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 29,025 complaints for RAM
Incident date: Dec 15, 2024
Vehicle has severely poor quality coolant hoses made from poor quality material that cannot withstand the flow of pressure within the coolant system process. Leading to the hoses deteriorating from internal pressure thus causing the coolant hoses to leak. The coolant sensors only indicate low coolant levels when there is, 1 and 3/4 inches of coolant liquid left which is 70% lower than the minimum ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2024
I bought Nissan Rogue 2017 in 2021, but I have been having issues with tires, even though i had pump it and went to repair the tire many times, I received a notice for key recall in 2023, I went for to Evan Mills Nissan dealer in March 2023, They just straighten the key, that I should not bend the key, and I have been having issues with car engine light, ABS and Malfunction's, I have, this car had... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2024
2017 Honda Crv All warning lights are on- the vehicle has no driving power- It was diagnosed at Hilton Head Honda as needing a major repair or turbo charger and I am out of warranty
Incident date: Dec 11, 2024
While performing a low speed left hand turn the vehicle’s adaptive cruise control system falsely detected an imminent crash triggering the auto braking system and subsequently malfunctioned to release the vehicle’s side curtain airbags on both the passenger and driver side. The police were called and responded but no police report was prepared as there was determined to be no motor vehicle ac... Read more
Incident date: Dec 15, 2024
We have had consistent, non-stop, unknown and unresolved engine issues from the day we purchased this vehicle. The dealership has not been able to identify or resolve these issues, which include the Rocker Arm, Cam Shaft and Cam Shaft sensors, numerous electrical, fuse and sensor failures and more. The symptoms appear to be the same as those cited with the connecting rod bearing issues but for som... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2024
Passenger side dash board leather cover has pulled away from dash - thus creating a safety issue with the airbag. Porsche has examined the damage and recommended a repair but will not cover the cost - but did advise that in the event of a accident - they do see a potential problem with the passenger side air bag deploying safely (or not at all). There should be a recall on this by Porsche as it'... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2024
Passenger side dash board leather cover has pulled away from dash - thus creating a safety issue with the airbag. Porsche has examined the damage and recommended a repair but will not cover the cost - but did advise that in the event of a accident - they do see a potential problem with the passenger side air bag deploying safely (or not at all). There should be a recall on this by Porsche as it'... Read more
Incident date: Sep 19, 2024
When I was driving my car had stopped driving, the engine light had popped up. I put a new battery, and starter on to see if that was the problem, but it wasn’t. I then took the car to battleground Kia in Greensboro, NC. They confirm that the engine had stopped working due to being locked up and it had a recall on it. First they said they can’t fix the engine without my registration and licens... Read more
Incident date: Dec 5, 2024
Engine malfunctioned with 126,292 miles on it after always servicing it at dealer. Diagnosis was "broken valve". This was after communicating with dealer regarding excessive oil consumption and "drive system malfunction". Dealer repaired spark plugs.
Incident date: Nov 26, 2024
my car has a recall, and dealer told me it can not be solved. for this reason, I can not rent my car in Turo due to incomplete recall, and I also have safety concerns
Incident date: Nov 26, 2024
On December4th 2024 my car rolled forward into a barrier post. I stopped to get air in my tires and the Parking Allert went off as I got near the barrier post. I then parked my car. I left my car running and driver door partially opened. I dropped the valve cap between the spokes of the last tire being filled. So, I got into the car and backed up about three feet to get the cap. Parked the c... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Dec 14, 2024
On the morning of December 11th, 2024, the brake system warning light (ABS, yellow) illuminated on the dashboard along with the red BRAKE indicator and the yellow Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system light. I consulted a mechanic who performed a computer diagnostic and informed me that the ABS module booster had failed. He said that will order the part to change it but meanwhile he advised me to... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Dec 2, 2024
Vehicle headlights provide very poor lighting in fog or in rain at night. It is impossible to see highway lane markings.
Incident date: Oct 7, 2024
OBCC fails. Can not charge the car. Smells of burning.
Incident date: Dec 13, 2024
I am having issues with delamination and paint peeling off, on my driver's side pillar. The paint is the pearl white.
