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 28, 2022
The braking system failed to adequately stop the car. In contacting the Lincoln Customer Service, this failure mode is associated with a Lincoln Customer program # 13N02. This program has a 10 years or 150000 miles limit for repair. The vehicle (MKX - 2012) has 65000 miles and was purchased 12/20/2011. It is 1 month out of the defined period. The car has only been driven a few hundred mile... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact stated complete failure warning message was displayed. The contact was able to pull over and restart the vehicle and functionality was returned. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer but was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. T... Read more
Incident date: Aug 19, 2020
Vehicle was purchase in 12/2019 and garaged most of 2020 due to Covid. Started using vehicle in late 2021 and discovered a number of electrical problems that dealt directly with the safety systems of the vehicle. False vehicle theft alarms, "Pre Collision Assist Not Available" warnings continuously, "Remote Features Disabled" notices, "Hill Assist Warning " detected a failure, rear camera flickeri... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2022
Swollen lug nuts prevent use of correct wrench or supplied wrench to remove wheel. This means inability to change a tire. Needs to be warranted for lug nuts that do not swell.
Incident date: Jan 16, 2022
Swollen lug nuts prevent use of correct wrench or supplied wrench to remove wheel. This means inability to change a tire. Needs to be warranted for lug nuts that do not swell.
Incident date: Jan 12, 2022
My 07 Lincoln only has around 80,000 miles on it and has water leaks causing water to pool in the floor boards thereby causing the potential for rust, electrical issues and the hazards that could result therefrom. A quick online search will reveal to you that these leaks are incredibly common and very well known among Lincoln owners and dealers alike (very, very common problem due to manufacturer ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2022
My 07 Lincoln only has around 80,000 miles on it and has water leaks causing water to pool in the floor boards thereby causing the potential for rust, electrical issues and the hazards that could result therefrom. A quick online search will reveal to you that these leaks are incredibly common and very well known among Lincoln owners and dealers alike (very, very common problem due to manufacturer ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2022
BRAKE PEDAL FAILURE 7 MONTHS AFTER BRAKE FLUID RECALL WAS DONE.
Incident date: Jan 3, 2022
BRAKE PEDAL FAILURE 7 MONTHS AFTER BRAKE FLUID RECALL WAS DONE.
Incident date: Sep 16, 2021
Car has always performed a good cold start. But, after running a while, the following has happened, and is happening more frequently: run the car, park, and then restarting after several minutes, I have put it in gear and the engine sputters and stalls. Then has to turn over several times to restart. This has also happened after running for a while and then stopping at a long red-light, engine ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2007 Lincoln MKZ. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V904000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that the dealer refused to flush the braking system with DOT 4 fluid as per the recall remedy since there was no failure with the braking system. The dealer would only install a new brake fluid reservoir cap. The manufacturer was made aware of t... Read more
Incident date: Jan 24, 2022
There have been two recalls on this vehicle. One was a battery cable issue, the other is a backup camera issue. The battery cable was fixed. The backup camera has been worked on 6 times and has not been fixed. I have notified Lincoln they told me to visit another dealer. After two dealerships and 6 trips, the backup camera still flashes or goes blue. The dealer cannot fix. Also, the entire main ... Read more
LINCOLN
AVIATOR PHEV
(2021) — POWER TRAIN
Jan 23, 2022
Incident date: Dec 27, 2021
Vehicle exhibits strong vibrations when certain speeds are reached. The driveshaft has been replaced three times and continues to vibrate.
Incident date: Jan 20, 2022
The drivers side door does not latch in the cold temperatures.
Incident date: Jan 3, 2022
I was driving the car and the power steering went completely out without warning and almost caused a serious collison. After researching the car I found that there were multile issues with the power steering modules on these vehicles, this car needs to be repaired by the manufacturer, this is a defect.
