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: Aug 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that on two separate occasions, the brake pedal depressed the floorboard without warning and failed to slow down as needed. During the second failure, the contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the vehicle initially accelerated upon depression of the brake pedal before the vehicle started to slow down. As the contact depressed the... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Sep 13, 2024
Vehicle has consistently presented with a loud screeching noise from the brakes. When emergency braking needed, there are incidents of a slipping feel to the brakes where they do not seem as through they are applying properly. The slipping feel and noise of the brakes increases during wet/snowy weather. The noise is not a safety concern as much as the slipping feel of the brakes is significantly c... Read more
Incident date: Sep 18, 2024
Upon purchasing and receiving the car from a dealership, I attempted to drive it around my neighborhood and after about 1 minute received a warning saying "safely stop now!" and the steering wheel locked and the power shut off in the middle of the street. The car would not turn back on and had to be towed to the dealership. The dealership (not Ford) already replaced the battery and that did not fi... Read more
Incident date: Sep 18, 2024
I drove my car to get lunch. Came back out to go back to work and the car would not start. Would not even turn over. My Radio did not turn on and I couldn't even roll my windows back up. Luckily they were only cracked open a small amount. My steering wheel cannot be turned, it's locked in it's current position. I am told the ESL (Electronic Steering Lock) and possibly the EIS is the cause of... Read more
Incident date: Sep 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V344000 (Back Over Prevention, Equipment, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the center display failed to turn on. The contact stated while reversing at 5MPH, the rearview camera failed to engage... Read more
Incident date: Jul 3, 2024
While driving in the rain, the ABS engages, slowing the front right tire dramatically causing the car to skid and lurch to the right. After some internet research, it appears that this is not an isolated incident. Mini Cooper owners also discovered that when driving in dry conditions and the windshield wiper is turned on, the front right tire slows, causing the car to skid and lurch to the right... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2024
CVT TRANSMISSION ISSUES. JUDDERING, LOST SPRRD DOWNSHIFT JERKS. GOING 70 ON HIGHWAY IT LOST SPEED JERKED ME AROUND LIKE I AM GETTING HIT. COULDN'T EVEN GO UP RAMP ON HIGHWAY. Its hard to believe that NHTSA dose not have a ban on these vehicals. There are many complaints and Nissan letters within Nissan that have been issued out to dealships ect. no to mention the law suits. NHTSA would be the fir... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2024
CVT TRANSMISSION ISSUES. JUDDERING, LOST SPRRD DOWNSHIFT JERKS. GOING 70 ON HIGHWAY IT LOST SPEED JERKED ME AROUND LIKE I AM GETTING HIT. COULDN'T EVEN GO UP RAMP ON HIGHWAY. Its hard to believe that NHTSA dose not have a ban on these vehicals. There are many complaints and Nissan letters within Nissan that have been issued out to dealships ect. no to mention the law suits. NHTSA would be the fir... Read more
Incident date: Sep 18, 2024
Mazda CX 90 PHEV. When charging on 110 standard outlet or 240v dedicated breaker - Chargepoint charger, the car onboard charger/inverter backfeeds a loud buzzing / humming back through the electrical wire to the electrical panel. It also causes a buzzing/humming in other appliances and causes led lights in the house to flicker. This is with a 100amp breaker panel and a new upgraded 200amp breaker ... Read more
Incident date: May 28, 2024
Driving on freeway on way home and all the dash lights lite up. Abs, collision waring, traction and the triangle with and exlimation mark. Car slowed down and dash flickered. Engine started making a light thud noise. 2nd time happening. First time was every similar but was on an empty road alone at 6am. When happened. First time took to dealership. Didn't happen again. Plan on taking again tomor... Read more
Incident date: Sep 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Low Cab Forward truck. The contact stated that an employee had started the vehicle while parked and placed the vehicle in drive (D), the vehicle independently accelerated and crashed into 2 vehicles parked in front of the contact's vehicle. The contact stated that the employee had not noticed any warning lights. The contact stated that his vehicle had crashed into... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Sep 17, 2024
Intermittent issue with power steering where the wheel becomes extremely hard to turn in both directions. Also have had issue where wheel will stop turning midway through a turn and when trying to return to center.
