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: Mar 30, 2023
Thermostat/coolant sensor malfunctioning causing engine fan to constantly run as if the engine is over heating. Some engine exhaust door/flap is stuck open or closed causing check engine light to come on. And or the actuators doors are broken causing windows to fog and obstruct view. Not sure what would cause this issue but I have had to have work done on my vehicle twice for this issue within 3 y... Read more
Incident date: Mar 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that on various occasions, the transmission was downshifting into first gear and causing the vehicle to come to sudden stops. The check engine and power train malfunction warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission control module (TCM) and lead frame needed to ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2023
Air bag light continues to turn on, possibly making side air bag inoperable. The dealership tells us that dirt or debris getting under the front seat can cause the airbags to malfunction.
Incident date: Aug 23, 2021
While driving, a small rock hit the the windshield. This caused a circular Crack in the windshield. The crack seemed excessive given the low rare of speed (approximately 25mph). My concern is that if the windshield cracks easily from a small rock at a low speed, it won't hold up at higher speeds or to an average sized piece of road debris.
Incident date: Mar 18, 2023
When turning key stalling to start car. Finally car wouldn’t start and I went to auto services and they said I probably needed a new battery. So I purchased a new battery. Now it’s about two months later and car is hesitating/stalling to start again as I try crank the car up.
Incident date: Mar 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Veracruz. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced an engine oil leak. The contact stated that the engine oil leaked onto the alternator and caused the alternator to fail. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V415000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the d... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2023
Check engine light stays on and car does not charge. Both recalls were done at the dealership
Incident date: Mar 9, 2023
I was commuting to work when my engine experienced catastrophic failure and was stuck on the interstate. Prior to this, the engine was making audible "ticking" sounds which are indicative of rod bearing failure. This happens from poorly lubricated parts and is a direct result of Honda of America requiring 0w-20 oil in its direct injected earth dreams motors. These earth dream engines have had a pr... Read more
Incident date: Feb 8, 2023
Battery terminal became loose
Crash
Incident date: Dec 10, 2022
UNKNOWN (unexplained engine failure)
Incident date: Mar 17, 2023
I was driving my Audi on the Interstate with my husband and daughter in the vehicle when the tire blew making a loud boom. I gripped the wheel as we almost flipped the vehicle driving off the road.
Incident date: Mar 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Dart. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH there was a loud abnormal banging sound before the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle went dark and there was no electrical power. The vehicle failed to restart. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer who could not duplicate the failure. The contact stated that the failure occurred two more times a... Read more
Incident date: Mar 28, 2023
The vehicle has failed to start on 3 occasions and needed to be jumped. When towed to the dealership they’ve been unable to find any issues.
Incident date: Mar 6, 2023
I was driving around 15 mph and the van suddenly lost all electrical and engine power. I could not drive and none of the instruments were working. I could not turn on the emergency blinkers / hazard lights. I could not restart the van. No buttons were working. The van came to a stop with some bad sounds from the engine. I was on a hill and I had to keep my foot on the brake otherwise the van would... Read more
Incident date: Mar 27, 2023
On Saturday, 3/4/2023, I stopped at a supercharger lot to charge my car during a trip. As I entered the lot, I noticed that the road conditions were poor, almost like a gravel road. To be cautious, I drove slowly towards the three empty parking spaces in the middle of the lot, intending to park in the middle spot. I noticed that the road conditions were even worse in front of the parking spot, but... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 26, 2023
•In early October 2022 when the car owner purchased the Hyundai 2017 Elantra it had 77,717 miles on it. The inspection of the car by the dealership’s service department prior to purchase did not indicate any concerns with the engine. No mention was made of the need for an extended warranty. •In February 2023, four months after purchase, the car was taken to a Hyundai Service Department of ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2022
The steering stiffens up (once the engine warms up) while driving and gives unnecessary resistance on initial attempt to turn the steering wheel in any direction (especially at highway speeds). It becomes very tedious on a long drive. I took the car to a dealership and they made a few changes to the settings but it did not fix the problem. They said they would need the car for several days and dri... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2023
The frame of the truck is excessively rusty and the manufacture undercoating has flaked off. All components of the frame and underbody have significant rust for the age of the vehicle. This was just addressed with the dealership who stated there was no warranty to cover it. There has been no service done to the frame and all preventative maintenance and service checks have been done at the deal... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2023
Steering wheel gives resistance to movement, both left and right. This creates a safety hazard from oversteering. The contact stated that the date the failure was first noticed was Oct 1st.
