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: Jan 30, 2023
During a night drive, travelling approx. 40mph, car warning system audio blared a warning and suddenly braked causing car to skid (was raining) and causing driver to also jolt forward with momentum. There was very little time between beginning of audio warning and car slamming on brakes.
Incident date: Jan 30, 2023
Was driving got up to stop sign the belt made a squaling noise and the brake pedal was hard brakes failed and i couldnt stop
Incident date: Jan 30, 2023
Check engine, ABS, Sway Bar lights came on. Service shifter and suspension warnings. Loss of power steering almost caused me to drive off road at 30 MPH.
Incident date: Jan 11, 2023
Using Autopilot on an empty highway at appx 65mph, the auto pilot system began to brake aggressively without any obstacles in front of me. As it approached 40 or 30 mph, I pressed on the brake to cancel the autopilot before I was hit from behind. Scary.
Incident date: Dec 23, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Mazda CX-3. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle was moving from left to right. The contact stated that the brakes were making an abnormal scraping sound. There was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The local dealer was not contacted. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2022
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Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Dec 23, 2022
and Brakes202022 HighlandAR of Th RcosearhostEN9 & Brake& steercar was freewheeling,ENg.LOST stee and slbeingr
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Jan 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz Metris. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V482000 (Tires) 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms p... Read more
Incident date: Jan 30, 2023
The truck was sitting overnight outside in the cold. In the morning we remote started from the house. When we went outside the rear window of the truck had shattered. the top seal had also completely come apart.
Incident date: Jan 27, 2023
Knocking sounds started happening when turning steering wheel. Confirmed by independent mechanic and Rodman Ford dealership to need power steering rack/electric motor. Recall for this problem on other 2015 Ford fusions but my VIN is not included. I have been told this is a serious safety issue and it should be covered.
Incident date: Dec 22, 2022
Transmission has malfunctioned, will not properly shift into higher gears, when stopped is not able to be put into park. Issue started with not warnings, was driving perfectly fine before. Cruise control has failed, parking brake has malfunctioned, and power steering has malfunctioned.
Incident date: Dec 22, 2022
Transmission has malfunctioned, will not properly shift into higher gears, when stopped is not able to be put into park. Issue started with not warnings, was driving perfectly fine before. Cruise control has failed, parking brake has malfunctioned, and power steering has malfunctioned.
Incident date: Jan 27, 2023
To be brief, I had a nissan sentra 2019 leased car from 10/19 to present. About 1 year during its lease (3 year), I noticed that the instrument clock freezes and the other clock on the radio panel/screen does not. I have contacted NIssan company and the dealership that I leased the auto from. NO help at all. I have 6 different videos of this situation on my cell phone. The main reason I am co... Read more
Incident date: Jan 27, 2023
Everytime I fill the gas tank the car stalls out several times and then stalls when deceleration and turning.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2023
This incident is related to the rear view camera and the sync/radio interface in my vehicle. The recent recall for ford explorers in relation to the rear cameras are also present in the ford edge. In addition to these issues, when I am driving my rear view camera will turn on while driving. This has occurred on the freeway and has impacted how my car reacts to collision assists, lane keeping/depar... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while attempting to close the doors, the four doors failed to latch properly. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to be repaired; however, while driving off the lot, the contact became aware that the radio was inoperable, and the brake pedal was firm and difficult to depress. The vehicle was not taken back to the dealer. The manufac... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2022
Dear. NHTSA I owned a 2022 Kia Sorento and my vehicle had serious issues. I have attached Complaint Letter as a PDF file. Kindly review and advise your help. Thank you so much. Best regards, [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Jul 21, 2022
Dear. NHTSA I owned a 2022 Kia Sorento and my vehicle had serious issues. I have attached Complaint Letter as a PDF file. Kindly review and advise your help. Thank you so much. Best regards, [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
ABS module and hydraulic control units replaced in 2019, after driving the truck less than 20k miles the exact same issues have returned. Truck is out of warranty now, no cruise control, ABS, or traction control. Very common issue amongst 2017-2018 Rams. Second issue happened recently when temps dropped below freezing. DEF system fault - DEF injector checked for crystallization. No crystals - tr... Read more
Incident date: Jan 19, 2023
Okay so I purchased my car at west covina dealer and found out they sold me a cracked rim when my tire pressure got low. I took it to the tire shop to find the nails on my tire but they found there were crack on my rim. I never had any accidents after I puchased it and I almost got killed because the rim is broken. I have photos and I fixed it at the body shop. Also after i fixed my rim, next day... Read more
Incident date: Jan 19, 2023
Okay so I purchased my car at west covina dealer and found out they sold me a cracked rim when my tire pressure got low. I took it to the tire shop to find the nails on my tire but they found there were crack on my rim. I never had any accidents after I puchased it and I almost got killed because the rim is broken. I have photos and I fixed it at the body shop. Also after i fixed my rim, next day... Read more
Incident date: Jan 26, 2023
I bought this 2014 Mazda 2 Sport HB on Thursday January 26, 2023. Upon driving it home, this vehicle with only 41,280 miles on it, shook, vibrating , hearing a very loud popping clicking sounds. Like body metal clanging. It was hard to see. I don’t know if the low beams were set wrong or what but visibility wasn’t good with the low beams at all. I told him that the air conditioner made a horri... Read more
Incident date: Jan 26, 2023
This particular year make and model has been known to have transmission issues. Has this been resolved and/or covered by Nissan. The transmission currently is making a very loud whining sound.
