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: Dec 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 BMW 230I. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and the vehicle was restarted and the coolant level dropped dramatically. The vehicle was driven to the residence and coolant was added. The contact stated that when the vehicle was restarted, he observed a gushing sound coming from underneath th... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2023
Subject: Safety Concerns Regarding Recent Model y Autopilot Update To Whom It May Concern at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), I am writing to urgently express my concerns about the latest software update for the Tesla Model Y’s autopilot system, which, in my view, significantly compromises safety. As a Model 3 owner for over one year, I have generally found the vehic... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 BMW X4. The contact stated that while his wife was at a stop sign, the vehicle suddenly accelerated to approximately 90 mph and crashed into a garage door that was twenty feet away. There were no reported injuries, but the driver and rear-seat child occupant went to the hospital for medical assistance. The vehicle was towed to a collision center. There was no reported fire.... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 12, 2023
The engine cuts out and stalls while turning through an intersection (with danger of being rear ended) or driving through parking lots at low speed. The car will zoom forward right after that, usually while in a parking lot nearly hitting pedestrians on several occasions! This issue is a frequent occurrence becoming more dangerous the past 2 years. We have our car serviced at the Subaru deale... Read more
Incident date: Dec 12, 2023
Steering wheel sticking when driving. Gets temporarily stuck when making slight adjustments on the road.
Incident date: Dec 12, 2023
Door is cracking only at 38k miles and the thing pops when I open and shut it on drivers side sounds like it’s going to fall right off
Incident date: Nov 30, 2023
Vehicle will apply breaks abruptly on its own whenever it thinks a vehicle is too close. Was in traffic and it kept slamming on the breaks as I would try and move forward. Will slam on the breaks whenever I attempt to just slow down during the course of driving. Was on the highway and anytime I pressed the breaks to slow down, automatic breaks would slam down breaks on its own. Drove vehicle rig... Read more
Incident date: Dec 16, 2023
Motor failure when low oil pressure sensor came on. car had plenty of oil . up to date on oil changes and service. 69457 miles.
Incident date: Dec 16, 2023
The same engine in these 2015 - 2016 Kia Cadenzas is the same engine present in the Kia Sorentos which have been being investigated for early failure, My kia cadenza stalled at 63 miles per hour on route 73 in new jersey and ever since I've been terrified of it, the dealer (Burlington Kia of South Jersey) told me this is common, and they have stingers and most cars with this same 3.3 engine in for... Read more
Incident date: Dec 21, 2023
After Tesla software update 2023.44.30.2, the rear back up camera no longer works. It’s just a black screen. Failure first occurred on 12/20/2023. Also, Tesla “Auto pilot” no longer works (cruise control and lane assist). Support team could not fix both issues. Have a service appointment scheduled on 12/27/2023. Thank you and happy holidays.
Incident date: Dec 24, 2023
Loss of power. Was driving across a 4 lane intersection and the vehicle lost power. The engine light came on. I stopped and check the oil and it was 2 quarts low. We had just changed oil less than 2,000 mikes ago. I tool the car to parts store and they said it was a p0309 code. That #4 cylinder misfire. It was either coil or spark plug. I replaced both coil and spark plugs 15,000 miles ago. The p... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2023
- The side detection module became corroded, blew a fuse and stopped functioning. This was reported in a service bulletin and extended warranty protection for some GM vehicles, but not the Buick Verano. [XXX] - This happened while driving. The vehicle would still drive, but lost all gauge functions (No speedometer, tachometer, fuel, or temp gauges). -The side obstacle detection system does not... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that on four occasions while driving at various speeds, the driver's door swung open unintendedly. Additionally, the contact stated that when the vehicle was shifted into reverse, there was a blue screen displayed. The contact stated that the trunk would not open to allow the reverse camera to be repaired. The vehicle was taken to an indepen... Read more
Incident date: May 7, 2023
Starlink notification to the dealership that there was a problem with the airbag system. The “seat bottom” that contained the the passenger detector sensor was defective and the entire airbag system is disabled.
