Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,215,138 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA — including 138,663 crashes, 56,255 fires, and 8,561 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 2,215,138 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 96,425 complaints for NISSAN
Incident date: Oct 15, 2003
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? I feel that the straps are faulty and have been for some time. I tried to follow up with Nuna directly and was not successful as apparently a carseat that was purchased in 2021 is out of their warranty (yet kids should be in carseats for a VERY long time). The carseat is available upon request for in... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2014) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 21, 2024
Incident date: Feb 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the warning message "Engine Overheating" had been displayed. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the engine coolant reservoir was low and coolant had leaked from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the engine water pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The veh... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2024
I was driving home from work when all of a sudden I got error messages: Electrical system malfunction! Please contact service; Start/ stop system: malfunction! Function unavailable. Please contact Service, yellow battery light and the car died. None of the safety features, locks, engine, or air condition worked and the car had to be towed to the dealership. Within 1 mile of the lights appearing t... Read more
Incident date: Jan 29, 2024
I was driving down a road with no traffic when the sunroof shattered. I pulled over and there was a hole in the middle and it was completely cracked. No damage to any other component of the sunroof just the glass. There was nothing that impacted or fell on the sunroof. There was no prior damage to the sunroof or surrounding area. The sunroof was closed not in use at time of incident. Dealership co... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2016) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 20, 2024
Incident date: Mar 15, 2024
Driving 80+ car suddenly loses power . Says electrical system fault and coolant fault. Stranded on freeway in fast lane. Takes 9 resets and 1hr before car goes back to nirmal
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2016) — ENGINE
Mar 20, 2024
Incident date: Mar 15, 2024
Coolant intrusion into cylinder number 2 is beginning occur on my 2.0l ecoboost engine. I know this because I am getting misfire codes for cylinder 2, losing coolant in the reservoir that I have to replenish, and seeing white smoke coming out of the exhaust. Ford acknowledged that this engine has a design flaw that allows for coolant to enter the cylinders over time and gave the solution of replac... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2024
Occurs at stop sign/light when idling. The car will shut off and will not turn back on although all features in the car are running. The screen will display ‘engine running’ but the vehicle will not drive. I will push the stop/start button and nothing happens. It will take a few minutes for the vehicle to come back on again. This has happened numerous times at random. I have taken my vehicle t... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2024
Screen Delamination - Ghost Screen Screen randomly clicks all over. Makes ding sound. Changes navigation, songs, makes calls. Extremely dangerous
Incident date: Mar 2, 2024
The screen in the dash consistently does not work. It's goes blank, turns blue, or continuously restarts. This screen contains the backup camera, backup camera for the pro trailer feature, climate controls, and radio. The wireless App projection also does not work. Unable to use rear view camera. Contacted Ford and was told this is "a nightmare" and "there are currently no known fixes". This is a ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 2, 2024
I pulled into a parking spot and to ensure I stopped when I wanted to, I braked. The car accelerated, smashing into a building. I always drive in eco mode and generally use the e-pedal which was on at the time. I’m not sure if either or a combination of those may have been a factor in what happened. The car is available for inspection upon request. I was fine, but very shaken. The car is d... Read more
Crash
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2022) — SUSPENSION
Mar 20, 2024
Incident date: Dec 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving approximately 30-40 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently veered to the opposite lane of the road, causing the front driver's side to crash into an embarkment. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated that he hit his left knee and sustained severe pain that lasted a long time. The contact received medical assistance. No police re... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Accord. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000(Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. An unknown 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 cont... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to start. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at an undisclos... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2024
Air bags didn't deploy after impact in crash. Safety of driver was put at severe risk due to such malfunction of deployment of air bags. Vehicle has been inspected by the police and the insurance company. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. AEB didn't engage when driver applied breaks during crash. Safety of driver was put at severe risk ... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 18, 2024
I purchased the 2019 Nissan Altima March 22,2024 for the last week the car will start when it wants , the collision sign on the dash comes on and states it’s blocked , the car will stop or shut off while driving ( on the highway with my two children ) the car stoped & a big truck almost ran in the back of me , the seat belt on the right side doesn’t work . Theirs 4 other problems with the car ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee Altitude. The contact stated that his daughter was driving at approximately 70 MPH when the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that no warning lights were illuminated prior to the failure. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that a connecting rod had punctured the engine block, and the engine needed to be replaced. The veh... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2022) — STRUCTURE:BODY