Incident date: Oct 31, 2022
Melted headlight connector.Have replace headlight connector and headlight bulb several times. Using the manufacturers recommend bulb. 9005LN. On 3/21/23 it overheated again an cause a electrical fire behind the headlight assembly. It is fleet police car and I have several cars that have the headlight connector melted and replace.
Fire
Incident date: Feb 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle decelerated independently, and then failed to respond with the accelerator pedal depressed. The contact veered to the side of the road, and the engine started shaking and knocking. Additionally, the check engine and oil level warning lights remained illuminated. The vehicle was unable to restart and was ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2023
Hello. My 2017 Ford F-150 has experienced the faulty windshield wiper issue resulting in the wiper motor to fail. As a result, I've had to replace the wiper motor engine\wiper arms twice in the past couple of years. All services were taken care of through the local Ford Dealership including transaction history. I understand the recent recall for this issue but when I contact Ford Customer Service,... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Gator Made Trailer. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the message “Check Trailer Brake Wiring” was displayed, and the trailer brake failed to engage as needed. The trailer was taken to an unknown dealer, where it was diagnosed but no issues were found. The trailer was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the tra... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2023
Wipers will not stay in continuous setting (low) for more than 20 seconds before slowing down to extra slow for another 20 seconds, then stopping continuous and becoming intermittent. Have to keep changing the wiper speed control manually to keep them going continuously. It appears that the factory windshield is extra high friction even when clean and since new, which may be causing the issue of w... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2023
On highway this Honda CR-V was hit by another vehicle 2013 doge at right rear side. Other car was sliding on the road , crossing the lanes and hitting the CR-V. Side airbags were deployed immediately during primary collision. CR-V didn’t stop after that. It turned left from right most lane and hit the median heavily. Lane keeping assistance, frontal collision system, automatic emergency braking ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Feb 28, 2023
CVT transmission problem. Car has burning smell and jerks on freeway. Case has been reported to Nissan consumer affairs and has been taken in for repairs at a Nissan service center twice and still have not fixed the problem. https://knightlawgroup.com/nissan-cvt-transmission-problems/
Incident date: Dec 20, 2022
Car speed up on it on, and would not stop ,tried to push brake pad car still didn't stop car cash into another car air bag catch on fire shot some kind of metal piece in my leg and put a hole in my leg and metal pieces hit my face and burn it had to go to hospital with injuries due to this
Crash
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: Dec 20, 2022
Car speed up on it on, and would not stop ,tried to push brake pad car still didn't stop car cash into another car air bag catch on fire shot some kind of metal piece in my leg and put a hole in my leg and metal pieces hit my face and burn it had to go to hospital with injuries due to this
Crash
Fire
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 18, 2023
The following warning lights will randomly turn on & off while driving: Air Bag Malfunction, ABS Brakes, ESC, Adaptive Cruise Control, Front collision, tire pressure, power steering, blind spot detection, low Key Battery detected, and indicate they are not functional. It is a random and items will go back to work while normally driving. Key fob battery has been replaced multiple times...
Incident date: Feb 13, 2023
Electrical System. Yes. While driving in traffic both on surface streets and the freeway the power in my vehicle stopped. The vehicle went from Drive to Park on its own. The battery light came on. The Start/Stop light went from solid green to blinking green. Vehicles around me had to stop suddenly to avoid a collision and the wait until I could restart the vehicle. This has happened a few ti... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2023
The torque converter is bad and when driving on the highway it stopped my car and caused it to stop luckily I was able to get off the freeway before wreck could happen
Incident date: Mar 15, 2023
I was driving on a highway at the posted speed and suddenly the front right wheel broke off the vehicle and caused me to roll 6 times on the highway and I was wrongly accused of being at fault.
