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 11, 2024
I was cruising down the street around 30 to 35 mph, when my gauge cluster started acting up and suddenly the motorcycle slipped out from underneath me and it caused me to crash.
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: May 26, 2023
Lexus [XXX] & [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] Lexus P.O. Box 259001 Mail Drop E3-2D Plano, TX 75025-9001 To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to express my serious concerns regarding a safety issue we encountered with our 2024 Lexus NX350, purchased from your dealership at 1000 Interstate Parkway, Akron, Ohio, 44312, in August 2023. Our purchasing experience met the high expectations ass... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Oct 9, 2024
Fuel pump malfunction. It is available for inspection. My safety was put at risk and others because the car stalled abruptly while driving and would not accelerate. Yes the dealer was able to recognize fuel pump issue. No other symptoms.
Incident date: Sep 30, 2024
While driving home from a church event, I got a “Internal control module torque calculation” error on my dash. I pulled over to the curb and as soon as I stopped, more error messages appeared. Failure Brake System, Failure Anti-lock Brake System, Failure Hill Start Assist, Failure Adaptive Failure Cruise Control, Failure Lane Keep Assist, Failure Collision Mitigation, Failure Breaking System, ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2024
I bought a 2008 528i July 2024. Got Emissions & Tag at the end of August. Oct 5 2024. My car was on Fire. Drove the car 11 mins got out for a few mins got bk in crunk the car and a flame shot out of what I'm assuming is a fuse box on the driver side. The car had flames coming from under the steering wheel area in the dash. When we crunk the car we could smell wire burning at first. Then flames..Th... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Oct 4, 2024
I bought a 2008 528i July 2024. Got Emissions & Tag at the end of August. Oct 5 2024. My car was on Fire. Drove the car 11 mins got out for a few mins got bk in crunk the car and a flame shot out of what I'm assuming is a fuse box on the driver side. The car had flames coming from under the steering wheel area in the dash. When we crunk the car we could smell wire burning at first. Then flames..Th... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jul 15, 2024
In 2021, we began noticing wall movement in the interior of the RV, fasteners, paneling and interior walls getting loose and moving. After more trips we noticed scratches in the flooring and wood chips laying on the interior floor when we would push the main slide out. We also began noticing the large slide didn’t seem to be closing tight to the outside wall on one end. After more inspection we ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 24, 2024
I engaged Tesla's Autopark to park my car in my usual spot. The car kept going after reaching the back of the parking space, crashing into a pole located around one foot behind the parking spot. The time between when it should have braked and the post was of such short duration that I had no time to apply the brakes and prevent the accident. The car lacks both radar and lidar, either of which wou... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Sep 24, 2024
I engaged Tesla's Autopark to park my car in my usual spot. The car kept going after reaching the back of the parking space, crashing into a pole located around one foot behind the parking spot. The time between when it should have braked and the post was of such short duration that I had no time to apply the brakes and prevent the accident. The car lacks both radar and lidar, either of which wou... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Oct 19, 2024
The transmission failed on two separate occasions. The first instance occurred while making a left turn when the gear shifting malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to emit a groaning noise. This happened at a speed of less than 5 mph and lasted only a couple of seconds. The second incident took place while I was waiting at a traffic light. When the light turned green, my vehicle failed to move. I i... Read more
Incident date: Nov 14, 2024
Backup camera operates intermittently in when in reverse, coming on for about 10 seconds before cutting or not coming on at all, which causes near misses when backing up. Also, camera periodically remains on for 10-15 seconds once shifting into drive which is distracting when pulling into traffic and causes near misses. Furthermore, the camera sometimes activates for 10-15 seconds when shifted int... Read more
Incident date: Nov 14, 2024
Rear camera is malfunctioning. When the vehicle is in reverse, the display shows either a flashing green screen followed by an error message or an upside down image with no parking aid lines.
Incident date: Nov 14, 2024
I just got off the freeway and coasted down the off-ramp, did not engage the brake nor the acceleration pedals. Suddenly the emergency brake system slammed on the brakes, it slowed me down from about 50 mph to around 20mph. There were no vehicles in front of me for at least 100 yards. It almost caused an accident by the people who almost slammed into the back of me.
