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: Apr 21, 2026
The vehicle began showing serious safety related symptoms before the engine failed. These included engine knocking, repeated sensor failures, the speedometer and odometer blacking out while driving, the navigation screen going dark, and the entire instrument cluster malfunctioning. These issues caused loss of speed information, loss of vehicle status, and loss of navigation visibility, creating un... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2026
The vehicle began showing serious safety related symptoms before the engine failed. These included engine knocking, repeated sensor failures, the speedometer and odometer blacking out while driving, the navigation screen going dark, and the entire instrument cluster malfunctioning. These issues caused loss of speed information, loss of vehicle status, and loss of navigation visibility, creating un... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2026
The vehicle began showing serious safety related symptoms before the engine failed. These included engine knocking, repeated sensor failures, the speedometer and odometer blacking out while driving, the navigation screen going dark, and the entire instrument cluster malfunctioning. These issues caused loss of speed information, loss of vehicle status, and loss of navigation visibility, creating un... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed an unusual knocking sound and the engine seized. In addition, several warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle started. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the oil was three quarts low. The contact stated... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Kia Carnival. the driver seat automatically pushed on the rear passenger driver side seat that had a minor occupant in a child seat. The seat was able to move forward with the seat adjustment buttons. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage 20,000.
KIA
SOUL
(2016) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
May 20, 2026
Incident date: Feb 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds the vehicle suddenly stalled. During the failure the odor of fuel was present. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that catalytic converter and damaged exhaust muffler. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer wer... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 2026
The ABS/traction warning lights came on. On April 29,2026, I took it to Beck and Masten Group 1 Kia inTomball, Texas and they diagnosed as HECU failure. The repair cost $2377.16. KIA corporate denied reimbursement. Lights were resolved after HECU replacement. There was no accident/injury/fire. mileage was 60400. I wanted to note and document as a potential safety trend.
Incident date: Apr 29, 2026
The ABS/traction warning lights came on. On April 29,2026, I took it to Beck and Masten Group 1 Kia inTomball, Texas and they diagnosed as HECU failure. The repair cost $2377.16. KIA corporate denied reimbursement. Lights were resolved after HECU replacement. There was no accident/injury/fire. mileage was 60400. I wanted to note and document as a potential safety trend.
Incident date: Apr 29, 2026
The ABS/traction warning lights came on. On April 29,2026, I took it to Beck and Masten Group 1 Kia inTomball, Texas and they diagnosed as HECU failure. The repair cost $2377.16. KIA corporate denied reimbursement. Lights were resolved after HECU replacement. There was no accident/injury/fire. mileage was 60400. I wanted to note and document as a potential safety trend.
Incident date: May 17, 2026
While driving on an open highway, my panoramic sunroof spontaneously exploded on [XXX] coming back from Prescott with me behind the wheel, my husband as a passenger, and my dog in the backseat. There was nobody driving in front, near, or behind me. I was not driving near an overpass. The incident sounded like an explosion or gunshot. My husband began to open the sunroof visor to investigate, and ... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2026
Windshield chipped and cracked. Causes a safety issue due to temperamental glass and vision impairment. McKenneys garage has viewed the damage and confirms the damage. No. No.
Incident date: May 17, 2026
My 2019 Kia Sorento equipped with a Theta II engine entered limp mode and displayed a flashing check engine light along with an active P1326 diagnostic trouble code. The P1326 code is a proprietary Kia/Hyundai specific code that can only be generated when the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software update is present on the vehicle. This software was developed and distributed by Kia specifica... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2026
Vehicle's forward collision warnings did not sound. Airbags did not deploy. Vehicle in front end collision at 40mph
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: May 20, 2026
Vehicle's forward collision warnings did not sound. Airbags did not deploy. Vehicle in front end collision at 40mph
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: May 20, 2026
Vehicle's forward collision warnings did not sound. Airbags did not deploy. Vehicle in front end collision at 40mph
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
A recall from Kia a damage check valve and a fuel tank issue. I have called the manufacture Kia company and they have no result, I have called for over a month now and haven’t had my car for a month and an half now, still waiting for a results or a solution for the Kia K5 GT Line. I have called my case manager as well, every time I call it goes straight to voicemail. I am looking to contact anyo... Read more
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
A recall from Kia a damage check valve and a fuel tank issue. I have called the manufacture Kia company and they have no result, I have called for over a month now and haven’t had my car for a month and an half now, still waiting for a results or a solution for the Kia K5 GT Line. I have called my case manager as well, every time I call it goes straight to voicemail. I am looking to contact anyo... Read more
Incident date: May 19, 2026
Engine is burning oil at a significant rate, when I get my oil changed at the dealers recommendation it is extremely low. I have to replace the oil regularly between oil changes, and there is an exhaust smell. Also lagging when I hit the gas.
