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 30,183 complaints for RAM
Incident date: Feb 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ram 1500. The contact stated that they had noticed the front wheels on their vehicle locking up upon depressing the brake pedal while driving at various speeds, causing the vehicle to slide while slowing down or coming to a complete stop. The ABS, Parking Brake, and Traction Control Warning Lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle w... Read more
Incident date: Feb 22, 2023
car is 119 miles. I was driving and steering wheel stopped working out of nowhere.
Incident date: Feb 22, 2023
car is 119 miles. I was driving and steering wheel stopped working out of nowhere.
Incident date: Feb 22, 2023
car is 119 miles. I was driving and steering wheel stopped working out of nowhere.
Incident date: Feb 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 2 MPH, the accelerator was depressed, and there was a grinding sound coming from the rear-end of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with rear differential failure. On a separate occasion, a year later the rear differential failure recured. The ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 4, 2025
While slowing to a stop on a slight incline (an interstate off-ramp), when almost stopped, the car started bucking as if the brake pedal was being slammed on, then released, slammed on again, then released, and repeated for maybe 2 seconds. I quickly hit the "P" (Park) button to take it out of gear and it stopped. No warning lights or anything came on and it drove perfectly fine afterwards. It fel... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2025
The back up camera fails to show intermittently even with the latest update
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the e... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
Auto start/stop shut off engine at drive thru line. Locked up brakes and could not get it to unlock and restart car. It has happened on a number of occasions. After multiple attempts trying and letting it sit for a couple of hours, somehow got it to unlock and start. Thank goodness we haven’t gotten into an accident
Incident date: Apr 1, 2024
Auto start/stop shut off engine at drive thru line. Locked up brakes and could not get it to unlock and restart car. It has happened on a number of occasions. After multiple attempts trying and letting it sit for a couple of hours, somehow got it to unlock and start. Thank goodness we haven’t gotten into an accident
Incident date: Apr 4, 2025
I get a power steer warning and the steering wheel locks while driving. I can absolutely not turn the steering wheel while the vehicle is running.
Incident date: Apr 4, 2025
I was on cruise control, and it randomly decided to go 81 MPH instead of 50 mph i set it to, it did not respond when I tried to turn off the cruise control, and I ended up crashing into a semi, I survived but my [XXX] daughter died. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash
Incident date: Apr 4, 2025
I was on cruise control, and it randomly decided to go 81 MPH instead of 50 mph i set it to, it did not respond when I tried to turn off the cruise control, and I ended up crashing into a semi, I survived but my [XXX] daughter died. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash
Incident date: Apr 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). The contact stated that while her daughter was driving 50 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and lost motive power. No warning light was illuminated. The contact's daughter was able to coast to the side of the road. The contact stated that there was a fuel burning odor comin... Read more
Incident date: Feb 13, 2019
My Vehicle intermittently fails to go into "Drive" when pressing the gear shift button. Additionally, various warning messages appear at random, including: Lane Keeping Assist Problem, & Road Departure Mitigation System Problem. I have brought my vehicle to DCH Montclair Acura#709, located at 100 Bloomfield Ave, Verona, NJ 07044, on January 10, 2025, February 18, 2025, and March 13, 2025. Despi... Read more
Incident date: Feb 13, 2019
My Vehicle intermittently fails to go into "Drive" when pressing the gear shift button. Additionally, various warning messages appear at random, including: Lane Keeping Assist Problem, & Road Departure Mitigation System Problem. I have brought my vehicle to DCH Montclair Acura#709, located at 100 Bloomfield Ave, Verona, NJ 07044, on January 10, 2025, February 18, 2025, and March 13, 2025. Despi... Read more
Incident date: Jan 11, 2025
Transmission down shifting while driving. Jumps from 6th gear to 1st gear. Barely got it to the pull off which was in a curve. Put my life and my passenger life in danger because we couldn't see around the curve which the pull over was on the other side of the road.
