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: Jun 28, 2022
I bought a 2021 Mazda CX-5 from Ramsey Mazda of Des Moines, IA. It offered comparable comfort & features. A selling point was the safety features touted by the salesman. Odd things occurred during the first few months but I attributed it to a learning curve. I saw some odd messages but I really did not think it was relevant until June 28, 2022. I was backing out from a parking space. The Blind Spo... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jun 28, 2022
I bought a 2021 Mazda CX-5 from Ramsey Mazda of Des Moines, IA. It offered comparable comfort & features. A selling point was the safety features touted by the salesman. Odd things occurred during the first few months but I attributed it to a learning curve. I saw some odd messages but I really did not think it was relevant until June 28, 2022. I was backing out from a parking space. The Blind Spo... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jun 28, 2022
I bought a 2021 Mazda CX-5 from Ramsey Mazda of Des Moines, IA. It offered comparable comfort & features. A selling point was the safety features touted by the salesman. Odd things occurred during the first few months but I attributed it to a learning curve. I saw some odd messages but I really did not think it was relevant until June 28, 2022. I was backing out from a parking space. The Blind Spo... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 23, 2022
Intermittent Airbag Warning Light (Code 18), Passenger Airbag Deactivation light not operating and no warning chime indicating unbuckled passenger side seat belt. The safety issue appears to be related to the airbag and related safety equipment. In the dash, within the speed and rpm display, the red airbag warning light is blinking, reporting from what I gather is a CODE18, as it blinks once, fol... Read more
Incident date: Aug 23, 2022
Intermittent Airbag Warning Light (Code 18), Passenger Airbag Deactivation light not operating and no warning chime indicating unbuckled passenger side seat belt. The safety issue appears to be related to the airbag and related safety equipment. In the dash, within the speed and rpm display, the red airbag warning light is blinking, reporting from what I gather is a CODE18, as it blinks once, fol... Read more
Incident date: Aug 26, 2022
My vehicle does have an outstanding recall on the headlight. The dealership that was servicing my vehicle closed and said they had completed the recall but had not gotten to it before they closed up. Mazda says it's my problem they did the recall. My light does not work.
Incident date: Aug 19, 2022
While commuting home on 8/19/22 my CX-9 began overheating and coolant temp. warning light illuminated on dash. This was a dangerous situation as I had to stop in the middle of traffic for fear of ruining my car and risk getting rear-ended and also navigate to the shoulder of the road. Took the car to the dealership where they confirmed P111A engine overheated DTC and coolant leak. CX-9 has a crack... Read more
Incident date: Aug 25, 2022
I've had the car about 4,500 miles. No problems. Current mileage is 8899. Drove about 30 miles. 88 degrees. Humid. Dry. Slowed and turned right into my driveway. Stopped to run and open the garage. Standard tranny. The moment I slipped it out of gear, the engine began to howl, revving to between 5,500 and 6,000 r.p.m.s. Turned it off. Turned it back on after 15 seconds. Immediately we... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2022
Low oil light keeps coming on before it’s due. Went to dealer and they gave me a notice of a bulletin. 01-012/21. It states there is an issue where the engine leaks oil faster and could eventually cause engineer damage. They are asking us to come in more frequently for oil changes or to top off. Unknown what the fix is and it’s been on multiple new Mazda vehicle types.
Incident date: Aug 5, 2022
Transmission went out at 150,232 Also car has a lot blond spots
Incident date: Aug 5, 2022
Transmission went out at 150,232 Also car has a lot blond spots
Incident date: Aug 5, 2022
Transmission went out at 150,232 Also car has a lot blond spots
Incident date: Aug 20, 2022
Purchased this car on Saturday August 13th from a dealer. Last weekend on the 20th the low engine level warning came on. We checked the oil and it was at the lowest dot on the dipstick. We added one quart of oil. This car isn't even due for an oil change it shouldn't be losing any oil.
Incident date: Aug 4, 2022
The car battery will not turn off when I turn off the vehicle.
