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 97,402 complaints for NISSAN
Incident date: Nov 15, 2021
Tail lights stopped working, the wire harness in the vehicle is known to get sheared due to a pinch point at the trunk hinge, this pinch point over a period of time will result in damage to the wire harness that controls the rear taillights as well as the opening and closing functions of the trunk. This is a known issue, with a TSB having been release, replacement is only offered if the damage is ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacture... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2022) - POWER TRAIN
Nov 19, 2024
Incident date: Nov 15, 2024
Dealer states that the transmission and transmission cooling needs to be replaced. The car only has 58500 miles.
Incident date: Nov 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 BMW X3. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the engine overheated, and the messages "Low Coolant" and "Service Engine" were displayed. Upon inspection, the contact identified a damaged coolant hose causing coolant to leak onto several electrical wires within the engine compartment. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notifi... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2024
I was made aware of this recall in June of 2024. I called to schedule my car and when I showed up was told the repair was not available. I was told when the letter was mailed in August I could get my vehicle repaired and advised not to use the front passenger seat. I tried calling again in August and was told still no repair available and "don't use the front passenger seat". I most recently cal... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2024
The steering wheel locked at a 45degree angle while I was driving. It locked and I was unable to turn the wheels in any direction. (Diagnosed by dealership as power steering failure steering wheel locked) My safety was absolutely compromised. Imagine losing the ability to turn the steering wheel or steer in any direction while going around a corner, without any warning. Luckily I wasn't on the fre... Read more
Incident date: Sep 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while his son was driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who detected an engine knocking sound and determined that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The engine was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the fai... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking abnormally and then stalled with the “Service Transmission” warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle shut off in the middle of the roadway. The contact was assisted by a Police Officer was nearby in moving the vehicle over to the shoulder. The... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Jeep Wrangler. The contact received notification NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V720000 (Electrical System). The contact stated that while stopped at a red light the accelerator was depressed; however, the vehicle lost power for 4-5 seconds. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended and drove very sluggishly afterward. The check engine warning light was... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Ford f-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission independently downshifted and the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a transmission molded lead frame failure. The contact was informed that the transmiss... Read more
Incident date: Oct 13, 2024
POWERTRAIN MALFUNCTION/REDUCED POWER while on the highway! Low boost power malfunction causing excessive fuel and oil consumption, spinning/timing misfire, and reduced speed! Check engine light and powertrain malfunction lights later indicated P0365 and P0369 error codes. Dealership says I need a new timing chain and VCT selenoid. I found out this is a KNOWN ISSUE WITH 2018-2020 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2024
While driving, a fire started inside the vehicle between the rear passenger side seat belt and the rear window. My daughters were in the back seat and started screaming. I immediately stopped the vehicle and ran to put the fire out by smothering and throwing water on it. There was zero warning...no lights or warning messages. No major injuries occurred (only small minor burns to my right hand). I ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Nov 18, 2024
I took my car into Burns Hyundai (Marlton, NJ) for the ABS recall on [XXX], and while leaving the lot, my car doors began locking/unlocking when I braked or accelerated... I called them and took it back on the 10/09 and I was told they did everything correctly and I would have to PAY to have my vehicle diagnosed for THEIR error. I then took my car to Meineke (right next door to Hyundai) for other... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2024
I took my car into Burns Hyundai (Marlton, NJ) for the ABS recall on [XXX], and while leaving the lot, my car doors began locking/unlocking when I braked or accelerated... I called them and took it back on the 10/09 and I was told they did everything correctly and I would have to PAY to have my vehicle diagnosed for THEIR error. I then took my car to Meineke (right next door to Hyundai) for other... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2024
My 2007 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, which has developed a fuel system defect resulting in a leak. This issue poses a significant safety risk, including the potential for fire and explosion, and is directly related to a known defect that Mercedes-Benz USA has previously acknowledged through an extended warranty campaign.Safety Risk: Fuel system leaks pose an imminent danger, including the potential for ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2024
2013 Cadillac SRX has ridiculous (pointing down) low beam headlight issues. Adaptive forward lighting makes this impossible to be driven at night on low beams, because visibility is so poor! You have to drive with high beams on. These are barely decent and are like having weak low beams. No one flashes to have me turn them off, which is telling of how lame the high beams point. Visibility at ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2024
3:17pm nov 18 2024 - I was driving manually and pulled into my driveway and subsequently my garage. I had the blinker on. As I went to turn into the garage, I heard three beeps and no message was displayed on the screen. The vehicle also jerked the steering wheel towards the wall. I have all lane departure warnings, and assistance settings turned off.
