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: Mar 29, 2023
The vehicle was involved in a "T-Bone" collision where two vehicles drove into the driver side of my vehicle. I was not at fault and yes, the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. In February of 2022 I took the vehicle to Felix Chevrolet to have the airbag recall repaired. In late January 2023, the "T-Bone" collision occurred. My elderly mother (front passenger) and my two sons (13 an... Read more
Crash
4 injured
Incident date: Mar 8, 2023
2023 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO IGNITION KEYS.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2021
The contact owns 2017 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled without warning. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while driving at highway speeds. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle would operate normally. The contact stated that during the failure, the check engine and traction control warning lights wer... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 Mercedes-Benz Metris. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V482000 (Tires) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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 related the ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2021
The brake line in the middle of the car broke because it's rusty, and all brake fluid is out, vehicle not braking
Incident date: Mar 24, 2023
The vehicle has had rear and front camera failure within 72 hours of me buying it (91 miles); and I let my sales guy know, we decided to bring it by the dealership one day when it is malfunctioning. I got it to act up that Saturday 3/18/23 with 123 miles, and it showed 2 DTC's (B1A62 and U0131), but with a limited staff, they had no one to look at it. Still not upset, I said whatever and figured I... Read more
Incident date: Mar 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Trax. The contact stated that while the vehicle was receiving an oil change, the contact was informed that the suspension was fracturing and detaching and needed to be replaced. The contact was also informed that the rear seat pivot lock failed, and the passenger’s side control arm needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact stated that... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2023
The 2015 Ford Transit was designed such that rainwater from the windshield drains into the engine and sometimes floods the air filter system. This issue is documented in this NTSA TSB where it's stated: To resolve this condition, install updated water management hardware and/or a revised air cleaner cover. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10156525-0001.pdf We were driving along an i... Read more
Incident date: Mar 27, 2023
On February 25, 2023, while slowing down as I approached an intersection controlled by a red signal light and applied my brakes which was slowing me down. My foot never moved off the brake pedal as I slowed down. Suddenly, the Jeep Gladiator "accelerated/surged" forward and stated gaining speed. Although I was applying constant pressure on the brake pedal, the vehicle never slowed down or stoppe... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Mar 24, 2023
The sun roof/ moon roof shattered while going down the road at 70 MPH. Glass showered down on my wife as she was traveling until she could stop and get the glass cleaned up.
Incident date: Oct 22, 2022
Power steering stopped working. I see online this problem was reported with other Subaru vehicle 2019 models and a recall was made but for some reason my car is not included. I believe this is the same issue of faulty equipment.
Incident date: Jan 25, 2021
Anti-lock brakes do not work on my 2017 Ram 2500 diesel and haven't for over a year and a half. Light constantly flashes on dash with alarm. I brought it to the dealership, and they said the "Hydraulic Control Unit" is faulty but was told Ram is not even making the part. In Michigan winters, anti-lock brakes are a huge safety issue. My truck is the diesel version weighing in at 7,000 lbs. Trying t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V011000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and 22V413000 (Power Train) 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 had not ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2023
Sticky steering observed at highway speed. Steering wheel would lose power assist or feel sticky or jerkiness briefly by giving steering wheel a very slight turn to either the left or right at highway speed when going straight. Complaint to dealer and already replaced steering rack under warranty once at 10000 miles. Problem seems to have come back again after driven the newly replace steering ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2023
Popping sounds and smoke from center dash and right rear speaker. Center speaker magnet extremely hot to the touch.
Incident date: Mar 21, 2023
Popping sounds and smoke from center dash and right rear speaker. Center speaker magnet extremely hot to the touch.
