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: Sep 22, 2024
The Propulsion System Error warning light (a red car icon with an exclamation point) has appeared multiple times since I purchased the vehicle. This has occurred while driving, charging, or turning on the vehicle, with no apparent cause or trigger that I can identify. I have made several attempts to have the issue resolved by Honda, but they repeatedly provide excuses, such as the unavailability o... Read more
Incident date: Sep 22, 2024
The Propulsion System Error warning light (a red car icon with an exclamation point) has appeared multiple times since I purchased the vehicle. This has occurred while driving, charging, or turning on the vehicle, with no apparent cause or trigger that I can identify. I have made several attempts to have the issue resolved by Honda, but they repeatedly provide excuses, such as the unavailability o... Read more
Incident date: Sep 22, 2024
Automatic brakes suddenly came on. Huge BRAKE busy road and could not get the car going
Incident date: Jan 20, 2025
I bought this vehicle brand new in 2021. It failed its first safety inspection in 2022. I was asked ..did you know your horn is not working? Took it to the dealer and was told this has been a common issue, the relays are freezing and popping in the cold. Have lots in stock because of this issue. The service dept has stated on each replacement parts are in stock because this happens all the time. I... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2025
ABRUPT ENGINE FAILURE WITH NO WARRING SIGNS
Incident date: Jun 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at approximately 50 MPH, there was an abnormal metal-on-metal sound in the lower engine. The driver pulled over safely. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Action Number: RQ24013 (Engine). The vehicle was towe... Read more
Incident date: Dec 25, 2024
November 15 I was driving home from work as the truck started jerking. The system was giving me an engine failure drive with caution warning. I pulled over and decided the turn off the truck and turn it back on. Once I turned it back on it was revving on its own. I decided to turn it off again and it stopped revving but the gears would not shift. You were physically able to switch them but as much... Read more
Incident date: Jul 28, 2024
-Drivetrain warning message was displayed, indicated to drive moderately, and moments later car sputtered and ceased to operate. Mechanic inspected and reported the timing chain failed and is to blame. Also, the engine may be impacted due to fraying parts that may have entered engine values over the course of time. Vehicle may be available for inspection for a short period of time (sold car to me... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2025
1) On 3 occasions the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) has self activated and the car attempted to come to a complete stop. The 1st incident, 10/19/24, happened while driving 35-40 mph while changing lanes, a red BRAKE light and alarms sounded bringing the car to a complete stop. While there was traffic around me, no one was directly in front of me or close enough to have required this to activ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2025
have a bad engine that seems to be a common problem with this year car.Has 68,300 miles and I am told that this one does not have all the right criteria to be under warranty.not sure of the reason other than I was told it is out of the 7 year period.its a 2018 and broke down in 2024.
Incident date: Jan 9, 2025
This complaint alleges issues with this vehicle as follows: 1. Honda has a defective design in the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) of all Honda Odysseys, models 2018-2024. 2. Namely, Honda has placed the RADAR behind the large HONDA emblem on the front grille. This causes the radar to give a "RADAR OBSTRUCTED" warning, which disables all Advanced Driver Assistance Systems in the car (A... Read more
Incident date: Jan 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V913000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic Stability Control (ESC); 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 contact stated that while driving at various speeds or ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2019
After a snowstorm, I shoveled my driveway in front of the car which was facing toward the road (the driveway is on an incline, not steep), cleared the snow off the car and then pulled the car forward/put it in park so that I could shovel the rest of the snow. It took me and my 15 year old son 10 or so minutes to clear the snow behind the car. Then I started to salt the driveway behind the car and ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2022 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated while driving at approximately 80 MPH, the vehicle stalled, and the vehicle failed to return to normal operation. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure.... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge indicated that the vehicle was overheating, prompting the contact to momentarily discontinue driving the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion into various cylinders had resulted in dama... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2025
I recently noted that the steering wheel “sticks”, requiring a little extra effort in order to perform any slight lane correction and consequently requiring immediate additional correction from the opposite direction. This is very disconcerting especially at high speeds. After doing some online research, I found that the later models of the CRV and many other Hondas and Acuras are being recall... Read more
Incident date: Jan 22, 2025
Car makes clicking/knocking noise in front end when turning left or right. Took to dealership and they said it is likely CV joint issue. Part is on back order and awaiting part for replacement. Unclear how safe it is to drive in this condition. Occurred with around 2000 miles on the car.
