Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,245,377 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA, including 140,173 crashes, 56,794 fires, and 8,580 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 2,245,377 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 29,895 complaints for MAZDA
Incident date: May 12, 2026
2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while his wife was driving the vehicle at an undisclosed speed, the driver side air bag suddenly deployed hitting the drivers head, the vehicle was not involved in a Collison at all. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 123,830.
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
Battery went dead after 4 days of being parked. Preceded by car not charging fully after driving. Dealer had to replace battery at 60,000 miles with no other fault detected. After market battery did not fix problem. Needed to be replaced by OEM battery. Still noticed not charging fully after driving. High current drain while off and parked detected. One dark night noticed dash screen came on w... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
Took my 2020 kia telluride for emission software update after being notified by the the dealership. Two days later my check engine light keeps coming on and off. I called the dealership and the said to bring it in only if the light is on. The next day my engine light once again keeps going on and off but now also my battery light keeps flickering on and off as well. My car is also slow to idle a... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2026
Took my 2020 kia telluride for emission software update after being notified by the the dealership. Two days later my check engine light keeps coming on and off. I called the dealership and the said to bring it in only if the light is on. The next day my engine light once again keeps going on and off but now also my battery light keeps flickering on and off as well. My car is also slow to idle a... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2026
When I push the gas pedal the car does nothing for seconds. I was trying to do a u turn and pushed the gas to go and nothing for to long and almost got hit. It also did it trying to pull out into busy traffic that would have been no problem if the car would move when you push the gas. The car does not respond forever when pushing gas. I took to dealer to today and of course, they found nothing and... Read more
Incident date: Apr 20, 2026
Tesla just sold me a car with defective front half shafts axles. The car makes a reproducible and very concerning accelerator pedal shudder that makes the entire vehicle front vibrate, including the steering wheel and brake pedals while the car is accelerating between 30-60mph. This interferes with safety features like, lane departure assistance and blind spot steering wheel feedback, Confusing th... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light and drivetrain warning light illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed that the positive battery terminal motherboard had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; howeve... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
The car stalls and began to jerk then shuts down the crash symbols comes on and goes off.
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
My 2025 Tesla Cybertruck AWD (VIN: [XXX] ) has a recurring failure of the right rear seat occupant detection system, which governs airbag deployment and is certified by Tesla to meet FMVSS 208. The same alert (internal code RCM2_a698) persisted through two official repairs at Tesla Palo Alto: 1st repair (Invoice XXX, 8/22/2025): seat belt buckle replaced. Alert recurred 2 days later, August... Read more
Incident date: Feb 27, 2026
Hyundai - DAW - Driver Attention Warning / Forward Attention Warning System This issue warrants immediate consideration for a recall. Despite wearing glasses, sunglasses, or no glasses, the problem persists. I occasional do remove my glasses while driving, and the warning continues to sound. This occurs regardless of the time of day, weather conditions, or whether I am sitting upright or reclining... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2026
Faulty forward facing camera affixed internally on windshield. Adaptive Cruise Control will not function. Lane Keeping Assist will not function. Collision Mitigation Braking may be unavailable. Vehicle detects oncoming traffic in opposing lane as a potential collision, causing braking system to engage and causing a risk of a collision or being struck from the rear despite no vehicle ahead except... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2026
while i was driving my vehicle put the parking brake on and then i was unable to get it deactivated at first, after a few seconds i got it and moved forward in traffic. after a few feet the vehicle put the parking brake on and i was unable to move once again. this was in the middle of traffic and i ended up blocking the single lane road. I called a family member who was near by and they came and s... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2026
SUBJECT: URGENT COMPLAINT: Deceptive Practices/Misrepresentation & Services Not Rendered (Woodhouse Ford of Omaha) I. Actionable Safety Issue Summary This complaint concerns fraudulent billing and dangerous misrepresentation by Woodhouse Ford of Omaha, which claimed a vehicle's 3rd rack and pinion system was "safe" on 2/19/2026 after a known safety issue, following a previous failure. They further... Read more
3 injured
Incident date: May 11, 2026
SUBJECT: URGENT COMPLAINT: Deceptive Practices/Misrepresentation & Services Not Rendered (Woodhouse Ford of Omaha) I. Actionable Safety Issue Summary This complaint concerns fraudulent billing and dangerous misrepresentation by Woodhouse Ford of Omaha, which claimed a vehicle's 3rd rack and pinion system was "safe" on 2/19/2026 after a known safety issue, following a previous failure. They further... Read more
3 injured
Incident date: May 11, 2026
Special coverage programs for the 2018 Chevy Traverse front exhaust pipe mounting bracket failure. GM has focused on coverage specifically on 2019-2021 models, but 2018 models are affected as well. I'm being forced to pay for a new exhaust when 2018 models should have been included for the Specific special coverage (e.g., N212356540, N222385510) exists for 2019–2021 vehicles, offering repairs (s... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2026
Special coverage programs for the 2018 Chevy Traverse front exhaust pipe mounting bracket failure. GM has focused on coverage specifically on 2019-2021 models, but 2018 models are affected as well. I'm being forced to pay for a new exhaust when 2018 models should have been included for the Specific special coverage (e.g., N212356540, N222385510) exists for 2019–2021 vehicles, offering repairs (s... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen ID4. The contact stated that while the wife was parking and into a parking space, the brake pedal was released and the vehicle suddenly accelerated forward and crashed into a concrete barrier. During the incident front and side curtain air bags did deployed. Driver sustained an injured sternum and bruses and lacerations to both hands. The front passenger suffered... Read more
Crash
4 injured
Incident date: May 11, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the vehicle was using an excessive amount of oil. There were no warning lights illuminated. There was no indication of a leak. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact the failure was related to combustion chamber cleaning. The manufacturer was contacted, who info... Read more
Incident date: May 7, 2026
2017 SUBARU FORESTER WITH 40,000 MILES, REAR WHEEL BEARINGS AND PLATE ARE BAD. $2100.00 TO FIX. SEEMS A LITTLE EARLY IN MILEAGE FOR SUCH AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR. I HAVE READ ABOUT BAD REAR WHEEL BEARINGS AND PLATE FROM SEVERAL PEOPLE.
