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: Jul 19, 2024
Infotainment screen is blank most of the time. Backup camera works intermittently. Dealer confirmed head unit failure and stated software updates cannot be performed. Quoted approximately $7,500 for full replacement. Issue has been occurring for over two years, beginning while vehicle was still relatively new. Creates unsafe reversing conditions due to unreliable federally required backup camera ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2025
Rear view camera / backup camera randomly displays blanks screen. Screen has no other issues noted. Has been occurring over the past couple years.
Incident date: Nov 28, 2025
About 10 miles from home a warning saying to check the electrical system came on the dash and the car would not go faster than about 25 miles per hour. We had to limp back home, turning the car off every few miles as it would start aggressively beeping to turn off the car. After getting it towed to the dealership, it took them several weeks to determine it was the ICCU and fuse, and I did not tak... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2026
Turned off car after arrival at destination got back into car 5 minutes after turned car on and dash light up with multiple error codes. Main one being engine/transmission issue. Message stated car could be driven but limited. Tried to put car in drive but couldn’t. Could only power on and off and put into neutral. Had to be towed to Volkswagen dealership on 1/30/26. No diagnosis yet and adviso... Read more
Incident date: Jul 11, 2025
My engine makes a loud rattling noise upon start up and then a more discreet rattling while driving because of the cam phaser.
Incident date: Jan 28, 2026
I bought a 2022 Ford Ecosport. The seatbelts are not working and I am currently down to one seatbelt in the rear seats that work. I haul 3 children regularly and now am having to transport without a seatbelt which is against the law and totally unsafe. I called Ricart’s in Columbus Ohio and they want $100 per seatbelt to fix. At this point I am expecting the other seatbelts not to work soon. I c... Read more
Incident date: Jan 27, 2026
Transmission warning light came on the dash saying may not be able to shift soon. I dropped of at the dealer and they said they were backed up on that department I would have to leave it there and they would diagnose in a week and let me know. Still waiting 6.2 zr2
Incident date: Jan 27, 2026
My vehicle is included in NHTSA Recall 25V099 / Kia SC336 for defective piston oil rings. The vehicle has experienced stalling, loss of power, knocking noises, and oil consumption. The engine behavior is unsafe and consistent with recall-related engine damage. Kia closed my case based on a dealer’s subjective noise judgment, but no mechanical engine testing (oil consumption, compression, or cyl... Read more
Incident date: Jan 27, 2026
My vehicle is included in NHTSA Recall 25V099 / Kia SC336 for defective piston oil rings. The vehicle has experienced stalling, loss of power, knocking noises, and oil consumption. The engine behavior is unsafe and consistent with recall-related engine damage. Kia closed my case based on a dealer’s subjective noise judgment, but no mechanical engine testing (oil consumption, compression, or cyl... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2026
Front axle clicking noise when turning left, most noticeable at low speeds and from a stop. Noise is repeatable and occurs consistently during left turns. Suspected front axle / CV joint defect. Concerned about potential powertrain failure and loss of drive while turning. Vehicle is a 2024 Honda Prologue.
Incident date: Jan 29, 2026
Immediately after delivery, the instrument/infotainment display malfunctioned, froze, and became unresponsive. Apple CarPlay failed, and phone calls distorted or dropped. After reporting the issue, I discovered that this VIN is subject to Safety Recall SC359B, with a recall date of December 17, 2025, and a status of RECALL INCOMPLETE / NO REMEDY AVAILABLE. This recall existed prior to the sale. ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2026
Immediately after delivery, the instrument/infotainment display malfunctioned, froze, and became unresponsive. Apple CarPlay failed, and phone calls distorted or dropped. After reporting the issue, I discovered that this VIN is subject to Safety Recall SC359B, with a recall date of December 17, 2025, and a status of RECALL INCOMPLETE / NO REMEDY AVAILABLE. This recall existed prior to the sale. ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2025
The high-voltage battery on my 2021 Nissan LEAF is subject to Recall 25V-655/R25C8. The recall notice states that the battery cells can develop excessive lithium deposits, which increase electrical resistance and can cause rapid battery heating during Level 3 fast charging. Nissan instructs owners not to use Level 3 charging at all until a “remedy” is available. I have attempted to have the c... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2025
Vehicle developed a cylinder 3 misfire that progressed to engine failure. The engine began running rough and lost power during normal operation. Dealer diagnosed internal engine damage and advised that a complete engine replacement is required. Prior to failure, the vehicle experienced significant oil loss, with oil leaking and rapidly depleting despite proper maintenance. Oil levels dropped abno... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2025
Vehicle developed a cylinder 3 misfire that progressed to engine failure. The engine began running rough and lost power during normal operation. Dealer diagnosed internal engine damage and advised that a complete engine replacement is required. Prior to failure, the vehicle experienced significant oil loss, with oil leaking and rapidly depleting despite proper maintenance. Oil levels dropped abno... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2024
When fueling the vehicle it routinely clicks off and fuel is splashing out at times. When I bought the truck in 2018 the dealer said this is a known ram issue and would be a recall soon. The problem has never been fixed and is getting worse where there is fuel and vapors escaping the filler routinely. If you Google this on reddit forums or Ram forums it's a common problem. It also causes people to... Read more
Incident date: Aug 27, 2024
The car was in an accident with the previous owner I bout the car and the carfax showed rear end collision I told the car worked perfectly. After purchase the car brakes have built up 2 times in 5 months the car stalled it has rpm issues lagging and hesitation as well as the safety front end collision has malfunctioned and it locked my brakes up I did all the steps to try to fix it and I ended up ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
Over the last 2 1/2 months the car has shut off approximately 5 times while driving, without warning. Most instances have been while pulling into a parking lot, but one time (so far) it shut off while trying to back into my driveway. I'm fearful it will happen while on the freeway. I took it to the dealer, but there wasn't a fault code so they refused to look at it unless I left the car with the... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. Most recently, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Service 4WD" was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2025
I have been in for the recall about stalling engine. After doing the recall the problem still remains. My engine has stall 3 different times after said recall. Also seeing online there has been many people complaining about the same problem. Dodge should look into the problem with a different recall out there. This is dangerous.