Incident date: Oct 31, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Oct 31, 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 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... Read more
Incident date: Aug 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Savana. The contact stated while driving 60-65 MPH over a bump in the roadway, the vehicle started shaking abnormally. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact researched the failure on YouTube and determined the vehicle had experienced the death wobble. The contact called OnStar and was informed that the vehicle was working as designed. The vehicle was tak... Read more
Incident date: Aug 2, 2024
Transmission issues such as vibration/grinding, delayed shifting, rough shifting, clunking noises when changing gears, jerking sensations, vehicle is available for inspection. The transmission control valve may fail, causing the rear wheels to lock up. Transmission was inspected, Dealer claimed Torque converter issue and replaced that part, however, ISSUE still exists and Dealer claims that at the... Read more
Incident date: Aug 2, 2024
[XXX] [XXX] [XXX] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE Washington, DC 20590 Subject: Complaint Regarding Recurrent Mechanical Issues and Potential Safety Concerns with 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Dear NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, I am writing to formally report repeated mechanical issues with my 2018 Chrysler P... Read more
Incident date: Nov 5, 2024
Driving on highway at 70 mph and high engine temp light came on. Said to pull over and continue to run car until temp decreased. I got over as quickly as I could ( no more than 1/4 of a mile) and sat on side of PA turnpike as engine cooled. I was at bottom of an exit ramp. I slowly proceeded up the ramp and warning came on again and red temp light reached again. I pulled right into the gas station... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2024
My van began making a loud squeaky sound, louder at low speeds and less at higher speeds. It sounded like it was coming from the wheels or undercarriage. There were no dash warning lights, alarms, or any other indicator of a serious issue. I drove the van around town for a few days approximately 30 miles. The van is heavy and I live in a hilly area, so I use the parking brake fairly often. I appli... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2024
While towing my 5th wheel rv trailer, the rear wheels locked up numerous times while at highway speeds(60-70mph). Hope our didn't cause any internal/ structural damage to my trailer. Scheduled a service with the dealer(Gamblins Chevrolet, Enumclaw, WA) for them to diagnose. The dealer found no issue or cause. Left the dealer for the same thing to occur the following week. Brought back to the deal... Read more
Incident date: Sep 25, 2024
My car says that collision assist, All wheel drive is unavailable and is locked to front wheel drive only.
Incident date: Nov 13, 2024
My vehicle has had the Service Electronic Braking System/Service Antilock Braking System warnings appearing for approximately 6 months, along with the ABS light and Traction Control light being illuminated. It was intermittent at first but has been on steady for the past month. The vehicle has not been to the manufacturer to get inspected yet due to the intermittent nature at first. With the light... Read more
Incident date: Nov 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 not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufac... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2024
ISSUE: PTC Heater failed at 63,617 miles after 6 years of use WARNING MESSAGE: "Vehicle may not restart" CONTACT: [XXX] [XXX] main contact for owner [XXX] . VIN: [XXX] MAKE: MODEL 3 YEAR: 2018 REPAIR QUOTED: $1,104.18 LINE ITEMS: PTC HEATER DUALZONE(1088218-00-I) HVAC, PTC SERVICEASSY(1107677-00-A) LABOR & DIAGNOSTICS SUMMARY: TESL... Read more
Incident date: Oct 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Ridgeline. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V321000(BACK OVER PREVENTION) and 24V064000(AIRBAGS) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer 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. ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 6, 2024
Three weeks ago my dash board lit up like an orange Christmas Tree, with "ABS failure" warnings. I found the Hyundai recall notice in our car file. It said that when the dash warnings appeared, the danger of an engine fire was imminent and that should contact the Dealer that I bought the car from (Hyundai Motors- Naples, Florida-USA). I did so. personally. An appt. was scheduled. This morning ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2024
Three weeks ago my dash board lit up like an orange Christmas Tree, with "ABS failure" warnings. I found the Hyundai recall notice in our car file. It said that when the dash warnings appeared, the danger of an engine fire was imminent and that should contact the Dealer that I bought the car from (Hyundai Motors- Naples, Florida-USA). I did so. personally. An appt. was scheduled. This morning ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2024
Three weeks ago my dash board lit up like an orange Christmas Tree, with "ABS failure" warnings. I found the Hyundai recall notice in our car file. It said that when the dash warnings appeared, the danger of an engine fire was imminent and that should contact the Dealer that I bought the car from (Hyundai Motors- Naples, Florida-USA). I did so. personally. An appt. was scheduled. This morning ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that upon pulling to the side of the road and checking the oil level, the contact noticed that the oil level was significantly low. The vehicle was taken to the nearby Jiffy Lube, where it was diagnosed that the engine oil cooler had failed and... Read more
Incident date: Nov 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V529000 (Power Train) 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 expe... Read more
Incident date: Nov 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle downshifted with no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 307,600.
