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: Jan 25, 2023
- The traction control/stabilitrac malfunctioned causing my truck brake automatically while in motion. - Its causing my truck to brake unexpectedly - My mechanic said its an electrical issue and its becoming common in these trucks - My dashboard messages alternate from "traction control off" and "service stabiltrak"
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
Vehicle has 37,000 on it and the timing belt/chain is bad causing value problems.
Incident date: Feb 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2008 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that the key fob failed to open and unlock the doors as well as to deactivate the alarm system. The contact stated that the rear driver’s and passenger’s side windows failed to open fully, and the passenger’s side front door failed to close correctly as the chime and dome light remained on while driving. The contact stated to remedy the ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 18, 2023
The issue is that as a result of faulty factory installation of the rear window and the resulting issues it caused that were beyond my control, I had to pay $2000 that the manufacturer will not cover. The truck rear window was installed improperly causing a slight leak that was not detectable unless the rear seats were removed. At the same time the third brake light gasket was also leaking, and th... Read more
Incident date: Jan 26, 2023
Rear Axle bolt broke while driving. I have visited the dealer and made an appointment. They have told me that the truck should not be driven aggressively, and that they will have the truck for a few days for the repair. After being on Ford Forum, I am seeing that this is a common faulty part that seems to be occurring quite often. In some cases both axle bolts on the same vehicle has broken. We ar... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2022
I was involved in a front-end collision a ~7 ton commercial vehicle, their fault due to distracted driving while using a cell phone, in which the forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and air bags failed. My Corsair had to be towed since it did not run after the accident, the drivers door could not open, so had to crawl out the passenger side. The Corsair was taken to an autobody... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Dec 26, 2022
Something came through the front grill and damaged the a/c condenser. Grill is open holes and doesn’t provide enough protection to the condenser and radiator.
Incident date: Dec 26, 2022
I'm a 40 YEAR auto tech , steering is notchy when driving straight ,constantly fighting to keep vehicle in my lane, in my opinion it needs a new steering rack and pinion
Incident date: Jan 22, 2023
I was driving the car at about 70 mph on the expressway and it just randomly de-accelerated dripping from 70-34 mph and would not allow me to accelerate and then proceeded to shut down stating engine stall I almost got hit from the back when the car de-accelerated and couldn’t do anything about it after about 10-15 seconds I pressed the gas again and it took off abruptly. I’m scared to drive m... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
The truck will shake violently when hitting a bump or dip in the road going speeds of 55MPH or higher. The only way to stop this is to slow down to a near stop. The first time this occurred was around 7000 miles on the truck. Ford replaced a steering dampener and sent me on my way. The issue occurred again at 55000 miles. The dealership said that they do warrant the part, but do not have th... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
The vehicle was in park, idling. We heard a pop sound and discovered the rear windshield had exploded. There was no one near or around the vehicle. I had heard this was a common issue with the Ford Edge.
Incident date: Jan 3, 2022
Car did a jerk while I was driving in the interstate never lost speed didnt hit anything it was like a big jerk no noise no smoke no lights came on nothing so I got to my mom house parked no smoke no dent no nothing right well got ready to go a couple hours later no reverse fluid level was kinda low but no leaks now yesterday getting readyto leave work I have no foward either what is this seem lik... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2022
The backup camera fails constantly when you put the Ford Explorer into reverse the camera works sometime and sometime it do not work a message will pop up saying that there is a problem with the camera and need to be service this is happening to a lot of the 2015 Ford Explorers and older and there should be a recall because if you look online there have been thousands of people having the same pro... Read more
LINCOLN
CONTINENTAL
(2018) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Jan 27, 2023
Incident date: Sep 8, 2018
This vehicle is built on a 2021 Ram Promaster and was modified into a class B camper van…a 2022 Thor Rise 18M. On 2 recent occasions driving at low speeds the outdoor electric awning moved in and out about 6 inches on its own while I was driving. Luckily, I wasn’t traveling fast and both times I was able to pull over to check it to make sure it stopped and had rolled back in to its closed posi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, she depressed the brake pedal however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that his wife used the parking brake to stop vehicle. The service brake warning light was illuminated prior to the failure. The contact then stated that upon inspecting under the hood of the veh... Read more
Incident date: Jan 7, 2023
Abs on off messing with cruise control. In snow conditions feel it’s a concern. Sometimes the abs work’s most of the time it’s on/off multiple times while driving. For a 2018 truck with only a little over 24,000 miles not happy that at this time the dealership says they have no clue when they will have parts to fix
