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: Apr 4, 2026
On 9-May, 2026, the vehicle was driven during the morning with no warning lights or indication of component failure. Vehicle was parked on the owner's driveway at approximately 13:00. Approximately 15:40 I started the Ascent’s engine, let it idle for about 60 seconds, buckled up and scanned dashboard and rearview mirror. No warning lights or any fault indication. Approximately 15:42, I put the... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2023
Issue: Total failure of Frontview Camera ADAS sensor, disabling Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Front Pedestrian Braking, and Lane Keep Assist. Technical Evidence: GDS2 telemetry confirms a "No Communication" status for the camera hardware. Core safety modules including the Electronic Brake Control (EBCM) and the Inflatable Restraint (Airbag) Sensing Module report active communication failure... Read more
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
The suspension module failed due to water accumulation on floorboards. Suspect other electronics may be at risk. Water ingress cause by a combination of what dealer said was a worn out sunroof gasket and two of four drains that became plugged. Further examination from dealer found the plugged drains were crimped from when the vehicle was manufactured. The dealer blamed the excessive water ingress ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
I am submitting this letter to formally express my serious concern and dissatisfaction regarding a safety issue that occurred and that, under only slightly different circumstances, could have resulted in a far more dangerous outcome. The situation I experienced was not only unacceptable but indicative of a potential systemic failure that warrants immediate investigation. The incident posed a clea... Read more
Incident date: Mar 5, 2026
I took the vehicle in for maintenance -transmission flush, oil change, anything they could find because I was planning on a road trip and wanted it ready. They found the box frame just behind the front tires had completely rusted with large holes. The service tech did not even want to put the vehicle on the lift. They took some pictures and sent them to me. No maintenance was performed due to the ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 5, 2026
Recall 26V-059 Brake lights and brakes don’t work sometimes. Dealer has no parts. Will not tell me when parts are coming. This is a serious issue and I need it fixed. It should not take this long.
Incident date: Mar 5, 2026
Recall 26V-059 Brake lights and brakes don’t work sometimes. Dealer has no parts. Will not tell me when parts are coming. This is a serious issue and I need it fixed. It should not take this long.
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
Car battery can't be charged more than 80 ℅ , fire risk
Incident date: Apr 4, 2026
Car battery can't be charged more than 80 ℅ , fire risk
Incident date: May 9, 2026
Rear Suspension Dampers leaking prematurely which could cause unsafe driving issues.
Incident date: May 9, 2026
The vehicle has engaged the automatic braking feature multiple times while in a parking garage and when in the middle of a four-way stop despite there being no cross traffic or moving vehicles around my vehicle. In two instances, there was a vehicle behind mine that the breaking could have led to me being rear-ended and in the case of the four-way stop, there were other vehicles waiting to cross t... Read more
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
Oil consumption- 1-3 qts low between oil change intervals at 5000k No burning or oil smoke.
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
Multiple times in my almost 3 year ownership I have experienced a “dead pedal” while pulling out into traffic from a stop. It has almost caused a t bone accident on a few occasions. It’s been to the dealer and had a software update TSB 0111-22. After the update I didn’t have the issue for a little while, but it has come back and it now happens almost every time I drive it. Online search sh... Read more
Incident date: May 2, 2026
The FCA engages in situations that are not dangerous. There is a slamming of the breaks which causes items in the car to fly off the seat and nearly cause the cars behind me to rear end the car. This is a dangerous situation and has happened about 6 times since we purchased the car less than six months ago. There is not a way to permanently disable this supposed safety feature.
