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 15,319 complaints for LEXUS
Incident date: Jan 6, 2024
I was driving. Without any warning or any noticeable prior issues my car was smoking very bad from the hood. Once parked I opened the hood but can not tell where it is coming from. When I crank it the smoke starts again.
Incident date: May 2, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 - 45 MPH and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle revved roughly before accelerating forward. The contact stated that while driving for approximately 20 minutes at 20-25 MPH accelerating uphill, the vehicle suddenly stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continue driving after approxima... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
The passenger airbag was replaced, and is now trying to pop out of the cover. The upper left corner is bulging outward.
Incident date: Dec 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side front door inadvertently opened and failed to latch properly. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N06 (Door Latch Freezing Con... Read more
Incident date: Dec 18, 2023
The car automatically and inadvertently engages the parking brake while driving, as in approaching an intersection or in heavy traffic on highway. This obviously puts occupants and others at significant risk, as the driver cannot accelerate to avoid a potential collision, the car could be hit from behind, or the car could fishtail if the roads are snowy. It is wintertime and our roads are snowy, ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2024
I bought a used from Route46Nissan. Horn wasn't working when I bought the car and battery was also dead which I had to pay out of pocket to replace. I realized that two tires have side bubbles and which is extremely unsafe which they sold the car like that with security issues. They sold me a warranty and they are not keeping their promises for the stuff that they need to fix
Incident date: Jan 13, 2024
I have a 2016 jeep patriot that I purchased with very little miles on it used. Starting about 2 weeks ago I had an incident on the highway going 60mph and it just shut off and lost all power for a few seconds and started back up on its own. When this happened my steering got hard, brakes didnt work properly and could not accelerate. Was very scary and has been doing it more frequently now. This is... Read more
Incident date: Jun 24, 2022
Urgent Attention Needed for Chevy 2017 Tahoe Safety Concern The Chevy 2017 Tahoe is presenting a critical safety issue with the recurring error message "Trailer Brake System" on the dashboard. This leads to a complete shutdown of the vehicle and loss of control at random intervals, posing a severe danger, especially on high-speed roads and highways. Despite attempting repairs, including replacing... Read more
Incident date: Jan 7, 2024
Airbags. The light did not come on upon start up of vehicle. Electrical. My radio, display on dashboard and Bluetooth would blink off and on. I think that my sons safety and mine were at risk because of the malfunctioning of the airbags if an accident would have occurred they wouldn't deploy. I took it into the dealer, but they didn't seem concerned. They fixed some things and it costs around $350... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2023
Airbags. The light did not come on upon start up of vehicle. Electrical. My radio, display on dashboard and Bluetooth would blink off and on. I think that my sons safety and mine were at risk because of the malfunctioning of the airbags if an accident would have occurred they wouldn't deploy. I took it into the dealer, but they didn't seem concerned. They fixed some things and it costs around $350... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2023
HIGH AMOUNT OF OIL CONSUMPTION....CURRENTLY, THE VEHICLE HAS 2340 MILES ON IT AND HAVE ALREADY HAD TO ADD 4 QUARTS OF OIL.... JUST CHECKED OIL AGAIN AND HAVE TO ADD 2 QUARTS...THAT IS 6 QUARTS UNDER 3000 MILES.....
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
There is a visible defect in the touch screen of the infotainment unit, which seems to be progressing in a top down direction. I suspect that the touch screen is delaminating and the electrical characteristics of the unit are degrading. The unit now "self-selects" and changes radio settings (FM to AM, or station), or screens (navigation, to CarPlay, to comfort settings, to...). Any and all featu... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
With the IDLE function ON, the vehicle fails to start once the engine shuts down. The car suddenly stop and shut off at traffic lights, stop sides. Someone almost hit me 4 times during last month with my kids inside when the car fails to start. There is no recall about this problem yet.
