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: May 10, 2024
Accelerating away from a stop sign, and going about 25 mph, the car slammed on the brakes, even a couple of ABS jerks, and said “Engine Control Issue; Park in a safe place.” (It might have said Engine Control Error). After stopping, was unable to move the car, as all drive power had been shut off. All instrumentation was still powered up. I then shut off power to car, waited 15 seconds, and c... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35-40 MPH with traffic ahead slowing down, the vehicle registered t... Read more
Crash
3 injured
Incident date: Jul 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle had accelerated independently. No warning lights were illuminated. On another occasion, while exiting a parking lot the vehicle unintendedly accelerated causing it to crash into a parked vehicle. The vehicle came to a stop partially sideways after it drove over the parked vehicle. The fire dep... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Oct 3, 2024
My car jerks violently into first gear often. Slow acceleration. Exclamation mark inside a triangle warning light came on and my car wouldn't accelerate over tha 2 miles per hrs. When in park or at a stop light it idles roughly. Rear brakes have been prematurely expired. I have since replaced them
Incident date: Oct 3, 2024
My car jerks violently into first gear often. Slow acceleration. Exclamation mark inside a triangle warning light came on and my car wouldn't accelerate over tha 2 miles per hrs. When in park or at a stop light it idles roughly. Rear brakes have been prematurely expired. I have since replaced them
Incident date: Sep 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at a low rate of speed, the oil warning light flashed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the engine was consuming oil at an excessive rate. The contact was informed that an oil consumption test would have to be performed to determine the extent of th... Read more
Incident date: Oct 11, 2024
Couple of recalls are out. Requested service but have yet to hear from company
Incident date: Sep 29, 2024
Jerking and most of the times lag on first and second gear most mornings..
Incident date: Oct 10, 2024
October 10, 2024, approximately 6:10AM PST. While accelerating on freeway on-ramp to merge into traffic that was also accelerating, the truck shifted the transmission into neutral. Vehicles behind truck had to swerve around my truck, while I stepped on brake pedal in the middle of accelerating traffic to be able to shift truck back into drive to continue onto freeway. This is not the first arbi... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2024
The contact's mother owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while his mother was driving 45 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated to 5 MPH. The low coolant warning light was illuminated. The contact's mother pulled over and parked the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinders, and it was determined that the engine ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was not able to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manu... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was sticky and made an abnormal sound. Additionally, the message "Lane Departure Steering Required" was displayed intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the electric power steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufact... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2024
PARK TO SHIFT CODE DISPLAYS, WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. PROBLEM HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY DEALERSHIP-BILL ROBERTS CHEVY IN BOLIVAR, MO SAFETY ISSUES- NOT FOR SURE IF CAR IS IN PARK COULD ROLL OFF. WILL RUN BATTERY DOWN. SAFETY ISSUES WITH EXISTING THE VEHICLE. AT SOME POINT COULD CAUSE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. PROBLEM STARTED AROUND [XXX] MILEAGE ON VEHICLE IS 44,000 NOT UNDER WARRENTY DUE TO MIL... Read more
Incident date: Oct 10, 2024
Air bag system malfunction warning
Incident date: Aug 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After in... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2024
Truck would not start or crank over. It had to be towed to a repair shop and the starter had to be replaced.
Incident date: Aug 22, 2024
Vehicle would not start or try to turn over. It had to be towed and the starter had to be replaced. The truck is less than a year old and the starter died.
Incident date: Jul 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The contact indicated that the failure was intermittent. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified o... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V461000 (Air Bags); 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 ha... Read more
Incident date: Aug 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V651000 (Structure) and 24V344000 (Back Over Prevention, Equipment, Electrical System); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The contact stated while driving approx... Read more
Incident date: Oct 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V651000 (Structure) and 24V344000 (Back Over Prevention, Equipment, Electrical System); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The contact stated while driving approx... Read more
Incident date: Sep 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the inside of the front driver’s side door filled up with water while it was raining. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer stated that the cause of the failure was identifiable, but the result was not disclosed. The vehicle was not repaired. ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 7, 2024
The electronic power steering went out causing the steering wheel to stiffen. Thankfully, I was on a road without a lot of traffic. The vehicle was bought new, by me in 2014, and has never had any warning lights or symptoms for this issue, until it happened. It happened in May 2024 and has been sitting since, still with the same issue.