Incident date: May 2, 2026
I am writing to formally express my dissatisfaction with the handling of repairs on my Chrysler Pacifica and the significant financial and personal impact this situation has caused my family. The issue began when the engine suddenly stopped, leaving us stranded. The vehicle was first taken to an insurance-recommended shop that could not diagnose the issue, then transferred to Wischsnewsky Dodge in... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
The screen goes black, doesn't turn on, or it stalls out and will not let you do anything and has a hard time connecting to phones at all
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
Looses power randomly when lights appear in dashboard lights. Even after the recall
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
Car has airbag light on. The car keeps leaking which then caused damage to my spark plugs and coil pack. It then led to the O2 sensors being burned. It has been at the dealership multiple times within a 3-week time frame. The low fuel light comes on when it is on a full tank, then it begins to hesitate and the car lunges forward when at a complete stop. Tires act like they cannot keep traction whe... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2026
Recurring electronic transmission shift control failure on a 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The Electronic Transmission Shift Control Pushbutton Circuit Board (GM part designation K212) has failed twice within approximately 9,300 miles. First failure occurred at approximately 45,695 miles in July 2025. The dashboard displayed a malfunction indicator and a "Service Transmission" warning. Diagnostic troubl... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
Yes there is a issue with the ABS control modules in these trucks, and they are nowhere to be found, it causes a safty risk bec you lose control if u need to hard break and possibly lose your steering. Dodge/ram doesnt want to take responsibility for them and its crazy, this could kill someone and i feel it should have a recall, the warning lights are the traction control/emergency break and your ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
Yes there is a issue with the ABS control modules in these trucks, and they are nowhere to be found, it causes a safty risk bec you lose control if u need to hard break and possibly lose your steering. Dodge/ram doesnt want to take responsibility for them and its crazy, this could kill someone and i feel it should have a recall, the warning lights are the traction control/emergency break and your ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
Driver side rear control arm broke in half propagating along what appears to be a weld seam line for this hollow aluminum suspension part. It is incredible that a critical safety component holding a 5,000 pound curb weight vehicle was allowed on the car. The potential situation of a complete lower control arm break while driving at highway speeds is beyond imagining. Not only would such a situa... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2026
My car has an issue officially diagnosed by a reputable mechanic that matches the claim of the former TSB SA-058/20 that was changed and clarified through the now existing TSB SA-031/21. My car has a cracked cylinder head. This is the non turbo engine but it does have cylinder deactivation which his believed to be a culprit. The cracking is known to be caused by a manufacturing defect. There i... Read more
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
Rear view camera display experiences intermittent failures. The display only occasionally works when the car is placed in reverse. This has led to nearly impacting one or more pedestrians when the car is driven in reverse.
Incident date: May 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V741000 (Electrical System); however, the part required to complete the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that the remedy parts were not yet available and were currently backordered. The manufacturer ... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2026
Rpm Royalty a rental car company located at [XXX] has been renting out a rebuilt 488 Ferrari with no functional airbags. This is a serious safety risk INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: May 4, 2026
I am submitting this complaint regarding a serious brake-related safety issue involving my Audi vehicle after recent brake service performed by an authorized Audi Meadowland dealership in [XXX] . In December 2025, I brought my vehicle to an authorized Audi dealership for replacement of the brake pads. The repair was completed by the dealership, and I trusted that the vehicle was safe to drive aft... Read more
Incident date: May 3, 2026
Rear axle joint degraded, the vehicle cannot steer smoothly, indicator shows AWD temporarily disabled; large vibrations and unsafe to drive. In the end the vehicle was having troubles turning directions.
Incident date: May 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rearview camera image would intermittently fail, flicker on and off, and at times display would appear upside down. The contact also stated that the instrument panel became inoperable. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbe... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 2026
Safety recall issued in November 2025 for the engine cover. The dealership removed the faulty engine cover for safety reasons. VW customer care informed me that the part is not in production. Under federal recall law, manufacturers must provide a remedy within a "reasonable time". Seven months with no production date for the repair is my complaint. The engine cover is designed to reduce engine noi... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
this recall still hasn’t been resolved. why hasn’t the manufacturer found a fix for this problem I have owned the vehicle for 4 years they should have known about this and fixed it by now. NHTSA recall number: 25V-893 Hyundai recall number: 290
Incident date: May 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated while reversing, the rear view camera displayed a distorted image. The dealer, sent a technician came to the contact's residence. The vehicle was inspected, the contact was informed the camera needed to be cleaned. In addition, the contact was informed that the recall repair was not performed because of no failure code. The recall repair was ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
he contact owns a (YMM) 2010 Hyundai Elantra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: (example: 20V315000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was/was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was/was not made aware... Read more