Incident date: Apr 9, 2023
Rear Coupler parts. Yes it is available for inspection on request. My safety was put at risk, #1 the rear wheels lock when turning, and makes a horrendous noise whilst turning. I live in a snowy state so this is very dangerous to have wheels lock up and have tires shredded. This is my third set of wheels as we just figured out the issue (coupler) this could cause accidents and hurt/injure/cause s... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2024
I'm having issues with the heat in my vehicle. There is no heat on the passenger side which also affects the visibility of seeing out the windshield because the defroster does not function properly. The original owner replaced the heater core somewhere around 40-45000 miles. I have owned 2 other vehicles of this model and had the same issue on everyone of them where the heater core was replaced.. ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 27, 2023
There is a design issue resulting in failure of the connector for the rear tail light assembly. The connector corrodes and the plastic plug housing melts. This damages the ground connection for the tail light rendering the turn signal and brake light inoperable on the effected side. This has happened on the right rear of our Mini Cooper JCW hardtop. Searching on the web shows this to be a comm... Read more
Incident date: Jun 27, 2023
There is a design issue resulting in failure of the connector for the rear tail light assembly. The connector corrodes and the plastic plug housing melts. This damages the ground connection for the tail light rendering the turn signal and brake light inoperable on the effected side. This has happened on the right rear of our Mini Cooper JCW hardtop. Searching on the web shows this to be a comm... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2021
The electrical system, transmission system, and electronic parking brake system were all actioned without command. At approximately 9:31AM, December 26th, 2023, the vehicle immediately shut down without warning. The vehicle was driving at a speed of 25-30 MPH. The gears automatically shifted down and the power steering was immediately disabled as a shutdown sequence began. The vehicle drifted left... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2021
The electrical system, transmission system, and electronic parking brake system were all actioned without command. At approximately 9:31AM, December 26th, 2023, the vehicle immediately shut down without warning. The vehicle was driving at a speed of 25-30 MPH. The gears automatically shifted down and the power steering was immediately disabled as a shutdown sequence began. The vehicle drifted left... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
3 incidents of “death wobble,” first time between 4-5,000 miles and again in October and November of 2023. I’m waiting for another damper as the one they received is leaking. Also, discovered leaking shock absorber. Dangerous and terrifying as you fell like you’ll lose control of your vehicle! I’m going on being out of pocket for car rentals for 5 weeks, although reimbursed it’s still ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Rio. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH, she noticed a burning odor and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she made a U-turn and drove back to the residence. The local dea... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Rio. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH, she noticed a burning odor and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she made a U-turn and drove back to the residence. The local dea... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2023
I AM WRITING TO REPORT URGENT SAFETY CONCERNS WITH MY 2018 TESLA MODEL 3, SOFTWARE VERSION 2023.44.30.5.1, AFTER THE NHTSA RECALL ON AUTOPILOT FUNCTIONALITY. I HAVE OWNED MY VEHICLE FOR OVER 4 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD CONCERNS WITH THE ADAS / AUTO-PILOT / AUTO-STEERING FUNCTIONALITY UNTIL THE NHTSA REQUIRED CHANGES IN DECEMBER 2024. WHILE DRIVING ON I-405 IN GARDEN GROVE, CA, MY VEHICLE WHILE IN ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH and turning to the right following a bend in the highway, the contact attempted to turn the steering wheel back to center and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle and the steering f... Read more
Incident date: Dec 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated that the heating and A/C units had increased to high levels. The defroster was fogging up the windshields. The driver had a limited visibility of the roadway. Additionally, the vehicle was running hot. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the failure was ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2023
* On the date of 12/13/23 my 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz had a loss of power to the drivetrain on two occasions , once in a parking lot , second when merging into traffic. * I felt to drive the vehicle was a risk to myself and safety of others. * 12/21/23 is the last report of DTC. 49,701 miles * The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is at a Dealership in Maryland for powertrain inspection and problem diagnosi... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2023
This vehicle has stalled out while driving at least 4-5 times since purchasing it in 2018, although issues started about 2020 or 2021. It usually starts with the radio console either malfunctioning or going dead completely while I’m driving and several minutes later (usually after stopping at a red light but sometimes while actively driving) the car stalls out in the middle of traffic. It star... Read more
Incident date: Nov 25, 2023
When coming to a quick or hard stop, car will rumble then stall out. To confirm that the issue is transmission based I shift the car into neutral then brake quickly and the issue does not arise.
Incident date: Dec 19, 2023
The vehicle is in immacutlate condition and when I went to wash it yesterday I noticed what appear to be a spot. When I sprayed with water the paint peeled off and I noted that it is dowing this on other spots on the bumper. I take excellent care of this car and to see paint peeling off when the car has not even done 100,000 miles is very disappointing. Only to find that Kia has had compaints and ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2023
I hit a curb while I was turning and I my air bag light and seatbelt light turned on. My passenger air bag won’t turn back to on even when someone is sitting in and my seatbelt light won’t turn off. Nothing was deployed when I hit the curb just the lights turning on.
