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 2, 2025
Stabilitrak error and traction control lights came on and electrical power flickered off and on when I rolled up passenger window
Incident date: Oct 2, 2025
My check engine light came on and my SUV started sputtering so I pulled over called my Husband who came and had it towed to Langdale Kia of Valdosta, Ga.
Incident date: Oct 2, 2025
My check engine light came on and my SUV started sputtering so I pulled over called my Husband who came and had it towed to Langdale Kia of Valdosta, Ga.
Incident date: Sep 27, 2025
I was using the full self driving feature of the vehicle. At an unusual intersection, there was a flashing do not turn right light because of a train. The car turned right ignoring the do not turn sign And headed for the railroad tracks. I had to slam on the brakes because the car was not going to stop. If a driver is not paying attention they will die. I have video of the whole thing.
Incident date: Aug 15, 2025
The car got a uconnect update tonight. 30 minutes later, when driving the car for the first time since the update, the car shut off while in drive going 30mph. The car loses power, tells you to shift to park. Turning the car off and on enabled it to drive for a while longer, but the same thing happened again. The check engine light is on, and it's giving a number of code errors around the hybr... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2025
The engine of my 2018 Hyundai Elantra has a rod bearing defect covered under a safety recall. The vehicle has not been repaired yet, and the issue prevents the car from being safely operated. I have incurred towing expenses due to the inability to use the vehicle, and I am concerned about potential engine failure or safety hazards if the defect is not addressed promptly.
Incident date: Aug 25, 2025
I'm writing to express my disappointment and frustration with my recent car purchase. The salesperson's failure to clearly explain the contract has left me with unexpected expenses and a higher payment than anticipated. Furthermore, the car's persistent malfunctions have caused me significant stress and anxiety. The manager told me he was not inclined to help me because he did not like my survey a... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2025
The car while driving just stopped and instructed me to put it in park engine electrical malfunction.
Incident date: Aug 11, 2025
Both B-pillar camera housings on my 2023 Tesla Model Y Performance become extremely hot even when the vehicle is parked in a closed garage and not in use. On the morning of the incident, the garage temperature was approximately 78°F. The car had been parked overnight for over 12 hours, plugged in, and charging to 80%. While the vehicle was preconditioning, no defrost features were active. Despite... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2025
Dear Sir or Madam, My car was hit by another car when I tried to switch to the next lane. I did give a turning signal and observed before switching. However, a car sped past and hit my car. If the detection system had sounded an alarm at that time, I wouldn't have changed lanes at that moment. Unfortunately the Lane Assist and Blind Spot Detection System was not functioning correctly and failed t... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2025
My backup camera only shows black and the lines
Incident date: Oct 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Kia Telluride. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V494000 (STRUCTURE); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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 experienced a failure.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
Intermittently, the center console (navigation) screen and system crash at random. All audio stop and the screen turns black for a few seconds, before resetting to the default view and disconnecting all previously connected devices. This has happened at least 10-20 times while driving during my ownership of the vehicle. I can confirm that it happens when my iPhone is connected to the vehicle via w... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
Forward collision system fully activated while driving eastbound in the fast lane on [XXX] . The sun was behind me. No glare. No cars or objects were in front of me or next to me. The dashboard started flashing and warning sounds activated and the car slammed on the brakes itself. The seatbelt locked up and left me bruised. Miraculously, the cars behind me avoided crashing into me while I acc... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
Forward collision system fully activated while driving eastbound in the fast lane on [XXX] . The sun was behind me. No glare. No cars or objects were in front of me or next to me. The dashboard started flashing and warning sounds activated and the car slammed on the brakes itself. The seatbelt locked up and left me bruised. Miraculously, the cars behind me avoided crashing into me while I acc... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Oct 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that the vehicle was retrieved from a dealer after a recall regarding the air bags; however, while driving approximately 25 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle lunged forward. The contact stated that the Stability Control warning light illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle back to the dealer, and the dealer was u... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2025
The contact's cousin owned a 2012 Kia Forte. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked unattended by the privacy fence. The contact was alerted by her nephew and observed that the vehicle was on fire. The front windshield had shattered, and smoke was visible inside the cabin. The fire appeared to originate from the dashboard area. The contact used a fire extinguisher to suppress the flames wi... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Oct 4, 2025