Incident date: Sep 16, 2024
Claim # CAS CXH-026-40233- PRE- COLLISION ASSIST(PCA) TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN PLEASE FORWARD TO CUSTOMER SERVICES Since they refused email. We have a 2024 In route to RIVERHEAD FORD and refuse to pay their $200 diagnosis fee on PCA failure. Not in OBD III plug in diagnosis no way to check if functioning. Will be reported to NHTSA. MY Broncos 2022 is still in bumper to plumber warrantee but re... Read more
Incident date: Sep 17, 2024
Engine light came on, and vehicle accelerated, then lost acceleration while revolutions increased. Diagnosis indicates Bad TCM. I went to 3 shops, and all said that the TCM are going bad, especially Infinity. Nissan wants to charge $500 just to try to reset it. The Dealership is the only ones that can perform this task.
Incident date: Sep 17, 2024
Engine light came on, and vehicle accelerated, then lost acceleration while revolutions increased. Diagnosis indicates Bad TCM. I went to 3 shops, and all said that the TCM are going bad, especially Infinity. Nissan wants to charge $500 just to try to reset it. The Dealership is the only ones that can perform this task.
Incident date: Sep 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The contact was informed that the VIN was included in Ford Customer Service Program Number: 23B56 (Warranty - Front Door check arm weld). There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that there was no prior failure experienced with any of the doors. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer stated that the front driver’s side... Read more
Incident date: Sep 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford EcoSport. 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 exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MP... Read more
Incident date: Aug 17, 2024
Windshield wipers turn on randomly and will not stay on when switch is on, also sprays washer fluid on windshield randomly and wipers do not work making it a very dangerous driving hazard
Incident date: Aug 6, 2024
Vehicle sudden loss of power 3x in 3 months. Van has known recall for loss of power/possible transmission problem. Traveling 30-50mph for 20 minutes, start of morning temps 70 degrees, recall warranty (update was software to warn driver of power loss on screen) done and 1 month later began power loss. Screen reads "Stop Safely Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon", engine light on, red turtle light on. ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 BMW 328XI. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The c... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
WHILE DRIVING THE DRIVING THE TRUCK SLAMMED FROM FOURTH GEAR INTO FIRST EXTREAMLY HARD.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2023
WHILE DRIVING THE DRIVING THE TRUCK SLAMMED FROM FOURTH GEAR INTO FIRST EXTREAMLY HARD.
Incident date: Sep 6, 2024
Vehicle is 2016 lexus GS350 showing clear coat failure on the roof on the edges. Door handles and black pillar cover are not both showing discoloration. The head light cover under both headlights have lost its color. A vehicle of this age should not be having paint failure like this. I contacted the lexus customer service mentioning this is a defect with the paint application and they wouldn't he... Read more
Incident date: Sep 16, 2024
Car is not starting when sitting over night or parked at a lot. Windows will not roll down. Blinkers will not work. Difficulty when transporting my special needs child places as it is difficulty when car will not function as it should. Near accidents have almost occurred due to blinkers not working. I have been told by two different mechanics after diagnostic that the Foot Wheel Module is th... Read more
Incident date: Aug 11, 2024
The contact 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle switched over from battery to fuel and a message was displayed that there was no fuel available. The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve failure light illuminated, and the vehicle started decelerating. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle. The contact cont... Read more
RAM
1500
(2025) — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE)
Sep 16, 2024
Incident date: Aug 11, 2024
The contact 2017 Chevrolet Volt. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle switched over from battery to fuel and a message was displayed that there was no fuel available. The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve failure light illuminated, and the vehicle started decelerating. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle. The contact cont... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
While driving around 20 mph, suddenly heard a clunk, then several dashboard warning lights came on. Truck suddenly had no torque- would only move forward if the engine was revved at much more than normal amount. Nearly complete loss of ability to accelerate from a stop/low speeds. Took to an independent service center who ran the ODB codes, showing the now well-known issue of "transmission fail... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V464000 (Air Bags); 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 co... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
Cruise control was set at approx. 62 mph driving on the Interstate. An exit was taken and coming down the off ramp the truck would not slow down. It seems the brakes did not disconnect the cruise control. Brakes were both pumped and firmly depressed. No response when the gear shift was placed in a lower gear. The electronic system did not shut off after the ignition was placed in the off posi... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Sep 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle jerked and lost motive power and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it wa... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2024
I have had this car for a few years and the evaporator core has failed, the car will blow air but it is very VERY hot air. The faulty evaporator core is a direct result of GM using cheaply made parts not inspected to the standard prior to installation into the vehicle. having previously owned this car in Hawaii and still owning it in a hot climate, the interior temperature exceeds well over 150 de... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2024
I have had this car for a few years and the evaporator core has failed, the car will blow air but it is very VERY hot air. The faulty evaporator core is a direct result of GM using cheaply made parts not inspected to the standard prior to installation into the vehicle. having previously owned this car in Hawaii and still owning it in a hot climate, the interior temperature exceeds well over 150 de... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact stated that while reversing, the back over prevention system failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the back over prevention function was displayed. In addition, the contact stated that the control panel displayed a black screen. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times while children were inside the vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Aug 8, 2024
Battery keeps draining if car isn't driven for a few days battery is drained to point of it being dead, cannot get into car, will not start, leaves you stranded. This is the fourth time this year, dealer checks it out tells me nothing is wrong. I have read many problems with parasitic battery drain with subaru's even that the alternator is programed not to fully charge the battery to save gas. get... Read more
Incident date: Sep 13, 2021
See attached complaint with all the details. The facts, and photos correspond to the ongoing issue with Route 33 Nissan. Timeline of events correlate with the recall.
