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 6,381 complaints for MINI
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
Front Passenger Seat Headrest deployed from broken plastic that failed and released the headrest while parked and car is off. Concussion risk while driving No inspection yet by dealer or police/insurance No prior warning
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
I have taken my car to the shop multiple times for brake issue. Brakes smoking and calibers will not release on rear driver side brakes. I took my car to Marmet Tire paid 380 they said it was was brakes and calibers two weeks later same issue I paid 280 for actuator since problem still not fixed. Next I took to Todd Judy Ford they refused to fix the said Marmet tire needs to fix since they had ... Read more
MINI
COOPER S CLUBMAN
(2009) - SEAT BELTS
Jan 17, 2024
Incident date: Jan 17, 2024
I am experiencing malfunctions of the Seat Belt, electrical and breaking system
MINI
COOPER CLUBMAN
(2010) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jan 15, 2024
Incident date: Oct 27, 2023
Backup camera is malfunctioning. Most of time no image.Momentary image on reverse in cold weather, almost no image warm weather. Occasional blue screen for a moment.06
MINI
COOPER CLUBMAN
(2010) - POWER TRAIN
Jan 15, 2024
Incident date: Oct 27, 2023
I was driving my daughter to school on the freeway when we heard a loud bang toward the back of the vehicle and the vehicle alarms started going off. It said the car was powering down and would not restart. The car immediately reduced speed from 65 to 35 mph and I had to maneuver across 4 lanes of rush hour traffic to safely park on the side of the freeway. Thankfully this did not cause a collisio... Read more
MINI
COOPER CLUBMAN
(2010) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Jan 15, 2024
Incident date: Oct 27, 2023
I was driving my daughter to school on the freeway when we heard a loud bang toward the back of the vehicle and the vehicle alarms started going off. It said the car was powering down and would not restart. The car immediately reduced speed from 65 to 35 mph and I had to maneuver across 4 lanes of rush hour traffic to safely park on the side of the freeway. Thankfully this did not cause a collisio... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds, there was a smoke odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed smoke coming from the battery. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was no... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
The gear box failed, the battery failed and the coolant system leaked at the same time. It is at the dealer now who has confirmed these. A vehicle dashboard light came on before this occurred to tell me to engage the parking brake to prevent the car from rolling. Where I live, there are no hills so no reason to ever engage a parking brake and this dashboard light is meaningless. However, when... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2011
This is 1 of 3 2020 - 2021 Ford Escapes that my company owns and is affected by this known issue with NHTSA and Ford Motor Company as it relates to Ford Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) SSM 50150. The spot welds at the check arm attachment points on the driver door have failed. This has lead to a horrible noise and feeling when opening and closing our door. Sometimes the door does not shut all the... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2011
This is 1 of 3 2020 - 2021 Ford Escapes that my company owns and is affected by this known issue with NHTSA and Ford Motor Company as it relates to Ford Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) SSM 50150. The spot welds at the check arm attachment points on the driver door have failed. This has lead to a horrible noise and feeling when opening and closing our door. Sometimes the door does not shut all the... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2023
Greetings, after 3 dealership attempts to correct the TIPM - NHTSA 19V813000 recall, my Jeep still stalled 4 times at highway speeds. I narrowly averted being rearended several times. I am terrified to drive the vehicle! I have yet another dealership appointment Friday, January 12, 2024 to correct the issue. Previous visits could not reproduce the problem or show any code errors. There were no war... Read more
Incident date: May 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the trunk failed to open from the inside or the outside using the key fob. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the latch was jammed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V619000 (Latches/Locks/Linkage... Read more
Incident date: Jan 7, 2024
My vehicle I of several people I know suddenly appears on the screen the symbol of the seat belt I the airbags turn off I took it to the dealer I they told me that it doesn't have it. Nothing keeps appearing and Honda is not responsible for something that can take lives in an accident either
Incident date: Jan 7, 2024
My vehicle I of several people I know suddenly appears on the screen the symbol of the seat belt I the airbags turn off I took it to the dealer I they told me that it doesn't have it. Nothing keeps appearing and Honda is not responsible for something that can take lives in an accident either
Incident date: Jan 7, 2024
Breaks vibrate and squeal when making a slow stop. Dealership stated was just debris, but it continues to do this repeatedly. Online this appears to be a known issue throughout the Volkswagen brand and dealership give the same reasoning, but the problem continues to persistent for all owners who have reported it. The dealerships appear to have been instructed to use the same reasoning for the issu... Read more
Incident date: Dec 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle and shifting to reverse, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact continued to reverse the vehicle and felt a pulling sensation. The "Traction Control" failure light illuminated. The contact decided to move forward and park the vehicle. After several hours, the contact restarted the vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2024
