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 18,739 complaints for LINCOLN
Incident date: Oct 28, 2025
On January 31, 2026, at 10:30 PM, I was driving from Fort Lauderdale to my home in Boca Raton, Florida. I was using FSD supervised mode. Close to my home, a big red image suddenly appeared, the car started accelerating fast, and I had no control over the car or its steering wheel. The car hit several electrical posts and only stopped after the airbags engaged. My wife was in the passenger seat. Th... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 22, 2026
I am submitting this complaint regarding a confirmed safety-related defect and manufacturer nonresponse involving my 2023 Jeep Wrangler Willys 4xe, VIN [XXX] . The failed component is the high-voltage hybrid battery system. The vehicle and battery pack are currently located at an authorized Jeep dealership and are available for inspection. The vehicle was delivered to the dealership on December ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2025
Description of Safety Defect: While starting car up, the digital instrument cluster (speedometer and all primary driver instrumentation) goes completely black with no warning. The infotainment system continues to operate normally. After driving a short distance (sometimes only a few miles), the vehicle then experiences a complete loss of power steering, making the car extremely difficult or impos... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
The transmission in my 2019 Honda Odyssey failed prematurely at approximately 102,800 miles, requiring a full transmission repair/replacement. Prior to failure, the vehicle exhibited known warning symptoms including harsh and erratic shifting, hesitation, delayed engagement, and loss of smooth acceleration. These symptoms progressively worsened and ultimately resulted in unsafe drivability. This ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2021
The battery drains quickly. Have replaced the battery twice since 2022. something in the car is draining the battery and making it fail. infotainment screen sometimes stays grey and doesn't go black when car is off. many 2022 mdx owners are having similar battery drain issues requiring frequent battery replacements. please push Acura for a recall and fix.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2021
At approximately 64,000 miles my engine light came on and I took it to a shop. Cylinder 2 was misfiring so we changed the spark plugs and coils. At 67,000 miles light came on again with same issue and while having my oil changed they noted it was unusually dirty. I changed out plugs and coils again. At 72,000 miles light came on again and I took it to a different shop and learned I had a crack eng... Read more
Incident date: Jan 24, 2026
The 2021 Ram ProMaster 2500 I purchased from a dealer on 12/6/25 now has a serious safety defect. The transmission began grinding when shifting into Drive on 1/27/26. Immediately after, the vehicle started rolling backwards while fully in Park with the engine running. This indicates a failure of the parking pawl or internal gearset. The backup camera also does not function, there are coolant and p... Read more
Incident date: Jan 24, 2026
My 2025 consair notification app alerted me about my hybrid battery, on Jan 24, 2026 at 3:32pm. These are the list of information reported: Electrical system fault detected. Your vehicle may shut down without further warning." "What Is Happening? The powertrain control system has detected a fault in the high voltage battery charging system. What Should I Do? Have your vehicle checked by an author... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
The high coolant temperature light cut on and turned my vehicle off while driving. This problem has been reported on older model Jeep compasses. The car never turned back on and I had to get my vehicle towed home.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
After a repair/service visit at a national auto repair chain, my 2017 Lincoln MKC developed ongoing severe drivability and safety issues. The check engine light began flashing (active misfire), and the vehicle was unsafe for highway travel due to risk of loss of power/engine damage. Independent shop documentation reports cylinder #4 misfire (P0304) and additional engine timing-related code(s), low... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
After a repair/service visit at a national auto repair chain, my 2017 Lincoln MKC developed ongoing severe drivability and safety issues. The check engine light began flashing (active misfire), and the vehicle was unsafe for highway travel due to risk of loss of power/engine damage. Independent shop documentation reports cylinder #4 misfire (P0304) and additional engine timing-related code(s), low... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2025
Engine failed. Lost all compression. Evidently this is a known problem with this engine where the head, head gasket and block fail between cylinders.
Incident date: Jan 22, 2026
Front defroster only blows in the center and does not distribute air to the sides of the front windshield when the driver looks out.
Incident date: Jul 23, 2025
When I go 63 miles an hour the car starts chugging and my dealership changed the transmission fluid. I drove it home today and it still chugging. They called me and said they took a 2026 Buick encore and did the same thing but will not help me. They told me it’s a daily occurrence in the vehicle. It shouldn’t be chugging going up hills at 63 miles an hour.