Incident date: Jan 26, 2023
The car strated with like a glitch on the steering wheel. I didnt know what it was maybe I thought it was a tire but it would do it while at a stop or parked. Know when I turn it on it started with the steering wheel being hard not being able to move easy. Know it does the same but it shows on the message center "power steering" I have to turn it off and on for a while. Then it will be "normal". T... Read more
Incident date: Jan 25, 2023
I was driving and my car went in to on/off system and didnt turn back on. Got my car into park and it still would not turn on. I couldn't even get my car into neutral. The check engine light came on but my engine was not making any noise. It said it was on but was not actually on. This has happened a few times in the past couple weeks but the car always turned back on when put in park and started.... Read more
Incident date: Feb 2, 2022
I was driving my 2011 Hyundai Sonota and it felt like a truck had slammed into the back of my vehicle but it didn’t, the car was knocking and finally stopped and wouldn’t accelerate when pushing the pedal. I had to have it towed and the shop didn’t know what to do and I had it sent to Rick Case Hyundai and I explained the situation about the debris being washed out of the engine and they ask... Read more
Incident date: Apr 18, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Lincoln MKC. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle failed to respond. The contact pulled off the road and turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that the wrench symbol was displayed. The contact stated that the... Read more
Incident date: Jan 23, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Ram 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V880000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while in a turning lane, another vehicle crashed into the contact's front driver's side. The traction stability control warning light illuminated. Additionally, the turn signals failed ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Dec 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not restarted. The contact stated that the failure had occurred after an unknown recall repair was performed on the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being serviced at the dealer, the dealer was unable to rotate the tires due to swollen lug nuts. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000.
Incident date: Jan 23, 2023
Nov 2021 I took my truck to the dealership with complaints of a high pitch hum coming from the reared- drivetrain. They found metal shavings in the rear end fluid and said they had to rebuild the rear end 11/3/21. Last Thursday I took it back for the same reason. They found alot of metal shavings again 1/19/23.
Incident date: Jan 18, 2023
I experienced a sudden unintended acceleration incident. I pulled into my driveway and stopped the vehicle with my foot firmly on the brake since my driveway is sloped. I pushed the garage door opener remote when suddenly the vehicle accelerated and shot forward hitting the garage door. There was no brake action and all backup systems failed. There was no Automatic Emergency Braking or Forward Col... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jan 18, 2023
B0001-13 a known defective airbag issue with no repair in sight according to other civic owners.
Incident date: Jan 18, 2023
The car had a recall I didnt know about. It states the car may catch fire due to faulty part. I drove the vehicle home after work and parked it around 9:30 PM. The next morning a neighbor woke me up banging on my front door that my car was on fire. This was at 7 AM. The fire originated in the area close to the master cylinder like the recall states. Vehicle was a total loss. Not only that but it... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
Known issue for 2017 Chrysler Pacifica should be eligible for recall. Failing head gasket around 60k miles, just as the vehicle is out of power train warranty. The system is leaking coolant into the engine, causing a fume-y smell to fill our garage when started, and a boiling/bubbling sound can be heard during idle. Confirmed the issue with an independent service center. The manufacturer won't ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
When I use the shift control to shift my car into drive, nothing happens. The car does not transition into drive, and when I step on the gas, the engine just revs. This happens most often after I have driven the car for at least an hour. When I shut the car off and later (5 to 10 min) return to my car, I can not get the car to shift into drive. It will go in reverse and neutral but not drive. When... Read more
Incident date: Jan 5, 2023
1. COULD NOT PUT CAR INTO PARK OR TURN OFF. CAUSED BATTERY TO BE DEAD AS IT WOULD NOT TURN OFF WHEN PUT INTO PARK. 2. STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND JERKED REPEATEDLY. COULD NOT TURN INTO PARKING SPOT. THE STEERING WHEEL HAD A MIND OF ITS OWN AND COULD NOT STOP THE JERK. IT IS DANGEROUS AND SCARY ! 3. AT NIGHT, THE HEADLIGHTS DO NOT LIGHT THE ROAD. IT IS AS THOUGH THERE ARE NO LIGHTS AT ALL. IT IS D... Read more
Incident date: Jun 7, 2022
When driving at low speeds (approximately less than 10 miles an hour) and I depress the brake there is frequently a delay in brake response followed by a sudden jolt when the brakes finally engage.
