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: Jun 4, 2024
With less than 50,000 miles on the vehicle, the fuel sensor went out and the check engine light came on. I replaced the fuel sensor and the fuel pump and it still did not correct the issue. After doing some research, I found this is known and common issue that is deserving of a recall.
Incident date: May 29, 2024
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 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 manufacturer was mad... Read more
Incident date: May 29, 2024
2012 Audi Q5 2.0 engine failure 72,000 miles The dealership performed a tear down of my engine and had an inspector from Audi care come to inspect the damaged engine. It was determined the tensioner /timing chain caused the engine failure. Prior to the inspection, I did research and informed the service manager at the dealership that there was a known issue regarding this exact problem. He said ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2024
The passenger door handle will not open from the outside door after using keyless entry or door unlock. This put people at risk if someone is trying to rescue the person from an accident or other critical injury where one needs help to escape from the vehicle. There are numerous reports of this manufacture and model where the front doors or back passenger doors will not open. Carguru has a page li... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2024
The issue with the engine start/stop button in Honda cars is a concerning matter that has drawn attention due to its potential safety implications and inconvenience for drivers. Reports have surfaced indicating that some Honda vehicles equipped with this feature may experience intermittent or complete failure of the engine start/stop button to function as intended. One notable manifestation of th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2024
The issue with the engine start/stop button in Honda cars is a concerning matter that has drawn attention due to its potential safety implications and inconvenience for drivers. Reports have surfaced indicating that some Honda vehicles equipped with this feature may experience intermittent or complete failure of the engine start/stop button to function as intended. One notable manifestation of th... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2024
The issue with the engine start/stop button in Honda cars is a concerning matter that has drawn attention due to its potential safety implications and inconvenience for drivers. Reports have surfaced indicating that some Honda vehicles equipped with this feature may experience intermittent or complete failure of the engine start/stop button to function as intended. One notable manifestation of th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2024
My 2017 Nissan Sentra S has a very serious problem whenever my RPM reach 3.5 to 4.It starts jerking and I can't accelerate anymore,in one occasion after the jerking stop I couldn't drive no more than 5 miles per hour.i have checked for any visible issues but none. No warning lights come on, I carry a scanner with me OBD2 but it doesn't have any codes. I have gone online to find a solution but I'm ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 25, 2023
My 2017 Nissan Sentra S has a very serious problem whenever my RPM reach 3.5 to 4.It starts jerking and I can't accelerate anymore,in one occasion after the jerking stop I couldn't drive no more than 5 miles per hour.i have checked for any visible issues but none. No warning lights come on, I carry a scanner with me OBD2 but it doesn't have any codes. I have gone online to find a solution but I'm ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 5, 2024
While driving on the freeway. Slowing down speed due to traffic, the vehicle through itself in park. With the warning messages stating service transmission. The vehicle would not go into any other gear besides park. Thankfully no collision was caused due to the abrupt halt. The vehicle was then towed for repairs to the dealer. It was determined that the valve body had to be replaced. The transmiss... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2024
Manufacturer says they don't have the part to fix the Recall issue
Incident date: May 4, 2024
Manufacturer says they don't have the part to fix the Recall issue
Incident date: May 4, 2024
Purchased 2024 Toyota Tundra from dealer brand new with 3 miles. Noticed tapping noise coming from engine area. Reported to Service and Toyota specialists claimed to be normal. Same day recall 24TA07 was reported for engine debris found from production machining. Dealer suggested to take to another dealer for second opinion. Second dealer also claimed it is normal, but still they are replacing tor... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2024
There has been numerous battery drains, can't charge phone without draining battery. I got and error code P062F Internal Control Module EEPROM. ERROR. and a battery power supply error code
Incident date: Jun 4, 2024
There has been numerous battery drains, can't charge phone without draining battery. I got and error code P062F Internal Control Module EEPROM. ERROR. and a battery power supply error code
Incident date: Jun 4, 2024
Complete loss of power steering resulting in a near head on collision with another motorist. Cause of the loss of power steering was determined to be electronic components of the circuit board located inside of the steering rack had short circuited.
Incident date: Jun 4, 2024
My 2020 Hyundai Palisade slipped into neutral while slowing down in traffic. Was able to quickly pull over, brake and put back into drive. Happened 3 more times while slowing down for turns on my way home. All happened under 15 mph and had a slight grinding sound when placed back into park, drive then accelerating. Plan to take it to the Hyundai dealership tomorrow, but scared to drive it!