Incident date: May 7, 2023
For several years the steering has been binding and lightly locking durind highway driving. After numerous attempts to have the dealer test drive the vehicle to duplicate the problem, in 2022 they said there was a dangerous problem with the steering. They replaced the steering shaft and the problem was almost completely fixed. Gradually the steering began to bind again and on 18 Dec 2023 I aske... Read more
Incident date: Dec 21, 2023
All of a sudden while braking on a freeway offramp, the check engine light came on and a reduced propulsion warning came on my screen. The car ran weird for about a day, then it wouldn't start. I had it towed to a dealer, they diagnosed the BECM went bad, now my car has been there 2.5 weeks and there's no estimated ship date for the part, much less repair date. If they said they had enough parts ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2023
air bag warning light repeatedly goes on and off. code B1764, B1490, sometime both.
Incident date: Dec 14, 2023
In cold weather lcd display of dash display malfunction, no odometer reading, fuel or maintanance reminders on 12/18/2023. Only lasted 10 minutes but was concerning. car is out of warranty 42,000 miles , lots reports of same thing on HRV forum, goes all the way back 8 years honda was aware of this problem, last inspection was in 2021. This happened without warning and means you dont known how mu... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
So thanks to YOUR interference my Autopilot on my Tesla is broken... You guys THINK you are making our cars safer by getting your controlling poorly educated stupid hands into Tesla systems that are DESIGNED TO BE MORE SAFE. On paper Tesla Autopilot is factually proven to be more safe than a human driver, these reports are publicly available perhaps your team was too lazy to read them. My car d... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2010 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2010 Chrysler Town and Country. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2023
Vehicle brakes normally initially at stop lights but then the brakes are unable to hold the vehicle stationary. Brake pedal slowly goes to the floor and vehicle creeps forward into traffic. No warning lights. No brake fluid leaks at wheels. Full brake fluid reservoir.
Incident date: Dec 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted, and vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2023
The contact owned a 2009 Nissan Quest. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, she did not notice that the traffic light had turned red and continued driving. Another oncoming vehicle made a left turn in front of her. The contact stated that she swerved and the front end of the vehicle hit a pole. The contact saw smoke coming from underneath the hood. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact hi... Read more
Crash
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: Dec 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V380000 (Engine) 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 available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aw... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2023
Our jeep is a leased vehicle with approx 5,200 miles. While riding on the highway going approx 65 mph the vehicle began to death wobble causing the driver to nearly lose control of the car. We were on a 4 lane interstate that could have resulted in a severe accident had the driver actually lost control. With so few miles on the vehicle there is no reason other than a manufacturing defect that woul... Read more
Incident date: Dec 19, 2023
Our jeep is a leased vehicle with approx 5,200 miles. While riding on the highway going approx 65 mph the vehicle began to death wobble causing the driver to nearly lose control of the car. We were on a 4 lane interstate that could have resulted in a severe accident had the driver actually lost control. With so few miles on the vehicle there is no reason other than a manufacturing defect that woul... Read more
Incident date: Dec 17, 2023
Car got a stop safely now error and stopped working. I had to call a tow truck and have it sent to a dealership.
Incident date: Dec 7, 2023
hyundai palisade sel 2020 frequently stops the speedometer ,rpm meter,fuel gauge ,lane departure. This may be due to defection instrument cluster,a recall should be immediately made as it might cause accident as speed of a vehicle cannot be knowing and also the lane departure is never turned on when this happen ,also driver won’t know how much is the fuel remaining . Attaching a photo
Incident date: Dec 7, 2023
hyundai palisade sel 2020 frequently stops the speedometer ,rpm meter,fuel gauge ,lane departure. This may be due to defection instrument cluster,a recall should be immediately made as it might cause accident as speed of a vehicle cannot be knowing and also the lane departure is never turned on when this happen ,also driver won’t know how much is the fuel remaining . Attaching a photo
Incident date: Dec 7, 2023
the transmission on my 2018 ford 150 is slipping and shifting so rough that i am somewhat afraid to drive it in traffic . this is the third time its in the shop for the same problem.. Sometimes it shifts so hard the transmission makes a clunking sound and jerks our necks. Ford seems unable to fix the problem. There were never any warning alerts of a malfunction but the problem is so bad now tha... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
APIM unit and plastic body components 2016 F150, 31,071mi., Sync3 v3.0.20204 Symptoms: Malfunction of the power window controls, radio controls and instrument panel. The APIM also controls many other safety functions, such as rear camera, safety lanes, park assist, backup guides, gps, cruise control, trailer/tow information, and other warnings/features. It is notable that Ford has issued recalls... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2022
APIM unit and plastic body components 2016 F150, 31,071mi., Sync3 v3.0.20204 Symptoms: Malfunction of the power window controls, radio controls and instrument panel. The APIM also controls many other safety functions, such as rear camera, safety lanes, park assist, backup guides, gps, cruise control, trailer/tow information, and other warnings/features. It is notable that Ford has issued recalls... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
ABS light comes on needs a hydraulic control module which has been on back order for over a year. These trucks will lock up the brakes and lose traction without this part.
