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: Feb 7, 2026
power tailgate closes automatically without notice. Ive complained to the dealer several times and they cannot find out why it does it. I have been hit in the head and shoulder several times. it started soon after I purchased the vehicle in March 2025.
Incident date: Feb 16, 2024
I am writing regarding a serious safety issue with my 2013 Hyundai Veloster, purchased new. Over the life of the vehicle, I have replaced the manual AC/heat control head three times due to repeated failure. During the most recent installation, I left the trim panel off to monitor the wiring harness and found it becomes extremely hot while operating. A local repair technician examined it and immed... Read more
Incident date: Feb 16, 2024
The contact’s wife owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated that on several occasions after refueling the vehicle, there was an abnormally strong gasoline odor inside the cabin of the vehicle and outside around the vehicle. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked on several occasions, there was condensation under the gas tank. The vehicle was inspected, and there was corrosion under... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2026
My headlight on the right side stopped working after 6 years and I took it to the Porsche dealer to get it fixed and it turns out that it is a non-serviceable part and that it will need to be replaced as a pair and the bill is well over $7000. The dealership confirmed that it was the LED module that burned out and the whole headlight assembly will need to be replaced. This is of huge concern due t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving at undisclosed speeds. The check engine warning light was illuminated. There was an abnormal, fluttery sound detected before the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the failure was due to the crankshaft and camshaft. The local dealer was not contac... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2025
Can hardly see out windshield on sunny days.
Incident date: Sep 15, 2025
Unknown but We were driving home from friant in motion when the car died and started smoking, no indication light were on before until after the incident all warning lights were on dash. Our lives were put at risk due to this. We were not able to control steering wheel or to get out of the way of traffic.
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: Feb 26, 2025
The rear left passenger will not open. The dealer thinks it is a faulty door latch actuator ($530 parts and labor). They said this is a common problem and they have a special tool to open the door, but they couldn't get it to work on my car. They think they will damage the interior door panel trying to fix this (approximately an additional $1,000). Warranty expired last year. This is a safety issu... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2025
I have currently been avoiding driving my car because it goes in limp mode when I’m stopped at red lights I smell oil burning sometimes ive seen small amounts of smoke coming from the engine as well as just receiving an oil change less than a month ago and it already being bad , I checked the mail the other day and i received a recall letter from Kia stating my car needs to be serviced and that ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2025
I have currently been avoiding driving my car because it goes in limp mode when I’m stopped at red lights I smell oil burning sometimes ive seen small amounts of smoke coming from the engine as well as just receiving an oil change less than a month ago and it already being bad , I checked the mail the other day and i received a recall letter from Kia stating my car needs to be serviced and that ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
Vehicle: 2023 Tesla Model Y VIN: [XXX] Mileage: Approximately 40,531 miles Software Version: 2025.45.9 FSD (Supervised) Version: v14.2.2.4 While driving on [XXX] near the [XXX] entrance in Mission Viejo, California, the vehicle was operating under Full Self-Driving (Supervised) mode. As the freeway lane ended/merged, the vehicle unexpectedly performed a sudden full stop at freeway speed. There w... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2026
While driving on the interstate at 70 mph the front part of the panoramic sunroof exploded. There was no debris or road hazards that caused it.
Incident date: Feb 22, 2026
On December 19, 2025, the vehicle showed lights that a sparkplug had misfired. The dealer notified me that in less than two full years of having the 2023 vehicle, it required a complete engine rebuild. This is the third major engine problem I have had with the vehicle with more than $20K in fees. The services performed in December 2025 repairs included Cylinder Head Assembly to Replace Engine Cyli... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2026
My vehicle broke down on my family 2 hours away. The suv started engine failure with the engine light coming on then the rpm’s reved up to 4000 and started chugging. We stoped at the gas station shut the vehicle off and got it towed home to a local shop. I have the 2.4 engine and less then 130,000 miles on it and the shop said my piston is gone and my engine is bad.
Incident date: Feb 25, 2026
The instrument cluster cracked. Woke up one day and it was cracked. The crack is traveling through the important screens. Cord won’t do anything, but dozens have reported online.
