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 13, 2026
The CVT transmission on my 2019 HR-V (VIN: [XXX] ) failed, causing a sudden loss of motive power in traffic. This is a known manufacturing defect (TSB 21-047). Honda is currently denying repairs for low-mileage vehicles (75,600 miles) based on arbitrary time-limits and illegal 'dealer-only' service requirements. This defect causes an immediate safety hazard (Loss of Motive Power). This 'Warranty E... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
The issue I'm experiencing with my 24 Prologue is the infotainment screen (which controls a lot of the vehicle) sometimes having issues showing the backup camera, or issues with the car not allowing me to utilize ACC (says temporarily unavailable), etc. I feel less safe in the vehicle as a result. The issue is an OPEN recall and the dealership I've contacted 5x [XXX] ) has refused to do the upda... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2026
I am filing a complaint regarding Consumer Portfolio Services (CPS) and the reporting and collection of a repossession deficiency balance related to my 2021 Ford EcoSport, VIN [XXX] and Ford Motor Company. The vehicle was affected by serious safety defects and recall-related issues that endangered my safety and substantially impaired the vehicle’s reliability, usability, and market value. Despi... Read more
Incident date: May 14, 2026
Our Carnival had the SC266 recall repair done on July 3rd, 2023, at 3074 miles. Then our [XXX] daughter was injured as a result of the safety function not working and the door closed without any chimes. [XXX] (my spouse) is a cardiac nurse at our local hospital, and I have combat medical training, so we took care of the minor injury. Her small hand was spared the devastation a larger one would s... Read more
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 18, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle's rear brakes rub significantly to the point of prematurely wearing out the brake pads. Additionally, the instrument panel is failing and displaying all warning lights, and the side mirrors flicker while driving. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed to be NHTSA ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 27, 2025
The contact owned a 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH occupied with his sister-in-law and her children, the contact smelled smoke coming from the driver seat of the vehicle the contact mention he pulled to the right side of the road, exiting everyone out the vehicle when he noticed that the drive seat caught fire. No warning lights illuminated. The contact menti... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Jan 9, 2025
Roof rail covers, exterior A and B pillar trim have not been fixed. I was told at the time of purchase the recall (1) was fixed. The rubber trim in the pillar trim flaps in the wind and I was told to buy the parts on Amazon and that it isn’t hard to install. Along with the A/C not working a week after I bought the SUV. dealership is uncooperative.
Incident date: May 7, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the A-pillar trim on the passenger side windshield started to detach. The contact also stated that the trim located on the driver’s door had also detached. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part required for the recall repair was not ... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
When it is really hot outside 90 and above my car does messes up. As I'm driving my car will throw the code pull over and Check starter system. Everything turns off, and then it takes minutes from my car to restart. It has happened multiple times when I'm in traffic at a stop light or driving and it throws the code as my car is moving. I have taken it to shops and still no auto shop can figure out... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Leaf. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V700000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that the remedy parts were not yet available and referred the contact to the manufacturer for further assistance. The ... Read more
Incident date: May 13, 2026
Both day time running lights failed right after warranty expired. This repair requires over 2300$ repair because both entire headlights need to be replaced. This is a frequent problem that VW is aware yet refuses to rectify. It cause my vehicle to be less visible because of aporr design by VW.