Incident date: May 7, 2026
2020 GMC Sierra 1500 began experiencing a slight knocking sound - mechanic diagnosed as a crankshaft issue. As of last night, 5/10, the truck's knocking sound got extremely loud, the exhaust pipe emitted smoke, and the truck began "bucking." No warning messages or lamps appeared.
Incident date: May 7, 2026
The vehicle has been taken to Tesla multiple times due to ongoing controllability and safety concerns. The Autopilot system will occasionally brake unexpectedly at green lights or when another vehicle is passing on the right side. The vehicle has also experienced repeated drivetrain issues, including the half shafts failing at least four times within a short period. During acceleration, the vehic... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2026
On three occasions, while in regenerative braking mode, my car failed to engage the brakes at low speeds. After pressing on the brake pedal for several seconds with no response, the wheels then locked completely - but only after the car had traveled had traveled around 30 feet. The dealer has inspected the car and has not been able to replicate the problem, so they say there is nothing they can do... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
Recall 23V228 was performed on my vehicle (brace installed), but the structural failure the recall was meant to prevent has occurred anyway. Honda is denying a buyback by claiming 'general rust,' despite stating the vehicle is irreparable and unsafe to drive.. I live in [XXX] . [XXX] on [XXX] noted the frame damage. I spoke to Honda Corporate was given case #XXX and was told to take it to a dea... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2026
This is a recent purchase. The forward collision braking system seems to be too sensitive and the braking is so immediate and abrupt it threw everything in my car forward including me, causing minor back pain. This has happened several times with the most recent being yesterday. I was no where near a car or potential collision each time. Yesterday, while driving on a busy highway, I had plenty of ... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2026
2011 Prius. 80k miles. Brake booster buzz coming on every 15 seconds now. ABs, traction and brake lights on. I’ve heard of many Prius owners with the same issue. I also have another Prius with the same issue at 120k miles. Brake booster accumulator codes popping up with 80k miles. It is a safety concern as the abs brakes don’t work. Almost every Prius is effected by this.
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
The vehicle is experiencing sudden engine stalling while in motion, a known safety hazard. Despite a documented maintenance history with no issues, the dealer (Bayside Kia) is attempting to deny a Theta II Settlement claim by shifting the narrative to 'engine sludge,' which only appeared as a symptom in June 2025( Walmart oil change) alongside engine performance issues. The vehicle has active code... Read more
Incident date: Apr 16, 2026
The vehicle is experiencing sudden engine stalling while in motion, a known safety hazard. Despite a documented maintenance history with no issues, the dealer (Bayside Kia) is attempting to deny a Theta II Settlement claim by shifting the narrative to 'engine sludge,' which only appeared as a symptom in June 2025( Walmart oil change) alongside engine performance issues. The vehicle has active code... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2026
Plastic fuel supply line leaked from front of fuel tank area . the vehicle (2020 chevrolet colorado) was towed to the chevrolet service facility, after it was discovered leaking on my driveway. Gas was smelled while I was driving. I do have the failed hose. It was indeed damaged. Possibly chewed through by a rodent, mouse or squirrel. The colorado is allways parked in my blacktop driveway. Safety ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado. stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the vehicle lost power and did not accelerate as intended. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer but was not diagnosed. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the coolant control valve needed to be replaced... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that upon start of the engine, the ABS, electronic stability control (ESC), 4W... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 JEEP Wagoneer. The contact stated that while towing, the vehicle experienced a serious and recurring safety failure where the trailer lights would function for approximately five minutes before a portion of them would blackout. This failure renders towing unsafe and illegal, as it compromises visibility and traffic law compliance. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Numbe... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2026
I took my vehicle in for service because cylinder 6 had a misfire and the dealership told me that the Catalytic Converter failed internally and stated it can happen at anytime and it sends metal into the engine causing damage.