Incident date: Dec 15, 2025
My 2019 Acadia often will not turn off because it has a Shift to Park issue. Apparently it is caused by a faulty microswitch in the shifter assembly that fails to signal the Body Control Module when in park, leading to a persistent warning message, inability to turn off the vehicle and battery drain. It has been going on for at least 4 years. It appears there is a recall for this problem but wh... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2025
The entire car is dead from the engine to the key function completely dead. The car broke down 3 time in the middle of the street which could've caused a serious crash putting my safety and others at risk. The problem has been addressed to two different dealers and Kia corporate without resolution. I did make a police report about the mold infestation inside the car. I did now see any warnings pri... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2025
The entire car is dead from the engine to the key function completely dead. The car broke down 3 time in the middle of the street which could've caused a serious crash putting my safety and others at risk. The problem has been addressed to two different dealers and Kia corporate without resolution. I did make a police report about the mold infestation inside the car. I did now see any warnings pri... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2025
The headlights do not produce enough light to see the road. Every time the car is driven at night it is extremely dangerous.
Incident date: Oct 23, 2025
The uconnect 4 system that controls everything on the vehicle will randomly reboot while being driven, disabling safety systems like reverse cameras during the reboot, and leaving the UI for uconnect incomplete after restart is completed so vehicle settings are not available until vehicle has been turned off for over 10 minutes. I believe that this is due to bugged wifi drivers since it seems to ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2025
On Friday evening, [XXX], while closing the rear driver-side window, I heard a loud mechanical snap, after which the window failed to operate. The window regulator has binding issues (as documented in Subaru TSB 07-189-21R). This mechanical binding disables the anti-entrapment (anti-pinch) safety feature. The sensor is bypassed by the binding/mechanical failure, the window will not reverse when ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2025
Dealership refused to fix my safety system unint failure alont with proof of voltage malfunction
Incident date: Aug 12, 2025
Dealership refused to fix my safety system unint failure alont with proof of voltage malfunction
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the ABS warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. There was a warning chime coming from the vehicle. The cruise control failed to operate as needed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was no... Read more
Incident date: Feb 26, 2024
New vehicle with 299 miles, use remote start and heard loud vibration, ticking noise coming from vehicle. Upon entering vehicle ( check engine light ) emissions system problems. power may be reduced. See your dealer.
Incident date: Feb 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while reversing in rainy weather, the rearview camera image was distorted. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V639000 (Back Over Prevention), and the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where additional water proofing to the camera harness was added, but the rearview camera was not replaced. The contact stated that the... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2026
[XXX] Message says warning "check ev system". they then sent a letter saying it had to go to the dealer, or the car would need A tow potentially. I can't get an appointment as they are way too busy to do anything other than tell me they will get back to me, repeatedly stating they will do so in one business day. it has been a week. My wife is scared to drive the car. I think it is bogus as no re... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2026
[XXX] Message says warning "check ev system". they then sent a letter saying it had to go to the dealer, or the car would need A tow potentially. I can't get an appointment as they are way too busy to do anything other than tell me they will get back to me, repeatedly stating they will do so in one business day. it has been a week. My wife is scared to drive the car. I think it is bogus as no re... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2026
Following engine replacement per NHTSA for 6.2l GMC engine. I am submitting a safety complaint regarding my 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali (refresh body style). The vehicle has experienced repeated failures of driver-assist features and safety system warnings, including: Dash messages: “Lane Keeping Assist System Unavailable” and “Service Safety Restraint System.” When the fault occurs, dr... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V896000 (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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2026
This is the 4th time car is unable to start after being parked for one day and it had to be jump starting. At first I thought it was some accessory, specifically a dashcam and aftermarket ambient lights, so I disconnected both and I even turned off the wireless charging pad and disable the function to turn the lights on when doors open and it didn't help, dead car again after 1 day parked. Car was... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) in November 2025 by the local dealer. The contact stated that the engine had passed the inspection, and a higher viscosity oil had been added along with the other steps stated in the recall. The contact stated that while driving approximately ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
I purchased a 2021 car in April 2024, which was originally side-swiped in November 2024. I filed an insurance claim and had to wait for the other insurer’s statement. In January 2025, the insurance company sent the car to one of their approved shops for electrical repairs, but the shop refused to work on it after noticing a missing airbag and flagged the car as a liability. They also mentioned t... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
I purchased a 2021 car in April 2024, which was originally side-swiped in November 2024. I filed an insurance claim and had to wait for the other insurer’s statement. In January 2025, the insurance company sent the car to one of their approved shops for electrical repairs, but the shop refused to work on it after noticing a missing airbag and flagged the car as a liability. They also mentioned t... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2026