Incident date: Aug 22, 2022
air bag warning light for passenger will not go off
Incident date: Aug 22, 2022
air bag warning light for passenger will not go off
Incident date: Aug 21, 2022
Losing/burning oil with no leaking - less than 8,000 miles. Mazda has issued a service bulletin on the issue but offers no actual repair solution. Could be dangerous if engine seizes while in operation.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
The engine is burning oil. Oil and filter were changed at 5000 miles. At about 9000 miles, the engine oil level light came on. Topped off with oil and took to dealer, they confirmed no oil leaks and changed the oil.
Incident date: Aug 20, 2022
The front door windows no longer work. Most recently, the drivers side back door will NOT open. The lock is completely jammed - will not open or shut, which is a safety hazard for my child. The plastic parts in this car are failing and putting my family at risk.
Incident date: Aug 11, 2022
Vehicle was brought to dealership for a fuel pump safety recall. I was advised that the belt tightener was leaking and was in urgent need of replacement. Failure of the belt tightener would result in drive train belts loosening with an impact on operation of the vehicle. The car is 4 years old and has less than 12,000 miles on it. Belt tighteners are normally designed to last 75,000+ miles, su... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2022
Low engine oil light came on after 3 months of driving. I know this is a common issue on the turbo model, yet there has not been a recall.
Incident date: Jul 30, 2019
Engine Coolant Leaking from rear of engine near Exhaust / turbocharger at Cylinder Head. No Warning Lights indicating problem until coolant level low causing overheating and fire risk. Rear Brakes not releasing completely from "City Mode" where brakes are kept close to rotor "to increase braking response in City driving" - causes premature brake wear, warped brake rotors (reoccurs within 10K mile... Read more
Incident date: Jul 30, 2019
Engine Coolant Leaking from rear of engine near Exhaust / turbocharger at Cylinder Head. No Warning Lights indicating problem until coolant level low causing overheating and fire risk. Rear Brakes not releasing completely from "City Mode" where brakes are kept close to rotor "to increase braking response in City driving" - causes premature brake wear, warped brake rotors (reoccurs within 10K mile... Read more
Incident date: Jul 30, 2019
Engine Coolant Leaking from rear of engine near Exhaust / turbocharger at Cylinder Head. No Warning Lights indicating problem until coolant level low causing overheating and fire risk. Rear Brakes not releasing completely from "City Mode" where brakes are kept close to rotor "to increase braking response in City driving" - causes premature brake wear, warped brake rotors (reoccurs within 10K mile... Read more
Incident date: Aug 21, 2022
Engine burns about 1 quart of oil ever 5000 miles since new.
Incident date: Aug 21, 2022
The car became hard to steer, and I noticed the power steering light was on. It is a safety risk due to increased difficulty steering car and a risk for myself and other drivers on the road. This just occurred today and has not been investigated by an other parties. No warning or incidents prior to steering becoming difficult.
Incident date: Aug 21, 2022
The clips on both my rear molding over the tires have broken causing the molding/trim to fall off while I have been driving
Incident date: Aug 18, 2022
There is a leak on the passenger side footwear which has caused rust on the from cross frame and the wires for the airbag to get wet and other wires.
Incident date: Aug 18, 2022
There is a leak on the passenger side footwear which has caused rust on the from cross frame and the wires for the airbag to get wet and other wires.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2022
Excessive oil consumption on brand new vehicle 1qt after 3800 miles
Incident date: Aug 17, 2022
engine oil low light coming on within 3000 miles of oil change
Incident date: Aug 8, 2022
I put my right signals on and came to a near stop, as I did a right turn into the parking space in front of the dry cleaners. I was slowly creeping into the parking space, and pushing the brakes, as I slowed down to a near stop in the parking spot. All of a sudden, as my right foot was still on the brakes, I felt the car lurch forward, and felt myself pulled back into my seat from the velocity, ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 8, 2022
I put my right signals on and came to a near stop, as I did a right turn into the parking space in front of the dry cleaners. I was slowly creeping into the parking space, and pushing the brakes, as I slowed down to a near stop in the parking spot. All of a sudden, as my right foot was still on the brakes, I felt the car lurch forward, and felt myself pulled back into my seat from the velocity, ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 8, 2022