Incident date: Oct 28, 2024
Wife was in an front end accident driving approximately 35mph hit another vehicle on the side and the airbags didn't deploy.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Oct 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the air bag warning light was blinking off and on. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the vehicle needed to be taken to a dealer for assistance. The contact stated that the dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the second-row seat belt harnesse... Read more
Incident date: Oct 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the air bag warning light was blinking off and on. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the vehicle needed to be taken to a dealer for assistance. The contact stated that the dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the second-row seat belt harnesse... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL 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 experienced a failur... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 BMW X3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL 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 experienced a failur... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2024
Blind spot sensors blocked error messages. This will happen at least a few times a year. Usually on long freeway drives, using cruise control, at night, and when cooler out (less than 60f). Restarting the vehicle makes the error codes go away and the system functions normally afterwards. Seems like either a software glitch or the system detects a guard rail for a while and gets confused and throws... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2024
The contact's daughter owns a 2007 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer determined that the front passenger's side seat cushion assembly needed to be replaced due to the occupant classification system (OCS) failure. The dealer related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 08V161000 (Air Ba... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH, the steering wheel was seized, and the "Power Steering Assist Fault" message was displayed. The check engine and air bag warning lights were also illuminated. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was made aware of DTC code: B-1936 and NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
Every week or two, sometimes multiple times in same week, the 2020 honda pilot would turn on randomly in accessory mode where headlights would come on and/or infotainment/radio would come up, or alarm/horns would go on by themselves. Often in the middle of the night when car was in a garage. Sometimes during the day. New vechicle battery was replaced 2 months earlier. Batterries in key fobs we... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
Every week or two, sometimes multiple times in same week, the 2020 honda pilot would turn on randomly in accessory mode where headlights would come on and/or infotainment/radio would come up, or alarm/horns would go on by themselves. Often in the middle of the night when car was in a garage. Sometimes during the day. New vechicle battery was replaced 2 months earlier. Batterries in key fobs we... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
I was coming to a stop. No objects were in front of me. At about 5mph I was violently thrown forward as the car applied full braking. I do not recall whether I was braking, coasting. This happened a second time as we were making a slow speed turn in an intersection, applying light acceleration. I have not taken the car to the dealership. There were no accidents in both cases. I did go into the ve... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal amount of white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. The message "Service Engine" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessiv... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2025 Honda CR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V744000 (Steering); 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 stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the steeri... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2024
The engine stopped working. Allowing me to go no faster than 15 miles an hour. The safety issue is you can no longer drive at the speed that you need to drive. especially if you’re on the highway. The problem has been addressed by a dealer. I needed a whole new engine $13,000. The car at 97,000 miles on it. Was well taken care of. No warning signs prior also did not come up on my display ... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2022) - SERVICE BRAKES
Nov 17, 2024
Incident date: Nov 17, 2024
When approaching a stop at low speeds, the breaks were applied but the car would not stop and was lurching forward and shaking violently. This is is the 3rd time that this happened. The incident today was on a slight incline and the road had no bumps when the car was shaking.
NISSAN
ROGUE SPORT
(2018) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Nov 17, 2024
Incident date: Oct 4, 2024
My speedometer will change from MPH to KM on its own while i am driving. It will also keep changing back and forth making it a driver distraction. My dash screen is also going bad. I will definitely take it in for an inspection. I pulled into a rest area to assess what was going on with the electrical problem. There were not any warnings at all. It just happened so I have not informed anyone yet.
NISSAN
ROGUE SPORT
(2018) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Nov 17, 2024
Incident date: Oct 4, 2024
My speedometer will change from MPH to KM on its own while i am driving. It will also keep changing back and forth making it a driver distraction. My dash screen is also going bad. I will definitely take it in for an inspection. I pulled into a rest area to assess what was going on with the electrical problem. There were not any warnings at all. It just happened so I have not informed anyone yet.