Incident date: Jan 7, 2023
Abs on off messing with cruise control. In snow conditions feel it’s a concern. Sometimes the abs work’s most of the time it’s on/off multiple times while driving. For a 2018 truck with only a little over 24,000 miles not happy that at this time the dealership says they have no clue when they will have parts to fix
Incident date: Jan 15, 2022
2017 Ram 2500. ODO 77,000 miles While driving at any speed, warning lights and audible tones intermittently come on. Display reads "Service Electronic Braking System" and "Service ABS". ABS and Traction Control lights also illuminate on the dash. Sometimes the warnings will come on and off so fast that the truck is constantly chiming which is very distracting. Speed doesn't appear to be a fact... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2022
2017 Ram 2500. ODO 77,000 miles While driving at any speed, warning lights and audible tones intermittently come on. Display reads "Service Electronic Braking System" and "Service ABS". ABS and Traction Control lights also illuminate on the dash. Sometimes the warnings will come on and off so fast that the truck is constantly chiming which is very distracting. Speed doesn't appear to be a fact... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2023
1998 HONDA CIVIC. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO 20V-026. THE CONSUMER STATED HE IS STILL AWAITING PARTS FOR THE RECALL.
Incident date: Jan 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while her husband was driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle experienced "phantom braking" approximately 8-times in total. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the fa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2023
In 2019 I bought a used 2016 Lincoln MKC Reserve 2.0 Ecoboost Engine w 34K miles. In 4 years I've driven 11,400K miles. A few weeks ago my vehicle would not start. I had a tow to a Ford Retailer because the Service Tech at a Lincoln Retailer informed me they were backed up having 10 vehicles waiting to replace failed Ecoboost engines all with coolant leaks most likely I would need the same. After... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the brake pedal was stiff while depressed. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure recurred on several occasions. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mecha... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2008 BMW 528I. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V119000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distr... Read more
Incident date: Apr 25, 2022
My car won't start when I press the brake and hit the start button, which then flashes green instead of staying green. I have to go through the same steps several times before it will turn on. The menu goes through the entire functions of the engine. For me, I never know if the engine will start or I will be stranded. I thought after two visits to service, it was fixed. Today, it stalled at a gree... Read more
Incident date: Apr 25, 2022
After about two months of driving our 2023 Nissan Rogue SV, a fuel odor emerged from the car. The odor is detected constantly in the car's interior and exterior. The fuel odor is so intense that we are concerned about the safety of parking the vehicle in our garage; we must park it outside. Due to the intensity of the fuel odor, we have purchased a fire extinguisher, as we are afraid of a car fire... Read more
Incident date: Apr 25, 2022
After about two months of driving our 2023 Nissan Rogue SV, a fuel odor emerged from the car. The odor is detected constantly in the car's interior and exterior. The fuel odor is so intense that we are concerned about the safety of parking the vehicle in our garage; we must park it outside. Due to the intensity of the fuel odor, we have purchased a fire extinguisher, as we are afraid of a car fire... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2023
The car had a recall I didnt know about. It states the car may catch fire due to faulty part. I drove the vehicle home after work and parked it around 9:30 PM. The next morning a neighbor woke me up banging on my front door that my car was on fire. This was at 7 AM. The fire originated in the area close to the master cylinder like the recall states. Vehicle was a total loss. Not only that but it... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jan 14, 2023
While driving this vehicle on the way to Los Angeles, the engine suddenly stalled without warning. I was in the left most lane going about 70MPH. The car began to slow and I almost got hit four times while trying to make my way over to the shoulder. I could've been seriously injured or killed. This vehicle is brand new and I've only had it three weeks. There was no warning indicator or lights th... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2023
Roadside assistance locke d keys inside car
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
Drove the car last on 1/18/2023, no issues with steering whatsoever; never saw a warning light on dash. Then on 1/19/2023, I had to go to work and attempted to make the trip. Upon turning the key the car started but the dash illuminated two warnings. [STEERING-ASSIST FAULT-SERVICE REQUIRED] [SERVICE ADVANCE TRAC] I had not experienced any issues prior to this. Now the cars steering is very diff... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
While my husband was driving, the vehicle suddenly lost power. He was almost hit by the vehicle that was behind him. He was able to nurse it to the side of the road. There were no warning lights or any other indicators that there was something wrong. We called AAA and had it towed to the nearest independent service dealer. We were told that the transmission was gone. It only had 88,000 miles on it... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2023
