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: Nov 14, 2023
Sunroof glass spontaneously and randomly cracked and exploded.
Incident date: Nov 14, 2023
Hydraulic electronic control
Incident date: Nov 18, 2023
EL AUTO TIENE UN OLOR FUERTE A GAS Y CUANDO ME DETUVE VOTO GASOLINA POR LA PARTE DE ATRAS EN EL LADO TRASERO DEL PASAJERO. DESPUES INTENTE HECHARLE GAS Y SE LLENA EL CUELLO DEL TANQUE HASTA DESVOLDARSE. NO PERMITE LA ENTRADA DE GAS. AUTO NO TIENE CODIGO DE FALLA. ESTOY PREOCUPADO PORQUE ESTA SITUACION PODRIA OCACIONAR UN INCENDIO. ENCONTRE UN RECALL 20Y6/20Y5 EL CUAL SE REFIERE A MI PROBLEMA. QIE... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
Purchased this truck specifically to tow 14000 lb fifth wheel camper. Two months ago warning chime and “service electronic brake system, Service antilock brakes and Traction Control” caution lights repeatedly activate. I am concerned about towing in this condition if operating on rain slick roads and winter weather. Also the constant chime is a serious distraction. Truck is currently at the de... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
Check engine lights on and says “Warning do not drive the hybrid brakes may fail do not drive “.
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
Check engine lights on and says “Warning do not drive the hybrid brakes may fail do not drive “.
Incident date: Oct 11, 2023
The contact's father owns a 2020 Honda Accord. The contact stated that following a short drive, the vehicle was parked on the street. The contact said that neighbors tried to alert him that the vehicle was on fire. The contact is hearing impaired and did not hear his neighbors knocking on his door. The fire department was called by a third party and extinguished the flames. The contact stated that... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Infiniti JX35. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The ABS system was activated. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH the vehicle independently accelerated to 60 MPH. The vehicle was jerking while the accelerator pedal was depressed to the floorboard. The contact was able to pull over. The contact called the local dealer b... Read more
Incident date: Oct 27, 2023
The doors will randomly stop working intermittently causing passengers to be stuck in the vehicle and in the event of an emergency making it difficult to safely exit the vehicle. The vehicle while In motion the engine would not function probably and would be flashing different engine light but never a code and the engine would stop
Incident date: Nov 3, 2023
On 9/29/23 while traveling on Rt. 17 West in the Town of Goshen, NY my vehicle experienced an unexpected loss of motive power. The vehicle was towed to the Chrysler dealership I purchased it from in Newburgh, NY and diagnosed with multiple trans failures requiring a new transmission. My husband contacted Chrysler Customer Service 800-992-1997. There is a recall S44 on 2015/2016 Dodge Grand Carav... Read more
Incident date: Nov 3, 2023
On 9/29/23 while traveling on Rt 17 West in the town of Goshen, NY my vehicle experienced an unexpected loss of motive power. The vehicle was towed to the dealership I purchased it from in Newburgh, NY and diagnosed with multiple trans failures requiring a new transmission. My husband contacted Chrysler Customer Service 800-992-1997. There is a recall S44 on 2015/2016 Dodge Grand Caravan/Chrysler ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 3, 2023
My brakes behave strangely cause i experience inconsistent brake feel after actuation during slow and steady application after brakes on rough or slick surfaces.also, All three lights ABS light,brake light and VSC come on and off on dashboard at the same time.
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
steering wheel makes noise when you turn it. probable steering gear bad
Incident date: Dec 24, 2021
Driver side door weld broke allowing door to possibly open while driving
Incident date: Nov 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered and jerked before losing motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle stalled and failed to immediately restart. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle briefly failed to indicate that the power was available to the vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the vehicle was included in an unknown recall and the ignition switch was replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start intermittently. The failure recurred several times and the contact needed to have the vehicle jumpstarted. The dealer was informed of the failure but was unable to identify the cause of the failu... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2023
During normal driving transmission will shift to Neutral, locks the system, and engine does not start when automatic idle stop had been engaged at stoplight or stop sign. Instead of restarting the engine, the feature causes the transmission and electrical system to lockup taking quite a bit of time to convince the car to restart.