Incident date: Jun 4, 2024
I've already addressed what happened to my vehicle and a recall has since been issued in Dec 2023. The problem I have is the recall doesn't address the vehicles that have already failed due to the defective oil pump. Mine failed and totaled my engine leaving me without a vehicle on October 17, 2023. You even state in your description of the safety risk if this were to happen by saying it could ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2024
The vehicle exhibits excessive oil consumption due to defective oil control rings, as highlighted by Quality Bulletin P10186. Additionally, the sunroof leaks, as noted in Technical Journal 31272 and TJ 35503.3.0, and there are further issues with the windshield wiper/turn signal system, the parking brake system, and the steering wheel module. Yes, the vehicle is available for inspection upon reque... Read more
Incident date: May 24, 2024
Has been to dealer 8x in last 4 months for the 360 camera recall and camera issues the rear camera will grey out when in reverse and CarPlay / iPhone is plugged in
Incident date: May 24, 2024
Has been to dealer 8x in last 4 months for the 360 camera recall and camera issues the rear camera will grey out when in reverse and CarPlay / iPhone is plugged in
Incident date: May 5, 2024
The alternator wiring harness per recall bulletin NTB19-053 has has failed multiple times impacting starting and leaving driver stranded, shuttering while being driven, locking mechanism and other electrical components working intermittingly. Vehicle was purchased used from a dealership with 17,000 miles and shortly afterwards 1st episode of not starting occurred but then worked for about 8 month... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) 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 no... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Dodge Journey. The contact stated while her husband was driving out of the driveway, the passenger's side headrest abruptly exploded. No injuries were reported. The contact related to the failure with the Extended Warranty Program: Active Head Restraint (AHR) Inadvertent Deployment- X88 Warranty Extension. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, it was conf... Read more
Incident date: Jun 4, 2024
The AEB Braking malfunction light keeps coming on, i shut it off but it comes back on. I’m afraid it will do an emergency stop and cause the vehicle behind will hit me. No recall has been done by Nissan. I need help so I will feel safe driving my car.
Incident date: Jun 4, 2024
My electric power steering will not work all the time. If i let the truck run for 30 minutes, shut the truck off then start it again it will start working. Sometimes it wont work at all.
Incident date: May 17, 2024
Took my car for a doorknob repair and was told the whole subframe is rotted. They told me not to drive the car on the highway. The car brakes very hard to the right and always goes right while making cranking noises. Car feels very unsafe. I paid a lot of money for this and own a 2012 c300 4matic.
Incident date: May 17, 2024
Took my car for a doorknob repair and was told the whole subframe is rotted. They told me not to drive the car on the highway. The car brakes very hard to the right and always goes right while making cranking noises. Car feels very unsafe. I paid a lot of money for this and own a 2012 c300 4matic.
Incident date: May 17, 2024
Took my car for a doorknob repair and was told the whole subframe is rotted. They told me not to drive the car on the highway. The car brakes very hard to the right and always goes right while making cranking noises. Car feels very unsafe. I paid a lot of money for this and own a 2012 c300 4matic.