Incident date: Mar 19, 2025
I am noticing intermittent issues with ADAS with all the following errors pop up at once. The issue comes on randomly and goes back to normal randomly. * Adaptive Cruise Control problem * Collision Mitigation Braking System Problem * Lane Keep Assist Problem * Road Departure Mitigation System Problem * Braking System Error Has not been confirmed by an independent service/dealer/insurance/police.... Read more
Incident date: Mar 19, 2025
I am noticing intermittent issues with ADAS with all the following errors pop up at once. The issue comes on randomly and goes back to normal randomly. * Adaptive Cruise Control problem * Collision Mitigation Braking System Problem * Lane Keep Assist Problem * Road Departure Mitigation System Problem * Braking System Error Has not been confirmed by an independent service/dealer/insurance/police.... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2025
Keyless entry continuously fails. When using the door handles to unlock or lock the vehicle the vehicle behaves as if key fob is not present if the key fob is in our pants pocket or pocketbook. We have to physically take the key fob out of our pants/bag where we then can observe the "handshake" between vehicle and key fob take place in order to lock/unlock vehicle. Vehicle has been at the deale... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2025
Forward collision warning stopped working after a system upgrade on my 2019 Honda Accord hybrid. I activate the forward support and immediately it turns off. This is a safety issue. The system assist in breaking in time to maintain car distance and avoid a collision. Contacted Honda. I was told to take it to service at my cost.
Incident date: Apr 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while company driver was driving the vehicle at an undisclosed speed, the driver noticed an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. The driver turned the vehicle off. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a lower engine knock. The contact wa... Read more
Incident date: Apr 10, 2024
I start my car and can’t even get a mile without the service engine light coming on saying engine is over heating & that my coolant is over temperature. I’ve brought this to the dealership 3 times now and all they have done is reset my codes because they can’t figure out what’s wrong with it. That is not fixing it. I have two kids under two and I feel like this is incredibly dangerous thin... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2004 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH and hard braking, the vehicle started shuddering violently and the steering wheel was not operating as needed. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence at 20 MPH. The contact then inspected the vehicle and confirmed that the front driver's side control arm had fractured. The contact related the failur... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Fisker Ocean. The contact received an unknown recall notification. The contact attempted to reach the manufacturer but was unsuccessful since the company had filed for bankruptcy protection and was no longer in business. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle shuddered violently and stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact merged to the l... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
On 3/5/2025 I was driving my car and accelerating to 45 miles per hour when the Stop vehicle and check power supply warning on my car showed on the dash followed by a loud and starting audible tone. I pulled over to check the car and it still worked well. I then went home and tried to charge the vehicle off of our level 2 charger and the vehicle would not start to charge. I brought the car to the ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 8, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Ecosport. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V905000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and 25V126000 (Power Train); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufactured had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made a... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2025
In July 2023, my 2020 Audi Q7 experienced a complete electrical failure at highway speeds due to a Belt Starter Generator (BSG) malfunction. Audi replaced the BSG with the same faulty part. Months later, I noticed increased oil consumption and loud engine noise. Despite multiple service visits and reporting these issues, Audi failed to properly diagnose the problem. In January 2025, despite a clea... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2025
In July 2023, my 2020 Audi Q7 experienced a complete electrical failure at highway speeds due to a Belt Starter Generator (BSG) malfunction. Audi replaced the BSG with the same faulty part. Months later, I noticed increased oil consumption and loud engine noise. Despite multiple service visits and reporting these issues, Audi failed to properly diagnose the problem. In January 2025, despite a clea... Read more
Incident date: Apr 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2023 Honda Accord. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V763000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); 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 not... Read more
Incident date: Mar 30, 2025
I purchased this vehicle on [XXX] in the state of Colorado and had to drive it home through a winter storm to California. While driving home the vehicle on multiple occasion the vehicle flagged driver assist disabled or inoperable errors due to "radar blocked" stopping and checking the front of the vehicle I found that the car had no snow or ice build up on the exterior of the bumper, and there wa... Read more
Incident date: Nov 27, 2024
The APIM failed in both my ESCAPE and F150. These vehicles are under 65,000 miles and are 2018. This is a known issue, and is all over Internet forums. The APIM failure has resulted in no rear camera, screen, radio, or USB ports.