Incident date: Jul 25, 2025
The warning lights on the dashboard come on when driving. ABS, VSC, 4WD, automatic emergency braking etc. are all shut down when this happens. The lights may stay on for a few days or turn off at the next restart with only a check engine light remaining on. It has been back to two different the Ram dealer for repairs 4 times for this issue. Starting out on 04/25/2025 at 419 miles, the last time wa... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Lincoln Aviator. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH and entering the on-ramp, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, but the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The m... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Lincoln Aviator. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH and entering the on-ramp, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, but the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The m... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on January 11th, 2026, the vehicle was purchased and the contact discovered later that the heater was inoperable. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the actuator and heater core had failed and might cause engine failure. The contact was informed that the heater core and actuator needed ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2025
My 2017 Lincoln MKZ experienced a sudden and severe engine failure consistent with the known Ford/Lincoln coolant intrusion defect affecting 1.5L, 1.6L, and 2.0L EcoBoost engines. While driving, the vehicle began losing coolant with no visible external leak, followed by rough running, misfires, and complete engine shutdown. The vehicle became inoperable and had to be towed to a Ford dealership. At... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2026
Upon starting suv, the instrument panel / cluster did not display. There is now no way to know speed, safety warnings such as malfunctioning sensors or safety features . No odometer or any driving feedback of any kind. Have scheduled appointment with dealer tomorrow.
Incident date: Mar 16, 2025
I have a coolant leak and the dealership states that it's located in the engine.
Incident date: Dec 26, 2025
We bought a 2021.5 Volkswagen Atlas that, starting around 15,000 miles, began having computer-related issues that were reported but never truly repaired. Over time, those issues escalated into serious drivability and safety problems. Beginning in mid-2025, the car started driving poorly. It had hesitation, dragging, poor fuel economy, and then began stalling, sometimes at idle and sometimes while... Read more
Incident date: Nov 20, 2025
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2019 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase of the vehicle. The vehicle was an independent dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 135,000. It was later discovered, upon checking with an OBD2 Scanner, that the mileage was 220,145. In addition, upon checking Carfax, the mileage was... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2026
When the radar becomes covered with ice and snow, the truck continuously spawns alerts for each Safety Sense feature that is disabled, including a pop up the occludes the instrument cluster and can not be dismissed. Multiple warnings interfere with focus in poor conditions and create more of a safety hazard due to driver distraction.
Incident date: Dec 15, 2025
I bought a 2013 escape 3-4 months ago. It had a clear car fax as well as clean on Ford.com. recently the air bag light has been flashing on and as time has gone on, it is staying on longer. I just had it diagnosed at a Ford Dealership and was told it was an air bag sensor, with a cost of over $2000. After digging deeper, I discovered that the Air Bag and sensors were replaced in 2016 under the rec... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
I am submitting this email as a formal safety defect notification regarding a front suspension knuckle cracking condition observed on my 2016 Range Rover Td6, which appears to directly correspond with Land Rover Recall D027. Attached are photographs of the passenger-side front suspension knuckle showing a distinct structural crack running vertically through the knuckle body at the upper control a... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
The power running boards do not go up and down, and are locked in the down position. During the winter snow and ice collects on the running board while driving and makes it incredibly slippery to step on for the driver and passengers. There is a setting to change the position of the running board but it does not move the running board. It has been inoperable for the past 6-8 months now.
Incident date: Jan 20, 2026
Car rolls forward when in reverse and takes a dangerously long time to slip into gear. Car rolls back when foot is taken off brake, especially on hills.
