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 39,107 complaints for PONTIAC
Incident date: Apr 19, 2023
When I start the engine & try to put in another it it nearly impossible. With engine on, it smells of gasoline! I'm afraid I will die from the fumes. Transmission only goes up to 20 mph. I know there is a gas leak and I want others to be notified before my family or someone else's family catch fire and burn to death! If I have to run the heater then it takes power from the engine/transmission and ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 6, 2023
As i attempted to start my vehicle, it continuously made a clicking noise until i finally hit the gas and made it crank up. About halfway through my work commute, the forward collision warning came on with no visible forward threat on the road. All of a sudden the car slammed on its brakes without me even touching the break and continued to do so anytime I put my foot on the gas above 50mph. I tri... Read more
Incident date: Apr 15, 2023
I feel Tesla is building cars with non-standard parts and structural issues. 1.I bought a new car and started hearing brakes noises from 6000 miles where as previous car brakes rotors were good till 70k miles. 2.Within 9000 miles, driver side door, A pillar, B pillar, rear seats, display panel has to be either insulated or replaced. I am not sure how this effects car value or vehicle integrity goi... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2023
It appears that the transmission shift cable detached while I was driving the vehicle. I went to stop the vehicle and put it in park and the vehicle kept rolling. I had to press the parking break to keep the vehicle from moving.
Incident date: Apr 10, 2023
2nd row passenger side bucket seat seatbelt no longer latches. Car has less than 35,000 miles. Seat is no longer able to be occupied legally. My child in booster seat uses that seat belt and could have become unsecured while driving which would have put him at risk if there was an accident or would have had to brake quickly. Seatbelt has not been inspected by anyone at this time. No warning or sym... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2023
WHILE DRIVING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE ENGINE IDLE WAS ROUGH. I CHECKED THE CODE AND IT WAS A MISFIRE IN CYLINDER #2. I HAD THE SPARK PLUGS CHANGED AND THE VAN STILL IDLED ROUGH AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. IT LOSES POWER ON ACCELERATION. I HAD A MECHANIC LOOK AT IT AND THEY FOUND A DEFECTIVE VALVE GUIDE IN THE CYLINDER. THEY STATED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE. HE ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2008 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that while her fiancé’ was driving behind her, he notified her that her rear driver’s and passenger’s side brake lights remained illuminated while the accelerator pedal was depressed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the rear passenger’s and driver’s side brake light bulbs we... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2023
My vehicle has had multiple parasitic battery events where the battery has been completely drained overnight. I have replaced the battery six times since May of 2022. I took my vehicle to my auto repair shop and they checked every fuse in the vehicle and could not find the problem. The shop called the Honda Dealer service center to get advice on what the problem might be and the dealer was unab... Read more
Incident date: Mar 29, 2023
The contact owns a 2022 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the RPM became elevated; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact stated that the cruise control and tow haul mode failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not... Read more
Incident date: Mar 17, 2023
While driving on the highway (I-75) in Michigan on April 2, 2022 the sunroof exploded for no apparent reason.
Incident date: Mar 1, 2023
When purchasing new tires today, we were informed that we needed to replace the lug nuts as the lug nut wrench no longer fit the top of the nuts. We were told that they often have this problem with Lincolns and some Fords. He said they could "force" the old ones back on, but the next time they would have to be cut off and replaced. We researched this problems and found that others had the same ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
Paint is peeling off of vehicle for no apparent reason. Large size pieces on the trench hood.
