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 2,690 complaints for PORSCHE
Incident date: Mar 3, 2024
Had recall performed for downshift concerns and on [XXX] my truck tried to downshift while I was driving approximately 40 to 50 mph which was very scary. My question is why didn't the completed recall fix that concern and what can be done about this before it becomes catastrophic if not fatal to have this downshifting concern on my vehicle. Thank you sincerely [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2024
Engine stalls when stopped if not in sport mode. Electronic gauge display for oil level is confusing and shows low oil level in green, causing the user to add oil when it is full. Steering rubs and knocks when turning.
PORSCHE
CAYENNE TURBO
(2011) — AIR BAGS
Aug 23, 2024
Incident date: Jun 16, 2024
Passenger seatbelt sensor warning failure
Incident date: Aug 21, 2024
After day or two purchasing the car, I started getting notifications at the car battery was low eventually after two weeks it completely died, and I was locked out with no way to enter the car because they no longer provide a manual key in the key fob. Multiple chargers and charging with another car for hours with no luck to get the car back up once I finally did get the car open. Seems like the d... Read more
Incident date: Sep 19, 2023
At 116k miles the Turbo had to be replaced, immediately following by the transmission failed and needs to be fully replaced.
Incident date: Aug 21, 2024
A few weeks ago my cars audio system started having a loud static sound come through the speakers. It quickly got a lot worse and turning the volume down or even turning the unit off did not stop the loud static noise. It got so bad that it nearly caused me to have a wreck. The only way I was able to get it to stop was to pull over to the shoulder on a busy highway and shut the engine off. However... Read more
Incident date: Aug 19, 2024
Had some issues with turn signals and a check engine light. My car is a 2013 SL63 AMG with 22700 miles. It sits in garage 95 percent of the time under cover. Took car to dealer and they replaced both batteries it fixed al of the lights except my turn signal. I asked the dealer why didn't you check the turn signal I got no response. I had to drive to Louisville the next day and on the way home I no... Read more
Incident date: Aug 19, 2024
On [XXX], my CV axle broke. I was stopped at a stoplight and when the light turned green, I stepped on the accelerator, then heard a VERY loud “clunk” and my car didn’t move. I shifted into all of the other gears, but it didn’t move. I shifted it into Park and called AAA. They dispatched a tow truck driver, who arrived about 45 minutes later. He engaged the emergency brake, after checking ... Read more
PORSCHE
CAYENNE
(2013) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:CRANK/CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR
Aug 19, 2024
Incident date: Aug 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz Metris. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the crank case ventilation valve had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2023
Vehicle was purchased new on [XXX]. 360 surround cameras and Connect box malfunctioned and vehicle was brought in for service on July 10, 2024. I was told by the service advisor that the camera was a poor connection and simply plugged back in but they were unable to reproduce the UConnect issue and that it was currently working. On [XXX] I started the vehicle in my driveway and it immediately ente... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2024
The contact's husband owns a 2017 Audi Q7. The contact stated while driving and activating the headlights, there was a message stating that the side marker lights were inoperable displayed. The contact stated that the failure recurred whenever the headlights were activated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
I feel that there are issues with the transmissions on the 2017 Chevy spark. I noticed that there have been complaints in years such as 2014 and 2019. I find that my 2017 exhibits exact same transmission issues as years that came before or after. Lots of indecision with the car about whether to upshift or downshift. Sometimes violent jerking back and forth. Normally. Especially bad between 4th and... Read more
Incident date: Aug 10, 2024
Vehicle parking brake automatically engages when vehicle placed in park and will not disengage. Brake lights are displayed as well as service parking brake message. Cruise control is also affected. Took vehicle to dealer and was told it was the brake switch. Ordered new brake switch and installed with no change. After reading service bulletin NUMBER: 08-060-16 titled “Electronic Parking Brake Mo... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2023
The problem started 3 months after purchase. It has a very loud noise that comes from the engine i think. It has been inspected by two different dealerships. Both insisted the noise was normal. After going more than 10 times to the dealership where i purchased my Rogue, i called nissan directly and open an investigation. Nissan sent an engineer and he said that the noise was weird but he didn... Read more
Incident date: Dec 24, 2023
I am writing to report a serious safety concern regarding the non-deployment of airbags during a recent traffic accident. The incident involved a collision where I was struck on the driver’s side front. Despite the severity of the impact, the airbags did not deploy, which raises significant concerns about the effectiveness and reliability of the airbag system in such scenarios. Incident Overvie... Read more