Incident date: Jan 23, 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 not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable am... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2026
ABS break actuator and abs pump failed while driving losing loss of breaking. Toyota is aware of this problem but refuse to fix this notorious and dangerous problem they have with multiple model years. I was not informed of the limited service campaign. This should be recalled as a safety to the public.
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
The engine pump went in my vehicle (21 Kia Sorrento) and is giving a code of P193B79. There was a recall that the dealership said they completed in 2023 to fix this. When I asked the dealership what they did to fix this in 2023, they said they checked for the code and it didn't have the code. Since they closed the recall, because it didn't currently have the code, they marked it complete and won't... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2026
Vehicle stuck in 4WD HI after switching it from 2WD. Would not go back into 2WD. Did all the preventative maintenance including driving in 4WD HI once a month. Dealer claims is a switch outside the powertrain that is getting stuck. Replacement part ordered and will arrive in 4-8 weeks. Dealership saying I’m outside my warranty and part/labor will not be covered. My safety was put at risk d/t not... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was sputtering and vibrating abnormally while starting. There were no warning lights illuminated. The failure was intermittent but became a recurring failure. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic out of fear of the vehicle stalling on the highway. Prior to the engine failure, the contact became aware that there wer... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
My car keeps having sensors go out. Such as the tire pressure sensor and fuel compression sensor I think is what they called it anyways. They start to go up a hill. And my car loses all speed and slows way down my traction control. Don't turn on when it's supposed to. And needs to my cruise control, quit working when this went out. And my engines started sounding louder, which is weird because it'... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
n October 28th, I left Atlanta, Georgia with a load going to Pittsburgh–Philadelphia. On October 29th, 2025, around 12:30 a.m., I was approximately two miles north of Birch River, West Virginia. While driving uphill at a steady speed of about 60–65 mph, I suddenly heard a loud popping sound, as if something had exploded or blown inside the engine. Right after that, the truck immediately lost p... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Nov 16, 2025
the rear manual tailgate has opened 3 times while the vehicle was at highway speeds and the doors would be locked. the latest incident happened on 1-30-26, at highway speed (70mph) the tailgate opened completely without warning. the indicator on the dash did light up and an alarm did sound. I had been on the road approximately 10 miles without incident before that. this was the third time this... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2026
2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited - Mileage 8,855 - Owned for 6 months!!! - 11/22/2025 System failure with the Forward Collision Warning (FCW) & Active Braking (AB). Available for inspection upon request until vehicle buyback is complete. - At the point of failure the brakes locked up while traveling through a busy intersection bringing the vehicle to a complete stop and resulting in total engin... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Kia K5. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 5 MPH and approaching a stop sign exiting a parking lot, as the contact depressed the brake pedal to stop for a commercial truck stopped at the exit, the "collision warning" illuminated. The contact stated that the brake pedal went soft and depressed to the floorboard. The contact stated that he crashed into the... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Dec 10, 2025
Hi, Vehicle experienced sudden loss of power and inability to accelerate while driving. Engine entered limp mode and would not rev beyond approximately 2,000 RPM. Vehicle became unsafe to operate in traffic due to lack of acceleration. Dealer diagnosed fault code P0087 (fuel rail/system pressure too low) and confirmed failure of the high-pressure fuel pump. Vehicle had hard starting, delayed thro... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2025
When I drive over 65 mph, I feel the car lose stability, and sometimes I feel those movements in the steering wheel. Also, it doesn't show the actual tire tread depth. In addition. And there is a burning smell.
