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: Nov 11, 2024
The vehicle experienced water intrusion into the interior cabin shortly after delivery in 2023. The water intrusion affected electrical components related to the airbag and Supplemental Restraint System (SRS). The vehicle remains in my possession and is available for inspection upon request. Moisture exposure to airbag and SRS components presents a serious safety risk because these federally regul... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2024
When driving you could smell fumes, it would jerk, and kick in and out of gear and would have no heat. Coolant was always low with no visible leaks to the mechanic.
Incident date: Nov 11, 2024
When driving you could smell fumes, it would jerk, and kick in and out of gear and would have no heat. Coolant was always low with no visible leaks to the mechanic.
Incident date: Feb 12, 2022
The vehicle is producing an extremely loud squealing/whining noise while driving and turning. The sound occurs at both low and high speeds. It is not subtle — it is loud enough to be heard across a large parking lot. For example, if the vehicle is at the back of a parking lot, someone standing at the front can clearly hear it. It can also be heard as I enter my neighborhood, before I am even clo... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that while the engine was idling, exhaust fumes entered the cabin of the vehicle. Additionally, immediately after starting the vehicle, there was a loud ticking sound coming from the exhaust system. The vehicle was inspected by the local dealer, and it was determined that the exhaust manifold lines were faulty and needed to be replaced. The... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2025
The vehicle was backed into a parking spot in the last row of a parking lot; no one would be behind the vehicle. It was parked for 2 days and upon returning to it, the rear window was broken. A hole about the size of 2 fists was present, along with a horizontal crack from the hole to the edge of the frame. Up until this break, there was no indication of any issue with the window/glass.
Incident date: Feb 11, 2026
On the morning of December 10, 2025, I left my home for an appointment. I traveled for about 15 minutes before entering onto the highway. As I entered the highway, I traveled about half a mile and was scared by a very loud explosion! I pulled over to assess my vehicle and the surrounding area. The sunroof had SHATTERED to pieces, fortunately I didn’t have it open at the time. It was just a mirac... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
My power steering went out on my vehicle in mid January 2016. My temperature guage was also not working properly. I took it to my local Ram dealership to get it looked at. They drew up an estimate and I approved some repairs. My extended warranty covered majority of it. After picking up my vehicle, I noticed my steering wheel still had some resistance to it. I felt it shouldn't have that much resi... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2025
THE RECALLS ITS WAS BEFORE OF MY ACCIDENT NOW MY CAR ITS WORKS GOOD BUT CANT PASS BRAKE LIGTS INSPECTION DMV REQUIREMENT.
Crash
Incident date: Feb 8, 2026
THE RECALLS ITS WAS BEFORE OF MY ACCIDENT NOW MY CAR ITS WORKS GOOD BUT CANT PASS BRAKE LIGTS INSPECTION DMV REQUIREMENT.
Crash
Incident date: Feb 10, 2026
The ICCU (Integrated Charging Control Unit) failed. I could not charge with my level 2 charger and dealer confirmed that the ICCU unit was bad and needed to be replaced. I have been waiting over a month for the part and repair.
LINCOLN
CONTINENTAL
(2017) — STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS
Feb 10, 2026
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware that the rear bumper had detached. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously associated with a recall related to the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the rear bumper had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact was informed by... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
Transmission switching gears (downshifting)at highway speeds to lower gears causing the rear wheels to slide on pavement. Transmission will occasionally get stuck in 3rd or 5th gear at red lights causing dangerous interactions in intersections where the truck will not get upto speed fast enough to keep up with flow of traffic.
Crash
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
While driving, the vehicle repeatedly hesitated during gear changes, lost power, and then abruptly jerked back into gear. This occurred intermittently for over a month without any warning messages, creating unpredictable and unsafe driving conditions. As the issue worsened, the vehicle began losing power more frequently. The most serious event occurred at highway speed, where the vehicle suddenly ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
While driving, the vehicle repeatedly hesitated during gear changes, lost power, and then abruptly jerked back into gear. This occurred intermittently for over a month without any warning messages, creating unpredictable and unsafe driving conditions. As the issue worsened, the vehicle began losing power more frequently. The most serious event occurred at highway speed, where the vehicle suddenly ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 RAM 1500. The contact stated that when his spouse started the vehicle during cold weather conditions, the engine was turned on, revved high, and the gear shift from park (P) to drive (D) inadvertently without the brake pedal being depressed. The contact stated that the vehicle jolted off and crashed into the door of a business. The contact's spouse sustained a head injury ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Feb 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Lincoln MKT. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V951000 (Back Over Prevention) and 25V827000 (Structure); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware... Read more
Incident date: Jan 7, 2026
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35–40 MPH, the vehicle experienced transmission failure. The contact stated that the RPM was elevated while driving, and the transmission shifted abnormally rough. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the transmission was rebuilt. The local... Read more
Incident date: Jan 7, 2026
Vehicle unresponsive after sitting idol at traffic light. When trying to accelerate, no power. Vehicle was still running, but unable to accelerate. Finally able to accelerate after RPMs up to nearly 3000 rpms, and slow to respond and accelerate. Engine warning code on dashboard soon after. Error code is P0751, shift solenoid A performance stuck or off. Similar issue when under warranty in 2022 wi... Read more
Incident date: Feb 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the 4WD feature was inoperable. The contact stated that the PTU splines were worn, preventing the engagement of the 4WD feature, and potentially preventing the vehicle from remaining unmovable while shifted to park(P). The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the part to do the recal... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the transmission. The transmission was slipping, and the RPM was abnormally elevated. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the engine overheated. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that the failure reoc... Read more
Incident date: Sep 19, 2025
POWER STEERING FAILURE. BY LOSING POWER STEERING IT PUTS ME AND OTHERS AT RISK BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS VERY HARD TO STEER. WARNING LAMP STARTED COMING ON AND GOING OFF WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. IT HAS SINCE STOPPED HAVING POWER STEERING AND THE LIGHT STAYS ON.
