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: Jun 20, 2025
Several warning lights, which included: ABS failure, Parking Assist Failure, Lane Avoidance Failure, Traction Control Failure, as well as having steering difficulty. ( mileage 24500 ). The problem was found by dealer to be an eletrical connector underneath the vehicle at the mid point, with their belief that it was corrosion, which I believe to be a defective component and design. I contacted For... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2025
Backup camera becomes unresponsive even after update 3.6.4. This update was supposed to resolve this longstanding safety hazard.
Incident date: Jun 12, 2025
There are 2 recalls on this car. A gearbox and power steering rack, the dealer has not replaced either one of them. They greased the power steering rack, and that's it. When steering to the right or left, there's a very large grinding sound and they are stating that it did not come from a power steering rack, faulty, they didn't even check the power steering rack or the gearbox, all they did was g... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2025
Vehicle DASHBAORD has been facing UV related reactive damages by small line cracks and now it's progressing to larger lines. Similar damages in other manufacturers like Toyota and Lexus are covered by manufacturer as recalls .
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
I applied the brakes and pulled up to a light and as soon as my car came to a complete stop all of the lights just started going off. The light turned green and I couldn’t accelerate anymore and almost got rear ended. I tried turning the car off but it didn’t turn off. Instead, it just made a clicking sound and I was able to accelerate and pull into a parking lot and I was able to turn it off ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2025
I applied the brakes and pulled up to a light and as soon as my car came to a complete stop all of the lights just started going off. The light turned green and I couldn’t accelerate anymore and almost got rear ended. I tried turning the car off but it didn’t turn off. Instead, it just made a clicking sound and I was able to accelerate and pull into a parking lot and I was able to turn it off ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 22, 2025
Pulled in drive way and tailgate open light came on and noises was coming from rear or truck. I have a bed cover so I could not see tailgate but it was beeping, going up and down on it own. I finally pulled the fuse to get it stopped. Seen the recall and though all would be good BUT NO they say my truck is not on recall list evan though its doing the exact thing recall is for.
Incident date: Aug 16, 2023
The drivers side mirror has a constant vibration that causes visibility issues. Has done it since we bought it new.
Incident date: Aug 16, 2023
I am having brake indicator light popup 4 time in three week with some strange noise while driving high speed on freeway. I researched found some recall on my 2022 Honda Ridgeline. Based on the provided VIN, [XXX], it appears show my 2022 Honda Ridgeline may be affected by two safety recalls: 1. Rearview Camera Issue: The rearview camera tailgate wire harness might break, preventing the camer... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2021
My 2013 F150 had been acting strangely in showing a wrench on the LED screen and shutting off the electrical components on my dash. when this happens, it also sticks the transmission in between 3-5th gear. I am unable to shift down to 1st or 2nd gear, or up to 6th gear. After this happened a few times, it started to shift me in to Park and stop my wheels from turning. This happened to me 3 times w... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2021
My 2013 F150 had been acting strangely in showing a wrench on the LED screen and shutting off the electrical components on my dash. when this happens, it also sticks the transmission in between 3-5th gear. I am unable to shift down to 1st or 2nd gear, or up to 6th gear. After this happened a few times, it started to shift me in to Park and stop my wheels from turning. This happened to me 3 times w... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2021
1. Component or System Failed or Malfunctioned: The primary component that has consistently failed or malfunctioned is the air conditioning (AC) system. The AC unit does not adequately cool the vehicle's cabin, especially in hot weather. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request; it has been previously inspected by authorized Hyundai dealerships. 2. How Safety was Put at Risk: The malf... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver’s and front passenger’s side A-pillar trims detached. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exc... Read more
Incident date: Jun 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V347000 (Structure); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the driver's side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that on a separ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 11, 2025
While driving down the interstate at 60mph, screen displayed two error messages: “parking brake function limited” and “collision assistance unavailable.” I completely lost brake function for ~10 seconds. Only didn’t crash because no one was stopped ahead of me. Took to dealership who “couldn’t replicate” the issue, later told me they had fixed it by reprogramming the software. Two ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2025
In March of 2025, my steering of the model X became really stiff. As time went on, the problem became worse and no longer able to turn left or right without major force. I made an appointment with Tesla and took it in for servicing. At this time they changed the steering bolts and steering shaft April 23, 2025. This cost $489.70 (I will attach invoice). As soon as I picked up the vehicle my steeri... Read more
Incident date: May 2, 2025
Multiple times after the kids buckle in, their seatbelts will become unlatched while driving down the road. This occurs in the middle row and happens with everyone from the [XXX] to the [XXX] . In some instances it has happened when an adult is sitting in the second row as well. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Jun 1, 2025