Crash
Incident date: May 16, 2024
See attached document for complaint
Incident date: Jul 31, 2024
DRIVING ON INTERSTATE, SERVICE POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON AND INSTANTLY LOST ALL POWER STEERING. LUCKILY I WAS GOING STRAIGHT, IF I WAS ON A CURVE IT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY BAD. THERE WAS NO PREVIOUS NOTICES OR C.E.L. THE EPS SYSTEM IS ONE WHOLE CONTAINED UNIT. DEALER SAYS IT IS NOT SERVICEABLE. IF ONE THING FAILS YOU LOSE STEERING COMPLETELY. CURRENTLY LOOKING AT A $4000 DOLLAR REPAIR BILL FOR A ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2024
When accelerating from a dead stop, sometimes the car makes a very loud 'clunk' noise and lurches forward. Similar to the feeling when someone drives a manual transmission and takes the clutch out too fast. The car eventually finds the first gear and keeps driving, but this problem happens daily. Maybe around 5-10% of the time after every stop. There are multiple similar complaints on the NHTS... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2024
Power steering suddenly went out on Thursday 6-25-24. No warning, started ut up around 9 am and service light for "power steering now"came on and is no longer working. Other Fusions have had a recall for this same issue. I believe the 2011 should have a recall for the power steering. This is a serious safety hazard and with no issues leading up to the problem and no warning, is dangerous and costl... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked and shifted aggressively. The vehicle would rev and jerked forward. The contact mentioned the failure occurred for several weeks. On a most recent occasion, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a right turn, the contact heard an abnormal snap coming fro... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V344000 (Back Over Prevention, Equipment, 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact stated whi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V344000 (Back Over Prevention, Equipment, 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact stated whi... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2020
Check engine light on . Ford says exhaust heat exchanger bypass valve. I see online multiple people are having the same issue . Seems to be a common issue with this vehicle . They are saying it’s not a part of the power train warranty although it’s attached to the power train . This is a safety issue. With the amount of posts about this issue I’m surprised it isn’t a recall already.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) 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 contact had not exp... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2024
The 360 degree backup camera displays a black screen when activated in both reverse and forward parking mode. This causes myself & any other driver to not have clear vision around the vehicle while in reverse posing a severe safety hazard. This problem has been reported & confirmed diagnostically from my local dealership as well as reported to Ford Motors itself resulting in a case being opened re... Read more
Incident date: Jul 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that on three separate occasions while his wife was driving at speeds below 30 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly shifted into neutral(N). The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and restarted each time. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where unknown codes related to the transmission were retrieved. The vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2024
At random times, the vehicle will come up with "Service Shifter" on the dash, making it so that no other items can be viewed, including speed and such. Simultaneously, all lights on the shifter will come on, and no manual gear changes can be executed. The only way to get this cleared is to turn off the engine and restart. yhis can come up at the time of starting the engine and moving into rever... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
This is the second time my car mazda -2017 had problem with fuel pump. I only saw recall for 2019 Mazda CX-9 in internet. Before the fuel pump fail, I smelled gas inside the car which I was told my mechanic later from the shop where I bought my car for immediate diagnose was considered dangerous. The first time happened 2 years ago when we were on the trip 250 miles from where we live. This time ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
My itms went bad but no codes pop up when getting checked make my gauge temperature line sit over the 200 mark looks to be around 220 without steeping on the gas hard
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
While driving on the freeway at 65 mph, the vehicle suddenly began to quickly decelerate. Pressing the accelerator pedal had no effect. The car behind me quickly swerved to avoid hitting me. I was able to maneuver the car onto the shoulder and very slowly exited the freeway. I noticed a warning light shaped like a turtle on the cluster display flashing. I stopped fully and turned off the vehi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2024
ESC OFF light does not turn off. I press it off and on while driving and nothing happens. It stays on all the time.