Incident date: Mar 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently stopped abruptly without warning. The contact pulled over on the side of the road and turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle operated normally. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the dealer agreed that the vehicle had experienced a failure however, the dealer was unsur... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2023
My steering wheel clicks while I drive,hit bumps, turn it,it also locks sometimes when I turn it.this scares me to death I'm afraid I won't be able to control it it's going to snap off
Incident date: Mar 19, 2023
Windshield cracked after using Defrost. Had no chips or blemishes on the windshield prior to the incident. Outside temperature was 18F, car was covered in 1in snow from the night before; ran defrost for 20 minutes.Removed snow with plastic bristled brush, drive 5 miles and let it sit after shut down. Came back to see two foot long cracks near the defrost vent.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
I was involved in a car accident I was hit on the driver back side vehicle Jeep rolled over several times no airbags deployed
Crash
3 injured
LINCOLN
CONTINENTAL
(2019) — FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Mar 20, 2023
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
When the car engine is cold, upon first acceleration, the car hesitates badly and has the tendency to lunge forward. It feels like it may stall. When I say cold, I mean when the engine has cooled down. This does not have to do with outside temperature. It happens when it's warm outside as well and the engine has cooled down. This issue appeared when I first took ownership of the vehicle in July of... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2023
THE VDC SYSTEM COMES ON TO ALERT OF ACCIDENT WHEN IT SHOULD NOT TOOK TO DEALER TWICE AND THEY ADVISE NOTHING WRONG WITH IT
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
When I utilize my ac or heat without pressing a certain button after a while I start smelling a burning smell coming through the vents. When I'm outside the vehicle I smell it as well. The smell is hard to pinpoint. A dealership told me that maybe I needed to change my air filters. However the burning smell still would happen just the same. Then they checked to see if anything(such as plastic or a... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2023
At red lights, come to a complete stop with auto engine off feature enabled, as it is automatically enabled upon entering the vehicle. Engine shuts off per auto feature. After 1-3 minutes, receive error messages: Engine stopped. Power Steering Low. Push brake firmly to restart engine." Check Engline Light is on. Have to put car in park, turn off the ignition, wait a minute, and turn back on to go... Read more
Incident date: Feb 23, 2023
When starting the car in low temperatures, approximately less than 30 degrees Fahrenheit, the ABS, VSC, and BRAKE warning lights remain on after starting. subsequent reading with an OBD reader indicates a C1246 trouble code. Operation of the vehicle without working ABS and VSC systems makes the vehicle inherently less safe and stable. I experienced several episodes of poor braking and skidding ... Read more
LINCOLN
CORSAIR PHEV
(2022) — FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Mar 17, 2023
Incident date: Mar 9, 2023
We have been having the same issue with the vehicle with the steering wheel shaking when making a close turn (ex. in a parking lot). The dealer made a repair on the clockspring and said that this would solve the issue and it did not. We have taken the vehicle several times to fix this issue and they have not been able to, it is getting worse. We now have been experiencing an issue where the car... Read more
LINCOLN
CORSAIR PHEV
(2022) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Mar 17, 2023
Incident date: Mar 9, 2023
Sunroof shattered while driving with no warning. Very dangerous for passengers and vehicles behind vehicle as the glass broke into countless pieces.
LINCOLN
MKZ HYBRID
(2011) — SEAT BELTS
Mar 17, 2023
Incident date: Mar 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated while attempting to pull the front driver’s side seat belt to fasten the seat belt, the seat belt seized not allowing the seat belt to retract. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated that the seat belt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and notified of the failure but... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
Erratic shifting with transmission seeming to lock up causing me to near crash incidents.
Incident date: Mar 15, 2023
Was drive the car to a shop after getting a transmission fault service now code the car would not move and broke down in the middle of the road on a busy road shit car off it drove for two minutes and shut off again had no power to get to side of the road had to pay over $100.00 for a tow bill and still at the shop with no answers
Incident date: Mar 15, 2023
Was drive the car to a shop after getting a transmission fault service now code the car would not move and broke down in the middle of the road on a busy road shit car off it drove for two minutes and shut off again had no power to get to side of the road had to pay over $100.00 for a tow bill and still at the shop with no answers
LINCOLN
CONTINENTAL
(2018) — EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM(GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM)
Mar 16, 2023
Incident date: Mar 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the Navigation System screen turned off temporarily. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring increasingly and the Navigation System screen would turn off for an extended period and would fail to turn on upon turning off and restarting the vehicle. The veh... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2022
The contact’s husband owns a 2013 Ford Edge. The contact stated while her son was driving 60 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, but failed to respond and went down to the floorboard, almost causing a crash. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact ‘s son engaged the electronic parking brake and began to veer to the side of the road; however, the vehicle spun and stopped on the side... Read more
LINCOLN
CONTINENTAL
(2017) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 14, 2023
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
leaking water into the interior through headliner. researched online and multiple land rover discovery owners are having the same issues. Extremely dangerous while driving.
