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: Jul 29, 2026
Dealer sold flood damaged 2020 Atlas 98k miles as safe vehicle. Found severe rust corrosion on steering column that could break while driving causing loss of control crash death. Also found 7 areas of toxic mold inside causing allergic reaction and breathing problems. Mold in seats, carpet, AC system. Dealer refused to repair and forced trade for overpriced 2023 Explorer with high loan. Vehicle un... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Jul 29, 2026
Dealer sold flood damaged 2020 Atlas 98k miles as safe vehicle. Found severe rust corrosion on steering column that could break while driving causing loss of control crash death. Also found 7 areas of toxic mold inside causing allergic reaction and breathing problems. Mold in seats, carpet, AC system. Dealer refused to repair and forced trade for overpriced 2023 Explorer with high loan. Vehicle un... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Jul 29, 2026
Dealer sold flood damaged 2020 Atlas 98k miles as safe vehicle. Found severe rust corrosion on steering column that could break while driving causing loss of control crash death. Also found 7 areas of toxic mold inside causing allergic reaction and breathing problems. Mold in seats, carpet, AC system. Dealer refused to repair and forced trade for overpriced 2023 Explorer with high loan. Vehicle un... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Jul 29, 2026
A manufacturer defect caused connector pin corrosion and thus the head unit dash stopped working completely and needs to be replaced. The head unit is what the back up camera comes through causing safety concern. It is no longer under warranty because of the miles, otherwise yearwise it would be. BMW won’t provide any good will assistance. This happened in 2026 on a 2023 model year. It has bee... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2026
This car has several issues and I could only select a few. Electrical: the infotainment system disconnects from Wireless car play at random when you drive the vehicle. It then returns a Wifi error on screen and you cannot use car play any longer on both android and iOS. Additionally, the electronic system will reboot when the car is in use. In my case, it always happens on the freeway when drivi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 26, 2026
On May 10, 2026, my SVC 4WD light came on, then went away after a few minutes. A few weeks later, my vehicle started making a loud roaring, growling, and humming noise, then it went away followed by the SVC 4WD light came back on. While driving around 50–60 MPH, the vehicle became very unstable. It suddenly pulled from left to right before I was able to regain control. Thankfully, traffic was li... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
I own a 2010 Subaru Outback. While parked at a college in Medford, Oregon, it suffered a spontaneous electrical fire that originated inside the driver's door. This is the exact failure described in Subaru Safety Recall Campaign WQE-41. The NHTSA website states the recall was completed on this VIN, meaning the recall repair itself has failed and caused a total loss of the vehicle at this time as we... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jun 26, 2026
The 9C2 campaign software update introduced dangerous vehicle hesitation and unpredictable gear changes in active traffic, presenting and immediate crash hazard
Incident date: Jul 23, 2026
Engine has a noise (chirp) when vehicle delivered. Found out after purchase that a known problem was present in the engine compartment that engineering has been unable to identify. Bulletin #PIP6045B (Oct20,2025) Document ID:7006702 With the engine failures General Motors have had I have concerned about operating. A failure could result in danger to the occupants.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while purchasing the vehicle, the contact became aware that the A/C was inoperable. Before purchasing the vehicle, the contact asked the dealer to replace the A/C condenser, and the component was replaced. The contact stated that three years later, the A/C compressor was replaced again, but the shaft seal was not replaced. The contact st... Read more
Incident date: Jul 27, 2026
On June 23rd, 2026, while driving my 2026 Subaru Solterra at approximately 35 mph on a clear, sunny day with no road obstructions or vehicles ahead, the vehicle suddenly and severely applied the brakes on its own. This unprompted, autonomous braking event brought the vehicle to an abrupt, unsafe slowdown, creating an immediate risk of a rear-end collision. No dashboard warning lights or error code... Read more
Incident date: Jul 27, 2026
On June 23rd, 2026, while driving my 2026 Subaru Solterra at approximately 35 mph on a clear, sunny day with no road obstructions or vehicles ahead, the vehicle suddenly and severely applied the brakes on its own. This unprompted, autonomous braking event brought the vehicle to an abrupt, unsafe slowdown, creating an immediate risk of a rear-end collision. No dashboard warning lights or error code... Read more
Incident date: Jul 27, 2026
1. The SUV experiences complete power loss and goes into limp mode. Have been in nearly 3 accidents on highways with a vehicle that goes from 65 to 35 with no warning and then cannot accelerate or gain speed. 2. Battery, out of no where, goes from 3/4 full to 1 or 2 bars. 3. Extreme shaking of the vehicle while driving and at rest. 4. Vehicle is less than a year old and has been in for the same... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2026
I am writing to report an urgent safety concern regarding my 2018 Acura MDX Tech SH-AWD. Upon starting the vehicle, all primary AcuraWatch driver-assist systems suffered a total failure. The center display continuously cycles through four warnings: Collision Mitigation System Problem Adaptive Cruise Control Problem Lane Keeping Assist Problem Road Departure Mitigation System Problem In additio... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2026