When driver seat adjusted to end positions (e.g all the way up/down/forward/backward), it causes an error message stating “Front left safety restraint system fault” & and airbag failure icon would appear. This usually cause by the wire harness being pinched or stretched. The error message may come and go based on the position of the seat, and occurs more frequently as time goes by. I am concer... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2023
There is a known defect with the GM Ecotec engines, specifically the lack of retaining clip for the internal PCV valve, allowing it to become dislodged and drawn into the engine. Without the PCV valve, tremendous engine pressure is produced, leading to broken gaskets causing vacuum leaks, misfiring, severe vibration, and loss of power when accelerating (which can be a safety issue). Dorman produce... Read more
Incident date: Dec 5, 2023
Hi [XXX] My Kia Rio 2023 S vin number is [XXX] . Bought a couple months back new at Summit Place Kia Auburn Hills michigan. Once I drive off I realised the steering wheel alignment is off. The car does not drive straight when steering wheel is straight. I called my salesman and he asked me to bring it in for servicing at Summit Place. They did a wheel alignment there and found misalignment at f... Read more
MINI
COUNTRYMAN
(2016) - FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Jan 3, 2024
Incident date: Nov 17, 2023
For multiple months, a "front camera fault" warning would display while driving on the highway, usually while using cruise control or automatic steering. This would then suddenly kick off all driving features and the car would begin to drift, requiring driver intervention. The vehicle will also periodically slam on the brakes and warn of a forward collision, but when no cars were in front. This ob... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2023
The car was running in parking garage without ignition being turned on. When I entered the car, the motor wouldn't catch at all, and message popped up saying the there was a brake malfunction. All the lights were on, so it did not seem to be a battery problem, but the drive function was dead. Several months ago the car started racing while i was driving and i couldnt get it to stop. I finally,... Read more
Incident date: Dec 30, 2023
Rear lift gate ceased operating, unlocking or opening. Later received errors on dash for blind spot malfunction and transmission error. Dealer says it is an issue with water leaking into the rear chassis getting into the exposed electronics.
Incident date: Dec 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Jayco Greyhawk. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the window glass detached from the RV. The contact pulled off the roadway and discovered that the emergency escape window had shattered. The contact stated that the window was not impacted by an object. The RV was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the RV was not yet repaired. The RV was not included in NHT... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
back wind shield exploded out of nowhere while on the freeway almost crap myself
Incident date: Dec 31, 2023
Vehicle has about 60,000 miles. Has started intermittent service electronic brake and service abs warning. Noticed alot of information online that this is happening more than a normal rate of failure. I believe where this is being looked into...hoping for a speedy response. Thank You!
Incident date: Dec 31, 2023
Any sudden jolt to the front passenger side wheel causes the truck to do the death wobble. It happened 3 times yesterday (12/31/23) within a 1 hour time frame. The only way to stop it is to let the truck gradually come to a stop and then start back again. The whole truck jumps and the steering wheels shakes uncontrollably.
Incident date: Dec 26, 2023
While driving my 2016 F-150 in heavy traffic, the vehicle suddenly loses all forward power as if the transmission were in neutral. The engine is running and the tachometer indicates the RPM's are approximately 1,200, but it will not respond to pushing the gas pedal. The RPM's remain the same, regardless of how hard the pedal is pushed. Shifting the transmission to other forward gears does nothing,... Read more
Incident date: Dec 26, 2023
Complete loss of electrical system power and engine power, vehicle stalls and Coast to a stop. This has happened seven different times in the last 4000 miles driven. Possibly due to faulty ground connection electric power steering system and or stabilitrak I don't know but it is very dangerous. And there has been many other people experiencing this on Silverado Facebook groups.
Incident date: Dec 26, 2023
Complete loss of electrical system power and engine power, vehicle stalls and Coast to a stop. This has happened seven different times in the last 4000 miles driven. Possibly due to faulty ground connection electric power steering system and or stabilitrak I don't know but it is very dangerous. And there has been many other people experiencing this on Silverado Facebook groups.
Incident date: Nov 11, 2023
while driving the car after a few miles, the door locks start going up and down, the power steering light comes on and is hard to steer, the check engine light comes on, the speedometer stops working and the tach malfunctions. the car surges while moving foward. if you shut the car off it will reset itself. once you start the car again it starts to malfunction again. one gararge owner did so... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2023
Changed oxygen sensor and check engine light is still on
Incident date: Nov 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at 30 MPH, the service brakes were inoperable. The contact depressed the brake pedal to the floorboard and the vehicle did not stop or slow down. The contact stated that several warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that due to the service brakes being inoperable, he tried to avoid a crash. While the... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
My dash board has deep cracks that go all the way through dash board. A lady I work with has exact make and model as me and has same issue. Open research this seems to be a wide spread problem with these specific models and can cause electrical and air bag issues.