Incident date: Jan 28, 2023
My tires go flat EVERY TIME I put in my rim caps. I spent so much money on new tires, thinking it was the tires but it’s actually my rim caps cutting where my air goes in at. I had to take all of the caps off and I’m still having problems. Besides that, it does not notify you when you need an oil change, my first time going…I could’ve messed up my car. Glad I went in early enough!!! And wh... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
The seat belts in my vehicle takes two to three times to click and stay, the back seat belt on the passenger side was stuck and could not be worn for about a month after the vehicle was driven from Odessa, Tx to me in Memphis, TN on July 1, 2022. The head rest on the passenger side will not adjust at all. It is still stuck forward and is hard to rest my head against it. The Advanced Driver Assista... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Lincoln Continental. The contact stated upon reversing, the rearview camera was significantly foggy, impairing his vision of the road. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V644000 (Back Over Prevention). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rearview camera needed to be rep... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
When driving at any speed from local roads to highways in inclement weather from light rain to sleet to heavy rain, the wipers revert from high speed to intermittent (slow) speed after a period of 30 seconds to 2 minutes and do not revert back to the necessary speed for safe vehicle operation. During sleet and heavy rainfall it became difficult to see out of windshield and I had to keep adjusting ... Read more
LINCOLN
CONTINENTAL
(2017) — POWER TRAIN
Mar 13, 2023
Incident date: Apr 13, 2022
I was accelerating onto the interstate in a busy high speed area and suddenly there was no communication to my transmission. I went from 58 miles an hour to 20mph is a matter of seconds barely avoiding causing a several car pile up. I had vehicle towed to 2 different dealer service departments to no avail. I was told that there was no code and the problem could not be duplicated. However there i... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2023
twice when my car shifted from second to third gear i lost throttle response and the engine went to idle speed. when i shut the vehicle off and restarted it worked
Incident date: Jan 19, 2023
Stopped at a red light when the brake pedal depressed to the floor causing the vehicle to move forward from still being in gear. (No loss of brake fluid) It caused me to be involved in an accident. The investigating officer (police) tried the brakes, when he first tried the brake pedal was high and working, but then suddenly depressed to the floor for him as well. the vehicle needed to be towed to... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 9, 2023
For over a year now multiple times while I'm driving. My vehicle's power steering will jerk/shake very abruptly, dash lights, radio, a/c & heater flicker on & off, service stabilitrak, trailer brakes etc, will pop up. then once stopped and shut off the engine the battery will act like it is dead and I will have no power to the vehicle at all. I have read the recall report & over 1 million SUV/Pick... Read more
Incident date: Jan 18, 2023
I've had several recalls due to the transmission/clutch issues. MY clutch has gone out AGAIN and as I merged onto the freeway last Nov I was almost wiped out by a semi as my car didn't speed ahead but shuddered and juddered before it finally decided to speed up. It's at the shop AGAIN to replace the clutch, for $2900! I make less than 50k a year and this is a steep price for a lemon of a car that ... Read more
LINCOLN
CONTINENTAL
(2017) — ENGINE
Mar 8, 2023
Incident date: Mar 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the short block needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under Ford Campaign Number: 21N12; because the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired.... Read more
LINCOLN
CONTINENTAL
(2018) — LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
Mar 7, 2023
Incident date: Mar 7, 2023
The contact's grandmother owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the driver's side door failed to operate as needed. Additionally, the driver's side window failed to roll down. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 15-0052 (Door Latch). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2022
My Aviator doesn't start the first time I push the start engine button anytime after I fill up the tank. It takes it about 5 times of me hitting the start engine button before it finally turns over. Before then, it just sounds like wants to start, but doesn't. I am once again taking it back to the dealership to have the back up camera looked at. Before it would work sporadically, now when I p... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2022
Multiple ongoing issues with the vehicle (oil consumption - approximately 2 quarts consumed per oil life cycle with the updated oil life index monitor, clogged catalytic converter - likely due to the oil consumption) with the most recent being a windshield wiper linkage failure and the Special Coverage that expired 10 months ago based on time, but vehicle is still within the mileage limit of the ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Genesis. The contact stated that the fuel gauge was providing an inaccurate fuel reading. The contact stated that the fuel gauge displayed that the fuel tank was full, with 200-300 miles to empty. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failu... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2023
Power steering unavailable total fault at 140,000 miles. Warning came on that power steering assist was not available. Starting at 64000 miles this error would happen and it would clear by restarting the car, or disconnecting the battery for 15 minutes and restarting the car. This time it did not clear, and manual steering without power assist is unsafe and difficult. NHTSA recall 15V340 000 d... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2023
Windshield cracked in the winter at less than 8000 miles due to front window defroster being way too hot. Windshield continues to crack and degrade every time the defroster comes on (automatically with remote start) and has made the windshield unsafe due to impairment of visibility. Jeep denies that there is a problem, though they have been quietly replacing windshields to resolve customer compla... Read more