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Mar 16, 2022
While driving down the interstate I-65 South, my sunroof spontaneously exploded. It sounded like a bomb explosion inside my car and could have caused grave danger to myself. There was nothing dropped on my sunroof as the screen remained intact and closed with no damage. This was an upward and out explosion of my sunroof, which I feel is a defect and should have been the responsibility of BMW. Howe... Read more
Incident date: Dec 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Phoenix Cruiser RV built on a 2021 Ford E-450 chassis, equipped with a 6400 Series window vent. The contact stated that he became aware that the side window was delaminating. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21E047000 (Structure, Equipment). The RV was taken to a local dealer and was diagnosed, and it was determined that the failure was related to the adhe... Read more
Incident date: Feb 13, 2023
Rear doors will fail to latch shut in cold weather. Repeated closings of the door (slammed or gentle) fails to latch shut for up to 10 minutes or more. On last occasion door appeared to be shut, but while driving door came open (almost hitting 2 children waiting for school bus). TSB exists for this problem but some claim problem to persist after repair. Do not feel safe driving the car anymore for... Read more
Incident date: Dec 5, 2022
bought the car used with 60K miles. Learned quickly it was consuming 1 qt of oil per month. I checked with Hyundai Corporate Customer Care and my local dealership. Dealership said needed to burn 1qt per 1000 miles before they would submit anything to corporate for possible warrantee issue. Monitored consumption. Now up to about 2 qts per month. Took it to the dealership and they said now beyond wa... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V767000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine) 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. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The cont... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2023
Vehicle has no heat or defrost vehicle has been in the shop for over 30 days this problem began as soon as the car was leased new at the dealership which was at the end of January
Incident date: Mar 10, 2023
This isn't another case of the Auto Pilot being engaged and the driver not paying attention. I was driving, in the rain, on a normal road surface, with both hands on the wheel. The car attempted to steer away and out of my lane when there wasn't an obstacle or any other hazard near me. My hand went from the 10 and 2 o'clock positions to the 11 and 3 o'clock position before it straightened back out... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 12, 2023
2022 Ford F150, PowerBoost, Platinum, 9100 miles, Bang and Olufson 18 speaker stereo system. Got in the truck today and turned the truck on and instantly heard very loud, "electric crackling" noise. It took a few seconds to realize the noise was coming out of the speakers. I was not able to turn the noise off, with radio power button or by turning the truck off. I was perplexed, so I started a... Read more
Incident date: Mar 12, 2023
I was sold this car from a dealer and told nothing was wrong with it, 2 days later codes U0002 (CAN communication BUS performance) and U0103 (Loss communication with gear shift module) came on and the car will go into what I believe is limp mode every 10-30 minutes into driving it. I believe the Column shifter assembly is to blame as there was a recall for this same part and I’m having the same ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 8, 2023
When put in reverse vehicle would not move (reverse back). Vehicle needs to be restarted several times for it to reverse properly. A safety issue when trying to maneuver in live traffic.
Incident date: Feb 8, 2023
The power steering turns off and on intermittently at random times, locations, and speeds, sometimes when your driving straight, sometimes when your turning. My assumption is it is a fault electronic stearing system. As this has been known to happen to similar models.
Incident date: Mar 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Ram 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V835000 (Power Train), 22V904000 (Structure), and 23V060000 (Electrical System) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were 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. The manufac... Read more
Incident date: Feb 17, 2023
The UConnect in the vehicle delaminated, which caused a crack on the screen. Due to that, the back up cameras do not work & the controls for most things in the vehicle are unable to be used now because they are all connected via the UConnect.
Incident date: Nov 27, 2022
For the Engine problem While driving the car there was a warning about the battery and asked to check the manual, immediately after that another warning was coolant too hot and the car shut down in the middle of the road For the transmission problem While driving the gear went to Neutral by itself. I put it back in drive about 4 minutes later it went back to neutral by itself and I had to put it... Read more
Incident date: Nov 27, 2022
For the Engine problem While driving the car there was a warning about the battery and asked to check the manual, immediately after that another warning was coolant too hot and the car shut down in the middle of the road For the transmission problem While driving the gear went to Neutral by itself. I put it back in drive about 4 minutes later it went back to neutral by itself and I had to put it... Read more
Incident date: Nov 27, 2022
When I go to start the car the car does not start....a warning comes on saying "vehicle key not being detected" see owners manual The key is sitting on the console when I start it. It took me 3 times before it started . I left a gym in the morning hours and it wouldn't start when I came out ...same warning came on.. This has happened 4 times in a 3 month period. Has been in service 4 time... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V010000 (Electrical System, Hybrid Propulsion System) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not expe... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2023
I have tried to get a remedy for the major recall and Chrysler is being unresponsive. I can’t let my young family use the car until this is fixed and Chrysler won’t help so what do I do?