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: Dec 18, 2023
Without warning or physical contact, front passenger headrest deployed. Had someone been in the seat at the time, an injury would have occurred as parts came flying out of it when it deployed.
Incident date: Dec 18, 2023
My car fail to start or move after a charge, have to get it tow to dealer, My rear strut making a popping noise dying the summer n winter the noise limited There a puddle of water on my passenger rear left side floor
Incident date: Dec 16, 2023
Death Wobble on a 2021 My Mechanic is trying to fix it, and i was told that this is the first year of power assisted suspension (which he believes is causing the issues) The Death Wobble continues replaced tires and suspension parts and still has death wobble This is a KNOWN issue on Chrysler history, hence the settlement, but it didn't include my vehicle as it is a newer vehicle
Incident date: Dec 15, 2023
Waiting for traffic to move in a busy street. Lights went up pedestrian sounder fault stop safely now and the vehicle wouldnt move. I was panicking my life is in danger im stuck between opposite traffic. So I put on the hazard lights and call two tow trucks and called 911. Next day high voltage warning and powertrain malfunction lights went up service now. I setup first available service which is ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 15, 2023
Engine heating problems, electrical problems and now engine failure, the vehicle is no longer safe to drive. The vehicle is available for inspection. Other vehicles of same make, model, and year have been recalled for these issues however mine has not. I feel it has the same types of issues and safety concerns which should be recalled. The issues began with electrical problems inside the vehicle, ... Read more
PORSCHE
CAYENNE GTS
(2008) — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Dec 13, 2023
Incident date: Dec 6, 2023
My 2021 Tesla Model 3 shuts/powers down WITHOUT warning while driving with a battery charge >0%. This unsafe event has occurred twice now! While the battery gauge displayed 10%, I was driving about 60mph when all of these warning messages appeared prompting me to pull over. As soon as these messages displayed, my car lost all propulsion and I was left stranded in the middle of the road. Both time... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2023
I purchased a used car from Carvana. It had brand new tires on the car when I took possession of it. The make and model of my car comes standard with run-flat tires because my car does not have a spare tire. Before Carvana sold the car they replaced the tires with non run-flat tires but did not inform me of this. One year after I took possession of the car, I had a flat tire and was stranded on t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 8, 2023
I am writing to bring to your attention a recurring issue with my recently purchased 2023 Chevrolet Silverado, documented in detail here: [XXX] . Despite the evidence presented in the document and my personal experience, Chevrolet claims there is no known issue with my vehicle. The persistent problem involves a front-end squeak chirp, which significantly impacts the driving experience. There is l... Read more
Incident date: Dec 8, 2023
PCV valve failed causing the rear main seal to leak. Vehicle is available for inspection. The potential to be stranded in cold weather. While has been inspected by mechanic No warning lights
Incident date: Dec 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Grand Design Reflection RV. The contact stated that the RV was designed with an electric leveling system. The contact stated the two rear levelers failed to elevate beyond 4.5 inches from the ground. The contact stated that the levelers would strike the ground while driving over a speed bump or on a bumpy road surface. The contact stated that the issue was a safety concern ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to complete a turn, due to the placement of the controls on the steering wheel, the contact unintentionally activated the cruise control. As a result, the vehicle quickly accelerated to the speed last set that had been stored in the memory, almost causing a collision with ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 7, 2023
My Trucks oil Pan Gasket leaks oil. I had it fix, but the Ford company had to use an aftermarket part on my truck instead of a OEM part. After I had My Truck in the shop i encountered multiple individuals online and in person that has had this issue. Here is a few form: [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] Can you check into this issue and see if it warrants a recall. Regards [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTE... Read more
Incident date: Dec 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard an abnormal sound coming from the rear of the vehicle, prompting her to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway and the vehicle was towed. The low tire pressure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed an electrical fa... Read more
Incident date: Nov 17, 2023
The vehicle show an error message relating to the electrical system, refused to go over 24 mph for a short time, then went completely dark with no control and wheel locked. Dealer says ICCU + fuse is at fault, but there is no date for a new part. Vehicle is undriveable until new part comes in.
Incident date: Nov 21, 2023
Front drivers side control arm broke at bracket point and lost control of vehicle steering. And car was damaged hitting a post. Vehicle per recall for control arm had already been “fixed” contacted Subaru if control arms were replaced under recall or the “rust proofing” applied.