The contact's cousin owned a 2012 Kia Forte. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked unattended by the privacy fence. The contact was alerted by her nephew and observed that the vehicle was on fire. The front windshield had shattered, and smoke was visible inside the cabin. The fire appeared to originate from the dashboard area. The contact used a fire extinguisher to suppress the flames wi... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Aug 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Odyssey. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2025
Check engine light came on, displaying code P0101, front collision malfunction came on. Replaced MAF sensor for code P0101. The car then displayed the same lights, check engine light and AEB light and slip indicator light. My car then stalled while at a red light.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
My check engine light is on due to O2 sensor being dirty. While this light is on some features in the car are disabled like cruise control. It might also be that the ABS braking system is turned off! I am not sure but once when the car in front of me abruptly stopped I was surprised my emergency braking did not kick in.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while reversing and parking the vehicle, the steering wheel malfunctioned and became difficult to turn, and the driver was unable to control the direction of the vehicle, causing the rear passenger side wheel to strike the curb. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the steering failure was due to a faulty ignition k... Read more
Incident date: Oct 6, 2025
The vehicle would not start and left me stranded over 40 miles from home. I was unable to start the vehicle for over an hour. The road side service was unable to start the vehicle.
Incident date: Oct 6, 2025
The engine makes a noise like a knock, when the car is running or the speed increases the noise becomes louder and it feels like a strong blow coming from the engine.
Incident date: Oct 6, 2025
The engine makes a noise like a knock, when the car is running or the speed increases the noise becomes louder and it feels like a strong blow coming from the engine.
Incident date: Oct 9, 2025
My truck has a blue screen that appears randomly on occasion that states service rear view system. This is a major safety concern. And after reading online it is a very common occurrence on 2019-2025 gm pickups. It needs to be recalled and a for sure fix done to prevent from backing into someone or something. I have small children and my biggest fear is running them over while playing in the yard... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2025
While driving, the check engine light came on. Soon after, the rear floor of my 2021 Kia K5 lifted upward, and I noticed the fuel tank underneath had swollen. When I opened the gas cap, it blew off with force and gasoline sprayed on me, soaking my clothes. This could have caused a fire or explosion. The car is now unsafe to drive, and the rear seat cannot be used because the floor is deformed. I... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and depressing the brake pedal to stop the vehicle, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. There were no warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the rearview camera image was blank while reversing. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V544000(Se... Read more
Incident date: Aug 7, 2025
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that upon retrieving the Carfax report after purchasing the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy, and the vehicle seller was not the title holder. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 32,000, and the contact later discovered that the mileage was over... Read more
Incident date: Aug 7, 2025
Dear NHTSA, I am submitting a formal complaint regarding my 2012 Kia Optima, which experienced an engine fire directly related to the defects identified in Kia Safety Recalls SC147, SC200, and SC201. On XXX, my vehicle’s engine failed and caught fire. This is the exact condition covered by the above recalls, which state that affected engines may seize, stall, or ignite. I have been in contact wi... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Oct 8, 2025
Dear NHTSA, I am submitting a formal complaint regarding my 2012 Kia Optima, which experienced an engine fire directly related to the defects identified in Kia Safety Recalls SC147, SC200, and SC201. On XXX, my vehicle’s engine failed and caught fire. This is the exact condition covered by the above recalls, which state that affected engines may seize, stall, or ignite. I have been in contact wi... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Sep 19, 2025
So those problem has been reported and delt with but continued ongoing investigations for my vehicle. I have a 2015 ram 1500 that at 100,000miles and now experiencing issues with my steering. Have ran vin and no outstanding recalls. My problem is almost like the eps stops working for brief seconds while turning at slower speeds. The problem comes and goes, no noises, lights or codes just physica... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was notified of the issue, and the contact was informed that the part needed to test the vehicle for the recall was unavailable. The contact was then informed that once the vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2025