Passenger low beam led stopped functioning at 39k, with no warning light of it ceasing to function. Safety of passengers and driver were at risk. Went through diagnostics at dealership, diagnosed to need a complete headlight assembly replacement. Was told by Porsche dealership as well as independent shops that this is a “known problem” with these Macan headlights. Did the replacement and 2k m... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
I was traveling on the DC beltway (interstate), it was raining and the temp was in the low 50s. The vehicle in front of me hit their brakes pretty hard. I started braking firmly myself. I heard an alarm sound and I believe the anti-lock braking activated, and the van began automatically braking itself. I was brought to a complete stop on the interstate by the van. The vehicle ahead of me accelerat... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jun 9, 2026
The vehicle's engine had previously been replaced once under Kia's Theta II engine recall/warranty program approximately five years prior to this incident. On the date of failure, the replacement engine catastrophically failed while the vehicle was in operation, resulting in the engine developing a hole in the engine block and becoming inoperable. Prior to the failure, the vehicle exhibited a "che... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2026
I have a 2918 ford escape se with what I am now finding has a known flawed 1.5l ecoboost that ford only put a service notice out on long ago. The engine has a know issue with cylinder coolant intrusion problems. I had engine misfire and powertrain code show up and put the car into limp mode while driving at 70 on the interstate. When the limp mode started I came close to being in an accident du... Read more
Incident date: Jun 9, 2026
I have a 2918 ford escape se with what I am now finding has a known flawed 1.5l ecoboost that ford only put a service notice out on long ago. The engine has a know issue with cylinder coolant intrusion problems. I had engine misfire and powertrain code show up and put the car into limp mode while driving at 70 on the interstate. When the limp mode started I came close to being in an accident du... Read more
Incident date: Jul 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 BMW 330I. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse(R), the gear shifter was shifted into reverse; however, the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated forward and crashed into another vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. There were no air bags deployed. No injuries were sustained. A Police report was not filed. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jun 12, 2026
The torque converter inside my transmission on my 2023 f-150 “started coming apart” and has spread metal throughout my entire transmission and transmission cooler. There was no warning signs or lights that were shown to me other than when I noticed the problem which prompted me to immediately set up an appointment with my local ford dealer for a diagnosis and check up. It is a safety hazard be... Read more
Incident date: Jul 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Ford Bronco Sport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. Additionally, the transmission was lagging. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by... Read more
Incident date: Jul 2, 2026
There are 2 recalls that have not been acted on by Homer Skelton Ford of Millington, LLC. It has been almost two years and the dealership continues to state they do not have the parts to fix the recalls. The two recalls are not indicated as active, so I’m not sure if they claimed they already fixed them in their system. The recalls are for the rubber around the windshield and the panels near the... Read more
Incident date: Jul 2, 2026
At approximately 159,000 miles, my vehicle exhibited multiple dashboard warning lights simultaneously including ABS, VSA, EPS, TPMS, brake, ACC, CMBS, and RDM warnings along with engine misfire codes. Borescope inspection confirmed coolant intrusion into cylinder 1. Cylinders 2, 3, and 4 were dry. Diagnosis confirmed head gasket failure consistent with the known design defect in the 1.5L turbochar... Read more
Incident date: Jun 23, 2026
While driving in the middle of active traffic, the vehicle experienced a sudden and dangerous loss of motive power. The first indication of a problem was the A/C abruptly blowing hot air. Immediately following this, the vehicle began violently shaking before the engine stalled completely. The low oil pressure warning light was triggered on the dashboard. Losing all acceleration in the middle of ac... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Kia K5. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the fuel gauge suddenly went from one-half tank to empty. The fuel level displayed 120 miles to empty. The contact attempted to refuel the vehicle but was unable to add fuel to the tank. The contact also stated that the oil warning light and the TPMS warning light was illuminated. The contact associated the... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Kia K5. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the fuel gauge suddenly went from one-half tank to empty. The fuel level displayed 120 miles to empty. The contact attempted to refuel the vehicle but was unable to add fuel to the tank. The contact also stated that the oil warning light and the TPMS warning light was illuminated. The contact associated the... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Kia K5. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the fuel gauge suddenly went from one-half tank to empty. The fuel level displayed 120 miles to empty. The contact attempted to refuel the vehicle but was unable to add fuel to the tank. The contact also stated that the oil warning light and the TPMS warning light was illuminated. The contact associated the... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