LINCOLN
CONTINENTAL
(2018) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Jan 22, 2022
Incident date: Jan 21, 2022
The electric door latching mechanisms fail to fully latch the driver's door shut when pulled to the first detent. In order to fully engage the door latches, it was necessary to slam the door. The first occurrence coincided with unusually cold weather (34 degrees f). These door latches had previously been the subject of a recall which first delayed the dealer's ability to sell the car to me. Then... Read more
LINCOLN
CONTINENTAL
(2018) — LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
Jan 22, 2022
Incident date: Jan 21, 2022
The electric door latching mechanisms fail to fully latch the driver's door shut when pulled to the first detent. In order to fully engage the door latches, it was necessary to slam the door. The first occurrence coincided with unusually cold weather (34 degrees f). These door latches had previously been the subject of a recall which first delayed the dealer's ability to sell the car to me. Then... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2022
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2008 Lincoln MKX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) and contacted the manufacturer for assistance with locating a dealer who had the parts for the recall repair; however, the manufacturer informed her that the local dealers did not yet have parts for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exc... Read more
Incident date: Jan 17, 2022
A/C and Heater control; A/C blows cool on passenger side and blows hot on driver side
Incident date: Mar 25, 2021
My vehicle has a safety recall for a possible exploding driver airbag, recall number 21V158. This recall was issued 3/25/21, about 10 months ago, and the manufacturer still does not have a fix for it. This is unacceptable given the severity of the recall. The NHTSA website states that if the manufacturer has not remedied a recall in a reasonable amount of time, then a vehicle complaint should b... Read more
Incident date: Jan 19, 2022
Lincoln dealer advised during an unrelated servicing of my 2015 MKZ that the lug nuts were swollen and presented a danger and major problem with the definite hazard of not bring able to remove a flat tire on the roadside with the standard tire wrench. I see that my situation is not unique and repeated many times over based on reported cases. I believe that a Ford/Lincoln recall is the proper out... Read more
Incident date: Jan 18, 2022
Coolant leaking into the cylinder. Had it serviced at 69.4K miles with a radiator flush and 3,000 miles later the warranty has expired and we have coolant in the cylinder. The fix is an engine replacement, $11K. There is a technical bulletin out so they this is a common problem, however they seem to let the issue go without notification in hopes the warranty's expire.
Incident date: Jan 14, 2022
CAR WAS SOLD WITH A UN REPAIRED RECALL FROM CAR MAX HOUSTON LOCATION -CAR MAX BUSINESS SERVICE .I WAS TOLD TO GET INTOUCH WITH YOU ALL TO TAKE CARE OF RECALL. PLEASE email me on what shop i can take my vehicle to.. [XXX] are call me at [XXX] [XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Incident date: Aug 12, 2021
UNKNOWN
Incident date: Jan 6, 2022
I went to the dealer for a tire rotation and could not do it because they said I had swollen lug nuts , they are not covered on my extended warranty
LINCOLN
AVIATOR PHEV
(2021) — BACK OVER PREVENTION
Jan 16, 2022
Incident date: Jan 14, 2022
The Rear View Camera (entire screen) constantly turns on and off when reversing the vehicle. It has been inspected several times with no resolve.
Incident date: Dec 28, 2021
Went to unlock vehicle but found it was unlocked. Tried to start car and noticed there was nothing in the car that worked, interior lights, dashboard monitors, all computer functions were out and could not open the rear hatch. Called Lincoln assist and they sent AAA. They tested battery and it was good, tried a jump start and nothing happened. Saw on the internet (Lincolnforum.org) that disconnect... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2021
Went to unlock vehicle but found it was unlocked. Tried to start car and noticed there was nothing in the car that worked, interior lights, dashboard monitors, all computer functions were out and could not open the rear hatch. Called Lincoln assist and they sent AAA. They tested battery and it was good, tried a jump start and nothing happened. Saw on the internet (Lincolnforum.org) that disconnect... Read more
Incident date: Dec 28, 2021
Went to unlock vehicle but found it was unlocked. Tried to start car and noticed there was nothing in the car that worked, interior lights, dashboard monitors, all computer functions were out and could not open the rear hatch. Called Lincoln assist and they sent AAA. They tested battery and it was good, tried a jump start and nothing happened. Saw on the internet (Lincolnforum.org) that disconnect... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH and attempting to depress the brake pedal, the brake pedal went all the way to the floorboard and failed to stop the vehicle within a reasonable time frame. The contact was able to pull over and restart the vehicle after waiting approximately 10 minutes. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. T... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Lincoln MKC. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V331000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The contact stated that the rear driver's side door failed to open as needed. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that she would need to pay for the diagnostic test and repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Lincoln MKC. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V331000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The contact stated that the rear driver's side door failed to open as needed. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that she would need to pay for the diagnostic test and repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Lincoln MKC. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V331000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The contact stated that the rear driver's side door failed to open as needed. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that she would need to pay for the diagnostic test and repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2010 Lincoln MKX. The contact stated that the headlights failed to illuminate as needed. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the headlight bulbs and wires; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the mechanic, who diagnosed that the headlight wiring harness kept disconnecting. The vehicle wa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2022
Cheap two piece lug nut design. The outer shell of the lug nut deforms to the point you can not remove the lug nut. If you get a flat tire you can possibly be stranded due to these defective lug nuts.