Incident date: Sep 19, 2025
While driving home from work during rush hour, a warning light illuminated on my dashboard and my vehicle suddenly lost braking ability. When I pressed the brake pedal, the vehicle did not slow or stop. I was forced to pull onto the shoulder of the road and pump the brake pedal extremely hard multiple times before the vehicle finally came to a stop. This occurred in heavy traffic and created an im... Read more
Incident date: Dec 16, 2023
Driver side Speedometer screen blank. navigation screen working find. No turn signal indicator. Turn on and restart vehicle screen still blank. Aug 10 2025 first time happen. Feb 7 2026 second time. I bought up this issue to the dealership. They have no solution. Already have the recall done recently for the backup camera
Incident date: Aug 20, 2025
My vehicle was sitting in a small parking lot at work and the back liftgate glass blew out onto the pavement. It was 95 degrees outside. The liftgate arms and all the shattered glass were on the outside of my vehicle. I called the dealership and was told nothing they could do and they didn't even ask to look at it. I paid out of pocket to replace the glass. Then on January 24th when it was -25 deg... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2025
On 01/16/2026, Quirk Chevrolet completed product safety recall N242482680 for the Brake Pressure Switch Connector Fire on my vehicle. Shortly after, my vehicle would come to an abrupt stop on its own while driving. This happened twice on my way home and then the third time at home at which point, it would no longer move forward or backward. The vehicle needed to be towed to the dealership that ... Read more
LINCOLN
AVIATOR PHEV
(2020) — TRAILER HITCHES
Feb 6, 2026
Incident date: Jan 12, 2026
The contact owned a 2019 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the contact's residential driveway, the vehicle caught on fire. The vehicle was unoccupied. The contact stated that while packing the vehicle for a planned family trip, the contact noticed the fire. In addition, the contact stated that no warning lights were illuminated prior to the fire. The contact and ... Read more
Fire
LINCOLN
AVIATOR PHEV
(2020) — POWER TRAIN
Feb 6, 2026
Incident date: Jan 12, 2026
While driving, the vehicle displayed a “Stop Safely Now” warning and immediately began limiting operation. At the same time, steering effort increased significantly, similar to a loss or reduction of power steering assist, making the vehicle difficult to control. I was unable to safely pull over when the warning appeared and was forced to limp the vehicle into a nearby residential street to av... Read more
LINCOLN
AVIATOR PHEV
(2020) — STEERING
Feb 6, 2026
Incident date: Jan 12, 2026
While driving, the vehicle displayed a “Stop Safely Now” warning and immediately began limiting operation. At the same time, steering effort increased significantly, similar to a loss or reduction of power steering assist, making the vehicle difficult to control. I was unable to safely pull over when the warning appeared and was forced to limp the vehicle into a nearby residential street to av... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2026
No warning. I had four high school wrestlers in my car and we had just gotten off the highway after driving for 7 hours from Panama City to Port St. Lucie when it happened. My car went into limp mode making it dangerous to continue to drive. My car is currently at the service center at Lexus of Treasure Coast off US1. The technicians have verified that l have a faulty fuel pump and mentioned the ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2026
2015 E3350 SMELLS GAS INSIDE CABIN, A MECHANIC DETECTED A FUEL LEAK IN THE ELECTRIC PUMP THAT IS LOCATED BEHIND THE DRIVERS SEAT. 70000 MILES NO WARNING LIGHTS
Incident date: Feb 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was unable to restart and was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with battery failure. The contact was informed that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the fa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2026
At 144,500 miles, the connecting rod broke and destroyed the engine. The connecting rod broke while driving on the highway at highway speeds. Honda has confirmed the connecting rod was the cause and will need a new engine to get the vehicle working again. I was having intermittent check engine lights and Honda could not find anything wrong with the vehicle prior to the failure. There are currently... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2026
Engine warning light went on. Replaced spark plugs and coil to cylinder # 2. Then, Traction control light indicated system off. Technician advised the need for dealership software upgrade to ABS. Dealership advised that engine block allowing coolant intrusion into #2 cylinder. Needs a new engine. And need for a new ABS module, also defective.