Crash
Incident date: Nov 21, 2022
I had a sudden dead battery in January 2023. My mechanic replaced it, and told me that Subaru had a service bulletin about a parasitic drain issue. In October, my battery died again, so my mechanic kept the car for several days, discovered that it would drain after charging, so he pulled all the fuses, individually, based on his hunch from the service bulletin, and found that the Starlink fuse w... Read more
Incident date: Nov 26, 2023
when traveling at highway speed the side fins fly off. i have had them replaced 3 times now at dealership. thank God there was not someone behind me - especially on a motor cycle it could of killed them
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
My family and I were driving home to LA from NM. I had been using the cruise and steer assist earlier in the drive but had it off after going through a metro area interstate. There was no vehicles within the cars front camera system when while driving 75 mph( that was the sped limit in TX), the cars braking system engaged with a hard break, no “brake” light flash of rapid break pumps as it wou... Read more
Incident date: Sep 5, 2023
Phantom braking occurred while traveling eastbound from Austin to Houston on US 290. Vehicle was traveling 76mph and slowed to quickly to 55 mph for no reason. There was a highway overpass about 75 yards away which may have triggered it, but no vehicles around us. Scared my wife and kids!!!
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
The contact's husband owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after the vehicle was turned off, the contact opened the door and heard an abnormal clunking sound coming from the door. Additionally, the contact stated that while parked the door was unlatched and swung open inadvertently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the door welds and spot welds needed to b... Read more
Incident date: Sep 26, 2023
There is a manufacturing defect in the car, after it has driven 120,000 kilometers or 200,000 kilometers, it causes problems in the engine’s cooling systems, which causes the car’s temperature to rise. It is also possible that the engine is damaged and needs to be replaced after that. The cooling system needs to be checked, improved, and treated for better and higher quality Note : After rese... Read more
Incident date: Sep 4, 2023
Have been having transmission shift problems. Whether I am accelerating, slowing down, or coasting, it jerks like it doesn’t know what gear to go in.
Incident date: Sep 26, 2023
The specific concern pertains to the routing of sunroof water drains from the roof to the wheel well of several Porsche vehicles. In this case, the rear water drains are routed directly over fuses and other electronic components within the vehicle. One of the electronic components affected, a Park Assist Control Unit (part 95B 919 475 L), controls multiple vehicle safety functions including perime... Read more
Incident date: Sep 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2009 Kia Rondo. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and turned off, the exterior brake lights remained illuminated. Additionally, the ESC warning light was illuminated while driving. The contact had to depress the brake pedal three times to turn off the exterior brake lights. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The man... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Wrangler. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V767000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine) 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Wrangler. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V767000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine) 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
Check engine lights, engine control module, erratic idle, P0089 check engine light code. Maybe unsafe to operate & stall?
Incident date: Aug 15, 2023
The vehicle starting making a clunking noise while doing turns. While making a right hand turn, the steering wheel stuck and I had to yank it back (left) which caused a loud popping noise. Took it straight to the auto shop and next day was notified it was the steering rack and pinion.
Incident date: Oct 18, 2023
While driving, the front end of the car made a thud sound and vibrated, the lights on the panel came on, the engine light, battery light, key light, and the steering wheel locked up. This happened 3 times in a week. If we had been going faster it could have caused an accident because of car suddenly slowing down and loss of steering. After turning off and then back on it worked again but never kno... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2023
While driving, the front end of the car made a thud sound and vibrated, the lights on the panel came on, the engine light, battery light, key light, and the steering wheel locked up. This happened 3 times in a week. If we had been going faster it could have caused an accident because of car suddenly slowing down and loss of steering. After turning off and then back on it worked again but never kno... Read more
Incident date: Jul 6, 2023
The vehicle's power steering loses power periodically since about October 1, 2023. I have just had the vehicle diagnosed at Duval Ford in Jacksonville, FL on October 9, 2023. I subsequently had Power Steering Control Module replaced, an alignment, and reprogramming of the Primary Control Module done at Ortega Car Care in Jacksonville since there would be cost savings of nearly $1,000. Safety Re... Read more
Incident date: Jul 6, 2023
I recently experienced a failure of the Dash A/C on the ref RV. After calling Freightliner, Savannah to find our if they serviced Dash A/C’s, which they informed me they did, I decided to have it inspected locally to rule out a quick fix like recharge the refrigerant. The Mobile RV Mechanic, whom I have used several times previously and is very competent, troubleshot the system and found that ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 19, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle had overheated and vibrated uncontrollably. Once the contact pulled to the side the vehicle had became inoperable. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to a gasket between cylinder 2 and 3 tha... Read more
Incident date: Aug 19, 2022
The contact owned a 1998 Dodge Dakota. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at 25 MPH and attempting to slow the vehicle with the brake pedal depressed all the way to the floorboard, the vehicle failed to come to a complete stop. As a result, the vehicle careened off the roadway and into a ditch. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. T... Read more
Crash
4 injured
Incident date: Jun 7, 2023
These vehicles are equipped with an automatic start/stop feature to save gas. This feature automatically turns off the engine when stopped at lights, traffic, etc. the problem is that once you apply the accelerator, it can take up to ~5 seconds for the vehicle to start moving and depending on how hard you depress the pedal, the vehicle can start very abruptly accelerating (almost to the point of w... Read more
Incident date: Sep 18, 2023
About 10 minutes after turning on the rear defroster the back window spontaneously shattered.