Incident date: Nov 16, 2024
Paint bubbling on roof. When turning on key, the radio makes a loud buzzing sound. On 11/16/2024, when leaving a traffic light, the truck began surging and shuddering. Tachometer was revving up and down like the transmission was slipping with loss of power while trying to take off and accelerate. While attempting to return home, loud booming noise was coming in from under floorboard. I was un... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2024
The catalytic converter had to be replaced twice due to a cracked in it and the exhaust fumes keep coming into the vehicle’s cabin through the A/C. Transmission keeps having problems also.
Incident date: Jun 17, 2024
RE: outstanding recall issued 7/17/23 unresolved as of 11/16/24 UNACCEPTABLE DURATION Unable to operate as intended using rechargeable battery which used to comprise 90% of my driving miles. Significantly increased fuel costs for 14 months and counting.
Incident date: Oct 28, 2024
Three issues: 1) in One Pedal Drive mode car when fully stopped on level ground and in Drive (at traffic signal) will accelerate rapidly without any driver contact with accelerator pedal. This happens once to several times a month. In the first incident the car entered the intersection before I stopped the car with the brake pedal. In another incident the car did this when a pedestrian was in the... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2024
The Jeep has had major issues with the fuel system. The first reported issue is during the fill the filler would click like it was full when it was in the beginning stages of the fill. It ended up soaking me with gasoline and shutting down a gas station for spill. I filed a complaint with the NHTSA and the Vermont Attorney General because the dealerships were not fixing the problem. The fuel tank ... Read more
NISSAN
ROGUE SPORT
(2018) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Nov 15, 2024
Incident date: Nov 15, 2024
Sometimes after starting the car the instrument panels remain black and will not display properly for several minutes or unless the car is shutdown for a long period of time and restarted. Additionally, Genesis uses a fingerprint scan to verify who is driving the vehicle. After verifying my fingerprint the vehicle now asks me for a password even though I already verified my biometrics.
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2019) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Nov 15, 2024
Incident date: Nov 14, 2024
My brakes locked up due to the abs pump not working.
Incident date: Nov 15, 2024
I received the "Important Safety Recall" notice in May 2024. I immediately called my Honda Dealer and was told that parts were on order, and I would be notified when available, however, the approximate date for resolution was in the Fall. I have called 4 times and received the same answer. Here we are in November 2024 and still no resolution. I am always asked if my vehicle is stalling, hesit... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Canyon. The contact stated that when applying the brake pedal, the steering wheel would begin shaking. The computer on the center council that displays information, had blacked out. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the brake pads had failed. The dealer had completed a software update for the main computer however the failure persisted. The vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 11, 2024
[XXX] [XXX] [XXX] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE Washington, DC 20590 Subject: Complaint Regarding Recurrent Mechanical Issues and Potential Safety Concerns with 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Dear NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, I am writing to formally report repeated mechanical issues with my 2018 Chrysler P... Read more
Incident date: Nov 10, 2024
The contact's wife owns a 2017 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the RPM was raised; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact’s wife stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact’s wife was able to drive the vehicle back to th... Read more
Incident date: Nov 10, 2024
To whom it may concern, I am making a safety complaint on a component that failed while operating the vehicle. My vehicle is a 2019 Ram 1500 Bighorn DT. The component that failed and almost cost me to crash my truck while in reverse and parking is called The Park Sense and The Rear Parking Assist . I started to have this problem back in the Summer around August 2024. I have brought the vehicle in ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 10, 2024
To whom it may concern, I am making a safety complaint on a component that failed while operating the vehicle. My vehicle is a 2019 Ram 1500 Bighorn DT. The component that failed and almost cost me to crash my truck while in reverse and parking is called The Park Sense and The Rear Parking Assist . I started to have this problem back in the Summer around August 2024. I have brought the vehicle in ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2021
Failure of air valve between primary and secondary tanks Does not isolate the two systems
Incident date: Oct 24, 2024
I attempted to have this recall address with no remediation. I went to the Dealer 2 months ago and called Honda's recall line and was told that Honda is not equipped to repair the vehicle due to a parts shortage.
Incident date: Nov 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle started jerking and hesitating with the transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage w... Read more