Incident date: Sep 10, 2024
The SRH headlight system has a Dark square at the top of each side light pattern that is extremely distracting to the driver. As the vehicle is in motion and the headlights are moving back and forth due to steering inputs the dark spots appear almost as if an animal or object is running out in front of you. This constantly moving distraction is an accident waiting to happen
Incident date: Jun 28, 2024
When pulling onto a county road with traffic the transmission kept slipping and the engine would rev higher. It took a lot longer to get up to speed and the cars behind me had to brake quickly.
Incident date: Apr 10, 2022
In May 2024, I took my 2013 Kia Optima (2.0L T-GDI) to my local dealership to have several recalls completed, including SC284QF (Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit). The dealership completed the recalls and I have a receipt showing all three recalls were completed. On Sep 12 2024 I received a recall notice stating the recall SC284QF had NOT been completed and to contact my dealership to schedule t... Read more
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
Phone wireless charging pad causes excessive heat and phone operation issues, including Bluetooth, wireless CarPlay disconnects.
Incident date: Sep 5, 2024
I was driving about 25mph past a school and the car automatically braked for no reason. Nothing was in the road, no cars near me. I’ve driven that road hundreds of times in the past 4 years without incident.
Incident date: Sep 5, 2024
We are unable to sell the car because it’s listed as unsalable because of the recall and we are unable to drive the vehicle. BMW should replace the vehicle at their cost.
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
Righ passenger side door making a buzzing sound when locking/unlocking sliding door. Door will not open. Just bought car yesterday, 9/14/24
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
When outside temp is 80degrees or higher it becomes difficult to maintain the vehicle in the correct driving lane due to a stickyness in the steering wheel. I will not allow anyone to drive the vehicle when the temp is over 80 degrees ... sucks to have a convertable that you can't drive in warm weather!
Incident date: Sep 15, 2024
Front seat belt doesn't engage after many attempts.
Incident date: Sep 2, 2024
Intermittent chime and warning that anti lock brake needs servicing. Cruise control does not work when notice is displayed and chiming. warning comes and goes randomly After researching this problem it appears that this is a regular problem on this year ram truck I will report and take to the dealer if problem remains.
Incident date: Sep 2, 2024
There is a major design issue with the front end of this truck. There is a problem with the front end that causes major outside tire wear. I had put about 7000 miles on the truck since I had it. The truck came with brand new tires and I had the steel belt showing and only noticed this when I washed the truck my self. I brought it to the dealership to get it looked at but they said they can’t fin... Read more
Incident date: Sep 2, 2024
There is a major design issue with the front end of this truck. There is a problem with the front end that causes major outside tire wear. I had put about 7000 miles on the truck since I had it. The truck came with brand new tires and I had the steel belt showing and only noticed this when I washed the truck my self. I brought it to the dealership to get it looked at but they said they can’t fin... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
Vehicle repeatedly goes in to limp mode for VSS faults related to steering codes. Dealers are unable to repair and report that many other of the same model have the same problem. Many other owners in the online community report the same issue with no fix in sight. The vehicle is essentially unusable and the manufacturer does not appear to have any intent to remedy the situation.
Incident date: Sep 5, 2024
Immobilized failure due to combination of brake hose failure preventing hybrid control/shift actuator. Hybrid steering lock became disengaged and could not communicate with the certification ecu due constant power being disabled due to complete main body failure. Hybrid system cannot go back into park however ecm side did. Ecm was not receiving power as dealer coded main body as a plug in hybrid e... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Aug 25, 2024
It started in April 2024. After the dealership performed an oil change we heard a strange noise whenever we accelerated. The dealership said it was either the transmission or the hybrid motor and both were on back order (usually an indicator that these parts are in great demand). After several weeks both parts arrived but they only replaced the transmission because that took care of the noise. A f... Read more