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: Dec 6, 2023
My Toddler was seated (in the car seat that was buckled into ) the second row bucket seat. While driving the vehicle we hit a bump in the road which then launched the back passenger seat up and forward pinning my child between the two seats. His face smashed into the front passenger seat headrest which caused forced injury to his head. The EZ seat button could not have been reached by my child d... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Nov 13, 2021
Brake error and traction control error on dash. It is available for inspection. Not sure if it is safe but we have not options. This started several years ago. We have looked at ordering parts and tried to make appointment at dealer but parts were out of stock. We have not ever taken it in to the dealer as this happened literally 2 weeks after our warranty expired. No one has inspected it. There ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 13, 2021
Power steering cuts off and very hard to steer until you turn off vehicle and turn back on but then will go out again while driving .This is very un safe when my wife is driving Kids to school.I have read that 2009-2011 has same issue and have been recalled why isn’t this one if it’s same problem .
Incident date: Nov 13, 2021
Basically, as I was driving on the freeway with my son and his brother, I got 5 lights flashing on dashboard. Abs at temp check engine cruise control hill assist vss etc.. the code were for cut but before I could check them everything shut down. Car went dark, no brakes and burning smell as well as burns oil. Front end damage on car with passenger side damage. Car started back up next day called S... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Jun 10, 2024
Have been having power steering problems over the past few years. Started by displaying a shift to park message while driving, my car would then lose power and shut down completely and power steering would lock up. Have taken to dealerships and independent mechanics and was told it was the wiring harness which they repaired several times and the car continued to have the issue. Approximately 3 mon... Read more
Incident date: Jun 22, 2024
Driving along I94 then suddenly heared a popping sound when I checked the sunroof exploded/ shattered to pieces.
Incident date: Jan 3, 2023
ABS/Service Electronic Brake Control and Cruise Control lights constantly flash and chime while driving. Have been told that replacements parts have been on back order for over a year now. Any help will be appreciated.
Incident date: Jan 3, 2023
I bought my Bronco back in January this year (2024) and everything worked great. Then fast forward the end of May (2024) and my car when I got in it and crunk it up told me my MyKey had been activated. I said what is a MyKey never heard of it before in my life. I did some Google searches and tried to figure out. Once I figured it and couldn't get it off of there myself I took it to a Ford dealersh... Read more
Incident date: Jan 3, 2023
I bought my Bronco back in January this year (2024) and everything worked great. Then fast forward the end of May (2024) and my car when I got in it and crunk it up told me my MyKey had been activated. I said what is a MyKey never heard of it before in my life. I did some Google searches and tried to figure out. Once I figured it and couldn't get it off of there myself I took it to a Ford dealersh... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
On or about April 2024, the "check engine" light came on in my 2020 Ford F-150. My vehicle was just becoming due for re-registration. I had the code for the check engine light checked at my parts dealer and double checked at the maintenance facility I was having services done. The check engine code was for the catalytic converter. I had the catalytic converter and O2 sensors replaced at my service... Read more
Incident date: Jun 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that the vehicle was not starting properly with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes Hydraulic) 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 ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while at a stop and attempting to accelerate, the RPMs rapidly increased, but the vehicle failed to respond as intended and experienced a loss of motive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure b... Read more
Incident date: Jun 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while at a stop and attempting to accelerate, the RPMs rapidly increased, but the vehicle failed to respond as intended and experienced a loss of motive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure b... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2023
Engine Coolant Bypass Valve faulty. Charged $176.95 for the dealer to diagnose what is already known issue. The dealer wanted $663 to replace the part. Toyota knows about this issue yet acts like they had to perform $176 diagnose. The car never blew any codes CIL and they say that this particular part doesnt cause a code but had to use a " special" diagnose tool.
Incident date: Jun 21, 2023
Engine Coolant Bypass Valve faulty. Charged $176.95 for the dealer to diagnose what is already known issue. The dealer wanted $663 to replace the part. Toyota knows about this issue yet acts like they had to perform $176 diagnose. The car never blew any codes CIL and they say that this particular part doesnt cause a code but had to use a " special" diagnose tool.