Incident date: May 2, 2026
I am experiencing the symptoms listed for the ignition coil recall listed 20011 suburban, but the recall is not on my vin. I've been experiencing the symptoms for quite some time now yrs even, but didn't know about the ignition recall. I've been replacing and fixing the parts and damage to the vehicle. Fortunately no accidents or injuries to report. I am currently experiencing my door locks cyclin... Read more
Incident date: May 2, 2026
Purchased my 2014 Jetta TDI SportWagen DSG used with 60k miles in 2017 from a Subaru dealership. It was purchased at auction by the dealership as reported at auction known to be an unmodified dieselgate vehicle. The dealership performed the modifications to bring it into emissions compliance and sold it to me. I noticed an occasional "boing" sound from the back and my wife wouldn't drive it, sh... Read more
Incident date: Aug 29, 2025
Component Failing: Telematics Control Unit (TCU) / SOS Emergency Call System This vehicle is experiencing an intermittent, total failure of the factory-installed SOS/Emergency Call System due to a known manufacturing defect. BMW has documented this issue in Technical Service Bulletin SIB 65 12 22, admitting that an improper factory paint and sealing process causes the roof-mounted shark fin antenn... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
Since purchasing my 2024 Odyssey EX-L I have experienced on multiple occasions where the idle stop engages but upon releasing the brake the vehicle fails to restart, dash lights up and vehicle is shifted automatically into park while sitting in traffic and vehicles moving all around me as well as honking as I am unable to restart the vehicle immediately. I have to push the start button multiple ti... Read more
Incident date: Mar 23, 2026
Windshield crack appeared in line of sight. No evidence of chips or damage.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2025
COMPONENTS: Forward Collision Avoidance, Lane Keeping Support, Electronic Power Steering. INCIDENT: On 05/12/2026, upon vehicle startup, a total failure of the driver-assist safety suite occurred. Dashboard indicators displayed malfunctions for: Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Lane Keeping Assistance (LKAS), and a "Steering Wheel Malfunction" warning. The vehicle w... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
My passenger side rear tire exploded off of the vehicle as I was driving 75mph down XXX. I was fortunate to be able to bring the car under control and get it out of the path of traffic. I could have been killed by this tire failure and loss of control. I had the vehicle towed to the Honda dealership in [XXX] . They told me I must have hit something. I absolutely did not hit anything that day or a... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
The fabric/plastic/felt under the car is falling to pieces! It's becoming a safety hazard. This complaint is posted in a lot of forums.
Incident date: Apr 13, 2026
After emissions campaign 9c9, downshifting using paddle shifters on downhill grades, engine failing to maintain speed. Does not slow car down like it did before, seems like no compression. Fuel efficiency / emissions over traditional transmission braking, forcing drivers to use brakes more often to avoid high RPMs. Safety Risk: The lack of engine braking can lead to brake overheating or fade on lo... Read more
Incident date: Oct 23, 2024
My body control module (BCM) seems to have failed on my 2018 Honda CRV, my first indication was my alarm going off and me being unable to enter my vehicle with my key fob. Once I manually unlocked the car with the embedded key inside the key fob, I was unable to turn off my instrument cluster or lights by hitting the start switch of the car. I then turned on the car and was unable to turn off the ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
The steering rack failed about one week after I purchased the vehicle. The dealer replaced the steering rack once, but the same problem happened again about six months later. The vehicle has now been at the dealership for about one year waiting for another replacement steering rack. The dealer informed me the part is unavailable and must be specially manufactured. A loaner vehicle was provided whi... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
Original Fuel pump stated intermittent long cracks about 35,000 miles. And continues to do so. It seems like FORD uses the all time favorite “ we cannot recreate the issue” in order to send the customer on their way and not take ANY responsibility whatsoever ,WOW! Its rediculous that they don’t want to acknowledge the issue after thousands of customers complain. Our whole family has been ri... Read more
Incident date: Mar 1, 2026
Chevrolet dealership diagnosed my truck and said the coolant control valve would have to be replaced.
