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 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine unexpectedly seized without warning. The contact stated that after the vehicle lost motive power, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine h... Read more
Incident date: Apr 25, 2026
My 2022 Kia Soul with a 2.0 Litre Engine is consuming lots of oil, I'm having to ad a quart every day. I have check engine lights for the catalytic converter and engine missfires. The car has always consumed oil between oil changes since I bought it new in 2022, and its gotten progressively worse. I've maintained the car as required by the manufacturer and have topped up the oil when low. I had th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and running, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. The vehicle returned to normal operation after the contact added oil to the engine. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed; however, the independent mechanic informed the contact that the en... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
Purchased new all four tires (P 285 / 45 R 21 113V XL) in Dec, 2025 after confirming fits my vehicle. Warranty 60,000 miles. About 4 months later and about 1,800 miles of use, both rear tires have lost most of their tread and steel belts are showing per auto dealer. Front tires have also los quite a bit of tread. Vehicle had 4 wheel alignment before these tires were installed. Dealer & vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
Code : P1777 Transmission- oil pump A issue with the Valve cover gasket leaking into the engine causing a misfire. Making the car suddenly stop while driving which is very unsafe. I took the car to the dealership and they want to charge me for the repairs. I have 2 kia optima hybrid and both cars have the same issue around the same mileage. There were no warning lights during the time it was at ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
Code : P1777 Transmission- oil pump A issue with the Valve cover gasket leaking into the engine causing a misfire. Making the car suddenly stop while driving which is very unsafe. I took the car to the dealership and they want to charge me for the repairs. I have 2 kia optima hybrid and both cars have the same issue around the same mileage. There were no warning lights during the time it was at ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
Code : P1777 Transmission- oil pump A issue with the Valve cover gasket leaking into the engine causing a misfire. Making the car suddenly stop while driving which is very unsafe. I took the car to the dealership and they want to charge me for the repairs. I have 2 kia optima hybrid and both cars have the same issue around the same mileage. There were no warning lights during the time it was at ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
Dashboard display is black. Therefore, the odometer and speedometer are not visible. I cannot tell how fast I’m driving which is unsafe. I called the Naperville and Elmhurst locations and they did not deem the issue a priority to diagnose today.
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
Sudden engine failure while driving with no warning. Vehicle began jerking, shaking, and losing power. RPMs dropped unexpectedly and the engine stalled intermittently. Multiple misfire codes were present (cylinders 1, 3, and 4), and the engine was found to have low or no compression in cylinder 1. The condition rapidly worsened to near complete engine failure. The vehicle was operating normally pr... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
Sudden engine failure while driving with no warning. Vehicle began jerking, shaking, and losing power. RPMs dropped unexpectedly and the engine stalled intermittently. Multiple misfire codes were present (cylinders 1, 3, and 4), and the engine was found to have low or no compression in cylinder 1. The condition rapidly worsened to near complete engine failure. The vehicle was operating normally pr... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2026
A issue with the Valve cover gasket leaking into the engine causing a misfire. Making the car suddenly stop while driving which is very unsafe. I took the car to the dealership and they want to charge me for the repairs. I have 2 kia optima hybrid and both cars have the same issue around the same mileage. There were no warning lights during the time it was at the shop. However one day the check e... Read more
Incident date: Apr 7, 2026
A issue with the Valve cover gasket leaking into the engine causing a misfire. Making the car suddenly stop while driving which is very unsafe. I took the car to the dealership and they want to charge me for the repairs. I have 2 kia optima hybrid and both cars have the same issue around the same mileage. There were no warning lights during the time it was at the shop. However one day the check e... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
2023 Kia sorento rear camera mounting bracket broke. There was are recall SC280 in 2023. Rear camera recently fell out of housing unit and is hanging. Still under warranty, dealership and Kia America refusing to cover and pay for issue. Want a new housing unit and brackets because it is similar to recall noticed.
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
2023 Kia sorento rear camera mounting bracket broke. There was are recall SC280 in 2023. Rear camera recently fell out of housing unit and is hanging. Still under warranty, dealership and Kia America refusing to cover and pay for issue. Want a new housing unit and brackets because it is similar to recall noticed.