Incident date: Jun 19, 2024
Speedometer does not function. We have no idea how fast or slow we are going at any given time. It shows random speeds. Fearful we could cause an accident by unknowingly driving too fast or too slow. The speedometer display indicates we are going 40+ mph while we are sitting absolutely still at stop lights & that we are traveling at a variety of speeds including 0 mph while keeping up with traffic... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 19V435000 (Suspension) and 24V031000 (Structure) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2024
THE Transmission Valve Body Solenoid was diagnosed as not working. while i was driving on the highway without any indication the car just started slowing down . There was not a warning or anything, then the transmission service lights up, i had to have my car towed to a dealership however they informed me that there was never any service they were supposed to do on my transmission because of th... Read more
Incident date: May 31, 2024
The automatic 10 speed transmission 10R80 covered by TSB24-2176 will violently downshift or upshift causing passengers and contents of the vehicle to be thrown around the vehicle. This happens at random events, sometimes while accelerating, sometimes while decelerating, and without warning, which leads to violent decelerating and lurching on the road, which is a safety concern in heavy traffic. T... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and decelerated. On several occasions, the failure occurred, and the vehicle stalled. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local service center who diagnosed that the purge valve was faulty and needed to be replaced. The pu... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2024
I experienced an issue where I was driving the vehicle, and then a "hybrid system fault" message appeared on the driver information display followed by the complete loss of power. This made me have to pull over to the side of the road with no ability to accelerate out of the way of traffic to come to a stop. Once I was stopped I tuned off the vehicle and tried to turn it back on, but the vehicle w... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed and while reversing, the contact stated that his wife heard an abnormal rubbing sound. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with a fractured driveshaft. The vehicle remained at the dealer awaiting the repair. The contact related the failu... Read more
Incident date: Jun 10, 2024
The contact owned a 2022 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while her granddaughter was driving at 40 MPH and attempting to stop at a stop sign, with the brake pedal depressed all the way to the floorboard, the vehicle failed to stop. As a result, the driver swerved in an attempt to avoid a collision, side-swiping the vehicle ahead and colliding with 3 light poles before coasting to a complete... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Jun 19, 2024
We found a warranty extension for Dodge Caravan Driver and Passenger Sliding Door Power Lock Actuators, but when I searched for our VIN, it is not included, but we are having the same problem. All of a sudden, our driver side sliding door was stuck shut, and would not open manually or with the key fob. I found a workaround from an online forum to hold the manual lock to open position, while press... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2022
Ford refuses to remedy a safety issue with the EPAS steering assist. It's a safety issue and these criminals filled it under customer satisfaction. This car could have killed me. I was going 55mph down the highway when the epas failed.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2024
Was driving down the street no lights on the dashboard no overheating no warnings whatsoever and I heard a click and the engine just went out and the Dashboard lit up if this had happened on the expressway, it could’ve been very dangerous It appears the engine is seized, but it had oil . Apparently, this is become a common problem with this vehicle. Once they hit over 100,000 miles.
Incident date: Jan 15, 2024
When set to auto headlamps function, headlamp lights begin to flicker/flash on and off randomly while driving in sunny daylight conditions. This could be a distraction for drivers in front of vehicle. Dealership cannot repair problem as they claim not to have a Service Bulletin number from GM.
Incident date: May 8, 2024
I was sent to this form by live chat to report that a recall for my car has not been remedied in a timely manner. I received notification in November of 2023 that it was advised to not use my car and to park away from buildings. It has been 7 months and it still shows as not updated on this website and the official Kia one.
Incident date: Jun 9, 2024
Fuel Injectors had to be replaced, and the vehicle only 54,084 miles. Vehicles with the same engine, made by Honda, are being recalled. Furthermore, I have seen recalls for the 2018-2020 Honda Accord being recalled, but my VIN does not acknowledge this recall. I was at a stoplight, and turning right on when the car lost power and went into limp mode. Fortunately, there was no one coming (On a fair... Read more
Incident date: Jan 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Edge. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle was lost motive power. The contact stated that while approaching a freeway exit and depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal was very firm, and the vehicle failed to stop as needed. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stalling, she was able to stop the vehicle. When the contact attemp... Read more
Incident date: Jun 2, 2023
The brake, ABS brake, traction control lights are lit up on the dash. We took the truck to a dealership in March of 2024 to get the truck worked on. We were advised the the ABS Module has went out. The Ram dealership told us that the ABS module in question is under review, and it would be mid June before the review results would be available. We were told that we could still drive the truck, eve... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2024
I have been getting to many issues lately with my car, I have a family and two little ones we almost got accident today 06/20/2024 the car just suddenly stopped while I’m driving on the highway out of no where (traction control on) airbags issues and to many like every once in a while. I need to secure the safety of my family. I have contracted the dealership before they going to contact me but ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 5, 2024
The front passenger airbag sensor is faulty. My understanding is that the airbag is set up to be deployed when someone who is at least 65lbs sits on the front seat. I am 85lbs so the sensor should always detect me but it doesn't; it only does so about 10% of the time. Sometimes it turns on and then goes off. In contrast, I always trigger the sensor in my husband's 2023 Subaru Crosstrek.