Incident date: Jan 22, 2025
Car makes clicking/knocking noise in front end when turning left or right. Took to dealership and they said it is likely CV joint issue. Part is on back order and awaiting part for replacement. Unclear how safe it is to drive in this condition. Occurred with around 2000 miles on the car.
Incident date: Jan 22, 2025
When I turn off my vehicle the shift to park indicator pops up.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
Engine knocking at 70,000 miles with loss of power. Knocking gets worst on attempted acceleration.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2025
No incident has happened yet. I am finding that there is a lot of discussion about faulty air bags on Nissan Altima's of all years. Mine is a 2017 Nissan Altima and my airbag light is on. There is a lot of discussion online of MANY people having the same issues and Nissan charging an arm and a leg to fix. If it is something that is wrong with so many cars then why is this not a recall? I have ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 2, 2025
I just read about a NHTSA probe or study that's been upgraded for unexplained braking on Honda Insights. This unexplained sharp automated braking has happened at least half a dozen times in my car. There was never anything in or near the vehicle path that would explain the braking. It was always good weather (no hazard road conditions). In every instance it was a brief but sharp braking (with a... Read more
Incident date: Oct 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Yukon. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle shuddered. The "Service Traction Control" and the "Forward Collision System Unavailable" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure occurred on several different occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the f... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2021
With temperatures in the lower 40’s 30’s, the car won’t accelerate, lane assist, emission system problem, brake system, steering and many other warnings occur
Incident date: Jan 21, 2025
Backup Camera is inverted and no longer displays guides.
Incident date: Nov 30, 2022
My ACC/AEB went out over 2 years ago. At the time this vehicle was out of warranty. The dealer ordered the part (camera) and charged me for it. I waited over a year for the part. During this time VW lost a class action lawsuit regarding this and notified me that this was now going to be covered under warranty. I returned to the dealer to file the warranty claim. Warranty claim is now 6 month... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the check engine and oil pressure warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to get off the expressway safely. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V905000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 31, 2024
I have warning lights stating that there is a problem with the antilock brake system, and another warning about the brakes. The electronic stability light is on , and the truck won't allow me to turn the ESL warning on or off. And also, my cruise control doesn't work, which stems from the ABS . There is an existing recall, which includes the year, make and model of my truck, but for whatever reaso... Read more
Incident date: Sep 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the heated steering wheel was no longer functioning as needed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that a wire located directly behind that air bag control module within the steering wheel had frayed and melted the internal components. Th... Read more
Incident date: Sep 22, 2024
Warning message appeared 1/17/25. Inspected by Price Acura service department 1/20/25. Checked online recall for airbags. Multiple airbag recalls are mentioned for Acura, including my make and model. This vehicle has approximately 92,000 miles and I am the original owner. Would like to know if this $1800 charge would be covered under recalls already listed as this is apparently a problem existing ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 22, 2024
Power steering went out and can’t back on
Incident date: Jan 20, 2025
On January 3, 2024, my Subaru forester suddenly lost emergency safety features such as the blind spot warning system. Many warning messages flashed on the screen as I drove north on rt 1 and the blind spot warning system was totally disabled. I believe that other safety features were likewise disabled, as well. I was upset as I had traded in my 2015 Forester because it lacked those safety featu... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2024
Our unit is said to have a frame flex (cracked or broken welds) issue diagnosed by a repair shop that Keystone uses. We previously have had crowning issues with the frame as well as axle issues all of wich Keystone has refused to cover. Keystone says that it is out of warranty, there are many rv's made by Keystone and others with this issue.
Incident date: Jan 2, 2025
Our unit is said to have a frame flex (cracked or broken welds) issue diagnosed by a repair shop that Keystone uses. We previously have had crowning issues with the frame as well as axle issues all of wich Keystone has refused to cover. Keystone says that it is out of warranty, there are many rv's made by Keystone and others with this issue.
Incident date: Jan 20, 2025
Turn signal indicator blinks in opposite direction. When turning right and completing the turn the indicator blinks left causing confusion to other drivers who assume I’m turning left. On several occasions cars have pulled out in front of me nearly colliding. After many attempts to fix the problem the GM dealer replaced turn signal switches but the problem still persists.
Incident date: Jan 20, 2025
Turn signal indicator blinks in opposite direction. When turning right and completing the turn the indicator blinks left causing confusion to other drivers who assume I’m turning left. On several occasions cars have pulled out in front of me nearly colliding. After many attempts to fix the problem the GM dealer replaced turn signal switches but the problem still persists.
