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: Jun 18, 2024
The parking brake lever contacts a piece of the wiring harness/bundle during operation. Wear on the wiring lead to exposed wires in the bundle. For me, this resulted in an electrical short that rendered the dashboard inoperable. This is a safety hazard as the entire dashboard becomes inoperable, and also a potential fire hazard.
Incident date: Jan 20, 2024
While defrosting my windshield, only the passenger side was defrosting. Both sides were set to the same temperature. I spoke to a manager at a Jeep dealer and he said his wife has the same vehicle and it also does this.
Incident date: Jan 20, 2024
mid row seat headrest won’t go back to fixed position after being stowed. potentially neck injury could and can occur if in any sort of accident. wired carplay issue, won’t work for apple. cannot use carplay with any iphone.
Incident date: Jul 2, 2024
Since November 2023, the car's engine has been burning oil. There are no leaks in the driveway. On January 8th (87,000 miles), I took the Kia Telluride for service at Mission Viejo Kia for a Check Engine light. They said the car had low oil and indicated that the cause was a leaking oil housing. They completed an oil change and added new oil. On February 19th (90,000 miles), the AC drain was clo... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
The ABS System light , The traction off and on at the same time, the advanced track light, and finally the tire pressure monitor fault I belive is what it says. The lights came on one day when I crossed over railroad tracks that were a little rough nothing that should damage anything on a vehicle. one after another the lights began coming on. The steering is very tight and makes it hard to drive. ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 7, 2024
Bought my truck new in March, after just 1 week i took my truck in after i noticed a loud rattling sound. Dealership replaced the rear section of the exhaust. After just a few days the noise came back. Now GM wont do anything about it. Truck has 11k miles on it now and the noise continues to get louder. Truck is available to be inspected. I dont feel the truck is dependable. Dealership has heard t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 26, 2024
Steering wheel sticks when turning around curves then jerks in opposite direction when corrected.
Incident date: Jun 26, 2024
The car's breaking system momentarily loses breaking power when approaching a red light or stop sign AND the car hits a pothole or bump in the road.
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the charging system fault warning light illuminated, and the vehicle independently shifted into to park(P) and stalled. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with a battery junction box and fuse failure. The vehicle was currently being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the charging system fault warning light illuminated, and the vehicle independently shifted into to park(P) and stalled. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with a battery junction box and fuse failure. The vehicle was currently being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
I believe there is faulty wiring in the door speaker front passenger side. It causes crackling and humming. It lessens some when you turn ECO off. Concerned it could ignite a fire. Once told by dealer it’s caused by rain going into the door. Next time told that just to look at the problem would be around $600 because it has steel doors??
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
1.“Brake system failure “ warning has been com By on since I received the vehicle in November 2023, Fisker techs have been out 4 times to fix but it keeps happening. 2.Door locks- I have been trapped in the car and another incident that my [XXX] son was trapped in the car, on video my sons incident. Again, Fisker had been out 4 times to ny house and the doors are still malfunctioning I can’... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. 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 contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact a... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2024
My 2016 Subaru Outback has gone through 5 batteries since purchase in 4/2016. The reason for my contact with you is that the Navigation function “eyesight” has been problematic for at least two years and began with the third of five batteries. The function stops working randomly at any hour of the day and in all conditions. This year it went off and on in excess of 300-400 times. Each time i... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2024
My 2016 Subaru Outback has gone through 5 batteries since purchase in 4/2016. The reason for my contact with you is that the Navigation function “eyesight” has been problematic for at least two years and began with the third of five batteries. The function stops working randomly at any hour of the day and in all conditions. This year it went off and on in excess of 300-400 times. Each time i... Read more
Incident date: May 8, 2024
My 2016 Subaru Outback has gone through 5 batteries since purchase in 4/2016. The reason for my contact with you is that the Navigation function “eyesight” has been problematic for at least two years and began with the third of five batteries. The function stops working randomly at any hour of the day and in all conditions. This year it went off and on in excess of 300-400 times. Each time i... Read more
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
The manufacturer has not contacted me regarding the two earliest open recalls, campaign 24V404000 and 24V405000. I have made multiple attempts to contact the manufacturer to patch my vehicles software and have not received a response. These issues are in addition to other problems previously reported with my vehicle.
Incident date: Jul 6, 2024
Fuel System. When I fill the gas tank completely the car will stall within a minute or two. I lose power steering, break booster. I can restart and the car will operate correctly. This has been happening for some time.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
Coolant leaked into cylinder. Ruined engine left at dealership after being replaced with a new long block. The vehicle could have stopped running at any point. Several Ford Edge SUVs have had this exact problem. My Ford Edge was only inspected by the Ford dealership service department via diagnostic testing. The check engine light came on and I took the earliest service appointment available.... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
Cars transmission went out at 64000 miles car started jerking then showed a message to use brake stop safely I pulled over and then said transmission hot give a few minutes then after a few minutes it said transmission ready then I tried to drive it and it did the same thing all over again. When I got it home I found out the reverse is out
Incident date: Jul 5, 2024
Warning lights keeps coming up. Back up camera don't always work. Screen won't turn on when driving. Charge port open when driving. Also brake rattling noise from the brake pedal when coming to a stop.
Incident date: Jul 7, 2024
I just had a forth occurence of the "safety restraint system error" message on my Tesla. I say forth, because the three times previous, I had to go into Tesla to have them "fix" the issue, only for it now, to happen again for the 4th time. I don't think this is a small issue, and you guys need to know about it. Not sure, this is just faulty service teams, or inexperience, or. they are just fai... Read more
Incident date: Jun 25, 2024
My ABS system went out while under warranty. A couple years later now I'm getting ABS module warnings. Brakes are different and the cruise control is affected at times. Sounds like very common issue to certain Ram owners. We need a recall.