PONTIAC
GRAND PRIX
(2007) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Mar 28, 2023
Incident date: Mar 27, 2023
Engine shuts down on stop. Normal. But sometimes when I take my foot off the pedal, the starter grinds unusually long and when the engine does restart the vehicle lunges forward. As my foot is instinctively on the accelerator, this sometimes could cause a rear end collision with another vehicle. This scenario has twice caused the engine light to come on. No related codes detected by dealer. The ... Read more
PONTIAC
GRAND PRIX
(2007) — ENGINE
Mar 28, 2023
Incident date: Mar 27, 2023
So I bought my car used at a Kia Dealership. When I got my car I noticed that my cars engine was ticking. So I took it in. They said that I needed to replace the fan because it was worn down and that my extended warranty covers it. but went on to say well those Kia's make and model and year just make noise like that. So why say my fan needs replacing implying the cause of the noise and then go on ... Read more
PONTIAC
GRAND PRIX
(2007) — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Mar 28, 2023
Incident date: Mar 27, 2023
On March 27th, 2023, the car was parked and off for only approximately 5 minutes when the engine caught fire. The engine and vehicle is a complete loss. A claim has been filed with Farm Bureau insurance. There were no engine warning lights, smells, or smoke during or after driving, until the 5 minutes passed when the car was turned off. I did not locate any engine recalls due to fire for a 2007 Gr... Read more
Fire
PONTIAC
GRAND PRIX
(2007) — STEERING
Mar 28, 2023
Incident date: Jun 19, 2021
While driving my 2015 GMC Canyon my power steering service light goes on and I have no power steering making difficult and dangerous to control my vehicle. Also, at the same a service stabilitrak light goes on. I'm aware of a recall for this problem as been issued for 2015 GMC trucks but so reason my truck is not included in this recall even though I am experiencing the same problems for which the... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2023
Catastrophic "Critical" coolant system failure. Resulting in vehicle completely disabled on the roadside. Police and Fire Dept. responded. I have been communicating with Jaguar North Scottsdale and Jaguar Land Rover North America LLC for resolution. The Coolant System defective parts were identified in 2017, newly designed "y" pipe and outlet pipes, single extruded pipes, have been available since... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
The vehicle stability control system randomly engages and activates the brakes without cause. This can happen on a gentle curve going under the speed limit. It is very scary and I am afraid it is going to cause an accident. Internet research shows many owners with this issue and no information on the cause or a fix
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
The vehicle stability control system randomly engages and activates the brakes without cause. This can happen on a gentle curve going under the speed limit. It is very scary and I am afraid it is going to cause an accident. Internet research shows many owners with this issue and no information on the cause or a fix
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2009 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V252000 (Electrical System, Stability Control, Vehicle Speed Control, Electronic Stability Control); however, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the transmission gear shifter failed to shift between gears and ceased. The air bag warning light illuminated inte... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving 75-80 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the accelerator pedal went down to the floorboard. The contact then decelerated, and the vehicle began to stall. The contact veered to the side of the road, where the vehicle completely stalled. The contact then parked the vehicle. The contact was able to restart the vehicle, howev... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the instrument panel registered that the engine was hot. A message to turn off the vehicle was displayed. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate, and the engine started to overheat. The contact turned off the vehicle, and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
Random Battery Drain. Driver and passengers can be put in danger if car doesn’t start and vehicle is in an unsafe location. AAA replaced battery with a new one but the random battery drain problem continues to occur. No warning signs prior to dead battery. First appeared end of 2020/beginning of 2021. Internet search returns complaints for same problem from 2017 to present.
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that he noticed that the subframe was excessively rusted. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer for routine oil change and tire rotation services, and after the contact made the mechanic aware of the failure, he was informed that the vehicle could not be raised up on the lift because the subframe had excessive rust and would fracture. The... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
I placed my foot on the Brake to release the Emergency brake. I heard a pop. The brake pedal immediately went to car floor. I didn’t know what it was initially but quickly realized something was wrong with my brakes when I was on the highway. When I tried to brake the pedal went to the floor and the car did not slow properly. I made it to the subdivision entrance when the low brake fluid indicat... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2007 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag, stability trac, traction control, and brake warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the contact had to forcefully depress the brake pedal to shift the vehicle out of park(P). The cruise control also intermittently failed to activate and deactivate. The vehicle was not diagnosed or... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2023
Front Driver and Passenger door can not be opened from the inside or outside. Locking mechanism doesn't work. I've tried Unlocking the door with remote, button in the car, manually in the car and sticking the key in the actual door itself. When I pull on the handles nothing happens. You can hear the actuator working inside the doors, and the manual door lock knob goes up and down, but neither fron... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2019
While driving on the highway, the passenger front windshield trim piece flew off, causing the driver behind me to swerve to avoid being hit by it. I was not positive what happened until I was able to stop and look at the vehicle. Dealership said it was not under recall so would cost $300+ to replace the part. Previously in the same day I had heard a tapping/rattling noise but could not identify wh... Read more
Incident date: Feb 14, 2023
Rust is happening at an increasing rate on the rear wheel wells and rear lift gate.
Incident date: Apr 12, 2022
My vehicle failed to stop which resulted to a car crash
Crash
Incident date: Sep 1, 2022
While driving down major highway the engine failed and the electrical system started blinking and I lost all power. No warning, dashboard just lit all up and engine seized up.
Incident date: Nov 23, 2022
DRIVERSIDE FRONT HEADREST JUST POPPED FOR NO REASON. LOADING KIDS IN SUV AND IT JUST POPPED, MARCH 8TH 2023 NO REASON OR EXPLINATION I CONTACTED CRYSLER CORP THEY TOLD ME THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO HELP ME AND THAT ITS NOT COVERED THEY CAN GIVE A PRICE ON A NEW HEADREST
Incident date: Jan 18, 2023
Engine suddenly shutdown while driving in the middle of the road. Luckily, I was not on the highway. Had it towed to my mechanic and he told me that there was a class action lawsuit on these engines and that they were known to fail after 100,000 miles. I never got any notification about this problem. I am checking with the Hyundai dealership about replacing the engine.