Incident date: Dec 20, 2023
Wife was driving with my 3 kiddos going 30 mphs on a two lane highway and experienced a total power loss/engine shut down. No prior warning. This is potentially a dangerous situation. The expedition was stranded on the roadway with no engine power or electrical power. 8500 miles on this expedition. We had to call a tow and take to the dealership.
Incident date: Dec 14, 2023
Vehicle started making EXTREMELY loud popping noises from all speakers. This occurred at start up and repeated several times. I turned off the vehicle and did not drive but I’ve now researched and found others with the same truck system’s experiencing the same and some crashes have occurred. There does not seem to be any Ford representative acknowledging the problem so I wanted to report it.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
Thermo Control Valve assembly has failed resulting in loss of use for the following: Rear Automatic Brake, Eye Sight lane keeping, loss of heat in cabin and failure of coolant to circulate within engine possibly leading to engine failure, loss of cruise control and check engine light coming on. Reference TSB [XXX] . Without cabin heat vehicle is not useable in current cold temperatures (Currently ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
Thermo Control Valve assembly has failed resulting in loss of use for the following: Rear Automatic Brake, Eye Sight lane keeping, loss of heat in cabin and failure of coolant to circulate within engine possibly leading to engine failure, loss of cruise control and check engine light coming on. Reference TSB [XXX] . Without cabin heat vehicle is not useable in current cold temperatures (Currently ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
Thermo Control Valve assembly has failed resulting in loss of use for the following: Rear Automatic Brake, Eye Sight lane keeping, loss of heat in cabin and failure of coolant to circulate within engine possibly leading to engine failure, loss of cruise control and check engine light coming on. Reference TSB [XXX] . Without cabin heat vehicle is not useable in current cold temperatures (Currently ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 16, 2023
Intermittent “service brake system” comes on. Spoke to dealership and said they do not have the part to fix the brake system. It is on back order being “re-engineered” and have no indication when it will become available.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was driving rough and would not properly accelerate with the odor of coolant present inside the vehicle. The contact diagnosed the vehicle with a misfire due to coolant leaking into cylinder #4. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Acadia. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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 experienced a f... Read more
Incident date: Nov 27, 2023
This recall has been open for months and we are now months past the promised repair date with no end in sight. Please press Ford to repair this dangerous issue promptly.
Incident date: May 12, 2023
The front suspension lateral link fasteners on the driver side wheel came loose and fell off the car in my driveway when I was backing up the car. There is an active recall for this issue - 23V235000, but my VIN wasn't included in that recall.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil pressure waring light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to coast to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. The contact was info... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2023
I've owned this F150 truck since 2020, purchasing it on Memorial Day. However, every year, I've experienced two to three instances where the car suddenly cuts off in the middle of a traffic light, accompanied by a yellow warning sign on the screen. I suspect it has something to do with the Auto Start-Stop technology. The most recent incident (1 month ago) while I was driving toward a traffic ligh... Read more
Incident date: Nov 28, 2023
The panoramic glass roof is slowly failing. The glass began to develop a small stress crack (with no sign or notice of impact as cause) which, over the months, has grown to a complete circle, about 12 inches in lengths. Additional stress cracks will easily compromise the glass and cause an immediate road safety hazard. Ford dealership denies any responsibility or warranty claim, falsely claiming... Read more
MINI
COUNTRYMAN
(2015) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INTEGRATED TRAILER BRAKE CONTROL
Nov 22, 2023
Incident date: Nov 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2024 GMC Sierra 2500. The contact stated while towing a trailer and driving down a hill at approximately 40 MPH, the integrated trailer braking system error message was displayed, and the trailer braking system failed to activate. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer who was unable to replicate the failure and failure was found. The dealer later informed the contact t... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2023
Crankshaft broke in half driving 70mph down the highway without warning. Engine is seized at only 74k miles, Nissan refusing to accept responsibility and assist with repair that costs more than what the truck is worth
MINI
COOPER S CLUBMAN
(2009) - VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:REAR WINDOW
Nov 16, 2023
Incident date: Nov 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2023 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in a parking lot at night, the contact heard a loud explosion. The contact exited the vehicle to check the surrounding but had not seen anything unusual. Two days later, the contact noticed that the rear windshield had shattered after activating the windshield wiper. The contact stated that the rear windshield... Read more
MINI
COOPER COUNTRYMAN
(2011) - LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
Nov 15, 2023
Incident date: May 1, 2023
After occasional intermittent warnings (lasting 1-2 driving session with several months between warnings), the vehicle developed a persistent malfunction warning within 2-3 minutes of starting the vehicle. This warning indicated a fault with the lane assist camera that also disabled the vehicle's automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning, lane departure warning, and all adaptive cruise contr... Read more