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: Oct 21, 2025
The brake vacuum pump has went out twice with no warning and has caused my breaks to become instantly extremely stiff.
Incident date: Oct 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a strong fuel odor coming from the vehicle, followed by a loss of motive power. The malfunction indicator light and ABS warning light were illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was contacted... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2025
I was driving slowly, about 5 mph, and was pulling over on a residential street to park on the street, and my Hyundai started shaking…the steering wheel and car were shaking and the brakes weren’t working. I nearly rear ended a car full of people. It did eventually a stop and the whole thing lasted maybe 10 seconds but it was terrifying. I had it towed to the dealership and they can’t seem t... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2025
I have had 2 incidents of engine ceasure in my 2013 Kia Optima SX w/ Limited package. Once it ceased on the freeway causing me to have a minor collision with the offramp guide rail and just recenting on 10/18/2025 it happened again on the 405 with loud knocking sounds engine light flashing and no real engine power after ceasing. My engine was previously repaired under warranty with case number X... Read more
Incident date: Sep 19, 2025
The trunk latch was recalled. I supposedly got it fixed in July 2024. It was functioning at the time it was supposedly fixed. It Does say it’s a safety issue.Now it is not working, exactly the symptoms of the recall, not open from the inside. There isn’t a key hole to open it. My belongings are inside, and if I get a flat, there is no way of opening the trunk. I’ve called their corporate off... Read more
Incident date: Sep 4, 2025
I have videos, but my cars electrical system keeps glitching, It will turn my heated seats on to the pint they burn me, it connects to my phone and will randomly call anyone in my contacts, it changes radio stations, messes with my automatic start, took my traction control off and does this on a regular basis. I had this system fixed in March of 2023 just after I bought the car but it’s already... Read more
Incident date: Sep 23, 2025
Nissan has failed to remedy this major defect in the functionality of this vehicle, for which I purchased it, and as of today, the local dealer, Empire Nissan of Lakewood, CO has not projected date for remedy. This is in direct relation to recall 24V-700/R24B2
Incident date: Sep 29, 2025
I was driving northbound in on I15 in Salt Lake City when a Home Depot Bucket blew into my lane. I slowed down to change lanes when the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) deployed without warning, bringing my car to an almost stop causing a semi tractor trailer to hit me from behind.
Crash
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
There is a known TSB out for 2019 toyota rav4 and some select other years. The issue is a slow speed transmission issue. It is due to a programming issue. At slow speeds, if you try to go from the brake pedal to the gas pedal too quickly, there is a serious lag before power is delivered to the wheels. Which is very dangerous when making specific turns. An example is what happened to my wife and my... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact received a recall letter related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving 40-45 MPH, the vehicle lost power and stalled. The vehicle was restarted. The engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who retrieved DTC: P0420; which was related ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2025
The contact owns a 1984 Pontiac Fiero. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, they noticed smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. After pulling over in a residential area, the contact observed that the engine compartment had caught fire. The fire was extinguished by an individual at the scene. A fire report was not filed, and a police report was not filed. The vehicle w... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Oct 13, 2025
My oil light came on around 91,000 miles. Kia is known for this issue being an oil pressure sensor issue. Happens around 80,000-100,000 miles. Its a pretty common issue and the labor for a $80 part costs up to $2,000.
Incident date: Oct 3, 2025
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2013 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 83,535, and after researching the Carfax Report, the contact discovered that the mileage was 332,216.
Incident date: Oct 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle experienced the death wobble. The steering wheel shook aggressively, making it difficult to maneuver the vehicle. The contact decelerated and was able to coast to the emergency lane on the side of the road to get off the interstate. The contact continued to drive the vehicle to the residence... Read more
Incident date: Oct 6, 2025
Rear view camera will not come on in reverse. All fuses are good with no visible damage to wires. Head unit was factory reset with no resolve.