Incident date: Apr 3, 2025
BCM software is out of date or not programmed correctly, car turns off while driving. when park and off and the keys are away, car tries to turn on by itself. power lost while driving
Incident date: Mar 17, 2025
12 volt battery does not recharge properly. Vehicle is always in deep sleep mode.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2023
The rear backup camera does not work. The rear backup camera by Ford has been recalled for other vehicles but not for the Mustang. Your agency fined Ford millions of dollars for not recalling the rear backup camera. So Ford recalled the rear backup camera only on certain vehicles not on all vehicles with the same camera. What are you going to do about it? Ford continues to say there's nothing wron... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Corolla Hatchback. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering power low and the engine stop warning lights illuminated. The vehicle lost motive power in the middle of the road. The contact's infant child was an occupant in the vehicle at the time of the failure. The contact stated that due to the failure, the vehicle was almost rear-en... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2025
At cold start-up, engine (6.2) makes a metal-to-metal grinding sound for 60-90 seconds. After warm-up, a steady tick on the right side of the engine while running. I contacted GM and they said, " this was normal at start up". however, with me being a mechanical engineer, all of my school and working experience tells me anything grinding metal to metal is not good.
Incident date: Apr 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); 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. VIN tool confi... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. Roadside Assistance was contacted. The technician connected the battery cables and jumpstarted the vehicle. The vehicle was started, and the vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact later replaced the battery. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. The ve... Read more
Incident date: Feb 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH on the driveway, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with thermostat failure. The contact had the thermostat replaced and a coolant repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,408.
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 RAM 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. The throttle control warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with fuel pump failure. The contact was informed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated while attempting to accelerate from a complete stop, the vehicle failed to respond, almost causing the contact to be rear-ended by other vehicles. The contact stated that the vehicle responded as needed after depressing the accelerator pedal several times. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that a handheld sca... Read more
Incident date: Mar 13, 2025
2022 Chevy Tahoe with 32,292 miles of in-town and highway driving, never any towing. Perfectly maintained on time. Suddenly started to not respond to acceleration, and jolting, then would not reverse. Transmission valve body has already gone out. GM acknowledged the problem. States there is a national shortage of this part. There is nothing they know of being done about. Park the vehicle and wai... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with battery failure. The contact was informed that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, th... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact waited for several minutes for the vehicle to return to normal operation. No warning light was illuminated; however, the "Engine Fault Service" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2025
My rear wheel on the driver side of the vehicle would not allow me to go or roll like the other three tires so I had to come off the road and head to the nearest Firestone Complete Auto Care to try to get help for my vehichle, due to having a warranty on my tires until 2028. My safety and the safety of others was put at high risk, as I could not control the swaying movement of the vehicle and assu... Read more
Incident date: Feb 3, 2025
I took this vehicle to the dealership, and the dealership said that the transmission needs to be replaced. I sold this car to Surburban Chevrolet of Ann Arbor, but they appear to be selling the car without fixing the transmission. It is not safe to drive this car because the vehicle is jerky and may not change the gear properly in the highway.
Incident date: Apr 1, 2025
Hi I keep needed a oil change on this vehicle please have Kia to check why thanks and I sometimes smell oil out of no where thanks [XXX] [XXX] and I have had serval oil changes at Walmart only since I got the vehicle from carmax INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Incident date: Aug 21, 2024
The jeep screen delaminates which will cause 'ghost taps' on the screen. These ghost taps could do anything that can be changed in the vehicle while still or driving. For example, while driving at highway speeds, the rear view camera will activate on the screen causing a major distraction from driving. Additionally, anything else can happen from dailing random phone numbers, calling 911, turnin... Read more
Incident date: Aug 21, 2024
The front subframe on my 2015 subaru 3.6r has rapidly rusted in a few years to the point of a safety concern. The vehicle is lightly driven, with 91,000 miles on it after almost 10 years. We live in the Northeast. I take this car in for regular inspections and service every six months and the service center I work with has not alerted me of any issues until this past march when they found the sub... Read more