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
This is an electric vehicle. I experienced a sudden loss of all power while traveling on the interstate in heavy traffic. I nearly lost control of the vehicle as it would not respond to my inputs. I had to cross two lanes of dense interstate traffic to get to a safe area to pull over and it was terrifying because the car just suddenly shut down while traveling at highway speeds. The dealership tha... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
This is an electric vehicle. I experienced a sudden loss of all power while traveling on the interstate in heavy traffic. I nearly lost control of the vehicle as it would not respond to my inputs. I had to cross two lanes of dense interstate traffic to get to a safe area to pull over and it was terrifying because the car just suddenly shut down while traveling at highway speeds. The dealership tha... Read more
Incident date: Mar 21, 2026
I am filing this complaint regarding my GMC Yukon Denali, currently at Greg Lair GMC in Canyon, Texas, for GM Safety Recall N252494000, NHTSA Campaign Number 25V274, L87 Engine Loss of Propulsion. My vehicle has been at the dealership for over two weeks for this recall, which in my case requires a complete engine replacement. I have been advised the repair may take another 4 to 5 weeks. During th... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2026
I was in a single vehicle car accident on Monday May 4th 2026 right at 6am central standard time. My 2019 honda odyssey has been totaled out by Insurance. Primarily all of the damages were on the front driver side, the air bags on both the steering wheel and under the steering wheel deployed but the side curtain airbag didn't not, and honda link also wasn't able to connect to emergency services on... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Mar 4, 2026
My name is [XXX] and I am filing a complaint against The Auto Factory in [XXX] . In December 2024 I purchased a 2013 Hyundai Accent (VIN: [XXX] ) from this dealership. I financed the vehicle and have been making my payments on time every month. Recently the car developed a serious engine problem and is no longer drivable. While looking into the situation I discovered that my vehicle has been unde... Read more
Incident date: Apr 30, 2026
I was driving at normal speed on XXX XXX parkway getting on to the XXX crossing, when I drove over a pothole. The passenger side curtain airbag suddenly deployed even though there was no collision. I had a [XXX] sitting in a car seat in the second row passenger side as well as another child in the third row who thank God weren't hurt. Had the airbags deployed directly on them they would have got... Read more
Incident date: May 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Audi A6. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated. The engine overheating and the low coolant warning light illuminated. In addition, the engine seized. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a coolant leak and a failed coolant pump vacuum. The contact was informed that the coolant pump vacuum assembly needed ... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2026
1. Sunroof 2. Driving on 81 N slightly past the Middlesex exit at highway speeds. My 4 minor children and I heard what sounded like a large balloon popping inside my car. Upon further inspection, my sunroof spontaneously exploded. Absolutely nothing hit our car. The more research I’m doing, this is a known issue with GM manufactures and they have done nothing to correct this issue. 3. I’m ... Read more
Incident date: May 11, 2026
I recently had the 10R80 rebuilt due shifting issues and it was discovered that the CDF drum and the outer shell were defective. The transmission would shift erratically and sometimes would shift into a lower gear that should not do causing immediate high engine rpms and throwing passengers forward. In wet conditions this would cause a loss of control. I retained the defective parts and documen... Read more
Incident date: May 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Equinox. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced oil consumption failures. While examine the vehicle he contact discover very little oil was present although oil was recently added to the engine. The oil light warning light did not display and no oil leaks were present. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who was unable to determined the cause of the fai... Read more
Incident date: May 2, 2026
The contact's son owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being driven at 40-50 MPH, the vehicle began to jerk. The check engine light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined the failure was related to the engine. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aw... Read more
Incident date: May 2, 2026
The car has developed a growl/whine from the transmission. A trip to the mechanic determined that it sounded as if a bearing inside the transmission is failing. A check online showed multiple complaints regarding the transmission failing with the same issues as my car, and what appeared to be a possible class action lawsuit being filed regarding this transmission issue. No recall is showing for... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
Car failing to start. Stating vehicle not in park while actually being in park. Also vehicle states that engine is warming wait to start no matter the temperature outside. Waited this morning for 2hrs for the vehicle to start it did not start. This is an emergency hazard for a vehicle to not start due to a computer issue. The current recall i attempted to go to the manufacturer however the manufac... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
Car failing to start. Stating vehicle not in park while actually being in park. Also vehicle states that engine is warming wait to start no matter the temperature outside. Waited this morning for 2hrs for the vehicle to start it did not start. This is an emergency hazard for a vehicle to not start due to a computer issue. The current recall i attempted to go to the manufacturer however the manufac... Read more
Incident date: May 9, 2026
The paint is peeling/ flaking off. The areas are the top of the lift gate and by both taillights. Those parts have never been painted before. Originally factory paint. It’s blue.