Incident date: Nov 10, 2023
Coolant intruded into the cylinders due to an engine defect
MAZDA
MX-5 MIATA
(1994) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Nov 14, 2023
Incident date: May 1, 2010
The speedometer does not report the correct speed the truck is going It is off and the faster you go the more it is off. The dealership service manager tried to get it fixed twice and Ford engineering said that’s normal.
Incident date: Nov 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact used excessive force to steer the vehicle off to the shoulder of the highway. The vehicle failed to restart after several attempts. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the residence. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V735000 (Fuel ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 3, 2023
Placed car in park got out to open a gate. Car took off forward even when shifter was in Park Position and almost ran a child over.
Incident date: Nov 10, 2023
When trying to enter an interstate going at a slower speed, the car jumped from drive to park. The vehicle could not be driven. I was able to pull over safely. If it had happened in traffic or at a higher speed, it could have been very dangerous. The engine issue light came on shortly later. The vehicle is at the dealer now. They haven’t been able to reproduce the issue.
Incident date: Oct 18, 2023
This vehicle has less than 24k miles, and just surpassed the warranty period and suddenly with no explanation, it won't start due to a faulty start switch in the brake pedal which must be depressed to start the vehicle or shift into drive. 90% of the time the vehicle will not start. Only after spending 10-20 fidgeting with the break pedal while simultaneously pushing the start button and moving th... Read more
Incident date: Oct 5, 2023
Defective component is the CVT Transmission. Vehicle involuntary non shifting, and stalling. Component was inspected by independent service center. Vehicle has been inspected by deale of any other person besides independent service center. n No system indicator or previous warning was given.
Incident date: Nov 3, 2023
CVT jerks the vehicle and stutters when at certain rpms, making long car rides very uncomfortable. Feels like whiplash every so often. Very dangerous when trying to speed up to pass another vehicle because the vehicle doesn't respond and accelerate as it should. The dealer said its normal because of the CVT technology. They said they tried to reproduce it, but were only gone 5 minutes. The hig... Read more
Incident date: Nov 3, 2023
CVT jerks the vehicle and stutters when at certain rpms, making long car rides very uncomfortable. Feels like whiplash every so often. Very dangerous when trying to speed up to pass another vehicle because the vehicle doesn't respond and accelerate as it should. The dealer said its normal because of the CVT technology. They said they tried to reproduce it, but were only gone 5 minutes. The hig... Read more
Incident date: Nov 3, 2023
a rusted rear subframe is more prone to crack when a driver hits a pothole or wants to brake quickly, which can lead to instability in the vehicle's rear suspension.
Incident date: Jun 3, 2023
While drive 70mph on the highway the service steering column lock message displayed and the steering column locked. The service traction control warning displayed and vehicle traction control system began malfunctioning and tires began locking up. Break system failure message displayed, vehicle lost power to functional breaking capability. Trailer breaks disabled warding displayed, service require... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2023
While drive 70mph on the highway the service steering column lock message displayed and the steering column locked. The service traction control warning displayed and vehicle traction control system began malfunctioning and tires began locking up. Break system failure message displayed, vehicle lost power to functional breaking capability. Trailer breaks disabled warding displayed, service require... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2023
Using the adaptive cruise control in I-64, the car will dangerously slow down/brake in the turns. If someone was following m, this slow down would have been unexpected, and could have rear ended us or lost control trying to avoid us. Unexpected slowdowns are dangerous. Not sure if this happens at lower speeds on side triads since I don’t use the cruise control on those roads.
Incident date: Nov 10, 2023
When driving on the highway for about 45 mins the steering will feel sticky or “lock up” and make changing lanes very hard. The steering wheel will be hard to move, and you have to “break free” which causes a very sharp lane change that you have to recorrect. This is not safe, others have reported the same issues on forums.
Incident date: Nov 10, 2023
After only 64000 miles the 2018 Ram 1500 3.6L engine will need major repair with the cam shaft. With no longer a warranty I am stuck paying for the repair. I believe this is a common problem. I have religiously changed oil and kept mileage low.
Incident date: Nov 9, 2023
The lights spontaneously turned off while driving on a cloudy night on an unlit section of interstate. While slowing the car down, it went onto gravel, semi-circled around and flipped over onto the lower median. No air bag deployed. No protection from shoulder seat belt. Head hit steering wheel, and I briefly lost consciousness. Tests showed skull and cervical fractures. The car was "totaled... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Nov 9, 2023
Drivers side seat belt will not click in and I believe that is a safety problem
Incident date: Nov 9, 2023
The paint on my Kia is abnormally bubbling and flaking off.