Incident date: Jun 18, 2024
Upon startup the vehicle routinely fails to load the infotainment/center console. This failure prevents the operator from seeing the rear view camera. Nothing in the console comes online for several minutes and other times it loads just fine. It has occured on my truck more than 50 different times.
Incident date: Jun 18, 2024
car navigation system is inaccurate. There is a severe lag in displaying where the car actually is located versus where the car is displayed on navigation. Navigation then places me in a location a mile or so away from where I am located and then reports that I am off road. The directions are inaccurate as navigation cannot locate my location accurately and in real time.
Incident date: Jun 18, 2024
May 26, 2024 I was driving on a freeway with my grandson. I heard a knocking/clicking sound from my 2018 Santa Fe. No warning lights came on. The car lost all power. I had to navigate the traffic and coast to a stop. Unfortunately we were on the side of the freeway right before a very busy entrance ramp. An 18 wheeler swerved to avoid hitting us. That's when I decided it was not safe to wait in th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 18, 2024
Notification or recall came out in March. Notified by mail end of April. It is now mid June and still there is no remedy available for this open recall. For drivers where this is their sole car, it is concerning and unfair that we continue to drive with this recall and possibly risk injury. I understand the process might take a while but having no communication on when parts are to be available fr... Read more
Incident date: Jun 16, 2024
Passenger door lock-right rear door will not unlock from outside or inside
Incident date: Nov 10, 2023
Drivers seatbelt buckle does not register, resulting in active chiming of the unbuckled seat belt alarm and disengaging of the airbag system. Driver must hold the seatbelt with downward pressure continuously in order to register the seat belt and return the vehicle to normal operating condition, and turn off the airbag system warning signs and chiming. Dealership refuses any assistance without pa... Read more
Incident date: Jun 14, 2024
I was driving and the vehicle cut off , said service shifter and had to put in park , and restart . I was in the middle of traffic and was luckily able to pull over . It started after stuttering a few times . But I’m now scared to drive it .
Incident date: Jun 14, 2024
Windshield spontaneously cracked while sitting still. Vehicle was parked on a hot day with AC running and windshield burst as if it were shot and cracks streaked across entire windshield by next day causing visibility issues. We are not aware of vehicle being hit by anything at the time it burst.
Incident date: Mar 3, 2024
we were in a head-on collision (not our fault) in April. The police determined the combined speed of the crash impact to be 60-65 miles per hour. The 2020 Tesla Y did not deploy its airbags. And as far as we can determine, the accident was not automatically recorded by the Tesla as it should have been. Because the airbags did not deploy, I sustained a fracture to my sternum that traverses over... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
Hydraulic cont module/ abs module is constantly going in and out causing the abs/traction control to be disabled and non functional cruise control. Highly unsafe when towing heavy like I do most of the time.
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
GM has acknowledged that there is a "Shift to Park" problem with 2017 and 2018 GMC Acadia's. This design flaw/ part failure does not recognize that the vehicle is actually in "Park" so you cannot shut off the engine. In addition, the dash lights remain on which eventually drains the battery. Sometimes the car will roll as if it's in Neutral. GM is very aware of this problem. However, they do not h... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2023
GM has acknowledged that there is a "Shift to Park" problem with 2017 and 2018 GMC Acadia's. This design flaw/ part failure does not recognize that the vehicle is actually in "Park" so you cannot shut off the engine. In addition, the dash lights remain on which eventually drains the battery. Sometimes the car will roll as if it's in Neutral. GM is very aware of this problem. However, they do not h... Read more
Incident date: May 15, 2024
The AC/Heat will shut off randomly and not turn back on. I’ve had my car into the shop many times and the issue still is not fixed. I’ve talked to many people with the same car as me and they all have stated that they have the same issues.
Incident date: Jun 6, 2023
My vehicle stalled when pulling out into traffic. I lost power steering and electrical and the engine died. The vehicle had to be restarted to continue driving. I was going about 1 to 2 mph when the issue happened. The vehicle was in motion and stalled while other vehicles were in motion putting my safety at risk, had I been going any faster or if there was an increased amount of traffic. I re... Read more
Incident date: Jun 6, 2023
My vehicle stalled when pulling out into traffic. I lost power steering and electrical and the engine died. The vehicle had to be restarted to continue driving. I was going about 1 to 2 mph when the issue happened. The vehicle was in motion and stalled while other vehicles were in motion putting my safety at risk, had I been going any faster or if there was an increased amount of traffic. I re... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2024
Second row power folding captain chair can fold down without anybody touching button. Rear hatch opens intermittently while parked or driving. The latest incident occurred while driving on city streets, and dash flashed a warning about rear hatch being opened while driving about 20mph.