I bought my 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Touring van in February 2018 brand new from Burlington Chrysler, Burlington, NJ. In May 2026 the check engine light came on and I brought the van to my mechanic. The code he pulled was for #5 cylinder. I had the repair done. A month later in June of 2026 the che ck engine light came back on and this time the code was for the catalytic converter. On July 21, 2026... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2026
I purchased a 2018 Hyundai Kona, and it has had one major issue after another. It burns an excessive amount of oil, the engine misfires, and now the turbocharger is failing. I’ve already spent approximately $2,300 repairing the air conditioner and engine, and I can’t afford thousands more in repairs.
Incident date: Jun 21, 2026
Upon returning home on 7/20/2025, I smelled a strong odor of gasoline. I looked under the car and saw that gas was leaking from a small hole on the (R) rear side of the tank. The hole was an approximately 1/16" . Due to danger of flammable fuel vapor and leaking gas I parked away from the house and put a temporary plug to stop the leak. I was shocked to find that the fuel tank was unshielded and... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2026
I have a 2023 Kia Sorento with approx 60k, purchased new from New Pot Richey Kia. Approx 7 days ago, while driving home from dropping my son at school, my transmission system error warning came on as well as my check engine light. My RPM'S would increased without corresponding acceleration, which meant my transmission, was slipping. I was also experiencing jerking during shifting. In addition to t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled without warning while releasing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle restarted after each failure. The first dealer diagnosed the vehicle and retrieved DTC: P04100 (Camshaft Position Sensor A Circuit); however, the repair failed to fix the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to Hendrick Ki... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Yamaha FJR 1300. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 20V814000 (Exterior Lighting), 20V813000 (Power Train), and 21V865000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but the vehicle was not repaired due to the parts being on back order. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that parts were on back order. The con... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2026
After getting a flat tire, I used the spare that comes stock with the vehicle. As soon as I started driving, it said the tire was the incorrect size. I kept driving just trying to get the car home. It then showed awd temp overheating stop vehicle and looking out my rear view mirror I saw smoke. I rolled down the window and started hearing clunking and grinding so I stopped immediately and had it t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2026
The vehicle is affected by a Chrysler safety recall. When I brought it to an authorized dealership for the recall repair, they informed me that a warning light was illuminated and that they needed to perform a diagnostic inspection before completing the recall. After the inspection, they stated they could not determine the cause of the warning light and refused to complete the recall repair. The v... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2026
On XXX we were driving from [XXX] to [XXX]. Going through the [XXX] mountains on [XXX]. At an elevation of about 6,000 ft. temperature was about 85, speed about 55 mph the window in the back seat (behind the driver) imploded with a huge bang (sounded like a bomb went off). Glass was all over the back seat. I thought someone had shot at our car. I was with a retired CHP and he confirmed no bullet... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 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 while driving at an undisclosed speed, an audible warning chime sounded, and the ABS control module and the traction control system failed. The local dealer was contacted. The co... Read more
Incident date: Jun 11, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle failed to start. The contact check the vanity lights but there was no power inside the vehicle. The vehicle was without electrical power for approximately 30 minutes before power returned to vehicle. The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle because the potential failure reoccurring. Th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Ram Promaster 2500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the message “Power Steering Service” was displayed with a high-pitched whining sound coming from underneath the hood and the dashboard. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the steering gear EPS module and jumper harness needed to be replaced, and the vehicle needed an al... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2026
I have 3 small children so I am concerned about my car. The gear shift goes out of drive while driving. If you push the gas and then let up and push the gas again it won’t go and if you keep pushing the gas it will start fishtailing all over the road. You have to take your foot off the gas for a period of time until it goes back in gear which causes you to completely slow down and can cause a cr... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2026
Tires are wearing badly on the inside edge only. Suspension and drive train components make noise during normal operation.