Incident date: May 19, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving, a sound of an explosion was heard and the sunroof shattered, the slider of the sunroof was closed so the glass did not enter the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
Shortly after refueling, I experienced a serious and sudden vehicle safety-related malfunction involving suspected fuel tank expansion. The event coincided with abnormal fuel behavior and an unexpected structural issue in the rear cabin area, where the rear seat assembly displaced upward without any passenger interaction or impact. The vehicle was inspected at Kia Archer, where I was informed it ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
Shortly after refueling, I experienced a serious and sudden vehicle safety-related malfunction involving suspected fuel tank expansion. The event coincided with abnormal fuel behavior and an unexpected structural issue in the rear cabin area, where the rear seat assembly displaced upward without any passenger interaction or impact. The vehicle was inspected at Kia Archer, where I was informed it ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
The contact owned a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at 65 mph and slowing down to enter a parking garage, she observed black smoke emanating from under the hood, and the vehicle stalled. The contact then observed flames near the windshield wipers coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The contact exited the vehicle and called 911. She observed flames coming from under th... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
The vehicle's electronic variable valve timing actuator (E-CVVT motor) failed, triggering a severe "Limp Home" engine mode. This defect causes dangerous vehicle surging/jumping during acceleration, limits engine output to 1500 RPM while idling, generates abnormal engine noise, and prevents the vehicle from exceeding 60 mph. This makes merging onto fast-moving highways or maintaining the flow of tr... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
The glass piece that sits between the front windshield and the sunroof cracked from side to side of the car. When I called the dealership to get it repaired they said this has happened to a few models with this same type of glass between the windshield and the sunroof.
Incident date: Feb 23, 2026
2017 Kia Soul, 1.6L Gamma GDI engine, ~82,000 miles. Vehicle exhibits excessive oil consumption consistent with the known piston ring defect addressed in Kia TSB ENG222 (covering 2012–2019 Souls with Gamma/Nu engines) and consistent with the E2 Class Action Settlement that covered the same engine in 2012–2016 model years. The oil consumption has destroyed the catalytic converter, causing the e... Read more
Incident date: May 17, 2026
The contact owned a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while stopped at a red light, the signal turned green and they proceeded through the intersection when another driver ran the red light and collided with the vehicle. The impact occurred on the right rear passenger side, extending from the back door to the rear wheel well. no additional property damage was reported. At the time of c... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine oil warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and inspected the vehicle. The contact discovered that there was no oil in the engine; however, the vehicle previously had an oil change. The contact added oil to the engine. The failure persisted. Additionally, the vehicle made rattling... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine oil warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and inspected the vehicle. The contact discovered that there was no oil in the engine; however, the vehicle previously had an oil change. The contact added oil to the engine. The failure persisted. Additionally, the vehicle made rattling... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine oil warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and inspected the vehicle. The contact discovered that there was no oil in the engine; however, the vehicle previously had an oil change. The contact added oil to the engine. The failure persisted. Additionally, the vehicle made rattling... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Forte. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the vehicle was denied repairs due to lack of engine oil maintance records. The contact stated that after the vehicle was powered on with the ignition key, an abnormal fuel odor would leak into the interior cabin and the engine would shudder. No warning l... Read more
Incident date: May 16, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the oil pressure sensor light was illuminated. The vehicle was making an abnormal knocking sound. The contact had to add additional oil. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the vehicle was related to the recall. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the ca... Read more
Incident date: May 16, 2026
As my car was driving my vehicle encountered sudden changes and my engine light went on. As the vehicle stopped driving on its own there was smoke coming from the hood and a fire stared shortly after underneath the car.
Fire
Incident date: May 18, 2026
Battery died at under 3,300 miles. After roadside came and jumped the batter, it died again after two days. Jumped again for the second time, when driving the car around it would randomly shut off even when the car is moving at higher speeds on freeway. The shut off would be for just one second and comes back on - everything starts resetting. And goes to user authoriztions notifications. Car shu... Read more
Incident date: May 18, 2026
This has happened multiple times. When driving the engine shuts off and an error message appears to shift into neutral or park and restart the engine. Brought the car to liberty Kia in Ramsey NJ and they said found no errors in the computer and test drove and could not recreate. My odometer did not change from drop off to pick up so I can tell it was not test driven.