Incident date: Nov 9, 2023
Hello, There is a few things going on with this vehicle, this is a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 27k miles. Uploading recalls on this vehicle. 1. It has a fuel leak, this is a vehicle that does not have a gas cap, it has been fully diagnosed by the dealer, they want to charge $900.00 to repair plus a $250.00 diagnostic fee. 2. Car would not move, stopped abruptly, had to turn car on and off... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2023
The steering wheel sticks at the 12:00 position when driving at cruising speeds. Then, I have to use force to adjust the steering wheel while tracking down the road. The steering wheel breaks free and causes me to oversteer in that direction and I have to quickly steer back. It happens 50% of the time I’m driving over 60mph.
Incident date: Jun 15, 2023
The rear power sliding window in my 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT leaks whenever it rains. The leaking water enters the cab and runs down the back interior wall of the crew cab and saturates the insulation material and the carpeting on the floor. The moisture has caused the seat brackets that attach the seat to the truck to rust and it has also caused mold inside the cab. I purchased a DIY mold... Read more
Incident date: Nov 9, 2023
Keep getting LANE KEEPING and ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL errors randomly as well as BRAKE SYSTEM warning lights. Took to Honda and they said my camera and radar were functioning fine and recalibrated to be sure. I’m still receiving error messages daily.
Incident date: Nov 9, 2023
Keep getting LANE KEEPING and ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL errors randomly as well as BRAKE SYSTEM warning lights. Took to Honda and they said my camera and radar were functioning fine and recalibrated to be sure. I’m still receiving error messages daily.
Incident date: Nov 10, 2023
Ford is refusing to fix the coolant intrusion that is now happening on my vehicle
Incident date: Nov 10, 2023
The brake pedal goes all the way to the floor without stopping the car. It makes a hissing sound. I have almost had three collisions because of it. The Ford service center told me it's three months outside of the manufacture date range for a warrantied service of the brake booster on select Ford Edge models manufactured at their Oakridge plant between May 3, 2010 and March 28, 2013. (13N02) My c... Read more
Incident date: Nov 10, 2023
ADAS sporadically works. It constantly turns off and on. Have taken it to dealer, codes are cleared, camera is cleaned, and am told that should fix the problem. Within 5 blocks of leaving dealership, the problem comes back. The next solution according to them is replace the camera for $1800. This is a safety issue. The safety features are unreliable. I have also researched online and there ar... Read more
Incident date: Nov 3, 2023
The engines makes a weird chatter noise all the time
Incident date: Nov 3, 2023
The engines makes a weird chatter noise all the time
Incident date: Nov 3, 2023
The engines makes a weird chatter noise all the time
Incident date: Nov 5, 2023
2016 Kia Sorento SX 3.3l engine failure at 87k miles. Head bolts backed out. Kia dealership verified the issue. The engine could have seized why driving which is a safety risk. No warning lights at all.
Incident date: Nov 5, 2023
I was driving to work when I had to stop at a red light as I hit the accelerator it didn’t move. I continued to press it as I was the first car at a green light suddenly the car jerked forcefully and went. I arrived at work and called my father to look at it and he told me to drive it home which is about 7 minutes away. As I drove the car it began jerking violently and slowing down. It was not s... Read more
MAZDA
CX-90 PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2024) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Nov 9, 2023
Incident date: Oct 29, 2023
American Honda states they performed NHTSA Recall Number 23V-431 but rear view camera still does not operate correctly. They are stating that I must pay out of pocket to replace a different part to be able to have the rear view camera operational again and per the terms of the recall notice, I am to have this fixed without charge and within a reasonable amount of time. Please help!
MAZDA
CX-90 PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2024) - VISIBILITY/WIPER
Nov 9, 2023
Incident date: Oct 29, 2023
American Honda states they performed NHTSA Recall Number 23V-431 but rear view camera still does not operate correctly. They are stating that I must pay out of pocket to replace a different part to be able to have the rear view camera operational again and per the terms of the recall notice, I am to have this fixed without charge and within a reasonable amount of time. Please help!