Incident date: Jan 8, 2022
This vehicle has been recalled at least twice for a faulty rear camera system. When vehicle is put in reverse the image on the screen flips so bad you cannot see what is behind you. The previous recalls were for this, we had it in the shop twice before the 2 recalls plus the two recalls (4 times) and cannot get a properly working rear camera. This is a safety issue because we rely on the camer... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2021
Manufacturer has not supplied the front air bag replacement part.
Incident date: Dec 29, 2021
Want to report similar problem others seem to be reporting. When starting the car you hear 5 chimes/beeps repeating five times. The airbag light remains lit the entire time. On extended trips the chimes/beeps comes on again roughly every thirty minutes. Being directly linked to the airbag I’m surprised to find that this has yet to be recalled especially since many other towncar owners are report... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2021
Want to report similar problem others seem to be reporting. When starting the car you hear 5 chimes/beeps repeating five times. The airbag light remains lit the entire time. On extended trips the chimes/beeps comes on again roughly every thirty minutes. Being directly linked to the airbag I’m surprised to find that this has yet to be recalled especially since many other towncar owners are report... Read more
Incident date: Dec 21, 2021
2017 Lincoln MKZ had the "Auto Hold" on and the car came to a complete stop at an intersection with a red traffic light. One other vehicle was in front of me and we had been stopped for at least 30 seconds. Without notice the Lincoln MKZ quickly lunged forward and struck the vehicle in front of me. I kept applying the brake but the car would not stop, it kept hitting the car in front 3 times be... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 8, 2021
An electrical overload occurs below the passengers seat, burning out the electrical connector, requiring a costly repair and can be a fire hazard. This is the second time this vehicle had this electrical problem and has required repair. The dealer has confirmed this problem, but has no solution, only to replace the same parts. There is not notification this issue is occurring, the only evidence of... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2021
If the rear trunk gate is up and the vehicle is running the passenger compartment will fill with carbon monoxide very quickly. This usually will happen if loading luggage or items in the back of the vehicle while the engine runs. Certainly a risk if kids are left in the passenger compartment while the truck is being loaded when the engine is running.
Incident date: Dec 22, 2021
If the rear trunk gate is up and the vehicle is running the passenger compartment will fill with carbon monoxide very quickly. This usually will happen if loading luggage or items in the back of the vehicle while the engine runs. Certainly a risk if kids are left in the passenger compartment while the truck is being loaded when the engine is running.
Incident date: Dec 24, 2021
While driving between 35 to 60 the car is very noisy in Gear. checked all fluids and under carriage and it’s leaking oil from the ptu
Incident date: Dec 24, 2021
Dual climate control only heating on passenger side driver’s side is not heating it has 115000 it’s a 2007 mkx it is also leaking fluid from the ptu the car is only 10 months old this is ridiculous ford should be issuing recalls for these as there are many people that have the same complaints for the faulty parts someone is going to get hurt if ford doesnt recall these parts
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
Sometimes while starting the car, the power steering does not work and the car can barely be maneuvered out of a parking spot. Turning the car off and re-starting it fixes the problem however this happens about every other week. This has not happened while the car has been in motion thankfully as I’m sure this would cause an accident. The mileage this started was about 200,000 miles. There is... Read more