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
I am filing a safety complaint regarding a 2020 Lincoln Aviator Reserve VIN [XXX] involving recurring safety-related electrical and visibility concerns. The vehicle has experienced repeated service-related issues involving suspension systems, electrical inspections, camera/display concerns, and manufacturer customer satisfaction programs. Most significantly, the vehicle is subject to an active ... Read more
Incident date: Mar 24, 2026
I am filing a safety complaint regarding a 2020 Lincoln Aviator Reserve VIN [XXX] involving recurring safety-related electrical and visibility concerns. The vehicle has experienced repeated service-related issues involving suspension systems, electrical inspections, camera/display concerns, and manufacturer customer satisfaction programs. Most significantly, the vehicle is subject to an active ... Read more
Incident date: May 1, 2026
Was driving down the highway when Check: electric vehicle system warning came on and car slowed suddenly and wouldnt go past 41MPH. Within a min, the car slowed down further and just as I was pulling on the shoulder. Car didnt have power to move after.
Incident date: Feb 2, 2026
Engine failed on 5/8/26 with 1794 miles. Sounds like possible main bearing failure, engine had 18psi oil pressure. Signs were, knocking, banging, screeching/squealing internally from engine. No codes or check engine lights appeared. Was driving approximately 35-40 MPH on mountainous paved road. Managed to limp truck to safe pull off area and turned off engine. Had truck towed to dealership. If tru... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2026
GM Duramax L5P diesel engine electrical connector for #4 fuel injector. This failure caused the Diesel exhaust brake, which controls downhill speed, to disengage, extreme shaking of the vehicle, emissions system warning and speed limiting. This occurred while descending a steep grade while towing a 34 feet long, 10,000 pound trailer. This is a known issue with this diesel engine and documented... Read more
Incident date: May 10, 2026
GM Duramax L5P diesel engine electrical connector for #4 fuel injector. This failure caused the Diesel exhaust brake, which controls downhill speed, to disengage, extreme shaking of the vehicle, emissions system warning and speed limiting. This occurred while descending a steep grade while towing a 34 feet long, 10,000 pound trailer. This is a known issue with this diesel engine and documented... Read more
Incident date: Feb 20, 2026
Transmission will randomly over shift or down shift when driving. When turning left I have had the transmission over shift from 2nd to 8th causing the car to bog down and could not accelerate in the intersection. I was almost hit from behind on one occasion and had hit on the side another time. I do not feel comfortable making turns without having a protected right away. Ford have changed the tran... Read more
Incident date: Apr 24, 2026
Airbag/seatbelt dashboard light on.
Incident date: May 9, 2026
My transmission has started to fail. The check engine light came on the error code read p0867, transmission fluid pressure. Other lights came on as well because it tripped the rest of the sensors because of the CVT failure. This seems to be a common problem in Subarus
Incident date: May 9, 2026
My 2019 Toyota RAV4 Adventure suffered a sudden catastrophic transmission failure while driving on the highway on April 28, 2026, resulting in loss of forward gears and a dangerous situation. On April 28, 2026, while traveling in [XXX] , my 2019 Toyota RAV4 Adventure (159,173 miles) experienced a sudden transmission failure with no prior warning symptoms. The vehicle began slipping, made a whinin... Read more
Incident date: May 7, 2026
Power steering went out and I'm told it's a sensor that is in the steering column. Very expensive to have fixed due to location of the sensor. I seen a recall for this problem however it is only good for 150,000 miles or 10 years. I just purchased this car 2 years ago with 172,000 miles. This recall should still be valid if it hasn't been repaired. I almost wrecked the car not realizing this happe... Read more