Incident date: Jul 13, 2026
COMPLAINT REGARDING FRANCHISE DEALER RECALL NON-COMPLIANCE & MISREPRESENTATION (#26V-365). My vehicle is currently held at an authorized facility, [XXX], General Manager Honda (Downtown [XXX]), under an active manufacturer dispute (Honda Corporate Case #XXX). On Friday, XXX Service Manager [XXX] verbally stated on a voice line that the mandatory structural safety repairs for Rear Subframe Recall ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 20, 2025
I am submitting this complaint regarding the positive battery terminal fuse block (battery terminal/fusible link assembly) on my 2022 Kia Sportage. The component is currently installed on the vehicle and is available for inspection upon request. I purchased this vehicle in 2024, when it was only about two years old. Because of the vehicle's age, I did not expect to experience major electrical prob... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2026
I was heading to work when suddenly smoke started pouring from the air conditioning vents, and the ABS and traction control warning lights came on. I hit the brakes to pull over, only to realize I had lost braking power. I managed to steer to the side of the road as carefully as possible and bring the car to a stop—despite having no brakes and a fire burning under the hood. I tried downshifting ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jul 7, 2026
On XXX while traveling near the posted speed limit and entering [XXX], my 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV FWD suddenly lost propulsion and no longer responded normally to the accelerator. My friend was driving. The vehicle coasted to a stop but remained partially in the travel lane, creating a serious risk of being struck from behind. I immediately activated the hazard flashers and contacted OnStar SOS... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2026
I drive 30 miles one way for work, my car hit 85,000 and the transmission fluid is overheated and the car went in to limp mode on the freeway. I got stuck for 30 Mines waiting for it to cool. Now I have to go to mellow nissan to pay 150 for a transmission disinostic so corporate nissan can open a good will claim I called them my car is new the transmission been slipping. I heard its a common prob... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2026
The tail lights keep going out on both sides. The tail light harness does not fit the female adapter properly. You have to hold it pushed in to get the light to come on but when you let go it turns back off. I have already replaced the sockets with Mopar OEM parts and am still having the problem. After researching I found that this is a common issue with this vehicle. It is a safety concern becaus... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2026
COMPONENT/SYSTEM: The 12-volt auxiliary battery system, the interior fuse box (Total Integrated Power Module) containing an auto-cutoff relay, and the high voltage battery system. All components are available for inspection. SAFETY RISK: The vehicle has lost power and died while being driven, and has left occupants stranded on multiple occasions. A sudden loss of motive power in traffic creates a... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2026
COMPONENT/SYSTEM: The 12-volt auxiliary battery system, the interior fuse box (Total Integrated Power Module) containing an auto-cutoff relay, and the high voltage battery system. All components are available for inspection. SAFETY RISK: The vehicle has lost power and died while being driven, and has left occupants stranded on multiple occasions. A sudden loss of motive power in traffic creates a... Read more