Incident date: Nov 3, 2025
Exterior driver side door handle will not open the door causing issues with ingress into vehicle.
Incident date: Nov 3, 2025
I have noticed that when the battery is lower than 85% available power sensor effectiveness is greatly reduced. This is noticed with vehicle going into remote battery saver mode and the Auto Start/Stop function ceases to function. This also greatly reduces front collision, rear cross traffic and pedestrian rear cross traffic warning especially. This is apparently due to a battery drain if any US... Read more
Incident date: Nov 3, 2025
I have noticed that when the battery is lower than 85% available power sensor effectiveness is greatly reduced. This is noticed with vehicle going into remote battery saver mode and the Auto Start/Stop function ceases to function. This also greatly reduces front collision, rear cross traffic and pedestrian rear cross traffic warning especially. This is apparently due to a battery drain if any US... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2026
My seatbelt malfunctioned and does not latch. The part that the seat belt goes into is not catching
Incident date: Feb 4, 2026
On [XXX] my 2017 Acadia Denali started driving poorly and a steering assist reduced message appeared. I had O'Reilly scan for error messages and they were: P0128 and P0826-00. The dealership confirmed that they would need to replace the thermostat. The Buick GMC Beaverton technician made a video of my vehicle: [XXX] My safety was put at risk due to the risk of my steering going out. My car i... Read more
Incident date: Feb 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Lincoln MKT. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V951000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION) and 25V827000 (STRUCTURE); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ram 1500. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V411000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) and 22V406000 (FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL). The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled into the driveway and turned off the vehicle. After exiting the vehicle, there was smoke coming from the exhaus... Read more
Incident date: Jan 31, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V512000 (Power Train). The contact stated that the letter indicated that the remedy was available; however, when the vehicle was taken to several dealers, the contact was informed that parts were not available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable am... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
Head gasket failure was noted and happened at about 95000 miles. Crack in a cylinder lead to leaking of coolant and caused misfires and check engine. Was let know that if ignored engine could “expire” at a random time if not dealt with asap could have lead to a crash, injury, or harm others or property. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? T... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated that the messages "Service Advancetrac", "Hill Start Assist Not Available", "System Off - To Save Battery Please Turn Off Ignition or Start Engine" were displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the battery and the battery monitor sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The parts were ord... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2025
On [XXX], we sent a 2021 Ford Interceptor to J.C. Lewis Ford located at 309 W. Oglethorpe Hwy, Hinesville, Georgia 31313 for a recall under 23S55. The recall is a safety issue related to a rear axle bolt and the possibility the bolt can fracture. We had the recall done and returned the vehicle to service. On or about [XXX], our fleet manager was called to the Liberty County Jail because this ve... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2026
While operating a 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, the vehicle suddenly caught fire with flames originating from the rear seat/rear passenger compartment area. There was no crash involved. Smoke and flames rapidly spread inside the vehicle, creating an immediate safety hazard and risk of serious injury. I evacuated immediately and emergency services were contacted. The fire department responded and extingu... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jan 2, 2026
This vehicle has been returned to service 5 times. It is currently in service for the same 4 issues that it was taken to service for the very first time on 12/10/2025. This includes inappropriate braking on the interstate, driver window malfunction, the key intermittently stops working, and the connectivity does not regularly work. In addition to these 4 issues, the main screen in the car stop... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2026
This vehicle has been returned to service 5 times. It is currently in service for the same 4 issues that it was taken to service for the very first time on 12/10/2025. This includes inappropriate braking on the interstate, driver window malfunction, the key intermittently stops working, and the connectivity does not regularly work. In addition to these 4 issues, the main screen in the car stop... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2026
I was in an accident where a drunk driver pulled out in front of me. I waw traveling at 55 and he drive in front of me without stopping from a side road. I swerved to miss him while applying the brakes. We collided I hit him with the driver front fender, where it crushes the fender and started peeling the driver door back. After the impact I continued through a ditch up onto a hill and struck ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 25, 2025
Since Toyota has recalled these engines, they have failed to produce a solution. This engine was recalled due to a safety concern, but yet they have not replaced the engine, nor do they even have a timeline for when it might be replaced. We use our Tundra for long distance towing with a heavy trailer. This has created a situation that is very concerning and my wife and I no longer feel safe in ... Read more