Incident date: May 7, 2026
Noticed noise. Took to dealer. Dealer confirmed bad front pinion/bearing and need front differential. Will be very dangerous if not fixed! Dealer has had this issue before and online forums state big issues
Incident date: May 7, 2026
On May 2, 2026 I was operating the vehicle at 60 mph on the interstate. There were absolutely no other vehicles in my line of sight or on the roaway anywhere near me. The motorcycle went into automatic breaking and the brakes appeared to activate all on their own and almost locked up. I immediately was able to pull over and smell the very strong smell of burning brakes. I shut off the motorcycle ... Read more
Incident date: May 7, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission independently shifted from sixth gear to fourth gear. In addition, the contact stated that an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact received a recall notification, NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2026
Vehicle developed engine ticking/tapping noise followed by rough running and misfire condition. Independent repair facility performed engine teardown and found cylinder 4 exhaust camshaft lobe severely worn/damaged. Repair facility stated the exhaust roller follower/lifter needle bearings failed and fell out, causing the roller to seize and come off position, resulting in improper valve operation ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 6, 2026
The low beam headlight assembly failed on my 2019 Kia Optima LX with no prior warning, while the high beams and LED daytime running lights continue to function normally, indicating an isolated component failure within the assembly. Notably, the headlight assembly shows no physical damage whatsoever, and both independent licensed repair facilities that inspected the vehicle were unable to identify ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 23, 2026
Hello - the steering wheel has become very difficult to turn including inability to turn to the right or left at times, and seems to increase over time but has decreased while remaining stiff/difficult at times.I thought it was related to low/missing power steering fluid or the weather because the steering improved on a warm/warmer day. When I tested the weather theory it was another warm/hot day ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 29, 2026
The service brake system has a recurring uneven/abnormal braking issue. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The concern has been reported to a Genesis dealer multiple times. After prior complaints of uneven braking, the dealer resurfaced/cut the rotors several times, but the problem kept returning. New brakes and rotors were installed in November 2025, but the uneven braking conc... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
On Saturday XXX, while driving on [XXX] at highway speed, without interior dashboard warning lamps or other warning symptoms both rear tires failed simultaneously & disintegrated creating a potentially catastrophic driving hazard for those with me inside the car as well as others on the Turnpike. This type of failure occurring at the same time on both rear tires with relatively low mileage of 27,6... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving at various speed the vehicle had experienced acceleration hesitation and had stalled on several occasions. The vehicle eventually towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assista... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
Canister purge valve getting stuck open and causing a hard start
Incident date: Oct 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that all the warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle stalled upon starting. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the fuse was replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. While depressing the start button, the look in the rear mirror was displayed. The vehicle failed to start. The brake pedal was kickin... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 RAM 3500. The contact stated that while driving at 40 mph, the vehicle stalled and could not be restarted. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the entire fuel system needed to be replaced due to the high-pressure fuel pump exploding after metal shavings were found throughout the entire system. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2022
My 2021 Honda Passport Elite suffered cataphoric engine failure at 90,000 miles. The 6th cylinder bearing was missing when my vehicle was towed into Honda for diagnosis after my engine shut off while I was traveling 55 mph. I had no warnings for this failure including no engine noises and no check engine lights. I had to have a new engine put in my vehicle and Honda refused to cover the cost at ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear of the vehicle would move independently. The contact stated that it felt as if the vehicle were going to slide and eventually would lose control. No warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that an unknown rear chip had failed. The sho... Read more
Incident date: Mar 9, 2026
While driving the vehicle under normal conditions, multiple advanced driver assistance and safety systems suddenly became unavailable without warning. The systems affected include Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Keeping Assistance, and related safety features that rely on the forward-facing camera. The failures occurred at the same time and were indicated by warning m... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2026
I have a 2018 Ram 1500 ecodiesel with the 2nd gen 3.0L V6 diesel engine. This engine has a well known defect causing the tone wheel to delaminate and stall the engine. This is what happened to me and the dealership is telling me I need my tone wheel and position sensor replaced. Per what you have put out [XXX] My truck should be covered under the recall 73A as I meet all the requirements. Stel... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2026
My 2014 Ford F150 truck went into “limp mode” last week. A wrench showed up on my dashboard, my speedometer didn’t function, and it sounded like the transmission was “winding up” if I tried to accelerate. After hitting “ok” to remove the wrench and restarting the truck a couple of times, my check engine light illuminated. I was driving at about 40 MPH when this occurred and it was a ... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2026
I have had an issue with my brakes for a couple years. I have taken my van to a couple of different mechanics to express my concerns and they have changed brakes but the issues continue. The brakes do not always work effectively. They make a hissing sound. When my foot is on the brake, sometimes my van will still roll forward or backwards - this has happened often when leaving parking lots. I... Read more