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
Vehicle headlight burned out while driving at night time reduced visibility. Upon inspection found the headlight wires insulation located behind the passenger's light bulb connector melted/burnt causing short circuit. Temporary fixing it with an electrical tape.
Incident date: Jun 7, 2023
Check engine light came on reduced propulsion warning. Took to Chevrolet dealer and they diagnosed EGR value failure while on road trip. Got home Took it to my local dealership and same diagnosed no part available and emissions warranty is good and it is covered but 2 year nationwide backorder by GM. The car only shows 47000 miles without parts I will not be able to use the vehicle after it fails ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the odor of fuel was present inside and outside the vehicle. Additionally, while operating the vehicle, the contact experienced burning eyes, headaches, and nausea due to the fuel odor. Medical treatment was not required. The vehicle was taken to local dealer who replaced the PVC hoses but the failure reoccu... Read more
Incident date: Oct 7, 2023
Tues 12-12-23 about 7:10 am. The sun has risen. No rain or weather issues. No cars were driving in front or behind me. One lane road. Driving about 25 mph. A metal plate for road construction is across the lane. My 2019 CR-V comes to a sudden, complete stop. No warning, just beeps and slams on the brakes. Tires screech and my bags fly off the seat. Thankfully, no one was behind me or I could... Read more
Incident date: Oct 19, 2023
Vehicle experienced catastrophic power failure while I was driving. Without warning, the vehicle shut down completely. The engine stopped, the brakes engaged, the dash went black. There was no way to communicate with the vehicle -- no way to engage emergency flashers or even to push it to the side of the road (because the brakes were locked). There was a loud "pulse" sound coming through the speak... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
I was driving down the interstate and the piece on the side where it covers the windshield blows off, the passenger side now tries to. When it happened i rolled the window down and held onto it until we could pull over.
Incident date: Oct 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start after several attempts. In addition, the engine began to sputter while idling. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the fuel tank sensor was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact also stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the ve... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
While driving down interstate my transmission just went out down shifted almost causing someone to hit me from behind after some research I learned gmc vehicles have been having this problem for the last 10 years but yet keep using the same transmissions it's not right the money they selling these vehicles for and we the little people have to pay for them knowing the problem but not caring just on... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
Vehicle malfunctioned and was unable to be driven. Had to tow to dealership where they diagnosed the problem to be a BECM board, and new HV battery. It has been at dealership for 6 weeks at this point, with no ETA on new battery to arrive.
Incident date: Dec 13, 2023
Driving down I40 between exit 57 and exit 47 when my truck started making a bad vibration and horrible noise. it was dark so I could not see if it was smoking or anything coming from the exhaust. Had the truck towed to my dad's house which was closer to mine. Once there we did an initial investigation on what was wrong. After pulling the dip stick and noticing there was metal material on the dip s... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2023
Airbag light keeps appearing and the airbag is slowing coming out from under dashboard.
Incident date: Dec 13, 2023
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while the vehicle was receiving a routine oil change, the mechanic observed that the frame was corroded and fractured near the front passenger’s side wheel. The contact was informed that the frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2011 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that the turn signal, interior lights, hazard lights, fog lights, brake lights, windows, and exterior lights were inoperable. The Service Now warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2023
So essentially I stopped for a charge about 30 minutes before, I charged it, then hopped back on the turnpike as I was heading to Outer Banks NC, while I was on the turn pike where I believe at the time I started to go around a curve not a sharp one but a curve right after coming off this bridge. Every 1 minute and 30 seconds you have to put your hands on the wheel and give it a jerk to keep it en... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Azera. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (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 made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The m... Read more
Incident date: Dec 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V342000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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 manufactur... Read more