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 1, 2024
driving down the highway at 70 mph and the drivers door came opened it was caused by a faulty door lock actuator
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
I rented this car. The adaptive cruise worked great in the daytime, but when it got dark and started to rain, the system started to lose its ability to detect other vehicles. Instead of disabling itself like it should have, the system continued to operate. It often would detect vehicles intermittently, speeding up and slowing down randomly and abruptly. The worst incident was when I was behind an... Read more
Incident date: Aug 14, 2024
I was driving down the highway at 70mph using the adaptive cruise control. There was nobody in front of me, and suddenly the vehicle started picking up speed. I looked at the cruise control and it said 115mph, so I hit the brakes to override it and slow down. when I reset it for , ~70mph again it worked fine. This happened to me two other times with the same basic scenario. The speed is always ove... Read more
Incident date: Nov 25, 2024
On [XXX] at 6:15 PM approximately my brakes failed to engage and caused a rear end collision on [XXX] . This accident was caused by my brakes not responding at all when pressed fully to the ground and causing a collision and damage to two vehicles Loss of vehicle usage, property damage, and loss of work, After the collision I received an email from Dodge Fiat Chrysler at 2:01 AM on November 26th 2... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 25, 2024
Vehicle first start sometimes when pushing the start stop button. Dash illuminates but then goes black as if no power. P129D code appears after being able to start.
Incident date: Nov 25, 2024
back window spontaneously burst. vehicle was stationary. I was in the vehicle while it was parked.
Incident date: Nov 26, 2024
Second email and attempt Truck is sitting untouched after a major accident. Please reach back [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Nov 26, 2024
Second email and attempt Truck is sitting untouched after a major accident. Please reach back [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Dec 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid. The contact stated that while attempting to drive uphill and on gravel with the Electric Drive Mode activated, the vehicle failed to move forward. The contact pressed the button to deactivate the Electric Drive Mode, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact released the accelerator pedal until the vehicle responded as needed. The vehicle was taken t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid. The contact stated that while attempting to drive uphill and on gravel with the Electric Drive Mode activated, the vehicle failed to move forward. The contact pressed the button to deactivate the Electric Drive Mode, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact released the accelerator pedal until the vehicle responded as needed. The vehicle was taken t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 7, 2024
The vehicle has 3800 miles. The brakes squeal when backing. I took the vehicle to the dealership and they confirmed the problem and then “lubed” the brakes. The brake squeal has returned since this maintenance fix.
Incident date: Dec 3, 2024
My engine is ticking. The auto shop told me that my motor is shot and the same thing happened to my sons car. We both have the same car same year. There has been a law suit for this issue.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
The AC was stuck on hot and would not defrost. Dealership said the blend actuator door needed replacement. Unfortunately this cost is 1700. In addition to this, the fuel line or gas tank keep clicking and stopping when trying to fill. This has been intermittent since we purchased vehicle. In addition, our infotainment center was hacked, someone was changing our settings repeatedly. Dealership refu... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT53. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V445000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); 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 h... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the message "Brake Assist Failure" was displayed. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact stated upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, the message was no longer displayed, and the vehicle operated as needed. The contact stated while driving 25-30... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Honda CR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V744000 (Steering); 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 distribution disconnect... Read more
Incident date: Dec 7, 2024
Vehicle frame rust. Available for inspection. Compromised vehicle frame can result in a catastrophic incident posing a significant safety risk to self and others. Vehicle was inspected by an ASE certified mechanic who identified compromised vehicle frame.
