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: Apr 1, 2026
Vehicle started up on its own and continued to run. Key fob was laying on a night stand. No messages were displayed in car. I was able to turn it off.
Incident date: May 6, 2026
I was driving on the Highway, and went to accelerate and my car went into Limp Mode in the middle of the highway and I was almost not able to get to the emergency lane due to not being able to accelerate. I took it to the nearest auto mechanic shop, and they informed they could not work on it or diagnose due to it being a Volkswagen. I then took it to the nearest Volkswagen dealership, and they sa... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2026
I was driving on the Highway, and went to accelerate and my car went into Limp Mode in the middle of the highway and I was almost not able to get to the emergency lane due to not being able to accelerate. I took it to the nearest auto mechanic shop, and they informed they could not work on it or diagnose due to it being a Volkswagen. I then took it to the nearest Volkswagen dealership, and they sa... Read more
Incident date: May 3, 2026
On a side street approximately 1/4 mile before we were going to enter a highway the car suddenly resisted motion substantially and I had to immediately pull to the side. I tried reverse and the resistance was higher, I put it back in forward and it released. However, I immediately but slowly headed for my service station 2 miles away. A warning message appeared just as I brought the car to a stop ... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2026
The vehicle shudders and it very slow to shift from park to drive.
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
Both my Road Departure Mitigation and Collision Mitigation Braking System both randomly turn off and show “setting incomplete” when I attempt to put them from off to on. After 5-7 days of normal driving both systems will turn back on and thereafter work for 5-7 days before turning off once again. I have not been involved in any accidents. I’m afraid off unprovoked braking from these electri... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
Both my Road Departure Mitigation and Collision Mitigation Braking System both randomly turn off and show “setting incomplete” when I attempt to put them from off to on. After 5-7 days of normal driving both systems will turn back on and thereafter work for 5-7 days before turning off once again. I have not been involved in any accidents. I’m afraid off unprovoked braking from these electri... Read more
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
Both my Road Departure Mitigation and Collision Mitigation Braking System both randomly turn off and show “setting incomplete” when I attempt to put them from off to on. After 5-7 days of normal driving both systems will turn back on and thereafter work for 5-7 days before turning off once again. I have not been involved in any accidents. I’m afraid off unprovoked braking from these electri... Read more
Incident date: May 5, 2026
I was traveling with my family on the Ohio Turnpike. We were traveling west in our 2023 GMC Yukon Denali when we lost all propulsion and the engine seized. There was no warning lights or other symptoms prior to this incident on May 3, 2026. In fact, I had the vehicle in for the prescribed recall to test the engine for the known defect earlier in 2026. The vehicle passed that test and was g... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2026
I was driving on the street about 15 miles per hour when the car sensor sensed something in front of my car and stopped automatically when there was nothing in front of me. Almost caused a rear-end accident, luckily, the car behind was able to stop
Incident date: May 6, 2026
The front radar sensor (behind the H emblem on the front grill) was stolen. The car still drives, but all the safety features tied to it are now disabled. Honda service center wants $119 just to diagnose it. I was then quoted ~$1,500 for the part + ~$2,000 for labor (before tax). After looking into it, this seems to be happening frequently with CR-Vs. The radar sensor is externally accessible and ... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2026
My RWD motor completely went out and lost power on the highway off ramp. Could have turned into a dangerous situation. Not sure why these motors seem to be very unreliable. Tesla has not given me an explanation as to what is exactly causing this. Happens to thousands of owners. And this car is only 5 years old. I had the motor replaced in November 2022 and 3 years later it’s out for good. Now I ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 19, 2024
I have the warning power steering on my dash and it’s getting harder to steer and turn then it quits and does it again it’s not safe at all
Incident date: Apr 23, 2026
On 3/17/26, my husband and I started heading N on RT 83 to a medical appointment in our 2025 Honda CR-V Touring Sport. We were doing between 40 to 50 miles/hr. Twenty minutes later, we smelled faint smoke which was attributed to the trucks driving around us. Upon exit to our next route we immediately came to a red light and stopped and found heavy dark smoke coming from inside the front of our ... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Nov 26, 2025
Description of Incident: The vehicle is experiencing significant engine oil dilution by gasoline. Upon inspection of the dipstick, the oil level is consistently found to be well above the "Full" mark, and the oil emits a strong, pungent odor of raw fuel. This indicates that unburnt gasoline is bypassing the piston rings and entering the crankcase during normal operation, particularly in colder tem... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2026
My 2014 Ford F150 truck went into “limp mode” last week. A wrench showed up on my dashboard, my speedometer didn’t function, and it sounded like the transmission was “winding up” if I tried to accelerate. After hitting “ok” to remove the wrench and restarting the truck a couple of times, my check engine light illuminated. I was driving at about 40 MPH when this occurred and it was a ... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2026
The engine started making clunking sounds when driving. Brought it in and they said piston 2 has low psi, damage to cylinder, oil in cylinder, and the vehicle has roughly 47,500 miles on it. It has had on time oil changes and maintenance. I am told it needs a new engine.