Mar 19, 2024
Incident date: Mar 18, 2024
I was told the paint on my 4 runner was recalled, but because it was a salvage title they where very rude and told me sorry but they can't fix it. I was so upset because when you spend 40,000. on a vehicle and something recalls it shouldn't matter if its a salvage title or not. So I left. I recently was getting some work done at a different dealership because a friend works there and I was expla... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2024
I had cruise control enabled while driving down the highway. When entering a sweeper turn, the steering wheel locked up completely and could only be moved about 1cm either direction. If this had happened on any mild turn this would have resulted in a crash. The steering wheel locked up entirely at 50mph. I was able to slowly get the car to the side of the road utilizing the 1cm of freeplay in ... Read more
NISSAN
ROGUE SPORT
(2018) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 19, 2024
Incident date: Mar 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) 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 contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. The contac... Read more
NISSAN
ROGUE SPORT
(2018) — VISIBILITY/WIPER
Mar 19, 2024
Incident date: Mar 19, 2023
The dashboard is melting - it is sticky and shiny. The glare it causes on the windshield is horrific. I have a very difficult time seeing when the sun is out. An independent service center has inspected and confirmed it is caused by the melting dashboard. I first noticed it a few months ago. I travel to Nashville often, which is a 3.5 hour drive, and the sight obstruction at interstate drivin... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions while exiting and entering the driver's door, there was an abnormally loud popping sound coming from the door. Additionally, while the vehicle was parked, the contact attempted to roll down the driver's window, but the window would not roll down. The vehicle was taken to two body shops where it was diagnosed that the... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon her husband starting the vehicle, the vehicle hesitated and failed to accelerate above 25–40 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated and flashing. The vehicle misfired and jerked while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who performed a compression test, which was at 25 lbs. on the cylinder #4. T... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
My Honda recently has had 10 warning lights pop up went in for oil change they couldn’t tell me the issue came back for another diagnosis and they are saying the engine has oil dilution. This is a known issue for this engine. But why does it affect abs, traction control, wiper sensor, auto high beam detection. , all of the lane assist , cruise control, early warning crash detection? This can be... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2024
The car has a massive delay when you press on the gas , a few times almost causing an accident for me. I've seen others have this problem also. Is infiniti going to fix this deadly problem
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
Frame around windshield is loose on the right. Rattles when driving at higher speeds.
Incident date: Mar 18, 2024
SUV parking/emergency brake automatically activates without driver doing this. This is what happened: stopped at red light foot on brake. The SUV has the feature to shut the engine off when stopped. Light turns green foot then goes to the gas. When the foot is lifted off the brake, the engine tries to restart and hesitates and at the same time the parking/emergency brake activates without this be... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2024
SUV parking/emergency brake automatically activates without driver doing this. This is what happened: stopped at red light foot on brake. The SUV has the feature to shut the engine off when stopped. Light turns green foot then goes to the gas. When the foot is lifted off the brake, the engine tries to restart and hesitates and at the same time the parking/emergency brake activates without this be... Read more
Incident date: Mar 18, 2024
As I backed into a parking spot I proceeded to try to switch from drive to reverse to straighten out and the lever went floppy. I am stuck in drive with the emergency brakes engaged. The wires under the column shifter wore at just the right time to what appears would be the clock spring!!
Incident date: Apr 24, 2023
The contact's son owned a 2023 Ford Maverick. The contact was filing a complaint on behalf of his deceased son. The contact stated that while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed and making a right-corner turn, the vehicle turned onto the left shoulder, which was covered in dirt and gravel, and skidded 164 feet into a large tree. The vehicle then rotated about 90–100 degrees and caught f... Read more
Crash
Fire
1 injured
1 deaths
Incident date: Jan 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford EcoSport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) 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 and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The m... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
The ANC module malfunctions already at only 67000 miles and causes a humming noise which is very annoying when driving. The ebreak also malfunctions during cold weather conditions. I have had to restart the car due to the electronic parking break not working properly. In case of an emergency I might need it and it may malfunction.
Incident date: Sep 15, 2023
both driver and passenger headrests popped open randomly while my car was in park
Incident date: Sep 24, 2023
On 03/16/2024; while driving on I-90 the vehicle at approx 60-65 miles per hr, suddenly stopped, and had to be towed to Matthews Hyundai of Schenectady.