Incident date: Dec 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine started overheating with the high engine temperature warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and added coolant to the coolant reservoir and waited for the engine to cool down. The vehicle was restarted, and the contact inspected the vehicle and became aware t... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2024
after hearing wining noise from transmission as driving down highway at full speed with out warning car suddenly and quit violently came to a stop . no waring lights ! transmission appears to be in two gears at once reverse and forward will only roll if put in neutral .internal failure in the transmission according to the dealer . The car not included in the recall issued for the same year ma... Read more
Incident date: Dec 4, 2024
I have noticed that the engine light on my BMW X7 keeps turning on after long rides but then disappears after some time. Upon inspection, I was informed that the issue is related to the active grille shutter, which is located in the front part of the body. While researching to see if others have experienced the same issue, I discovered that many BMW X5 and X7 owners have reported similar problems... Read more
Incident date: May 7, 2022
Early Continuous Variable Transmission belt failure at 92,000 miles on a 2017 Honda HR-V. The extended warranty for this failure only extends to 7 years after purchase or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first. The vehicle has been inspected by a Honda Dealership and they have indicated that the car is not drivable and the transmission needs to be replaced for $8,500. There were no warning signs or ... Read more
Incident date: May 7, 2022
No incident occurred. On October 18th we received a high voltage battery recall notice for this car. Apparently there were some thermal events (fires) and BMW has released software to help protect the car from such an event. We have been trying to get in touch with MINI, and just recently found that the dealer closed. They left their answering machine online for about a month after. The local B... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); 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 distrib... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the contact looking in the rearview mirror and became aware that the tailgate had opened. The contact pulled over and closed the tailgate. The contact stated that while entering the garage, the tailgate opened unintendedly. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufac... Read more
Incident date: Dec 7, 2024
The driver side Active Head Restraint unexpectedly deployed while driving the vehicle.
Incident date: Dec 8, 2024
While driving my car in Albany New York on December 3 roughly about 15 minutes after starting the car and continuing onto a residential road the back window, spontaneously shattered without impact. The rear window defroster had been on at the time and had just cleared the frost before the drive had started. Not only did the window break a portion of the window fell into the trunk of the car and ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 8, 2024
Safety recall #23V-858 received through USPS indicating that parts are now available at dealership. Not true. On 12/04/24 vehicle was serviced at Conicelli Honda, 1200 Ridge Pike, Conshohocken, PA 19428. 610-832-1400. Service advisor advised that the safety recall parts are not available for installation. On 12/05/24 a follow up call received from the service manager indicated that Conicelli ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 10, 2024
The display for the instrument cluster is completely blank, or shows unrelated information after starting the car and shows none of the vital information about the car's operation or status. After leaving the car off for 30 minutes, the instrument cluster display began functioning normally. This was the subject of a 2024 October recall which we got dealer service for but the issue is not resolved.
Incident date: Dec 10, 2024
The display for the instrument cluster is completely blank, or shows unrelated information after starting the car and shows none of the vital information about the car's operation or status. After leaving the car off for 30 minutes, the instrument cluster display began functioning normally. This was the subject of a 2024 October recall which we got dealer service for but the issue is not resolved.
Incident date: Dec 7, 2024
The rear brake light switch failed. Yes it is available for inspection - I’ll hold onto the part after repair. My safety was put at risk when the switch failed causing a leak in brake fluid and a loss of pressure in the pedal. Losing my rear break functionality entirely. Then the leaking brake fluid went into the electrical connections on the switch and caught on fire. Not confirmed by a dea... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Sep 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that the seat belts in the second row of the vehicle on the passenger’s and driver’s side failed to latch securely and unlatched while driving. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to latch the seat belts. Additionally, the seat belts intermittently unlatched while driving at various speeds. Neither the dealer nor the... Read more
Incident date: Sep 8, 2024
The contact's daughter owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, his daughter became aware that the rear window had shattered without impact. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to th... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Camry Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (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 manuf... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2024
Oil consumption issue began June 2021 with my 2017 Audi Q7 with the 3.0 engine, we were at 78,841 miles. Our vehicle was always serviced at the dealer on the recommended schedule. The dealer stated high oil consumption of 1 quart per 1,000-2,000 miles was normal. The high oil consumption issues continued. At 99,559 miles the car began shaking on the way home from a routine oil change. They found... Read more