Incident date: Sep 18, 2023
My 2009 Honda Pilot has 188,793 miles, I barely drive the vehicle and it need Piston Rings. I'm aware that this is a common problem with the 2009 Honda Pilots. I do not have $3,000. to just give to these people when Honda knows there is a problem with this vehicle.
Incident date: Sep 18, 2023
I was driving 30 mph in drive mode on westheimer rd when the car suddenly emergency braked and lost all power i went from 30 to 0 in about a second. Yes the car is available for inspection on request. The car had 180 miles of battery power. The car behind me slammed their brakes on and nearly slammed into the rear of the car. The red warning light came on "Electrical System Error park vehicle in a... Read more
Incident date: Sep 16, 2023
The contact owned a 2015 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the contact drove into the next lane and crashed into another vehicle because of an off-tire rod. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was going 35 MPH at the time of the crash. The vehicle was towed to a lot. No warning light was illuminated. A police report was filed. One person was injured. The driver ... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Sep 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was vibrating. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle. The steering wheel was uncontrollable and became inoperable. Additionally, there was an engine oil leak. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who completed unknown repairs. The local dealer was not conta... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2023
HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT FAILURE. While driving I encountered an emergency braking situation (deer in roadway) I applied the brakes and they did not go into an ABS slide/braking condition and upon applying the brakes, causing the brakes to lock up and the vehicle begin to change its direction, the dash dinged and illuminated the ABS and Traction Control light. After this incident the lights continue... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2007 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission failed to shift properly. The contact stated that the transmission warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the floorboard, undercarriage, and shock mounts were rusted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2023
The drivers seatbelt unlatches by itself, without pressing the release button. Effectively, the drivers side seatbelt is unusable. Tesla has repeatedly refused to correct the problem.
Incident date: Mar 22, 2023
Thermo Control Valve malfuncitoned, causing check engine light to come on. Car only has 72k miles on it, so dealership (McDaniels Subaru, Columbia. SC) said they couldn't repair under warranty. Even though car has 100K powertrain. To get to this part you have to remove intake manifold, so I don't see how it's not considered part of the powertrain. While Check Engine light is on, NONE of the safet... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
The contact's son owns a 2017 Ram 1500. The contact stated while her son was driving 55 MPH, a message advising to stop driving because the vehicle would shut down was displayed. Additionally, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact' son was able to veer to the side of the roadway. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the residence. The contact stated that the failure had o... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
My oil light is flickering. I have taken it to 3 different mechanics, one of which is a Ford dealership. Oil is getting on the timing belt, causing it to fray. Oil is being prevented from getting to the engine efficiently. They all state that the problem is a design issue, and that having it repaired will fix it for awhile, but the problem will continue later.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
Strong odor of gasoline traveling through the vents injected into vehicle. Fuel filter has a crack. Underhood electrical problems that may cause a fire
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
After owning the car a year and about 15,000 miles I started having transmission rough shifting and lurching motions when shifting - violent lurching. I took it in to the dealership and they reset the adaptive learning component for the transmission. Nothing changed. Brought it in again and drove with technician and was able to reproduce issue. They replaced the transmission and the problems c... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
After owning the car a year and about 15,000 miles I started having transmission rough shifting and lurching motions when shifting - violent lurching. I took it in to the dealership and they reset the adaptive learning component for the transmission. Nothing changed. Brought it in again and drove with technician and was able to reproduce issue. They replaced the transmission and the problems c... Read more
Incident date: Aug 22, 2023
The roof console (the console that controls the sunroof) detached overnight and was dangling at eye level by a couple wires. It cracked right at the screws. My guess is it has to do with heat resistance and thin plastic. If this had happened while driving, it would have been an immediate and serious safety hazard as it would have blocked my line of sight through the windshield. A quick Google ... Read more