Incident date: May 29, 2024
[XXX] 2015 Honda CRV would not start, called AAA who determined battery needed to be replaced. AAA replaced battery on the spot upon purchase. [XXX] 2015 Honda CRV would not start, called AAA who determined battery was bad, needed to be replaced, AAA replaced with a AAA battery. Battery drain continued, exhausted the AAA road side allotment. 10/2023 Local Service Center checked battery and determ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 9, 2024
Steering is stiff and sticky at high speeds when trying to make small adjustments while driving. I have read on car forums this is a common issue which requires complete replacement of the steering system. My safety is at risk driving this vehicle due to over correction and being unable to properly steer. It has not been inspected by a dealer. This issue appeared about a year ago. I noticed a ver... Read more
Incident date: Oct 2, 2024
The system failing and had problems. Had to take to Honda dealer. They had to replace the system Camera.
Incident date: Oct 2, 2024
When I was driving the car to work the automatic system (malfunction ) failed to restart in red light, i have to stop to restart (Awd malfunction } says to take to the dealer, I was driving back tothe dealership , they are saying car had zero coolant in syystem, raditor was leaking engine overheat to blow head gasket, a week before i was taking car dealership to state inspection and found... Read more
RAM
1500
(2015) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
Oct 8, 2024
Incident date: Sep 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that after the dealer had performed a fuel induction on the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the catalytic convertor had failed and needed to be replaced; however, the part to do the repair was not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manuf... Read more
Incident date: Oct 15, 2023
rear back glass) Back glass explosion diving down interstate distraction to say the least.)chevy recalled some but not mine)just happened no inspection)no warnning
Fire
Incident date: Oct 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed at night, the instrument cluster, radio, and headlights inadvertently turned off for 20-30 seconds; however, the vehicle remained operational. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a loosened coaxial cable behind the radio, but no DTC codes were stored in any modules. ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 4, 2024
Coolant Bypass Issue. Engine Maintenance and contact dealer on the dash board.
Incident date: Sep 4, 2024
The soft top headliner is detaching from the main roof structure right above the driver. This secondary liner is now impeding my view of the road and my view out the passenger side window. This "inner" liner has been pushed back into place numerous times but it is continuing to fall un-expectantly when I am operating the vehicle. This is very startling to be struck in the head from this inner li... Read more
Incident date: Aug 5, 2024
The main screen which displays the vehicle speed, state of charge and side view cameras, amongst other items, was completely black. Not knowing the speed I was traveling was dangerous to my safety. I have read of other complaints online of other users having this issue. They stated that if you turned off the car, locked the doors and didn't charge for around 30 to 60 minutes, the screen would res... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2022
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 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 distributi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2024
I was driving on a bit uneven surface, a temporary bridge, at low speed ~25mph. I pressed brakes to stop but the car started shaking and didnt stop as the brakes completely froze. I could have rammed into the car in front. I quickly released the brakes and pressed again with full force in fraction of a second and it somehow worked this time. It was a very scary experience with me and my family in ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2024
I have had an ongoing concern with my new 2024 Equinox EV RS and wanted to share a potential safety issue. While driving during the daytime, I noticed significant glare reflecting off the front louvered component of the dashboard onto the windshield. This glare severely affected my visibility, especially when driving towards the sun, creating a distraction and making it difficult to see pedestrian... Read more
Incident date: Sep 2, 2024
The windshield wipers do not remove water and always leave a film. This film will not go away with defrost, extra cleaning, washer fluid. I replaced the blades and still the reflective film remains. It is extremely hazardous to drive because all light reflects off the film and horribly impairs vision. Honda refuses responsibility. Also, the washer fluid does not clean windows either. Dust also b... Read more