Incident date: Mar 4, 2024
1st instance 12/06/2023- The battery was drained and it won't start so they changed the battery. Dashboard light says engine malfunction have the vehicle inspected. 2nd instance 02/10/2024- same dashboard light Engine malfunction and Hybrid malfunction. This time they said that DTC was P0E10. They also noticed low battery charge warning. Battery was charged with DCA8000 charger and they said that ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2017
Upon driving the vehicle, it became apparent that the subframe had broke off causing the left rear tire to turn inward/outward. This particular part had become very eroded/corroded causing this part to break causing the vehicle to be inoperable.The vehicle was operating at a speed of 5-10mph at the time of the malfunction.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2017
Loss of ABS/traction control. Electrical failure ABS pump motor. Loss of braking ability. Vehicle has very low mileage, less the 3,000 miles.
Incident date: Mar 17, 2024
I have had this car for 4 years and have had to replace 7 door locks. All quit working. The doors will not lock when the buttons are pushed which is a major security issue.
Incident date: Mar 17, 2024
THE REAR DOOR LOCK IS NOT CLOSING THE DOOR
Incident date: Mar 15, 2024
Driving at night on I-29 South and headlights went off intermittently but not simultaneously. Headlamps continued intermittent cut-out until reached destination (approx 3 hours later). As a safety issue for driving while dark, had both assemblies replaced at Cadillac dealer for approx $3,950.00. Replacement was Cadillac recommendation as it was stated the electronics do fail in these headlight ass... Read more
Incident date: Mar 11, 2024
The paint is coming off in chunks. We have a white 2016 kia sorento. We noticed a few areas shortly after bought it but now bigger pieces are missing. We did research and noticed other similar vehicles are having the same issue.
Incident date: Mar 12, 2024
In 2015 purchased this used 2012 Ural GearUp (Yamal edition) from GOAz Motorcycles in Scottsdale, AZ. To date I have received no written notice from GOAz or Irbit of the safety recall related to cracking/defective rims. I only learned of this 2 days ago through a newsletter E-Mail from Ural USA. These rims have been the subject of two NHTSA recalls: [XXX] (2013) and [XXX] (2022). When I had ne... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2024
Error code P052E Positive crankcase ventilation regulator valve performance
Incident date: Feb 1, 2024
Car was involved in a head on collision [XXX] with a concrete exit barrier after being pushed into the lane by a driver trying to in front of them trying to make a last second dash for the exit. Not sure if the driver was in blind spot, but the vehicle trying to merge did use turn signal or respond to horn honking from myself. In order to avoid the hitting the other driver, who was unaware of my ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2002) — FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Mar 16, 2024
Incident date: Oct 10, 2023
On more than one occasion, the Forward Collision Warning System and Emergency Braking System on my 2023 Honda Ridgeline activated when there was no obstacle. These incidents have occurred since new. Normally, the false activation causes my vehicle to flash the "brake" warning on the instrument cluster, the steering wheel to shake, and the brakes to be gently applied. However, one time a false a... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2002) — SERVICE BRAKES
Mar 16, 2024
Incident date: Oct 10, 2023
On more than one occasion, the Forward Collision Warning System and Emergency Braking System on my 2023 Honda Ridgeline activated when there was no obstacle. These incidents have occurred since new. Normally, the false activation causes my vehicle to flash the "brake" warning on the instrument cluster, the steering wheel to shake, and the brakes to be gently applied. However, one time a false a... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2002) — STEERING
Mar 16, 2024
Incident date: Oct 10, 2023
This relates to Campaign Number 11V244000 We are the original and only owners of the vehicle I originally brought the vehicle in for the recall and they simply sprayed some undercoating in the wheel wells. Less than a month later both strut towers separated from the body of the vehicle while my wife was driving home, she lost steering and could have had a serious or fatal accident. I towed to the ... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2002) — ENGINE
Mar 16, 2024
Incident date: Aug 20, 2023
I have had several incidents with my Alfa Romero Stelvio losing power while driving, This problem has been going on for quite some time, i have had several parts changed out with the same results a few weeks or months later. I took the vehicle to Jim Ellis Alfa Romero for repairs and told them the vehicle was losing power while driving and was told that this problem has occurred on several Stelvio... Read more
Incident date: Mar 16, 2024
I’ve gotten approved to buy another car and was going to trade my 2011 Kia sorento but still has open recall and Kia dealership has no answers when they can fix. What do i do. Thank you for your help!