2019 Lincoln Navigator Dealership delivery 9.14.22 Husband & Daughter drove around the neighborhood. Check engine light comes on suv is overheating. Husband immediately pulls into our driveway fluid is leaking out all over. Plus smoking. This was maybe two hours after it was in our possession. 9.15.22 Ford of Dalton has it towed to their dealership. 9.15.22 Suv was back in our possession. 9.21. H... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2010 Buick Enclave. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the timing chain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light i... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2023
I was driving. Went to stop for a stop light. I pushed peddle down. It went down 90% before I had any resistance. With the last 10% I was able to slow the car before a crash. All of the lights on the dashboard turned on, including the brake light. I turned off the car and pulled the key. I put the key in and restarted, while still sitting in the roadway. I was able to drive it less than a ... Read more
LINCOLN
MKX
(2012) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:IMMOBILIZER/PROXIMITY:KEY/SENDER
Jan 19, 2023
Incident date: Oct 5, 2022
My vehicle was stolen due to not having an ignition immobilizer. There were no warning lights. Yes its a known issue
Incident date: Nov 8, 2021
My back up camera works when it wants to sometimes and then other times it’s all blurry and can’t see also I get a light on for my brake system that goes on and off
Incident date: Oct 3, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Mustang. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the pre-collision sensor alert warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that he was concerned that the sensor had malfunctioned. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there would be a fee for the diagnostic test. The ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 3, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Armada. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over on the side of the road and turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle operated but failed to exceed 20 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the transmission was replaced and the engine coolant w... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2022
The power steering went completely out while I was driving down the highway. I believe the problem is related to the power steering control module and the electric assist rack and pinion steering. It was the most dangerous situation I ever encountered. I narrowly missed causing an accident. There are several makes of Ford/Lincoln vehicles that have this problem dating back to 2011. The servic... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2022
My vehicle had 4 recalls on it and caused engine to blow. The dealer I purchased car from would not fix recalls, so had it towed to a Kia dealer, my car has been there since dec long story short recalls fixed but they won't replace engine, nor will dealer I purchased it from. So they're saying over $8000 that I would be responsible for
Incident date: Dec 4, 2022
Was driving on the freeway and the vehicle suddenly died. Leaving me stranded in the car left lane with no way to pull over
Incident date: Jan 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Novae H & H Trailer. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the tow hitch on the trailer fractured, causing the trailer to fall to the ground. The trailer was not diagnosed. The trailer was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the warranty had expired. The failure mileage was 15,000.
Incident date: Dec 24, 2022
I have almost been in 3 accidents. My 2013 Terrain has stalled while driving..Cut off at lights. Engine reduced while driving and massive oil leak that gas caused timing chain and engine failure. I have read other complaints, and this is sad GMC has been allowed to get away with this. These engines are dangerous and need to be replaced before someone looses their life.
Incident date: Jan 16, 2023
There has been a considerable dimming of car’s headlights over the past 6 months. Visibility at night is very low, and I usually have to use my high beams to see while driving at night. The cost to replace headlights is astronomical and requires mechanic to fix (very complicated process that requires significant amount of dismantling of the vehicle). Concerned this is a recipe for disaster a... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH and approaching a traffic light while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle started to shudder and vibrate. The contact stated that the brake failure warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle started decelerating. The contact was able to park on the side of the road. The contact waited an ho... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2023
The Instrument cluster has no light so I cannot see the speed. The dealer refuses the recall. RECALL - #06V028000
Incident date: Jan 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Patriot. The contact stated that upon accelerating uphill, the RMPs revved up but the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The coolant temperature warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the temperature sensor had failed and damaged the transmission. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the tempera... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2023
APIM failure ACM failure FCIM failure APIM Replaced
LINCOLN
CONTINENTAL
(2019) — POWER TRAIN
Jan 12, 2023
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
The contact's son owns a 2018 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was jerking while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer where contact’s son was informed that there were several p... Read more