Incident date: Oct 15, 2025
The shade that covers the moonroof has fallen off the tracks (or something) and it's sagging down from the headliner. There wasn't a snapping or breaking sound, I just went to open it and it sagged instead of sliding back under the headliner like it should. The car is only 4 years old, we bought it new, and we hardly ever use this feature, so it hasn't received a lot of use. With the shade sagging... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2025
The fuel gauge has erratic readings which frequently displays "low fuel" when in fact the fuel IS NOT LOW. The reverse is also true. The fuel gauge will occasionally indicate fuel is present in the vehicle when in fact THERE IS NONE resulting in running out of gas. This results in a dangerous seinero when driving in congested traffic areas since this can easily produce a traffic hazard and enda... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and occupied, the contact became aware that the instrument panel was detaching from the vehicle. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the instrument panel needed to be replaced. The instrument panel was replaced; however, the failure ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to immediately start, and the check engine warning light was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the vehicle had experienced coolant intrusion into the cylinders. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2025
I was driving the Jeep on Route 35 in NJ when all of a sudden, the car lost power, jerked forward thrusting be towards the windshield. The "D" on the gear shift started blinking and the check engine light went on. The dashboard message indicated something along the lines that I had to put the car in parking "P". The car behind me beeped and almost rear ended me as it's a fast road and my car slow... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
When approaching a stop sign, the brake pedal became extremely hard I was unable to stop, and rolled through the intersection avoiding collision. I was able to slow down enough to engage the emergency brake. There are no lights on the dash.
Incident date: Oct 17, 2015
Digital Rearview Mirror has changed from being clear to being cloudy and bright (white) making it impossible to see.
KIA
OPTIMA HYBRID
(2016) — POWER TRAIN
Oct 21, 2025
Incident date: Oct 5, 2025
With the car stopped & the transmission in the Drive or Reverse position with foot off the brake pedal: 1. Pushing the Power button once to turn the car off results in the transmission automatically shifting from Drive or Reverse to Neutral without automatically setting the Parking Brake. 2. If the car's front-end is on a slope pointed up-slo... Read more
KIA
OPTIMA HYBRID
(2016) — POWER TRAIN
Oct 21, 2025
Incident date: Oct 5, 2025
Dear NHTSA, I am writing to formally report a serious safety incident involving my 2016 Kia Optima Hybrid, which caught fire and was completely destroyed on October 5, 2025. Incident Summary: While driving on a highway at approximately 65 mph, I noticed that the vehicle was not entering Hybrid Mode, which is abnormal for its typical operation. I reduced my speed to 45 mph, then down to 35 mph a... Read more
Fire
KIA
OPTIMA HYBRID
(2016) — ENGINE
Oct 21, 2025
Incident date: Oct 5, 2025
Dear NHTSA, I am writing to formally report a serious safety incident involving my 2016 Kia Optima Hybrid, which caught fire and was completely destroyed on October 5, 2025. Incident Summary: While driving on a highway at approximately 65 mph, I noticed that the vehicle was not entering Hybrid Mode, which is abnormal for its typical operation. I reduced my speed to 45 mph, then down to 35 mph a... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Oct 4, 2025
teslas have blind spot monitor cameras that activate when the turn signal is activated as a turn left or right. there seems to be a noticeable delay on older cars with intel processors where the cameras take longer to display on the screen in split second manuvers and lane changes that can lead to accidents
Incident date: Oct 4, 2025
I own a 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat (VIN [XXX] ). Around June 6, 2025, I brought my truck to Apple Ford Shakopee for a scheduled appointment because I noticed moisture collecting inside the rear light bar. The service representative told me Ford considers that moisture normal, likely from a car wash, and that it would dry out on its own. At that time the truck had fewer than 36,000 miles and ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
I am getting a shift to park message on my Buick. I have to shift through heats multiple times to get it to stop.
Incident date: Oct 20, 2025
Safety Issue: Gear box unexpectedly disengaged while driving at highway speeds, between 60 and 70 mph. This occurred without warning and under normal road and operating conditions. Driver was unable to accelerate or decelerate vehicle. Driver did not have forward propulsion of vehicle at time of incidents (this happened more than once), and therefore, this is an extreme safety issue.
Incident date: Sep 20, 2025
iVehicle shakes uncontrollably when hitting bump at speeds greater than 40 mph. This is called the Jeep death wobble and is a known issue for this jeep Technical Service Bulletin (TSB 02-004-21 Rev A). The dealer will not diagnose or fix the
Incident date: Sep 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V608000 (STEERING); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at 40 MPH, the transmission seized and failed to function as intended. Th... Read more
Incident date: Oct 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was vibrating abnormally. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vibration occurred especially when the vehicle was idling. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was advised that the failure could possibly be re... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2025
After having brought the car for service multiple times due to “cylinder misfires” & having been told to replace spark plugs, power packs & get a “tune up” the latest mechanic report states there is coolant leaking into the engine, and the engine needs to be replaced. There is a known Technical Service Bulletin (19-2139) regarding this issue with Ford Escape 1.5L models.
