuel system cleaning just to be safe. After about 35 mil... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2026
Faulty fuel injectors are causing consistent engine misfires and occasionally causing the check engine light to illuminate and for the vehicle to reduce power greatly. This poses a great safety risk to both myself and other drivers on the road because in the event of a large misfire, my vehicle suddenly slows and I have to navigate to the shoulder of the road. A Kia dealership has confirmed that t... Read more