Front brakes make a clicking noise that happens when accelerating and breaking, the brake pads may have some play or even the calipers may be malfunctioning. Vehicle is still under warranty and Toyota service center refuses to address the issue. They want me to spend $160+ to have them grease the brake pads, but they don't guarantee that this will fix the problem. On a fairly new hybrid van that h... Read more
KIA
K5
(2021) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE)
Feb 26, 2026
Incident date: Jan 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Kia K5. The contact stated that the check engine warning light remained illuminated with DTC: P0471 displayed. The vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V794000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and was taken to the dealer for the recall repair where the dealer replaced the check valve. After receiving the recall repair, the check engine warning light remained illuminated ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Kia K5. The contact stated that the check engine warning light remained illuminated with DTC: P0471 displayed. The vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V794000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and was taken to the dealer for the recall repair where the dealer replaced the check valve. After receiving the recall repair, the check engine warning light remained illuminated ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2026
While the vehicle was on the charger, the ICCU failed which then caused then fried my JuiceBox EV40 charger and flipped the dedicated circuit breaker. The car has since been repaired. I am concerned that this is a dangerous failure. If it happened on the road it potentially left me without propulsion. I'm also concerned that but for the circuit breaker functioning as designed it could have caus... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2026
Dear Sir or Madam, I am submitting a formal safety complaint to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding my Kia Sorento. Over the past six months, this vehicle has required replacement of the engine, transmission control module (TCM), and the entire transmission. Although the engine and transmission were replaced at no cost to me, the extent of these major repairs within such ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 21, 2026
One night shortly after starting the car, I went to put the car in first gear amd as I let out the clutch, but pedal stayed flat to the floor. I was able to lift the pedal with my foot and drive the car back to safety. The next day, I drove the car to the nearest shop before anything catastrophic happens. This time, right in the shop parking lot, I lost all hydraulic pressure in the clutch and I ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2026
I took my car to McDonough Hyundai to get a transmission flush. 22 hrs later, the transmission died while my daughter was driving it. We had it towed back to the dealership and were told that they would not repair or replace the transmission they destroyed. I found out that my car is covered under Service Campaign 963 for the IVT transmission and they still won't fix my car and have been holding i... Read more
Incident date: Feb 24, 2026
One night the tailgate latch began clicking, locking and unlocking itself and then not latching closed, causing the inside light to remain on and the tailgate open indicator to display on the display panel. Then it just went dead and would not open at all, even if using the specific tailgate open key on the key fob. Then a few weeks later while driving on an empty street very slowly as I was turni... Read more
Incident date: Nov 21, 2025
When a car is in the process of passing me on the left during a left hand curve on the highway at highway speeds, the rear left radar sensor seems to have set off a forward collision warning. This caused the ioniq5 to do an emergency collision brake. I had to press on the accelerator to cancel the emergency brake while the other car passed me on the left. There were no cars in front of me that wou... Read more
Incident date: Nov 21, 2025
The Catalytic Converter in the Kia. We were driving to Texas to take my kids out for mini vacation and it’s cut off right in the middle of the highway. My car was running just fine everything was fix properly. Can you check in the Catalytic Converter and see if it safely issue.
Incident date: Jan 27, 2026
Drive axle suddenly not functioning properly, caused dangerous conditions to stop the car while driving on highway.
Incident date: Jan 27, 2026
This new 2026 Vehicle faced multiple issues within a few weeks of purchase as stated below. 1. The instrument display panel or the main display screen of the car stopped working. The screen was completely blank and would not turn on. (confirmed and reproduced by Kia dealer, service order attached) 2. An electric short caused the radio to fail (confirmed and reproduced by Kia dealer, service order ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 27, 2026
This new 2026 Vehicle faced multiple issues within a few weeks of purchase as stated below. 1. The instrument display panel or the main display screen of the car stopped working. The screen was completely blank and would not turn on. (confirmed and reproduced by Kia dealer, service order attached) 2. An electric short caused the radio to fail (confirmed and reproduced by Kia dealer, service order ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2025
The front piece of the panoramic sunroof spontaneously shattered while sitting in my parked vehicle. I heard a loud pop and saw that the entire piece of glass was totally shattered. I took it to the dealership and they told me it is a known problem with this type of sunroof on their vehicles, they said it is not covered by warranty. The estimated repair cost was over $800. Had I been driving down ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2025
I took my car into dealer at 20,000 miles. They told me rear brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced. At that time, they were replaced under warranty. I took my car into dealer at 34,000 miles for regular service and was told rear brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced. Pads were at 3%, service associate warned me about driving on the highway. I took my car to another location and mechani... Read more