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? MULTIPLE DRIVER AID FUNCATIONS IN-OP. DRIVER DOOR LOCKS WILL NOT LOCK OR UNLOCK, DRIVER DOOR LOCK AND UNLOCK SWITCH WILL NOT OPERATE ANY LOCKS, PASSENGER DOOR MIRROR WILL NOT MOVE, SEAT MEMORY WILL NOT SAVE, REAR VIEW MIRROR WILL NOT AUTO DIM AND THERE IS NO MANUAL OPTION TO ADJUST THE MIRROR RESULTI... Read more
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Ram 3500 Promaster. The contact received notifications of NHTSA campaign numbers: 25V552000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION) and 25V552000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION). However, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacture... Read more
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Ram 3500 Promaster. The contact received notifications of NHTSA campaign numbers: 25V552000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION) and 25V552000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION). However, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacture... Read more
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
When vehicle was pitched Feb of 2023 VW Atlas crosssport. The screen would go black and when I called Harnish VW of Puyallup in WA. They said they were aware of the issue and there was no fix. Recently saw online that VW was aware of this issue and that it could cause further damage to the vehicle and there is still no fix. My screen still goes out (black screen) and nobody has been able to fix it... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2026
About a month ago, I started my Pilot and the dash lit up. The adaptive cruise control, emergency braking, lane keeping assist, Lane departure, forward collision warnings all flashed on the dash- no previous warnings. Subsequently, the cruise control will not work at all. I had the system scanned by a Honda certified mechanic and it showed and internal cameral failure. This is a known issue ac... Read more
Incident date: Jan 8, 2026
The vehicle began making a clicking/popping sound when turning the steering wheel left or right, especially at lower speeds and while turning into parking spaces or driveways. The exact component causing the issue has not yet been fully identified, but it may involve the steering or suspension system (such as the CV axle, tie rods, or steering components). The vehicle is available for inspection u... Read more
Incident date: May 7, 2026
driver side mirror can not be adjusted to effectively see visually car in blind spot; fortunately car saw me changing lane when it was just off rear driverside fender; did not seen in mirror or in window; 70 years used visual; blind spot light inconsistent; visual is
Incident date: Dec 7, 2019
Component/system failed: Passenger seat occupant classification/seat weight sensor associated with the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS). Repair facility stated moisture or prior moisture intrusion likely affected the sensor. The failed component should be available for inspection upon request. Safety risk: The airbag/SRS system may not properly detect or classify a passenger, which could affect... Read more
Incident date: Dec 7, 2019
Component/system failed: Passenger seat occupant classification/seat weight sensor associated with the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS). Repair facility stated moisture or prior moisture intrusion likely affected the sensor. The failed component should be available for inspection upon request. Safety risk: The airbag/SRS system may not properly detect or classify a passenger, which could affect... Read more
Incident date: Dec 7, 2019
Dealer sold vehicle with open safety recall. They said it has been fixed but Hyundai confirmed recall is still there. This vehicle even had stop sale from Hyundai. I was informed it has no issues.
Incident date: May 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V789000 (Electrical System) and 26V123000 (Back Over Prevention) and 26V117000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that the remedy parts were not yet available. The ma... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission independently shifted. The contact stated that the failure occurred when approaching a stop sign. The contact stated that the transmission shifted from first gear to fifth gear. No warning lights were illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the failure occurred only when the out... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine light had appeared on the instrument panel. After an oil change was performed on the vehicle, the check engine light remained as the vehicle began to shake upon start of the engine. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where a P0302 engine code appeared which indicated a cylinder #2 misfire. The contact then ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
Out of town July 12th 2025 my 2020 Kia Optima engine started having problems. I tried to get to my hotel but it was obvious I was not going to make it. I pulled into the nearest station and was told my car had no oil. There were no signs of leaking oil and no warning lights so they changed my oil and I was able to made it home. Shortly after I broke down again at night and pulled into a parkin... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that the steering wheel felt like it was locking up. The check engine light was illuminated. The contact stated the vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the subframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was previously repaired under a recall. The vehicle was taken to a collision center, and it was determined th... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2026
On 4/3/2026 heading to [XXX] on I 95 (outside of [XXX] ) traveling with traffic (3-4 lanes) I was in the middle lane going approx 74mph when on 5 separate but in close approximation (estimated within 20 mi) times, my car which was on cruise control, suddenly threw up warnings to pull over, shook my steering wheel, yanked my car toward the left lane (with traffic flowing the same way as I was) an... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2026
On 4/3/2026 heading to [XXX] on I 95 (outside of [XXX] ) traveling with traffic (3-4 lanes) I was in the middle lane going approx 74mph when on 5 separate but in close approximation (estimated within 20 mi) times, my car which was on cruise control, suddenly threw up warnings to pull over, shook my steering wheel, yanked my car toward the left lane (with traffic flowing the same way as I was) an... Read more