Incident date: Dec 13, 2024
My 2014 Ram 1500 with a 5.7 Hemi is constantly displaying the check engine light. Computer scans reveal it is the fuel level sensor. This appears to be a very common problem for this era of Ram trucks. So many comments in Ram forums and on YouTube. This should be a recall due to the stock ones constantly being worn out. Videos and comments online show that mileage does not play a part in failure, ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact was notified of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V834000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was... Read more
Incident date: Aug 22, 2017
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal went to the floorboard causing the braking distance to become extended. The vehicle was diagnosed by a certified mechanic who determined that the brake booster had failed and needed to be replaced. The braked booster was replaced. While driving approximately 10 MPH in the snow, the contact ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 22, 2017
The rear (reverse) camera and side cameras (ie lane change) do not function. The navigation does not function. The console touchscreen does not adapt to environment light level for safe viewing.
Incident date: Dec 10, 2024
AUTO PARKING FEATURE MALFUNCTION AND BACKED RIGHT REAR QUARTER PANEL AND BUMPER INTO A YELLOW POLE IN A PARKING SPOT.
Crash
Incident date: Sep 30, 2024
On [XXX], a MIDAS shop found an alleged crack in the front part of the gas tank on the upper part of the tank by the floor board. The manager also stated that it could be a plastic seal from the fuel pump on the top part of the tank. The tank is located next to the exhaust system. My 2009 VW CC 4-Motion only has 122,xxx miles on it. I could see a wet spot and presumed I smelled gas but was not su... Read more
Incident date: Sep 30, 2024
Oil light is flickering. Kia told me this is a serious issue but won't fix it. I did a research this is a common issue with 2013 Kia optimas. Please help
Incident date: Dec 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Honda HR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); 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 distributi... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2024
The dashboard error code (check vehicle power supply) also in the bluelink app the error code(DTC P1A9096). I was driving the car. It was 196 miles of range. The car suddenly went into turtle mode and then the car just died in the middle of the road. Luckily I was outside my residence. After waiting 4 hour for towing. I had it towed to the dealership.
Incident date: Mar 18, 2024
Product recall caused multiple accidents in vehicle resulting in permanent injuries
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 18, 2024
On 11-21-24, I was traveling down the interstate going at 60mph when a car began to urgently brake, I proceeded to hit the brakes as well and my car would not stop, at the time of the impact no air bag deployed, driver seat belt did not lock, my driver seat moved, no pre-collision assist came up for this accident. No prior issues or lights on dash.
Crash
Incident date: Mar 18, 2024
On 11-21-24, I was traveling down the interstate going at 60mph when a car began to urgently brake, I proceeded to hit the brakes as well and my car would not stop, at the time of the impact no air bag deployed, driver seat belt did not lock, my driver seat moved, no pre-collision assist came up for this accident. No prior issues or lights on dash.
Crash
Incident date: Jun 13, 2022
Driving as normal through a major intersection and the car began to jerk and stutter when trying to accelerate. there was no warning or symptom prior to this issue, but upon it happening, the turtle warning light appeared and had the display had an engine system message saying "reduced performance". I was able to pull over. Then turned the car off and back on, which then allowed me to pull in to t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 13, 2022
I’m a snowbird and in the past 18 months, of which I was in Iowa for 12 months of this time, the dealership has replaced the fuel pump five times. I’m scared to take this vehicle out on the highway. The module that controls the fuel pump has been replaced once. The third replacement I didn’t even get off the dealers lot before it quit
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
Just driving normal condition and speed all of a sudden my car jam or brake on it’s own, causing a quick sudden jerk and almost getting hit from the back. All of my front sensors and back sensors was shut off at this time.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V686000 (Exterior Lighting); 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not e... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
My information cluster screen is blank.