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
10.25" audio head unit. UVO no longer connects so that 911 and roadside assistance can not be reached. This is a known problem with 2019 and early 2020 Kia Niro's part# 96160-Q4210. I spoke to the Kia UVO Call Center and they confirmed that my unit is not communicating and has not since Dec. 2021. As I usually drive just around town I have not used UVO, but now that I'm on the road I need to be a... Read more
Incident date: Feb 25, 2026
Snow white pearl paint bubbling, peeling, and chipping in multiple areas of my vehicle
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
on my way home Friday evening from work. After exiting the expressway , I made a right turn on the street going towards my house. My steering wheel locked to the right and almost caused me to run into another car. If I had not be driving slow than the speed limit or still on the expressway, this would have been a very bad accident, if not fatal! This is after the dealership made repairs on my v... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
on my way home Friday evening from work. After exiting the expressway , I made a right turn on the street going towards my house. My steering wheel locked to the right and almost caused me to run into another car. If I had not be driving slow than the speed limit or still on the expressway, this would have been a very bad accident, if not fatal! This is after the dealership made repairs on my v... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
on my way home Friday evening from work. After exiting the expressway , I made a right turn on the street going towards my house. My steering wheel locked to the right and almost caused me to run into another car. If I had not be driving slow than the speed limit or still on the expressway, this would have been a very bad accident, if not fatal! This is after the dealership made repairs on my v... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 2026
Carnival was working fine then, without warning, I was unable to accelerate. Had entered highway and reached a maximum speed around 30 mph in a 55 mph zone. Pedal fully depressed and zero acceleration, dashboard read "check hybrid system, stop safely". Tried changing driving modes to no effect. Lots of cars speeding past as I pulled to the side to restart the vehicle, then it worked again without ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The contact added oil to the vehicle; however, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and failed to exceed 60 MPH while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the contac... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and failed to exceed 60 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the knock sensor and the harness had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred on seve... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2026
Manufacturer has failed to remedy the safety recall for my vehicle in a timely manner. Vehicle is a fire risk and I am unable to drive it. My vehicle has been sitting at the dealership service center for over a month. I have not been contacted by Kia as of yet even after repeated phone calls and emails for updates.
Incident date: Mar 25, 2026
Manufacturer has failed to remedy the safety recall for my vehicle in a timely manner. Vehicle is a fire risk and I am unable to drive it. My vehicle has been sitting at the dealership service center for over a month. I have not been contacted by Kia as of yet even after repeated phone calls and emails for updates.
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
The car is available upon inspection, the car caught on fire after being driven for about 45 mins. Smoke started to come from under the car hood, fire starting dropping from underneath the vehicle and then fire started coming from under the hood of the car. The car started smoking while being inside vehicle and the fire could've spread. The fire was put out by the fire department, the vehicle has ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
The car is available upon inspection, the car caught on fire after being driven for about 45 mins. Smoke started to come from under the car hood, fire starting dropping from underneath the vehicle and then fire started coming from under the hood of the car. The car started smoking while being inside vehicle and the fire could've spread. The fire was put out by the fire department, the vehicle has ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Apr 27, 2026
The car is available upon inspection, the car caught on fire after being driven for about 45 mins. Smoke started to come from under the car hood, fire starting dropping from underneath the vehicle and then fire started coming from under the hood of the car. The car started smoking while being inside vehicle and the fire could've spread. The fire was put out by the fire department, the vehicle has ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Apr 25, 2026
Sunroof on the vehicle shattered without being struck by projectile or road debris. The area where we were driving had no other cars near us at the time of the incident. There was no sound of something hitting then shattering, it just exploded. Examination of the sunroof did not reveal any points of impact, research done online has shown multiple other Kia Sportage owners with the same issue. Spon... Read more
Incident date: Apr 14, 2026
My vehicle recently idled roughly and shut off at low speeds and while stopped at intersections on my way to work. I brought it to an authorized Kia dealership the very next day. After researching my VIN, I discovered Kia Safety Recall #SC336 (NHTSA Campaign 25V099), which identifies a piston oil ring defect known to cause excessive oil consumption and internal engine damage. I promptly brought my... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2025
My HECU failed which is common in Kia cars, got too hot caused it to burn out. Ended up destroying my bembro, rotor and brake calipers and had to pay 4500 to fix them and replace my ABS. Almost killed me driving on the Hampton roads bridge tunnel.