Incident date: Aug 12, 2025
The "SVC 4WD" indication light comes on and off over that last 3 weeks. At times on the hightway I hear a loud noise with vibration, and loss of powe when driving. I took my 2019 Jeep Cherokee to Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat of Morgantown on 10/13/2025 for diagnostic inspection for this issue. The dealership advised that I needed to replace PTU assembly. There is currently a recall NHTSA 25V-0... Read more
Incident date: Aug 12, 2025
Sorento is not working properly due to transmission oil pump. This has been recalled by Kia but my car does not fall under the warranty.
Incident date: Aug 12, 2025
Sorento is not working properly due to transmission oil pump. This has been recalled by Kia but my car does not fall under the warranty.
Incident date: Jul 5, 2025
I brought my vehicle to a Honda dealership for a recall repair for the fuel pump and it was observed that the vehicle was leaking coolant and oil. The mechanic determined that the head gasket needs to be replaced and this is documented and available for review. There were no warning lights or noticeable clues that there was a major engine malfunction occurring. If not for the recall repair it is l... Read more
Incident date: Sep 2, 2025
The Starter of the truck seems to have "shorted" and started an electrical fire that burnt the wiring harness leading up to the battery including part of the battery cover. Drove truck on 100 mile trip. Arrived, parked. 2 days later went out to truck to drive home. Turned key, check engine light came on. Service electronic throttle control light came on. Opened hood, smelled burned smell. discove... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Sep 2, 2025
While driving at speeds below 25 mph, my transmission seems to get caught between gears. When I press the accelerator, the engine revs, but the car doesn’t accelerate as it should. It feels like the power just drops out. There were no warning lights or indicators on the dashboard. The exact same thing happened again the very next day, at low speed, in the same general area. Both times, the car... Read more
Incident date: Oct 17, 2025
We were driving on the freeway in nice weather when the cars automatic emergency brake engaged at 75mph. No warning light came on the dash it was without any warning very scary thankfully no other cars where around us.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
Since purchase, I have experienced nine tire-related failures, including four separate blowouts at highway speed, leaving the vehicle disabled on major roads multiple times. The most recent occurred on [Insert Date], when the car suffered another blowout and is now disabled at my residence. This pattern of failure has occurred despite tire replacements and service visits by Tesla. The issue began ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2025
After coming to a complete stop the throttle does not respond when it is time to move off. After pressing the gas pedal the car will not move forward and the motor does not respond as if it is getting any signal to move off. This happens intermittently and the dealership was not able to recreate after first reporting this issue. No warning indicators present the past 8 times this as occurred.
Incident date: Oct 18, 2025
I took my car in for a safety recall and was not provided a loaner vehicle. Both the dealer and Honda have refused to provide me a rental and now I will be picking my vehicle up and driving it while it’s unsafe with children in the car.
Incident date: Oct 20, 2025
The inverter radiator is punctured during typical road use by road debris. This results in a total loss of circulating coolant in the inverter/electric motor cooling system. This renders the car undrivable, with a concern for electric motor overheating, given that the hydrid mode and electric power can not be turned off. This is available for inspection. It is unclear whether the electric motor... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2025
Instrument cluster would not turn on in the truck. I turned truck off 2 times and would not power on. I was unable to tell Speed, Fuel level, DEF level or any warning indicator that would have pop up if there was an issue with the truck. Once I made it to my destination came back 15 minutes later the cluster started working again.
Incident date: Oct 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Forte. The contact stated that the brake lights failed to illuminate, and while inspecting the lights in the rear of the vehicle, the contact became aware that the socket where the brake light bulb was located was melting from the light overheating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer did not diagnose the cause of failure. The brake lights were not repaired. It was conf... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2025
Took delivery of a Tesla Model Y 2026 Juniper (not stated VIN #) in September 2025. This vehicle includes the mandated illumintated Emergency Release Button in the Front Trunk ("Frunk"). Then took delivery of a Tesla Model Y 2026 Juniper (VIN [XXX] ) in October 2025. This vehicle does NOT include any illuminated Emergency Release Button in the Front Trunk ("Frunk"). I visited the Tesla Servic... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2025
Dear Sir or Madam, My tracking# is 11692602. Kia America apologized to me on 10/14/2025 and said if the government regulatory agency reaches out to them (Kia America), they will be sure to comply with your request. Thank you very much for your efficient handling. I'm writing to you today because the vehicle suddenly sounded an alarm while I was driving today, it seemed like there was a problem ... Read more