Incident date: Jul 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle shuddered, and the engine revved abnormally. The contact was able to pull over the shoulder of the roadway; however, while attempting to drive off in low gear or while shifted into reverse, the vehicle failed to accelerate while the accelerator pedal was depressed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2024
Seat heat turns on and off randomly by itself. Screen does not always work. Transmission jumped, service transmission came on. Took to dealer. They said updates to the computer system needed done and charged me $450 saying they were not covered by the warranty I bought from Mopar. If updates are required to keep you and your passengers safe how are they not free of charge and charge you almost $... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2024
There is still many of these Toyota tundras out there that have frame problems! Like mine which had a bad frame but spent half its life in Florida during the winners and within 4 years of being in New York showed rust in within another 4 years had holes in the frame! Toyota coated my frame three different times to buy time to get it off the timeline for the recall! It's a 2007 tundra SR5 with a ba... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2024
Vehicle randomly thinks that I’m about to be in a collision when nothing is in front of me. This causes the vehicle to just stop and almost causes me to have an accident.
Incident date: Jul 12, 2024
Airbag system warning appeared in front of the dashboard without any accident or fault. We need the specific concerned government or entity for recall action of Honda company with this for safety purposed before its too late.
Incident date: Jul 12, 2024
Vehicle lost all power with no response from the accelerator pedal causing me to almost get killed on a two lane highway. I was able to somehow coast into the grass on the side of the highway
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
Vehicle lost all power with no response from the accelerator pedal causing me to almost get killed on a two lane highway. I was able to somehow coast into the grass on the side of the highway
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
Vehicle lost all power with no response from the accelerator pedal causing me to almost get killed on a two lane highway. I was able to somehow coast into the grass on the side of the highway
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
The transmission has quite a bit of slop or play when placing it in park. I do not believe it could be parked safely in a residential driveway. Tranny knocks a little in low gears.
Incident date: Jun 21, 2024
I bought my Kia k5, my blower motor went out upon inspection the problem was a multilink fuse for the blower motor. The fuse is burning the wiring harness, I believe this to be a fire hazard. After some research I believe this to be a common issue with this particular car.
Incident date: Jun 21, 2024
coolant bypass valve issue
Incident date: Jun 21, 2024
When accelerating the has a sudden loss of power. I get a message to pull off the.road. After turning offf the engine and restarting car begins to function properly again.
Incident date: Jun 7, 2024
While driving the parking break activated. I was in the middle of the road with my newborn. I believe my truck should have been recalled since this is something that other F150 had. I took it to the Ford dealership and they said there was no active recall on this vehicle. So I had them check it since it’s such a high safety concern. And yes there was a default with the parking break system.
Incident date: Jun 13, 2024
A week before my gas tank expanding I heard a loud popping noise. When driving from NC to DC, my gas tank refused to take gas and my car immediately went to empty. I was stranding on the highway and has my 2020 Hyundai towed to the Hyundai dealership in Chesterfield, VA. They told me that my gas tank expanded and my back seats had popped out of place.
Incident date: Jun 26, 2024
driveshaft coupler failed Ford refuses to fix damaged parts from coupler failure. Received notice of safety recall 10-25-2023. Recall was issued 10-25-2019 but I was never notified of a recall. (recall notices are sent by mail) once recall notice was received 10-25-2023 I tried countless times to have recall done but parts were never available. Finally took to the dealer and had them place the pa... Read more
Incident date: May 21, 2024
The contact owned a 2013 Audi A4. The contact stated that his grandson was driving at an undisclosed speed when he heard a loud unidentified sound coming from the engine compartment. Suddenly, white smoke and flames were emerging from the engine compartment. The vehicle was successfully pulled to the side of the road by the contact's grandson. After the grandson managed to exit the vehicle, a shor... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jun 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-150. The contact stated the rear passenger’s side door failed to latch close or lock as intended. The contact used excessive force on the latch to open the rear passenger’s side door. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while the vehicle was running, the check engine warning light illuminated. There was an abnormally loud roaring sound detected while accelerating. While depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle was slow to respond while shifting or reversing. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift to second gear. The vehicle was taken to ... Read more
Incident date: May 21, 2024
I have a 2017 QX 60 Infiniti and when I was driving it it just automatically lost power. I replaced the battery and the alternator the vehicle drives about 15 minutes and loses power again.
Crash