On 10/3 driving at roughly 60mph on the freeway, when going to accelerate, the vehicle would not accelerate with no power going to the engine. The gas motor was not engaging, and the car rapidly decelerated to around 20mph in an incredibly unsafe situation. Coasting it off the freeway, it was towed to the local Kia dealership. No warning lights or any indicators went off during that event. 10/9/20... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2025
On 10/3 driving at roughly 60mph on the freeway, when going to accelerate, the vehicle would not accelerate with no power going to the engine. The gas motor was not engaging, and the car rapidly decelerated to around 20mph in an incredibly unsafe situation. Coasting it off the freeway, it was towed to the local Kia dealership. No warning lights or any indicators went off during that event. 10/9/20... Read more
Incident date: Oct 3, 2025
On 10/3 driving at roughly 60mph on the freeway, when going to accelerate, the vehicle would not accelerate with no power going to the engine. The gas motor was not engaging, and the car rapidly decelerated to around 20mph in an incredibly unsafe situation. Coasting it off the freeway, it was towed to the local Kia dealership. No warning lights or any indicators went off during that event. 10/9/20... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
Subject: Assistance Request – Vehicle Engine Failure Shortly After Purchase I am reaching out for assistance regarding a serious issue with a vehicle I recently purchased. Approximately two weeks after purchasing the vehicle, the engine failed completely. I was driving it to pick up my daughter from school and when I went to go from stopping at a red light the engine light started flashing, th... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
High oil consumption. Oil needs added frequently or it gets low and car doesn’t run correctly. Transmission slips daily at low speed first thing in the morning. When making slow turns tires tires don’t seem to remain steady/grip. The car is hoppy like there is a traction problem. Tires have been replaced and issue remains.
Incident date: Oct 9, 2025
My backup camera goes black and radio buttons do not work when this happens. They replaced apim and harness wires but did not solve the problem. They say they cannot replace radio because not on recall list. My van is under warranty. My van has the same issue as the recalls but not on the list. I've been having this issue since I bought the van. It needs to be on the recall list so I can get this ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2025
The steering wheel shakes (vibrates) at elevated speeds (+65 mph) intermittently. It doesn't feel safe driving on a highway with a shaking steering wheel. Multiple attempts to fix at the dealer were performed. The dealer ended up saying that the car looks fine and that the shaking is due to the sensitivity of the tires to the road. When asked if there is a fix to that, I was told that that's how ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
Vehicle started getting stuck in different gears. Would drive fine for a little while and then get stuck causing you to pull over on going traffic. Having to sit for a while until it was ready to shift again. Would have to shift at manual at times to make it back home. You wouldn’t feel safe at times driving because you didn’t know what to expect anymore. Wrench light would come on and sometim... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
While driving this warning alert will show up on the screen of my vehicle. It is important to note that this happens WHILE driving and when NO ONE is using their phone or using the touchscreen of the car. No one is ever searching something on their phone OR on the car’s touchscreen system.
Incident date: Sep 22, 2025
While driving this warning alert will show up on the screen of my vehicle. It is important to note that this happens WHILE driving and when NO ONE is using their phone or using the touchscreen of the car. No one is ever searching something on their phone OR on the car’s touchscreen system.
Incident date: Oct 6, 2025
ABS complete and total failure while driving.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
ABS on this vehicle is activating extremely aggressively while driving normally on regular street roads, The car shakes and slides and does not stop until the abs stops doing its thing the distance is very far compared to regular braking. This happened multiple times even when coming to a stop sign i found myself in the middle of the intersection and almost got hit definitely not safe whatsoever. ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2025
Oct 7 2025 when me and my 6 year old daughter. Was leaving after picking her up at mom i drove off then came to stop sign so i slowly hit breaks and car accelerated very dangerous im very concerned
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Dec 31, 1969
The contact owns a 2024 East to West Tandara RV. The contact stated that after a visual inspection, he became aware that the bolts used to secure the RV's body to the frame were missing in several locations. The RV was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the frame welding, resulting in damage to the frame. The RV was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a c... Read more
Incident date: Oct 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the abnormal sound was persistent and had become louder. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the contact was informed to wait until the check engine warning light ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 BMW 428I. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the coolant warning light intermittently illuminated on several occasions. The contact was informed that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was an electrical connec... Read more