Incident date: Dec 22, 2023
No warning lamps were on. Took the car to Honda of Murfreesboro TN I was told I had a blown head gasket fluid around cylinder 2 but my car has never ran out never had a issue I started to hear liquid bubble in dashboard turbo had to be replaced didn't fix the issue spark plugs are being replaced often to keep lamps off and car functions working properly antifreeze is being monitored because it's b... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2023
When I shift the vehicle to “Park” and shut off the engine, a “Shift to Park” message comes on the dash and the electric components won’t turn off and the vehicle chimes until it will randomly stop. Sometimes it does not stop and will drain the battery completely. This happened once at a wedding venue in the middle of nowhere and I was left stranded. No matter how many times I restart th... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2023
For months the car has smelled musty. Last week the electrical lights went on and warnings to not drive the car. Water was discovered in the wheel wells and the computer system appears to have been damaged by a leaky sunroof. On the car fax report it was noted that at 14, 608 miles the vehicle had it's sunroof "replaced/ repaired" with a seal removed and repaired according to an invoice record fu... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2023
My Audi a3 got the recall for PODS done 5/2022 which the sensors and air bag in the passenger side weren’t working and I got the same lights come up 2 weeks ago. My Dealership says since this was a recalled item and is a massive safety concern and should be covered by AUDI USA. Instead they want to charge me $1400. I have 3 kids and one sits in the front, and need my car to take them to school a... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
I was driving when the car malfunctioned and gave a transmission error. It said to put the car on park and once I did, it said to have the transmission looked at. I was unable to cost to the side of the road, and my vehicle was in the middle of a busy street. The car lost power, and was unable to come back on, even though some parts were lit up. Once road service arrived, they charged the car and ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2023
Transmission lags between 1st & 2nd gear some times as long as 3 seconds making transfer case hit hard . I have had this truck at the dealer 2 are 3 times with this and other matters , the maintenance technician reports he can not reduplicate my grievance , this malfunction occurs more prominently in cold weather in morning on first take off . All so turn signal malfunction at random no particular... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2023
I drive a 2019 Ford F-150 XLT 4WD (8 Cylinders 5 5.0L FI FFV DOHC 302 CID). During November 2023, I was experiencing the truck bucking and jerking and shutting off at red lights and stop signs. I took my truck to the dealership on November 22 to have them look at it. They replaced the starter, an almost dead battery, and a PDM reset. The PDM reset and starter were covered under my extended warrant... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2023
My car's engine cradle, cross member or subframe is rusted out and the OEM replacement for my VIN number won't fit it correctly I'm getting really upset because this could be dangerous for me and my two young kids. I've already paid the mechanic $600 for the replacement part when it really only costs $450 at the most and the two he has ordered before have both been either too big and it says that ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2023
My car's engine cradle, cross member or subframe is rusted out and the OEM replacement for my VIN number won't fit it correctly I'm getting really upset because this could be dangerous for me and my two young kids. I've already paid the mechanic $600 for the replacement part when it really only costs $450 at the most and the two he has ordered before have both been either too big and it says that ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2019
Fuel pump/engine began failing before the engine locked up. I was driving down a country road and lost power. When I floored it the top speed was approx. 7 MPH. I did not have anywhere to pull over. It has been inspected by the manufacturer and they said it needs a new engine. There were no warning signs or anything. I don't know how to answer if the problem has been reproduced. Via Kia forums, th... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2023
Intermittent Electrical / Brake failure . Put vehicle in reverse . Brakes failed to stop vehicle . Vehicle has had electrical issues before . Waring lights came on for steering and tire pressure in the past . Recall then came from Hyundai for the ICCU .45 minutes before the collision, the front collision warning came on when I was stopped at an intersection with no one in front of me . I sto... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
My battery went out and I literally replaced it last year. Also when I replaced it last year the back light would stay on sometimes all night and day I was worried it could start a fire or something dealer didn't even bother checking it and left it like that and replaced the battery. Last month my vehicle wouldn't start and no warning or nothing before it just died on me good thing I had it in my ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
My battery went out and I literally replaced it last year. Also when I replaced it last year the back light would stay on sometimes all night and day I was worried it could start a fire or something dealer didn't even bother checking it and left it like that and replaced the battery. Last month my vehicle wouldn't start and no warning or nothing before it just died on me good thing I had it in my ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
There was an engine light on my Kia and put on code reader and had several misfires and catalytic converter and sensor emissions control. Called Kia dealership and was told not covered under vin number for safety recall. But doing same thing as ones recalled. Will drive but than stalls and almost causing people behind me to rear end me on very busy road ways. Manufacture has not inspected it deale... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2023
Car displayed electrical Issue when driving daughter to school. Let husband know but was only a yellow warning and had a full day planned. I unfortunately assumed it was just a battery issue and continued with my day, but made an appointment at Audi for repair. I drove to my next appointment and the yellow warning moved to a red warning but I was 20 minutes from home. I called my husband and warne... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2023
UNKNOWN. Steering wheel problem on a left turn after a stop sign that veered offroad into a culvert crash.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Nov 19, 2023
Automatic braking occurs at any time for no reason. This is extremely dangerous. I've almost been hit from behind a dozen times when my car suddenly puts on the brakes for no reason. I submitted this information to you several years ago and never heard a thing back. This system was apparently designed for people who drive impaired/distracted who shouldn't be on the road to begin with. I drive... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 22V406000 (Fuel System Diesel) and 23V411000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact sta... Read more
Incident date: Dec 12, 2023
The vehicle unexpectedly caught fire and the results could have been catastrophic. Almost new car under warranty. All details are in the uploaded PDF letter and photos. I have contacted Mazda and they claim they do not investigate, only insurance company will investigate. My insurance company will pay me for the total loss but does not plan to investigate. I think this is dangerous and unconsciona... Read more
Fire