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: Apr 1, 2022
We bought a used 2020 Honda Odyssey, and a few months after buying this vehicle, the infotainment screen blanked out and the vehicle information screen also blinked out. This occurred at the same time with no warning whatsoever. I just turned on the car, and none of the screens came on. These screens are the ones that show the mph, our mileage, cruise control, etc, and also the screen that shows t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 27, 2024
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Power Train system failed also engine light is now on How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Me and my toddler were in the vehicle when it started to jerk in bad traffic. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, the mechanic said ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Genesis. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V107000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manuf... Read more
Incident date: Apr 8, 2024
The yoke steering wheel had multiple issues ranging from cosmetic to skipping sometimes while turning. To the best of my knowledge, based on talking to Tesla Service professionals, Tesla is aware of this problem and has internally created a document to change these yokes, but it is not doing as regularly as it should. The service staff refuses to clarify the conditions of warranty repair for this ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 5, 2024
The engine gave out while driving on the highway going 65-70 mph on the left lane ,vehicle started shaking and slowing down really loud cars started going around luckily I was able to get to the right breakdown lane as it stalled. I could have caused a major accident on the highway, I restarted the car it shakes as I drove it slowly to the exit at every light the car stalled when I stopped. Brough... Read more
Incident date: Jan 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Express. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the ABS inadvertently engaged, and the vehicle pulled to the left side. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the electronic brake control module assembly needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Rio. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that while driving at approximately 37 MPH, the window malfunctioned, and the headlights and every light inside the vehicle flickered and dimmed. The ABS, check engine, and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was parked at ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2024
I was taking my son to work and I heard my sunroof open and close when the controls were not being touched . I’m afraid if it opens and it closes on its own that it could fly off my car and hit someone else’s car and possibly injure some one .
Incident date: Nov 16, 2021
8 Speed auto transmission slipping on first gear. Truck was serviced on 2 attempts with know resolution and still currant.
Incident date: Apr 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the son was driving approximately 55 MPH the vehicle suddenly began to lose motive power and stalled. The "Transmission" warning message was displayed after the failure had occurred. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2024
The vehicle was purchased in Dec of 2023. It had a slight vibration and hesitation under acceleration a few miles after leaving the dealership, just assumed everything needed to “break in”. About a month later, we had noticed an intermittent roaring noise coming from the engine bay that vibrates the whole vehicle and sometimes stops on its own or after moving the gear selector from Drive to Se... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2024
The vehicle was purchased in Dec of 2023. It had a slight vibration and hesitation under acceleration a few miles after leaving the dealership, just assumed everything needed to “break in”. About a month later, we had noticed an intermittent roaring noise coming from the engine bay that vibrates the whole vehicle and sometimes stops on its own or after moving the gear selector from Drive to Se... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
I bought this 2022 Elantra 2 years ago. Everytime I change my gear into reverse, my rear camera should be turned on for safety, but it's not working anymore.
Incident date: Apr 3, 2024
Catastrophic engine failure. 2016 Kia soul 2.0, (120000 miles) traveling 35 mph when the check engine light started blinking and the engine started making a rattling sound. Engine lost power and had trouble accelerating. If I was in an intersection or pulling out in front of on coming traffic it could have caused a sever accident. Kia needs to be held responsible for this common engine failure. It... Read more
Incident date: Apr 2, 2024
Slowed down to make a right turn at approximately 10 mph then heard a loud pop in the rear drivers side wheel. Noticed that wheel no longer had traction. Drove another 1/4 mile to my home where the vehicle was then inspected and noticed the rear tire was not aligned with the vehicle. After further inspection, I noticed the control arm was broken in half. Brought vehicle into a Tesla Service Cente... Read more
Incident date: Mar 29, 2024
Low beam headlights are extremely/dangerously low even if the lights are brand new. In my opinion it's extremely dangerous to drive with only my high beams on but thats the only way I can see at night theres no confidence in relying on my low beams.
Incident date: Mar 20, 2024
Bought new and there was a brake pad sensor message immediately that we took it to the dealer several times for and nothing was done other than clearing the code and giving it back. Was in accident 1/24 and it was found that there was a frayed/damaged wire in the break module and break pad sensor that I feel could have led to the accident
Crash
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
When the auto headlight feature is on, the headlights keep flashing even when it is sunny outside. The intellibeam sensor seems to be too sensitive to any deviations in lighting. This could cause issues while driving if people think you are intentionally flashing your lights at them.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (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 dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not expe... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2024
Unknown. My car is making a whining noise & no matter how much i push the gas pedal it won’t accelerate. Sometimes it works but mostly it won’t.