Incident date: Dec 10, 2025
When I drive over 65 mph, I feel the car lose stability, and sometimes I feel those movements in the steering wheel. Also, it doesn't show the actual tire tread depth. In addition. And there is a burning smell.
KIA
CARNIVAL HYBRID
(2025) — SERVICE BRAKES
Jan 30, 2026
Incident date: Jan 30, 2026
ABS has gone out and there are no new repair parts available from Jeep
Incident date: Jan 14, 2026
After rain or snow, vehicle will not release from park even when shifted to drive. After pressing accelerator a few times vehicle will make a loud bang from the rear (loud enough to sound as though something is coming apart) and then start to move. This happens in warm and cold weather
Incident date: Jan 23, 2026
I have been having repeated issues with the doors not autolocking, liftgate functionality, rear seat sensor, and random (collision?) warnings/sensors - among other settings that keep coming undone (audio options, etc) since the purchase of this car that I have been diligently notating/timestamping- i have close to 200 occurences so far. Just submitting another report to let you know it is STILL ha... Read more
Incident date: Jan 24, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V896000 (POWER TRAIN) and 25V455000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a fractured pas... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2026
2014 Prius HB with 135k miles , onboard system warning lights for Brakes, ABS system, TPMS and Traction Ctrl all came one suddenly. Brake losing pressure while vehicle making strange noise under front driver side
Incident date: Jan 18, 2026
This is related to Toyota service bulletins T-SB-0043-24 and T-SB-0022-25. My brakes started squealing shortly after I purchased the vehicle. I reported this to my toyota dealership. They told me about the service bulletins, but said the parts are on back order. I have been waiting for almost 2 years, and the dealership still hasn’t fixed it. Now, my brakes are vibrating violently at highway spe... Read more
Incident date: Jan 18, 2026
The vehicle experienced a sudden engine failure one day after undergoing a manufacturer emissions/service campaign at an authorized dealership. Prior to service, the vehicle operated normally with no warning lights, knocking, or drivability issues. After the failure, the dealership denied coverage and declined to inspect the engine oil. The vehicle was towed for an independent inspection, which f... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2026
My truck had a recall for the door locks freezing, which my truck had an issue with. The dealer performed the recall and 1 of the doors continued to freeze. The door will not latch and it will open when driving down the road. I took it back to the dealer and they charged me to diagnose and confirm it's still doing it. They will not repair it again, they said the recall repair was inadequate and i... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2026
this vehicle was delivered to me on Sept 1, 2025 / i have been back to the dealership a few times regarding the front windshield is totally scratched up this had to happen from the windshield wipers the issue is that when i drive into the sun the glare from all the scratches is annoying the second issue that hyundai cannot fix is that the app on the phone has stated since day 1 that the cars veh... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2026
I am reporting a serious and ongoing safety defect involving my 2024 Volvo XC90. The vehicle has experienced intermittent unintended acceleration, intermittent loss of safety and alert systems, and false obstacle detection that triggers unexpected braking or steering input. These events occur randomly and without warning, and are not tied to a specific driver, key, driving condition, or user beha... Read more
Incident date: Jan 27, 2026
See attached letter
Incident date: Dec 23, 2025
I received a safety recall on my vehicle in October, and it is now almost february and there is still no remedy. This safety recall is the Transmission Shift Cable A0C. The recall states: "This can cause an unexpected and unrecoverable loss of PARK function and/or vehicle movement in an unintended direction which can cause a vehicle crash without prior warning and/or injury to others outside the ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sportage. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 22V703000 (Trail Hitches) and 21V137000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the recall repair requests were denied by the manufacturer. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, it failed to start as intended. No warning light was illuminated. In addition, the contact stated t... Read more
Incident date: Jan 28, 2026
I am submitting a vehicle defect complaint pursuant to 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301 regarding a potential safety related defect involving engine, electrical, and powertrain systems. The vehicle experienced early engine and electrical malfunction at relatively low mileage, requiring replacement of the engine wiring harness and removal and reinstallation of the engine and transaxle assembly. These are majo... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
My Ford F-150 is having issues that is known to Ford about the cold rattle start which consists of the cam phasers are defective and can cause serious damage to the engine. At the time Ford had put out some customer program and my vehicle has only got 36,000 miles on it and the problem has now just started. I called ford service center and the service man was surprised that mine started going bad ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
The car turn off while driving it. This creates a serious safety concern. We took the car to a mechanic and he was not able to identify the problem, he suggested we take it to the dealership. We then took it to the kia dealer ( Covina) and they have had it for months and yet are not able to fix it. Yesterday we received a call telling us, the engine failure is related to the oil pressure and it... Read more
Incident date: Jan 28, 2026
The engine started acting weird in traffic going down hill on freeway. Eventually turned off turning into my driveway. No warning or engine light. Towed to dealer and is in for inspection, not sure if they can repair or if they have to replace the engine. When it arrived to dealer the engine light was on with a couple misfires