Incident date: Apr 28, 2026
The driver’s-side rear spoiler on my 2014 Toyota Highlander Limited AWD has melted, bubbled, and warped. The vehicle has been stored 100% of the time in a fully enclosed garage with no windows since new. It has only 65,000 miles and has received all service exclusively at authorized Toyota dealerships. There has been no direct sun exposure, accident, or misuse. Toyota dealer and Corporate attri... Read more
Incident date: Apr 22, 2026
Motor damaged. Needs new motor. Crank shaft, seals, bottom end all damaged
Incident date: May 4, 2026
There is suspension noise coming from driver side when driving in low speed (10-30mph). You can feel it when turning and accelerating slowly. It started around 9000 miles after first service of the car. There was no noticeable noise before. Reported to dealer but they cannot fix it and told me everything looks normal.
Incident date: May 4, 2026
Purchase this Vehicle November 1st 2025 as a GM certified used vehicle. Had several issues with the camera system including the backup camera. Would go offline and not be usable for days. Vehicle went back to shop several times for this with no resolution. Now February 18th 2026 at approximately 630PM EST (after sunset) on the way into work traveling on the highway the engine lost power and engin... Read more
Incident date: May 4, 2026
I was sitting in car, not moving. Heard loud pop. When parked checked and rear driver side triangle window was totally cracked with small hole - cracking/shattering on inside. Outer layer shows cracks (like spider web) but still has surface intact. Purchased this vehicle on 13 Feb 2026. Toyota thus far not assisting with repair.
Incident date: Nov 13, 2025
Engine stalls when at intersection and the engine cuts off at idle and fails to start back up when you remove your foot from the break. Can have keep lane assist enable. KLAS mode narrow, you have to fight the wheel to maintain control of the vehicle, formal mode is a 50/50 chance it works, wide you can sift right off the road for 5-10 secs before to realize your off the road. Steer wheel control... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2007 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that a dealer technician came to the contact’s residence and performed an air bag recall repair. Following the repair, the vehicle became inoperable. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start and that a burning odor was coming from the area near the air bag. The battery warning light was illuminated. The dealer was contacted. The... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2024 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while coming to a stop, the vehicle would unexpectedly lunge forward and hesitate, with no warning lights illuminated. The contact also stated that a loud, abnormal rattling noise was coming from the soft top area of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, it was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 4, 2026
I was driving on the highway and my car started making a lot of noise. I got a notice “The Engine system has detected a fault.” Then another notification saying 4 wheel drive was disabled and then my car stopped running, leaving me stranded in the middle of the highway. My car would start, but it would not go into any gear. When I tried putting it in gear, I got a notification that said “Pow... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2025
At 90,181 miles, the 10R80 transmission in my 2017 Ford F-150 suffered a catastrophic internal failure. The vehicle exhibited violent, hard shifts between gears 2 through 4 with no check engine light or warning indicator, giving zero warning the drivetrain was failing. Sheehy Ford in [XXX] reproduced the condition. Their diagnosis on RO XXX: "HARSH 4-6 SHIFT-INTERNAL FAULT." Teardown revealed a ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 15, 2025
Every single EA839 Audi Engine has piston skirt and cylinder scoring.
Incident date: Mar 15, 2025
The vehicle's Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) is triggering 'phantom braking' at 50mph when there are no vehicles or hazards ahead. This occurs consistently on roads with dark asphalt patches/crack sealant. The braking is severe enough to cause a potential rear-end collision. I have reported this to Honda Corporate (Case #16338446) and have an appointment with a dealer, but the issue pe... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
The car started jerking and overheating. Mechanic says blown head gasket. The car is only 64000 miles.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
A coolant leak from the flow shut‑off valve caused the engine maintenance warning light to remain on for an extended period. This issue is covered under Toyota Customer Support Program 24TE04. The warning light is a safety concern because it indicates an active engine‑related malfunction and can mask other warnings. The defect was first diagnosed by a Toyota dealership at approximately 97,000... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Automatic transmission failed How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? While merging into traffic the transmission would not shift and the truck lost power and began to slow down. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes the de... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(2020) — STEERING
May 4, 2026
Incident date: Apr 15, 2026
When turning, accelerating and/or decelerating I hear a clicking sound coming from the rear of my car. My initial determination is the infamous cv joint/axle clicking sound. I have a service scheduled with dealer in a couple of days (5/6/26) to review. I did not receive any error or warning messages. The problem started yesterday (5/3/26).