Incident date: Feb 28, 2024
Unknown. My car is making a whining noise & no matter how much i push the gas pedal it won’t accelerate. Sometimes it works but mostly it won’t.
Incident date: Mar 31, 2024
The warning light for defective passenger airbag came on. Honda denies it and yet cannot get the warning light off. My grandson is the passenger. He is in constant danger.
Incident date: Jan 18, 2023
Steering on my 2023 Honda hrv sport is trouble. While driving the car it pulls to the left and you have to hold the steering wheel tight with two hands to keep for having an accident. Honda dealer won’t fix the problem
Incident date: Feb 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while at a stop light the vehicle stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the battery cable needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer where it was diagnosed ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 17, 2024
I first noticed an issue with the alignment. The vehicle would always pull to the left. After 3 different alignment procedures, it remind the same. I started noticing a clunking sound when I would brake. While driving I hit a moderate pothole and the car lurched side to side, causing me to lose control. It was fortunate that I was on a surface street, and that I was only traveling about 35 mp... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2024
Heating up water on stove, glass bi-fold, shattered all over on the cool down. Stove burner was on for a very short time. This was the second time this happened. Unit is close to new and will not use glass structure again. Could get a serious injury.
Incident date: Mar 28, 2024
I was driving home from work and heard knocking sound come from engine. No sensors came on to alert me of any problem. I pulled over and checked oil. There was no oil and it was not due for oil change for another 1,000 miles. Oil is always changed between 3-5K miles. Took it to Gettel Hyundai dealership where it was purchased. They are unable to explain what or why this happened. Took claim out wi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2024
I was driving home from work and heard knocking sound come from engine. No sensors came on to alert me of any problem. I pulled over and checked oil. There was no oil and it was not due for oil change for another 1,000 miles. Oil is always changed between 3-5K miles. Took it to Gettel Hyundai dealership where it was purchased. They are unable to explain what or why this happened. Took claim out wi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 25, 2024
The radio/ my link is way to bright and there is no option to dim it. This makes an eye distraction and hard to see the road at night. there are many post about this concern online.
MAZDA
B-SERIES TRUCK
(2006) - AIR BAGS
Mar 27, 2024
Incident date: Mar 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) 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 local dealer was notified of the issue and confirmed that the parts were ordered but were not shipped... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2024
When we purchased this vehicle in June 2023, one of the first things I noticed, was an unusual switch on the steering wheel to allow, selecting and viewing all of the vehicle display information. This switch is located on the left side of the steering wheel. It is labeled OK meaning OK to display the selected menu item when you depress the OK button. The switch consists of a thumb wheel to go up... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2024
My wife was driving the vehicle on Monday afternoon and everything was fine and today she started the vehicle and the engine started to sound weirdly, she called me over the phone and she popped up the hood like I told her and she put her phone near the engine gave a little gas and I heard like there was no oil in it, she turned the vehicle off like I told her to do, waited like 5 minutes For the ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet HHR. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked with the key locked inside. The locksmith assisted the contact with entering the vehicle. The contact stated that it was difficult to pull out of the parking space due to a loss of power steering functionality. The vehicle was driven to a local mechanic but was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was n... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
Jeep will occasional shake violently at approximately 60 MPH. Had vehicle in to dealer in July 2023. Dealer said problem fixed. Most recent incident March 19th. Commonly referred to as Jeep “death wobble.” Vehicle in shop again.
