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: Nov 4, 2024
Excessive or consumption. Purchase a car three weeks later car started misfiring I was able to get the car to a mechanic shop. I was told that the car needed a tuneup, spark plugs and ignition call was changed mechanic noticed oil on top of the engine and advise me to get an engine gasket. Gasket was replaced 2 weeks later oil light comes on I added 5 quart of oil the light goes off I notified the... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
Engine stalling Oil pan leaks Caused the engine to shut down when slowing down or sitting in traffic on highway. No warning lights prior to incidents Only right after
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
Engine stalling Oil pan leaks Caused the engine to shut down when slowing down or sitting in traffic on highway. No warning lights prior to incidents Only right after
Incident date: Oct 14, 2024
Cruising at 75 and speed dropped to 55. There are at least 3 FSD/beta features in the driver set cruise control, did Tesla get approval to add those features to the cruise control?
Incident date: Mar 3, 2024
While driving on main road sunroof spontaneously exploded! Speed 55 mph, temp mid 60s. This occurred 11-2-24 about 6pm. Clear weather, open road. I purchased the car new in 2017 and have never even opened the sunroof as I don't like them and car is always garaged when not in use. It has only 27,773 miles on it. No one was hurt but very scary. Will take it to dealership tomorrow, 11-4-24, as the en... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2024
The front left suspension arm failed and fell out as I was parking my car. If this would have happened at highway speeds it would have caused an accident because the car would have run into incoming traffic, potentially resulting in death. This occurred after a collision repair. The collision center that did the initial repair also fixed the issue. The car has had issues with pulling to the right ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 3, 2024
Vehicle lost electrical functions while driving. Brakes and power steering failed.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
Genesis GV70 Electrified with 15,818 miles. Car suddenly would not accelerate beyond 20 mph and RED Warning on dashboard to immediately pull over and stop car. No prior warning or symptoms. Significant concern for safety of my passenger and myself due to driving much lower than speed limit on road, in wet conditions. Thankfully, I was not on a freeway or major intersection. Called Genesis dea... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2024
During the commute on the way home on [XXX] between Harrisburg and Lebanon PA a stone kicked up in a construction zone and impacted the driver side windshield. At that time there was no visible damage until later in the drive there was a 3in long crack in the driver side line of sight. As the drive continued the crack continued across the line of sight. Over the course of 2 days the crack went ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2024
COPY OF COMPLAINT sent to MINI USA today 9/2/24. (Removed my personal data -name, address, email, phone number): I have been waiting since JULY 2023 for notice of a fix for this DANGEROUS ISSUE of failed FOOTWELL MODULES that can CATCH ON FIRE! How is this either legal or humane? When I call, and I call regularly, to ask about any progress made in CORRECTING THE POTENTIALLY FATAL to the driver,... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2024
Engine seems to stall at acceleration from low speed. Basically, a dead pedal response. For instance, upon slowing down to near stop to enter a roundabout or an unmarked 4 way intersection(yield to enter intersection without stopping) vehicle has noticed throttle lag. Any attempt to accelerate even mildly into the roundabout or intersection results in a dead pedal for a second or two. No respons... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
Dealer and Jeep have refused to provide a reasonable effort and make reasonable accommodations to address the 95B recall. Parking the vehicle outside endangers my neighborhood as we live near a national forest.