Incident date: Oct 31, 2024
I experienced engine failure and the dealership, corporation and warranty are refusing to replace the engine. My engine falls under an engine settlement. The denial states the corporation will not approve because i do not have a system update. The system update was issued while in the dealer’s inventory, part of the Certified Pre Owned inspection, it is required that the dealer updates all recal... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2024
I experienced engine failure and the dealership, corporation and warranty are refusing to replace the engine. My engine falls under an engine settlement. The denial states the corporation will not approve because i do not have a system update. The system update was issued while in the dealer’s inventory, part of the Certified Pre Owned inspection, it is required that the dealer updates all recal... Read more
Incident date: Aug 4, 2025
I am filing a safety complaint regarding a 2015 Kia Sorento equipped with the 2.4L Theta II engine. The vehicle developed progressive engine knock, reduced power, and check engine warnings while driving. Diagnostic trouble codes include P0017, P0014, and P0340 relating to crankshaft/camshaft timing correlation and camshaft position faults. A Kia dealership performed diagnostic testing using Kia ... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2026
While operating my Kia vehicle, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of braking capability and loss of acceleration/power while traveling downhill. Multiple warning lights reportedly illuminated during the event, including the battery light, oil light, and check engine light. The incident created a serious safety concern due to inability to properly control vehicle speed and operation. The vehic... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2026
While operating my Kia vehicle, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of braking capability and loss of acceleration/power while traveling downhill. Multiple warning lights reportedly illuminated during the event, including the battery light, oil light, and check engine light. The incident created a serious safety concern due to inability to properly control vehicle speed and operation. The vehic... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2026
While operating my Kia vehicle, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of braking capability and loss of acceleration/power while traveling downhill. Multiple warning lights reportedly illuminated during the event, including the battery light, oil light, and check engine light. The incident created a serious safety concern due to inability to properly control vehicle speed and operation. The vehic... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at 15-20 MPH, the vehicle stalled after 7 months of ownership. The vehicle stalled in the intersection. A few guys were able to push the vehicle out of the roadway. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact received a recall notice for NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was towed ... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2026
UNKNOWN THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY WHEN THE CAR HIT OTHER DRIVER FROM BEHIND.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: May 9, 2026
UNKNOWN THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY WHEN THE CAR HIT OTHER DRIVER FROM BEHIND.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: May 9, 2026
UNKNOWN THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY WHEN THE CAR HIT OTHER DRIVER FROM BEHIND.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: May 10, 2026
Car had recall and new engine was put in April 2024. I’ve had the new engine for 25 months. It started doing the exact same thing as before when engine went out. No power, limp mode, engine violently shaking, rods knocking. Engine light came on. I parked it immediately and called dealership. They said it’s a refurbished engine not new so it does not have the full warranty. This new engine wasn... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2026
May 9, 2026 Opened my Sunroof for first time this year. Would not open all the way. Jammed sideways. Couldn't get it shut. The arms in the track to move the window back and forth disinegrated. Slight water damage to right side headliner. Currently at glass company for repair. Need entire unit. $1,450 for a used one $5,000 for new. Are there any current recalls? 2021 Kia Telleride purchased new; ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 10, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Niro Hybrid. The contact stated that while at a stop light the warning message "transmission overheating" had displayed and the vehicle did not drive forward. The contact attempted to push the vehicle offer the road when suddenly the vehicle accelerated forward and drove on the opposite side of the over a curb and drove into oncoming traffic and crashed head on int... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: May 17, 2026
I was driving down the interstate when all of a sudden, I hear a bang, and my power went crazy, couldn't push the gas at all, my car was suddenly shut off. We coasted to the side of the interstate and got out to see a pile of oil underneath my car. Called a tow truck to help us and he found a massive hole in the engine block / oil pan - catastrophic engine failure. I have 117k miles on my car BUT ... Read more
Incident date: May 17, 2026
I was driving down the interstate when all of a sudden, I hear a bang, and my power went crazy, couldn't push the gas at all, my car was suddenly shut off. We coasted to the side of the interstate and got out to see a pile of oil underneath my car. Called a tow truck to help us and he found a massive hole in the engine block / oil pan - catastrophic engine failure. I have 117k miles on my car BUT ... Read more
Incident date: May 17, 2026
I was driving down the interstate when all of a sudden, I hear a bang, and my power went crazy, couldn't push the gas at all, my car was suddenly shut off. We coasted to the side of the interstate and got out to see a pile of oil underneath my car. Called a tow truck to help us and he found a massive hole in the engine block / oil pan - catastrophic engine failure. I have 117k miles on my car BUT ... Read more