Incident date: Nov 12, 2024
The vehicle seat caught fire overnight, Sept 26th, and was discovered the morning of Sept 27th 2024. The fire was contained to inside the vehicle and melted parts of the driver seat and lower part of steering wheel. The vehicle interior was covered in orange dust and had extremely toxic smell inside. Insurance 3rd party inspected and declared it a total loss. A few weeks later, a neighbor and fe... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Dec 9, 2024
The contact's son owns a 2010 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard. The contact stated that the brakes became inoperable. Additionally, the tire pressure warning light was illuminated. The brakes were replaced by the contact’s brother, who is an independent mechanic and had determined that there was air... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2024
When visiting local dealership for a state inspection it was found the rear subframe of my 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander, 2WD Model XLS has rusted completely through. I an internet search it was found that this was a common occurrence and a highly dangerous issue and it would not pass for a safety inspection. It appears from the number of complaints posted on various message boards it is widely known ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 6, 2024
While driving on a two lane, rural road at dusk, with adaptive cruise control turned on, the car suddenly applied the brakes (hard) and a red warning briefly appeared on the dashboard. (It was on too brief to read.) The brakes were released quite quickly, but the vehicle had slowed approximately 20 MPH. There was no other traffic on the road at the time. No animals were crossing the road when the... Read more
Incident date: Sep 23, 2024
I purchased my car 08/08/2022, my car stopped charging by June 2023. I took it to the shop and was told, it was my charger. In August of 2023, I was told it was the ICCU. From 06/2023-12/07/2024, I had a total of 9 recalls on this car. Kia did not notify me at all for any recall with the exception of the second one that occurred in December of 2024 (the 9th recall). Some of the recalls I found on... Read more
Incident date: Dec 5, 2024
While I was driving the motorhome on a narrow highway pulled over as soon as i came to a exit when the check engine light started flashing. I immediately pulled over as soon as it was safe and the code read failure on #1 fuel injector. I pulled into a campground and had the motorhome towed to a repair garage since it was not driveable the engine had a knock and did not want to do any damage to t... Read more
Incident date: Oct 21, 2024
The car is shuddering on acceleration. RPM currently rises and falls in an unnatural manner. Loss of power and gas mileage. This appears to be the same issue that other 2016 ford focuses are covered by.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2018
I was in Albemarle, NC on Nov 24-25 and my car was parked outside. My mirror was not cracked when I parked it Sunday night and there was not a vehicle parked next to me. It was 36 degrees outside that morning and there was frost on the car. I drove my car approximately 2 miles and it was cracked. There is no other damage to the car or mirror. I contacted my local Honda dealer to have them fix the... Read more
Incident date: Dec 7, 2024
MY VEHICLE, HAS THE ENGINE MAKING NOISE ,WHEN STARTING,, THE LIFTERS RATTLE...I WAS TOLD TO CHECK WITH MERCEDES BENZ FOR RECALL INFO...HOWEVER, THE COMPANY STATES,THIS VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED....IT HAS 52,000 ORIGINAL MILES, AND HAS BEEN MAINTAINED...I BELIEVE, THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER...PLEASE ADVISE.....I HAVE HAD THE MB DEALER DO A DIAGNOSIS..THEY CONFIRM THE LIFTERS A... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2024
Transmission is shuddering. Can try to accelerate and it lurches until it finally catches gear and goes. Definitely a concern when at a stop and pulling into traffic
Incident date: Dec 5, 2024
I was coming to stop speed under 15 (mph) the brake pedal and steering wheel starting shaking violently, and (the) brakes seemed to be pulsating up and down. I had to really push down hard and all the way on the brake pedal and when the car finally stopped my car was passed the stop sign and was in cross traffic luckily the car coming saw and swerved around me. My daughter would have suffered inju... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
I was driving down the street, stopped at an intersection, and made a U-turn. Immediately after I made the U-turn a message came up on the screen saying "Eye Sight Disabled." From that point on the cruise control stopped working, the lane deviation stopped working, the forward collision system stopped working, and several other things malfunctioned (I can't seem to connect to the bluetooth system ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
I was driving down the street, stopped at an intersection, and made a U-turn. Immediately after I made the U-turn a message came up on the screen saying "Eye Sight Disabled." From that point on the cruise control stopped working, the lane deviation stopped working, the forward collision system stopped working, and several other things malfunctioned (I can't seem to connect to the bluetooth system ... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2024
The turn signal going in either direction has 2 positions. The first is regular on that keeps the turn signal on until it is turned off or until steering wheel is turned off. The other position is the “flick” that flashes the signal 3 times and turns it off on its own. When I set my turn signal to the regular on position to turn right, after I complete my turn the signal turns itself off and g... Read more
Incident date: Jul 25, 2024
multiple errors show up on the dash. I was told it’s dealership, but this is due to a failure of the multipurpose computer in the car. This is the issue that keeps recurring across all their cars of this type that has this unit.