Incident date: Mar 4, 2024
I received a warning on my dashboard to pullover safely because my engine was overheating even though I just left work from a cold start. I had it towed to my mechanic who told me I had a serious issue and recommended I take it to Ford. Ford just confirmed a short engine block issue and even though I had the required repair done on 7/9/22 that was supposed to prevent this more expensive issue. ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2023
This car does not have Full Self Driving, and I do not use Auto Steer. I experience multiple phantom braking events every time I use the "Traffic Aware Cruise Control." Sometimes I can see that the cruise control set speed has been reduced from the speed I set, and I have to cancel and reset it to resume the original speed. Sometimes the cruise control set speed is unchanged, and pushing the accel... Read more
Incident date: Mar 14, 2024
The steering wheel is "sticking" when making minor adjustments to keep car straight. This initially happened at highway speeds only. The longer you drive, the worse it gets. Almost every time a minor adjustment is made, it will stick. Also, it can happen when turning a corner when the steering wheel is not completely rotated around. The safety of myself and others seems to be at risk due to ... Read more
MAZDA
MX-5 MIATA
(1991) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 23, 2024
Incident date: Mar 22, 2024
The abs light and traction control light comes on intermittently which is caused by the HCU. Could cause a wreck
Incident date: Mar 18, 2024
While driving along, my jeep will suddenly lose all power, making it necessary to stop, place it in park, press my foot on the brake and re-start. There is absolutely no warning, no chugging or hesitation, it just dies. This is random and has occurred 4 times now. There has not seemed to be a pattern. The first time, I left my dooryard and within a couple hundred feet, it happend. The second... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2024
13540028 Fuel Pump Power Control Module Part failed leaving me stranded and had to get a tow. When the failure occurred, vehicle would not crank and there was no forewarning. It worked and then it didn't. The part is on notional backorder and there seems to be a lot of vehicles out there with the same issue and that just with the mechanics\service departments I've contacted that have had the pa... Read more
Incident date: Mar 22, 2024
[XXX] My wife received a warning light that the Brake fluid was low, upon the husband checking under the hood after cleaning the reservoir cap and opening the cap and looking inside of the reservoir I could see that there was no visible brake fluid in there. Using another car I purchased Prestone Dot 3 and filled the reservoir it, it took 8 oz out of 12 oz. The 2020 Equinox Premier only has 34,50... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
Loss of Power Steering Assist while driving, increasing risk of crash, occurred on 3/8/24. No warning of failure, but upon failure the dash indicated Power Steering malfunction. When able to schedule into repair shop, system error codes indicated the Electronic Power Steering Motor Control Module and Steering Column required replacement (shop mechanic said these parts have worn out). Vehicle ha... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2024
Power steering went out. The steering rack has now gone bad in this vehicle twice. The first time it was covered under a recall, 15S18, and then there were further issues, so they issued a customer satisfaction recall with the number 15N01. 2012 ford fusion with 110,000 miles, two steering racks, but because the customer service recall is expired, they won’t replace my second bad steering rack, ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2024
When turning the power steeting goes in and out and most of the time the steering wheel does not return and is stuck where it is continuing turning. Intermitent powersteering loss.
Incident date: Mar 11, 2024
My vehicle was parked in a secure parking garage at work. I came out from work and noticed a hairline crack in the windshield. I took it to Safelite seeking to have it repaired and was told the entire windshield needed replaced and the windshield was “thin” and “dangerous”
Incident date: Mar 11, 2024
The falcon braking system kicks in automatically, and the windshield wiper does not turn on automatically as it would in any basic car now a days. The available autopilot/ adaptive cruise control only gives unteliable cruise control. There were times where in the middle of a freeway the cruise control starts braking, luckily there were no vehicle behind us so there were no collisions so far. The... Read more
MAZDA
CX-90 PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2024) - STEERING
Mar 19, 2024
Incident date: Feb 11, 2024
The fact that the dealership was able to sell this car with a recall on is crazy, yes I have blame for not looking as well but now we are having issues with the front bumper hitting the tires when you turn and making a grinding noise. We were told that there’s nothing they could do as of yet but as I see this recall has been open for a while now? This is a big concern to us what if they don’t ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2024
The van suddenly started randomly throwing up a series of 5 different codes, all relating to the forward camera system. It will appear and disappear at random, showing lane keeping assist, forward collision system, adaptive cruise control, automatic dimming headlights and lane departure system failed. There are tons of issues with the car having bad cables/terminals for the rear camera, A/V syst... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2024
The van suddenly started randomly throwing up a series of 5 different codes, all relating to the forward camera system. It will appear and disappear at random, showing lane keeping assist, forward collision system, adaptive cruise control, automatic dimming headlights and lane departure system failed. There are tons of issues with the car having bad cables/terminals for the rear camera, A/V syst... Read more