Since [XXX], I had my new car for five months and began receiving pre-collision assist not available and park aid malfunction. I have been receiving these since March. I took it into the dealer and they said that there would be a software update by May 1, 2025, this is the middle of June. I contacted them again around the first of June and the dealer told me the Software Updates would be available... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2025
This vehicle has left my family along side of a high twice. First time from lifter failure the second time from bearing failure. The bearing failure caused the vehicle to shut off and made for an unsafe pull off of a major highway. Both times this has happened with no warning till it happened. Lost of power with the check engine light coming on at the same time. No warning of any issues ti... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the driver's side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The contact heard an abnormal sound and after arriving to the residence, her husband noticed that the A-pill... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became very difficult to turn in either direction. The contact stated that the message "Service Vehicle" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the steering rack was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2023
I got into my car and the infotainment screen was cracked. It had been parked in moderate weather (no extreme heat or cold) and just randomly had multiple small cracks across the screen. This makes the back up camera difficult to see which is a safety concern.
Incident date: Oct 25, 2023
I was at an intersection, and the engine suddenly stopped for no apparent reason. This message shows up on dashboard: Steering power low. It asked me to put it on park and turn the engine back on. Very dangerous
Incident date: Jun 11, 2025
Vehicle shifts from park to drive jumping gears ,making loud noises, Accelerating by its self and jumps aggressively into gear. Transmission is slipping, late engagement when shifting, and shifting rough. sometimes it will low rpm. Rpm is going up and down. Making total transmission failure and transfer case failure. Melting the hot and cold lines. Mechanic found aluminum melted and oil burn. Rpm... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2025
I went for an oil change, tire rotation, etc at the dealer on 6/9/25 and was told that my frame had rust damage/holes and would not pass inspection this coming December. Went to Ziebart on 6/11/25 and they confirmed multiple hole/rust damage on frame which needed repair. They were perplexed as no problem was seen at my last yearly check of the rust protection in July of 2024. Also, no mention o... Read more
Incident date: Jun 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The message "Reduced Power" was displayed, and the RPMs increased. Additionally, the vehicle jerked, and the contact noticed that there was smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was driven to the co... Read more
Incident date: Jun 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Taurus. The contact stated that while idling at a stop sign or stop light, the vehicle was shaking abnormally and slightly hesitated while attempting to accelerate. There was an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occasionally occurred after driving approximately 500 miles. The failure became more progressive over time. The contact st... Read more
Incident date: Jun 7, 2025
The contact owned a 2021 Acura TLX. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop, she was struck by another vehicle driving at 55 MPH on the front passenger side. The vehicle spun around due to the impact and came to a stop facing oncoming tr... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Jun 7, 2025
The rear safety camera fails to appear in the dash. Car says unable to connect or display. Sometimes works, mostly does not. Ford dealer wants to charge $800 to fix. As this is a vehicle safety feature, I believe it is a failure similar to the latest recall by Ford
Incident date: Jun 8, 2025
While driving the vehicle the collision avoidance activated on its own. The brakes automatically applied when I was not near a vehicle in front of me. When over railroad crossing and the system activated. My speed was around 28 to 30 mph. The system slowed me down to 24 mph. This has occurred twice. First occurrence was on [XXX], and second on [XXX]. Dash camera footage inside and outside is avail... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2025
While driving the vehicle the collision avoidance activated on its own. The brakes automatically applied when I was not near a vehicle in front of me. When over railroad crossing and the system activated. My speed was around 28 to 30 mph. The system slowed me down to 24 mph. This has occurred twice. First occurrence was on [XXX], and second on [XXX]. Dash camera footage inside and outside is avail... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The low power message was displayed. The contact pulled over to the left side of the road and waited for towing assistance. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehic... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the transmission and driveshaft were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. T... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2025
Check engine light first appeared early May 2025 days after the car started running very roughly, then bucking upon startup; local mechanic said may need engine but should go to dealer; dealer towed a couple of days later as engine light had begun to blink and said it couldn't be driven; a few days later dealer reported coolant leaking into combustion chamber and would need a new engine at $12,860... Read more
Incident date: Feb 11, 2025
Component: Shifter Assembly & jumper harness Safety concern: Can't turn off vehicle - Carbon Monoxide poisoning, physical safety when parking not at home, as I would have to leave vehicle running... Message in dash was present when I brought vehicle to dealer. Dealer also replicated No inspection other than dealer. Part returned to me. Warning message has been coming on for past 60 days or so, p... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2025
I was driving up a hill and it would not go past 20-30 mph, and the rpm will sometimes go up when not accelerating. The transmission does not shift when driving and will sometimes make the car stop and go stop and go continuously. Tried accelerating but the rpm would go up while the mph would not.