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2023) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 4, 2024
Incident date: Jun 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he observed excessive smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The low oil warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the valve steam seals. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who the... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not 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 conta... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2024
A small horizontal crack recently appeared on my Outback's front windshield while it was sitting in a garage overnight. The crack started from the passenger side and has now crept over to the middle of the windshield. Previous to this incident, the car had been sitting unused for over a month, so there was no opportunity for rocks or other debris from the road to cause the crack. This is the secon... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2024
I have a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 that I bought new in Oct of 2018 and it now has 15,756 miles on it and was still like new at the time of failure. On May 23rd I was driving the truck when the driver suspension suddenly had an structural failure (mostly the ball joint coming out of the control arm) causing the front right side of the suspension to collapse while driving. This caused the truck to go le... Read more
Crash
Incident date: May 13, 2024
UNKNOWN, car was driving fine on the highway, then all RPMS were lost and the car couldn't accelerate past 40mph. At the same time a loud knocking started and when i was able to park and pop the hood, the engine was clearly vibrating and the source of the knocking is undetermined. there are recall's for improperly welded rods in the 2013/14 model sonatas and the 2016 so i find it hard to believe t... Read more
NISSAN
VERSA NOTE
(2017) - STRUCTURE:BODY
Jun 3, 2024
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
The brakes failed, without warning, while parking; causing me to hit a pole/wall in my employer’s parking garage on April 12, 2024. I was injured, and obtained care from UChicago Medical Center. Toyota assigned an independent investigator to assess my vehicle; which was completed on April 29, 2024. Per Toyota, no brake issues were noted. My vehicle remained at Oak Lawn Toyota from April 12, 20... Read more
Crash
1 injured
NISSAN
VERSA NOTE
(2017) - SERVICE BRAKES
Jun 3, 2024
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
The brakes failed, without warning, while parking; causing me to hit a pole/wall in my employer’s parking garage on April 12, 2024. I was injured, and obtained care from UChicago Medical Center. Toyota assigned an independent investigator to assess my vehicle; which was completed on April 29, 2024. Per Toyota, no brake issues were noted. My vehicle remained at Oak Lawn Toyota from April 12, 20... Read more
Crash
1 injured
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2022) - ENGINE
Jun 3, 2024
Incident date: May 10, 2024
While driving the vehicle a light indicating overheating came on. I slowly and safely made it home and parked the vehicle outside as I was scared it could catch on fire. I contacted a local repair shop, who stated to have it towed to them. The owner of the shop indicated there is coolant leaking/intruding into the cylinder. He stated this is a known issue with Ford's with this particular engine. H... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2022) - POWER TRAIN
Jun 3, 2024
Incident date: May 10, 2024
A recall on the prop shaft was done in 2017 and today 06/24 while driving on the freeway I heard a loud clunking noise and then a huge pop and I pulled over on the side of the road to find my prop shaft had exploded and messed up everything. Now im stuck with a nonfunctional car because a part that was allegedly replaced for safety ended up exploding while I was driving.
Incident date: Jun 3, 2024
When engaging reverse, the rear view camera feed either cuts out intermittently or never turns on. Without it there is also no way to have a visual indication of incoming rear cross traffic while reversing. This issue happens daily and makes it very dangerous to reverse due to the limited visibility through the small rear window of the vehicle. Often when the camera DOES work, the video feed may f... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2024
When engaging reverse, the rear view camera feed either cuts out intermittently or never turns on. Without it there is also no way to have a visual indication of incoming rear cross traffic while reversing. This issue happens daily and makes it very dangerous to reverse due to the limited visibility through the small rear window of the vehicle. Often when the camera DOES work, the video feed may f... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2024
Transmission shifts hard after engine warms up.
Incident date: May 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 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. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and con... Read more
Incident date: Jun 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Honda CR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); 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 manufac... Read more
Incident date: May 2, 2024
Jumpiness and jittering and chugging up to 35 mph
Incident date: Jun 2, 2024
First issue- banjo bolt connected to front break master cylinder was loose and lost brake fluid, causing loss of front break function. Fixed by dealer under warranty. Luckily I noticed it when I was in my garage, otherwise it could have resulted in severe injury or death if on the road. No warning light. Second issue- traction control failure light, turn signal failure light. Both fixed by separ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2024
First issue- banjo bolt connected to front break master cylinder was loose and lost brake fluid, causing loss of front break function. Fixed by dealer under warranty. Luckily I noticed it when I was in my garage, otherwise it could have resulted in severe injury or death if on the road. No warning light. Second issue- traction control failure light, turn signal failure light. Both fixed by separ... Read more
Incident date: May 24, 2024
Sep 22, 2023 Manufacturer Recall Number251 NHTSA Recall Number23V651000 Recall Status: Recall Incomplete, remedy not yet available June, 2024 It has been 10 months since an alert from Hyundai to park this vehicle outside due to chance of fire. I need this car repaired or repurchased by Hyundai. 10 Moinths is far too long for a repair.
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2008) - Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness
Jun 1, 2024
Incident date: Feb 22, 2018
The car seat will not tighten and tips over during turns. Followed directions from manual but still is very loose.
Incident date: Apr 16, 2024
ABS and traction control light appear and disappear rapidly while driving. Message pop up saying service electronic braking system. The lights don’t stay on they go out immediately after chime. Notice it will sometimes (more often than not) come on when hitting bumps in the road.