Incident date: Nov 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and transmis... Read more
Incident date: Nov 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2024 Cadillac CT4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the rear main seal of the engine was replaced. The contact stated that after the replacement of the rear main seal, while driving at an undisclosed speed, there were abnormally loud sounds coming from the ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
Drove vehicle home during daylight. At nite the low-beam lights are useless high-beam needed to be able to see. Carfax was unaware of a "safety recall" for this problem. I found numerous complaints about this on the web. There needs to be a "recall" to get this corrected. Should be addressed by mfg and not consumer.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
1st issue was the a/c unit which mechanic said was a factory defective part. Replaced under warranty & now is not working again. 2nd issue is coolant & flushing system. replaced las year & mechanic said it was a factory defective part. This was 2 different mechanics. I just had my car overheat on me again nearly a year later with sludge in the tank AGAIN. I AM PAYONG WAYYYYY TOO MUCH MONEY f... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2024
The vehicle severely swerves when hitting any type of bump or hole in the road. This is a common issue and very dangerous.
Incident date: May 30, 2024
I bought a 2024 Tacoma TRD Off Road Premium Package through MAS ( Military Auto Source ). I picked the vehicle up from the Bremerhaven port in Germany on 08 July 2024 it was missing the back bed charging adapter box but MAS said they would cover the cost in writing to fix no big deal and I drove it back to Weiden Germany. Today 09 July 2024 I lost the ability to shift into 2nd, 4th, and 6th gear... Read more
Incident date: May 30, 2024
Emergency brake started engaging while the car is in motion. Usually, 10-15 minutes after starting the car. We were told the hydraulik brake booster pump needs to be replaced. The car is at only 60K miles.
Incident date: Jan 18, 2024
Hello regarding Ford’s program 22G06 for the steering wheel heated feature my truck was built during those times and selected plants and they state it’s not under NHTSA’s list of requirements?
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
Took my Ford F150 in for an oil change. Ford dealer informed me the steering gear assembly had completely broke near the gear box at only 68k (I do not know when the break happened). Although the vehicle is drivable, it has a chance of losing steering at any time and was advised not to drive it. No vehicle warnings are provided, and the truck has been regularly serviced over the years without me b... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
The dashboard has four warning lights on : 1- Electronic power steering 2-ABS Anti lock brakes 3-Brake system 4-Vehicle stability assist I have taken the vehicle to 2 service centers and they both confirmed the problem is common among Honda cars dated between 2013-2017. They ran a diagnostic test confirming ABS module failure. Although the car is drivable they recommended I get the problem fixed, ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2024
After having the car serviced to fix the recall, my car stopped running while on the freeway at 60mph. This is now the 3rd time in less than 10 days that this has happened. I had the transmission replaced previously to fix this issue but it has returned.
Incident date: Jul 8, 2024
I had the BECM fail as part of many 2017 volts with this issue at around 40K miles. This failure has caused multiple near accidents with immediately losing power at highway speeds. The last time this happened (after the BECM was replaced) was a couple of weeks ago. They said the reason for the failure was a programming issue, and they have updated it. It is flabbergasting to me that a programming ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
Driver seatbelt is stuck and doesn't budge. I think I saw an old recall regarding this possibly... Since I've owned the car it hasn't came u jammed not at all a single time.not even moved an inch. I sprayed WD-40 down to it and nothing...
Incident date: Jun 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that after shifting into park, the message “Action Required Shifting to Park” displayed. The message remained displayed even when the vehicle was turned off. The contact restarted the vehicle several times while slightly moving the gear shifter until the message was no longer displayed. The failure had become constant. The dealer had... Read more
RAM
1500
(2017) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE)
Jul 8, 2024
Incident date: Jun 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ram 3500. The contact stated while driving 40-45 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact continued driving uphill and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart. The contact was able to push the vehicle to the side of the road with assistance. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it diagnosed that... Read more
Incident date: May 30, 2021
On July 8 2024 at approximately 0720 CST I was driving my vehicle on the freeway when I lost ALL acceleration and the car would NOT go above 70MPH. The car continued to decelerate while on the freeway in traffic. The RPM range was 7-8 while it was decelerating and then it went back to "normal" a few minutes later. I then continued my travel to work and about 5 miles away from my work it did it aga... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the A-pillar trim started detaching from the vehicle. The contact stated that parts of the trim had already detached and fallen off the vehicle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local deal... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2023
Unsure what component or system is failing. From purchase of vehicle, there has always been hesitation when accelerating from a stop. Vehicle was taken in several times while under warranty. On at least one occasion, dealership did not even address concern on paperwork. Dealership suggested on 2 occasions that transmission fluid was cause and needed changing. Transmission fluid change at 33,000 mi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Tundra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V381000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the instrument panel fluttered, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was not able to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle ... Read more
Incident date: Jun 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated while her granddaughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and there was smoke coming from the front end of the vehicle. The driver was able to pull to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact met her granddaughter on the side of the road. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that... Read more
Incident date: Jun 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed and stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic, however; the contact was unaware of the diagnostic result. The contact stated that the independent mechanic stated that the vehicle was a total loss becaus... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware that there was water leaking from the driver’s side rear window. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed; however, the dealer inspected the vehicle and confirmed that there was a water leak coming from the driver’s side rear ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 8, 2024
I was driving in the rain & it just stoped working out of nowhere .
Incident date: Jul 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The driver was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the oil pump tension arm, result... Read more
Incident date: Jul 4, 2024
Body paint chipping. Is known issue when speaking to insurance, Kia dealer and paint body repair.
Incident date: Jul 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed as a failure with the Transmission Control Module (TCM). The contact was informed that the TCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was ... Read more