Incident date: Jun 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the engine compartment with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2025
This was the third time the vehicle ceased with 1/8 tank of gas left. These instances result in the gas light, engine light, and battery light to turn on and do not let the vehicle move into neutral, which has been unsafe as the vehicle shuts down somewhat unexpectedly and has taken place in the middle of the road without the option to push the vehicle off to the side.
Incident date: Jun 4, 2025
This was the third time the vehicle ceased with 1/8 tank of gas left. These instances result in the gas light, engine light, and battery light to turn on and do not let the vehicle move into neutral, which has been unsafe as the vehicle shuts down somewhat unexpectedly and has taken place in the middle of the road without the option to push the vehicle off to the side.
Incident date: May 2, 2025
After turning off the vehicle and locking it the vehicle continuously turns on to accessory mode on its own. On a few occasions I came out to a dead battery or have been woken up more than once to my alarm blaring in the middle of the nite and when I came out to check my vehicle it was usually turned on to accessory mode upon researching the internet I found that many owners with the 2016 and 2017... Read more
Incident date: May 2, 2025
After turning off the vehicle and locking it the vehicle continuously turns on to accessory mode on its own. On a few occasions I came out to a dead battery or have been woken up more than once to my alarm blaring in the middle of the nite and when I came out to check my vehicle it was usually turned on to accessory mode upon researching the internet I found that many owners with the 2016 and 2017... Read more
Incident date: May 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign number: 24V031000 (Structure) and NHTSA Campaign number: 25V347000 (STRUCTURE); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the driver's side A-pillar detached from the vehicle. The brake pedal was depressed but failed to stop the vehicle im... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Dec 26, 2023
The clutch keeps giving out. It’s been fixed 2 times and I have the same issue. It takes a bit in order for the car to generate power to go forward & it shutters when it moves froward when pushing on the gas. It can sometimes move forward a bit when placed in reverse and same thing when I shift to move forward from a parking mode it will go backwards a bit forward a few seconds then moves forwar... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2018
About a week ago, I noticed small chips in the Pearl White paint on the hood of my Kia Forte 5. One of the chips has started a peeling of the paint which has benn steadily getting larger. This indicates a delamination is occurring. Many Kia owners have been posting about this with the Pearl White paint. I asked my local Kia service center in Redding, CA today about it. He said he knew nothing of t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2025
Engine failure with no warning. Driving home from dinner, made a right at a stop light and then warning lights and knocking sound in engine compartment, truck noticeably shaking
Incident date: Jul 19, 2024
My back-up camera is periodically unavailable.
Incident date: Jun 5, 2025
A colleague alerted me to the after-market product being marketed and sold as a "pregnancy safety belt" that readjusts the fit of a seat belt in a vehicle. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Jun 5, 2025
The leather dashboard came off. We were offered to fix it for $6,000, even though the car had an extended warranty through the dealership. Mercedes corporate and the dealership came back and said they would fix it for $3,000. We reluctantly paid the $3,000 to have the dashboard fixed. A year later, the same defect occurred, and the Mercedes dealership said there is no warranty on the work done. W... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2025
I have a crack in the manifold leading to an exhaust leak. This is apparently a very, very common and known issue with the equinox but there's no recall on the 2013 model. Sounds like there should be.
Incident date: May 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V227000 (Air Bags); 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 had not experi... Read more