Incident date: Jan 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln Navigator. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V091000 (VISIBILITY) and 25V572000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION). The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a black screen image while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver from safely operating t... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2026
The transmission will go into limp mode at high speeds. Failing to correct itself. I will pull over and shut off vehicle then restart the vehicle and it works fine until it happens again. This has happened several times. I had transmission looked at and in the drain pan were pieces of metal and debris. I have had transmission issues frequently. I am now having to replace the transmission for a saf... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shut down unexpectedly, leaving the contact stranded for several hours. A RED warning light was illuminated, indicating an electrical failure, followed by the battery warning light being illuminated, leading to the loss of power. The vehicle was towed to the nearest dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer determ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that the rear subframe of the vehicle was extremely rusted. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic to be inspected, and it was determined that there was severe corrosion to the rear subframe. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and the contact also informed the manufacturer that similar v... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V649000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VISIBILITY); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, with the A/C activated, there was an abnormal burning odor entering the vehicle through the vents. The burning odor was coming from ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 7, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated that the infotainment system was intermittently inoperable; however, the infotainment system and the instrument cluster had become inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty or a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon returning to the residence in another vehicle, the contact became aware that the vehicle was missing. The contact's son soon became aware that the vehicle was in the woods by the residence. Upon locating the vehicle, the contact noticed that the doors were locked and that the vehicle was still in park(P). The contact stated that the ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle unexpectedly sputtered. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The approximate fail... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2021
Transmission is exhibiting harsh and delayed shifting which causes the vehicle to lurch, accelerate and decelerate at unexpected rates. These acceleration and deceleration issues present a hazard while driving to myself and other drivers as the vehicle can unexpected decelerate with out brakes being applied and cause a collision. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership and they confi... Read more
Incident date: Nov 3, 2025
An error, "Travel Assist Not Working" intermittently pops up and then disappears. This has been happening for several months. Sometimes many times per minute. In one instance, up to 10x in one minute. It is a safety issue as it has a loud ding every time it happens and sometimes it surprises me and distracts me from driving. Because there is no common thing that causes the error to pop up, it has ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal and stalled. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The contact was informed that the engine had seize... Read more
Incident date: Jan 9, 2026
Odometer Fraud. The contact intended to purchase a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after the Carfax report was retrieved, and it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. The contact stated that the vehicle was listed on Facebook Marketplace with 97,000 miles. Upon test-driving the vehicle, the contact confirmed that the Odometer reading was 97,0... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2025
The transmission valve has gone bad a few thousand miles outside of warranty. This part has widely been recalled in Silverados up to 2022 but is not including 2024 yet. This is the same issue, that I also had with my Chevy Tahoe last August. Please include 2024 2500 Silverados.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
At power-on, the car's diagnostics alerted with DTC code P1A9096, indicating a failure of the Low voltage DC-DC converter / ICCU. Vehicle was parked at home at the time, but there is the distinct possibility of being stranted at an outstation or outside cellular / tow coverage. Vehicle was towed to an authorized service center for warranty repairs (the car is ~5 months from date of purchase)
Incident date: Oct 7, 2025
Slide off road while braking. Braking problem due to recall, Manufacturer Recall NumberC4B / NHTSA Recall Number24V-896. Recall was to be fix 1st quarter of 2025, Now 2026 still not repair solution.
Incident date: Oct 7, 2025
MILEAGE: 487,615 27TAWD On [XXX] at [XXX]., the weather was wet from rain. I pushed the reverse button and the car accelerated quickly forward with engine revving. The car kept moving forward while the brake pedal was not responsive for at least 10 times as the car drove through my fence and damaged my neighbor’s garage. The car finally stopped when it hit the garage. Estimate for repairs on... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Oct 7, 2025
MILEAGE: 487,615 27TAWD On [XXX] at [XXX]., the weather was wet from rain. I pushed the reverse button and the car accelerated quickly forward with engine revving. The car kept moving forward while the brake pedal was not responsive for at least 10 times as the car drove through my fence and damaged my neighbor’s garage. The car finally stopped when it hit the garage. Estimate for repairs on... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 31, 2025
Headlights are way too bright. They blind other drivers and make it difficult for other driver to see at night. This causes a dangerous situation in which a crash is possible.
Incident date: Jan 2, 2026
I went to lower the 2 bucket seats to load an item on the van and the seats won’t go down to stow.
LINCOLN
CONTINENTAL
(2017) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jan 8, 2026
Incident date: Jun 8, 2025
System electrical failure due to a faulty part (DC/DC Converter). This essentially prevents the charging system so the battery dies and the car becomes undriveable. When this occurred to us, the car was in the middle of the road and could not start or move impeding traffic. This is a growing problem among owners of this vehicle and so much so that the part is currently backordered due to so much d... Read more
Incident date: Jan 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4XE. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V710000 (Electrical System), 25V741000 (Electrical System), and 25V766000 (Engine); however, parts for the recall repair were not yet available. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that the recall remedy was not yet available. The ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 23, 2025
Put gas in it and out the blue would go pass 30 rpm we never had any issues with it I work on cars for a living I have spend over 3000 in new parts now I got it tow to Firestone they telling me it’s something wrong with my engine cylinder two and four not getting any power they told me it was bad bargin or piston I don’t know how it happens because we kept the car up to maintenance