Incident date: Jan 11, 2023
My 2019 F-350 lariat power stroke 23,500 miles has experienced a shaking in the steering on the freeway multiple times previously, it seemed to happen when a bump or uneven part of the road was felt. The last time 1/11/23 it shook uncontrollably on the freeway until the truck was slowed to 20MPH. I had both hands tightly gripped on the steering wheel and could not control it- until the speed was ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2021
My Santa fe sport has had oil consumption issues since 80k. It got worse prior to 90k. Made appt for oil consumption test. It's burning 1 qt or more every 1000 miles and hyundai refused there was an issue. Since I've had mutiple incidents with check engine light coming on. In spring 2022 I was told I need spark plugs and GDI cleaning which was done. This did not make any difference and check engin... Read more
Incident date: Jan 14, 2023
Vehicle on several occasions has slowly rolled forward when at a complete stop with brake fully engaged. Brake needed to be released and depressed again to stop vehicle. Multiple incidents have occurred while being fully stopped for traffic control devices. Latest incident occurred today, January 15, 2023.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2023
I FELT SOMETHING WAS WEIRD WITH THE STEERING ONE DAY SO I WENT TO MAZDA DEALER BECAUSE I NOTICED CORROSION ON FRONT DRIVER CROSS AND REAR COMPONENTS WHICH HAVE CORROSION AND BASEBALL SIZE HOLES. INSPECTED BY LOCAL MAZDA DEALER IN EARLY 2022 WAS TOLD "WE SEE A LOT WORSE THAN THIS" SO NOTHING WAS FIXED OR REPLACED BY DEALER. OCTOBER 2022 FAILED PA STATE INSPECTION FOR SUBFRAME RUST SAFETY CONCERNS. ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2023
I was driving in rainy weather and my windshield wipers were set to 'Auto' mode. The wipers were functioning correctly until I clicked on a menu item in the car operating system. The operating system became unresponsive to any touches and wipers stopped working at this moment which dropped my visibility to almost 0. I was fortunately not driving on highway when the incident occurred. The operatin... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2023
I was driving along the highway on cruise control - plenty of space between me and the car in front of me, both of us traveling around 70 mph. My car suddenly started decelerating quickly, as if the cruise control had turned off. It slowed down to about 55-60 before I hit the accelerator to get back up to speed. Nothing obvious that would have caused the slowdown, no one was merging, the car in... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2022
This is a 2020 Nissan Murano S. The vehicle has been well maintained and taken to the dealership for maintenance periodically. I usually take my vehicle to either Antwerpen Nissan Clarksville or Antwerpen Nissan Security. I took my vehicle to Antwerpen Nissan Security for a transmission flush and change. Shortly after that service I started to notice an oil smell coming into the cabin. I took it b... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2022
I was traveling on Highway at 70mph and all of the sudden heard and odd noise. Throttle gave up everything was dampened. Stealing and brakes did not work. Several warnings went off which I have pictures and video of all. I got to the side of highway thank god safely. I place the truck in park and the lights & warnings remained on. I turned the truck off. Waited a moment and restarted. All warnings... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2022
I was traveling on Highway at 70mph and all of the sudden heard and odd noise. Throttle gave up everything was dampened. Stealing and brakes did not work. Several warnings went off which I have pictures and video of all. I got to the side of highway thank god safely. I place the truck in park and the lights & warnings remained on. I turned the truck off. Waited a moment and restarted. All warnings... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2023
Shift knob is beginning to crack at the right rear base of the knob. Car had less that 1000 miles before noticing the crack. I checked if I was affected as I read on vwvortex forums that many other golf mk8 were reporting shift knobs falling off mid shift.
Incident date: Dec 23, 2022
Details can be found in Service Bulletin 15-086. Shudder in vehicle steering wheel would make it harder to control. Metal shavings in ATF fluid from transmission grinding. Software update required to repair issue at the cost of owner.
Incident date: Dec 17, 2022
On October 29, 2022 the Michelin tire on my 2020 Tesla Model 3 that had 16,000 miles on it, suffered catastrophic tread loss while traveling at 70 miles per hour on California Route 110. The tire was the original equipment tire supplied with this vehicle when my lease began in January, 2021. The DOT number on the tire was B9 EL 04 EX 0419 and the tire size was 235/45R18 98W. The tread did not ... Read more