Incident date: Sep 30, 2025
On March 14 2026 i was driving from [XXX] . To [XXX] to have my tires checked because i felt a strong vibration on my steering column and truck itself, it was getting worse so i took it to my mechanic who does my regular maintenance on truck. After inspecting tire ( [XXX] 55 R20) was called over and shown that my front passenger side tire had a flat spot, it looked deformed mechanic informed me ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2025
On March 14 2026 i was driving from [XXX] . To [XXX] to have my tires checked because i felt a strong vibration on my steering column and truck itself, it was getting worse so i took it to my mechanic who does my regular maintenance on truck. After inspecting tire ( [XXX] 55 R20) was called over and shown that my front passenger side tire had a flat spot, it looked deformed mechanic informed me ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2025
I was driving and the vehicle was operating as expected in normal conditions when I heard a loud pop sound, followed by an alert on my car infotainment to pull over and inspect the 12v battery. "12 volt battery low. Stop safely" I turned the car around to drive back home. The car wouldn't go any faster than 40mph. Once parking the car back home, the car would not turn on anymore. This is congruent... Read more
Incident date: May 3, 2026
Paint is blistering above windshield along entire length and around sunroof. Also down along left and right side of windshield. Beginnings of blistering top rear quarter panels closer to roof.
Incident date: May 3, 2026
I am getting warning signs on the dashboard saying that my brake booster performance has failed and I need to service the brake booster , the brakes are very hard to press, I need longer stopping distances,and traction control and stability control towing harness my speed has been limited to 43 mph and it's saying that the mass air flow system is has low circuit
Incident date: May 2, 2026
Last week 4/28/26, I purchased four Crossclimate 2 235/50R19 tires from Costco in [XXX] . Order #XXX. My question is two of the tires do not have a DOT number on the side wall. Two tires have DOT [1426] Along with [047X]. The other tires only have [047X]. No week or year of manufacture. Those tires appear to have a white powdery coating on the sidewall. I asked the technician at Costco ab... Read more
Incident date: Feb 19, 2026
Fuel Injectors/ Misfires
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
Wipers do not work Seems to not recognize when idling and starts to shake if stopped at a red light. Randomly will go through 2 quarts of oil in one day
Incident date: May 2, 2026
Cam Phasers. Ford refuses to repair cam phasers despite having a recall previously and never fixed by previous owner. Ford quoted the repair at $8k. Previously recall stated safety concerns over faulty manufacturing of cam phasers, having plastic parts and exposed parts rather than metal and enclosed parts like in they install during the repair. While I understand the repair was a voluntary recall... Read more
Incident date: May 31, 2025
I was driving with my cruise control on, at the speed around 50 mph, thank goodness no other cars were around us, all of a sudden my car slammed on the brakes, a warning flashed but I happened so fast I wasn’t able to see what it said.
Incident date: May 31, 2025
Sluggish engine, delayed engine engagement, delayed throttle response. Engine noise under acceleration. My safety is being put at risk when pulling out into oncoming traffic on the highway, engine is not shifting, vehicle not moving as fast as it should. Technical Expert sent out by Arbitrator with the BBB Autoline who confirmed multiple issues with the engine. Vehicle has been to Nissan dealershi... Read more
Incident date: May 31, 2025
Sluggish engine, delayed engine engagement, delayed throttle response. Engine noise under acceleration. My safety is being put at risk when pulling out into oncoming traffic on the highway, engine is not shifting, vehicle not moving as fast as it should. Technical Expert sent out by Arbitrator with the BBB Autoline who confirmed multiple issues with the engine. Vehicle has been to Nissan dealershi... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
215/60/r16 Driving down, interstate st 70 steering wheel started to shake, then load noise as if running over something, then could see the entire middle tread of the tire flying into the lane behind me to the right. So luckily no one was in that lane or it would’ve crashed into the front of their car. Car was recently purchased from a dealer and the dealer had just gotten it from an auction so... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
Sunroof material when opened sags down and blocks drivers rear view this needs to be a safety recall!
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
On March 25th the dealership said our car was on a recall for R25E2 the dealership performed the ECM software update fix at this time. On April 30th 2026 the engine suffered catastophic failure. The heat stopped working the car was not showing hot the dial was at 1/4 it is usually at 1/2. The oil light flashed my husband lost power steering and it died at a 4 way stop. There was so much white smo... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
On March 25th the dealership said our car was on a recall for R25E2 the dealership performed the ECM software update fix at this time. On April 30th 2026 the engine suffered catastophic failure. The heat stopped working the car was not showing hot the dial was at 1/4 it is usually at 1/2. The oil light flashed my husband lost power steering and it died at a 4 way stop. There was so much white smo... Read more
Incident date: Mar 26, 2026
I am submitting a formal complaint regarding a safety-related issue with my 2025 Ford F-150, 5.0, that began immediately following recent recall service on the brake booster system. Since the recall work was completed, the ABS system has been producing a loud electrical rattling or grinding noise during vehicle takeoff. This noise is consistent and occurs at low speeds when accelerating from a st... Read more