Incident date: Nov 15, 2024
Twice while driving this vehicle, a large number of warning lights activated simultaneously, and I lost the ability to accelerate the vehicle. Essentially, every ADAS warning triggered at once during these incidents, causing me to lose acceleration and creating a dangerous situation. The first incident occurred on the highway during heavy traffic. The sudden activation of all ADAS warnings was ala... Read more
RAM
PROMASTER CITY
(2021) — STRUCTURE
Dec 12, 2024
Incident date: Nov 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Nissan Pathfinder. The contact stated that during inclement weather, rainwater was entering the on the left and right side of the vehicle and the middle console. The contact covered the screen to avoid damage. There was a moldy odor inside the vehicle. The contact stated that while opening the door the contact was aware of water inside the vehicle. There was no warning ligh... Read more
Incident date: Aug 10, 2024
Cracked cylinder head requiring full engine replacement at ~80,000 miles. Out of warranty. This is one of two vehicles, purchased at the same time from same dealer in 6/2021 with the same engine failure at ~80,000. Second vehicle is [XXX] . It is likely that these two vehicles came off the assembly line fairly close to each other, during covid and all the issues that that brought to supply cha... Read more
RAM
PROMASTER CITY
(2021) — SERVICE BRAKES
Dec 12, 2024
Incident date: Sep 13, 2024
When driving my 2014 Hyundai Accent, the brake system completely failed and I lost all ability to stop the vehicle. I was able to stop the car by downshifting to a lower gear and use the emergency handbrake. I was able to avoid other vehicles and no accident occurred. The vehicle was towed to a Hyundai dealer and determined the brake lines corroded and fluid loss caused loss of braking. No warning... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted and the rear driver's and passenger's side wheels locked up. The failure occurred on several occasions. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was determined that a software update was needed. A dealer was not contac... Read more
Incident date: Nov 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle started to roll backwards, with the transmission fault message displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, but the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact stated that the failure occurred immediately after the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V41300... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
Vehicle cut off while driving down the highway and wouldn’t restart. Had to be towed to dealer with a faulty fuel pump control module
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
Continued "service electric hybrid system" error on dash with dinging noise. The vehicle does not run properly in hybrid mode or electric mode, does not always want to maintain power. Causes jerking movements when accelerating in hybrid mode. Will not run only the ICE in e save mode.
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
Brake warning lamp is on for low fluid but fluid is okay. Electronic stability control not functioning.
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
I purchased the Chrysler 300 touring of May 23, 2023. This was suppose to be brand new. After, a week, the car was having issues in the steering and I had too report the car dealership because they were giving me a hard time but finally, after, reaching out to corporate, the car dealership, fixed the steering and added an addition warranty. Now, there’s something going on with the tire pressure.... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2023
I purchased the Chrysler 300 touring of May 23, 2023. This was suppose to be brand new. After, a week, the car was having issues in the steering and I had too report the car dealership because they were giving me a hard time but finally, after, reaching out to corporate, the car dealership, fixed the steering and added an addition warranty. Now, there’s something going on with the tire pressure.... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
Passive head rest deployed while sitting idle in drivers seat! Slamming into the side of my head! Causing a mild concussion! Took it into dealership and they replaced saying it didn’t have a recall! That only replaced if it failed! We wanted to have passenger side replaced also!
Incident date: Nov 8, 2023
I was driving and came to a stop at a light and all the sudden in my car just shut off. It took me a minute to try to turn it back on while cars behind me honking their horn. I’m assuming it has something to do with the electric due to the start stop button. I don’t have official incident report because I was able to get my car turned back on. I looked it up on the Internet and several people ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 14, 2024
On 12/2/2024 my vehicle abruptly alerted and auto braked while drive <25mph on residential street while attempting to drive in between two parked cars. Plenty of room but system thought there was going to be a crash. Another vehicle was traveling behind me and also had to stop fast in order not to hit me because of the emergency braking. Truck almost came to a full stop but brakes released and ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 25, 2024
The display which provides all vehicle information as well as guidance malfunctions (pixelates). Volkswagen acknowledges a faulty display chip is the cause. The dealer has updated software and even replaced the display with no success. I notified the dealer about the replaced display and he advised the VW has stopped the display replacement process. This means that potentially all 2024 Volkswa... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2024
The motor is out of the seat belt presenter on the driver's side. It does not present and makes a horrible sound. This part was ordered in July, 2024. I've contacted the dealer and Buick directly to find out when I can expect the part to be replaced. They've told me that the back is on an extended back order. I asked if the part could be replaced with a used part. They told me that because i... Read more
Incident date: Nov 23, 2024
There is a problem with the passenger airbag sensor on this model. I weigh under 100 pounds, and the sensor light does not turn on when I am seated in the passenger seat. My husband weighs 160 lbs, and the light goes on when he sits in the passenger seat. Subaru maintains that the sensor is working as designed, but this is clearly a safety issue.