Incident date: Dec 13, 2024
Vehicle had a temporary shutoff when doing a rolling stop. The vehicle temporarily lost power when decelerating to the stop sign at 5-10 MPH, then starting again as I began to accelerate. Can not replicate problem again.
Incident date: Jan 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH and attempting to complete a turn, the Auto START/STOP feature activated and turned the vehicle off, with the message "Shift to Park(P) to Manually Restart" was displayed. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The battery warning light was illuminated. The... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V896000 (POWER TRAIN); 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 confirms parts no... Read more
Incident date: Jan 21, 2025
I was on highway and car all the sudden started slowing down and stopped completely and I wasn’t able to start it back. I had to tow it to closest dealership It happened [XXX] 9/16/2024 car was transferred to another dealership cadillac of Manhattan. And it had been there and as of today 1/21/2025 isn’t fixed. On a top dealership made me pay $440 out the pocket and I’m gonna have to pay... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
Motor seized while driving on freeway at 65 Mph. Coasted to the media on the freeway in the middle of a dividing highway. The highway patrol stopped and then left feeling unsafe. Dealer would not tear down without a $3000 release from me for labor, if not covered under warranty. This is now a federal investigation with this motor and over 86k complaints. I would also like to add, this happened... Read more
Incident date: Dec 3, 2024
I am a service coordinator at a discount tire. I relearn TPMS sensors all day. I have noticed from 2010-2024 Toyota model years that with OE sensors or new aftermarket sensors, the TMPS light will not turn off on the dash. The sensors will read on the Bartec, then read and program to the vehicle through OBD II. My mangers and I do by best practice and all. I believe it is a problem with the centra... Read more
Incident date: Dec 3, 2024
1.) While driving signalling for a right hand turn and then subsequently completing the right hand turn, the vehicle then signals left on its own accord. This is distracting for the driver and confusing to other motorists on the road. 2.) Blind spot monitoring system frequently turns on and or blinks rapidly (effects both driver and passenger side mirrors sporadically) when no other vehicles in ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 3, 2024
1.) While driving signalling for a right hand turn and then subsequently completing the right hand turn, the vehicle then signals left on its own accord. This is distracting for the driver and confusing to other motorists on the road. 2.) Blind spot monitoring system frequently turns on and or blinks rapidly (effects both driver and passenger side mirrors sporadically) when no other vehicles in ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2025
My engine had to be fully replaced @ 28k miles due a crankshaft bearing failing and sending metal shards through my engine. Stranded me on the side of the highway for three hours. Was able to get to the shoulder before it seized up.Also my entire wiring harness and ECU had to be replaced shortly after the engine.
Incident date: Jan 20, 2025
Toyota sent a letter in mid-2024 that there was a safety recall for airbag issue with 2020 Toyota Highlander. The letter stated that a remedy would be available by the third quarter of 2024. As of January 21, 2025, they still have not provided a remedy for the serious safety issue. I would like to file a complaint against Toyota for failing to remedy the defect within a reasonable time.
Incident date: Jan 20, 2025
Our check engine light came on 12/17/24 for a oil pressure sensor issue. We promptly brought the truck to the shop where they changed out the sensor, completed an oil change and manually checked the oil pressure. They advised us that the truck was good to drive and there was no indications of any further issues on 12/20/24. 3 hours into our drive on 12/21/24 our engine sized going 80MPH with no wa... Read more
Incident date: Jan 20, 2025
Rear backup camera freezes the display or displays blue screen while backing up. Open recall on the year of vehicle but not under this VIN. Vehicle has been doing this for a long time and seems just recently the recall was started. A possibly unrelated issue is happening where the uconnect does “ghost button pressing” cuts heat, turns on ac, changes clock, settings etc. very unsafe as youre ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 16, 2020
Car makes loud knocking sound when turning, especially when cold. Started almost immediately after taking delivery. Happens every time drive car and is getting worse. Available to inspect. Safety risk if drive axle snaps. Not inspected by anyone, but a known issue in owners' forums and among dealer service departments: [XXX] No warnings or codes thrown. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2024
My engine burns oil very bad. Black smoke comes out of my tailpipe and I burn through 5 quarts in less than a thousand miles. I just got my oil changed two weeks again and I just had to add more oil to my car bc it was empty. I’ve had to replace the spark plugs twice due to soot build up. I can’t afford a new car I’m 17 and can barely afford the maintenance let alone a whole new engine. Have... Read more