Incident date: Sep 2, 2024
VSA MODULATOR failed, breaks suddenly goes all the way down will not stop, this is suddenly happened while on the road.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
While driving on [XXX] to upstate NY in heavy traffic on [XXX], my Jeep Wrangler 4xe lost power and showed the error message "Put vehicle in Park and shift gear" while at highway speed. I had no ability to accelerate but steering was still enabled and allowed me to pull over to the side of the road to investigate. Fortunately I was being followed by another member of my family and they provided a... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
While driving on [XXX] to upstate NY in heavy traffic on [XXX], my Jeep Wrangler 4xe lost power and showed the error message "Put vehicle in Park and shift gear" while at highway speed. I had no ability to accelerate but steering was still enabled and allowed me to pull over to the side of the road to investigate. Fortunately I was being followed by another member of my family and they provided a... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ram 1500. The contact stated the gear shift/rotary dial had seized in place. The vehicle failed to shift into park, and the key failed to release from the ignition switch. While driving, the vehicle jumped from park to reverse and then drive. The drive, reverse, park, and neutral warning lights were illuminated. While at a stop, the vehicle locked. While depressing the acce... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2024
-The right knuckle sheared upon wheel impact with a curb at approximately 35 mph. At the time the vehicle was pushed northward by 46mph gust as the driver attempted a left hand turn onto a westbound lane from a northbound road. The part is still attached to the vehicle which is currently at the collision repair center. -Failure of the part left the driver stranded and the vehicle unmovable maki... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Oct 18, 2024
The contact’s daughter owns a 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The contact stated that on several occasions when shifted to park(P), the gear shift indicator failed to show the vehicle in park(P). The contact stated that the gear shifter was slammed into park(P) until park was registered on the shift indicator. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the gear shifter needed to b... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2024
The ABS/Traction lights/Bell keeps alarming on my dash. The ABS HCU needs to be replaced. I have found out from research on line that RAM knows about this and chooses to do nothing about it. It mainly affects the 2017 and 2018 RAM 2500's. They switched manufactures for the ABS/HCU during those two years and the parts are inferior and constantly fail causing the ABS to be inoperable causing a serio... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2024
When accelerating, like taking off from a red light or through a turn, my car begins to shake like it’s unable to change gears correctly, and sometimes leads to the car stalling in the middle of the street and intersection putting my in danger of being hit from other drivers. It’s also happened that when I press the gas after being stopped at a light, my car RPM goes up but I don’t move and ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2024
I was driving my 2024 CX90 PHEV when a warning about an electrical leakage in the hybrid system was detected. I brought it home and parked in my garage. I called the dealership and they told me to bring it in. When I started to leave, the car would not shift out of park and bricked up. A towing service had to drag it out of my garage. My concern is that there is no limp mode or any way to swit... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2024
I was driving my 2024 CX90 PHEV when a warning about an electrical leakage in the hybrid system was detected. I brought it home and parked in my garage. I called the dealership and they told me to bring it in. When I started to leave, the car would not shift out of park and bricked up. A towing service had to drag it out of my garage. My concern is that there is no limp mode or any way to swit... Read more
Incident date: Oct 25, 2024
Bad timing chain at 141,000 miles
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
I purchased a vehicle from a dealership that was aware of faulty airbags that was returned to dealership from another consumer. I discovered the issue a few months later when airbag warning light appeared and had it repaired which included steering wheel airbag, lower knee airbag and the seat belt in September. I did know it was involved in a accident prior to purchase since carfax states airbags ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
I purchased a vehicle from a dealership that was aware of faulty airbags that was returned to dealership from another consumer. I discovered the issue a few months later when airbag warning light appeared and had it repaired which included steering wheel airbag, lower knee airbag and the seat belt in September. I did know it was involved in a accident prior to purchase since carfax states airbags ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2009 Buick Lucerne. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine failed to turn over. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that upon inspection he became aware that one of the relays from the electric fuel pump under the rear passenger’s seat needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the fuel pump relay prong base had melted du... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
I was getting my Brakes done and realized i have no rear brakes on the right and left. I was told i can not speak to anyone higher up until Monday.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. 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 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 n... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Volvo XC40. The contact stated that the gear shifter knob had detached. The contact stated that the knob was not welded to the lever. The contact became aware that crazy glue had been used to secure the shifter knob. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into gear; and while parking the vehicle, the gear shifter detached. The contact used the button to start t... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2024
On several occasions the vehicle experienced the 'death wobble' this is a known issue and was recalled on earlier models but the 2021 has not been recalled. The suspension shakes aggressively out of nowhere at highway speeds. This is extremely dangerous! The entire car shakes and rattles aggressively on the highway, it is so easy to lose control of the vehicle! I could not get it to stop and had... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 BMW X3. The contact stated that when the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed a faint burning odor. The contact stated that the odor was noticed directly after the vehicle had been driven and then parked in the parking garage. In addition, the contact stated that the odor had begun during the summer months. The contact stated that it was a burning odor. In addition, the ... Read more
Incident date: Jan 6, 2024
Spark plug housing- causes vehicle to misfire. Which caused me to be stranded on side of the interstate. A valve burning the oil out of the engine that has caused issues numerous times. The dealership has tried repairing the vehicle numerous times but the issue persists.