Incident date: Jan 18, 2023
When putting my child (5yo) into the car seat, when I went to check the harness by pulling on it as I always have, it pulled forward without much difficulty. What was concerning is that it wasn't just loose as the strap that is used to tighten the harness was withdrawn as I pulled showing that it wasn't securing my child. I have not altered or removed the car seat from the vehicle in more than a y... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2022
The ABS/HCU control unit failed at 16000 miles and was replaced. At 30000 miles, the same part has failed again. The parts for repair are not available at this time. Hopefully an upgraded part is being designed to fix this failure. I am afraid to drive this vehicle in wet conditions or while towing as a faulty Anti Lock Braking system (ABS) could cause a loss of control. The dealer has diagnosed t... Read more
Incident date: Feb 17, 2023
My 2018 Honda Accord Ex-L 91,560 miles has an issue with the fuel pump/injectors while driving on the roadway and/or highway. My vehicle will come to a mid stop abruptly because it is not getting enough power to the engine from the fuel pump. This has caused safety issue to myself, passengers in my vehicle, pedestrians and and other drivers while operating my vehicle. Honda has been made aware of ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 10, 2023
I have been unable to complete recall of rear camera repair.
Incident date: Feb 10, 2023
I have been unable to complete recall of rear camera repair.
Incident date: Jan 3, 2022
Vehicle completely shut off on highway 70mph. Service charging system, D selector was flashing Pulled to a stop and had to restart ignition.
Incident date: Aug 30, 2022
I have had to replaced two separate times my windshield trim pieces that cover the hardware on windshield. Every time I have lost them it has occurred on the highway where I was going a speed of 65-70mph. When I have had a professional reinstall new parts it has cost me almost $350.00 The parts are coming directly from ford nothing aftermarket and they are being reinstalled by a professional. I sh... Read more
Incident date: Jan 28, 2023
CUSTOMER REAR PASSENGER SETBELT DOESNT LATCH
Incident date: Jan 22, 2023
Recall for water potentially leaking into drivers side dash harness connector…which could cause battery discharge and thermal damage to connector (along with other possible problems). About two weeks prior to receiving the recall letter…my Rogue started having major battery issues - such as, thick blue corrosion on and around both terminals, all down the cables/wiring, and circuit board atta... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2023
Recall for water potentially leaking into drivers side dash harness connector…which could cause battery discharge and thermal damage to connector (along with other possible problems). About two weeks prior to receiving the recall letter…my Rogue started having major battery issues - such as, thick blue corrosion on and around both terminals, all down the cables/wiring, and circuit board atta... Read more
Incident date: Jan 12, 2023
1. COULD NOT PUT CAR INTO PARK OR TURN OFF. CAUSED BATTERY TO BE DEAD AS IT WOULD NOT TURN OFF WHEN PUT INTO PARK. 2. STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND JERKED REPEATEDLY. COULD NOT TURN INTO PARKING SPOT. THE STEERING WHEEL HAD A MIND OF ITS OWN AND COULD NOT STOP THE JERK. IT IS DANGEROUS AND SCARY ! 3. AT NIGHT, THE HEADLIGHTS DO NOT LIGHT THE ROAD. IT IS AS THOUGH THERE ARE NO LIGHTS AT ALL. IT IS D... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2022
The contact who is an independent mechanic, called on behalf of his client who owns a 2009 Pontiac G6. The contact stated while the vehicle was being driven at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost power steering assist functionality. The power steering assist warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was towed to the independent mechanic to be d... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2023
I went to the dealer to fix a power steering issue where the vehicle becomes dangerous to drive due to the power steering randomly shutting off. There is a recall associated with this and someone who had the vehicle before me may have replaced the steering column unaware of the recall. They may have replaced it with a vehicle from the junk yard that never went in for the recall on the electronic s... Read more
Incident date: Dec 23, 2022
Sudden loss of power steering while driving. There was no warning on both occasions. One time I could not turn the vehicle and ended up leaving the road. Traffic behind me, as well, as cross traffic from the light change, piled up until I was able to run back over the curb and get back on the road. The car is currently at a repair shop for the 2nd time. The power steering recall affected the same... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
I have a 2005 Pontiac G6 that we purchased for our daughter about 4 or 5 years ago. The car has been a great first car and an emergency spare for our family, until recently. I was driving in Oklahoma City in 5 pm rush hour and without any type of warning I had zero and I mean zero power steering, I could not get the car off the highway at all, the steering wheel started shaking rapidly, and jearki... Read more
Incident date: Dec 29, 2022
I had my valve cover gasket replaced fuel injectors serviced and transmission serviced on 12/26/2022. When I picked my car up on 12/29/2022, I was checking my brake lights when the car started Idling up and down on it's own and the check engine light came on. I called the dealer and was asked to bring the car in and they would check it out. I returned on Jan. 2nd 2023 to address the concerns with... Read more