Incident date: Nov 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle began to shake, prompting her to pull to the shoulder of the roadway where the failure persisted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion into multiple cylinders damaged the engine. The contact was informed that the eng... Read more
Incident date: Nov 15, 2024
cooling fan is going out, safety put at risk as it can cause engine failure. it has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance, but a trusted mechanic. I have video of it going out. no warnings whatsoever came up. trusted mechanic showed me class action lawsuit in Tennessee from 2024. in regards to a Nissan Pathfinder. but this is a Nissan Rogue Sport. i have video, but no photo
Incident date: Nov 15, 2024
ABS module became inoperable, ABS light "ON", no rear brake at all. After manual cycle of abs unit the brakes works for a short time, becoming inoperable just 2 days later.
Incident date: Oct 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2009 Honda Accord. The contact stated that the engine was previously rebuilt. The contact stated that the engine was misfiring while driving and coming into a stop. The check engine warning light and an unknown warning light were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to th... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
After the vehicle has sat for a couple of hours, when I get in to drive and come to a complete stop, there’s a gurgling/swooshing water sound coming from the front brakes. I confirmed my pads and rotors are fine, but the functionality of the brakes appear to act up when the noise happens. I’ve seen this reported on numerous forums and this is a huge safety issue. The dealership says there’s ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH for an hour, there was an abnormally loud clunking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle lost motive power and was jerking. The contact was able to pullover safely into a parking lot. The contact stated that the message “Anti-collision System Offline” was displayed. There were no warning lights illum... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
This is a 2020 Land Rover Defender 110. The daytime running lights on the headlamp need replaced. I had replaced the passenger side a few months ago at the Land Rover dealership while the car was still under warranty at 49,500 miles. Now, the Land Rover has 55k miles and the driver side has gone out and the Land Rover Dealer has quoted me 3K to fix this. This is a common problem and many owners ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 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 contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while accelerating. The dealer was contacted. The manufactu... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2024
Our car started slipping gears, jerking, take forever to accelerate, and would lose power. We took to dealership thinking it was a transmission. They told us no it wasn’t the transmission and we needed the replace the fuel pump injector we did that. A week later SAME issues happened again they replaced the pump again. A month later SAME symptoms again this time they told us we needed our engine ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 14, 2024
In December of 2023, my RIGHT rear axle broke when I accidently hit a curb. The car was repaired at the Tesla collision center. On last Tuesday, November 12, 2024, I heard a noise while braking. I continued to drive, but next time I needed to use brakes, I had a sensation that the brakes were failing, and I wouldn't be able to stop. The brakes eventually engaged, and I was able to stop the vehicl... Read more
Incident date: Nov 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the "Power Steering Assist Fault" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The contact w... Read more
Incident date: Sep 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 BMW 328i. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was smoke coming out from the exhaust pipe, and there was a burning smell coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the oil pan was leaking near the water pump. The dealer replaced the thermostat gasket... Read more
Incident date: Sep 14, 2024
My steering wheel only turns violently to the right (I have a video that will not upload). My husband almost broke his thumb when it happened. Thankfully no one was injured. However, we were about to leave on a 1200-mile trip when this happened. This problem will not go away. Ram has refused to even look at the truck even though there is a recall on this in 1500 Ram trucks including diesels ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
My back up camera has stopped working for months. There is open recalls for the same exact vehicles but not for my specific VIN. I am trying to get this fixed as soon as possible.
Incident date: Oct 17, 2024
When stopped at a light or stop sign, Vehicle will Jerk forward as If hit from behind. Very surprising and dangerous. Very intermittent. The has happened many times. Vehicle will at times have rough downshifts. Ie. overdrive (9th) to (8th) gear. also intermittent. This has happened multiple times. Vehicle was taken to the dealer twice for a total of 50 hours in the shop. The first service... Read more
Incident date: Oct 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Niro. The contact stated when parking the vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed, however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle accelerated and jumped the curb. The contact stated that the vehicle was headed in the direction of the building. The contact noticed that a consumer was exiting the entrance of the building. The conta... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Sep 4, 2024
The hybrid battery coolant heater (part 68443445AC) was confirmed a problem, however the dealership wont review ANY recalls on my vehicle until I pay $1700 to replace that part. However, there are MULTIPLE incidents online showing this is a problem with this vehicle and should be a recall as this is obviously defective within the first 150000 miles. My car has roughly 124K miles, making it just ou... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Mar 15, 2020
Failure of air valve between primary and secondary air tanks. Does not isolate the two systems.