Incident date: Jan 6, 2024
My catalytic converter failed on my car and will eventually needed a new engine. I was driving a busy road doing about 55 miles per hour and my car suddenly dropped down to 3-5 miles per hour without warning now flashing light on the dash nothing. I could have been killed or hit causing a multi car accident. I was so scared and it was so hot I thought my engine was going to blow. I coasted bac... Read more
Incident date: Oct 30, 2024
The vehicles electrical system will go out mid drive. Front collision and rear collision sensor will turn off. Also the traction control will turn off with the other sensors going out. Plus the transmission while it’s sensors are going out will make it unable to pull out either forward or reverse.
Incident date: Oct 8, 2020
The belts were shifting/separating from the trade of my tire. I noticed an increasing vibration in the steering which lead me to take it to a tire shop to check it out. Fortunately I had read about this issue on a forum and caught the problem before a catastrophic failure, I took the van to a Ford dealership to replace the two front tyres, and the remaining four tyres are on order in due to be rep... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel briefly vibrated, and there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Incident date: Oct 30, 2024
The foam in the car seat completely broke in half without any damage to the car seat, the fabric was ripping at the seams new out of the box. The company sent us replacement fabric and it was the wrong size despite the company saying it was the same thing. The company sent us a new seat and the shell of that seat arrived scratched and damaged.
Incident date: Sep 13, 2023
The Start/Stop function ceased to function and illuminated a dash light indicating a malfunction. It started on October 3, 2024, when warm starting the vehicle in a store parking lot. The dash light illuminates every time the vehicle is started. Possible No Start while vehicle is waiting in the turn lane of an intersection.
Incident date: Sep 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Fisker Ocean. The contact received notification NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V623000 (Service Brakes, Electric); 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.
Incident date: Sep 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Fisker Ocean One. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the front driver's side door failed to unlock as intended. The contact used the keypad to unlock the driver's side front door; however, the front driver's side door failed to unlock. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware o... Read more
Incident date: Sep 9, 2024
PASSENGER SIDE REAR AXLE BOLT BROKE. Ford says the broken bolt could result in loss of drive power putting drivers or others at risk. Local Ford dealer confirmed axle failure and asked me to not drive the vehicle until they could get a replacement axle assembly installed which could take 1-4 weeks. There were no warning lamps or messages. I thought I could hear an unusual sound from the rear of... Read more
Incident date: Feb 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving approximately 45-50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and the engine stalled. The contact pulled over to the side of the road safely. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was a hole in a piston, and cylinder #3 had failed. The deal... Read more
Incident date: Oct 5, 2024
I was driving on the highway, heard a pop noise, assume a rock hit windshield but did not see anything, I got off on my exit, went into a store and came back out a few mins later and saw windshield had a long crack from the top down approx 14 inches.
Incident date: Oct 31, 2024
I received this car new on 9/2/2024. I was driving at the freeway speed of traffic on 9/5/2024 when there was a sudden alarm and warning lights flashing on the dashboard with a message that said “Stop vehicle and check brake system.” At this same time, the brakes stopped functioning normally, and I had to use extreme pressure with my foot pressing down on the brake pedal all the way to the flo... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
Sept 26 1:38pm pulling in garage it swerved wheel towards wall and sounded alarms I have lane departure disabled, am manually driving under 15mph, and use proper blinker but this “safety feature” causes it to “jerk” the wheel and display warnings to the detriment of safety. This affects the entire fleet and was never an issue before around 2022-2023.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
Sept 26 1:38pm pulling in garage it swerved wheel towards wall and sounded alarms I have lane departure disabled, am manually driving under 15mph, and use proper blinker but this “safety feature” causes it to “jerk” the wheel and display warnings to the detriment of safety. This affects the entire fleet and was never an issue before around 2022-2023.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
Sept 25 2:14pm pulling into garage and it swerved towards wall and sounded alarms 7:04pm turning into stonestown shopping center right from stop sign, alarms and jerking wheel force to go straight. Blinker was on. I have lane departure disabled, am manually driving under 15mph, and use proper blinker but this “safety feature” causes it to “jerk” the wheel and display warnings to the de... Read more
Incident date: Oct 31, 2024
The ball joint metal part broke. The ball joint is not connected to the lower control arm instead the ball joint is a part that has a metal piece included that connects to the lower control arm. The piece is thin and break in my car over a small pothole doing speed limit this would not happen in any other make. The part looks cheap on the metal piece. The safety of the vehicle was bad until I got ... Read more