I put my right signals on and came to a near stop, as I did a right turn into the parking space in front of the dry cleaners. I was slowly creeping into the parking space, and pushing the brakes, as I slowed down to a near stop in the parking spot. All of a sudden, as my right foot was still on the brakes, I felt the car lurch forward, and felt myself pulled back into my seat from the velocity, ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 18, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Mazda MX-5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and a burning odor was detected. The failure nearly caused a collision. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch had melted and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made awa... Read more
Incident date: Jun 18, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Mazda Mazda3. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the brake warning light illuminated and the vehicle would brake suddenly without the driver depressing the brake pedal. The failure had become recurring. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle had not been repaired. ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 10, 2020
The brakes suddenly became very difficult to press as if I did not have power brakes. No warning lights came on and it became very difficult to stop the car. Then if I had to break suddenly and hard it would stall. I brought it to the repair shop and the brake booster was defective. The brake booster along with the master cylinder had to be replaced. It was a very dangerous and frightening ex... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2022
Headlight to nowhere just started having horrible visibility it’s like if lights were off I change the bulbs several times LEDs H IDs factory bulbs still results no good
Incident date: Jul 20, 2022
My daughter was driving a 4 hour trip in Florida on I-95 Halfway into the trip she pulled into a parking lot to stop for lunch and before she could even turn off the vehicle, a fire erupted from under the hood. The car completely burned. There is a police report at Jupiter FL Police department # 22-184325
Fire
Incident date: Jul 20, 2022
My daughter was driving a 4 hour trip in Florida on I-95 Halfway into the trip she pulled into a parking lot to stop for lunch and before she could even turn off the vehicle, a fire erupted from under the hood. The car completely burned. There is a police report at Jupiter FL Police department # 22-184325
Fire
Incident date: Jul 20, 2022
My daughter was driving a 4 hour trip in Florida on I-95 Halfway into the trip she pulled into a parking lot to stop for lunch and before she could even turn off the vehicle, a fire erupted from under the hood. The car completely burned. There is a police report at Jupiter FL Police department # 22-184325
Fire
Incident date: Aug 10, 2022
I was at a doctor's office and their parking lot has a large slope. I parked facing up the slope and applied the parking brake. When I exited the vehicle, I felt the vehicle slowly sliding backwards. I pushed rearward on the car to check if the brakes were holding which accelerated the roll. I jumped back in the vehicle and depressed the brake pedal to stop the roll. I replaced the rear brake pads... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2019
The contact owns a 2014 Mazda Mazda6. The contact stated while attempting to turn off the vehicle, it was not operating correctly. While the vehicle was parked, it was unable to shut down. The contact would shift back and forth to different gears for the vehicle to shut down correctly. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not not... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2022
I have had a system malfunction, that has caused a dead battery in May 2022 and then again Aug 2022. The car was in park and I received a notification on the Mazda app about 5 hours after being in the car that stated "Critical Vehicle Malfunction Alert." I had to have my car towed and serviced at a Mazda dealer but they found no issue with the battery. This happened again in August. According ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 17, 2022
At all speeds, hood visibly wobbles when driving. Additionally, clanging metal noise noted from front area. Hood is not adequately secured to prevent this from happening.
Incident date: Aug 14, 2022
I purchased a new 2022 Mazda CX-30 in early 2022. While driving home from out of state recently, a low oil warning light popped up on the dash. I immediately pulled over and checked the level to find only 2-3mm of coverage on the dipstick, well below the safe range. I topped the engine off with a full quart of oil. The vehicle only had 68xx miles on it when this happened.
Incident date: Aug 14, 2022
This new car has less than 8000 miles on it and suddenly 3 of 4 BRIDGESTONE TIRES Turanza el440 215/45R18 89 have sidewall bubbles. Interesting that there are a ton of issues w sidewall Bridgestone tires on line yet the dealership keeps claiming the car must have been run over a median? Without any damage anywhere on the car? Come on.. it is clearly a manufacturer defect. They have history with si... Read more
Incident date: Jan 10, 2022
Timing chain cover leak
Incident date: Aug 6, 2022
Fuel pump, car dying out, can't turn off brake release from when it dies. Shaking when accelerating. Fuel gas issue.
Incident date: Aug 12, 2022
This was my first new car and sometimes when I would brake the brake would go all the way down to the floor. It was random so I didn’t really think about it. It’s been happening since the car was new and I searched up the issue and it’s been something common happening to other people. It recently started happening again.