Incident date: Apr 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Carnival. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V320000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The 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 exper... Read more
KIA
CARNIVAL HYBRID
(2026) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Apr 29, 2026
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
-A "Check Hybrid system. Stop safely. " warning has come on 7 times now. The vehicle loses power and slows down abruptly before coming to a complete halt. This has happened on railroad tracks, the highway, and an intersection where my wife and children were almost hit by other motorists. The dealer has not been able to reproduce the code, but we have pictures and videos of said incidents. The vehi... Read more
KIA
CARNIVAL HYBRID
(2026) - FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Apr 29, 2026
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
-A "Check Hybrid system. Stop safely. " warning has come on 7 times now. The vehicle loses power and slows down abruptly before coming to a complete halt. This has happened on railroad tracks, the highway, and an intersection where my wife and children were almost hit by other motorists. The dealer has not been able to reproduce the code, but we have pictures and videos of said incidents. The vehi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Dodge Charger. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V198000 (Air Bags) and 21V516000 (Visibility). The dealer was contacted to perform the recall repairs; however, the dealer refused to complete the recall repairs. The contact stated that the sound was audible through the window, which the contact associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V516000 ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2026
The accident avoidance system engaged during a 55mph drive on a divided 4 lane road. no other cars on road, no animals. Car swerved sharply to left half way into left lane and brakes engaged sharply, enough that driver and passenger in front went forward. after clearing warning, and proceeding down the road a few hundred feet, same thing happened. Has also occurred during navigation of a sharp... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 2026
Comparing this 2026 KIA Sportage to what I have in the garage with 2019 Lexus RX 350, 2018 MB E300, and 2021 Honda CRV, the front collison of this KIA does not work as it should. If I keep moving the vehicles toward a car, the collision avoidance should give me a warning an brakes for me, however, this 2026 KIA Sportage does not respond at all. In addition, in order for the front sensors on the b... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 29, 2026
Comparing this 2026 KIA Sportage to what I have in the garage with 2019 Lexus RX 350, 2018 MB E300, and 2021 Honda CRV, the front collison of this KIA does not work as it should. If I keep moving the vehicles toward a car, the collision avoidance should give me a warning an brakes for me, however, this 2026 KIA Sportage does not respond at all. In addition, in order for the front sensors on the b... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
While on the highway, the vehicle felt sudden loss of power and a burning smell. Immediately took the next exit and entered a gas station where large volume of oil leaking under the vehicle. Exited the vehicle and called for a tow truck to bring the vehicle to the nearest auto shop who informed me that the engine was damaged internally similar to what’s described in the recall and informed me to... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
Vehicle steering wheel gets slightly stuck around 70+ mph on highway. Possible issue with the EPS, steering rack, 4 pin point connecter. Lexus isn’t able to diagnose it
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed on several occasions, the pedestrian warning alert unexpectedly illuminated. The contact stated that during the failure, the braking system became inoperable and then the brakes locked up, causing the contact and a passenger to suffer whiplash. The contact stated that there were no pedestrians ne... Read more
2 injured
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
Took seat cover off to wash and styrofoam underneath was cracked. Did not experience an accident.
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
I am submitting a safety complaint regarding the driver assistance system (ProPILOT Assist) in my 2024 Infiniti QX80. The behavior of this system creates a potentially dangerous driving condition. When ProPILOT Assist is engaged, the vehicle consistently delays braking until the last possible moment, then applies sudden and aggressive braking rather than smooth deceleration. This creates a high r... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
I am submitting a safety complaint regarding the driver assistance system (ProPILOT Assist) in my 2024 Infiniti QX80. The behavior of this system creates a potentially dangerous driving condition. When ProPILOT Assist is engaged, the vehicle consistently delays braking until the last possible moment, then applies sudden and aggressive braking rather than smooth deceleration. This creates a high r... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
My 2013 Hyundai Sonata Limited equipped with the Theta II 2.4L GDI engine experienced a sudden connecting rod bearing failure while driving on the expressway in Florida. At the time of failure, the vehicle had approximately 153,000 miles. The Check Engine Light illuminated and the vehicle entered limp mode, causing significant loss of power while in motion at highway speeds. The engine and vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Oct 27, 2025
Several complaints can be seen across many different Honda forums that indicate several years including 2018 - 2023 of the Honda Odyssey are affected by similar issues when the front multi-purpose camera fails. Many have reported extreme heat when physically inspecting the camera unit. The ZYNQ XA72030 chip manufacturer, AMD, has listed known issues with this particular chip overheating either due... Read more
Incident date: Oct 27, 2025
Several complaints can be seen across many different Honda forums that indicate several years including 2018 - 2023 of the Honda Odyssey are affected by similar issues when the front multi-purpose camera fails. Many have reported extreme heat when physically inspecting the camera unit. The ZYNQ XA72030 chip manufacturer, AMD, has listed known issues with this particular chip overheating either due... Read more
Incident date: Oct 27, 2025
Several complaints can be seen across many different Honda forums that indicate several years including 2018 - 2023 of the Honda Odyssey are affected by similar issues when the front multi-purpose camera fails. Many have reported extreme heat when physically inspecting the camera unit. The ZYNQ XA72030 chip manufacturer, AMD, has listed known issues with this particular chip overheating either due... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
The other night driving home i notice that my headlights gotten dimmed. I turned on my fog lights so that i could see the road. after turning on my fog lights i had limited vision on the road. I feel that it's a safety concern that needs to be address so that i won't get into an accident. How should i proceed with the issue?
Incident date: Aug 1, 2025
As I was driving along a red light came on and within 20 minutes my whole car , electronics and everything shut down on the turnpike and I could barely get off the road and was scared to death It was completely DEAD. I had to call Turnpike assistance and a flatbed Tow truck loaded up my car and it was taken to a dealership I had to have the MHEV DC/DC converter replaced and at an extremely huge ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2026
The air suspension / Quadra-Lift system on my 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland with approximately 87,000 miles has failed and is available for inspection upon request. The vehicle is becoming stuck in Off Road 1 ride height and will not reliably return to normal height. When I am able to get it to lower, it raises itself back into Off Road 1 again without command. I also observed that one wheel/c... Read more