Incident date: Sep 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2010 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and shut off. The contact veered over to the side of the road and attempted to restart the vehicle. There was an abnormal sound while turning the ignition key. There were no warning lights illuminated. After several attempts, the vehicle restarted, and the contact was able to co... Read more
Incident date: Oct 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving at unknown speeds, the alarm system warning light was illuminated. The hood ajar message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the knock sensor and wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted, but no a... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2024
Issue with Auto Idle Stop. I have had multiple instances of the auto idle stop kicking in and shutting the car off while I am at a stoplight. This has resulted in VERY close calls with me getting rear ended. I have taken the vehicle in to be inspected at an Acura dealership only to be told that they cannot replicate the issue. When this issue occurs, it takes about a minute to get the car working ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 12, 2024
Porsche Cayenne dashboard leather shrunk and staples pulled out. The airbag in the dashboard may not deploy properly in the event when there is an accident. Porsche dealer recommended the dashboard to be replaced. Many vehicles have this issue after warranty is out
Incident date: Oct 7, 2024
We contacted Kia US after taking the Kia Telluride to a Kia service station for an oil change.The service tech told us that they were not going to do an oil change because,”the Telluride was a ticking time bomb.” This was said in front of the Kia service Mgr.We were very nervous driving the vehicle because no one explained what that meant.Shortly after the service appointment, the Telluride’... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Oct 7, 2024
We contacted Kia US after taking the Kia Telluride to a Kia service station for an oil change.The service tech told us that they were not going to do an oil change because,”the Telluride was a ticking time bomb.” This was said in front of the Kia service Mgr.We were very nervous driving the vehicle because no one explained what that meant.Shortly after the service appointment, the Telluride’... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Oct 7, 2024
The defective/incomplete vehicle software occasionally causes an dangerous condition. The child safety lock for the back doors can disengage without driver input or knowledge. The software in the vehicle occasionally clears (or resets) customized driver settings because the software is defective/incomplete. One of these "driver settings" appears to be the engagement of the child safety lock. ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 29, 2024
2021 Chevy Traverse went out in September, it would shutter causing take off to jerk so hard and cause traffic to stall, hurting passengers necks, and almost causing accidents
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
Concern: I See the error message on my screen like restraint system fault require service. when I contacted Tesla for Sevice Repair I got an estimate which includes following fixes for a charge of 1,804.02. They are not covering for this saying the car is out of warranty. Seems like Tesla is aware of this issue and impacting many other Tesla's for 1) FIRST ROW SEAT HARNESS ASSEMBLY - RIGHT HAND(14... Read more
Incident date: Oct 6, 2024
Rear break hoses rupture. My car kept loosing break fluid with no dash board warnings until break pressure became so low that it was hard to stop my vehicle. My vehicle began to move forward while my foot was on the break. This rupture in my break lines put me, my family, other drivers and pedestrians lives in danger. The problem was identified by Ford dealership 1 month after I got the recall on ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 6, 2024
Vehicle has a loose steering feel and wanders , Jeep has a TSB for a steering box replacement for this issue but will not cover the cost under warranty
Incident date: Oct 4, 2024
Blind spot detection not working. Repaired May 2023. Occurred again September 2024. No warning that it's been deactivated. Error message when blind spot sensing is activated. VW dealer diagnosed issue.
Incident date: Oct 4, 2024
ABS/TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS and alarm started in January 2022 the vehicle only had 21,460 miles on it so I took my 2018 Ram to dealership to get looked at and they diagnosed the faulty part as ABS HCU/MODULE. The vehicle was under warranty so they fixed it for free. October 01 2024 the same thing happened vehicle with 38,000 miles all the lights started flashing and alarming while I was towing my... Read more